Structures, physical properties, and chemistry of layered oxychalcogenides and oxypnictides

A series of layered oxychalcogenide and oxypnictide solids is described that contain oxide layers separated by distinct layers, which contain the softer chalcogenide (S, Se, Te) or pnictide (P, As, Sb, Bi) anions. The relationships between the crystal structures adopted by these compounds are described, and the physical and chemical properties of these materials are related to the structures and the properties of the elements. The properties exhibited by the oxychalcogenide materials include semiconductor properties, for example, in LaOCuCh (Ch = chalcogenide) and derivatives, unusual magnetic properties exhibited by the class Sr 2MO 2Cu 2-deltaS 2 (M = Mn, Co, Ni), and redox properties exhibited by the materials Sr 2MnO 2Cu 2 m-0.5 S m+1 ( m = 1-3) and Sr 4Mn 3O 7.5Cu 2Ch 2 (Ch = S, Se). Recent results in the oxychalcogenide area are reviewed, and some new results on the intriguing series of compounds Sr 2MO 2Cu 2-deltaS 2 (M = Mn, Co, Ni) are reported. Oxypnictides have received less recent attention, but this is changing: a new frenzy of research is underway following the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity (>40 K) in derivatives of the layered oxyarsenide LaOFeAs. The early results in this exciting new area will be reviewed.     

Stabilization of resonance states by an asymptotic Coulomb potential

The capability of using stabilization method with the asymptotic Coulomb potential for accurate resonance state parameter calculations is investigated for the one-dimensional model problem with a single open channel. It is shown that the replacement of the potential box conditions by the quantization with asymptotic Coulomb potential does not yield the significant errors in energy and width of resonances if the additional mathematical conditions are correctly taken into account. Analytical results are confirmed by the numerical calculations.     

High critical currents for dendrite penetration and voiding in potassium metal anode solid-state batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Potassium metal anode solid-state cells with a K-beta”-alumina ceramic electrolyte are found to have relatively high critical currents for dendrite...     

Comparison of the high-aperture Bessel and Gaussian beams

The diffraction broadening of the high-aperture freely propagating (vector) Bessel and Gaussian beams is considered. The dependences of the degree of transverse concentration of light in such beams on their axial and radial coordinates are obtained. It is shown that if the initial degree of the transverse localization of total power of these beams is the same, the diffraction broadening of a Gaussian beam is smaller than that of a Bessel beam, and the only advantage of the latter is the specific radial distribution of the field amplitude.     

Reflection characterization of anisotropic ultrathin dielectric films on absorbing isotropic substrates

The reflection of linearly polarized light from an ultrathin anisotropic dielectric film on isotropic absorbing substrate is investigated analytically in the long-wavelength limit. All analytical results are correlated with the numerical solution of the anisotropic reflection problem on the basis of rigorous electromagnetic theory. Simple analytical approach developed in this work not only gives a physical insight into the reflection problem but also provides a way of estimating the necessary experimental accuracy for optical diagnostics by reflection characteristics. It is shown that obtained expressions are of immediate interest for determining the parameters of anisotropic surface layers. Innovative possibilities for optical diagnostics of anisotropic properties of ultrathin dielectric layers upon absorbing materials are discussed.     

Formation and characterization of polymersomes made by a solvent injection method

In this article a solvent injection method is described for vesicle formation using poly(butadiene)‐ b‐poly(acrylic acid) diblock copolymers as the amphiphilic molecules. Vesicles composed of polymer bilayers are commonly referred to as polymersomes. Solvent injection is shown to be a rapid method for polymersome formation suitable to make large volumes of polymersome solution. The method can be manipulated to obtain a wide range of vesicle sizes depending on the polymer concentration and preparation conditions. Polymersome solutions in this study are characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), fluorescent microscopy, and electron microscopy. Polymersome sizes range from tens of nanometers to several microns. The membrane thickness of smaller polymersomes is found to lie between 14–20 nm. Larger polymersomes are found to have somewhat thicker membranes. The procedure involves the addition of polymers dissolved in an organic solvent to a stirred aqueous solution. The formation of polymersomes by this method is proposed to be governed by the limited mutual solubility of the two solvents and the simultaneous diffusion of solvent and water out of and in to initially formed organic solvent droplets. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Urban Third Grade Teachers' Practices and Perceptions in Science Instruction with English Language Learners

The study examined relationships among key domains of science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students based on teachers' perceptions of their classroom practices (i.e., what they think they do) and actual classroom practices (i.e., what they are observed doing). The four domains under investigation included: (1) teachers' knowledge of science content; (2) teaching practices to support scientific understanding; (3) teaching practices to support scientific inquiry; and (4) teaching practices to support English language development during science instruction. The study involved 38 third‐grade teachers participating in the first‐year implementation of a professional development intervention aimed at improving science and literacy achievement of ELL students in urban elementary schools. Based on teachers' self‐reports, practices for understanding were related to practices for inquiry and practices for English language development. Based on classroom observations in the fall and spring, practices for understanding were related to practices for inquiry, practices for English language development, and teacher knowledge of science content. However, we found a weak to non‐existent relationship between teachers' self‐reports and observations of their practices.     

Search for Lorentz invariance and CPT violation with the MINOS far detector

We searched for a sidereal modulation in the MINOS far detector neutrino rate. Such a signal would be a consequence of Lorentz and CPT violation as described by the standard-model extension framework. It also would be the first detection of a perturbative effect to conventional neutrino mass oscillations. We found no evidence for this sidereal signature, and the upper limits placed on the magnitudes of the Lorentz and CPT violating coefficients describing the theory are an improvement by factors of 20-510 over the current best limits found by using the MINOS near detector.