Long wavelength quantum well lasers: Synopsis of the RACE “AQUA” project: MOVPE/MBE/GSMBE for InGaAsP/InP and InGaAlAs/InP high speed MQW DFB lasers

The technological limits for ultra high speed devices are now rapidly expanding due to the use of quantum well (QW) materials. This new class of materials gives the opportunity of tailoring materials parameters by controlling geometries on an atomic scale. They look very promising as materials for lasers, detectors and transistors suitable even above 10 Gb/s. It will be demonstrated that state of the art MQW structures can be realized in both material systems, InGaAsP/InP and InGaAlAs/InP. Parallel lateral laser structures (e.g. SIBH, BRS and TBH) have been designed to take full benefit of QW technology. Ultimate reduction of parasitics, whilst using potential low cost fabrication technologies is the basis for achieving high bitrate (10 Gb/s) MQW lasers, even with the stronger damping in QW material. Using the DFB-SIBH laser structure 10 Gb/s large signal experiments are successfully performed with bulk, MQW and SLMQW lasers. Extremely low fall times of 44 ps are achieved. Additional MQW based improvements are observed such as: −3 times higher differential gain, increased output power (>110 mW), 2.5 times lower chirp (Δλ_−20dB = 0.40 nm at 10 Gb/s modulation), and 2 dB gain in power budget at 10 Gb/s digital transmission.     

Development of brief scales to monitor clients' constructions of change.

This article describes the development and validation of scales to measure clients' outcome optimism, perceived progress, and self-agency related to change in problems presented in therapy. In Study 1, initial confirmatory and subsequent exploratory factor analyses (N?=?257) identified effort and persistence as an additional unique factor and guided selection of items to measure the 4 constructs. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis of the revised scales with a new sample (N?=?93) confirmed the measurement model. Results of convergent and discriminant validity analyses generally were in the predicted directions. The Perceived Progress scale demonstrated criterion validity with changes in dyadic adjustment and family functioning. The Outcome Optimism and Self-Agency scales showed variability in their relationship to the Perceived Progress scale over the first 3 sessions of therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Kaffee, Tee und Kakao – eine übersicht für Deutschland

Um Auskunft über die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Kaffee, Tee und Kakao zu geben, werden in diesem Mini-Review u.a. aktuelle Angaben zur weltweiten Produktion dieser drei „Exoten“ gemacht (Menge und Herkunftsl?nder), die jeweiligen Import-Anteile der Produktionsl?nder nach Deutschland (bzw. in die EU) benannt, der Pro-Kopf-Verbrauch an Kaffee, Tee oder Kakao in Deutschland mit dem anderer Staaten verglichen und – sofern m?glich – Einblick gegeben in die Entwicklung von weltweitem Angebot und Nachfrage und die damit verbundene Preisentwicklung in den vergangenen Jahren.     

The complexity of some reachability problems for a system on a finite group

We consider a system defined as the product of a finite set of periodic systems on cyclic groups. It is of interest to determine if certain subgroups and unions of subgroups of the state set are reachable from a specified initial state, and in particular to determine the computational complexity of verifying such reachability. These questions are motivated by certain problems that arise in the modelling and control of discrete event systems and certain forms of periodic scheduling. Our main result is that deciding whether or not the union of a certain set of subgroups is reachable or not is NP-complete.     

Regeneration studies on nickel molybdate catalysts used for the upgrading of coal-derived liquids

Nickel molybdate catalysts used in several different upgrading reactions of coal-derived materials from low-rank Australian coals have been regenerated and their activity assessed using a number of physical and chemical techniques. Regeneration of spent coked catalysts for 20 hours in air at 450°C was sufficient to restore chemical hydrogenation activity to catalyst used for pre-asphaltene, asphaltene and oil upgrading, provided poisoning of the catalyst surface by other impurities, principally chlorine-containing molecules, had not occurred.     

Experimental study of phase equilibria in the PbO-ZnO-“Fe2O3”-CaO-SiO2 system in air for high lead smelting slags (CaO/SiO2=0.35 and PbO/(CaO + SiO2)=5.0 by weight)

Experimental studies on phase equilibria in the multicomponent system PbO-ZnO-CaO-SiO₂-FeO-Fe₂O₃ in air have been conducted to characterize the phase relations of a complex slag system used in commercial lead oxidation smelting. The liquidus in the pseudo-ternary section ZnO-“Fe₂O₃”-(PbO + CaO + SiO₂) with the CaO/SiO₂ weight ratio of 0.35 and the PbO/(CaO + SiO₂) weight ratio of 5.0 has been constructed using results of over 100 high-temperature equilibration and quenching experiments followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. The liquidus in this pseudoternary section contains primary phase fields of spinel (zinc ferrite) Zn _x Fe_3−x O_4+y , zincite Zn _u Fe_1−u O, melilite Pb _v Ca_2−v Zn _w Fe_1−w Si₂O₇, hematite Fe₂O₃, magneto-plumbite PbFe₁₀O₁₆, and dicalcium silicate Ca_2−t Pb _t SiO₄. The laboratory results are compared with the slags obtained from an industrial reactor.