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Bret McKenzie Wants to Make Dragon Puppet Musical
08-12-13 • Film Posted by Randy Geren
Bret McKenzie took home an Oscar the first time he tussled with puppets, working as the music supervisor on 2011's The Muppets. Naturally, he signed up for seconds, serving in the same capacity for the upcoming Muppets Most Wanted, but apparently, the Flight of Conchords co-frontman wants to continue thumbing through Jim Henson's back-catalog for inspiration… sorta.
In a new interview with Collider, McKenzie talked up another project that he is working on with James Bobin (the director of both Muppet revival movies and also 11 Flight of Conchords episodes), one that McKenzie compared to Labyrinth, Henson's David Bowie starring dark fantasy.
"I'm in the middle of a script for a kind of—it hasn't got a name yet but it's a fairy tale comedy musical, sort of akin to Labyrinth or something like that. I'm developing and that script's halfway through. James Bobin's helping me. I'm the official writer but we're developing it. I want to make a comedy musical with singing dragons and monsters and stuff. [It's] live-action, so it would be a mixture of The Muppets and The Princess Bride."
Obviously, this is still in the formative stages, but those comparables and McKenzie's work with the Conchords makes this one to watch, even if it isn't the Labyrinth-era David Bowie filled space party that we all desperately want and need.
Category: Film
Tags: Bret McKenzie, David Bowie, Flight of the Conchords, james bobin, Labyrinth, Muppets
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Molecular systems are attractive building blocks for spintronics, however the realization of corresponding devices and the study of their functional properties requires interaction between scientist from different disciplines (chemistry, magnetism, optics, surface science…). The symposium will review the recent advances in the field.
Molecular/ organic spintronics is an emerging and very challenging research area that needs to be developed and exploited. It is an embryonic field that blends spin electronics with organic/molecular electronics. Organic spintronics, when compared to its inorganics counterparts, offers many advantages. From the application point of view, organic materials open the way to cheap, low-weight, mechanically flexible, chemically interactive, and bottom-up fabricated electronics. Furthermore, more efficient and innovative devices may be produced due to the expected long spin coherence time and spin-flip length, thanks to the weak spin-orbit coupling for light elements such as H, C, N… In this respect, organic material may appear either in the "passive" part of a device (eg the barrier of a magnetic tunnel junction) or in the "active" part when it intrinsically possesses a specific functionality (may it be magnetic, optic, electric…). However, interface effects have a strong impact on the electronic, magnetic and functional properties of molecules as nanostructures or when inserted in devices. This leads to the observation of new effects and novel research directions regarding fundamental studies of molecule/metal interaction, the supramolecular interactions leading to the organization of molecules on (ferromagnetic) surfaces, the development of ab initio theoretical tools to understand them and the realization of devices to study functional and multifunctional properties.
Affiliations : Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, (IESL-FORTH), P.O. Box 1527, Heraklion 711 10, Greece.
Resume : This presentation will review our recent work on the laser-assisted synthesis and functionalization of 2D nanosheets (NSs)-Nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid materials for organic electronic applications. Rapid and facile methodologies for the photochemical synthesis, functionalization and doping of NSs-NPs hybrids, based on laser irradiation in precursor liquid or gas media, will be demonstrated. Distinct examples with graphene, boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides (WS2, MoS2) decorated with various types of plasmonic, metal oxide, and perovskite NPs are presented and discussed. Furthermore, we present a simple photochemical method for the simultaneous functionalization and doping of the as-synthesized NSs-NPs hybrids. Using this technique Cl and N doping was rapidly carried out at room temperature in only few minutes. Potential applications of photo-synthesized hybrid materials in organic electronics, particular to bulk heterojunction organic solar cells are demonstrated and discussed.
Resume : Graphene has been proposed recently to be used as a transparent and conducting electrode in oganic devices such as organic light emitting diodes . It is used also as a soft top contact for connecting molecules in molecular devices . Electronic properties of interfaces between graphene and molecules  need thus to be investigated and understood in the near future. Here, we present a study concerning transport experiments performed in devices including a thin film composed of functional molecules (bis-thienyl benzene or BTB) with thichness ranging from few nanometers to tens of nanometers inserted between two electrodes. As demonstrated previously in metal/molecule/metal junctions, the electrical response of such organic devices shows a strong rectification with negative threshold voltages of around few volts . Here we show that by inserting graphene between the top metallic electrode and the molecular thin film, a drastic change in the electrical response of the device is observed as charge injection occurs more symmetrically at both positive and negative bias voltages. A temperature dependence study is also presented in order to investigate charge transport and injection mechanisms. Interestingly, we observe that pure graphene top electrodes allow to inject charges at even lower bias voltages (below 100 mV). Graphene at the bottom electrode has been also tested and preliminary results obtained in Ni/graphene/BTB/Co spintronics devices are also presented. Graphene is grown directly on the Ni electrode to passivate it and preserve its spin injection properties  and is used as a support for grafting the molecules. 	S. Pang, Y. Hernandez, X. Feng, and K. Müllen, Adv. Mater. 23, 2779 (2011). 	T. Li, J. R. Hauptmann, Z. Wei, S. Petersen, N. Bovet, T. Vosch, J. Nygård, W. Hu, Y. Liu, T. Bjørnholm, K. Nørgaard, and B. W. Laursen, Adv. Mater. 24, 1333 (2012). 	G. Hong, Q. H. Wu, J. Ren, C. Wang, W. Zhang, and S. T. Lee, Nano Today 8, 388 (2013). 	P. Martin, M. L. Della Rocca, A. Anthore, P. Lafarge, and J.-C. Lacroix, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 154 (2012). 	B. Dlubak, M.-B. Martin, R. S. Weatherup, H. Yang, C. Deranlot, R. Blume, R. Schloegl, A. Fert, A. Anane, S. Hofmann, P. Seneor, and J. Robertson, ACS Nano 6, 10930 (2012).
Resume : Graphene has attracted great attention in spintronics due to their high potentiality for spin polarized transport due to their small spin-orbit coupling, vanishingly small hyperfine interaction and excellent charge carrier mobility. However, despite considerable efforts in recent years, it is still challenging to efficiently manipulate the spins of the conduction electrons in graphene-based devices. Proximity contacts with magnetic oxides are of current interest from the expectation of the induced spin polarization as well as weak interactions at the graphene/magnetic oxide interfaces for efficient spin polarized injection. Here, we provide a direct evidence for the magnetic proximity effect in the junctions of single layer graphene and half-metallic manganite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO). In the current study we have employed the spin-polarized metastable deexcitation spectroscopy technique with extremely high surface sensitivity and successfully demonstrated that at the graphene/manganite interface, a large spin polarization is induced in the graphene pi-band together with a high thermal robustness that is independent of the chemical environment around graphene. For this purpose (001) orientation of LSMO with the c-axis out-of-plane and (110) orientation of LSMO with the c-axis in-plane were selected. In these two orientations, the termination layer of the LSMO are different that results in different chemical environments and electronic wavefunctions for the first deposited layer of graphene. This allow us to clarify whether the observed spin polarization is due to chemical interaction or due to proximity effect of the magnetic oxide. The results clearly show evidence for the magnetic proximity effect in the single layer graphene (SLG)/LSMO interface. It is demonstrated that graphene pi band in the SLG/LSMO junction is spin-polarized along the spin polarization direction of LSMO in a broad energy range below the Fermi level. The spin polarization in the vicinity of the Fermi level is significantly high in SLG/LSMO junctions different from that at the LSMO surface.
Affiliations : (1) Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INAC-SP2M, L_Sim, Grenoble, France and CEA, INAC-SP2M, L_Sim, Grenoble, France. (2) IEMN - Dept. ISEN, UMR CNRS 8520, Lille, France. (3) CNRS, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble, France and Grenoble Alpes University, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble, France.
Resume : We show theoretically that the intrinsic (phonon-limited) carrier mobility in graphene nanoribbons is considerably influenced by the presence of spin-polarized edge states. In zigzag nanoribbons, when the coupling between opposite edges switches from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic with increasing carrier density, the current becomes spin polarized and the mean free path rises from ten nanometers to micrometers. In the ferromagnetic state, the current flows through one majority-spin channel which is ballistic over micrometers and several minority-spin channels with mean free paths as low as 1 nm. These features predicted in technology-relevant conditions could be nicely exploited in spintronic devices. Comprehensive calculations of the carrier mobility vs nanoribbon width, carrier density and chiral angle reveal the unexpectedly rich transport properties of graphene nanoribbons.
Resume : In this work we have successfully trapped hybrid SCO@SiO2 nanoparticles by a dielectrophoresis technique in between single-layer graphene nanogaps. This class of SCO nanoparticles offers a large memory effect in the conductance of ~ 40 K undoubtedly associated to the spin-transition. Such a remarkable feature occurs concomitantly with a reproducible and efficient back-relaxation to the low-spin state as a result of the enhanced stability provided by the silica shell on the SCO core nanoparticle. Importantly, the low-spin state possesses a higher conductance, consistent with previous studies on small assembles of SCO-based nanoparticles based on the same compound [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)(H2O)](BF4). Moreover, the analysis of the hysteresis loop features in this work points out that the presence of the silica shell can inverse the activation energies and pre-exponential factors while keeping the LS state as the high conducting state. We ascribe this feature to the compression(relaxation) of the shell in the HS(LS) state. The versatility of graphene and the thermal stability of these core-shell SCO nanoparticles allow to anticipate future sophisticated experiments, such as injecting polarized spins and/or using the enhanced gate coupling to address the NP spin-state above room temperature.
Resume : Triarylmethyls (TAMs) are stable open-shell molecules composed of three aryl rings bonded to a central methyl carbon atom, where their unpaired electron mainly resides. TAMs have played a prominent role within the research field of molecular magnetic materials and have a range of practical applications. Moreover, very recently the potential of TAMs for use in molecular spintronics has been firmly established experimentally. Using accurate ab initio density functional calculations we have shown that the spin localization within any TAM derivative, regardless of the chemical funtionalization and temperature, can be controlled by the torsion angles of the three aryl rings. To exploit such a powerful feature, we have designed a range of chemically viable TAM-based 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs) where, in full agreement with our previous study, the spin localization can be finely controlled by applying external strain. As a consequence of the strain-induced structural and spin localisation changes, other very important properties of these 2D materials (e.g. ferromagnetism, optical bandgaps, electrical conduction) can also be finely tuned in a reversible way. 	I. Ratera and J. Veciana, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 303?49. 	R. Frisenda, R. Gaudenzi, C. Franco, M. Mas-Torrent, C. Rovira, J. Veciana, I. Alcon, S. T. Bromley, E. Burzurí and H. S. J. van der Zant, Nano Lett., 2015, 15, 3109?3114. 	I. Alcon and S. T. Bromley, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 98593-98599.
Resume : We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic structures and magnetic properties of a double perovskite Sr2CrZrO6, by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) as implemented in the WIEN2K.The properties of double perovskite Sr2CrZrO6 were calculated using generalized gradient approximation (GGA) method. In order to take into account the strong on-site coulomb interaction that means we included the Hubbard correlation terms GGA+U approache.We have analyzed the structural parameters,band structure, total and partial densities of states. The results show a half-metallic ground state with the ferrimagnetic coupling of Cr and Zr spins. Keywords : Electronic structure, GGA+U, First-principales, Double perovskite, Half-metalic, Ferrimagnetic coupling.
Resume : In present paper the transverse magnetoresistance for graphite intercalated compound (GIC) with cobalt was investigated. The characteristic features of GICs are: the layered structure, the existence of weak interlayer interaction due to introduction of a monoatomic metal layers between graphite layers, linear dispersion law for compounds of first stage and quasi-linear dispersion law for compounds of second stage. Also for GICs the redistribution of charge between layers of graphite and metal occurs, which leads to an increase of charge carriers concentration in graphite layers and its temperature independence in a wide temperature range. As initials for intercalation highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) (d002= 0.335 nm, L = 500 nm) was chosen. For intercalation a two-step method of synthesis was used. The measurements of magnetoresistance were carried out with use standard four-probe method in the range 1.6-300K and magnetic fields up to 6T. It was experimentally revealed that for GICs with cobalt the linear asymmetric (as to direction of magnetic field) magnetoresistance is obserwed. The magnetoresistance is not saturable with increasing of magnetic field up to 6 T and is independent from temperature. The obtained experimental results are analyzed in terms of the model of quantum linear magnetoresistance.
Resume : 3d transition metal centered phthalocynanines are potential candidates for spintronics based on single molecule magnets. Weakly interacting 2D materials are attractive substrates for supporting these molecules for realizing functional devices. Here, we will present ab initio studies on the adsorption characteristics of iron and cobalt phthalocyanine molecules supported on 2D graphene and MoS2 substrates. Calculated structural, electronic and magnetic properties will be presented with a comparison between adsorbed and gas phase molecules. Influence of the substrate on the spin-dipole and magnetic anisotropy contribution of the transition metal centers will be shown along with the changes in work functions due to adsorption.
Resume : Spin dependent properties of molecules/ferromagnetic metal interfaces are known to be very sensitive to the nature of the interaction (chemisorption versus physisorption) between the two materials . Here a two-step electrochemical procedure to covalently graft molecules over ferromagnetic surfaces like Co and Ni is presented. It is based on an in-solution electrochemical process  allowing to graft radicals (diazonium chemistry) over a conducting surface. The deposited molecular thin film is then very robust even against aggressive fabrication processes like photolithography. An other key aspect comes from the presence of undesired oxyde at the interface which might alter the electronic and magnetic properties of the magnetic material. This electrochemical process could easily remove oxyde by reducting it and passivate the Co film. The magnetic properties of functionalized thin magnetic films of Si//Pt (40 nm)/Co (8 nm)/nitro-benzene diazonium (NBD) have been investigated by Superconducting Quantum Interfermetry Device (SQUID) magnetometry. For a 8 nm thin Co film deposited over Pt, a fully in-plane magnetization is found where as for a functionalized 8 nm thin Co film an out-of-plane component emerges. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrocopy characterizations of the functionnalized surface is also presented. The roles of the different parameters of the procedure are finally discussed. 	M. Galbiati, S. Tatay, C. Barraud, A. V. Dediu, F. Petroff, R. Mattana, and P. Seneor, MRS Bull. 39, 602 (2014). 	T. Fluteau, C. Bessis, C. Barraud, M. L. Della Rocca, P. Martin, J.-C. Lacroix, and P. Lafarge, J. Appl. Phys. 116, 114509 (2014).
Resume : In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) a crucial role for high photoconversion efficiency play electron transfer processes proceeding at the oxide semiconductor/dye/electrolyte interfaces. The exact nature of ultrafast electron injection and further charge carrier separation processes involving intermediate stage of electron-hole (e-h) pairs is so far not fully understood. In this work we propose a novel mechanism of photocurrent generation in DSSCs examined by magnetic field effect (MFE) technique. During dissociation processes singlet 1(e-h) and triplet 3(e-h) pairs are created where the electron occupies the conduction level of TiO2 and the hole is localized on an oxidized dye molecule. The external magnetic field of hundreds mT strength affects the intersystem crossing (ISC) between 1(e-h) and 3(e-h) pairs and this way change the generated photocurrent. We have observed that the magnitude of the small negative MFE on photocurrent in DSSCs is controlled by the radius and spin coherence time of e-h pairs which are modified by the photoanode morphology (TiO2 nanoparticles or nanotubes) and electronic orbital structure of various dyes (ruthenium N719, dinuclear ruthenium B1 and fully organic squarine SQ2 dyes). The observed MFE is explained by the different values of Lande factor for electron and hole entities forming e-h pairs (?g mechanism). This work was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under ?Diamond Grant? 0228/DIA/2013/42.
Affiliations : Research Unit of Photothermal Charactérisation & noise in Components, Nabeul Preparatory Institute for Engineering Studies (IPEIN), University of Carthage, Merazka, 8000 Nabeul, Tunisia.
Resume : The « mirage effect » technique or the so called Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy (PDS) had been widely used in the investigation of thermal and optical properties of solid materials (Murphy et al. ;1980, Saadallah .F et al. ;2003). However, few photothermal investigations were concerned with liquids (Swofford .R.L et al. ; 1978 , Smith. M.J. et al. ; 1992). In the recent years, olive oil has received great attention because of its biological activities and sensory qualities, and has become a very important agricultural product for the Mediterranean countries (Gurdeniz .G. et al.;2007). The PDS technique was used in order to determine the absorption spectrum of olive oil. Experiments were more particularly realized with extra virgin and refined olive oil. In this paper, we have interested to characterize olive oil by comparing the experimental curves giving the normalized amplitude variations versus wavelength to the corresponding theoretical ones representing the normalized amplitude variations versus optical absorption coefficient. Indeed, it appears some absorption peaks in the vicinity of 1.2, 1.4 and 1.8 microns in the range of 0.6 to 1.6 microns probably corresponding to the coupling of the vibration modes of molecules whose composed liquid. Key words: EVOO, ROO, PDS, Optical absorption spectra.  Murphy, J.C., Aamodt, L.C. (1980) J. Appl. Phys. 51 -4580.  Saadallah, F., Yacoubi, N., Genty. F., Alibert, C. (2003) J. Appl. Phys. 94- 5041.  Swofford ,R.L., Morrell, A J. (1978) J. Appl. Phys. 49- 3667.  Smith, M.J., Palmer, R.A. (1992) Photoacoustic and photothermal phenomena III,in: D. Bicanic (Ed.), Springer Series in Optical Sciences, vol. 69, p.211.  Gurdeniz ,G., Tokatli, F & Ozen, B. (2007) European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 109, 1194?1202.
Resume : The study of the spin properties of ferromagnetic metal-organic (MO) interfaces has received considerable attention in the past, because of the prospect of developing new hybrid and multi-functional molecular devices. A number of studies could evidence in such systems the presence of interface states (IS) in the gap region of the organic semiconductor. If such IS were to show in addition a high spin polarization, they could be of great interest. In fact, highly spin-polarized IS close to the Fermi level are of utmost importance for the spin injection efficiency across ferromagnetic MO interfaces and thus for the performance of future organic spintronics devices. Such highly spin-polarized IS at the Fermi energy could indeed be observed in a very recent spin-resolved photoemission study of phthalocyanine (Pc) films on ferromagnetic Co(001). Having evidenced highly spin-polarized IS, the question is raised whether this property is confined to Pc molecules, or whether these results are indicative of a broader pattern. We deploy topographical and spectroscopic techniques to show that a strongly spin-polarized interface arises already between ferromagnetic Co and mere carbon atoms. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy show how a dense amorphous semiconducting carbon film with a low band gap of about 0.4 eV is formed atop the metallic interface. Spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals a high degree of spin polarization at room temperature of carbon-induced states.
Resume : One very efficient route to tailor the spin properties of surfaces and interfaces, which was so far only applied to ferromagnetic metals, is the creation of customized hybrid interfaces between inorganic and organic materials. The interest in the spin properties of such systems was originally stimulated by the observation of magneto-resistive effects in spin-valve structures prepared with an organic-based spacer layer [1, 2]. Today, it is known that the performance of such organic spintronics devices is mostly determined by the spin-dependent properties of the hybrid interface formed between the organic molecules and the ferromagnetic electrodes: the so-called spinterface . Crucially, the spin properties of a specific spinterface such as spin polarization, spin filtering, and coercive field can be in principle tuned by any external stimulus that will either modify the electronic structure of the organic molecules forming the spinterface, or change the strength of the interaction between the molecules and the ferromagnetic substrate. This concept was demonstrated, for example, for doping of the organic molecules with electron donors  and for chemical synthesis of tailored molecules [5, 6]. In this talk I will show that the extreme multi-functionality of organic molecules can be used to functionalize the spin properties of the more general class of spin-textured materials, opening new and exciting routes for controlling spin at the atomic scale . In particular, I will present a rational design approach to customize the spin-texture of surface states of the prototypical topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 . For the rational design we use theoretical calculations to guide the choice and chemical synthesis of appropriate molecules that customize the spin-texture of Bi2Se3. The theoretical predictions are then verified in angular-resolved photoemission experiments. We show that by tuning the strength of molecule-TI interaction, the surface of the TI can be passivated, the Dirac point can energetically be shifted at will, and Rashba-split quantum-well interface states can be created. These tailored interface properties ? passivation, spin-texture tuning, and creation of hybrid interface states - lay a solid foundation for interface-assisted molecular spintronics in spin-textured materials. 	V. A. Dediu, L. E. Hueso, I. Bergenti, and C. Taliani, Nature Materials 8, 707 (2009); 	M. Cinchetti et al., Nature Materials 8, 115 (2009);  S. Steil, et al., Nature Physics 9, 242 (2013); 	M. Cinchetti, et al., Physical Review Letters 104, 217602 (2010);  A. Droghetti, et al., Physical Review B 89, 094412 (2014); 	S. Müller, et al., New Journal of Physics 15, 113054 (2013); 	M. Cinchetti, Nature Nanotechnology 9, 965 (2014); 	S. Jakobs, A. Narayan, B. Stadtmüller, A. Droghetti, I. Rungger, Y. S. Hor, S. Klyatskaya, D. Jungkenn, J. Stöckl, M. Laux, O. L. A. Monti, M. Aeschlimann, R. J. Cava, M. Ruben, S. Mathias, S. Sanvito, and M. Cinchetti, Nano Letters 15, 6022 (2015).
Resume : Recently, there has been increasing interest in investigations of fundamental magnetic interactions in low-dimensional materials [1,2]. One such fundamental interaction is the Kondo effect responsible for the screening of the local moment , while another one, the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida (RKKY) coupling gives rise to a long-range spin ordering via the conduction electrons [4-6]. Spin-bearing smolecules such as porphyrins and phthalocyanines deposited on metallic substrates present a material to study the interplay of these two opposing interactions and can lead to even more intriguing phenomena. Here we present the first direct observation of long-range ferrimagnetic order in a 2-dimensional (2D) material created by the co-assembly of paramagnetic iron fluorinated (FeFPc) and manganese (MnPc) phthalocyanines molecules on single-crystalline Au(111) evidenced by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy (STM/STS), X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) and the Density Functional Theory (DFT+U) first-principle calculations. At the first glance 2D and 1D ferromagnets are in conflict with the classical theory of magnetism.  In the present system, however, the substrate is of key importance as it introduces an antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor coupling between the Mn and Fe centers which is mediated by the surface states of Au(111) making the ordering possible. References  Zhao, A., Li, Q., Chen, L., Xiang, H., Wang, W., Pan, S., Wang, B., Xiao, X., Yang, J., Hou, J. G. & Zhu, Q. Controlling the Kondo effect of an adsorbed magnetic ion through its chemical bonding. Science 309, 1542–1544 (2005).  Franke, K. J., G. Schulze, G. & Pascual, J. I. Competition of superconducting phenomena and 2 Kondo screening at the nanoscale. Science 332, 940-944 (2011).  Hewson, A. C. The Kondo Problem to Heavy Fermions. (Cambridge University Press, 1993).  Wahl, P., Simon, P., Diekhöner, L., Stepanyuk, V. S., Bruno, P., Schneider, M. A. &. Kern, K. Exchange interaction between single magnetic adatoms. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 056601 (2007).  Tsukahara, N., Shiraki, S., Itou, S., Ohta, N., Takagi, N. & Kawai, M. Evolution of Kondo resonance from a single impurity molecule to the two-dimensional lattice. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 187201 (2011).  Prüser, H., Dargel, P. E., Bouhassoune, M., Ulbrich, R. G., Pruschke, T., Lounis S. & Wenderoth M. Interplay between the Kondo effect and the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction. Nat. Commun. 5, 5417 (2015).  Mermin, N. D. & Wagner, H. Absence of ferromagnetism or antiferromagnetism in one- or two-dimensional isotropic Heisenberg models. Phys. Rev. Lett. 17, 1133–1136 (1966).
Resume : Molecular spintronics and molecular magnetism are merging, leading to the development of hybrid molecular-inorganic devices where magnetic molecules plays a crucial role in spin and electronic transport. In this contest the use of Single-Molecule Magnets, the magnetic molecule by definition, but also of light element-based paramagnetic systems like organic radicals (e.g Nitronyl Nitroxide radicals) discloses new exciting possibilities linked to the richness the magnetic properties of these systems as well as to versatility of chemical synthesis that can allows to tune electronic and magnetic properties of these building blocks. However playing with molecules is not trivial: stability of the molecules as well as their interaction with the substrates must be taken in to account and fruitfully used. Here we will present our recent results based on wet chemistry and UHV-compatible strategies to modify the interface between a standard spin injecting electrode (La0.7Sr0.3MnO3) and an organic semiconductors (OSC). This allowed to introduce a molecular paramagnetic layer in the standard OSC-based spin-valve devices. Using a multi-technique approach we verified the intactness of molecules, the occurrence of specific interaction between the molecules and the magnetic substrate and then to test the performances of the hybrid spin valves demonstrating that the presence of this molecular paramagnetic layer does not hamper the observation of a significant magnetoresistance.
Resume : The combination of spin valve magnetoresistance and electrical memory effects (bistability) in hybrid devices including ferromagnetic electrodes and an organic spacer has opened up new possibilities for devices, in particular for the realization of multi-state memories . It is well known that the interface effects between organic materials and electrodes are critical for setting the electric and magnetic behavior of these hybrid devices . However, the literature concerning the relation between the bistable I-V characteristics and the magnetoresistance properties of organic devices is limited. In our study, we compare the magnetic and electrical behavior of magnetic tunnel junctions La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/SrTiO3 (STO)/)/Co including epitaxial STO layer and of LSMO/STO/C60 (2 nm)/Co for which an organic C60 layer is inserted between STO and Co. Our results showed that both devices present typical tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in addition to a resistive switching behavior. In case of fully inorganic MTJ, the TMR is consistent with previous results . In the case of C60 insertion, TMR ratio is tuned by electrical behavior of the device, in particular it is dependent on the resistive state in which is set. Data are interpreted in terms of interfacial effects, in particular taking into account hybridization between C60 and Co.  Prezioso, M. et al (2011) Adv. Mater., 23, 1371.  Barraud C. et al., Nat. Phys., 6, 615.  De Teresa J. M. et al., (1999) Science, 286, 507.
Resume : When spin transport is confined to atomic-scale constrictions it is very sensitive to the fine details of the local electronic structure. We use this sensitivity to demonstrate the generation of fully spin polarized current and tunable giant anisotropic magnetoresistance in different molecular junctions. The presented effects are achieved by different manifestations of selective orbital hybridization, which is an efficient approach for spin transport manipulations at the atomic scale.
Resume : Molecular spintronics is an emerging research field at the frontier between organic chemistry and the spintronics. Compared to traditional inorganic materials molecules are flexible and can be easily tailored by chemical synthesis. However, due to their expected very long spin lifetime opportunity, they were first only seen as the ultimate media for spintronics devices and it was only very recently that new spintronics tailoring opportunities could arise from the chemical versatility brought by molecules and molecular engineering were unveiled. The hybridization between a ferromagnet and molecules induces a spin dependent broadening and energy shifting of the molecular orbitals leading to an induced spin polarization on the first molecular layer. We will show how tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements (TAMR) can be used to probe the spin dependent hybridization at the ferromagnetic/molecules interface. TAMR effects have been observed in Co/Alq3/Co and Co/Alq3/Cu organic spin valves. These experiments have shown that the TAMR effect comes from the bottom interface suggesting a stronger coupling at the bottom interface. This was confirmed by TMR experiments where a tunnel barrier has been inserted at the bottom or top interface in order to suppress the spin dependent hybridization. The study of the bias voltage dependence of the TAMR and TMR allows determining the spin dependent broadening and energy shifting of the molecular levels at the Co/Alq3 interfaces.
Affiliations : 1. Molecular Science Institute, Calle Catedratico José Beltran, Paterna Valencia 2. Instituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati ISMN - CNR, Via Gobetti, 101, Bologna, 40129, Italy.
Resume : Spin-based electronics is one of the emerging branches in today?s nanotechnology and the most active area within nanomagnetism. So far spintronics has been based on conventional materials like inorganic metals and semiconductors. Still, an appealing possibility is that of using molecule-based materials, as components of new spintronic systems . In particular, by taking advantage of a hybrid approach one can integrate molecular materials showing multifunctional properties into spintronic devices. In this talk we illustrate the use of this approach to fabricate multifunctional molecular devices combining light and spin-valve properties (i.e., Spin-OLEDs). So far only one report has been published which is based on the fabrication of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) with ferromagnetic electrodes . Our new approach leads to a robust organic luminescent device in which light emission can be enhanced and modulated upon application of an external magnetic field. Furthermore, Hanle measurements  has been performed in our Spin-OLEDs probing for the first time no Hanle effect in a Spin-OLEDs organic spintronic.
Resume : Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) is a powerful technique to investigate electronic and magnetic properties of materials used in molecular spintronics. Performing the experiments at THz frequencies is of great interest due to capability to investigate molecular systems with a large magnetic anisotropy and a large spectral resolution, which is not possible by conventional methods. We will present the recently developed combined High Frequency Field and Frequency Domain THz Electron Spin Resonance (HFESR/FDMR) spectrometer capable to investigate for the first time electronic and magnetic properties of molecular systems, thin films and bulk materials in the very broad frequency range of 85-1100 GHz. The HFEPR/FDMR spectrometer operates at high magnetic fields up to 17 T and temperatures from 300 K down to 1.8 K. For the microwave radiation an amplifier multiplier chain is used which gaplessly covers the frequency range. A quasi-optical bridge in combination with corrugated waveguides guarantees the propagation of the microwave with only minimal losses, where special care was given to eliminate any standing waves in the system. For very sensitive measurements we developed a tunable Fabry-Pérot resonator, which allows a sensitivity of only 107 spins/Gauss. Furthermore, samples can be oriented with respect to the applied magnetic field by using single crystal rotator. The performance of the spectrometer will be demonstrated on molecular systems, thin films and bulk materials.
Resume : Controlling the dynamics of spins on surfaces is pivotal to the design of spintronic and quantum computing devices. Proposed schemes involve the interaction of spins with graphene to enable surface-state spintronics, but several challenges remain unsolved: how can molecular spins be assembled into hybrid structures? What is the influence of the graphene environment on the spin? Can molecules be used to control coherent currents in graphene devices? Here we answer these questions,1 exploring spin-graphene interactions by using molecular magnetic materials. We detail the assembly process and showcase the relevance of dynamic scaling theory and of graphene surface defects. We then show that, while the static spin response remains unaltered, the quantum spin dynamics and associated selection rules are profoundly modulated. The couplings to graphene phonons, to other spins, and to Dirac fermions are quantified using a newly-developed model. Coupling to Dirac electrons introduces a dominant quantum-relaxation channel that, by driving the spins over Villain's threshold, gives rise to fully-coherent, resonant spin tunneling. Eventually we show how molecular spins can be used to introduce bistable behavior into coherent spin currents. These findings provide the tenets for spin-manipulation in graphene nanodevices.


The Spot: Portal Jumper has been a topic of discussion and we've gotten some questions lately.
While The Spot is active, whenever you draw and roll a die outside your Clear and Draw Step (excluding dice drawn from The Spot's ability), draw and roll an extra die.
If you draw a group of dice - like how you'd draw 2 from Investigation or Pyro's Global Ability, you only draw 1 extra die.
If you would draw an extra die to a copy of the Spot's ability (such as Mimic or someone else have copied the ability) you still only draw 1 extra die per copy of the ability, they don't create a loop. The Spot + Mimic copying The Spot + Investigation = Drawing 4 dice.


Directions - McMoran, O'Connor, Bramley & Burns, P.C.McMoran, O'Connor, Bramley & Burns, P.C.
From New York or North Jersey Take GSP South to Exit 98 – Pt. Pleasant, Spring Lake, Manasquan. Follow signs to 34 South, staying on Route 34 south through the traffic circle for 3.3 miles. Office is located on right after Diane Turton Real Estate sign. From West New Jersey Take 195 East, to Exit 35A, following signs for 34 South, staying on Route 34 South through the traffic circle for 3.3 miles. Office is located on right after Diane Turton Real Estate sign. From Philadelphia or South Jersey Take GSP North to Exit 98 – Belmar/Trenton. Follow 195 West (Pt. Pleasant/Trenton) to Route 34 South – Brielle/Pt. Pleasant (Exit #35A). Continue on 34 South, staying on Route 34 South through the traffic circle for 3.3 miles. Office is located on right after Diane Turton Real Estate sign.


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Man Who Claims Jay-Z Has A Secret Love Child Backpedals On His Story
The story of Jay-Z potentially being the father of a secret love child first surfaced in 2007, but it's made it's way back in the headlines now that Beyonce is pregnant with what is suppose to be his first child. For quite some time rumors have been circulating that rapper Jay-Z has a 9-year-old secret love child with Trinidadian model Shenelle Scott. Just recently a 67-year-old man named Andrews, who is the father of Shenelle's ex-boyfriend Malik Sayeed, reached out to Star magazine claiming that Jay-Z was indeed the father of his grandson, even going as far as to say they had DNA tests to prove it:
"At the time [he] was born, my son Malik thought he was his child, but they did DNA tests. It's been determined that [the child is] Jay-Z's baby."
"Malik threw [Shenelle] a baby shower and bought all this stuff to prepare for the arrival. However, after the baby was born, friends and family told him he needed to get a DNA . Everyone knew she was sleeping around and sleeping with Jay. There was a good chance it was his.
"Maybe two weeks later, he called me and said, 'Daddy, I got some bad news. [He's] not my son,'" Andrews told Star. "I said, 'How do you know, Malik?' He said, 'He doesn't look anything like me!'
"Shenelle told me that Jay-Z gave her $1 million to keep her mouth shut. My understanding is that he's paying her child support. Shenelle took the money and bought herself a really nice house in Trinidad that the whole family lives in now.
"She says he's a good father and he has a lot of interest in [the boy]. It was a big old mess at one time, but I think once they resolved the issue of fatherhood, of paternity, I think things started to level off."
That's nice and all, but when the NY Daily News contacted 'Andrews,' he switched his story up and said that he has no knowledge of a DNA test nor has he spoken to Shenelle or his son about the child. Shenelle is now married to a professional basketball player, and Andrews now also refutes his previous claim about Jay-Z purchasing her Trinidadian home:
"I know Shenelle, but I've never spoken to her or my son about this. They're very private people. The stuff about the DNA test was on the Internet. It's all from an old article on the Internet," he said. "I don't know if it's true."
"The house wasn't purchased by Jay-Z. It was paid for by her present husband."
Back in 2007, Jay spoke on the rumor, denying all allegations and saying it's a classic case of exploitation:
"There is no truth to these ridiculous rumors. People should be ashamed of using this kind of story and exploiting a child for publicity and ratings."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The IGNOU is informally known as Indira Gandhi National Open University, is a distance learning national university located in IGNOU road, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi, India. It is the premier university of the country and is known for its high standards in teaching and research, as well as the eminent scholars it attracts to its faculty. Indira Gandhi National Open University offers courses for all the level of students.
IGNOU has started a decentralisation process by setting up five zones, viz, north, south, east, west and north east. The first of the regional headquarters, catering to four southern states, Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is being set up in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Hello Friends, We know that exams are the crucial time for every student. In Exams everyone have to cover a lot of syllabus within limited days. So you always tries to find which portion is more important than other from final exam point of view. So it is always beneficial to take a look at the previous or sample question paper which cover all the important questions. Here You Can download ignou Previous Year Question Papers, Model Question Paper, 10 years-solved of all major courses for FREE from Sample Question Paper. Students can also download updated & upcoming Indira Gandhi National Open University papers. Our experts design these papers as per the new semester system as per Guidelines of Indira Gandhi National Open University .
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It's a photo that was making the rounds on social media recently. The image is of a fully dressed Plains Indian — with headdress — sitting in a small roped off area on a busy sidewalk.
A sign outside the velvet rope reads, "Please do not feed the stereotype". The twist? Everything artist Gregg Deal is wearing in the piece was mass produced in China.
It represents "the inept understanding Americans have, or westerners have, to what indigeneity is and what it isn't," Deal said. "So in essence, I'm a stereotype personified."
Ethnographic Zoo is a performance piece created by Deal, the artist-in-residence at the Denver Art Museum. "The real ethnographic zoos that existed in museum in western culture, [were] basically taking brown people and putting them on display in western cities, gawking at, essentially, the 'other'," Deal said.
Reaction to this latest work, Deal said, was mixed. "Some people laughed, some people were annoyed, some people walked by," Deal said. "One woman, which I have on video, got behind me and was pulling on the feathers on the headpiece."
So much of my work is based on indigenous identity, particularly as it exists in popular culture.
With fashion appropriated from indigenous cultures walking the runways and discussion of team mascots filling the airwaves, Deal said art has a unique ability to address the topic in a different way.


Hello there, thanks for stopping by. I am an Arizona local that is infatuated with the mysteries beyond life and the universe. Nothing here is official, they are just moments in time that I am sharing with the world. Crazy stuff happens all the time, some of it I forget, other things I will never forget. I was once told by my mother that I had a knack for exploring the universe through imagination. I was often disrupted in class for daydreaming, how dare they! My creative mind would process and connect with universal beings while they taught uncreative ways to think and process information. Here I am years later, and more school than I ever dreamed of attending. Anyhow, this is a hobby blog. Check it out, don't take it to serious, and enjoy yourself.


Artistic Network – The Newave Education team is a dynamic group of specialist creative leaders who have built their reputation based upon high quality creative learning and outdoor education experiences. The organisation comprises of over 260 skilled practitioners who specialise in a range of art disciplines and work with clients across the Midlands.
As a growing organisation, we have strong partnerships with music hubs, local authorities, schools and academies trusts and work with our clients to provide experienced creative practitioners who are able to provide a quality service throughout the year.
All of our employees, associates and workers are recruited on the basis of experience, capability and most importantly their ability to engage and inspire the children and young people they work with. Our recruitment process ensures that every practitioner meets the required high standards of delivery and that all necessary background checks are duly undertaken.
As well as working with schools and academies, we also support local music services and and other arts establishments to source, recruit and train creative leaders and arts educators. By having an established portfolio of quality music, expressive arts tutors and outdoor leaders, we are able to work with education services to provide responsive staffing solutions both on a short term and ongoing long term basis.
As a growing organisation, our network comprises of a diverse range of specialist education professionals from music curriculum teachers to outdoor adventure leaders. We also work alongside individual and organisations that specialise in arts and music therapy, PHSE workshop ands PE.
If you or your organisation would like to become a partner, please contact a member of our team using the links above.


Nothing will help grow your business like a rich and dynamic email marketing program combined with a large and engaged social media fan base.
Sign up for The Total Marketing Package* in April and receive $1000 in Facebook advertising to fuel your fan base growth! This will also increase the fan engagement and the EdgeRank Score assigned by Facebook. You will fast become a dynamic force on the world's heaviest busiest website, with this ad campaign.
*6 month agreement with autocharge payment agreement required. Constant Contact membership for 2500 or less contacts only. Facebook ad spend to be determined by Barry Eichner Consulting and is paid directly to Facebook and has no cash value, can not be refunded.


The delivery issues for sending messages to Vivo in Brazil has been resolved and affected messages have been delivered with delay. All systems are operating normally.
We are observing delivery degradation to the Vivo network in Brazil. We are working with our carrier partners to resolve the issue and will provide an update as soon as possible.
Subscribe to updates for SMS Delivery Degradation to Vivo, Brazil via email and/or text message. Whenever an update is posted, you'll receive a notification.


Bought this rack snuggy on an auction couple yrs back. Hadn't even finished car but knew I wanted it! Fastcorvair donated it for a fundraiser on GD.com and I wasn't gonna be outbid. Finally got her installed. Only takes 5 min! Don't know what took so long. But anyone buying the cheaper $100-$200 racks yiu will need this as they will wear the alum down quick.
I upgraded from a regular saco rack to a magnum and it already has slop. Any chance you have made a snuggy for saco magnums yet?
Nope. Show me a picture of the magnum.
I pulled the rack apart today and the flat gear has too much slop between it and the cover. I either need to do a snuggy or machine the sides of the rack down so top sits closer to the gear.
might have to ship it to him to have one made for it.


Trendy Kids Clothing offers FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $75.00 to anywhere in Canada!
This will automatically be applied in the check out process when you complete your order.
Make sure to contact us if you have any questions.
Thank you for shopping with Trendy Kids!


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Boston Public Library News
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All Library Locations Closed on Wednesday, July 4
All Boston Public Library locations will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. We will resume normal hours on Thursday, July 5, 2018.…
View More about All Library Locations Closed on Wednesday, July 4
Boston Public Library's Summer Reading Program for All Ages Begins This Month
Boston Public Library locations offer summer programs (www.bpl.org/summer) for children, teens, and adults beginning this month and running through August, providing free cultural and educational programs and resources for people of all ages in the City of Boston. The children's brochure of activities is available at all BPL locations. "Boston Public Library continually works to…
View More about Boston Public Library's Summer Reading Program for All Ages Begins This Month
Boston Public Library Launches New bpl.org on Monday, June 11
Final user testing is underway for Boston Public Library's new website that will launch on Monday, June 11, and a preview of the new mobile-friendly site can be accessed via https://www.bpl.org/ and from the home page of bpl.org. The user-focused website is optimized to ensure desired content is easily findable, and includes FAQs on a…
View More about Boston Public Library Launches New bpl.org on Monday, June 11
Boston Public Library's "Concerts in the Courtyard – 2018 Summer Series" Begins Friday, June 1
Boston Public Library's Concerts in the Courtyard (www.bpl.org/concerts) series returns Friday, June 1 and runs through Friday, August 31, bringing a range of free music to one of Boston's most beautiful spaces during one-hour concerts throughout the summer. Concerts are held twice each week on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m…
View More about Boston Public Library's "Concerts in the Courtyard – 2018 Summer Series" Begins Friday, June 1
Boston Public Library's June Author Talks and Lectures
Boston Public Library's June author events include an author panel celebrating Pride Month, talks including topics such as local history, urban gardening, the evolution of human nature, and more. All programs and events can be viewed via www.bpl.org/calendar. Emem Uko, author of Hers To Tell, Notice Me, and Janus, discusses her work on Saturday, June…
View More about Boston Public Library's June Author Talks and Lectures
Closed on Sunday May 27, & Monday May 28 in Observance of Memorial Day
All library locations will be closed Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28 in observance of Memorial Day. All locations will resume normal hours on Tuesday, May 29.…
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Get Help Navigating the New BPL.org
Welcome to the new BPL.org! We've redesigned our website to make it more dynamic, innovative, and fun. If you're wondering where your favorite features are or would like some help navigating the new site, check out this quick video overview. Learn about our browseable homepage, finding the location most convenient to you, our improved search…
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Mayor Walsh Announces Ben Hires as New Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Boston Public Library
Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Public Library (BPL) President David Leonard today announced the appointment of Ben Hires as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Boston Public Library. In this new role, Hires will be responsible for maintaining and building strong, diversified relationships to advance the Library's mission by ensuring the success of its…
View More about Mayor Walsh Announces Ben Hires as New Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Boston Public Library
Mayor Walsh Announces Call for Artists for Public Art at Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library
Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Art Commission and Boston Public Library, today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a public art project to complement the renovation of the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library. The RFP is for the first of…
View More about Mayor Walsh Announces Call for Artists for Public Art at Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library
Jabari Asi, Linda Dorcena Forry appointed to Boston Public Library Board of Trustees; Ben Brandlee Re-appointed
Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that writer and educator Jabari Asim and former state legislator Linda Dorcena Forry have been appointed to the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees. Journalist Ben Bradlee has also been re-appointed as Trustee. The Trustees' mission is to preserve and provide access to historical records of our society, and…
View More about Jabari Asi, Linda Dorcena Forry appointed to Boston Public Library Board of Trustees; Ben Brandlee Re-appointed
Renovations & Other Capital Projects


An extreme injury appliance, this Shot Out Eye prosthetic covers the eye and cheekbone area to simulate a horrific gunshot wound. If you want to dress as Carl Grimes at your next convention or party, this is the prosthetic for you!
Watch the video below for complete instructions on how to apply a prosthetic – you can also find an easy to follow guide in this blog post, and you can read our 5 Top Tips for Prosthetic Wound FX for techniques to make this extra gruesome.


On a wild and stormy night Molly runs away from her grandparents' house. Her dad has sent her to live there until he Sorts Things Out at home.
In the howling darkness, Molly sees a desperate figure running for his life from a terrifying midnight hunt. He has come to help her. But why? And who is he?
"Season of Secrets" weaves the tale of a heartbroken child and an age-old legend into a haunting story of love, healing and strange magic.
The roots of this novel come from the story of the green man, who is the pagan god of summer. A friend told me this story, and I was fascinated by the idea of a person so powerful that he can create summer across a whole world, but who is also incredibly vulnerable, because in order for winter to come, he must be killed.
I wanted to tell his story, but I wanted the story to be based in real life, and to have some relevance to a modern child. I decided to use his cycle of death and rebirth to represent the grief-story of a child whose mother has just died. Like winter, grief isn't something that happens once and then goes away forever. But I wanted to show that hope does come back. And after writing Ways to Live Forever, I wanted this book to end happily.
with her grandparents over a shop is because when my father was a child, he lived with his great aunt and uncle over a newsagent's. I never knew my father, but the way my mum described his childhood – the kind, old-fashioned couple who let him sleep in their bed because it was the warmest place in the flat – always made it sound like such a cosy, safe place to be.
A lot of the plans Molly and Emily have are for things my friends and I also wanted to do when I was a child. I remember reading Noel Streatfield's A Vicarage Family and being very impressed that she'd captured that wonderful feeling of possibility – and also our tendency to spend our time planning rather than actually doing.
I'm pleased to say that I managed to get some of my things done.
Molly is a harder character to write about than Sam, for several reasons. Sam doesn't like to talk about being sad – he just gives you the space and lets you fill in the details. But Molly is much more emotionally-driven than Sam is and she spends a lot of autumn and winter feeling very sad.
My first drafts had a lot of chapters with Molly moaning about her mum or how much she misses her cat. I took most of these out because they depressed me. But I then had to work with Molly's need to tell you about how she's feeling without letting it take up all of the book.
Season of Secrets works like Ways to Live Forever in reverse. Both are books of two halves, with each half having a very different tone. Both have a significant event which happens somewhere in the middle and changes everything.
who looked after foster children. She once cared for a family of six children after their mother died and their father wasn't able to have them. After a year, the father remarried and the children went back home.
I originally wanted to write a book about those six children, but I hit two problems. Firstly, I'm better at stories that are centred around one character and secondly, I didn't really have enough plot for a whole book. In the end I took the interesting bit of their story – how do you cope with a father who obviously loves you, but who abandons you? – and gave it to Molly and Hannah.
Sally Nicholls is simply an exceptionally talented writer, who writes beautifully. Her intelligent, warm fiction is honest and profound, complex yet accessible.
This is a beautiful story… Absolutely wonderful.
and it's so sad but so sweet, and I felt like I was there beside Sam the whole way.
Sally, your book "Ways to live forever" is a touching book with lots of feelings and emotions. I love this book so much! This book is amazing I can't even describe!!!!!!!!!!!
hey sally i just want to say that u r a superb writer .keep writing and i will keep reading.
wow this book is so good and it made me laugh and it made me cry.
I finished Season of Secrets around five minutes ago. Its a fantastic book. You really feel the heartbreak for Molly. The ending was like a cliff-hanger! You should publish a second book about what happens next!


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews made railroad repairs in Los Angeles Monday after a train derailed near the location where thieves have been raiding cargo containers, leaving the tracks littered with emptied boxes of packaged good sent by retailers. It wasn't immediately clear if the...
Ex-Omaha Archdiocese chancellor faces new theft charge
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former chancellor for the Roman Catholic Church's Archdiocese of Omaha who is already charged with two felony counts has been charged with a new count of theft after authorities say he stole more than $100,000 from a church in Sarpy County. The Rev. Michael...


We have a wide range of post boxes and post box accessories available, below are some of our featured products.
The largest model in our H370 range, the H370-2 horizontal mail box is a double-height unit with a total capacity of almost 22 litres. A high capacity commercial letter box measuring 370 x 220 x 270mm (width, height, depth) in dimension, it remains the number #1 choice for mixed-use developments and student accommodation jobs. It complies with EN13724 and it is Homes Guide 2016 Secured by Design compliant.
The H260-1 horizontal post box is our biggest selling, most commonly specified mailbox for blocks of apartments. Conforming to European Norm EN13724 and Secured by Design's Homes Guide 2016, this space-saving letterbox is the most compact format unit available in the UK which can accept a C4 envelope (A4 document sized) without the need to bend or fold it for delivery. With dimensions of 260 x 110 x 375mm (width, height, depth) and an overall capacity of just over 10.7 litres, the H260-1 is extremely well suited to high density projects including mixed-use schemes typically in city centres, and student accommodation developments alike.
Create an organised and fully functional bank of bespoke letterboxes with the H370-1 horizontal letter box. Designed for multiple-occupancy apartment blocks, student accommodation projects, and commercial office buildings, it can accommodation larger C4 envelopes without the need to fold for delivery, and it has a total capacity of 10.9 litres. With total dimensions of 370 x 110 x 270mm (width, height, depth), this premium post box compact yet capacious, and as it conforms to both EN13724 and the Homes Guide 2016 Secured by Design initiative, it is a solid investment for commercial and residential properties.


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Taylor Ritzel, född den 4 september 1988 i Aurora, Colorado, är en amerikansk roddare.

Hon tog OS-guld i åtta med styrman i samband med de olympiska roddtävlingarna 2012 i London.

Referenser

Källor

Externa länkar
Sports-reference.com

Amerikanska roddare
Amerikanska olympiska guldmedaljörer
Olympiska guldmedaljörer 2012
Tävlande vid olympiska sommarspelen 2012 från USA
Tävlande i rodd vid olympiska sommarspelen 2012
Personer från Aurora, Colorado
Födda 1988
Levande personer
Kvinnor
Yale Bulldogs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Monthly Inspiration Calendars
The Chitans In Song
Saturday | 01/06/2019
Croydon SDA Church, 95 Selhurst Road, South Norwood, London, SE25 6LH
Join us as we're blessed with the inspirational music of The Chitans!
The Chitans are a family dedicated to music ministry from Toronto, Canada. They serve the community through activities such as ministering in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, community centres, prisons, slums and on the streets (feeding the homeless).
The Chitans sing at religious, cultural, human rights and civic gatherings throughout Canada, the U.S.A., Kenya (Africa), the Caribbean including Bermuda and to heads of state in Jamaica, Grenada, Bermuda and Canada. They have also been invited to minister at The White House and the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill. The Chitans received a Congressional Award in July 2012, from the United States of America, for volunteer work done on the streets of Brooklyn, New York.
This musical family have been privileged to minister with Bobby Jones, Jimmy Swaggart, Lynda Randle, The Crabb Family, Babbie Mason, The Nelons, Jonathan Nelson, The Collingsworth Family, Guy Penrod, Russ Taff, Bill Gaither and his Homecoming Friends. Their first professional CD was produced by Lynda Randle and recorded and engineered at Gaither's Studio. The Chitans have been blessed to be able to minister at Singing in the Sun, Gatlinburg Gathering, National Quartet Convention and Gaither's Fall Fest.
Their ministry encapsulates the Great Command of Matthew 28:19 & 20. The Chitans are blessed to be able to minister in unimaginable places where young people their age seldom enter, and are privileged to serve as inspiration and mentors.
Learn more at: http://thechitans.com/home/
Register for Event: The Chitans In Song
Adventurer & Pathfinder Registration
Tuesday | 11:59 pm
SEC Teens Congress
Saturday | 10:00 am
Plant Based Cooking Classes
Thursday | 7:00 pm
BUC Youth Conference: Easter 2020
Friday | 11:59 pm
Want to cook simple, tasty and healthy homemade meals? We're offering 9 classes over the course of the year. Everyone…


There is no easy way to experience a miscarriage. It\'s a painful and terrible thing for any couple to go through. While many women have experienced a miscarriage, women who suffer with PCOS have a higher rate of miscarriage, suffering this loss at a rate of 45 to 50 percent as compared to the national rate of 15 to 25 percent for women who do not have the condition.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects between six to ten percent of American women of childbearing age. It is the number one cause of infertility and if left untreated, can increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Why and how PCOS develops is not entirely clear but most experts do agree that insulin plays a major role. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, meaning the process of moving sugar out of the blood is faulty and the pancreas is unable to keep up with the insulin needs of the body. Insulin resistance has been linked to miscarriage in women with diabetes and likewise in those with PCOS.
The woman with PCOS may suffer with any number of symptoms, some of which include irregular periods, vaginal bleeding, hair loss and irregular hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, weight gain in the upper body, chronic pelvic pain, high blood pressure and infertility.
For a woman who wishes to become pregnant, the process can be very frustrating. It is most often necessary to use fertility drugs or IVF in order to conceive. Some diabetic medications, such as Metformin (Glucophage), have been used successfully to impact the way insulin regulates glucose and causes a decrease in the production of testosterone. Ovulation is able to return and the use of a fertility drug may help in ovulatory stabilization.
Medical experts say that women with PCOS who become pregnant encounter a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia and blood clotting disorders. They are also more likely to have miscarriage, pre-term births or over-sized babies. The miscarriage rate is high, however, the exact cause of miscarriage may be difficult to pinpoint due to genetics or other abnormalities which may contribute to the situation.


Outside my window, bluebells lap at the trunk of a bigleaf maple.
A few warms days on the island, and Mother Nature takes notice. The orchard trees are set to bloom, the days get longer (just like my chore list) and the memories of a chilly wet winter fade with each flower's bloom and every flop in the hammock. I have a few farm photos to share, as well as what's been going on.
I found the perfect finials for my work-in-progress kiwi trellis–such a noble and worthy breed to ward off pests and guard the fruit!
Art in and of the garden: My dear friend Phoebe came by to visit and share a gift from her hand and heart–a lovely watercolor of my cabin in the cottonwoods.
After a year without bees, I enlisted the help of my friend David, the bee whisperer, to mentor me in the fine art of beekeeping. Here the queen is about to be released to the hive, while her attendants set up housekeeping.
Garden gate: With age comes a fine patina and natural presence (which goes for people, too).
Narcissus Poeticus, aka the Poet's Daffodil or Pheasant's Eye, unfurls in a showstopping finale as one of spring's most vibrant, fragrant and beautiful performers.
Garnering sympathy: Here I am doing my best pouty face, thanks to a root canal that devolved into a pulled molar, and a myopic month of ill-fitting, broken glasses. Ibuprofen has been my friend. (More pouting: did I mention my replacement frames and lenses were lost in the mail.) Not-so-golden silence: Algae got the best of my fountain pump, clogging it completely. I may have to replace the old pump with a larger one better suited to provide greater water circulation and aeration, and less perfect environment for green slime.
What's next? After nine years and six tarp layers, my 120-year-old barn needs a new roof (among other things).
My goodness Tom, you are in speed drive. Have you retired? I don't see how you can do all of that and still be working at a job. I'm glad you are finally having some warm weather. I thought spring would never come. I'm not sure it has; we seem to be having blackberry winter. We will probably go straight to summer after this. Don't overdo; your hammock needs you too.
Hi TG, not retired but trying to make a living loving what I do here at the farm, may have to branch out and teach some cooking/gardening classes, and rent out my cabin as a rustic experience. And don't worry, the hammock has a gravitational pull all its own.
You are a machine ! And you made cakes too??!!
Thanks Kim, yep I made St. Clement's cake. I'll post the recipe; it's orangey good.
My boy Rambo says to tell you that's mighty fine taste in "finials" you have there. Spring is very late here in NC. I'm sure by mid-May we'll all be frying in the heat though… Sounds as though you may need to enlist some helpers for these multiple projects you have going! All are interesting for sure. That's a lot of workload for one person there…. The poster above "Toadgirl" is right on "Don't overdo; your hammock needs you too"! As do we!!!
GDS is not the G-rated version of Getting Stuff Done, it's the dyslexic version. And now for the oooohs and aaaaahs — you 'n nature continue to conspire in creating little portraits of loveliness everywhere you point that lens, Tom. Thank you both.
Deb I forgot all about that program-ruh-row!
Well I started today and of course the roof is now off and the joists are in need of some work too, but not for me. I don't do ladders and circular saws.
Such beautiful photos. The bluebells and the garden gate are my favorites!
I like your comparison of the days and the work load. It's true—I guess I just never put it together!
Thanks Sue — appreciate the visit and kind words.
Tom, you are in overdrive! I'm just trying to stay ahead of the weeds! I love your finials. Have you seen any sheep versions?
Anne I'll keep my eyes open for some sheep statues, I did see some raven ones at our local nursery though.
Tom, the finials are perfect. But, do you really need me to come to you and get this eyeglass situation fixed? Lost in the mail? That is a lame excuse. Truly, wish I could enjoy your spring at your house. It looks lovely, really!
Thanks Susan, yep I got a call from the eyewear rep and she said my glasses were sent to Dallas. When I asked when I would get them back she said I had to re-order my glasses, but that the frame I wanted was no longer available. I fear I'll be wearing tape for months to come–argh!
Thanks Ina, yep I keep waiting for the soreness to go away.
Tom, Every time you mention Phoebe, I become more intrigued. Is it wrong to covet someone's neighbor??? Can you tell us a wee bit more about her without invading her privacy too much?!
Pam she is indeed a special lady, and beloved friend. At 90, she's quick witted, charming, cheeky and wonderful. I love her amazing stories of growing up England and the adventures of WWII and how she met her husband. Her family is just as lovely.
This is a fantastic post, Tom! Your garden is looking so good – love the garden gate and the daffodils. My bluebells – none of which I planted – are great and are everywhere. How do they do that? A tiny patch grows into a humongeous patch so fast! My transplanted fig tree didn't die, the dragonclaw willow needs pruning, and I whacked back the ivy growing up the wire fence. But, nothing can compare to the beauty of your place!
And I'm so glad to learn that you have honey bees again! I had a lowly 20% survival rate over this past winter – my fault; I don't know what I'm doing, really. The bees know way more than I ever will! David and I are going to try making our own foundation. Maybe your bee guy can comment? Picture heavy weight acid free paper coated with bees wax and made so stiff it will hold it's shape. Place this into the frame, use fishing line to hold the foundation it – as per the "Fat Bee Guy" on youtube – put it in the hive and let the bees make the cell size they want to!
Thanks for the post – stay safe and look out for electric power tools!
It's the "Fat Bee Man"!
I've installed six frames of paper and wax foundation in the beehive Demeter. I'll let you know how she does.
Cheers, my friend! If I stood on my roof I could just about see you! Well, not really.
Love the fence shot…and the cabin in the Cottonwoods. Just so charming. Not so much the news of your poor mouth, such terrible luck Tom.
Thanks Jacqui, yep still sore, but perhaps in the next few days my mouth will get back to normal.
It's hard feeling sorry for you (o.k… I've had 2 root canals and they're pretty awful, so you do have my sympathies). But to see what's blooming and growing in your yard is more than I can bare!! I still have snow in my backyard! I may not get tomatoes planted until July 🙁 And let me know when you'll be teaching cooking and gardening classes. That may be all I need to book a flight to the Pacific Northwest!
I've had too many root canals !and they should not hurt! If it does hurt bite the endodontist on the finger and he/she should inject some pain killer directly into the poor old tooth. My endodontist is a great guy and if you ever need a root canal I'll send you his address. Plus, while you are in the chair you will have a great view of the south end of Vashon Island, the ferry boat, and old town Tacoma!
Hopefully this is my last for awhile, but if not, I'll seek your referral for a pain-free endodonist. Thanks Margaret!
Eileen, you could be the guest pastry chef instructor and I could stick to the lessons in the garden. And two root canals, argh, so sorry.
Tom get well soon tooth ache is not fun!
I hope a new pair of glasses will arrive soon.
Your blue bells look fantastic.
We are having a beekeeper placing hives in our community garden this year. The last couple of years the beehives were vandalized, hopefully they will be left alone this time.
Good luck on the bees. How odd that someone would feel inclined to vandalize a beehive, as if it's not hard enough to keep bees. Hopefully this time the vandals will find better use of their time and energy. Keep those great veggie recipes coming!
That picture of the maple with the bluebells is breathtaking! I think that bulldog must come from Easter Island.
Thanks Jason, hey you've given me a great idea, giant-sized sculpted bulldogs lining my drive. Brilliant!
Hi Nik, I used to live in Anchorage a bazillion years ago–the late 70s, then moved down to Juneau for several years. Congratulations on your first house. What a wonderful milestone, and don't be too hard on yourself, just chip away at your projects bit by bit. That's how I keep sane (or don I). 😉 As for the kiwi, it's a vigorous vine in our climate of zone 8, too vigorous in a lot of cases. I'll post more photos of the kiwi trellis project. Take care, here's an early Alaska thaw and breakup. I fondly recall my many attempts at trying to win the Nenana Ice Classic.
Otherwise known as The Amazingly productive farmer-man: our spring sounds much like yours–we've got a roof leak (this one on our house) that is bedeviling us to fix; we're putting up a hoophouse; our rhubarb and asparagus and radishes and lettuce are producing faster than we can eat them; tomato cages need to be installed before the tomato plants are too big to fit in them, etc., etc. Isn't it a grand life?
Amy, I just read your hoophouse blog post and cracked up. I think we may need to start a support group for hoophouse wannabes–just to prepare them for what's in store. What a great read and good laugh, so glad to make your acquaintance, and while I'm no Eliot Coleman, I'm so glad I can check in with his GFB from Nebraska for tips, tricks and gardening joy!
Thre is a lot going on in your farm! Thankd for the lovely tour!


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On June 10, 2004, the new Receivership Act became effective in Washington State. Shortly thereafter, The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was signed into law on April 20, 2005, with the explicit intent of discouraging filings under the Bankruptcy Code. At the time of the enactment of these two statutes, the economy was still booming. Little did debtors and creditors know what a significant change these statutes would have on their rights and remedies when the economy turned sour.
For the past several decades, when borrowers and creditors have faced a deadlock or a default they have often looked for the resolution of their disputes in the Bankruptcy Courts. The Bankruptcy System has provided extraordinary remedies, specialized commercial judges, and an expedient, cost-effective forum for relief. However, the Bankruptcy System has become extremely expensive. Bankruptcy attorneys charge hourly rates near the upper end of all lawyers' fees. Even the simplest case requires extensive administration because of the number and cost of court fees, required filings, meetings, and court hearings. As a result, the prospects of an economically viable outcome have been substantially reduced.
An alternative to filing a bankruptcy is to use the tools available under the Washington State receivership act and assignments for the benefit of creditors. The laws are less comprehensive and are local in nature; they are however cheaper and are largely administered by the parties and their attorneys and an experienced receiver.
Receiverships are most common in real property foreclosure situations. During a foreclosure, secured lenders often desire that their collateral be placed in the hands of an independent party. The right to have a receiver appointed in the event of default is routinely included in deeds of trust and loan documents. This permits the appointment of a receiver, while a party seeks non-judicial relief, such as a non-judicial foreclosure for real property or a UCC personal property foreclosure sale.
One of the most significant benefits to a secured creditor is that they can obtain a court order to have the receiver take control of and sell the collateral without the secured creditor having to go into title. This allows the secured creditor to secure, protect and improve their collateral in advance of any foreclosure and in some cases may eliminate the need to institute foreclosure proceedings. In addition, by remaining outside the chain of title the secured creditor can avoid the liability which might arise from going into title on properties such as condominiums, gas stations or other types of collateral that have greater liability for the property owner.
Receivers can also play a valuable role in deadlocked or dissolving business entities. Complaints seeking dissolution or division of assets often include a request for the appointment of a receiver to hold the assets being liquidated or divided, or to sell and distribute the assets. While the court may limit the powers and duties of a receiver, the statute makes clear that the receiver can exercise all the powers of a corporation in place of the board of directors, executive committee, or officers, as reasonably necessary to carry on the ordinary business of the corporation and manage its affairs in the best interests of the shareholders and creditors.
Receiverships can be very effective where there are allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, or Ponzi schemes. Receiverships can assist victims in preserving assets while criminal or civil fact-finding is completed in order to prevent the perpetrator from causing further waste or fraud pending completion of the investigation.
Receiverships have been used increasingly in the recent downturn in the economy, both in real estate and business cases. Lenders are allowing borrowers additional time to raise capital or sell assets, so long as the collateral is being overseen by a receiver. Defaulting borrowers and their lenders are agreeing to receiverships so that feasibility studies and appraisals can be conducted and, when appropriate, stalled projects can be financed and completed.
Receiverships do not have strict timelines like those imposed by the bankruptcy laws. Cases may remain pending while the parties search for a business solution. Bankruptcy relief remains an option should the parties' interests diverge precipitating foreclosure, litigation, or funding termination.
Unlike an involuntary bankruptcy, which is generally not available for a secured creditor, a petition for the appointment of a receiver is normally filed by a secured creditor. If a debtor has 12 or more creditors, in order to file an involuntary bankruptcy, there needs to be three or more unsecured creditors with non-contingent, non-disputed and liquidated damages. The wrongful filing of an involuntary bankruptcy leaves the petitioning creditors and their attorney exposed for actual and punitive damages. A petition for the appointment of a receiver does not have the same requirement of coordinating creditors nor does the petitioning party have the same exposure for punitive damages.
The filing of a bankruptcy results in the issuance of an automatic stay. This stops all collection proceedings, all collection attempts and all litigation. Under the Washington Receivership Act, the assets of the case are now protected by the same type of automatic stay. Unlike the Bankruptcy Code, the stay under a Receivership ends after 60 days unless a party moves for an extension.
The Bankruptcy Code allows a bankruptcy court to sell a property, passing clean title with all liens, claims and encumbrances attaching to the proceeds. When there is a sale of troubled property involved in litigation or property subject to title disputes, the Bankruptcy Court can order and approve the property's sale with liens and claims against the property transferred to the proceeds of the sale. Under the Washington Receivership Act, the same type of title cleansing process can occur pursuant to RCW 7.60.260. No longer do the parties have to rely upon a long foreclosure process to sell property and to clear subordinate liens.
When a business is subjected to a burdensome lease or an executory contract that is interfering with its continued operation or its reorganization, the Bankruptcy Code allows such a lease or contract to be rejected. The non-debtor party is given a "pre-petition" claim against the business and the debtor is excused from performance on the lease or contract. Under the Washington Receivership Act, the Receiver now has this same power allowing the debtor entity to restructure and focus on the profitable aspects of the business operations.
The bankruptcy laws continue to provide certain remedies and procedures that are unique. That being said, business parties may not always be willing to turn over their financial fates to a bankruptcy judge. A less intrusive receivership proceeding may, in certain instances, be more desirable. When a developer finds himself upside down in a project and a handful of creditors are owed money and can look to the build out of the project, receivership may be a quicker, less expensive and more appropriate workout tool, than a bankruptcy case.
Kevin Hanchett is a principal at Edmonds-based Resource Transition Consultants, which specializes in custodial and general receiverships. He has more than 23 years of experience in debtor-creditor, commercial litigation and corporate financial matters.


At the foot of the Pyrenees, the town of Tarbes is the second largest metropolitan area of the Midi-Pyrénées region. The town is close to the small market town of Lourdes, which is known for its Roman Catholic pilgrimages. Around 5 million people have been known to make the pilgrimage to the region every season.
Tarbes' main attraction is the Musée des Beaux-Arts, whilst the town is also a regular calling point of the Tour de France, due to its proximity to challenging mountain roads.
Many visitors to the region hire a car from Tarbes and visit some of the other towns and cities in the Pyrenees region. Toulouse, around 150km away, is the largest big city to Tarbes, whilst the city of Pau is around 40km away.
In Pau, you'll find a number of sights including the Château de Pau, a large castle that dominates its quarter of the city, and the Place Clemenceau, one of the central squares.
Sport is also big in Pau, with a well-known rugby team, a long motorsport heritage and continental Europe's oldest 18-hole golf course in the city.


Metals are composed of atoms in ordered layers. These atoms form a three-dimensional, crystalline structure. That means that the individual units within the solid -- the atoms, in this case -- are organized in a regularly repeating pattern, like the stars on the American flag. Three-dimensional things can be difficult to think about. It's much easier to start in two dimensions. On this page, we're going to look at a couple of ways that metal atoms could arrange themselves in a single layer. We'll build up from there later on. In the meantime, we'll try to develop familiarity with a number of terms that are used to describe crystalline structures.
We live in a Cartesian society. Our houses and buildings are mostly square, our rooms are square, our streets are straight and meet at right angles, unless we live in a meandering place on the water, like Boston or Venice. It's probably easiest to imagine layers of atoms that form nice squares. Suppose a group of atoms forms a nice, straight line. Another group forms a second line, and each atom in the second line sits directly behind an atom in the first line. A third row forms in the same way. The resulting layer has neat rows and columns of atoms. The pattern of atoms regularly repeats as you look from right to left, and as you look from front to back.
Figure ME2.1. A simple square layer of atoms.
We will call this type of layer a simple square layer.
In a square layer, atoms are arranged in rows and columns.
Some metals atoms may be arranged in simple square layers. Others adopt a slightly different arrangement. Start with the same, neat line of atoms in the first row. This time, when the second row of atoms forms, we won't put them directly behind the atoms in the first row. We'll put them just in between the atoms in front. Each atom in the second row sits behind two atoms in the first row, as if it were peeking between them, like kids in a kindergarten class photo (before they all squirm around).
The third row will also be slightly offset from the row in front of it. If you look carefully, you can see that puts each of the third row atoms directly behind an atom in the first row, but an extra row farther away. The fourth row will be slightly offset from the third, and so on.
Figure ME2.2. A hexagonal layer of atoms.
We still have a crystalline structure. There is a regularly repeating pattern as we look from left to right. There is also a repeating pattern as we move from front to back, but now that pattern repeats every other row, instead of every row.
This type of layer is called a hexagonal layer. Sometimes, it is called a close-packed layer.
In a hexagonal layer, the rows are offset from each other by half an atom.
Each atom in a hexagonal layer is surrounded by six other atoms.
Unlike some other geometric shapes, circles do not pack together with no space in between them. The spaces in between atoms within a layer are called holes. Note that the use of the word "holes" here has nothing to do with holes in conductivity-speak. On this page, holes are just spaces between atoms. In conductivity, holes are places where there is positive charge that could capture an electron.
Sometimes, the spaces between the atoms are described in other ways, such as "interstitial sites". Later on, these interstitial sites or holes will be important in building compounds from mixtures of elements. You will see that the empty spaces in an array of atoms leave room for a second kind of atom to pack into the same structure.
The simplest repeating unit in a pattern is sometimes called the unit cell. In a layer, the unit cell can be traced again and again over the layer, so that every part of the layer is accounted for (but depending where you start tracing, you might run out of room at the edges).
Figure ME2.3. A simple row of atoms. The unit cell is a repeating unit along the row.
Because each layer is composed of individual atoms, we might call a single atom the unit cell. However, we also use the unit cell to illustrate the spatial relationship between the atoms in the layer. For that reason, we often shift the unit cell to show multiple atoms.
For example, in a row of atoms, a unit cell might be a square. The ends of the square would cut through two neighboring atoms. The unit cell contains two half-atoms, for a total of one atom. The square could be repeated in a straight line to reproduce the row of atoms.
The unit cell is the smallest repeating unit in the structure.
The unit cell shows the pattern that is found in the structure.
In a layer of atoms, the unit cell might once again be thought of as a single atom. However, we can more clearly show the relationships between these atoms by choosing a slightly different cell. The unit cell in a simple square layer is just a square that contains the corners of four neighboring atoms. The unit cell in a hexagonal layer is a rhombus that contains the corners of four neighboring atoms.
Figure ME2.4. The unit cell in a simple square layer (left) and in a hexagonal layer (right).
Packing efficiency is one of the questions people wonder about in crystal structures. It deals with how tightly the atoms are packed together in a structure. Often, the more tightly packed the structure, the better (but it doesn't always happen that way).
Figure ME2.5. Packing efficiency refers to how tightly atoms are packed together.
Why might tighter packing of metal atoms be favored? It has to do with the fact that the metal atoms are interacting with each other. The closer they are together, the more strongly they can interact.
There are a couple of ways we can think about that interaction. In the simplest idea of the electron-sea model, metal atoms have become metal cations, and are surrounded by electrons. The closer the metal atoms can get to the electrons, the more strongly they will interact. In general, we think of the metal atoms as sharing their electrons; the closer the metal atoms are to each other, the more efficiently the electrons can be shared.
Let's just work with that idea of electrostatic attraction. Imagine a group of atoms in a simple square layer. All of the atoms are touching their neighbors on either side. Let's think about the distance between a nucleus and an individual electron in the electron sea. We know that the nucleus is in the center of the atom. We don't know exactly where a free electron is, but let's assume it is in the center of the nearest hole. Remember, the closer the electron is to the nucleus, the lower the energy.
Figure ME2.6. Packing efficiency has an influence on the strength of interactions between metal nuclei and the electrons in the "electron sea."
For comparison, maybe there is another set of atoms, also in a simple square layer. Suppose they are well-separated from each other; maybe they are far enough apart that you could fit an extra atom between each pair if you wanted to. If the free electron is in the same place -- the middle of the nearest hole -- you can see that it is much farther from the nucleus in this case. The force of attraction is much lower in this case, and the overall energy is not as low.
Most metals pack very efficiently together to form a solid.
Efficient packing leads to stronger bonding interactions.
That first case, with atoms packed more tightly together, may be preferable, because of the stronger interaction between the metal nucleus and the free electron. For reasons like this, understanding the packing efficiency in a crystal can be very important.
There are a number of terms used in describing the relationships between atoms and the atoms to which they are directly bonded. For example, we use the term "coordination number" to describe the number of other atoms that a specific atom is touching in a regular layer.
Take a look at all of the atoms surrounding one specific atom in a layer. If you were to draw a line from the center of one of these atoms to the next, and go all the way around until you got back to the beginning, you would get a specific shape. That shape is described as the coordination geometry of the central atom. It's closely related to the coordination number. In two dimensions, two atoms with the same coordination number always have the same coordination geometry. Occasionally in three dimensions, two atoms with the same coordination number can have different coordination geometries; the atoms that they are touching may be arranged in slightly different ways.
Sometimes, the arrangement of atoms in a crystal is referred to as "an array" or "a lattice." At this point, an array or lattice is just the two-dimensional network of atoms in a layer. Later, we will see three-dimensional arrays of atoms. Metallic solids are usually three-dimensional, not two-dimensional. However, as we start to build up to a third dimension, you will see that most of the ideas on this page have analogies in 3D.