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- CEI Senior Fellow Chris Horner's new book, The Liberal War on Transparency: Confessions of a Freedom of Information "Criminal", will be published October 2. Click here to purchase a copy.
- Last Friday, September 21, the Cooler Heads Coalition hosted a Capitol Hill briefing on "The Costs and Benefits of Green Jobs," featuring Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of a new book, Regulating to Disaster: How Green Jobs Policies Are Damaging America's Economy. Click here to watch video of the briefing.
- CEI Director of the Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell will participate on a panel, titled "No More Solyndras: How the Big Green Agenda Stands in the Way of Energy Independence," at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Denver, Colorado on October 4. Click here for more information.
In the News
New Book Claims Officials Use Private Emails To Skirt FOIA Laws
Mark Tapscott, Washington Examiner, 28 September 2012
Challenging Bill McKibben: The Environmental Case for Fossil Fuels
Alex Epstein, Master Resource, 28 September 2012
Matt's Damon's Anti-Fracking Movie Financed by OPEC Member
Lachlan Markay, Scribe, 28 September 2012
Matt Damon's Troubled Anti-Frack Film
Phelim McAleer, New York Post, 26 September 2012
Cloud Computing: Friend or Foe of Kyotoism?
Marlo Lewis, GlobalWarming.org, 25 September 2012
NASA's Rubber Ruler
Randall Hoven, American Thinker, 25 September 2012
Record Polar Bear Hunt in Alaska
Greg Pollowitz, Planet Gore, 24 September 2012
Where Are the Solar Panels, Mr. President?
Carrie Halperin, ABC News, 23 September 2012
Stimulus-Funded Green Energy Program Falls Way Short in California
David Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 September 2012
News You Can Use
Terrible Week for Electric Vehicles
Events this week cast significant doubt on the viability of President Barack Obama's big bet on electric vehicles.
- Tesla Motors had to renegotiate the terms of its Energy Department loan, due to a cash crunch.
- Consumer Reports reviewed the $107,000 Fisker Karma, and found that it is "full of flaws." Like Tesla, Fisker also received loan backed by the stimulus, but the Energy Department cut off its line of credit months ago.
- Smith Electric Vehicles, a recipient of $32 million in stimulus grants, cancelled an initial public offering, in what financial analysts are calling "an astonishing disaster."
- Toyota announced that it has killed plans for a widespread launch of its second all-electric car, the eQ. The company said that the decision was made because, "The current capabilities of electric vehicle do not meet society's needs."
Inside the Beltway
Myron Ebell
Politico: "Browner: Obama has big plans for second term"
For environmentalists who have not gotten everything they dreamed of in President Barack Obama's first term, Carol Browner had re-assuring words during a campaign conference call on Thursday evening, 27th September. According to an article by Alex Guillen in PoliticoPro (subscription required), Browner said that Obama has big plans for a second term on environmental, climate, and energy issues.
According to the article, Browner said, "I can tell you, having spent two years in the White House with the president, that this is not a fad. The president believes deeply in these issues. At every turn he has looked at what are the tools available to him to really help build a clean energy future for this country and has been committed throughout his first four years in office, and there's no doubt in my mind this will be a big part of his to-do list and he will remain committed in the next four years."
Browner, who was a prominent member of Socialist International, served as White House climate and energy czar in the first two years of the Obama Administration and as EPA Administrator for the full eight years of the Clinton Administration. She is now a senior fellow at the so-called Center for American Progress, a non-profit group that serves as a megaphone for Democratic Party and administration policies. CAP's roughly $25 million annual budget funds the hilarious web site Climate Progress as well as a communications staff of 46.
House Conservatives Draw a Line on Wind Tax Credit
Forty-seven Republican Members of the House of Representatives sent a joint letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) this week announcing that they oppose including a provision to renew the wind production tax credit for another year in any broader legislation. The letter concludes, "We believe that the Solyndra scandal has demonstrated that it is time for the federal government to stop picking winners and losers in the energy marketplace. Twenty years of subsidizing wind is more than enough. Our nation can simply no longer afford to pick winners and losers in the energy marketplace. The PTC should expire at the end of the year under current law."
Wind installations completed before the credit expires at the end of this year will still receive the 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour subsidy for ten years. The one-year extension voted out by the Senate Finance Committee in early August would actually expand the program by allowing wind investors to claim an immediate 30% investment credit instead of having to wait ten years for a full payout and by allowing projects started (but not finished) next year to qualify. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Senate version will cost $12 billion over ten years.
The joint letter was organized by freshman Representative Mike Pompeo (R-Ks.), who has led the effort against all energy subsidies and mandates in this Congress, including the T. Boone Pickens Payoff Plan to subsidize natural gas trucks and filling stations. Crony capitalists have hit back with numerous ads attacking him in his Wichita-centered district.
Support for the wind and solar tax credits is pretty uniform among Democratic Members of Congress. Among Republicans, it tends to split along State lines. Republican Members representing the 29 States with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for electric utilities tend to support the tax credits because the subsidies lower the cost of renewable electricity. Republican Members representing States without renewable requirements generally oppose the credits because taxpayers from their States are subsidizing the use of renewable energy in other States. Here's a map that shows the various state renewable requirements.
There are notable exceptions, however. For example, Kansas has a 20% RPS by 2020. Kansas's Republican Governor Sam Brownback and Republican Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran support extending the wind PTC, while Kansas Republican Representatives Pompeo and Tim Huelskamp actively oppose it.
Similarly in Colorado, which has a 30% by 2020 RPS, Rep. Doug Lamborn recently wrote an op-ed titled "Why the wind energy tax credit must go," while freshmen Republican Reps. Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton signed a joint letter in June, along with fourteen other Republican freshmen, supporting an extension.
Gardner and Tipton are both members of the conservative House Republican Study Committee and enjoyed significant Tea Party support when they ran for Congress in 2010. Members like Gardner and Tipton oppose crony capitalism in principle, but not in practice when their own crony capitalists are the target.
The wind PTC has become a prominent minor issue in the presidential campaign. President Barack Obama has repeatedly attacked Republican nominee Mitt Romney in Iowa and Colorado for opposing its extension. Vestas, the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, announced this week that they think the U. S. market for wind turbines will shrink by 95% if the credit is not renewed. This is curious since 29 States still have RPS requirements that must be met in the next decade.
Senate Passes Bill to Prevent EU from Imposing Carbon Tax on U.S. Airlines
Before leaving town on Saturday, 22nd September, the Senate passed by voice vote a bill sponsored by Senator John Thune (R-SD) that gives the Secretary of Transportation authority to prevent U. S. airlines from complying with a European Union law that requires airlines to pay for their carbon dioxide emissions by participating in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme. The House passed a similar bill earlier this year. It is expected that the House will pass the Senate version when it comes back for a lame duck session after the election and send it to President Obama for his signature. The legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support in both chambers.
Drumbeat Continues for Carbon Tax
The drums continue to beat for a carbon tax. Last week, the Congressional Research Service released a report that ties adoption of a carbon tax to deficit reduction. The study says that a carbon tax starting at $20 per metric ton of carbon dioxide-equivalent could raise $88 billion in its first year and $154 billion by 2021 if the tax was increased automatically by 5% each year.
Across the States
William Yeatman
California Governor Signs 19 Renewable Energy Bills
California Governor Jerry Brown yesterday signed into law 19 bills to promote renewable energy. The legislation is largely symbolic. Still, the Golden State has a $16 billion deficit, and it already has the most pro-green policies of any State in the country, by a long shot. Don't the State's policymakers have more pressing concerns than renewable energy puffery?
EPA Appeals Appalachian Coal Rulings
The Obama administration today appealed a decision by federal judge Reggie Walton to vacate EPA Clean Water Act regulations that had effectively outlawed new surface coal mining in Appalachia. The regulations, which were issued in June 2011, set first-ever standards for saline effluent from surface coal mines in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. The regulatory justification for the regulations was to protect a short-lived insect, which isn't an endangered species. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson conceded that the salinity standards were set at a level that is impossible to meet. After the regulations were promulgated, West Virginia, Kentucky, and the National Mining Association (among others) sued EPA in the federal court for the District of Columbia, alleging that the Agency violated administrative law by imposing the regulation without affording the States and industry their rightful voice in the regulatory process. In July, Judge Walton sided with the plaintiffs, and the rule was vacated.
Around the World
Brian McGraw
Slowdown in China Hurting U.S. Coal Exports
The slowdown of economic growth in China has hit the U.S. coal industry hard over the past few months, particularly in Appalachia, as the Wall Street Journal reports. Surging Chinese demand for metallurgical coal, used in steelmaking, provided much needed support for the domestic coal industry amidst declining demand for thermal coal, more commonly used in power plants. Metallurgical coal is currently selling for $170 per metric ton, down almost 50 percent from its 2011 peak of $330 per metric ton.
Numerous domestic coal companies have announced layoffs this year, and Patriot Coal declared bankruptcy. While the downturn in Chinese demand for coal is largely out of our control, much of the blame for losses in the domestic coal industry rests at the feet of the Obama Administration. Though historically low natural gas prices have also played a role, the Obama Administration has issued costly regulations directed at the coal industry, contributing to the planned shutdown of more than 200 coal fired power plants in the next three to five years.
The Cooler Heads Digest is the weekly e-mail publication of the Cooler Heads Coalition. For the latest news and commentary, check out the Coalition's website, www.GlobalWarming.org.


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Tokyo Five Jeans To Sponsor TUF 9 Finalists Andre Winner And Ross Pearson
New York, NY (Oct 20, 2009) - Charles Jebara, President of Tokyo Five Jeans announced today that the Company will sponsor TUF 9 Finalists Andre Winner and Ross Pearson for UFC 105 in Manchester, UK. Tokyo Five will be Winner's and Pearson's exclusive apparel sponsor.
"Andre and Ross proved that they are champions on TUF 9, sponsoring them was an easy decision," said Jebara, "Ross and Andre exemplify the five principles of Bushido philosophy that our Brand is built upon; Bravery, Respect, Honor, Loyalty, and Wisdom. "We are thrilled to support these two gifted athletes and look forward to working closely with them as they continue their careers in MMA"
"I'm excited to be working with Charlie and the Tokyo Five Team, finally I actually want to want to wear my sponsors gear," said Pearson.
Additionally, Tokyo 5 are supporting the UK's #1 unsigned welterweight 'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead at Knuckleup on Nov 1st when he faces UFC TUF 9 contestant Che Mills.
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I should add this was the 425th not the 452nd.
This was the "Belle of the Brawl" of the 425th. My grandfather Gordon MacLeod was left off this flight to allow for more supplies to be packed in for the trip.
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anyone who knows my husband would never put tubby in the same sentence with him. almost six feet tall and maybe 130 pounds sopping wet. so when i wanted to join the gym he was all for it. wanted to bulk up. well, his 3 months were over a week or two ago and went in for his followup measurements. the lady was amazed. heck. she was amazed that he was so skinny to begin with.
nicholas went from 5.4% body fat to 9.9%. he gained almost 25 pounds: 7 of them pure fat. {must be nice to have to try and gain weight. it's okay if you hate him. honest, i get jealous!} the boy gained 3 inches in his chest, 2 in the shoulders, 3 in the hips. insane.
during his process i would tell him he was getting bigger. chest, arms, face! he didn't believe me. but had this crazy look of shock anytime some other relative would make a comment. like did shan tell you to say that?
but once he got the numbers he was so proud. can you blame him? just imagine if i could get myself to do so well in the weight loss department. sigh.
so now the problem is he doesn't have clothes that fit him! no underwear, no jeans, no dress clothes! bad times since we have an out of state wedding to attend next weekend! i have convinced him to go shopping with me to the outlet and maybe i can finagle some new clothes for myself!
i doubt he reads this... but i'll say it here any way. babe, i'm so proud of you. now just don't turn into some crazy obsessed weight lifter guy. you know. the one who checks out his biceps in the mirror when he brushes his teeth. oh wait, you do do that! :)
Around the World Blog Hop - Thoughtful Branches
11 months ago


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De Mevius, Dabrowski Move Ahead in UAE Desert Challenge McRae, Kleinschmidt, Coma find disaster in the Empty Quarter Moreeb Hill, Liwa, UAE, October 12, 2004: Belgium's Gregoire DeMevius and Poland's Marek Dabrowski swept into the lead in ...
De Mevius, Dabrowski Move Ahead in UAE Desert Challenge
McRae, Kleinschmidt, Coma find disaster in the Empty Quarter
Moreeb Hill, Liwa, UAE, October 12, 2004: Belgium's Gregoire DeMevius and Poland's Marek Dabrowski swept into the lead in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge today (Tuesday) as a spectacular and thoroughly demanding second special stage claimed a number of casualties, including former World Rally Champion Colin McRae.
DeMevius powered his Nissan Pick-up almost eight minutes ahead of the UAE's overnight leader, Khalifa Al Mataiwie, whose second position in a BMW X5, five minutes clear of former World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen of Finland in a Volkswagen Touareg, kept him well on course for the drivers' title in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.
Dabrowski meanwhile took his KTM into a lead of 3mins 21 secs from Spain's Isidre Esteve in the bikes battle while Norway's Pål Anders Ullevålseter climbed from fifth overnight to third as he moved closer to the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship title.
On a day when giant dunes, soft sand and scorching temperatures in the Empty Quarter combined to make this a severe desert challenge, the two men to suffer most were McRae, who found disaster in his Nissan Pick-Up, and overnight bikes leader Marc Coma of Spain.
After initially setting a fierce pace which saw him overtake his Nissan team-mate DeMevius, McRae came to a grinding halt in the dunes with suspected engine problems. He was unable to re-start the car and with time ticking away was in danger of going out of the event.
Coma was in no mood to discuss the problems which cost him around two hours when he eventually finished the stage, and rode his KTM straight back to the Moreeb Hill bivouac, near the Liwa oasis, with his chances of victory shattered.
The start had been delayed for almost two hours by early morning fog, and as a result the organisers reduced the length of the stage by over 50kms.
Top German lady driver Jutta Kleinschmidt, fifth overnight in the cars standings, also plummeted out of contention when her Volkswagen Touareg broke its steering rack 50km into the stage. She was forced to return to the bivouac for repairs to allow her to start the third stage with huge time penalties tomorrow, a similar fate to that suffered by defending champion Stephen Peterhansel on the previous day. Having a better day for Volkswagen was Kankkunen, who climbed one place to third, just ahead of the Mitsubishi Pajero Montero of Japan's Hiroshi Masuoka who set the fastest time on the day.
DeMevius reached the end of the stage to say:"Yesterday I was very, very happy, today I just feel good. The sand was very soft, at the upper limits for driving. The big dunes made it very difficult." Al Mutaiwie said: "With the world title in sight every noise from the engine sounds ten times worse than normal. It was really hard, especially in the big dunes. I pushed hard only in the dunes so I wouldn't get stuck."
Making his debut in the event, like McRae, Kankkunen said: "It was a very difficult stage because of the big climbs and the big drops. Today I wouldn't have liked to be on a bike. I have never competed in such heat even in the Safari Rally. This is a great, great test for the Dakar Rally."
Homing in on the world bikes title, Ullevålseter admitted: "It's a case of consolidation for me. I don't want to push and crash. The sand is much softer than usual and it was certainly the right decision to cut the stage short."
<pre> Provisonal leading positions after 2nd special stage:
Auto 1. Gregoire De Mevius, Jacky Dubois (BE/F) Nissan Pick Up T2 6:49:23 2. Khalifa Al Mutaiwei, Alain Guehennec (UAE /F) BMW T2 6:57:20 3. Juha Kankkunen, Juha Repo (FIN) Volkswagen T2r 7:02:33 4. Hiroshi Masuoka, Andreas Schulz (J) Mitsubishi Evolution T2 7:02:49 5. Andrea Mayer, Henri Magne (D/F) /F Mitsubishi Pajero T2r 7:55:07 6. Ahmed Bin Suqat, Jassim Ben Gharib (UAE) Cheverolet Pick Up T2 8:11:55 7. Mark Powell, Tim Ansell (GB) Land Rover T2 8:20:00 8. Naglis Janis, Innus Aleksandrs (LV) Mitsubishi Pajero T2r 8:21:01 9. Sergey Shmakov, Sergey Mishin (RU) Honda Buggy T2 9:23:00
Moto 1. Marek Dabrowski (PO) KTM 660 Rallyr 7:27:06 2. Isidre Esteve (ES) KTM 660 Rally 7:30:27 3. Pal Anders Ullevalseter (NO) KTM 660 Rallyr 7:40:37 4. David McBride (GB) KTM EXC 7:43:02 5. Jacek Czachor (PO) KTM 660 Rallyr 7:46:23 6. Tim Trenker (D) KTM Rally 7:52:06 7. Sean Linton (GB) KTM 660 Rally 7:58:32 8. Steven Blackney (GB) KTM 660 Rallyr 8:05:19


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Notice: On April 23, 2014, Statalist moved from an email list to a forum, based at statalist.org.
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st: Issue with hazard function generated by sts graph
Masashi Miyairi <firstname.lastname@example.com>
st: Issue with hazard function generated by sts graph
Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:30:28 -0500
Hi everyone,
I see something strange when plotting hazard rates by "sts graph, hazard". For example, when I apply the command to a set of simulated exponential random variables, I get a graph that has a upward sloping part in the very beginning. In theory, this shouldn't be the case because exponential random variables have constant hazards, so the graph shouldn't have a increasing pattern. I am wondering if this issue has been documented, or I am missing something using this command. The following is the code that generates my puzzle.
set obs 5000
* Generate exponential random variables
gen dur = -5*log( uniform() )
* Plot the hazard rates
stset dur
sts graph, hazard tmax(20)
Thank you,
Masashi Miyairi
Department of Economics
University of Western Ontario


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Hilary Duff Accidentally Flashes Bra in See-Through Shirt (PHOTOS)
Hilary Duff wasn't in a shy mood when she stepped out in Hollywood while wearing a super-sheer floral shirt and lacy black bra.
The former Disney star was spotted picking up a gift at a novelty store on Thursday, March 17. The newly-married actress paired her sheer top with a gray cardigan, black jeans and a studded Alexander Wang handbag – a favorite amongst celebs everywhere.
Check out more photos of Hilary showing off her sexy side and be sure to visit her Celebuzz fan page for all things Hilary!


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HUTTONS Ambo artist Sue Kershaw is turning green-fingered for her Hundreds And Thousands mosaic exhibition at the Dutch House arts and crafts centre, café and ecological sculpture garden at Crayke, near Easingwold.
"I wanted to make the collection relevant to what the Dutch House is all about: connecting with nature in its sustainable garden, which also inspired me to create a wildlife-friendly garden at home," says Sue.
"I've included archetypal animals such as The Hare And The Moon and The Fox And Grapes, and as the Dutch House is a family-friendly feel-good place, I wanted to capture this spirit in my mosaics of angels and Earth Mother."
Sue makes her intricate, hand-cut mosaics mostly in glass and porcelain.
"But I'm always on the look-out for interesting, found objects to make the piece extra special and unique," she says.
"I've included recycled materials wherever possible, such as seashore glass from Palermo, pebbles from the River Humber, slate from Cornwall and the shards of clay teacups gathered from the River Ganges at Varanasi in India.
"Each piece is made up of hundreds and thousands of pieces of material and the choice of what you can use is endless. That's what makes them so much fun and individual – and if you want to learn how to do it, I run regular workshops at the Dutch House."
Sue's next workshop, Mosaic A Glass Vase, will be held tomorrow, followed by Mosaic A Glass Lamp on October 13, both from 10am and 4pm. Places can be booked at dutchhouseyorkshire.com/mosaicworkshops
Sue has exhibited previously at Leeds City Gallery, the Ferens Gallery in Hull, University of York and York & Scarborough Hospital and her commissions have included a mosaic Larkin25 toad in Hull in honour of poet Philip Larkin, an NHS hospital mosaic fountain and a Hope wall mosaic for Macmillan Cancer Support Sue's mosaics can be seen at the Dutch House, Mill Green Farm, Crayke, until December 28.
Admission is free and opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, until October 31; Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, November to March.


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Russell Hicks, a 14-year Nickelodeon veteran and its chief creative officer since 2008, has been named to the new position of president of content development and production for the Nickelodeon Group.Read More
Russell Hicks, a 14-year Nickelodeon veteran and its chief creative officer since 2008, has been named to the new position of president of content development and production for the Nickelodeon Group.Read More
Comedic character actor Steve Franken, who portrayed braggart rich kid Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. in the 1959-63 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 80.Read More
New York-based animation distributor GKids announced Tuesday that it plans to give runs to four films in order to qualify them for this year's Oscars.
Three of the four are French features: Zarafa (Pathe), Le Chat du Rabbin (The Rabbi's Cat) (TF1) and Le Tableau (The Painting) (Rezo). The fourth is Kokurikozaka Kara (From Up on Poppy Hill), from Japan's Studio Ghibli.Read More
The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced Monday its "Call for Entries" for the 40th Annual Annie Awards.
Submissions will be accepted beginning September 3.Read More
The 10th anniversary celebration of Sony Pictures Animation continues with a five-week series of special screenings featuring SPA's technically competent but prosaic collection of animated and hybrid films, as well as reunions with filmmakers participating in Q & As following each screening, rare footage/materials from the SPA archives, and giveaways.
The series, which will culminate with an exclusive screening of the highly-anticipated comedy Hotel Transylvania, in theaters September 28, was announced Monday by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, and SPA president of production Michelle Raimo-Kouyate.Read More
With Disney's announcement for a November 13, 2012 Blu-ray release of the Pixar hit Brave, also comes the news of a new short based in the new Brave world. Extras on the release will include a new short called, The Legend of Mor'du as well as 2001's theatrically released La Luna (which was shown before Brave in it's theatrical release).Read More
Read More
Animator and director Kenneth David "Ken" Walker, whose work for Disney included such memorable films as Alice in Wonderland and Fantasia, died August 18 in Laguna Hills, California. He was 91.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday the juried winners for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of Individual Achievement in Animation.Read More
Universal Pictures' "Untitled Minions Project," a spin-off from the blockbuster movie Despicable Me, will be released December 19, 2014, the studio announced Tuesday night.Read More


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Atomic force and high resolution scanning tunneling analyses were carried out on nanostructured WO3 films. It turned out that the band gap measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy at surface is lower than the band gap reported in the literature. This effect is attributed to the high density of surface states in this material, which allows tunneling into these states. Such a high density of surface states pins the Fermi level resulting in modest surface activity at room temperature. Photo activation of WO3 results in unpinning of the Fermi level and thereby in higher chemical activity at surface.
WO3 is a widely studied material owing to its established photochromic and electrochromic properties [
In addition, it has been recently demonstrated that WO3 exhibits sensitivity to environmental changes when stimulated by light [
We adapted the mentioned model to provide an interpretation of WO3 photo-activation. It turned out that photo-activation plays the same role as size reduction in the case of TiO2, i.e., it controls the switch from pinning to unpinning of the Fermi level and, in turn, determines a change in the chemoresistive properties of WO3.
When dealing with semiconductor-gas interfaces, an insight into the fundamental mechanisms of barrier formation at gas-semiconductor interfaces is needed. The surface barrier,
According to Bardeen's theory [
If the density of states is high enough, any variation of
When the density of states decreases, only
Tungsten oxide thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron radio frequency sputtering. The deposition has been performed starting from a metallic target with certified purity at 99.99% in an oxidizing atmosphere with 50% argon and 50% oxygen at a working pressure of 8×10-3 mbar. During the deposition the substrate is maintained at 300°C to favor the formation of a stable layer and, after the deposition, the deposited layer underwent an annealing cycle at 450°C for 12 hours to guarantee the stability of the films during the operation over a wide range of temperatures. Annealing was performed in a furnace under controlled flux of humid synthetic air. WO3 tends to suffer from exaggerated coalescence on annealing, therefore a moderately low annealing temperature was imparted. Temperature was measured by a thermocouple placed on the internal wall of the furnace. For the electrical characterization, the films were deposited onto 3×3 mm2 wide 250 μm thick Al2O3 substrates equipped with a Pt meander heater on the backside; Pt interdigitated contacts were sputtered onto the thin-film side for electrical measurements.
Conductance measurements were performed by the flow-through technique as a function of the temperature and gaseous environment with a 0.3 l/min flow of humid synthetic air (RH 30%). The gas test measurements were performed both with photo-activation and in dark conditions. In the first case, the films were exposed to an UV Hg-Xe lamp (Hamamatsu SuperQuiet Mercury Xenon lamp) coupled with a fiber (see
The scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and STS investigations, as well as the high resolution contact AFM imaging were performed in ultra high vacuum (UHV) using an Omicron VT AFM-STM system (base pressure 10-11 mbar). The STM probe tips were fabricated by electrochemical etching of tungsten wire.
A SEM image of a WO3 film deposited via RF sputtering is shown in
STS curves were recorded simultaneously with the STM images at three different tip-sample separations, determined by tunneling current setpoints of 1nA, 0.1nA and 0.01nA. In this configuration, the tip stops scanning and the feedback loop is turned off before acquisition of a current versus sample bias curve (
Pinning of the Fermi level is effective as the density of surface states is high enough (
We used CO as a target gas, which is a reducing species of great importance for air-quality monitoring in urban areas. Carbon monoxide reacts with oxygen species chemisorbed on the semiconductor (O2-, O-, O2-) with a consequent increase in conductance; as an example, for O- a possible reaction is:
Concentrations of CO lower than or equal to 100 ppm were used for the experiment described in this work, which are in the range of interest for environmental application, aiming at a possible sensoristic use of the films. In
Following the literature, the response of the sensor toward a gas is defined as the normalized variation of conductance (
To clarify this behavior, we report in
The experimental evidences can be interpreted in terms of pinning and unpinning of Fermi level: at relatively low temperature the large amount of charged surface states pins the Fermi level, thus determining nearly a zero band gap and poor response to environmental changes. The increase in the response while illuminating is due to light-induced unpinning.
At higher temperatures, thermal effects control the response to CO. Here, any further stimulation by light causes negligible effect.
Morphological and electrical characterizations have been carried out for WO3 sputtered thin films. The band gap in the bulk resulted sensibly larger than the band gap at surface. The narrowing of the surface band gap is attributed to a high density of surface states, such as chemisorbed O2-, from which tunneling current originates in the forbidden region as revealed by STS. Surface states pin the Fermi level at low temperature; illumination with UV radiation promotes unpinning of the Fermi level and increases the response to environmental changes. This investigation also highlights great potential for sensing CO via photo-assisted reactions. Therefore, the need for operation at relatively high temperatures, which is a well documented disadvantage of metal oxide based gas sensors, can be circumvented.
We gratefully acknowledge the European Union for funding the NANOS4, INFM PON SVISENARIA and INFN DEGIMON projects.
Experimental apparatus for photo-activation measurements.
a) SEM image of WO3 deposited via RF sputtering. b) AFM image of the same sample.
a) High resolution 1000×1000nm2 contact AFM image acquired at a force setpoint of 20nN. The grey scale corresponds to a z-range of 140nm. b) 3D 250×250nm2 constant current STM image acquired at a tip voltage of 3V and tunneling current setpoint of 0.6nA.
Particle size distribution extracted from STM images.
a) current versus sample bias curves acquired at three tip-sample separations. b) semi log plot of the three
Dynamical response to a square pulse of 100 ppm of CO. Current rises up due to redox reactions at surface. The characteristic response time of a layer is visible.
Response with light (15 mW/mm2) and in dark conditions as a function of CO concentration and sensitivity,
Ratio between the response (ΔG/G) toward 100 ppm of CO with light activation (RL) and in dark conditions (RD) as a function of the operating temperature and with different UV incident power. The best conditions for an increase in performance of the sensor are 100°C as operating temperature and 15 mW/mm2 as incident UV power on the sensor.


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Hasn't anyone noticed that Linus Torvalds' new kernel code repository project is trying to steal the name of this project?
I've used git numerous times, and prefer to keep it available wherever I go. What's going to happen if somebody steals the name?
An open, cross-platform journaling program.
A scientific plotting package.


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HL20: Michael Graves—Patient Experience From the Patient's Experience
In our annual HealthLeaders 20, we profile individuals who are changing healthcare for the better. Some are longtime industry fixtures; others would clearly be considered outsiders. Some are revered; others would not win many popularity contests. All of them are playing a crucial role in making the healthcare industry better. This is the story of Michael Graves.
This profile was published in the December, 2012 issue of HealthLeaders magazine.
"It is about design, but there's always a human being who is the client."
In 2003, celebrated architect and designer Michael Graves was suffering from what he and his doctor thought was a common sinus infection. Within 24 hours, Graves was paralyzed from the waist down. Though Graves still had the use of his hands, the life-altering change profoundly impacted him and his work. Just four years earlier, Graves was a National Medal of Arts recipient. In 1999, he also signed on as a partner with retailing giant Target, which launched him to the rare "starchitect" status. But, Graves' paralysis also meant there was a new set of discerning and design oriented eyes that would show the healthcare industry how to make products easier for patients, like him, to use.
"I was in eight hospitals and four rehab centers," Graves says. "It was like a bad dormitory. There was an old string to pull your light on, and it would break and you would have to call the nurse."
Moving around the numerous hospital and rehab rooms in a wheelchair revealed how simple tasks were disrupted because so much was out of reach, especially in and around the bathroom.
"The mirror was above your head—clearly meant for someone standing. You couldn't comb your hair or brush your teeth or shave because the faucets were out of reach" he says. "So, I determined that we would clear a place on our business plate and make room for healthcare along with our other endeavors."


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Choose Between Two Options
- $19 for a 60-minute group horseback riding lesson (a $40 value)
- $29 for a 60-minute private horseback riding lesson (a $60 value)<p>
The stables host programs for children ages 5 and up as well as adults. While instructors make every effort to hold classes when scheduled, classes may be rescheduled due to unsafe weather conditions, such as extreme heat, extreme cold, or lighting storms.
Sterling Shields Stables and Riding Academy
More than 17 acres of lush pasture skirt the facilities at Sterling Shields Stables and Riding Academy, a horseback riding school aimed at beginner to intermediate riders. The school's instructors place an emphasis on proper form, starting pupils out in the English saddle to learn balance and fundamentals. From there, students progress at their own pace in disciplines such as English riding, hunter/jumper, Western pleasure, and dressage.
Sterling Shields' facilities are carefully designed to ensure comfort year-round. During each lesson, parents can watch their child's progress on monitors in a viewing room that also doubles as a coffee bar. A warm, insulated barn keeps riders toasty as they prepare their mounts in winter. During the summer, the academy hosts horse camps for all levels of experience, during which participants attend daily lessons, learn proper horsemanship, and study the parts of a horse to gain a knowledge base for future veterinary careers and Jeopardy rounds.


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Jaguar E-type – Part 5 – Completely restored car
The finished Jaguar E-Type 1.5 in all it's glory – windows, upholstery and chrome trim top off this classic piece of English motoring heritage.
Jaguar E-Type – Part 4 – Engine and wiring loom
The fabulous Jaguar XK6 4.2ltr in-line 6 cylinder engine at home it's bay.
With the bonnet off the Jaguar E-Type is one of the easiest cars to work on in the engine bay.
Ferrari Daytona 71 – Part 3 – Ferrari Post-Restoration Suspension Fitting
Here you can see the suspension wishbones fitted to the Ferrari and then the steering linkage.
Front axle, shock absorber and vented brake disc fitted.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/6/2012 (1856 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
PITTSBURGH -- Kevin Cheveldayoff scowled at this week's raging speculation that the Winnipeg Jets are ready to unload one or two veteran assets this week at the NHL entry draft because contract negotiations are not going well.
Between meetings Thursday at the Winnipeg Jets' downtown hotel, the team's GM met with reporters to say that he had spoken to Allan Walsh, agent for restricted free-agent goalie Ondrej Pavelec, earlier in the day.
And Cheveldayoff said he had met with Craig Oster, agent for fellow RFA Evander Kane on Wednesday.
Cheveldayoff and Walsh are dancing around over term (three or four years) and money (likely somewhere between $12 million and $17) on a deal for the goalie, with the alleged threat hanging over their talks that Pavelec could bolt to the KHL next season.
Kane, based on some Internet speculation, is said not to want to come back to Winnipeg, but both Oster and Cheveldayoff have quietly torpedoed that notion.
"I met with Allan today and with Evander Kane's representatives yesterday and negotiations are ongoing for both those players," Cheveldayoff said. "Then there are other potential players in our organization on the UFA side (Tanner Glass, Kyle Wellwood, Tim Stapleton, Chris Mason, Randy Jones, Mark Flood) we're negotiating (with) as well."
In Kane's case, the two sides are just beginning the process, even though Kane could entertain an offer sheet as early as a week Sunday.
Cheveldayoff said simply he's being faithful to the process, when asked if he'd consider trading either RFA if talks went poorly.
"I'm always optimistic," the GM said. "Last year at this point in time I never had the opportunity to meet with RFA's representatives, so we've been able to get a jump on that. And things turned out pretty well last year.
"They'll continue. At this point in time, I'm negotiating with them and I'm very hopeful and confident that we'll come to a good resolution."
Cheveldayoff and his staff were huddling again Thursday, trying to finalize their ranking of prospects before tonight's first round of the entry draft begins at 6 p.m.
Winnipeg, as of now, is in the ninth slot in the first round.
This week, the team has been meeting with several prospects, including several projected outside the first round.
"A lot of attention is focused on potential first-round players but the unpredictability of this year's draft, any draft in general, you have to be prepared to know the players in many different areas," Cheveldayoff said.
He also repeated himself about rankings and ratings, asked whether he'd take the best player available when it comes time for the Jets to pick.
"The best player is defined differently in each and every organization," he said.
Cheveldayoff said also repeatedly left open the possibility he could trade the No. 9 selection and said conversations are constant on that subject.
"You talk to a lot of general managers," he said. "Some of them, they're close enough (to the Jets' pick at No. 9) that it's relevant. They may want to jump up or you may want to... move up or down with one of them. I would say there's nothing concrete at this point."
He clearly will take options with him to the draft floor tonight, remembering those conversations.
"I think you know all the different opportunities you've discussed and some of them may become relevant at different points in time and you tend to see if they're maybe there or not," he said. "But it's a very, very fluid situation right up until the time you make a pick."
JETCETERA: Cheveldayoff wouldn't say Thursday if he instigated last week's hiring of Perry Pearn to help his team's coaching staff. "It was something we talked about when Perry's situation arose," the GM said. "When you get an opportunity to have a person like Perry with his experience available, and excited about the opportunity to join your organization, we're just very thankful that it fits."
more entry draft coverage c2-3


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- Investigations
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- About CIR
CIR Fellow Koren Capozza discusses the toxic hazards involved in the manufacturing of personal computers. The report investigates allegations that so-called clean rooms, the hyper controlled facilities that produce microprocessor chips, are actually toxic incubators where workers are continuously exposed to cancer-causing agents. This is a CIR report.


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Well, once again they handed out the Nobel Prizes for scientific achievement, and once again not a single Creation Scientist won a thing. Thus continuing a streak that began since whenever the Nobel Prize was created. Not only that, but CS is not even acknowledged as a category. Creation Science – the Rodney Dangerfield of scientific endeavors.
Instead, they awarded a prize to two "theoretical" physicists. It wasn't immediately clear if the physicists were theoretical, or it was what they discovered, but either way it's sure to upset the creationist community who get all twisted up in knots over the word "theory." Like the "theory" of evolution, which they take to conflate with "talking out of my butt." Or the "theory" of gravity, which posits that we are not wildly flying off into outer space right now because there is some invisible force keeping us earthbound.
But I suspect that what will really grind their gears is that these two physicists – who remember, might not even exist – received it for finding something called the "God particle." Here there are a billion people in houses of worship around the globe every day finding God – the whole God – and not one of them has ever won a Nobel Prize. But two elitist university "scientists" find a teensy-weensy God particle for a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a second – and everybody's making a big fuss and giving them a big fancy prize and over a million bucks.
Maybe they should have won an award from a bunch of ophthalmologists for having keen eyesight, but a Nobel Prize? Come on!
But you know, that's scientists for you. They like to give awards to "small" stuff: micro-biology, God particles. But science dealing with the totality of creation? Yawn.
The scientific community defends its choice because the two physicists are rewriting the history books. But so is the Texas State Board of Education, which has several creationists on its board, and is telling text-book publishers who are submitting their high-school biology textbooks for consideration to include Creation Science – not in so many words, because that would be "unconstitutional" – but to "teach the controversy" as they put it, over the "theory" of evolution. The board has influence because of Texas' size: what they put in their textbooks generally lays the ground for what goes out to many other states, as well. Meaning that more folks will be reading the Texas' school board version-of-history books than those of the "theoretical" scientists.
Creation Science is discredited, for among other things, the fact that it doesn't conduct reproducible experiments, but that doesn't hold water. The Texas school board, and others like them in Kansas and Tennessee have been repeatedly experimenting with different ways to get their curriculum past the Supreme Court – by dubbing it "intelligent design," "teaching the controversy," or whatever.
And then there's the little quibble that Creation Science is not supported by verifiable facts. But it's right there in the name: Creation Science. They create science. It's like science fiction: it's science; but it's fiction. And they give awards for that all the time.
But all is not lost for Nobel Prize-seeking creationists. There's always next year.
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This is my third piece in a series about the problems that privilege brings to Christian pacifist movements. I'm linking this series up to h00die_R's synchroblog on the topic--The New Pacifism. Be sure to check out the other posts in my series here, and here. I've already talked about privileged pacifism's tendency to take scenarios where violence might occur and treat them as thought exercises where they can fantasize about how they'd respond to that violence. I mentioned in this post that … [Read more...]
Privilege in Christian Pacifism: What Counts as Violence?
November 1, 2013 by 5 Comments
Must Reads!
September 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Here are some important and/or interesting recent posts from around the blogosphere. Also, as always, I will include an adorable picture of one of my cats. Enjoy!"A Statement of Trans-Inclusive Feminism and Womanism" by Feminists Fighting Transphobia What we all have in common is the conviction that feminism should welcome trans* people, and that trans* people are essential to feminism's mission to advocate for women and other people oppressed, exploited, and otherwise marginalized by pa … [Read more...]


text: 17 May 2011 Finding the holy grail of video game music The composer Richard Jacques and the academic James Newman on chip tunes, orchestral soundtracks and Print HTML On 18 May, the Barbican is hosting an event to discuss music in video games, from the early "chip music" to modern orchestral soundscapes. I spoke to two of its participants, the games researcher James Newman of Bath Spa university and the composer Richard Jacques. How important is music to a computer game? James Newman: You're talking to someone who, in the 1980s, played games just for their music. Dire games! Just because I was following the careers of their composers. I have some mixtapes of chip music from the Commodore 64. Setting aside that, when we talk about the development of consoles, we tend to think about them in terms of how the graphics have got better, and whether games are running in 720 or 1080p. What we've forgotten are how things like surround sound tracks have created immersion within games. We've moved away from chip tunes to cinematic, orchestrated soundtracks with the same emotional resonance as film soundtracks; the technology has enabled that, and the industry has therefore attracted different types of musicians. And how is the music in games different from film and TV? Richard Jacques: The main difference is that games are interactive, so they are non-linear. If I'm writing for TV and film, I have the picture in front of me -- there's a beginning, middle and end; whereas in a game, we have no idea what the player is going to do and how long it's going to take them to do it. The scoring process differs as we have to create various scenarios and musical settings to cover every eventuality. There are a number of ways we do that: we use lots of layering techniques, changing the intensity of a piece of music; we have lots of transition sequences between pieces of music. The mood has to follow the action: that's the holy grail of games scoring. JN: The form is the real issue. The problem with a game is that it's made up of different sequences, some of which are predictable -- cut scenes and introductions, opening and closing credits -- and others that aren't, where building cues is much more difficult. You don't have any control of the pacing of the narrative. [It's about] writing looping sequences that mark time until the player gets to the big battle, which triggers a crescendo. Which games have memorable soundtracks -- and why? RJ: Mario has a recognisable signature sound; so does Halo -- you know it as soon as you hear the monks chanting. I think a lot of it is about exposure. The music shouldn't bombast the player too much. It's an integral feature but a supporting one. JN: The reason games like Mario and Zelda do that [have recognisable music] is that they've been part of gaming, or even popular culture, for such a long time. And they're whistleable. And there's audio design, too: take the codec in Metal Gear Solid. Every so often, you'll hear someone's phone ringing on the train and it'll be that. Richard, what was your route into game music writing? RJ: My father's a composer and my mum's a piano teacher. I had a traditional classical education -- Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Academy of Music. I'm a trombonist, pianist and percussionist by training. I've been writing music since I was very young and then I started as an in-house composer with a large Japanese publisher. In 2001, I did a large orchestral recording at Abbey Road -- the first game soundtrack recorded there -- for a game called Head Hunter. I've had my own company since then. I've worked on Mass Effect and the latest James Bond,Bloodstone -- invariably, they're orchestral scores, which is commonplace now but when I joined the industry it hadn't really been done. Where do you start with a score like that? RJ: It varies by project but we might even start off working from a game-design document. There are often some visuals to see. Often, we'd have some footage, perhaps in black and white, with no textures. For narrative-driven games, we'd often get a copy of the script, so that gives us an idea of where the cut scenes are. What's the biggest challenge? RJ: The interactivity. And often the amount of music -- in the Bond game, we had two hours and 45 minutes, much more than in a feature film. Then again, the technology has evolved so much since I joined the industry in 1994. Back in those days, we were limited to chip music, creating pretty horrible Midi soundtracks. Now, I can sit in my studio and mock up how the music will play in the game without even handing it over to programmers. Do you play games? RJ: Yes, I've been a gamer since I was 11. Then, it was chip-based music, not very high quality. I remember playing Dragon's Lair in a petrol station, I think! But when I joined the industry, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I could work with orchestras. What's your benchmark for good game music? RJ: It has to be of the highest quality in composition, orchestration and production, but also it has to be scored sympathetically to what's happening on-screen. I think some people just want to write good music without taking care of what's happening in the game. JN: As someone interested in electronic music, there is a lot of Commodore 64-era music where it's impossible to understand how you can get a three-channel, crummy, in-built chip to make the lyrical music Rob Hubbard or Martin Galway managed to squeeze out of it. The technical limits of early 1980s home computers gave rise to some really inventive, creative music: [take] Monty on the Run. The C64 still has a huge fanbase, with projects like the High-Voltage SID Collection, which aims to curate every soundtrack from that era -- tens of thousands of rips of Commodore music. Do you have a favourite piece of game music? JN: Rob Hubbard's Delta, which drew on a range of influences. Its reference points were as diverse as Pink Floyd and Philip Glass's Koyaanisqatsi. I guess my favourite was Kentilla, also by Rob Hubbard: a graphical text-adventure with interactive music. You walked into a room and a new piece of music would play. That turned out to be too ambitious for the 1980s. I'm looking at the cover -- a man in a headband fighting some snakes. JN: Yeah. It was an age where the boxes were very exciting. The only screenshot of it I remember is a Microsoft Paint-style house. James, are you nostalgic for that era? JN: Yes. Each new piece of music was founded on a new discovery: how to create pitch-bend, for example. How to create the illusion of more than three voices playing. Each piece pushed back the boundaries. Sampled drums, for example, were unlike anything you'd heard before. We've lost that sense that each game is a step into something new. Do you have a pet hate about bad game music? RJ: I don't like music that's doing something for the composer's benefit rather than for the game. I say that partly as a composer and partly as a gamer. JN: Apart from the usual "timpani rolls and cymbal clashes to mark excitement", I lament the loss of chip tunes and in-built sound chips. Orchestral soundtracks bring a more filmic, romantic, lavish, larger-scale experience but I miss the days of the SID-chip tune. You could clearly identify it as computer-game music. What's the idea behind the event at the Barbican? RJ: We'll be talking about composing music for games and how it's different from film and TV, and showing examples of how interactive music is created and works within a video game. JN: We'll talk about how game music has changed and we'll be breaking away from the idea that things necessarily get better. We're well used to technology improving games but have we lost something instinctively game-like? We both gain and lose from the way consoles have developed. Ear Candy is on at the Barbican on 18 May at 7pm. Tickets here. › The next financial crisis Helen Lewis is deputy editor of the New Statesman. She has presented BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster and is a regular panellist on BBC1's Sunday Politics. Subscribe from just £1 per issue More Subscription offer 12 issues for £12 + FREE book LEARN MORE Close This week's magazine