Topological Crystalline Insulator and Quantum Anomalous Hall States in IV-VI based Monolayers and their Quantum Wells

Different from the two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator, the 2D topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase disappears when the mirror symmetry is broken, e.g., upon placing on a substrate. Here, based on a new family of 2D TCIs - SnTe and PbTe monolayers - we theoretically predict the realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect with Chern number C = 2 even when the mirror symmetry is broken. Remarkably, we also demonstrate that the considered materials retain their large-gap topological properties in quantum well structures obtained by sandwiching the monolayers between NaCl layers. Our results demonstrate that the TCIs can serve as a seed for observing robust topologically non-trivial phases.Comment: 5 pages, submitted on 27th Feb 201

Drastische levertijdreductie door meer-niveau afstemming

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Foliar Micronutrient Application for High-Yield Maize

Nebraska soils are generally micronutrient sufficient. However, critical levels for current yields have not been validated. From 2013 to 2015, 26 on-farm paired comparison strip-trials were conducted across Nebraska to test the effect of foliar-applied micronutrients on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and foliar nutrient concentrations. Treatments were applied from V6 to V14 at sites with 10.9 to 16.4 Mg ha−1 yield. Soils ranged from silty clays to fine sands. Soil micronutrient availability and tissue concentrations were all above critical levels for deficiency. Significant grain yield increases were few. Micronutrient concentrations for leaf growth that occurred after foliar applications were increased 4 to 9 mg Zn kg−1 at 5 of 17 sites with application of 87 to 119 g Zn ha−1, 12 to 16 mg kg−1 Mn at 2 of 17 sites with application of 87 to 89 g Mn ha−1, and an average of 8.1 mg kg−1 Fe across 10 sites showing signs of Fe deficiency with application of 123 g foliar Fe ha-1. Foliar B concentration was not affected by B application. Increases in nutrient concentrations were not related to grain yield responses except for Mn (r = 0.54). The mean, significant grain yield response to 123 g foliar Fe ha−1 was 0.4 Mg ha−1 for the 10 sites with Fe deficiency symptoms. On average, maize yield response to foliar Fe application can be profitable if Fe deficiency symptoms are observed. Response to other foliar micronutrient applications is not likely to be profitable without solid evidence of a nutrient deficiency

Nitrogen response functions targeted to technology extrapolation domains in Ethiopia using CERES-maize

The profitability of fertilizer-N use can be optimized using N response functions specific to climate-based technology extrapolation domains (TED). Crop growth simulation can complement field research for targeting of response functions. The objective of this study was to target maize (Zea mays L.) N response functions to seven TED in Ethiopia through CERES-Maize simulation of continuous maize over 30 yr. The complete factorial set of treatments included seven levels of N in 25 kg ha−1 increments under no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems. The CERES-Maize simulated experiments were done for two or three sites per TED. Nitrogen response functions were generated for each TED with tillage-specific functions for three TED with tillage × N interactions. The N rate responses for all TED fit curvilinear to plateau functions but with differing magnitudes and shapes of response. The mean yield with NT was 6% less than with CT, but the difference declined with increased N rate. The economically optimum N rate (EONR) ranged from 65 to 179 and 103 to 243 kg ha−1 for high and low-cost fertilizer-N, respectively. The EONR was 6% less and the profit cost ratio was 11% higher with CT compared to NT, indicating greater fertilizer-N need with NT than with CT. The application of N for maize was highly profitable for all TED. The EONR from CERES-Maize were higher than past field research results. This suggests that the CERES-Maize N response functions were most appropriate for well-managed crop production situations in Ethiopia

Twentieth century delta13C variability in surface water dissolved inorganic carbon recorded by coralline algae in the northern North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea

The oxygen isotopic composition and Mg/Ca ratios in the skeletons of long-lived coralline algae record ambient seawater temperature over time. Similarly, the carbon isotopic composition in the skeletons record δ13C values of ambient seawater dissolved inorganic carbon. Here, we measured δ13C in the coralline alga Clathromorphum nereostratum to test the feasibility of reconstructing the intrusion of anthropogenic CO2 into the northern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. The δ13C was measured in the high Mg-calcite skeleton of three C. nereostratum specimens from two islands 500 km apart in the Aleutian archipelago. In the records spanning 1887 to 2003, the average decadal rate of decline in δ13C values increased from 0.03‰ yr−1 in the 1960s to 0.095‰ yr−1 in the 1990s, which was higher than expected due to solely the δ13C-Suess effect. Deeper water in this region exhibits higher concentrations of CO2 and low δ13C values. Transport of deeper water into surface water (i.e., upwelling) increases when the Aleutian Low is intensified. We hypothesized that the acceleration of the δ13C decline may result from increased upwelling from the 1960s to 1990s, which in turn was driven by increased intensity of the Aleutian Low. Detrended δ13C records also varied on 4–7 year and bidecadal timescales supporting an atmospheric teleconnection of tropical climate patterns to the northern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea manifested as changes in upwelling

The relevance of outsourcing and leagile strategies in performance optimization of an integrated process planning and scheduling

Over the past few years growing global competition has forced the manufacturing industries to upgrade their old production strategies with the modern day approaches. As a result, recent interest has been developed towards finding an appropriate policy that could enable them to compete with others, and facilitate them to emerge as a market winner. Keeping in mind the abovementioned facts, in this paper the authors have proposed an integrated process planning and scheduling model inheriting the salient features of outsourcing, and leagile principles to compete in the existing market scenario. The paper also proposes a model based on leagile principles, where the integrated planning management has been practiced. In the present work a scheduling problem has been considered and overall minimization of makespan has been aimed. The paper shows the relevance of both the strategies in performance enhancement of the industries, in terms of their reduced makespan. The authors have also proposed a new hybrid Enhanced Swift Converging Simulated Annealing (ESCSA) algorithm, to solve the complex real-time scheduling problems. The proposed algorithm inherits the prominent features of the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Simulated Annealing (SA), and the Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The ESCSA algorithm reduces the makespan significantly in less computational time and number of iterations. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm has been shown by comparing the results with GA, SA, Tabu, and hybrid Tabu-SA optimization methods

EC02-179 Managing Livestock Manure to Protect Environmental Quality

This book covers the land application part of manure management. With increasing regulations, the livestock producer needs to understand the scientific principles that affect manure transformations and how to use these principles to manage the manure for maximum fertilizer value with minimal environmental impact. Improved land application of manure is one part of the solution, but we suggest that the producer evaluate the quantity of nutrients arriving on the farm as feed, animals, and fertilizer compared to the total that is exported. Achieving a nutrient balance will reduce potential environmental hazards often associated with animal agriculture

Magnetic behaviour of Eu_2CuSi_3: Large negative magnetoresistance above Curie temperature

We report here the results of magnetic susceptibility, electrical-resistivity, magnetoresistance (MR), heat-capacity and ^{151}Eu Mossbauer effect measurements on the compound, Eu_2CuSi_3, crystallizing in an AlB_2-derived hexagonal structure. The results establish that Eu ions are divalent, undergoing long-range ferromagnetic-ordering below (T_C=) 37 K. An interesting observation is that the sign of MR is negative even at temperatures close to 3T_C, with increasing magnitude with decreasing temperature exhibiting a peak at T_C. This observation, being made for a Cu containing magnetic rare-earth compound for the first time, is of relevance to the field of collosal magnetoresistance.Comment: To appear in PRB, RevTex, 4 pages text + 6 psFigs. Related to our earlier work on Gd systems (see cond-mat/9811382, cond-mat/9811387, cond-mat/9812069, cond-mat/9812365

A spoonful of L‐fucose—an efficient therapy for GFUS‐CDG, a new glycosylation disorder

Abstract Congenital disorders of glycosylation are a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous family of diseases affecting the co‐ and posttranslational modification of proteins. Using exome sequencing, we detected biallelic variants in GFUS (NM_003313.4) c.[632G>A];[659C>T] (p.[Gly211Glu];[Ser220Leu]) in a patient presenting with global developmental delay, mild coarse facial features and faltering growth. GFUS encodes GDP‐L‐fucose synthase, the terminal enzyme in de novo synthesis of GDP‐L‐fucose, required for fucosylation of N‐ and O‐glycans. We found reduced GFUS protein and decreased GDP‐L‐fucose levels leading to a general hypofucosylation determined in patient's glycoproteins in serum, leukocytes, thrombocytes and fibroblasts. Complementation of patient fibroblasts with wild‐type GFUS cDNA restored fucosylation. Making use of the GDP‐L‐fucose salvage pathway, oral fucose supplementation normalized fucosylation of proteins within 4 weeks as measured in serum and leukocytes. During the follow‐up of 19 months, a moderate improvement of growth was seen, as well as a clear improvement of cognitive skills as measured by the Kaufmann ABC and the Nijmegen Pediatric CDG Rating Scale. In conclusion, GFUS‐CDG is a new glycosylation disorder for which oral L‐fucose supplementation is promising