Search results for "11"
showing 10 items of 17291 documents
Gauge theory of the long-range proximity effect and spontaneous currents in superconducting heterostructures with strong ferromagnets
2017
We present the generalized quasiclassical theory of the long-range superconducting proximity effect in heterostructures with strong ferromagnets, where the exchange splitting is of the order of Fermi energy. In the ferromagnet the propagation of equal-spin Cooper pairs residing on the spin-split Fermi surfaces is shown to be governed by the spin-dependent Abelian gauge field which results either from the spin-orbital coupling or from the magnetic texture. This additional gauge field enters into the quasiclassical equations in superposition with the usual electromagnetic vector potential and results in the generation of spontaneous superconducting currents and phase shifts in various geometr…
Embryonic Growth of Face-Center-Cubic Silver Nanoclusters Shaped in Nearly Perfect Half-Cubes and Cubes.
2016
Demonstrated herein are the preparation and crystallographic characterization of the family of fcc silver nanoclusters from Nichol’s cube to Rubik’s cube and beyond via ligand-control (thiolates and phosphines in this case). The basic building block is our previously reported fcc cluster [Ag14(SPhF2)12(PPh3)8] (1). The metal frameworks of [Ag38(SPhF2)26(PR′3)8] (22) and [Ag63(SPhF2)36(PR′3)8]+ (23), where HSPhF2 = 3,4-difluorothiophenol and R′ = alkyl/aryl, are composed of 2 × 2 = 4 and 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 metal cubes of 1, respectively. All serial clusters share similar surface structural features. The thiolate ligands cap the six faces and the 12 edges of the cube (or half cube) while the phosp…
On Some Misconceptions Concerning Digital Banking and Alternative Delivery Channels
2016
A great deal of conceptual confusion surrounds the notions of digital banking and innovative alternative delivery channels that support banking and other financial transactions globally. The authors contend that the concepts of digital banking and associated delivery channels are ambiguous and restrictive; their usability has been undermined and their purpose and objective have, to a large extent, been misunderstood. Against this backdrop, the authors offer an inclusive definition of digital banking and delivery channels and provide logical explanations of these terms that can benefit scholars, the telecommunication sector, the banking industry, policy makers, and service providers (in term…
Controversias en la transición del libro de texto en papel y electrónico a los contenidos digitales
2018
It is suggested that, given the economic and cultural scale that the book represents in our society, the layout of the paper and digital version will live together for a long time. Therefore, textbooks will suffer a very similar fate. The current change is focused on the transformation of textbooks in digital content with different formats and access routes. Through this process, we are studying the disputes that these changes cause, whereas they reflex the level of assimilation of the technological innovations on the part of citizens. By means of ethnographic strategies, we try to understand inductively how different educational agents are accepting such innovations. The centres that we ha…
Automatic Profiling of Open-Ended Survey Data on Medical Workplace Teaching
2019
On-the-job medical training is known to be challenging due to the fast-paced environment and strong vocational profile. It relies on on-site supervisors, mainly doctors and nurses with long practical experience, who coach and teach their less experienced colleagues, such as residents and healthcare students. These supervisors receive pedagogical training to ensure that their guidance and teaching skills are constantly improved. The aim of such training is to develop participants’ patient, collegiate and student guidance skills in a multiprofessional environment, and to expand their understanding of guidance as part of their work as supervisors of healthcare professionals. In this paper, we …
Using Recorded Audio Feedback in Cross-Cultural e-Education Environments to Enhance Assessment Practices in a Higher Education
2018
Providing feedback to learners on their writing assignments is perhaps one of the most important and time-consuming tasks that a supervisor performs. In e-Education environments, giving feedback becomes more challenging because there are often no possibilities for face-to-face discussions with learners. Typically, a supervisor provides comments to learners in written form via email; however, the use of recorded audio feedback (RAF) in e-Education environments has become a viable alternative. The purpose of this case study was to examine learners’ perceptions of RAF and written feedback for their assignments at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and at Keio University SFC (Japan). Formati…
Analysis of some renewable energy uses and demand side measures for hotels on small Mediterranean islands: A case study
2018
Abstract Tourist activity strongly influences the energy consumption and the overall load profile of communities with isolated energy systems. One example is hotel sectors on small islands that are not connected to mainland energy distribution grids. The use of solar energy systems could be a smart option for reducing energy consumption and tackling seasonal fluctuation. The operation of a weak and isolated electric grid requires attention to the management of power profiles in very short time frames. Energy storage (thermal or electric), as well as building automation control technologies, can be utilised for these aims. In this context, the present paper illustrates a study conducted at a…
Applying Biomimicry to Cities: The Forest as Model for Urban Planning and Design
2021
International audience; The idea of applying biomimicry to cities is attracting increasing attention as a way of achieving sustainability. Undoubtedly the most frequently evoked natural model in this context is the forest, though it has not yet been investigated with any great scientific rigour. To overcome this lacuna, we provide: first, a justification of the model of the forest via what we call the arguments from “fittingness”, “scale”, and “complexity”; second, an exploration of various key innovations made possible by this model in the fields of urban planning, urban water systems, urban energy and transport systems, and urban food and nutrient systems.
Reinstatement of the Patagonian moss Ulota glabella Mitt. (Bryophyta, Orthotrichaceae)
2020
In 1842, J.D. Hooker collected a number of mosses on Hermite Island (Cape Horn region). From one of those gatherings, Hooker 141, four species of Ulota have been described: U. luteola, U. fuegiana, U. glabella, and U. eremitensis. The first two species are widely accepted, whereas the identity of the latter two has been recently discussed, and the names are now synonymized under U. fuegiana, the more widely distributed species in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Our studies, based on recent collections of Orthotrichaceae from Patagonia, show that specimens different from those of U. fuegiana and agreeing with the protologues of both U. glabella and U. eremitensis are common in Patagonia. C…
A solar assisted seasonal borehole thermal energy system for a non-residential building in the Mediterranean area
2019
Abstract Solar heating and cooling systems are reliable and feasible solutions among renewable energy technologies. Indeed, solar thermal devices help reduce primary energy consumption and can reduce electricity demand, thus representing one of the best options for satisfying heating and/or cooling energy supply. The Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) represents one of the best promising option among the various storage technologies, because the size of the storage can be easily extended by drilling additional boreholes and simply connecting the pipes to the existing boreholes; the overall energy efficiency of this system is about 40–60%. In this paper, the authors present an applicatio…