Electrical properties of BaTiO3 based ferroelectric capacitors grown on oxide sacrificial layers for micro-cantilevers applications

An investigation of all oxides ferroelectric capacitors based on $SrRuO_3/BaTiO_3/SrRuO_3$ multi-layers grown on sacrificial oxide layers of $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$\ud and MgO for Micro-Electo-Mechanical systems applications is reported. By insertion of additional MgO or $SrTiO_3$ buffer layers the orientation of the $BaTiO_3$ film can be controlled allowing the fabrication of suspended cantilevers using the 31 and the 33 piezoelectric modes. The electrical properties of $SrRuO_3/BaTiO_3/SrRuO_3$ capacitors are changed compared with those grown directly on a single crystal substrate by the introduction of sacrificial layers. Circuit modeling of the electrical characteristics of these devices shows that a reduction of the deposition pressure for $BaTiO_3$ produces a decrease of the parasitic shunting conductance (modeled with a resistor in parallel to the capacitance of the device) which reduces the resistive loss present in the $BaTiO_3$ film. However for extremely low deposition pressure the quality of the polarization hysteresis loops is compromised.\ud Particulates present on the surface of the $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$increases the parasitic conductance at low frequency in the capacitive structure grown on this sacrificial layer. Good electrical properties are obtained for the capacitive structures grown on top of the MgO sacrificial layers at pressures equal or lower than 8 Pa.\u

The Pacific islands in 2012: navigating diplomatic cross currents

When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unprecedented appearance at the 2012 Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit in the Cook Islands, some observers struggled to find an explanation for such high level interest in a region often dismissed as irrelevant and a geopolitical backwater

The Changing Paradigm of Pacific Regional Politics

Analyses of recent developments in Pacific regional politics have emphasized the role of ideas and new thinking about how the Pacific should engage in global and regional diplomacy (the so called ‘paradigm shift’). These ideas include the call for regional self determination, the claim that Pacific island states need to engage more assertively in global diplomacy, the call for a ‘genuine Pacific voice’ to be heard in global forums, recognition that a ‘one region approach’ need not be the best approach, the econfiguring of diplomatic alliances to leverage Pacific island positions better in global forums, and embracing non-state actors as equal partners. The importance of this paradigm shift is that it challenges many prevailing stereotypes and assumptions about Pacific islands diplomacy. It recognizes and facilitates choices and alternatives. It emphasizes the imperative of being proactive and of taking responsibility for the challenges facing the Pacific islands; and being creative in finding solutions. This is a fundamentally empowering transformation. But in order to understand where this might lead, it is necessary to explore where this transformation has so far played out. Case studies at the national, regional and global levels give insights into the impact and potential of the new Pacific diplomacy

Identifying indicators of sustainable development using the global sustainability quadrant approach

Advances in information technology and global data availability have opened the door for assessments of sustainable development at a truly macro scale. It is now fairly easy to conduct a study of sustainability using the entire planet as the unit of analysis; this is precisely what this work set out to accomplish. The study began by examining some of the best known composite indicator frameworks developed to measure sustainability at the country level today. Most of these were found to value human development factors and a clean local environment, but to gravely overlook consumption of (remote) resources in relation to nature’s capacity to renew them, a basic requirement for a sustainable state. Thus, a new measuring standard is proposed, based on the Global Sustainability Quadrant approach. In a two‐dimensional plot of nations’ Human Development Index (HDI) vs. their Ecological Footprint (EF) per capita, the Sustainability Quadrant is defined by the area where both dimensions satisfy the minimum conditions of sustainable development: an HDI score above 0.8 (considered ‘high’ human development), and an EF below the fair Earth‐share of 2.063 global hectares per person. After developing methods to identify those countries that are closest to the Quadrant in the present‐day and, most importantly, those that are moving towards it over time, the study tackled the question: what indicators of performance set these countries apart? To answer this, an analysis of raw data, covering a wide array of environmental, social, economic, and governance performance metrics, was undertaken. The analysis used country rank lists for each individual metric and compared them, using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation function, to the rank lists generated by the proximity/movement relative to the Quadrant measuring methods. The analysis yielded a list of metrics which are, with a high degree of statistical significance, associated with proximity to – and movement towards – the Quadrant; most notably: Favorable for sustainable development: use of contraception, high life expectancy, high literacy rate, and urbanization. Unfavorable for sustainable development: high GDP per capita, high language diversity, high energy consumption, and high meat consumption. A momentary gain, but a burden in the long‐run: high carbon footprint and debt. These results could serve as a solid stepping stone for the development of more reliable composite index frameworks for assessing countries’ sustainability

Determination of the kinetic and thermodynamic properties for bisulfite addition to: acetophenone, 2-chloroacetophenone and trans-cinnamaldehyde

The equilibrium constants for bisulfite addition to acetophenone, 2-choloroacetophenone and trans-cinnamaldehyde were determined using an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method. The absorbance of the carbonyl compound was monitored as aliquots of a bisulfite solution were added to the reaction cell. By plotting 1/A versus [HSO3-], and dividing the slope by the intercept, it was possible to determine Keq. All determinations were made at pH 4.66 and ionic strength 1.0. By determining Keq at various temperatures it was also possible to determine ΔH° and ΔS°. The equilibrium constants for bisulfite addition to: acetophenone, 2-choloracetophenone and trans-cinnamaldehyde, were determined to be: 5.8 M-1, 53 M-1, and 1030 M-1 respectively. The rate constants for bisulfite addition to trans-cinnamaldehyde were also determined using an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method. The change in absorbance, after the addition of bisulfite, was monitored at one second intervals for fifteen minutes. The forward and reverse rate constants for bisulfite addition to trans-cinnamaldehyde were determined to be, 24.3 M-1 s-1 and 2.4x10-2 s-1 respectively

Monitoring estuarine wetlands within the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program: final report of the wetlands expert group

This desktop assessment examines current monitoring relevant to estuaries, including programs, coverage, indicators and gaps

The New Pacific Diplomacy

Since 2009 there has been a fundamental shift in the way that the Pacific Island states engage with regional and world politics. The region has experienced, what Kiribati President Anote Tong has aptly called, a ‘paradigm shift’ in ideas about how Pacific diplomacy should be organised, and on what principles it should operate. Many leaders have called for a heightened Pacific voice in global affairs and a new commitment to establishing Pacific Island control of this diplomatic process. This change in thinking has been expressed in the establishment of new channels and arenas for Pacific diplomacy at the regional and global levels and new ways of connecting the two levels through active use of intermediate diplomatic associations. The New Pacific Diplomacy brings together a range of analyses and perspectives on these dramatic new developments in Pacific diplomacy at sub-regional, regional and global levels, and in the key sectors of global negotiation for Pacific states – fisheries, climate change, decolonisation, and trade