A summary of the oldest ages for the world's islands

The oldest ages of rocks on the world's islands are summarized (Oligocene or older) based on published literature. All the oceans and perhaps all the seas contain a few continental islands, indicative of debris left from continental rifting prior to ocean basin formation by seafloor spreading. The Musicians Seamounts and the Hawaiian Ridge (both Cretaceous), and the Tuamotu Islands (Eocene) are the same age as the surrounding seafloor and probably formed at the crest of the East Pacific Rise. Future drilling and dredging operations are expected to modify and add to this list, as recent volcanism may well have obscured the much older basement rocks on many islands. Thus, the faunas of the Galapagos, Mauritius, Rodriguez, and Tristan da Cunha suggest they are continental islands, while their known surface geology yields dates of only 8 m.y. or less

Efficient photon number detection with silicon avalanche photodiodes

We demonstrate an efficient photon number detector for visible wavelengths using a silicon avalanche photodiode. Under subnanosecond gating, the device is able to resolve up to four photons in an incident optical pulse. The detection efficiency at 600 nm is measured to be 73.8%, corresponding to an avalanche probability of 91.1% of the absorbed photons, with a dark count probability below 1.1x10^{-6} per gate. With this performance and operation close to room temperature, fast-gated silicon avalanche photodiodes are ideal for optical quantum information processing that requires single-shot photon number detection

A review of melt and vapor growth techniques for polydiacetylene thin films for nonlinear optical applications

Methods for the growth of polydiacetylene thin films by melt and vapor growth and their subsequent polymerization are summarized. Films with random orientations were obtained when glass or quartz were used as substrates in the vapor growth process. Oriented polydiacetylene films were fabricated by the vapor deposition of diacetylene monomer onto oriented polydiacetylene on a glass substrate and its subsequent polymerization by UV light. A method for the growth of oriented thin films by a melt-shear growth process as well as a method of film growth by seeded recrstallization from the melt between glass plates, that may be applied to the growth of polydiacetylene films, are described. Moreover, a method is presented for the fabrication of single crystal thin films of polyacetylenes by irradiation of the surface of diacetylene single crystals to a depth between 100 and 2000 angstroms

Municipal Tourism Promotion: Mid-Size Cities in the United States

The competitive environment in the tourism industry requires municipalities interested in attracting tourists’ dollars to strategically manage city resources. Often public and private sector bodies cooperate and combine their efforts and resources to promote visitation to a city emphasizing the desire to maximize the limited resources of each available for tourism promotion. To succeed cities are challenged with finding an identity, or ‘personality’ that has a unique combination of functional and symbolic attributes to differentiate themselves from countless other destination options (Hankinson 2001). A city’s distinctiveness can be built on many different characteristics, such as cultural events and institutions, sporting events, urban parks and noteworthy architecture (Kazancoglu and Dirrsehan 2014)

The Sensoryscape of Theaters: A Case of Two University Associated Theaters

Live theater productions, must compete with other forms of entertainment offered in the experience economy (Barlow and Maul 2000). An impressive sensory experience that entertains and excites consumers is a key element that can differentiate and distinguish one experience from another (Gobe 2001). To be competitive theater productions should use their delivery facilities to provide an immersion experience in a theater’s sensoryscape. Theater venues offer a sensory experience that contributes to the service offering and also provide an opportunity to contribute to the achievement of numerous marketing goals. By consciously developing the sensoryscape, not only will consumer enjoyment and satisfaction be increased but plans to return and positive word-of-mouth should result. Goals to increase group-supportive behavior (necessary for not-for-profit and cultural organizations) and attendance will be enhanced

Resolving Conflicts by a Random Device

We examine conflict resolution via a random device. We model conflict as a two-agent rent-seeking contest for a fixed prize. Before conflict arises, both agents may agree to allocate the prize by coin flip to avoid the costs of conflict. In equilibrium, risk-neutral agents with relatively symmetric conflict capabilities agree to resolve the conflict by randomization. However, with sufficiently asymmetric capabilities, conflicts are unavoidable because the stronger agent prefers to fight. Laboratory experiments confirm that the availability of the random device partially eliminates conflicts when agents are relatively symmetric; however, the device also reduces conflict between substantially asymmetric agents.Beauty contest, conflict resolution, experiments

Exclusion of Damages Derived from Personal Injury Settlements: Tax-Planning Considerations in Light of McKay v. Commissioner

Exclusion of Damages Derived from Personal Injury Settlements: Tax-Planning Considerations in Light of McKay v. Commissione

Probing higher order correlations of the photon field with photon number resolving avalanche photodiodes

We demonstrate the use of two high speed avalanche photodiodes in exploring higher order photon correlations. By employing the photon number resolving capability of the photodiodes the response to higher order photon coincidences can be measured. As an example we show experimentally the sensitivity to higher order correlations for three types of photon sources with distinct photon statistics. This higher order correlation technique could be used as a low cost and compact tool for quantifying the degree of correlation of photon sources employed in quantum information science

A preliminary review of organic materials single crystal growth by the Czochralski technique

The growth of single crystals of organic compounds by the Czochralski method is reviewed. From the literature it is found that single crystals of benzil, a nonlinear optical material with a d sub 11 value of 11.2 + or - 1.5 x d sub 11 value of alpha quartz, has fewer dislocations than generally contained in Bridgman crystals. More perfect crystals were grown by repeated Czochralski growth. This consists of etching away the defect-containing portion of a Czochralski grown crystal and using it as a seed for further growth. Other compounds used to grow single crystals are benzophenone, 12-tricosanone (laurone), and salol. The physical properties, growth apparatus, and processing conditions presented in the literature are discussed. Moreover, some of the possible advantages of growing single crystals of organic compounds in microgravity to obtain more perfect crystals than on Earth are reviewed