Vibrational dynamics and boson peak in a supercooled polydisperse liquid

Vibrational density of states (VDOS) in a supercooled polydisperse liquid is computed by diagonalizing the Hessian matrix evaluated at the potential energy minima for systems with different values of polydispersity. An increase in polydispersity leads to an increase in the relative population of localized high-frequency modes. At low frequencies, the density of states shows an excess compared to the Debye squared-frequency law, which has been identified with the boson peak. The height of the boson peak increases with polydispersity and shows a rather narrow sensitivity to changes in temperature. While the modes comprising the boson peak appear to be largely delocalized, there is a sharp drop in the participation ratio of the modes that exist just below the boson peak indicative of the quasilocalized nature of the low-frequency vibrations. Study of the difference spectrum at two different polydispersity reveals that the increase in the height of boson peak is due to a population shift from modes with frequencies above the maximum in the VDOS to that below the maximum, indicating an increase in the fraction of the unstable modes in the system. The latter is further supported by the facilitation of the observed dynamics by polydispersity. Since the strength of the liquid increases with polydispersity, the present result provides an evidence that the intensity of boson peak correlates positively with the strength of the liquid, as observed earlier in many experimental systems.

Impact of a new mandatory reporting law on reporting and identification of child sexual abuse: A seven year time trend analysis

Child sexual abuse is widespread and difficult to detect. To enhance case identification, many societies have enacted mandatory reporting laws requiring designated professionals, most often police, teachers, doctors and nurses, to report suspected cases to government child welfare agencies. Little research has explored the effects of introducing a reporting law on the number of reports made, and the outcomes of those reports. This study explored the impact of a new legislative mandatory reporting duty for child sexual abuse in the State of Western Australia over seven years. We analysed data about numbers and outcomes of reports by mandated reporters, for periods before the law (2006-08) and after the law (2009-12). Results indicate that the number of reports by mandated reporters of suspected child sexual abuse increased by a factor of 3.7, from an annual mean of 662 in the three year pre-law period to 2448 in the four year post-law period. The increase in the first two post-law years was contextually and statistically significant. Report numbers stabilised in 2010-12, at one report per 210 children. The number of investigated reports increased threefold, from an annual mean of 451 in the pre-law period to 1363 in the post-law period. Significant decline in the proportion of mandated reports that were investigated in the first two post-law years suggested the new level of reporting and investigative need exceeded what was anticipated. However, a subsequent significant increase restored the pre-law proportion, suggesting systemic adaptive capacity. The number of substantiated investigations doubled, from an annual mean of 160 in the pre-law period to 327 in the post-law period, indicating twice as many sexually abused children were being identified.

Law student lifestyle pressures

One significant factor influencing student wellbeing is the degree to which their studies are subject to external lifestyle pressures. These pressures are relieved or exacerbated by choices students make around their approaches to study, and the amount of time they devote to work and leisure. This Chapter considers results from a 2012 survey of law students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. Those results are compared to results from a similar US law student survey, and comparable data from the UK and Australia more broadly. In addition, the UNSW study compares key lifestyle choices of undergraduate (LLB) and graduate (JD) law students. The significance of the analysis in this Chapter for understanding law students’ wellbeing is that comparing American and Australian law students’ lifestyle patterns provides insights into contextual variation between both groups, which is important to bear in mind when comparing American and Australian research on law students’ wellbeing, and appreciating the limits of such comparisons. In particular, much of the wellbeing literature to date has focused on course-based stressors, but in light of recent research indicating that improvements in students’ course-based experiences may not have a direct effect on law students’ elevated levels of psychological distress, it is important to understand the broader life pressures and stressors that may be impacting law students’ wellbeing.

The relationship between class participation and law students' learning, engagement and stress: Do demographics matter?

Student participation in the classroom has long been regarded as an important means of increasing student engagement and enhancing learning outcomes by promoting active learning. However, the approach to class participation common in U.S. law schools, commonly referred to as the Socratic method, has been criticised for its negative impacts on student wellbeing. A multiplicity of American studies have identified that participating in law class discussions can be alienating, intimidating and stressful for some law students, and may be especially so for women, and students from minority backgrounds. Using data from the Law School Student Assessment Survey (LSSAS), conducted at UNSW Law School in 2012, this Chapter provides preliminary insights into whether assessable class participation (ACP) at an Australian law school is similarly alienating and stressful for students, including the groups identified in the American literature. In addition, we compare the responses of undergraduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and graduate Juris Doctor (JD) students. The LSSAS findings indicate that most respondents recognise the potential learning and social benefits associated with class participation in legal education, but remain divided over their willingness to participate. Further, in alignment with general trends identified in American studies, LLB students, women, international students, and non-native English speakers perceive they contribute less frequently to class discussions than JD students, males, domestic students, and native English speakers, respectively. Importantly, the LSSAS indicates students are more likely to be anxious about contributing to class discussions if they are LLB students (compared to their JD counterparts), and if English is not their first language (compared to native English speakers). There were no significant differences in students’ self-reported anxiety levels based on gender, which diverges from the findings of American research.

Futility and the law: Knowledge, practice and attitudes of doctors in end of life care

Despite the potential harm to patients (and others) and the financial cost of providing futile treatment at the end of life, this practice occurs. This article reports on empirical research undertaken in Queensland that explores doctors’ perceptions about the law that governs futile treatment at the end of life, and the role it plays in medical practice. The findings reveal that doctors have poor knowledge of their legal obligations and powers when making decisions about withholding or withdrawing futile treatment at the end of life; their attitudes towards the law were largely negative; and the law affected their clinical practice and had or would cause them to provide futile treatment.

(Failed) voluntary euthanasia law reform in Australia: Two decades of trends, models and politics

Within Australia, there have been many attempts to pass voluntary euthanasia (VE) or physician-assisted suicide (PAS) legislation. From 16 June 1993 until the date of writing, 51 Bills have been introduced into Australian parliaments dealing with legalising VE or PAS. Despite these numerous attempts, the only successful Bill was the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 (NT), which was enacted in the Northern Territory, but a short time later overturned by the controversial Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 (Cth). Yet, in stark contrast to the significant political opposition, for decades Australian public opinion has overwhelmingly supported law reform legalising VE or PAS. While there is ongoing debate in Australia, both through public discourse and scholarly publications, about the merits and dangers of reform in this field, there has been remarkably little analysis of the numerous legislative attempts to reform the law, and the context in which those reform attempts occurred. The aim of this article is to better understand the reform landscape in Australia over the past two decades. The information provided in this article will better equip Australians, both politicians and the general public, to have a more nuanced understanding of the political context in which the euthanasia debate has been and is occurring. It will also facilitate a more informed debate in the future.

Principles of Taxation Law [9th Edition]

"Taxation law can be an incredibly complex subject to absorb, particularly when time is limited. Written specifically for students, Principles of Taxation Law 2016 brings much needed clarity to this area of law. Utilising many methods to make this often daunting subject achievable, particular features of the 2016 edition include: - seven parts: overview and structure, principles of income, deductions and offsets, timing issues, investment and business entities, tax avoidance and administration, and indirect taxes; - clearly structured chapters within those parts grouped under helpful headings; - flowcharts, diagrams and tables, end of chapter practice questions, and case summaries; - an appendix containing all of the up to date and relevant rates; and - the online self-testing component mentor, which provides questions for students of both business and law; Every major aspect of the Australian tax system is covered, with chapters on topics such as goods and services tax, superannuation, offsets, partnerships, capital gains tax, trusts, company tax, tax administration and state taxes."--Publisher Website

Structural studies of decaying fluid turbulence: Effect of initial conditions

We present results from a systematic numerical study of structural properties of an unforced, incompressible, homogeneous, and isotropic three-dimensional turbulent fluid with an initial energy spectrum that develops a cascade of kinetic energy to large wave numbers. The results are compared with those from a recently studied set of power-law initial energy spectra [C. Kalelkar and R. Pandit, Phys. Rev. E 69, 046304 (2004)] which do not exhibit such a cascade. Differences are exhibited in plots of vorticity isosurfaces, the temporal evolution of the kinetic energy-dissipation rate, and the rates of production of the mean enstrophy along the principal axes of the strain-rate tensor. A crossover between "non-cascade-type" and "cascade-type" behavior is shown numerically for a specific set of initial energy spectra.

Observation of a power-law memory kernel for fluctuations within a single protein molecule

The fluctuation of the distance between a fluorescein-tyrosine pair within a single protein complex was directly monitored in real time by photoinduced electron transfer and found to be a stationary, time-reversible, and non-Markovian Gaussian process. Within the generalized Langevin equation formalism, we experimentally determine the memory kernel K(t), which is proportional to the autocorrelation function of the random fluctuating force. K(t) is a power-law decay, t(-0.51 +/- 0.07) in a broad range of time scales (10(-3)-10 s). Such a long-time memory effect could have implications for protein functions.

Influence lines for bending under a ring load of a free shell, a shell embedded in a soft medium and a shell containing a soft core

Theoretical expressions for stresses and displacements have been derived for bending under a ring load of a free shell, a shell embedded in a soft medium, and a shell containing a soft core. Numerical work has been done for typical cases with an Elliot 803 Digital Computer and influence lines are drawn therefrom.

Ion Transport in a Polymer-Plastic Solid Soft Matter Electrolyte in the Light of Solvent Dynamics and Ion Association

Ion transport in a recently demonstrated promising soft matter solid plastic-polymer electrolyte is discussed here in the context of solvent dynamics and ion association. The plastic-polymer composite electrolytes display liquid-like ionic conductivity in the solid state,compliable mechanical strength (similar to 1 MPa), and wide electrochemical voltage stability (>= 5 V). Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) dispersed in lithium perchlorate (LiClO4)-succinonitrile (SN) was chosen as the model system for the study (abbreviated LiClO4-SN:PAN). Systematic observation of various mid-infrared isomer and ion association bands as a function of temperature and polyme concentration shows an effective increase in trans conformer concentration along with free Li+ ion concentration. This strongly supports the view that enhancement in LiClO4-SN:PAN ionic conductivity over the neat plastic electrolyte (LiClO4-SN) is due to both increase in charge mobility and concentration. The ionic conductivity and infrared spectroscopy studies are supported by Brillouin light scattering. For the LiClO4-SN:PAN composites, a peak at 17 GHz was observed in addition to the normal trans-gauche isomerism (as in neat SN) at 12 GHz. The fast process is attributed to increased dynamics of those SN molecules whose energy barrier of transition from gauche to trans has reduced under influences induced by the changes in temperature and polymer concentration. The observations from ionic conductivity, spectroscopy, and light scattering studies were further supplemented by temperature dependent nuclear magnetic resonance H-1 and Li-7 line width measurements.

Ring loading of a long, thin, circular cylindrical shell enclosing a soft, solid core: A recalculation by the love function method of elasticity.

The problem is solved using the Love function and Flügge shell theory. Numerical work has been done with a computer for various values of shell geometry parameters and elastic constants.

Exclusion of an Exotic Top Quark with -4/3 Electric Charge Using Soft Lepton Tagging

We present a measurement of the electric charge of the top quark using $\ppbar$ collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.7~fb$^{-1}$ at the CDF II detector. We reconstruct $\ttbar$ events in the lepton+jets final state and use kinematic information to determine which $b$-jet is associated with the leptonically- or hadronically-decaying $t$-quark. Soft lepton taggers are used to determine the $b$-jet flavor. Along with the charge of the $W$ boson decay lepton, this information permits the reconstruction of the top quark's electric charge. Out of 45 reconstructed events with $2.4\pm0.8$ expected background events, 29 are reconstructed as $\ttbar$ with the standard model $+$2/3 charge, whereas 16 are reconstructed as $\ttbar$ with an exotic $-4/3$ charge. This is consistent with the standard model and excludes the exotic scenario at 95\% confidence level. This is the strongest exclusion of the exotic charge scenario and the first to use soft leptons for this purpose.