From diffusive to ballistic transport in etched graphene constrictions and nanoribbons

Graphene nanoribbons and constrictions are envisaged as fundamental components of future carbon-based nanoelectronic and spintronic devices. At nanoscale, electronic effects in these devices depend heavily on the dimensions of the active channel and the nature of edges. Hence, controlling both these parameters is crucial to understand the physics in such systems. This review is about the recent progress in the fabrication of graphene nanoribbons and constrictions in terms of low temperature quantum transport. In particular, recent advancements using encapsulated graphene allowing for quantized conductance and future experiments towards exploring spin effects in these devices are presented. The influence of charge carrier inhomogeneity and the important length scales which play a crucial role for transport in high quality samples are also discussed.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures. Will appear in Annalen der Physi

Sorghum--Fuel of the Future? Agronomist Studies Sorghum and Grass for Future Energy Source

Weighing in on crop production in West Africa might seem a bit of a stretch for a K-State agronomist; however, that’s not the case for Scott Staggenborg. He recently returned from his second visit to West Africa, where he reviewed sorghum research and crop production. During the research trip to Tombouctou (also spelled Timbuktu), a West African city near the Niger River, he joined Malian researchers in exploring opportunities to improve sorghum production and management. The research effort is supported by the International Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (INTSORMIL). Growing conditions in the West African region are remarkably similar to conditions in Kansas, the crop scientist said. The challenge, Staggenborg said, is to characterize the soil, identify new sorghum varieties that will work well with the growing conditions, and develop a plan for managing plant diseases and pests native to the area

Using Cone Index Data to Explain Yield Variation Within a Field

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a Technical Paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 4 (2002): N. Isaac, R. Taylor, S. Staggenborg, M. Schrock, and D. Leikam. Using Cone Index Data to Explain Yield Variation Within a Field. Vol. IV. December 2002

New Literary History and the Postmodern Paradigm: Implications for Theatre History.

Thomas S. Kuhn writes of disciplinary paradigms, presuppositions tactily setting the epistemological boundaries of a particular field or of the vision of a particular epoch. In the past decade, a paradigmatic revolution has deeply altered the western world\u27s sense of reality. A new postmodern paradigm has emerged and evidenced itself in such critical approaches to art as semiotics, phenomenology, poststructuralism, and hermeneutics. The aim of the present study is to identify the central theoretical perspective offered by the new paradigm, to examine and define the central critico-historical principles stemming from such a perspective, and to relate these principles to the work of the theatre historian. In order to do so, the study has limited its focus to a single significant and representative body of work, the first thirteen volumes of the journal, New Literary History (NLH). Chapter I explicates the fundamental epistemological principles of the postmodern paradigm. The chapter has been structured to show the evolution of postmodern epistemology from its inception in Kant to its most contemporary representation in post-Gadamerian hermeneutics. The fundamental epistemological principles of the major modern and postmodern critical schools are examined and the interrelationships between these separate critical philosophies are studied. The chapter discusses the epistemological contributions made by Kant, Saussure, Hegel, Dilthey, Heidegger, Derrida, and Gadamer. The chapter also locates the identity of NLH in terms of the overall postmodern paradigm. Chapter II analyzes the nature of audience response as envisioned in the light of postmodern epistemology. The principles that structure this reception are accounted with special attention being given to contextual linguistics and the postmodern definition of metaphor. Chapter III details the problems that the postmodern historian finds with positivism and examines the alternative approach to historical inquiry suggested by the hermeneuticist. Chapter IV presents a summary of the basic tenets of the NLH approach to the history of the arts and proceeds to an evaluation of the merits and limitations of the NLH format for future theatre history research. The chapter includes an estimation of how the theatre historian may play a unique role in the progress of the NLH program of study

A Method to Evaluate Seeder Performance

Evaluating in field seeder performance is challenging and sometimes requires destructive methods. An alternative method for evaluating seeder performance based on nonlinear regression was developed. This method yields parameters that describe seeder performance, such as emergence rate, initial emergence data, and emergence percent. These parameters are easy to explain to the practitioner. The proposed method was compared to a widely used method to assess emergence rate. Results assessing emergence percent were comparable between the two methods. There were differences between the emergence rate index and emergence rate determined from the proposed method. These differences were expected since the emergence rate index encompasses more information than simply the rate of emergence

Increased growing temperature reduces content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in four oilseed crops

Environmental temperature directly influences the lipid profile produced by oilseeds. If growing temperatures increase, as is predicted by current models, the precise profile of lipids produced are likely to change. This paper develops models to predict lipid profiles as a function of growing temperature. Data relating to lipid profiles of soybean (Glycine max), spring canola (Brassica napus), spring camelina (Camelina sativa), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were gathered from the literature and evaluated to examine the influence of temperature on relative production of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid. For each crop, a set of linear regressions was used to correlate temperature during the grain fill, defined as 30 days before harvest, with the molar percentages of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid present. An increase in temperature from 10 to 40°C resulted in an increase in the production of oleic acid and a decrease in the production of linoleic and linolenic acid in soybeans, canola, and sunflowers. Over the range of data available, the lipid profile of camelina was temperature insensitive. To test the validity of the correlations, the four crops were grown in a field study in Manhattan, Kansas simultaneously, in the same environment, in 2011. The correlations accurately predicted the field data for soybean, canola, and camelina but not for sunflower. The correlation for sunflower under-predicted the molar amount of oleic acid and over-predicted the molar amount of linoleic acid. This study indicates increasing growing temperatures from 10 to 40°C will result in more monounsaturated oils and less polyunsaturated oils in soybean, canola, and sunflower

Conflict and Astroturfing in Niyamgiri: The Importance of National Advocacy Networks in Anti-Corporate Social Movements

Traditional models of transnational advocacy networks (TANs) and stakeholder management do not capture the nuance and dynamics of (counter-)organising processes around anti-corporate mobilisation. Based on the case of a resistance movement against a planned bauxite mine on tribal land in India, we develop a process theory of interactions between local, national and international actors within transnational advocacy networks. These encounters are not always friendly and are often characterised by conflict between actors with disparate goals and interests. We highlight the importance of national advocacy networks (NANs) in anti-corporate social movements and describe the conflicts and disruptions that result from ignoring them. Our findings also point to the role of corporate counter-mobilisation strategies in shaping resistance movements. Our narrative revolves around a particular focal actor in the anti-mining campaign: a young tribal man who emerged as a passionate spokesperson of the movement, but later became a supporter of the controversial mine. Our findings contribute to a richer understanding of the processes underlying transnational and national anti-corporate mobilisation