Testing the prototype detectors for the muon tracking system of the CBM experiment at the CERN PS accelerator

Performance of the gas-filled detector prototypes based on the GEM, TGEM, and Micromegas technologies was studied on the test beam of the CERN PS accelerator. Three-component mixtures based on Ar and He were used as the working gas. For all tested detector prototypes, the gas amplification factors were measured, and the detection efficiencies, cluster distributions, and the radii of the charge cloud collected on the readout electrode were estimated.     

Competition between Exceptionally Long‐Range Alkyl Sidechain Ordering and Backbone Ordering in Semiconducting Polymers and Its Impact on Electronic and Optoelectronic Properties

Intra‐ and intermolecular ordering greatly impacts the electronic and optoelectronic properties of semiconducting polymers. The interrelationship between ordering of alkyl sidechains and conjugated backbones has yet to be fully detailed, despite much prior effort. Here, the discovery of a highly ordered alkyl sidechain phase in six representative semiconducting polymers, determined from distinct spectroscopic and diffraction signatures, is reported. The sidechain ordering exhibits unusually large coherence lengths (≥70 nm), induces torsional/twisting backbone disorder, and results in a vertically multilayered nanostructure with ordered sidechain layers alternating with disordered backbone layers. Calorimetry and in situ variable temperature scattering measurements in a model system poly{4‐(5‐(4,8‐bis(3‐butylnonyl)‐6‐methylbenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophen‐2‐yl)thiophen‐2‐yl)‐2‐(2‐butyloctyl)‐5,6‐difluoro‐7‐(5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole} (PBnDT‐FTAZ) clearly delineate this competition of ordering that prevents simultaneous long‐range order of both moieties. The long‐range sidechain ordering can be exploited as a transient state to fabricate PBnDT‐FTAZ films with an atypical edge‐on texture and 2.5× improved field‐effect transistor mobility. The observed influence of ordering between the moieties implies that improved molecular design can produce synergistic rather than destructive ordering effects. Given the large sidechain coherence lengths observed, such synergistic ordering should greatly improve the coherence length of backbone ordering and thereby improve electronic and optoelectronic properties such as charge transport and exciton diffusion lengths.     

An analysis of constructive algorithms for the airport baggage sorting station assignment problem

The assignment of airport resources can significantly affect the quality of service provided by airlines and airports. High quality assignments can support airlines and airports in adhering to published schedules by minimising changes or delays while waiting for resources to become available. In this paper, we consider the problem of assigning available baggage sorting stations to flights which have already been scheduled and allocated to stands. A model for the problem is presented, and the different objectives which have to be considered are highlighted. A number of constructive algorithms for sorting station assignments are then presented and their effects are compared and analysed when different numbers of sorting stations are available. It can be observed that appropriate algorithm selection is highly dependent upon whether or not reductions in service time are permitted and upon the flight density in relation to the number of sorting stations. Finally, since these constructive approaches produce different solutions which are better for different trade-offs of the objectives, we utilise these as initial solutions for an evolutionary algorithm as well as for an Integer Linear Programming model in CPLEX. We show that in both cases they are helpful for improving the results which are obtainable within reasonable solution times.     

Development of the Sleeper Pit Lake

Abstract.  The Sleeper open pit gold mine operated from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. Operations were mostly sub-water table and extensive dewatering was required to lower groundwater levels by 180 m. Dewatering flows peaked at 930 L/s, with most flow contributed from an alluvial aquifer. After completion of mining, the pit was rapidly filled with water pumped from the alluvial aquifer to reduce the exposure time of sulfide wall rocks and waste rocks in the ultimate pit. The pumped alluvial groundwater provided a large volume of low total dissolved solids (TDS), high alkalinity water that controlled the early chemistry. The rising lake waters were amended with lime to buffer excess acidity contributed to the lake from reactive pit wall rocks during submergence. The pore water contained in submerged waste rock at the base of the pit was elevated in TDS and subsequently of higher density that the lake water. The density contrast and waste rock location limited contributions of waste rock pore water to the main body of the lake. Some stratification of the early lake occurred, with shallow water characterized by higher pH, low dissolved metals, and sulfate; deeper water had lower pH and higher dissolved metals and sulfate. The reservoir of alkalinity in the shallow layer mixed with the deeper waters and created a stabilized lake with a homogenized column that exceeded water quality expectations. Current water quality meets all Nevada primary drinking water standards with the exception of sulfate, TDS, and manganese, which are slightly elevated, as predicted. Chemistry has remained stable since development of the initial lake.     

Biodegradable Nanocarriers Resembling Extracellular Vesicles Deliver Genetic Material with the Highest Efficiency to Various Cell Types

Efficient delivery of genetic material to primary cells remains challenging. Here, efficient transfer of genetic material is presented using synthetic biodegradable nanocarriers, resembling extracellular vesicles in their biomechanical properties. This is based on two main technological achievements: generation of soft biodegradable polyelectrolyte capsules in nanosize and efficient application of the nanocapsules for co‐transfer of different RNAs to tumor cell lines and primary cells, including hematopoietic progenitor cells and primary T cells. Near to 100% efficiency is reached using only 2.5 × 10^?4 pmol of siRNA, and 1 × 10^?3 nmol of mRNA per cell, which is several magnitude orders below the amounts reported for any of methods published so far. The data show that biodegradable nanocapsules represent a universal and highly efficient biomimetic platform for the transfer of genetic material with the utmost potential to revolutionize gene transfer technology in vitro and in vivo.     

Cultural Identity in Modern Native American Architecture: A Case Study

A studio project given to graduate architecture students at the University of Pennsylvania investigated the role of architecture as a conveyor of cultural identity, as both a repository and a generator of cultural meaning. The project, a proposed museum for the Mashantucket Pequot Indians in Ledyard, Connecticut, was the basis for a study of cultural diversity and place identity as generating principles in architectural design. Recent changes in the legal conditions of Native Americans have supported the idea of the culturally expressive museum, although there is often conflict between concepts from the dominant culture and the singular elements of tribal culture. The students' projects explored a range of ideas for appropriate cultural expression; most included approaches that revealed Pequot history and identity through an aspect of the landscape.     

Bit error rate performance of Haar wavelet based scale‐code division multiple access (HW/S‐CDMA) over the asynchronous AWGN channel

In this paper, we study a recently proposed multirate system, called wavelet based scale‐code division multiple access (W/S‐CDMA). W/S‐CDMA depends on the code, time and scale orthogonality introduced by pseudo‐noise (PN) sequences, and wavelets. In this system, the channel is partitioned into different scales, and each scale into time slots. In addition, the PN sequences are used in each scale to identify multiple users. In W/S‐CDMA, each user is assigned a specific scale and PN sequence, and transmits its successive information symbols with its PN sequence and the wavelets in that scale. More symbols are transmitted in finer scales. We analyse the bit error rate performance of Haar wavelet based S‐CDMA (HW/S‐CDMA) over an asynchronous additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel by using a conventional detector for deterministic PN sequences. The performance of the system is compared to that of an equivalent multirate CDMA (MR‐CDMA) system for Gold and Kasami PN sequences. Results show that HW/S‐CDMA outperforms MR‐CDMA. In addition, because of its suitable format HW/S‐CDMA is also capable of employing the optimal PN sequence families with limited number of sequences such as Kasami, Bent, etc. repeatedly in different scales. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.