We construct a family of fibred threefolds $X_m \to (S , \Delta )$ such that $X_m$ has no étale cover that dominates a variety of general type but it dominates the orbifold $(S,\Delta )$ of general type. Following Campana, the threefolds $X_m$ are called weakly special but not special. The Weak Specialness Conjecture predicts that a weakly special variety defined over a number field has a potentially dense set of rational points. We prove that if m is big enough, the threefolds $X_m$ present behaviours that contradict the function field and analytic analogue of the Weak Specialness Conjecture. We prove our results by adapting the recent method of Ru and Vojta. We also formulate some generalisations of known conjectures on exceptional loci that fit into Campana’s program and prove some cases over function fields.

Let $\mathbf{k}$ be an algebraically closed field complete with respect to a non-Archimedean absolute value of arbitrary characteristic. Let ${{D}_{1}},...,\,{{D}_{n}}$ be effective nef divisors intersecting transversally in an $n$ -dimensional nonsingular projective variety $X$ . We study the degeneracy of non-Archimedean analytic maps from $\mathbf{k}$ into $X\,\backslash \,\cup _{i=1}^{n}\,{{D}_{i}}$ under various geometric conditions. When $X$ is a rational ruled surface and ${{D}_{1}}$ and ${{D}_{2}}$ are ample, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition such that there is no non-Archimedean analytic map from $\mathbf{k}$ into $X\,\backslash \,{{D}_{1}}\,\cup \,{{D}_{2}}$ . Using the dictionary between non-Archimedean Nevanlinna theory and Diophantine approximation that originated in earlier work with T. T. H. An, we also study arithmetic analogues of these problems, establishing results on integral points on these varieties over $\mathbb{Z}$ or the ring of integers of an imaginary quadratic field.

Engineering of a novel heterostructured oxide interface was used to enhance the oxygen surface exchange kinetics of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF113) thin films. A single-layer decoration of mixed (LaSr)2CoO4±δ (LSC214) and La1−x Sr x CoO3−δ (LSC113) and a double-layer decoration of stacked LSC214 and LSC113 grown on the LSCF113 markedly enhanced the surface exchange coefficients of the LSCF113 by up to ~1.5 orders of magnitude relative to the undecorated LSCF113. It is hypothesized that two different types of surface decorations can enable Sr segregation at the interface and surfaces of LSC113 and LSC214, leading to enhancement of the oxygen surface exchange kinetics of decorated LSCF113.

III-V compounds such as InGaAs, InAs, InSb have great potential for future low power high speed devices (such as MOSFETs, QWFETs, TFETs and NWFETs) application due to their high carrier mobility and drift velocity. The development of good quality high k gate oxide as well as high k/III-V interfaces is prerequisite to realize high performance working devices. Besides, the downscaling of the gate oxide into sub-nanometer while maintaining appropriate low gate leakage current is also needed. The lack of high quality III-V native oxides has obstructed the development of implementing III-V based devices on Si template. In this presentation, we will discuss our efforts to improve high k/III-V interfaces as well as high k oxide quality by using chemical cleaning methods including chemical solutions, precursors and high temperature gas treatments. The electrical properties of high k/InSb, InGaAs, InSb structures and their dependence on the thermal processes are also discussed. Finally, we will present the downscaling of the gate oxide into sub-nanometer scale while maintaining low leakage current and a good high k/III-V interface quality.

The theoretical framework of this study is based on the prevalent debate of whether prosodic processing is influenced by higher level linguistic-specific circuits or reflects lower level encoding of physical properties. Using the dichotic listening technique, the study investigates the hemispheric processing of Japanese pitch accent by native Japanese listeners and two groups of nonnative listeners with no prior pitch accent experience but differing in their native language experience with linguistic pitch: native listeners of Mandarin (a tone language with higher linguistic functional use of pitch) and native listeners of English (a stress language with lower functional use of pitch). The overall results reveal that, for both native and nonnative listeners, the processing of Japanese pitch accent is less lateralized (compared to lexical tone processing, which has been found to be a left hemisphere property). However, detailed analysis with individual pitch accents across groups shows a right hemisphere preference for processing the high–accent–low (H*L) pattern, a left hemisphere preference for LH*, and no hemisphere dominance for LH, indicating a significant reliance on the acoustic cues. These patterns are particularly prominent with the English listeners who are least experienced with linguistic pitch. Together, the findings suggest an interplay of linguistic and acoustic aspects in the processing of Japanese pitch accent by native and nonnative listeners.

This study aimed to evaluate the hypocholesterolaemic property of milk-kefir and soyamilk-kefir. Male hamsters were fed on a cholesterol-free or cholesterol-enriched diet containing 10% skimmed milk, milk-kefir, soyamilk or soyamilk-kefir for a period of 8 weeks. The soyamilk, milk-kefir and soyamilk-kefir diets all tended towards a lowering of serum triacylglycerol and total cholesterol concentrations, and a reduction of cholesterol accumulation in the liver, the decrease in serum cholesterol concentration being mainly in the non-HDL fraction. The soyamilk-kefir diet led to a significant increase in the faecal excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids compared with the other two diets. The soyamilk-kefir diet also elicited a significant decrease in the serum ratio of non-HDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol, compared with the control, than was the case for the other diets. These findings demonstrate that soyamilk-kefir may be considered to be among the more promising food components in terms of preventing CVD through its hypocholesterolaemic action.

A new series of anionic photoacid generators (PAGs), and corresponding polymers were prepared. The thermostability of PAG bound polymers was superior to PAG blend polymers. PAG incorporated into the polymer main chain may improve acid diffusion compared with the PAG blend polymers, which was demonstrated by Extreme Ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) results: the fluorine PAG bound polymer resist gave 45 nm (1:1), 35 nm (1:2), 30 nm (1:3) and 20 nm (1:4) Line/Space as well as 50 nm (1:1) elbow patterned, showed better resolution than the blend sample.

This paper describes the results of an investigation of modified synthetic protocols to produce monodispersed magnetic ferrite nanoparticles, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, and their magnetic properties. The synthesis involved thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors followed by oxidation or reduction. In the synthesis of γ-Fe2O3, iron pentacarbonyl was used as the precursor and trimethylamine oxide as the oxidant. In the synthesis of Fe3O4, iron (III) acetylacetonate was reduced by 1, 2-hexadecanediol. The particle sizes ranged from 5–15 nm with high monodispersity. Results from TEM, XPS, and SQUID characterizations of these iron oxide nanoparticles are discussed.

Nanosized lithium manganate powders are successfully synthesized via a newly developed reverse-microemulsion (RμE) process. Monophasic LiMn2O4 powders are obtained after calcining the precursor powders at 700°C. The particle size of the spinel compound significantly depends on the concentration of the aqueous phase. Increasing the water-to-oil volume ratio results in an increase in the particle size. While the aqueous phase is equal to 0.5 M, the size of the obtained LiMn2O4 powder is around 60-70 nm. It is found that the specific capacity of nanosized LiMn2O4 particles is greater than that of submicron particles. The large surface area of ultrafine particles is considered to facilitate the intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions during the cycling test.