17,246 research outputs found
Direct-write, focused ion beam-deposited,7 K superconducting C-Ga-O nanowire
We have fabricated C-Ga-O nanowires by gallium focused ion beam-induced
deposition from the carbon-based precursor phenanthrene. The electrical
conductivity of the nanowires is weakly temperature dependent below 300 K, and
indicates a transition to a superconducting state below Tc = 7 K. We have
measured the temperature dependence of the upper critical field Hc2(T), and
estimate a zero temperature critical field of 8.8 T. The Tc of this material is
approximately 40% higher than that of any other direct write nanowire, such as
those based on C-W-Ga, expanding the possibility of fabricating direct-write
nanostructures that superconduct above liquid helium temperaturesComment: Accepted for AP
False Biosignatures on Mars: Anticipating Ambiguity
It is often acknowledged that the search for life on Mars might produce false positive results, particularly via the detection of objects, patterns or substances that resemble the products of life in some way but are not biogenic. The success of major current and forthcoming rover missions now calls for significant efforts to mitigate this risk. Here, we review known processes that could have generated false biosignatures on early Mars. These examples are known largely from serendipitous discoveries rather than systematic research and remain poorly understood; they probably represent only a small subset of relevant phenomena. These phenomena tend to be driven by kinetic processes far from thermodynamic equilibrium, often in the presence of liquid water and organic matter, conditions similar to those that can actually give rise to, and support, life. We propose that strategies for assessing candidate biosignatures on Mars could be improved by new knowledge on the physics and chemistry of abiotic self-organization in geological systems. We conclude by calling for new interdisciplinary research to determine how false biosignatures may arise, focusing on geological materials, conditions and spatiotemporal scales relevant to the detection of life on Mars, as well as the early Earth and other planetary bodies
New Limits on the Polarized Anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background at Subdegree Angular Scales
We update the limit from the 90 GHz PIQUE ground-based polarimeter on the
magnitude of any polarized anisotropy of the cosmic microwave radiation. With a
second year of data, we have now limited both Q and U on a ring of 1 degree
radius. The window functions are broad: for E-mode polarization, the effective
l is = 191 +143 -132. We find that the E-mode signal can be no greater than
8.4 microK (95% CL), assuming no B-mode polarization. Limits on a possible
B-mode signal are also presented.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letter
The Effect of Grain Size on Porewater Radiolysis
Funding Information: The authors greatly appreciate the helpful discussions with Eric Benton at Oklahoma State University and Regina DeWitt at East Carolina University. S.M. also thanks Barry B. McMahon for helpful discussions about the geometry in Text S2 in Supporting Information S1.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
A star-forming galaxy at z= 5.78 in the Chandra Deep Field South
We report the discovery of a luminous z = 5.78 star-forming galaxy in the Chandra Deep Field South. This galaxy was selected as an âi-dropâ from the GOODS public survey imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (object 3 in the work of Stanway, Bunker & McMahon 2003). The large colour of (iâČâzâČ)AB = 1.6 indicated a spectral break consistent with the Lyman α forest absorption shortward of Lyman α at zâ 6. The galaxy is very compact (marginally resolved with ACS with a half-light radius of 0.08 arcsec, so rhl 5. Our spectroscopic redshift for this object confirms the validity of the iâČ-drop technique of Stanway et al. to select star-forming galaxies atzâ 6
Teacher Educators and Expansive Learning in the Workplace and Beyond
Research on the professional learning of teacher educators is a relatively young and under-researched area, despite the importance of this occupational group in the fast-changing area of teacher education internationally. Past provision for learning has often focused on either one-off professional development events or workplace learning. Aiming to develop new knowledge and understanding of professional learning for teacher educators, this article attempts firstly, to analyse the impact of a one-off learning event, offered by the European InFo-TED group, on its participants, and secondly, to look at where and how the learning generated there developed further learning back in the workplace. Deploying a conceptual framework emphasising participatory professional learning and Engestromâs concept of expansive learning, we explore how these two forms of learning might be planned and implemented in order to provide integrated, professionally relevant and enduring forms of learning
Composite Reflective/Absorptive IR-Blocking Filters Embedded in Metamaterial Antireflection Coated Silicon
Infrared (IR) blocking filters are crucial for controlling the radiative
loading on cryogenic systems and for optimizing the sensitivity of bolometric
detectors in the far-IR. We present a new IR filter approach based on a
combination of patterned frequency selective structures on silicon and a thin
(50 thick) absorptive composite based on powdered reststrahlen
absorbing materials. For a 300 K blackbody, this combination reflects
50\% of the incoming light and blocks \textgreater 99.8\% of the total
power with negligible thermal gradients and excellent low frequency
transmission. This allows for a reduction in the IR thermal loading to
negligible levels in a single cold filter. These composite filters are
fabricated on silicon substrates which provide excellent thermal transport
laterally through the filter and ensure that the entire area of the absorptive
filter stays near the bath temperature. A metamaterial antireflection coating
cut into these substrates reduces in-band reflections to below 1\%, and the
in-band absorption of the powder mix is below 1\% for signal bands below 750
GHz. This type of filter can be directly incorporated into silicon refractive
optical elements
So near and yet so far: Harmonic radar reveals reduced homing ability of nosema infected honeybees
Pathogens may gain a fitness advantage through manipulation of the behaviour of their hosts. Likewise, host behavioural changes can be a defence mechanism, counteracting the impact of pathogens on host fitness. We apply harmonic radar technology to characterize the impact of an emerging pathogen - Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) - on honeybee (Apis mellifera) flight and orientation performance in the field. Honeybees are the most important commercial pollinators. Emerging diseases have been proposed to play a prominent role in colony decline, partly through sub-lethal behavioural manipulation of their hosts. We found that homing success was significantly reduced in diseased (65.8%) versus healthy foragers (92.5%). Although lost bees had significantly reduced continuous flight times and prolonged resting times, other flight characteristics and navigational abilities showed no significant difference between infected and non-infected bees. Our results suggest that infected bees express normal flight characteristics but are constrained in their homing ability, potentially compromising the colony by reducing its resource inputs, but also counteracting the intra-colony spread of infection. We provide the first high-resolution analysis of sub-lethal effects of an emerging disease on insect flight behaviour. The potential causes and the implications for both host and parasite are discussed
So near and yet so far: Harmonic radar reveals reduced homing ability of nosema infected honeybees
Pathogens may gain a fitness advantage through manipulation of the behaviour of their hosts. Likewise, host behavioural changes can be a defence mechanism, counteracting the impact of pathogens on host fitness. We apply harmonic radar technology to characterize the impact of an emerging pathogen - Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) - on honeybee (Apis mellifera) flight and orientation performance in the field. Honeybees are the most important commercial pollinators. Emerging diseases have been proposed to play a prominent role in colony decline, partly through sub-lethal behavioural manipulation of their hosts. We found that homing success was significantly reduced in diseased (65.8%) versus healthy foragers (92.5%). Although lost bees had significantly reduced continuous flight times and prolonged resting times, other flight characteristics and navigational abilities showed no significant difference between infected and non-infected bees. Our results suggest that infected bees express normal flight characteristics but are constrained in their homing ability, potentially compromising the colony by reducing its resource inputs, but also counteracting the intra-colony spread of infection. We provide the first high-resolution analysis of sub-lethal effects of an emerging disease on insect flight behaviour. The potential causes and the implications for both host and parasite are discussed
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