Preparation and characterization of hybrid ZnO/ormosils films

Hybrid ZnO/ormosils Elms are prepared by the sol-gel method. A FT-IR spectrometer, 900 UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer, atomic force microscope, and ellipsometer are employed to investigate microstructure and optical properties of the films fired at different temperatures. The results show that the films with high transmittance and low surface roughness could be obtained at the heat-treatment temperature of 150 degrees C, the refractive index and thickness of the film are 1.413, 2.11 mu m, respectively. Higher temperatures (350 degrees C, 550 degrees C) change the Elm microstructure severely, and then decrease the transmittance of the films.

Graded index 532HR/1064HT filter by glancing angle deposition

Glancing angle deposition is a novel method to prepare graded index coatings. By using this method and physical vapour deposition, ZrO2 is used to engineer graded index filter on BK7 glass substrate. Controlling the deposition rate and the periodic oscillation of oblique angle of deposited material, a 10-period graded index ZrO2 filter with high reflection near 532 nm and high transmittance at wavelength 1064 nm is fabricated. The causes of difference between the theoretical and experimental results are discussed in detail. The material properties and electron gun nonlinearity are possibly the main origins of the difference, which result in the variations in both thickness control and deposition rate of the Elm material.

Comparison of TiO2 and ZrO2 films deposited by electron-beam evaporation and by sol-gel process

TiO2 and ZrO2 films are deposited by electron-beam (EB) evaporation and by sol-gel process. The film properties are characterized by visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, x-ray diffraction analysis, surface roughness measure, absorption and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) test. It is found that the sol-gel Elms have lower refractive index, packing density and roughness than EB deposited films due to their amorphous structure and high OH group concentration in the film. The high LIDT of sol-gel films is mainly due to their amorphous and porous structure, and low absorption. LIDT of EB deposited film is considerably affected by defects in the Elm, and LIDT of sol-gel deposited film is mainly effected by residual organic impurities and solvent trapped in the film.

Contributions to Ensemble Classifiers with Image Analysis Applications

134 p.

浑善达克沙地退化生态系统生态恢复的自然保护区途径

本文从种群、群落、景观等水平研究了浑善达克沙地退化状况，发现浑善达克沙地生态系统退化严重。运用“以地养地”模式，建立自然保护地，能恢复浑善达克退化生态系统，同时能实现社区的经济发展。通过对自然保护区恢复潜力和可行性的分析，发现将“以地养地”模式推广到全旗，可实现全旗的可持续发展。运用自然保护区设计理论，对拟建自然保护区进行了设计，并对自然保护区-社区的区域可持续发展能力进行了分析，提出了可持续发展战略。有以下主要内容： 1）浑善达克沙地榆树疏林种群在人为干扰下处于衰退期。本研究表明，浑善达克沙地中部榆树疏林种群是一个数量处于下降的种群。中老龄龄级榆树较多，而年幼龄级榆树较少。种群静态生命表表明，幼苗库严重不足，种群进入中老龄期后，外界干扰(例如直接砍伐等)导致了个体较高的死亡量。按照一次平均推移法预测各龄级在未来20年、40年、60年及100年后的株数，老龄龄级株数将有所增加，而中幼年株数则下降。目前蓝旗榆种群中老年个体仍保持着比较旺盛生殖能力，应该充分利用这一特征，采取适度放牧、严禁超载过牧、严禁滥砍滥伐等措施，促进天然更新。 2）浑善达克沙地沙丘植物群落退化严重。浑善达克沙地中部典型固定沙丘调查表明，阴坡植物群落种类复杂，主要为耐阴乔木半乔木+灌木+柳灌丛类，群落较为稳定。阳坡主要以褐沙蒿、雾冰藜和虫实为主，种类组成较为简单，沙脊为沙蒿+半旱生杂草类，腰地形成木岩黄芪+半灌木半旱生杂草类。落沙地形成虫实+狗尾草优势群落，风蚀坑形成狗尾草+虫实+褐沙蒿优势群落。顶部则形成虫实单优势群落。固定沙丘退化严重，有活化的可能，需要加强保护，控制放牧强度。 3）浑善达克沙地榆树疏林在景观水平上破碎化严重。研究发现榆树疏林斑块在全旗分布不均匀，斑块集中分布于北部苏木。其中有20个嘎查所含疏林斑块面积较多，占该旗疏林斑块总面积的86%，是主要分布区。榆树疏林斑块密度较低，斑块边界割裂严重，斑块之间分离度高，大斑块较少，小斑块数量多。 4）建立保护区可恢复浑善达克退化生态系统。运用以地养地模式，将大部分退化沙地围封保护，进行自然恢复;在小面积土地上建立了高产高效饲料基地，以向上一营养级提供足够的能量。结果表明，牲畜的压力逐步向小范围的土地集中，而大面积的退化草地借助自然力逐步恢复。群落生物量、平均高度和总盖度2年后均显著增加。植被组成方面，优质牧草比例提高。生态恢复不仅使自然生态系统得以恢复，而且带动了社会经济的发展，项目中的正蓝旗巴音胡舒嘎查牧民，在实验示范以后，年人均收入提高了32%。在全旗自然保护区建成后，大量居民将从保护区内迁移到城镇中去，有利于提高城市化水平，有利于调整产业结构，对于当前逐渐发展的二、三产业有促进作用;同时，自然保护区面积扩大有利于城市人口增长，能为城市发展提供消费食物来源、水源保障、环境保障。 5）拟建自然保护区设计。按照景观规划理论、Diamond自然保护区设计原则，选择榆树疏林斑块集中分布区，作为潜在核心区，运用ArcGIS的缓冲区分析功能，设计不同的宽度。同时调查斑块外不同距离样方与疏林斑块的群落相似度。由此而初步确定的核心区分布在正蓝旗23个嘎查，面积1 531 km2，约占全旗总面积的15%。根据核心区边界的生态、经济社会发展等因素，以及保护核心区所需要的最小宽度、当地土地利用所能规划的最大宽度，确定了不同区域的缓冲区宽度。由此而确定的缓冲区面积为1140km2，占保护区总面积的11.2%。其他地区均设置为过渡区，面积为7514km2，占保护区总面积的73.8%。 6）浑善达克自然保护区-社区的可持续发展。按照区域可持续发展理论，对浑善达克自然保护区-社区的各个苏木、镇、牧场、示范区，按照环境、经济、社会三个子系统进行了综合评价。发现可以按照区域可持续发展原则将正蓝旗划分为四个区域、两条畜产品产业带，简称“四区两带”战略：北部景观保护区、西部生态功能恢复区，以自然保护和生态恢复为主;中部社会经济服务区，以经济社会发展为主，集中建设好三个小城镇，发展集约化畜牧业、生态旅游产业;南部低山丘陵农业区，以及沿国道、省道的畜产品产业带。

浑善达克沙地榆树树干液流动态研究

本文应用Granier热扩散技术对内蒙古浑善达克沙地榆树疏林林分进行树干液流通量研究，分别选择胸径大小占林分80%以上林木的三种胸径级（15-25cm，25-35cm，35-45cm）榆树样树各三株，应用Granier探针进行每隔15min的树干液流测定，同步测定林分环境因子，包括空气温度、相对湿度、土壤温度、土壤湿度、光合有效辐射、风速等10余个环境因子，在生长季节进行了5个月的测定，详细研究和分析了榆树树杆液流特征，其中包括昼夜变化趋势和规律、不同天气状况下的液流密度变化特点以及在生长季不同时期的液流密度变化规律，阐述了不同胸径级榆树树干液流变化特征。同时利用连续获得的树干液流通量与环境因子数据，分析了树干液流通量与环境因子的关系，阐明不同时期影响树干液流通量变化的主导因素，以及树干液流密度对环境因子的响应规律。并通过钻取样地内的树木生长年轮芯测定了榆树不同径级的边材面积，建立边材和胸径的关系方程，估算了不同胸径林分的边材面积以及冠层蒸腾的季节动态。 在晴朗的白天，不同胸径级榆树的树干液流密度变化曲线均呈单峰曲线，只是峰值持续的时间不同。不同胸径级榆树树干液流密度变化具有明显的昼夜节律性。在生长季结束后液流并不是马上停止，而是有微弱的波动。阴雨天液流密度变化曲线均不规则且液流密度值较小，甚至出现多峰曲线，而且峰值明显;液流密度的变化出现较大的波动性，夜间却有液流发生，而且值较晴天的夜间液流密度稍大。 林分不同胸径级榆树树干大径级木、中径级木和小径级木液流通量特征表现为: 榆树大径级木液流密度的峰值大于中等木，中等木峰值大于小径级木，差异明显;大径级木由于年龄较大，液流密度曲线变化平缓，没有明显的峰值，呈弧形曲线; 而且不同年龄的树木反映差别比较大，但是总体趋势还是受胸径的影响。 随季节推移生长季各月份液流密度均值基本逐渐减小，进入生长季末期(10月)基本处于微弱波动状态。液流通量月平均值最大值一般都出现在6-8月，大径级木、中径级木和小径级木各月液流通量变化差异较大。日液流通量比较分析得出，大径级木日液流通量最大值分别为394.53，中径级木为66.04，小径级木为63.56 kg∙ d-1。综合分析对不同胸径树木影响较大的环境因子为VPD，PAR，Ta; 但是在不同生长季节，对不同类型树木起主要作用的环境因子也不尽相同，但是PAR与VPD是其中基本主要起作用的两个因子。 通过建立边材与胸径的关系方程，得出边材和胸径关系(R2=0.99)。通过经验公式计算得出，林分生长期的蒸腾耗水量相当于2.24mm/day, 低于当地同期降雨量2.78mm/day.

Columnar structures and stress relaxation in thick GaN films grown on sapphire by HVPE

Thick GaN films with high quality are directly grown on sapphire in a home-built vertical hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) reactor. The optical and structural properties of large scale columnar do-mains near the interface are studied using cathodoluminescence and micro-Raman scattering. These columnar do-mains Show a strong emission intensity due to extremely high free carrier concentration up to 2 x 10(19) cm(-3), which are related with impurities trapped in structural defects. The compressive stress in GaN Elm clearly decreases with increasing distance from interface. The quasi-continuous columnar domains play an important role in the stress relaxation for the upper high quality layer.

Structural and optical characterization of Zn1-xCdxO thin films deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering

Zn1-xCdxO crystal thin films with different compositions were prepared on silicon and sapphire substrates by the dc reactive magnetron sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the Zn1-xCdxO films are of completely (002)-preferred orientation for x less than or equal to 0.6. For x = 0.8, the Elm is a mixture of ZnO hexagonal wurtzite crystals and CdO cubic crystals. For pure CdO, it is highly (200) preferential-oriented. Photoluminescence spectrum measurement shows that the Zn1-xCdxO (x = 0.2) thin film has a redshift of 0.14 eV from that of ZnO reported previously.

Large positive and negative lateral displacements from total internal reflection configuration with a weakly absorbing dielectric film

It is theoretically shown that the simultaneously large positive and negative lateral displacements will appear when the resonant condition is satisfied for a TE-polarized light beam reflected from the total internal reflection configuration with a weakly absorbing dielectric film. Appearance of the enhanced negative lateral displacement is relative to the incidence angle, absorption of the thin Elm and its thickness. If we select an appropriate weakly absorbing dielectric film and its thickness, the simultaneously enhanced positive and negative lateral displacements will appear at different resonant angles. These phenomena may lead to convenient measurements and interesting applications in optical devices.

How fragmented was the British Holocene wildwood? Perspectives on the “Vera” grazing debate from the fossil beetle record

The reconstruction and structure of the European Holocene “wildwood” has been the focus of considerable academic debate. The ability of palaeoecological data and particularly pollen analysis to accurately reflect the density of wildwood canopy has also been widely discussed. Fossil insects, as a proxy for vegetation and landscape structure, provide a potential approach to address this argument. Here, we present a review and re-analysis of 36 early and mid-Holocene (9500-2000 cal BC) sub-fossil beetle assemblages from Britain, examining percentage values of tree, open ground and dung beetles as well as tree host data to gain an insight into vegetation structure, the role of grazing animals in driving such structure and establish independently the importance of different types of trees and associated shading in the early Holocene “wildwood”. Open indicator beetle species are persistently present over the entire review period, although they fluctuate in importance. During the early Holocene (9500-6000 cal BC), these indicators are initially high, at levels which are not dissimilar to modern data from pasture woodland. However, during the latter stages of this and the next period, 6000-4000 cal BC, open ground and pasture indicators decline and are generally low compared with previously. Alongside this pattern, we see woodland indicators generally increase in importance, although there are significant local fluctuations. Levels of dung beetles are mostly low over these periods, with some exceptions to this pattern, especially towards the end of the Mesolithic and in floodplain areas. Host data associated with the fossil beetles indicate that trees associated with lighter canopy conditions such as oak, pine, hazel and birch are indeed important components of the tree canopy during the earlier Holocene (c. 9500-6000 cal BC), in accordance with much of the current pollen literature. Beetles associated with more shade-tolerant trees (such as lime and elm) become more frequent in the middle Holocene (6000-4000 cal BC) suggesting that at this stage the woodland canopy was less open than previously, although open ground and pasture areas appear to have persisted in some locations. The onset of agriculture (4000-2000 cal BC) coincides with significant fluctuations in woodland composition and taxa. This is presumably as a result of human impact, although here there are significant regional variations. There are also increases in the amounts of open ground represented and especially in the levels of dung beetles present in faunas, suggesting there is a direct relationship between the activities of grazing animals and the development of more open areas. One of the most striking aspects of this review is the variable nature of the landscape suggested by the palaeoecological data, particularly but not exclusively with the onset of agriculture: some earlier sites indicate high variability between levels of tree-associated species on the one hand and the open ground beetle fauna on the other, indicating that in some locations, open areas were of local significance and can be regarded as important features of the Holocene landscape. The role of grazing animals in creating these areas of openness was apparently minimal until the onset of the Neolithic.

Fast automatic two-stage nonlinear model identification based on the extreme learning machine

It is convenient and effective to solve nonlinear problems with a model that has a linear-in-the-parameters (LITP) structure. However, the nonlinear parameters (e.g. the width of Gaussian function) of each model term needs to be pre-determined either from expert experience or through exhaustive search. An alternative approach is to optimize them by a gradient-based technique (e.g. Newton’s method). Unfortunately, all of these methods still need a lot of computations. Recently, the extreme learning machine (ELM) has shown its advantages in terms of fast learning from data, but the sparsity of the constructed model cannot be guaranteed. This paper proposes a novel algorithm for automatic construction of a nonlinear system model based on the extreme learning machine. This is achieved by effectively integrating the ELM and leave-one-out (LOO) cross validation with our two-stage stepwise construction procedure [1]. The main objective is to improve the compactness and generalization capability of the model constructed by the ELM method. Numerical analysis shows that the proposed algorithm only involves about half of the computation of orthogonal least squares (OLS) based method. Simulation examples are included to confirm the efficacy and superiority of the proposed technique.

A multi-output two-stage locally regularized model construction method using the extreme learning machine

This paper investigates the construction of linear-in-the-parameters (LITP) models for multi-output regression problems. Most existing stepwise forward algorithms choose the regressor terms one by one, each time maximizing the model error reduction ratio. The drawback is that such procedures cannot guarantee a sparse model, especially under highly noisy learning conditions. The main objective of this paper is to improve the sparsity and generalization capability of a model for multi-output regression problems, while reducing the computational complexity. This is achieved by proposing a novel multi-output two-stage locally regularized model construction (MTLRMC) method using the extreme learning machine (ELM). In this new algorithm, the nonlinear parameters in each term, such as the width of the Gaussian function and the power of a polynomial term, are firstly determined by the ELM. An initial multi-output LITP model is then generated according to the termination criteria in the first stage. The significance of each selected regressor is checked and the insignificant ones are replaced at the second stage. The proposed method can produce an optimized compact model by using the regularized parameters. Further, to reduce the computational complexity, a proper regression context is used to allow fast implementation of the proposed method. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technique. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Playing free: an ethnography of Brazilian free improvisers

In this article I investigate the practice of free music improvisation in Brazil. The reflections and findings presented here are derived from research conducted as part of a four months Higher Education Academy (HEA, UK) Fellowship, carried out between February and June 2014. The aim was to enquire whether or how the practice of free improvisation is taught in the Brazilian higher education system.
As part of this ethnographic study visits to the following universities were scheduled:
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ
The Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)
The University of São Paulo - USP
The Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG
The Federal University of Bahia – UFBA.
The Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal (UFRN) and
The ELM, the Escola Livre de Música in Unicamp.

I discuss here some general background thinking to the research process, specifically recalling the work of French composer and educator Alain Savouret. I proceed to examine the improvisational spirit, the improvisatory worldmaking approach (the ‘jeitinho brasileiro’) that is often considered to be integral to the Brazilian way of life. In the final part of the article I discuss applied ethnographic methodologies, including the design of questions that were used for over 50 video interviews with Brazilian musicians during the research. I conclude with a final reflection on the video interviews with a specific focus on whether free improvisation can be taught, and the importance of listening in the context of free improvisation practices.

Progress at JET in integrating ITER-relevant core and edge plasmas within the constraints of an ITER-like wall

This paper reports the progress made at JET-ILW on integrating the requirements of the reference ITER baseline scenario with normalized confinement factor of 1, at a normalized pressure of 1.8 together with partially detached divertor whilst maintaining these conditions over many energy confinement times. The 2.5 MA high triangularity ELMy H-modes are studied with two different divertor configurations with D-gas injection and nitrogen seeding. The power load reduction with N seeding is reported. The relationship between an increase in energy confinement and pedestal pressure with triangularity is investigated. The operational space of both plasma configurations is studied together with the ELM energy losses and stability of the pedestal of unseeded and seeded plasmas. The achievement of stationary plasma conditions over many energy confinement times is also reported.