Plasmon Generation through Electron Tunneling in Graphene

The short wavelength of graphene plasmons relative to the light wavelength makes them attractive for applications in optoelectronics and sensing. However, this property limits their coupling to external light and our ability to create and detect them. More efficient ways of generating plasmons are therefore desirable. Here we demonstrate through realistic theoretical simulations that graphene plasmons can be efficiently excited via electron tunneling in a sandwich structure formed by two graphene monolayers separated by a few atomic layers of hBN. We obtain plasmon generation rates of $\sim10^{12}-10^{14}/$s over an area of the squared plasmon wavelength for realistic values of the spacing and bias voltage, while the yield (plasmons per tunneled electron) has unity order. Our results support electrical excitation of graphene plasmons in tunneling devices as a viable mechanism for the development of optics-free ultrathin plasmonic devices.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, 92 reference

An Analysis of Reinforcers Maintaining Caregiving Behaviors of Long-Term Care Facility Staff

Traditionally, the medical model has been the standard level of care in long-term care facilities. However, many facilities are transitioning from the medical model to a person-centered approach. The core of person-centered care is the relationship between frontline staff and residents. Empirical research has found person-centered care to reduce depressive and behavioral symptoms, levels of loneliness, and increase quality of care in residents; person-centered care has increased job satisfaction in nursing staff. Unfortunately, little is known about what motivates caregiving behavior in nursing staff and whether these motivators are consistent with principles of person-centered care. The current study attempted to assess what the motivators are and how often these motivators occur. A questionnaire was developed and included 43 experiences that nursing staff may or may not experience in their day-to-work. Participants were asked to rank how important each item was using a 4-point Likert scale (not at all important to very important) and to rank how often each item occurs using a 4-point Likert scale (never to always). Results indicated that items related to person-centered care were the highest ranked items for importance and frequency, while support from administrators was ranked as important, but was occurring infrequently. These results have implications in terms of staff selection and staff training related to person-centered care

Application of Multiobjective Evolutionary Techniques for Robust Portfolio Optimization

On December 20 of 2012 Sandra García Rodríguez defended his PhD at Carlos III of Madrid (Spain), called: “Application of Multiobjective Techniques for Robust Portfolio Optimization”. This thesis was supervised by Dr. David Quintana Montero and Dr. Inés M. Galván León. The defense was done in a publicly open presentation held at Carlos III University of Madrid. The PhD was approved, with the highest rating Cum Laude, by the examining committee: Dr. José Manuel Molina López, Dr. Antonio Gaspar Lopes da Cunha and Dr. David Camacho Fernández

Redesign of the Sol-Char Toilet

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiated the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge (RTTC) in 2011. The RTTC aims to engineer a completely unique toilet to improve sanitation conditions in the world. The University of Colorado (CU) Boulder was 1 of 16 teams to receive a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CU Boulder’s research team developed a waterless, self-contained toilet that can function completely off the grid through the utilization of concentrated solar power. The current design is not economically feasible. This MQP looked at the pros and cons of the current design, developed alternative designs, and made a design recommendation from researching successful implemented toilet designs and speaking with professionals in the sanitation technology field

Root Infinitives in Child L2 Spanish

This thesis aims to develop an understanding of the Root Infinitive (RI) phenomenon in child L2 Spanish. Previous research has investigated this phenomenon in Spanish first language acquisition and in adult L2 Spanish, but much less attention has been given to this phenomenon in children learning Spanish as a second language. This thesis focuses on whether children learning Spanish as a second language go through a RI stage. It also examines which morphological forms and types of predicates appear in the RI stage of these children. The data for this study were collected via natural production in oral and written form, using a wordless book by Mercer Mayer: A BOY, A DOG and A FROG. There were 30 child subjects, all native speakers of English, who received Spanish immersion instruction at the Missoula International School in Missoula, Montana. As hypothesized, the results of this study suggest that children learning Spanish as a second language go through a RI stage. The RI stage for child L2 Spanish was found to be closely related to the RI stage in LI Spanish. The RI forms in child L2 Spanish appear mainly as bare stems and overgeneralizations. Few morphological infinitives exist in the production of these children. The quantitative results show that the RIs forms manifest primarily with event-denoting predicates. The presence of the RI stage in child L2 Spanish raises fundamental questions about the acquisition of verbal morphology. One question is whether the RI stage can be described as a natural development attributed to cognitive processes, transfer from LI English or the type of instruction. The results of this study suggest three stages in the acquisition of verbal morphology in child L2 Spanish

Pla de gestió i manteniment del parc de Can Gambús

Can Gambús és un parc públic d’uns 100000 m² situat a la zona nord-oest del municipi de Sabadell i ubicat entre una zona agrícola i zona urbana. Es tracta d’un parc de recent creació i sense cap pla de conservació específic assignat fins al moment. L’objectiu del treball és elaborar el pla de gestió i manteniment de la vegetació del parc per obtenir un aspecte paisatgístic adequat respectant les expectatives de disseny realitzades pels arquitectes, les necessitats pròpies de l’evolució dels elements vegetals i les exigències de la població com a parc públic. El pla de gestió fa un anàlisi dels elements vegetals que hi ha al parc i se’ls hi relaciona i es defineixen totes aquelles tasques que es faran per obtenir l’objectiu ornamental desitjat. Per una altra banda, en el pla de manteniment es fan uns calendaris on es veuen les freqüències de totes aquelles tasques ja descrites. Finalment, s’enumeraran unes propostes que serviran per facilitar o millorar alguns aspectes del parc

The platonic foundation of the “Real” Popper by Lawrence Boland

Este trabajo intenta mostrar en qué sentido se puede considerar a Popper como un filósofo platónico. Según Lawrence Boland, Popper se basa en Platón respecto de lo que considera el “verdadero método popperiano”. Para explicar este acercamiento, hemos dividido este escrito en dos secciones. En la primera, analizamos la interpretación de Boland de la racionalidad dialógicoplatónica y mostramos que la interpretación de Boland sobre el primer Platón, con la que disentimos, es la base textual para su interpretación del “auténtico método popperiano”. En la segunda sección trataremos de mostrar que el “socratismo” de Popper encierra en realidad dos significados.This work attempts to show in what sense Popper can be considered a platonic philosopher. According to Lawrence Boland, Popper is based on Plato with regard to what he considers the “real Popperian method.” In order to explain this approach, we have divided this writing into two sections. In the first one, we analyse Boland´s interpretation of the dialogic-platonic rationality and we show that Boland’s interpretation of the first Plato, with which we dissent, is the textual base for his interpretation of the “authentic Popperian method.” In the second section we will try to show that the Popper´s “Socratism” locks up in fact two meanings.Fil: Garcia, Pablo Sebastian. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Maceri, Sandra Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Hormonal control of inflammatory responses

Almost any stage of inflammatory and immunological responses is affected by hormone actions. This provides the basis for the suggestion that hormones act as modulators of the host reaction against trauma and infection. Specific hormone receptors are detected in the reactive structures in inflamed areas and binding of hormone molecules to such receptors results in the generation of signals that influence cell functions relevant for the development of inflammatory responses. Diversity of hormonal functions accounts for recognized pro- and anti-inflammatory effects exerted by these substances. Most hormone systems are capable of influencing inflammatory events. Insulin and glucocorticoids, however, exert direct regulatory effects at concentrations usually found in plasma. Insulin is endowed with facilitatory actions on vascular reactivity to inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cell functions. Increased concentrations of circulating glucocorticoids at the early stages of inflammation results in downregulation of inflammatory responses. Oestrogens markedly reduce the response to injury in a variety of experimental models. Glucagon and thyroid hormones exert indirect anti-inflammatory effects mediated by the activity of the adrenal cortex. Accordingly, inflammation is not only merely a local response, but a hormone-controlled process

What Is Meant by Argumentative Competence? An Integrative Review of Methods of Analysis and Assessment in Education

The need to enhance argument skills through education has become increasingly evident during the last 20 years. This need has resulted in an ongoing discussion that focuses on students' and teachers' argumentation, and its support. However, apart from the extended competence-based discourse, no clear and homogeneous definition exists for argumentative competence and its constituent skills. To respond to this deficiency, we conducted an integrative literature review focusing on the methods of argument analysis and assessment that have been proposed thus far in the field of education. Specifically, we constructed an interpretative framework to organize the information contained in 97 reviewed studies in a coherent and meaningful way. The main result of the framework's application is the emergence of three levels of argumentative competence, namely, metacognitive, metastrategic, and epistemological competence. We consider this result the beginning of further research on the psycho-pedagogical nature of argument skills and their manifestation as competent performance