9,543 research outputs found
The composition of phosphate granules in the digestive glands of marine prosobranch gastropods: variation in relation to taxonomy
The composition of some 1150 phosphate granules in the digestive glands of over 40 species of marine prosobranch gastropods has been surveyed using a simple preparation technique and semiquantitative SEM x-ray microanalysis. Spectral peaks for Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe and Zn were compared to that of P. Four major types of phosphate granule can be recognised, each generally characteristic of a taxonomic grouping: high Mg in archaeogastropods and littorinids, multiple metal in higher mesogastropods, and, in neogastropods, Mg-Ca in muricoideans and high Zn in buccinoideans. At least one Conus species (C. ventricosus) has high-Mg granules. Some causes of variation in granule composition are discussed: speculatively, it is suggested a palaeoenvironmental influence seems possible.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Matrix bandwidth and profile reduction
This program, REDUCE, reduces the bandwidth and profile of sparse symmetric matrices, using row and corresponding column permutations. It is a realization of the algorithm described by the authors elsewhere. It was extensively tested and compared with several other programs and was found to be considerably faster than the others, superior for bandwidth reduction and as satisfactory as any other for profile reduction
Topics in Cubic Special Geometry
We reconsider the sub-leading quantum perturbative corrections to N=2 cubic
special Kaehler geometries. Imposing the invariance under axion-shifts, all
such corrections (but the imaginary constant one) can be introduced or removed
through suitable, lower unitriangular symplectic transformations, dubbed
Peccei-Quinn (PQ) transformations. Since PQ transformations do not belong to
the d=4 U-duality group G4, in symmetric cases they generally have a
non-trivial action on the unique quartic invariant polynomial I4 of the charge
representation R of G4. This leads to interesting phenomena in relation to
theory of extremal black hole attractors; namely, the possibility to make
transitions between different charge orbits of R, with corresponding change of
the supersymmetry properties of the supported attractor solutions. Furthermore,
a suitable action of PQ transformations can also set I4 to zero, or vice versa
it can generate a non-vanishing I4: this corresponds to transitions between
"large" and "small" charge orbits, which we classify in some detail within the
"special coordinates" symplectic frame. Finally, after a brief account of the
action of PQ transformations on the recently established correspondence between
Cayley's hyperdeterminant and elliptic curves, we derive an equivalent,
alternative expression of I4, with relevant application to black hole entropy.Comment: 1+39 page
Muon-spin rotation measurements of the vortex state in SrRuO: type-1.5 superconductivity, vortex clustering and a crossover from a triangular to a square vortex lattice
Muon-spin rotation has been used to probe vortex state in SrRuO. At
moderate fields and temperatures a lattice of triangular symmetry is observed,
crossing over to a lattice of square symmetry with increasing field and
temperature. At lower fields it is found that there are large regions of the
sample that are completely free from vortices which grow in volume as the
temperature falls. Importantly this is accompanied by {\it increasing} vortex
density and increasing disorder within the vortex-cluster containing regions.
Both effects are expected to result from the strongly temperature-dependent
long-range vortex attractive forces arising from the multi-band chiral-order
superconductivity.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Quantum bistability and spin current shot noise of a single quantum dot coupled to an optical microcavity
Here we explore spin dependent quantum transport through a single quantum dot
coupled to an optical microcavity. The spin current is generated by electron
tunneling between a single doped reservoir and the dot combined with intradot
spin flip transitions induced by a quantized cavity mode. In the limit of
strong Coulomb blockade, this model is analogous to the Jaynes-Cummings model
in quantum optics and generates a pure spin current in the absence of any
charge current. Earlier research has shown that in the classical limit where a
large number of such dots interact with the cavity field, the spin current
exhibits bistability as a function of the laser amplitude that drives the
cavity. We show that in the limit of a single quantum dot this bistability
continues to be present in the intracavity photon statistics. Signatures of the
bistable photon statistics manifest themselves in the frequency dependent shot
noise of the spin current despite the fact that the quantum mechanical average
spin current no longer exhibits bistability. Besides having significance for
future quantum dot based optoelectronic devices, our results shed light on the
relation between bistability, which is traditionally viewed as a classical
effect, and quantum mechanics
Performance Analysis of the Spaceborne Laser Ranging System
The 'spaceborne laser ranging system' is a proposed short pulse laser on board an orbiting spacecraft. It measures the distances between the spacecraft and many laser retroreflectors (targets) deployed on the earth's surface. The precision of these range measurements was assumed to be about plus or minus 2 cm. These measurements were then used together with the orbital dynamics of the spacecraft to derive the intersite vector between the laser ground targets. The errors associated with this vector were on the order of 1 to 2 cm. The baseline distances determined range from 25 km to 1200 km. By repeating the measurements of the intersite vector, strain and strain rate errors were estimated. The realizable precision for intersite distance determination was estimated to be on the order of 0.5 cm at 300 km and about 1.5 cm at 1200 km. The corresponding inaccuracies for the intersite distances were larger, than is 1 cm and 3.5 cm respectively. The corresponding precision in the vertical direction was 1 cm and 3 cm
Thermal analysis applied to estimation of solidification kinetics of Al–Si aluminium alloys
Evaluation of solidification kinetics by thermal analysis is a useful tool for quality control of Al–Si melts before pouring provided it is rapid and highly reproducible. Series of thermal analysis records made with standard cups are presented that show good reproducibility. They are evaluated using a Newton’s like approach to get the instantaneous heat evolution and from it solidification kinetics. An alternative way of calculating the zero line is proposed which is validated by the fact that the latent heat of solidification thus evaluated is within 5% of the value calculated from thermodynamic data. Solidification kinetics was found highly reproducible provided appropriate experimental conditions were achieved: high enough casting temperature for the cup to heat up to the metal temperature well before solidification starts; and equal and homogeneous temperatures of the metal and of the cup at any time in the temperature range used for integration
Struggling and juggling: a comparison of assessment loads in research and teaching-intensive universities
In spite of the rising tide of metrics in UK higher education, there has been scant attention paid to assessment loads, when evidence demonstrates that heavy demands lead to surface learning. Our study seeks to redress the situation by defining assessment loads and comparing them across research-and teaching intensive universities. We clarify the concept of ‘assessment load’ in response to findings about high volumes of summative assessment on modular degrees. We define assessment load across whole undergraduate degrees, according to four measures: the volume of summative assessment; volume of formative assessment; proportion of examinations to coursework; number of different varieties of assessment. All four factors contribute to the weight of an assessment load, and influence students’ approaches to learning. Our research compares programme assessment data from 73 programmes in 14 UK universities, across two institutional categories. Research-intensives have higher summative assessment loads and a greater proportion of examinations; teaching-intensives have higher varieties of assessment. Formative assessment does not differ significantly across both university groups. These findings pose particular challenges for students in different parts of the sector. Our study questions the wisdom that ‘more’ is always better, proposing that lighter assessment loads may make room for ‘slow’ and deep learning
The C. H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa: Community Engagement at an Archaeological Site
This article highlights outreach programs launched by the C. H. Nash Museum to encourage engagement with members of local African-American communities
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