389 research outputs found
A direct optical method for the study of grain boundary melting
The structure and evolution of grain boundaries underlies the nature of
polycrystalline materials. Here we describe an experimental apparatus and light
reflection technique for measuring disorder at grain boundaries in optically
clear material, in thermodynamic equilibrium. The approach is demonstrated on
ice bicrystals. Crystallographic orientation is measured for each ice sample.
The type and concentration of impurity in the liquid can be controlled and the
temperature can be continuously recorded and controlled over a range near the
melting point. The general methodology is appropriate for a wide variety of
materials.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, updated with minor changes made to published
versio
Cyclotron resonance of correlated electrons in semiconductor heterostructures
The cyclotron resonance absorption of two-dimensional electrons in
semiconductor heterostructures in high magnetic fields is investigated. It is
assumed that the ionized impurity potential is a dominant scattering mechanism,
and the theory explicitly takes the Coulomb correlation effect into account
through the Wigner phonons. The cyclotron resonance linewidth is in
quantitative agreement with the experiment in the Wigner crystal regime at
T=4.2K. Similar to the cyclotron resonance theory of the charge density waves
pinned by short-range impurities, the present results for the long-range
scattering also show the doubling of the resonance peaks. However, unlike the
case of the charge density waves, our theory gives the pinning mode independent
of the bulk compressibility of the substrate materials.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Light scattering from an isotropic layer between uniaxial crystals
We develop a model for the reflection and transmission of plane waves by an
isotropic layer sandwiched between two uniaxial crystals of arbitrary
orientation. In the laboratory frame, reflection and transmission coefficients
corresponding to the principal polarization directions in each crystal are
given explicitly in terms of the c-axis and propagation directions. The
solution is found by first deriving explicit expressions for reflection and
transmission amplitude coefficients for waves propagating from an arbitrarily
oriented uniaxial anisotropic material into an isotropic material. By combining
these results with Lekner's (1991) earlier treatment of waves propagating from
isotropic media to anisotropic media and employing a matrix method we determine
a solution to the general form of the multiple reflection case. The example
system of a wetted interface between two ice crystals is used to contextualize
the results.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures,updated with changes made to published versio
Transnational corporations and the challenge of biosphere stewardship
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordSustainability within planetary boundaries requires concerted action by individuals, governments, civil society and private actors. For the private sector, there is concern that the power exercised by transnational corporations generates, and is even central to, global environmental change. Here, we ask under which conditions transnational corporations could either hinder or promote a global shift towards sustainability. We show that a handful of transnational corporations have become a major force shaping the global intertwined system of people and planet. Transnational corporations in agriculture, forestry, seafood, cement, minerals and fossil energy cause environmental impacts and possess the ability to influence critical functions of the biosphere. We review evidence of current practices and identify six observed features of change towards 'corporate biosphere stewardship', with significant potential for upscaling. Actions by transnational corporations, if combined with effective public policies and improved governmental regulations, could substantially accelerate sustainability efforts.Beijer FoundationErling-Persson Family FoundationMarianne and Marcus Wallenberg FoundationWalton Family FoundationDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationGordon and Betty Moore FoundationMistra: The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Researc
Pre-hospital management protocols and perceived difficulty in diagnosing acute heart failure
Aim To illustrate the pre-hospital management arsenals and protocols in different EMS units, and to estimate the perceived difficulty of diagnosing suspected acute heart failure (AHF) compared with other common pre-hospital conditions. Methods and results A multinational survey included 104 emergency medical service (EMS) regions from 18 countries. Diagnostic and therapeutic arsenals related to AHF management were reported for each type of EMS unit. The prevalence and contents of management protocols for common medical conditions treated pre-hospitally was collected. The perceived difficulty of diagnosing AHF and other medical conditions by emergency medical dispatchers and EMS personnel was interrogated. Ultrasound devices and point-of-care testing were available in advanced life support and helicopter EMS units in fewer than 25% of EMS regions. AHF protocols were present in 80.8% of regions. Protocols for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, chest pain, and dyspnoea were present in 95.2, 80.8, and 76.0% of EMS regions, respectively. Protocolized diagnostic actions for AHF management included 12-lead electrocardiogram (92.1% of regions), ultrasound examination (16.0%), and point-of-care testings for troponin and BNP (6.0 and 3.5%). Therapeutic actions included supplementary oxygen (93.2%), non-invasive ventilation (80.7%), intravenous furosemide, opiates, nitroglycerine (69.0, 68.6, and 57.0%), and intubation 71.5%. Diagnosing suspected AHF was considered easy to moderate by EMS personnel and moderate to difficult by emergency medical dispatchers (without significant differences between de novo and decompensated heart failure). In both settings, diagnosis of suspected AHF was considered easier than pulmonary embolism and more difficult than ST-elevation myocardial infarction, asthma, and stroke. Conclusions The prevalence of AHF protocols is rather high but the contents seem to vary. Difficulty of diagnosing suspected AHF seems to be moderate compared with other pre-hospital conditions
Pedagogical Agents for Fostering Question-Asking Skills in Children
Question asking is an important tool for constructing academic knowledge, and
a self-reinforcing driver of curiosity. However, research has found that
question asking is infrequent in the classroom and children's questions are
often superficial, lacking deep reasoning. In this work, we developed a
pedagogical agent that encourages children to ask divergent-thinking questions,
a more complex form of questions that is associated with curiosity. We
conducted a study with 95 fifth grade students, who interacted with an agent
that encourages either convergent-thinking or divergent-thinking questions.
Results showed that both interventions increased the number of
divergent-thinking questions and the fluency of question asking, while they did
not significantly alter children's perception of curiosity despite their high
intrinsic motivation scores. In addition, children's curiosity trait has a
mediating effect on question asking under the divergent-thinking agent,
suggesting that question-asking interventions must be personalized to each
student based on their tendency to be curious.Comment: Accepted at CHI 202
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