Self-consistent Monte Carlo simulations of the electron and ion distributions of inhomogeneous liquid alkali metals. II. Longitudinal and transverse density distributions in the liquid-vapor interface of binary metallic alloys

We present the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the liquid-vapor interface of sodium-cesium alloys. The longitudinal density profile of each alloy shows that the liquid-vapor interface consists of a well-defined monolayer of cesium sitting on top of a slab of the bulk alloy. Underneath the monolayer there is a slight excess of sodium. A comparison with a van der Waals analog of one of the alloys shows that the presence of the well-defined monolayer of cesium on the outside of the liquid-vapor interface is a feature peculiar to metallic mixtures. The transverse pair correlation functions of the cesium monolayer are insensitive to the composition of the bulk of the slab.     

Evaluating impacts of fish stock enhancement and biodiversity conservation actions on the livelihoods of small‐scale fishers on the Beijiang River,China

Inappropriate development and overexploitation have seriously degraded aquatic resources in China. Stakeholders identified three fish stock enhancement and biodiversity conservation scenarios for the Beijiang River: S1, increased fish restocking; S2, no fishing season and habitat conservation; and S3, strict pollution control. Potential impacts of these actions on the livelihoods of fishers were evaluated using applied economic modeling. Baseline costs and benefits came from logbooks from 30 fishers and a survey of 90 households in three villages. The financial net benefit for a household was US$1583 (￥11,160) annually, representing a 142% and 387% return on capital and operating costs, respectively. Larger catches associated with S1 and S2 generated a net benefit of US$1651 and US$1822, respectively. Strict pollution control resulting in higher catches (+20%) and lower operating costs (?20%) would increase the net benefit by 15.9% to US$1835 annually. Pollution control would benefit other resource users and is a prerequisite for ecological restoration. Recommendations for Resource Managers

• Stringent pollution control measures are essential to conserve aquatic biodiversity and enhance the livelihoods of fishers but will require considerable public and private sector investment.
• Enhanced fish stocks in the Beijiang River could benefit poor livelihoods but may not be sufficient to lift households out of poverty, aged fishers require government assistance to diversify their livelihoods, access alternative urban employment, and survive with dignity.
• Adopting the economic modeling approach presented here could enable responsible authorities to simultaneously evaluate fish stock enhancement and biodiversity conservation options.
• Broader application of the approach presented here could help ensure small‐scale inland fisheries are managed sustainably and aquatic ecosystems are restored and protected by 2020, in line with Target 6 of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.

     

Developments in microscale and nanoscale sensors for biomedical sensing

The widespread use of point of care testing in biomedical and clinical applications is a major aim of the electrochemical field. A large number of groups are working on lab-on-a-chip systems or sensor arrays which are underpinned by electrochemical detection methodologies. Miniaturized transducers have the potential to be adopted in such systems for diagnosis of a range of diseases in both clinical and nonclinical settings. In this review, we will present the current trends and state of the art for a selection of miniaturized sensing elements (microelectrodes, nanoelectrodes, and field-effect transistors) and provide an impression of current technologies, their associated performance characteristics, and also considering the major barriers to adoption and how they might be surmounted in future so these technologies can fulfil their early promise.     

Detection of galactic halo magninos via their coherent interaction with heavy nuclei

Magninos (neutral spin 1/2 fermions with mass 4–10 GeV and anomalous magnetic moment μ≈10⁻²) have been proposed as a solution to both the solar neutrino and dark matter problems. Direct detection of galactic halo magninos is possible via their coherent interaction with heavy nuclei. In this paper we have calculated the relevant non-relativistic cross section. We find a typical counting rate of about 100 events per day per kilogram of either a silicon or germanium detector. The magnetic moment of the magnino was needed in order to solve the solar neutrino problem. When scattering off of heavy nuclei, the charge radius r of the magnino is also relevant.     

Perturbation theory for kinds

In this paper we prove the validity of formal asymptotic results on perturbation theory for kind solutions of the sine-Gordon equation, originally obtained by McLaughlin and Scott. We prove that for appropriate perturbations, of size in an appropriate norm, slowly varying in time in the rest frame of the kink, the shape of the kink is unaltered in theL norm toO() for a time ofO(1/). The kink parameters, which represent its velocity and centre, evolve slowly in time in the way predicted by the asymptotics. The method of proof uses an orthogonal decomposition of the solution into an oscillatory part and a one-dimensional zero-mode term. The slow evolution of the kink parameters is chosen so as to suppress secular evolution of the zero-mode.Partially supported as a graduate student at Princeton University of NSF grant 215 6211