Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Josephson and Andreev transport through quantum dots

In this article, we review the state of the art on the transport properties of quantum dot systems connected to superconducting and normal electrodes. The review is mainly focused on the theoretical achievements, although a summary of the most relevant experimental results is also given. A large part of the discussion is devoted to the single-level Anderson-type models generalized to include superconductivity in the leads, which already contains most of the interesting physical phenomena. Particular attention is paid to the competition between pairing and Kondo correlations, the emergence of π-junction behavior, the interplay of Andreev and resonant tunneling, and the important role of Andreev bound states that characterized the spectral properties of most of these systems. We give technical details on the several different analytical and numerical methods which have been developed for describing these properties. We further discuss the recent theoretical efforts devoted to extend this analysis to more complex situations like multidot, multilevel or multiterminal configurations in which novel phenomena is expected to emerge. These include control of the localized spin states by a Josephson current and also the possibility of creating entangled electron pairs by means of non-local Andreev processes.
Characterizing a cyanobacterial bloom in Western Lake Erie using satellite imagery and meteorological data

The distribution and intensity of a bloom of the toxic cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, in western Lake Erie was characterized using a combination of satellite ocean‐color imagery, field data, and meteorological observations. The bloom was first identified by satellite on 14 August 2008 and persisted for > 2 months. The distribution and intensity of the bloom was estimated using a satellite algorithm that is sensitive to near‐surface concentrations of M. aeruginosa. Increases in both area and intensity were most pronounced for wind stress < 0.05 Pa. Area increased while intensity did not change for wind stresses of 0.05‐0.1 Pa, and both decreased for wind stress > 0.1 Pa. The recovery in intensity at the surface after strong wind events indicated that high wind stress mixed the bloom through the water column and that it returned to the surface once mixing stopped. This interaction is consistent with the understanding of the buoyancy of these blooms. Cloud cover (reduced light) may have a weak influence on intensity during calm conditions. While water temperature remained > 15°C, the bloom intensified if there were calm conditions. For water temperature < 15°C, the bloom subsided under similar conditions. As a result, wind stress needs to be considered when interpreting satellite imagery of these blooms.
Avian evolution and speciation in the Southeast Asian tropics

A. Townsend PETERSON, Robert G. MOYLE, Fumin LEI, Luke C. CAMPILLO, Peter A. HOSNER, Luke B. KLICKA, Haw C. LIM, Árpád S. NYÁRI,Yanhua QU, Sushma REDDY, Frederick H. SHELDON, FashengZOU 1 Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA 2 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China 3 Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 4 Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC20560, USA 5 Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA 6 Biology Department, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA 7 Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA 8 Guangdong Entomological Institute, Guangzhou, 510260, China * Guest editors of special column; other authors listed alphabetically. E-mail: town@ku.edu, moyle@ku.edu, leifm@ioz.ac. cn
Assessing Energy Security in a Low-Carbon Context : The Case of Electricity in the UK

As part of a growing body of research into potential ways of achieving a secure transition to a low-carbon energy system, this paper assesses the future security of the UK electricity system in a low-carbon context. A new mixed-method set of indicators for assessing security of both supply and demand has been developed and applied to a set of three transition pathways for the UK electricity system, all of which seek to reduce UK carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This paper uses the results to highlight some of the key risks and trade-offs which may emerge under different routes to a low-carbon electricity transition. In particular, the results indicate that a major risk may be experienced by a lack of flexible, responsive supply capacity in low-carbon electricity pathways. A trade-off is also identified between ‘affordability’ and ‘environmental sustainability’ objectives. The paper finds that energy security is often conceptualised as the avoidance of causes of insecurity (such as insecure fuel imports), but that an equally important aspect of security lies in maximising responses to insecurity, for example by increasing the flexibility and responsiveness of both supply and demand.
Utilizing Isotopic Uranium Ratios in Groundwater Evaluations at NFSS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District is currently evaluating environmental contamination at the Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as part of its Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). The NFSS is located in the Town of Lewiston in western New York and has been used to store uranium-contaminated materials since 1944. Most of the radioactive materials are currently contained in an on-site structure, but past contamination remains in soil and groundwater. As a naturally occurring radionuclide, uranium is present in all groundwater. Because contamination levels at the site are quite low, it can be difficult to distinguish zones that have been impacted by the past releases from those at the high end of the natural background range. The differences in the isotopic ratio of uranium-234 (U-234) to uranium-238 (U-238) between natural groundwater systems and affected areas are being used in an innovative way to better define the nature and extent of groundwater contamination at NFSS. In natural groundwater, the ratio of U-234 to U-238 exceeds 1 due to the alpha particle recoil effect, in which U-234 is preferentially mobilized to groundwater from adjacent rock or soil.more » This process is very slow, and it can be hundreds to thousands of years before a measurable impact is seen in the isotopic ratio. Thus, as a result of the recoil effect, the ratio of U-234 to U-238 will be higher in natural groundwater than in contaminated groundwater. This means that if site releases were the source of the uranium being measured in groundwater at NFSS, the ratio of U-234 to U-238 would be expected to be very close to 1 (the same ratio that exists in wastes and soil at the site), because not enough time has elapsed for the alpha particle recoil effect to have significantly altered that ratio. From an evaluation of site and regional groundwater data, an isotopic ratio of 1.2 has been identified as a site-specific signature to help distinguish natural groundwater (e.g., at the high end of the background range) from zones impacted by past releases. This information is crucial for focusing the ongoing CERCLA evaluation and decision making process. This signature value is not applied as a bright line, e.g., to define samples with ratios of U-234 to U-238 above 1.2 as representing background and those with ratios below 1.2 as being affected by site releases. Rather, this ratio serves as a weight of evidence for use in conjunction with other site information, including historical activities, to form science-based decisions regarding contaminated groundwater. This novel approach for developing a groundwater signature from the isotopic uranium ratio has proven to be a very useful tool for NFSS, and it is now being considered for broader application. (authors)« less
A High Resolution Wide-Field Radio Survey of M51

We present the highest resolution, wide-field radio survey of a nearby face-on star-forming galaxy to date. The multi-phase centre technique is used to survey the entire disk of M51 (77 square arc minutes) at a maximum resolution of 5 milli-arcseconds on a single 8 hr pointing with the European VLBI Network at 18 cm. In total, 7 billion pixels were imaged using 192 phase centres that resulted in the detection of six sources: the Seyfert nucleus, the supernova SN 2011dh, and four background AGNs. Using the wealth of archival data available in the radio (MERLIN and the VLA), optical (Hubble Space Telescope) and X-rays (Chandra) the properties of the individual sources were investigated in detail. The combined multi-wavelength observations reveal a very complex and puzzling core region that includes a low-luminosity parsec scale core-jet structure typical of AGNs, with evidence for a lateral shift corresponding to 0.27c. Furthermore, there is evidence for a fossil radio hotspot located 1.44 kpc from the Seyfert nucleus that may have resulted from a previous ejection cycle. Our study provides measures of the supernova and star-formation rates that are comparable to independent studies at other wavelengths, and places further limits on the radio and X-ray luminosity evolution of the supernovae SN 1994I, SN 2005cs and SN 2011dh. The radio images of background AGN reveal complex morphologies that are indicative of powerful radio galaxies, and confirmed via the X-ray and optical properties.
An evaluation of the effectiveness of nonconventional p fertilizers derived from Zimbabwe phosphate rock using ryegrass as a test crop

Zimbabwe and many other African countries lack high-quality phosphate ores for the production of conventional phosphate fertilizers. The objective of this study was to investigate the agronomic potential of an igneous phosphate rock derived from Dorowa (Zimbabwe) in a greenhouse experiment using rye grass (Lolium perenne) as test crop on a Hartsells silt loam. Three phosphate fertilizer materials: finely ground (0.150-mm screen) Dorowa phosphate rock (DPR); DPR partially acidulated with 50 % of the sulfuric acid required for complete acidulation (PADPR); and a compacted mixture of DPR + triple superphosphate + urea + potassium chloride (DTUK) with half of phosphorus from DPR and half from TSP were made from Dorowa rock and their agronomic effectiveness compared with that of single superphosphate. The relative agronomic effectiveness of the fertilizers based on dry matter yield of ryegrass followed the orders: DTUK=SSP>PADPR>DPR=Check and SSP>DTUK=PADPR>DPR=Check during the first 12 weeks and the second 12 weeks, respectively. For phosphorus uptake by ryegrass, the orders were: DTUK>SSP>PADPR>DPR=Check, DTUK=SSP>PADPR>DPR=Check, and SSP>DTUK>PADPR>DPR=Check during the first six, second six, and last 12 weeks, respectively. The results confirmed that the effectiveness of DPR could be greatly enhanced by partially acidulating DPR or compacting DPR with TSP, urea, and KCl.
Characterization and formation of melt layers in polar snow: observations and experiments from West Antarctica

Abstract Surface melting rarely occurs across most of the Antarctic ice sheet, away from the warmer coastal regions. Nonetheless, isolated melt features are preserved in the firn and ice in response to infrequent and short-lived melting events. An understanding of the formation and occurrence of these melt layers will help us to interpret records of past melt occurrences from polar ice cores such as the Siple Dome ice-core record from West Antarctica. A search in the near-surface firn in West Antarctica found that melt features are extremely rare, and consist of horizontal, laterally continuous, one to a few millimeter thick, ice layers with few air bubbles. The melt layers found date from the 1992/93 and 1991/92 summers. Field experiments to investigate changes in stratigraphy taking place during melt events reproduced melt features as seen in the natural stratigraphy. Melting conditions of varying intensity were created by passively heating the near-surface air for varying lengths of time inside a clear plastic hotbox. Melt layers formed due entirely to preferential flow and subsequent refreezing of meltwater from the surface into near-surface, fine-grained, crust layers. Continuous melt layers were formed experimentally when positive-degree-day values exceeded 1ºC-day, a value corresponding well with air-temperature records from automatic weather station sites where melt layers formed in the recent past.
Conditions of phlogopite crystallization in ultrapotassic volcanic rocks

Abstract Phlogopite occurs as an early crystallizing mineral in many ultrapotassic lavas of basaltic affinities. Based on high-pressure experiments in lavas of these compositions, the early crystallization of phlogopite is controlled in large part by the bulk compositions of the liquids from which it crystallizes but also by the total pressure and by the a H2O, with early phlogopite forming under a narrow range of a H2O, less than that represented by H2O-saturated conditions. Variations in f O2 do not appreciably affect phlogopite crystallization but high a CO2 suppresses its crystallization. In ultrapotassic magmas, phlogopite will preferentially incorporate K2O, TiO2, MgO, and Al2O3 relative to the coexisting early silicate minerals, olivine and clinopyroxene, and thus, on fractionation of these minerals, phlogopite will be more effective in reducing these oxides in residual liquids. Phenocrysts and microphenocrysts of phlogopite in ultrapotassic lavas are directly related with respect to their K/Ti, K/Al, K/(K + Na), and Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratios. Textural relations suggest phlogopite may form by reaction relationships involving liquid with olivine, and/or clinopyroxene. Such relationships are supported by the experimental studies on ultrapotassic rock compositions.
, Dominik Synthetic transcription amplifier system for orthogonal control of gene expression in saccharomyces cerevisiae

This work describes the development and characterization of a modular synthetic expression system that provides a broad range of adjustable and predictable expression levels in S. cerevisiae. The system works as a fixed-gain transcription amplifier, where the input signal is transferred via a synthetic transcription factor (sTF) onto a synthetic promoter, containing a defined core promoter, generating a transcription output signal. The system activation is based on the bacterial LexA-DNA-binding domain, a set of modified, modular LexA-binding sites and a selection of transcription activation domains. We show both experimentally and computationally that the tuning of the system is achieved through the selection of three separate modules, each of which enables an adjustable output signal: 1) the transcription-activation domain of the sTF, 2) the binding-site modules in the output promoter, and 3) the core promoter modules which define the transcription initiation site in the output promoter. The system has a novel bidirectional architecture that enables generation of compact, yet versatile expression modules for multiple genes with highly diversified expression levels ranging from negligible to very strong using one synthetic transcription factor. In contrast to most existing modular gene expression regulation systems, the present system is independent from externally added compounds. Furthermore, the established system was minimally affected by the several tested growth conditions. These features suggest that it can be highly useful in large scale biotechnology applications.
Carbon isotope ratios of great plains soils and in wheat-fallow systems

The purposes of this study were to improve knowledge of regional vegetation patterns of C3 and C4 plants in the North American Great Plains and to use δ 13 C methodology and long-term research sites to determine contributions of small-grain crops to total soil organic carbon (SOC) now present. Archived and recent soil samples were used. Detailed soil sampling was in 1993 at long-term sites near Akron, CO, and Sidney, NE. After soil sieving, drying, and deliming, SOC and δ 13 C were determined using an automated C/N analyzer interfaced to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. Yield records from long-term experimental sites were used to estimate the amount of C3 plant residue C returned to the soil. Results from δ 13 C analyses of soils from near Waldheim, Saskatchewan, to Big Springs, TX, showed a strong north to south decrease in SOC derived from C 3 plants and a corresponding increase from C4 plants. The δ 13 C analyses gave evidence that C3 plant residue C (possibly from shrubs) is increasing at the Big Springs, TX, and Lawton, OK, sites. Also, δ 13 C analyses of subsoil and topsoil layers shows evidence of a regional shift to more C3 species, possibly because of a cooler climate during the past few hundreds to thousands of years. Data from long-term research sites indicate that the efficiency of incorporation of small-grain crop residue C was about 5.4% during 84 yr at Akron, CO, and about 10.5% during 20 yr at Sidney, NE. The 14 C age of the SOC at 0- to 10-cm depth was 193 yr and at 30 to 45 cm was 4000 yr; 14 C age of nonhydrolyzable C was 2000 and 7000 yr for these same two respective depths. Natural partitioning of the 13 C isotope by the photosynthetic pathways of C 3 and C4 plants provides a potentially powerful tool to study SOC dynamics at both regional and local scales.
Experiencing Sexism and Young Women's Body Esteem

This two-study investigation examined the relationship between sexist attitudes and experiences with young women's body esteem. Specifically, we examined whether young women's body esteem was related to their own and their parents' endorsements of benevolent and hostile sexist beliefs and also whether women's body esteem was related to their actual everyday experiences with benevolent and hostile sexism. In Study 1, fathers' endorsement of benevolently sexist beliefs was positively correlated with daughters' weight-related and physical condition body esteem. No similar evidence was found for mothers or for either parent's endorsements of hostile sexist beliefs. In Study 2, young women's body esteem was positively related to their benevolently sexist experiences and negatively related to their hostile sexist experiences. These findings are consistent with ambivalent sexism theory. The results are discussed for their clinical and theoretical implications.
Two Primary Basalt Magmatypes from Northwest Rota-1 Volcano, Mariana Arc

Primitive basalts are rarely found in arcs.The active NWRota-1 volcano in the Mariana arc has erupted near-primitive lavas, which we have sampled with ROV Hyper-Dolphin (HPD). Samples from the summit (HPD480) and eastern flank (HPD488) include 17 magnesian basalts (51^52 wt % SiO2) with 7·5^9·5 wt % MgO and Mg-number of 61^67, indicating little fractionation. Olivine phenocrysts are as magnesian as Fo93 and contain 0·4 wt % NiO; the Cr/(CrþAl) values of spinels are mostly 0·5^0·8, indicating equilibrium with depleted mantle.There are three petrographic groups, based on phenocryst populations: (1) cpx^olivine basalt (COB); (2) plagioclase^olivine basalt (POB); (3) porphyritic basalt. Zr/Y and Nb/Yb are higher in POB (3·1^3·2 and 1·2^1·5, respectively) than in COB (Zr/Y1⁄4 2·8^3·0 and Nb/ Yb1⁄4 0·7^0·9), suggesting that POB formed from lower degrees of mantle melting, or that the COB mantle source was more depleted. On the other hand, COB have Ba/Nb (70^80) and Th/Nb (0·4^ 0·5) that are higher than for POB (Ba/Nb1⁄4 30^35 and Th/ Nb1⁄4 0·1^0·2), and also have steeper light rare earth element (LREE)-enriched patterns. Moreover, COB have enriched Sr/Sr and Nd/Nd, and higher Pb isotope values, suggesting that COB has a greater subduction component than POB. Hf/Hf between COB and POB are similar and Hf behavior in COB and POB is similar to that of Zr,Yand HREE, suggesting that Hf is not included in the subduction component, which produced the differences between COB and POB.The calculated primary basaltic magmas of NW Rota-1 volcano (primary COB and POB magmas) indicate segregation pressures of 2^1·5 GPa (equivalent to 65^50 km depth). These magmas formed by 24^18% melting of mantle peridotite having Mg-number 89·5. Diapiric ascent of hydrous peridotite mixed heterogeneously with sediment melts may be responsible for the NW Rota-1 basalts. These two basalt magma types are similar to those found at Sumisu andTorishima volcanoes in the Izu^Bonin arc, with COB representing wetter and POB representing drier magmas, where subduction zone-derived melt components are coupled with the water contents.
Depletion of soil organic carbon and nitrogen under Pinus taeda plantations in Southern Brazilian grasslands ( Campos )

M. WIESMEIER , D. P. DICK , C. RUMPEL , R. S. D. DALMOLIN , A. HILSCHER & H. KNICKER Lehrstuhl für Bodenkunde, Department für Ökologie und Ökosystemmanagement, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt, Technische Universität München, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany, Instituto de Quimica, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonc xalves, 9500, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogeochimie des Milieux Continentaux, (UMR CNRS, INRA, Université Paris VI, IRD), Campus AgroParisTech, Batiment EGER, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France, and Departamento de Solos, UFSM, Campus Universitário, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil
Compassion Fatigue: A Study of Psychotherapistsâ Demographics in Northern Uganda

Psychotherapists are often required to provide a high degree of care to clients which can result in physical and psychological complaints often referred to as compassion fatigue. The aim of this cross sectional study was to determine the relationships between demographic characteristics and compassion fatigue among psychotherapists. The Professional Quality of Life 5 and a Demographic Data sheet were completed by 207 psychotherapists. Data analysis was done using Pearson’s Chi Square test and Fisher’s exact test. The statistical hypotheses were tested at the significance level of p ≤ . 05. The results of this study revealed that there was no sufficient evidence from the data to link gender and age to high or low level of compassion fatigue. The results further revealed that there were progression trends in which compassion fatigue decreased with increase in the psychotherapists’ years of practice. The study concluded that all psychotherapists regardless of gender and age may be similarly capable of handling the stressors that a career as a psychotherapist entails. However, the results showed that working experience may be a starting point for explaining compassion fatigue among psychotherapists. 1.