Graphoepitaxy of CeO2 on MgO and its application to the fabrication of 45° grain boundary Josephson junctions of YBa2Cu3O7-x

We communicate a detailed study of the epitaxial growth of CeO2 on MgO. The key feature of the growth is the dependence of the in¿plane orientation of the CeO2 epitaxial layer on the MgO surface morphology. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) measurements, x¿ray analyses, as well as high¿resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) investigations reveal that on rough substrates a cube¿on¿cube growth of CeO2 on MgO occurs while on smooth substrates the CeO2 unit cell is rotated around the surface normal by 45° with respect to the MgO unit cell when the deposition rate is low (~0.3 Å/s) during the first stages of growth. This growth mechanism can be used for a defined fabrication of 45° grain boundaries in the CeO2 layer by controlling the surface roughness of the MgO substrate. This report demonstrates that these 45° grain boundaries may be used to fabricate YBa2Cu3O7¿x Josephson junctions.

Feeding whole grain with pelleted diets to growing broiler chickens

Selostus: Kokojyväviljan syöttäminen broilereille rakeisen rehun seassa

Depinning transition of dislocation assemblies: Pileups and low-angle grain boundaries

We investigate the depinning transition occurring in dislocation assemblies. In particular, we consider the cases of regularly spaced pileups and low-angle grain boundaries interacting with a disordered stress landscape provided by solute atoms, or by other immobile dislocations present in nonactive slip systems. Using linear elasticity, we compute the stress originated by small deformations of these assemblies and the corresponding energy cost in two and three dimensions. Contrary to the case of isolated dislocation lines, which are usually approximated as elastic strings with an effective line tension, the deformations of a dislocation assembly cannot be described by local elastic interactions with a constant tension or stiffness. A nonlocal elastic kernel results as a consequence of long-range interactions between dislocations. In light of this result, we revise statistical depinning theories of dislocation assemblies and compare the theoretical results with numerical simulations and experimental data.

Grain boundaries in vortex matter

We explore the statistical properties of grain boundaries in the vortex polycrystalline phase of type-II superconductors. Treating grain boundaries as arrays of dislocations interacting through linear elasticity, we show that self-interaction of a deformed grain boundary is equivalent to a nonlocal long-range surface tension. This affects the pinning properties of grain boundaries, which are found to be less rough than isolated dislocations. The presence of grain boundaries has an important effect on the transport properties of type-II superconductors as we show by numerical simulations: our results indicate that the critical current is higher for a vortex polycrystal than for a regular vortex lattice. Finally, we discuss the possible role of grain boundaries in vortex lattice melting. Through a phenomenological theory we show that melting can be preceded by an intermediate polycrystalline phase.

Iowa Animal Industry News, 2012, Vol. 13, no. 1

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Pig slurry and nutrient accumulation and dry matter and grain yield in various crops

Pig slurry (PS) represents an important nutrient source for plants and using it as fertilizer makes greater nutrient cycling in the environment possible. The aim of this study was to assess how PS application over a period of years can affect grain yield, dry matter production and nutrient accumulation in commercial grain and cover crops. The experiment was carried out in an experimental area of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, from May 2000 to January 2008. In this period, 19 grain and cover crops were grown with PS application before sowing, at rates of 0, 20, 40 and 80 m³ ha-1. The highest PS rate led to an increase in nutrient availability over the years, notably of P, but also of nutrients that are potentially toxic to plants, especially Cu and Zn. The apparent recovery of nutrients by commercial grain and cover crops decreased with the increasing number of PS applications to the soil. Accumulated dry matter production of the crops and maize grain yield were highest at an annual application rate of 80 m³ ha-1 PS. However, common bean yield increased up to 20 m³ ha-1 PS, showing that the crop to be grown should be considered to define the application rate.

Iowa Animal Industry News, 2011, Vol. 12, no. 1

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Agglomeration and labour productivity in Spanish industry: a long-term analysis

This paper analyzes the relationship between spatial density of economic activity and interregional differences in the productivity of industrial labour in Spain during the period 1860-1999. In the spirit of Ciccone and Hall (1996) and Ciccone (2002), we analyze the evolution of this relationship over the long term in Spain. Using data on the period 1860-1999 we show the existence of an agglomeration effect linking the density of economic activity with labour productivity in the industry. This effect was present since the beginning of the industrialization process in the middle of the 19th century but has been decreasing over time. The estimated elasticity of labour productivity with respect to employment density was close to 8% in the subperiod 1860-1900, reduces to a value of around 7% in the subperiod 1914-1930, to 4% in the subperiod 1965-1979 and becomes insignificant in the final subperiod 1985-1999. At the end of the period analyzed there is no evidence of the existence of net agglomeration effects in the industry. This result could be explained by an important increase in the congestion effects in large industrial metropolitan areas that would have compensated the centripetal or agglomeration forces at work. Furthermore, this result is also consistent with the evidence of a dispersion of industrial activity in Spain during the last decades.

The geographical concentration of industry across Spanish Regions, 1856-1995

New economic geography models show that there may be a strong relationship between economic integration and the geographical concentration of industries. Nevertheless, this relationship is neither unique nor stable, and may follow a ?-shaped pattern in the long term. The aim of the present paper is to analyze the evolution of the geographical concentration of manufacturing across Spanish regions during the period 1856-1995. We construct several geographical concentration indices for different points in time over these 140 years. The analysis is carried out at two levels of aggregation, in regions corresponding to the NUTS-II and NUTS-III classifications. We confirm that the process of economic integration stimulated the geographical concentration of industrial activity. Nevertheless, the localization coefficients only started to fall after the beginning of the integration of the Spanish Economy into the international markets in the mid-70s, and this new path was not interrupted by Spain¿s entry in the European Union some years later

Iowa Animal Industry News, 2012, Vol. 14, no. 1

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa.Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Iowa Animal Industry News, January 7, 2011, Vol. 11, no. 1

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Iowa Animal Industry News, January 20, 2011, Vol. 11, no. 2

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Iowa Animal Industry News, March 4, 2011, Vol. 11, no. 4

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

Iowa Animal Industry News, February 4, 2011, Vol. 11, no. 3

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa. Previously titled Animal Industry News. Previously titled Animal Industry News.

The geographical concentration of industry across Spanish Regions, 1856-1995

New economic geography models show that there may be a strong relationship between economic integration and the geographical concentration of industries. Nevertheless, this relationship is neither unique nor stable, and may follow a ?-shaped pattern in the long term. The aim of the present paper is to analyze the evolution of the geographical concentration of manufacturing across Spanish regions during the period 1856-1995. We construct several geographical concentration indices for different points in time over these 140 years. The analysis is carried out at two levels of aggregation, in regions corresponding to the NUTS-II and NUTS-III classifications. We confirm that the process of economic integration stimulated the geographical concentration of industrial activity. Nevertheless, the localization coefficients only started to fall after the beginning of the integration of the Spanish Economy into the international markets in the mid-70s, and this new path was not interrupted by Spain¿s entry in the European Union some years later