Non-Arrhenius ionic conductivities in glasses due to a distribution of activation energies

Previously observed non-Arrhenius behavior in fast ion conducting glasses [\textit{Phys.\ Rev.\ Lett.}\ \textbf{76}, 70 (1996)] occurs at temperatures near the glass transition temperature, $T_{g}$, and is attributed to changes in the ion mobility due to ion trapping mechanisms that diminish the conductivity and result in a decreasing conductivity with increasing temperature. It is intuitive that disorder in glass will also result in a distribution of the activation energies (DAE) for ion conduction, which should increase the conductivity with increasing temperature, yet this has not been identified in the literature. In this paper, a series of high precision ionic conductivity measurements are reported for $0.5{Na}_{2}{S}+0.5[x{GeS}_{2}+(1-x){PS}_{5/2}]$ glasses with compositions ranging from $0 \leq x \leq 1$. The impact of the cation site disorder on the activation energy is identified and explained using a DAE model. The absence of the non-Arrhenius behavior in other glasses is explained and it is predicted which glasses are expected to accentuate the DAE effect on the ionic conductivity.Comment: 2 figure

Extension of Authority to Confer Bachelor of Education Degrees in Alberta

This retrospective policy study identified how and why authority to confer Bachelor of Education degrees was extended to private colleges in Alberta. Data collection consisted of document review and interviews with key actors who played important roles in the adoption of the policy change. The study had two foci: the process by which the King's University College in Edmonton was able to attain authority to confer BEd degrees, and on postsecondary policy change in Alberta using Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith's (1993, 1997) Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACE). Two sources of the policy change were identified: local political pressures and international pressures for neoliberalization of public policy. The study confirmed the utility of the ACE to represent and explain the case study information on extension of authority to confer BEd degrees in Alberta. A significant finding was the intractability of the policy change due to opposition by a consensus of professional educators. Although educator elites anticipated additional extension of authority to confer BEd degrees and increasing privatization of the postsecondary education system, respondents opposing the policy change anticipated continuing resistance from educational stakeholders. This potential conflict has implications for teacher preparation, the practice of school administrators, and for education generally. Differentiation in teacher preparation that may result from a proliferation of BEd programs has quality control implications for the Teacher Certification Branch of the Department of Alberta Education and the Private Colleges Accreditation Board of Alberta.Cette étude d'orientation rétrospective a identifie les facteurs qui expliquent comment et pourquoi des collèges prives en Alberta se sont vus autorises à conférer des diplômes de Baccalauréat en Éducation. La collecte de données s'est effectuée par le biais d'une étude de documents et d'entrevues avec les protagonistes qui ont joue des rôles essentiels dans l'adoption de la réorientation des politiques. L'étude s'est concentrée sur deux processus : l'évolution qui a fait en sorte que King's University College à Edmonton a réussi a obtenir l'autorité de conférer des diplômes de Baccalauréat en Éducation ainsi que le changement d'orientation en éducation postsecondaire en Alberta tel que mesure par le Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACE) de Sabatier et Jenkins-Smith (1993, 1997). 11 en est sorti deux sources de la réorientation : des pressions politiques locales et des pressions internationales appuyant la ne libéralisation des politiques publiques. L'étude a confirme l'utilité du ACE dans la représentation et l’explication de l’information découlant de l'étude de cas sur I 'extension de l'autorité à conférer des diplômes de Baccalauréat en Éducation en Alberta. La recherche a révèle un élément important : I’ aspect intractable du changement d'orientation qui est attribuable a I’ opposition maintenue par un ensemble solidaire d'enseignants professionnels. Alors que I’ élite enseignante prévoyaient que l'autorité à conférer des diplômes de Baccalauréat en Éducation et la privatisation du Système éducatif postsecondaire continueraient à s'étendre, les répondants qui s'opposaient an changement d'orientation s attendaient 'a ce que les intervenants en éducation maintiennent leur résistance. Ce conflit éventuel aurait des retombées sur la formation des enseignants, le travail des administrateurs scolaires et l'éducation de façon générale. La divergence dans la formation des enseignants qui pourrait découler d'une prolifération de programmes en pédagogie aurait des incidences quant au contrôle de la qualité par la commission des brevets d'enseignement du ministère de l’éducation en Alberta et par l’organisme d'accréditation des collèges privés de l’Alberta

General practitioners can evaluate the material, social and health dimensions of patient social status

OBJECTIVE: To identify which physician and patient characteristics are associated with physicians' estimation of their patient social status.DESIGN: Cross-sectional ulticentric survey. SETTING: Fourty-seven primary care private offices in Western Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 2030 patients ≥ 16, who encountered a general practitioner (GP) between September 2010 and February 2011. MAIN MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME: patient social status perceived by GPs, using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, ranging from the bottom (0) to the top (10) of the social scale.Secondary outcome: Difference between GP's evaluation and patient's own evaluation of their social status. Potential patient correlates: material and social deprivation using the DiPCare-Q, health status using the EQ-5D, sources of income, and level of education. GP characteristics: opinion regarding patients' deprivation and its influence on health and care. RESULTS: To evaluate patient social status, GPs considered the material, social, and health aspects of deprivation, along with education level, and amount and type of income. GPs declaring a frequent reflexive consideration of their own prejudice towards deprived patients, gave a higher estimation of patients' social status (+1.0, p = 0.002). Choosing a less costly treatment for deprived patients was associated with a lower estimation (-0.7, p = 0.002). GP's evaluation of patient social status was 0.5 point higher than the patient's own estimate (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: GPs can perceive the various dimensions of patient social status, although heterogeneously, according partly to their own characteristics. Compared to patients' own evaluation, GPs overestimate patient social status

Light Curve Patterns and Seismology of a White Dwarf with Complex Pulsation

The ZZ Ceti star KUV 02464+3239 was observed over a whole season at the mountain station of Konkoly Observatory. A rigorous frequency analysis revealed 6 certain periods between 619 and 1250 seconds, with no shorter period modes present. We use the observed periods, published effective temperature and surface gravity, along with the model grid code of Bischoff-Kim, Montgomery and Winget (2008) to perform a seismological analysis. We find acceptable model fits with masses between 0.60 and 0.70 M_Sun. The hydrogen layer mass of the acceptable models are almost always between 10^-4 and 10^-6 M_*. In addition to our seismological results, we also show our analysis of individual light curve segments. Considering the non-sinusoidal shape of the light curve and the Fourier spectra of segments showing large amplitude variations, the importance of non-linear effects in the pulsation is clearly seen.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, in "Stellar Pulsation: Challenges for Theory and Observation", Eds. J. Guzik and P. A. Bradley, AIP

Characterizing the pulsations of the ZZ Ceti star KUV 02464+3239

We present the results on period search and modeling of the cool DAV star KUV 02464+3239. Our observations resolved the multiperiodic pulsational behaviour of the star. In agreement with its position near the red edge of the DAV instability strip, it shows large amplitude, long period pulsation modes, and has a strongly non-sinusoidal light curve. We determined 6 frequencies as normal modes and revealed remarkable short-term amplitude variations. A rigorous test was performed for the possible source of amplitude variation: beating of modes, effect of noise, unresolved frequencies or rotational triplets. Among the best-fit models resulting from a grid search, we selected 3 that gave l=1 solutions for the largest amplitude modes. These models had masses of 0.645, 0.650 and 0.680 M_Sun. The 3 `favoured' models have M_H between 2.5x10^-5 - 6.3x10^-6 M_* and give 14.2 - 14.8 mas seismological parallax. The 0.645 M_Sun (11400 K) model also matches the spectroscopic log g and T_eff within 1 sigma. We investigated the possibility of mode trapping and concluded that while it can explain high amplitude modes, it is not required.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Sudbury project (University of Muenster-Ontario Geological Survey): Field studies 1984-1989 - summary of results

In cooperation between the Ontario Geological Survey and the Institute of Geology and Institute of Planetology, geological, petrological, and geochemical studies were carried out on impact-related phenomena of the Sudbury structure during the last decade. The main results of the field studies are briefly reviewed. Footwall rocks, sublayer, and lower sections of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) were mainly mapped and sampled in the northern (Levack Township) and western (Trillabelle and Sultana Properties) parts of the north range. Within these mapping areas Sudbury Breccias (SB) and Footwall Breccias (FB) were studied; SB were also investigated along extended profiles beyond the north and south ranges up to 55 km from the SIC. The Onaping Formation (OF) and the upper section of the SIC were studied both in the north range (Morgan and Dowling Townships) and in the southern east range (Capreol and McLennan Townships)

Neural hypersensitivity to pleasant touch in women remitted from anorexia nervosa.

Interoception, or the sensing and integration of bodily state signals, has been implicated in anorexia nervosa (AN), given that the hallmark symptoms involve food restriction and body image disturbance. Here we focus on brain response to the anticipation and experience of affective interoceptive stimuli. Women remitted from AN (RAN; N = 18) and healthy comparison women (CW; N = 26) underwent a pleasant affective touch paradigm consisting of gentle strokes with a soft brush administered to the forearm or palm during functional neuroimaging. RAN had a lower brain response relative to CW during anticipation of touch, but a greater response when experiencing touch in the right ventral mid-insula. In RAN, this reduced anticipatory response was associated with higher levels of harm avoidance. Exploratory analyses in RAN also suggested that lower response during touch anticipation was associated with greater body dissatisfaction and higher perceived touch intensity ratings. This reduced responsivity to the anticipation of pleasant affective interoceptive stimuli in association with higher harm avoidance, along with an elevated response to the experience of touch, suggests an impaired ability in AN to predict and interpret incoming physiological stimuli. Impaired interoception may thus impact one's sense of self, thereby supporting observations of disturbed body image and avoidance of affective and social stimuli. Therapeutic approaches that help AN to better anticipate and interpret salient affective stimuli or improve tolerance of interoceptive experiences may be an important addition to current interventions