Orbital order in the low-dimensional quantum spin system TiOCl probed by ESR

We present electron spin resonance data of Ti$^{3+}$ (3$d^1$) ions in single crystals of the novel layered quantum spin magnet TiOCl. The analysis of the g tensor yields direct evidence that the d_{xy} orbital from the t_{2g} set is predominantly occupied and owing to the occurrence of orbital order a linear spin chain forms along the crystallographic b axis. This result corroborates recent theoretical LDA+U calculations of the band structure. The temperature dependence of the parameters of the resonance signal suggests a strong coupling between spin and lattice degrees of freedom and gives evidence for a transition to a nonmagnetic ground state at 67 K.Comment: revised version, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Com

White-faced Darter distribution is associated with coniferous forests in Great Britain

Abstract 1) Understanding of dragonfly distributions is often geographically comprehensive but less so in ecological terms. 2) White-faced darter (Leucorhinnia dubia) is a lowland peatbog specialist dragonfly which has experienced population declines in Great Britain. White-faced darter are thought to rely on peat-rich pool complexes within woodland but this has not yet been empirically tested. 3) We used dragonfly recording data collected by volunteers of the British Dragonfly Society from 2005 to 2018 to model habitat preference for white-faced darter using species distribution models across Great Britain and, with a more detailed landcover dataset, specifically in the North of Scotland. 4) Across the whole of Great Britain our models used the proportion of coniferous forest within 1km as the most important predictor of habitat suitability but were not able to predict all current populations in England. 5) In the North of Scotland our models were more successful and suggest that habitats characterised by native coniferous forest and areas high potential evapotranspiration represent the most suitable habitat for white-faced darter. 6) We recommend that future white-faced darter monitoring should be expanded to include areas currently poorly surveyed but with high suitability in the North of Scotland. 7) Our results also suggest that white-faced darter management should concentrate on maintaining Sphagnum rich pool complexes and the maintenance and restoration of native forests in which these pool complexes occur

Labour power and labour process : contesting the marginality of the sociology of work

This article opens by suggesting that the decline in the sociology of work in the UK has been overstated; research continues, but in locations such as business schools. The continued vitality of the field corresponds with material changes in an increasingly globalized capitalism, with more workers in the world, higher employment participation rates of women, transnational shifts in manufacturing, global expansion of services and temporal and spatial stretching of work with advanced information communication technologies. The article demonstrates that Labour Process Theory (LPT) has been a crucial resource in the sociology of work, especially in the UK; core propositions of LPT provide it with resources for resilience (to counter claims of rival perspectives) and innovation (to expand the scope and explanatory power of the sociology of work). The article argues that the concept of the labour power has been critical to underpinning the sustained influence of labour process analysis

Reflections on DS/AHP: Lessons to Be Learnt

DS/AHP is a technique for multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), based on the Dempster-Shafer Theory of evidence (DST) and the Analytic Hi-erarchy Process (AHP). Since its introduction it has been developed and ap-plied by a number of authors, as well as form the foundation for other DST re-lated MCDM techniques. This paper reviews the evolution and impact of DS/AHP, culminating in a critical perspective, over relevant criteria, namely i) Ease of understanding, ii) A champion, iii) Software development and iv) Its pertinent development, for its position in the area of MCDM. The critical per-spective will include the impacting role DST has had in the evolution of DS/AHP. The lessons learnt, or not learnt, will be of interest to any reader un-dertaking research with strong influence from DST-based methodologies

Evidence-Based Modelling of Organizational Social Capital with Incomplete Data: An NCaRBS Analysis

Organizational social capital is critical to effective organizational functioning. Yet, different aspects of social capital are likely to be present to varying degrees within any given organization. In this study, alternative blends of structural, relational and cognitive social capital are modelled using a range of key organizational variables drawn from an incomplete dataset. A novel evidence-based approach to the ambiguous classification of objects (N-state Classification and Ranking Belief Simplex or NCaRBS) is used for the analysis. NCaRBS is uniquely able to capture the full range of ambiguity in the antecedents and effects of social capital, and to do so by incorporating incomplete data without recourse to the external management of the missing values. The study therefore illustrates the multi-faceted potential of analytical techniques based on uncertain reasoning, using the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence methodology

Gender differences in supermarket choice: an expositional analysis in the presence of ignorance using CaRBS

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to outline and analyse the issue of gender differences in supermarket choice; and to demonstrate the nascent CaRBS technique as an appropriate analysis tool on incomplete data. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a CaRBS analysis of survey-based data with emphasis on the visualisation of the evidence on the reasons for supermarket choice in discerning the gender of those making the decision of which supermarket to visit. Findings – Using the original incomplete data, there are certain reasons, such as range of stock, that are viewed differently by male and female consumers when deciding which supermarket to choose. Practical implications – CaRBS provides the ability to analyse incomplete data without the need to manage the missing values that are present, and the ability to optimise the classification of respondents based on their gender through minimising ambiguity but not the inherent ignorance in the evidence from the questionnaire-based responses. The relevance of characteristics can be found, even though many of the response-based data values are missing. Originality/value – The paper provides a clear demonstration of the ability to analyse original incomplete data, mitigating having to interpret results from managed data. The paper also introduces the CaRBS technique as a practical analysis tool in marketing research

Glareosin: a novel sexually dimorphic urinary lipocalin in the bank vole, Myodes glareolus

The urine of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) contains substantial quantities of a small protein that is expressed at much higher levels in males than females, and at higher levels in males in the breeding season. This protein was purified and completely sequenced at the protein level by mass spectrometry. Leucine/isoleucine ambiguity was completely resolved by metabolic labelling, monitoring the incorporation of dietary deuterated leucine into specific sites in the protein. The predicted mass of the sequenced protein was exactly consonant with the mass of the protein measured in bank vole urine samples, correcting for the formation of two disulfide bonds. The sequence of the protein revealed that it was a lipocalin related to aphrodisin and other odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), but differed from all OBPs previously described. The pattern of secretion in urine used for scent marking by male bank voles, and the similarity to other lipocalins used as chemical signals in rodents, suggest that this protein plays a role in male sexual and/or competitive communication. We propose the name glareosin for this novel protein to reflect the origin of the protein and to emphasize the distinction from known OBPs