A New Species of Euphlyctis (Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae) from the West Coastal Plains of India

The genus Euphlyctis is widely distributed across Southwestern Arabian Peninsula into parts of Southeast Asia. Five of the seven known Euphlyctis species are found within the Indian subcontinent. Here, we describe a new species, Euphlyctis karaavali sp. nov. from South-west coast of India, which was discovered during surveys engaging citizens. This species was identified to be distinct based on molecular and morphological evidence. We provide a detailed description of this species along with its call description and compare it with closest congeners. Previous studies in the region had identified this species as E. hexadactylus but suggested the possibility of it being cryptic. Genetically E. karaavali sp. nov. is distinct from E. hexadactylus with a genetic divergence of 9.2% （12S and 16S） and shows a high divergence with E. kalasgramensis and E. ehrenbergii （13.04% each）. Our findings are discussed in the context of cryptic species discovery, citizen engagement in scientific progress and conservation measures while suggesting future directions.

显微拉曼在硅半导体器件表征中的一些重要应用(英文)

显微拉曼(μRS)在硅半导体器件生产中有许多重要和独特的应用。它可以提供一些非常重要的,于传统表征技术,如四探针法,TEM,AFM,SEM及XRD,相辅助的信息。本文报道μRS在硅器件研究中的一些重要应用。我们成功的应用μRS研究技术上重要的TiSi2C54相在TiS2C40模板上生长的过程,以及NiSi,NiSi2,CoSi,CoSi2的形成过程。运用Si衬底的拉曼信号,超薄硅化物薄膜的厚度(10nm)可以得到非常精确,便利的测量。薄膜的均匀性及晶粒的取向也可以在微米范围内进行评估。利用UV激光在Si及GeSi内极短的穿透深度,UVμRS为下一代IC材料SiGe及器件的研究,特别是应力研究,提供了独特的工具。毫无疑问,μRS将在IC工业中得到更加广泛的应用。

Oxygen-induced controllable p-type doping in 2D semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides

Exposure to oxygen alters the physical and chemical properties of two-dimensional(2D)transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs).In particular,oxygen in the ambient may influence the device stability of 2D TMDs over time.Engineering the doping of 2D TMDs,especially hole doping is highly desirable towards their device function.Herein,controllable oxygen-induced p-type doping in a range of hexagonal(MoTe2,WSe2,MoSe2 and PtSe2)and pentagonal(PdSe2)2D TMDs are demonstrated.Scanning tunneling microscopy,electrical transport and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to probe the origin of oxygen-derived hole doping.Three mechanisms are postulated that contribute to the hole doping in 2D TMDs,namely charge transfer from absorbed oxygen molecules,surface oxides,and chalcogen atom substitution.This work provides insights into the doping effects of oxygen,enabling the engineering of 2D TMDs properties for nanoelectronic applications.

Sensors, Biosensors, and Analytical Technologies for Aquaculture Water Quality

In aquaculture industry,fish,shellfish,and aquatic plants are cultivated in fresh,salt,or brackish waters.The increasing demand of aquatic products has stimulated the rapid growth of aquaculture industries.How to effectively monitor and control water quality is one of the key concerns for aquaculture industry to ensure high productivity and high quality.There are four major categories of water quality concerns that affect aquaculture cultivations,namely,(1)physical parameters,e.g.,pH,temperature,dissolved oxygen,and salinity,(2)organic contaminants,(3)biochemical hazards,e.g.,cyanotoxins,and(4)biological contaminants,i.e.,pathogens.While the physical parameters are affected by climate changes,the latter three are considered as environmental factors.In this review,we provide a comprehensive summary of sensors,biosensors,and analytical technologies available for monitoring aquaculture water quality.They include low-cost commercial sensors and sensor network setups for physical parameters.They also include chromatography,mass spectrometry,biochemistry,and molecular methods(e.g.,immunoassays and polymerase chain reaction assays),culture-based method,and biophysical technologies(e.g.,biosensors and nanosensors)for environmental contamination factors.According to the different levels of sophistication of various analytical techniques and the information they can provide(either fine fingerprint,highly accurate quantification,semiquantification,qualitative detection,or fast screening),we will comment on how they may be used as complementary tools,as well as their potential and gaps toward current demand of real-time,online,and/or onsite detection.

Security Governance and ASEAN's Political Security Community:Fragmented but Inclusive Security Communities?

The establishment of the ASEAN Political and Security(APSC)in 2015 mimics the notion of a security community where member states are imbued with deep habits of cooperation,mutual trust,a sense of'we-feeling'and the ability to manage security problems together with no prospects of any member going to war with another.But does a security community provide sufficient foundation for security governance in Southeast Asia?The idea of security governance,defined as a set of processes and arrangements carried out by a range of state and non-state actors across multiple levels from the local to the international that are aimed at defining and managing security challenges,requires a movement beyond state-centric approaches to one that is more participatory and inclusive.Despite the APSC's people-centred rhetoric,there are inherent tensions in security practices in ASEAN as states hold on to the principles of non-interference and state sovereignty,while having to respond effectively to address a host of non-traditional threats.These tensions have led to the emergence of multiple sites of governance that are changing the nature of security governance in the region.In analysing the cases of civilian protection in times of humanitarian crises and forced migration,the paper argues that multiple sites of governance point to the need to reassess the APSC as a mechanism for security governance and explore the idea of having fragmented but more inclusive and participatory security communities that work together towards the shared goal of more secure region.

Eventual Positivity of Hermitian Polynomials and Integral Operators

Quillen proved that if a Hermitian bihomogeneous polynomial is strictly positive on the unit sphere, then repeated multiplication of the standard sesquilinear form to this polynomial eventually results in a sum of Hermitian squares. Catlin-D'Angelo and Varolin deduced this positivstellensatz of Quillen from the eventual positive-definiteness of an associated integral operator. Their arguments involve asymptotic expansions of the Bergman kernel. The goal of this article is to give an elementary proof of the positive-definiteness of this integral operator.

Structuring Nonlinear Wavefront Emitted from Monolayer Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides

The growing demand for tailored nonlinearity calls for a structure with unusual phase discontinuity that allows the realization of nonlinear optical chirality,holographic imaging,and nonlinear wavefront control.Transition-metal dichalcogenide(TMDC)monolayers offer giant optical nonlinearity within a few-angstrom thickness,but limitations in optical absorption and domain size impose restriction on wavefront control of nonlinear emissions using classical light sources.In contrast,noble metal-based plasmonic nanosieves support giant field enhancements and precise nonlinear phase control,with hundred-nanometer pixellevel resolution;however,they suffer from intrinsically weak nonlinear susceptibility.Here,we report a multifunctional nonlinear interface by integrating TMDC monolayers with plasmonic nanosieves,yielding drastically different nonlinear functionalities that cannot be accessed by either constituent.Such a hybrid nonlinear interface allows second-harmonic(SH)orbital angular momentum(OAM)generation,beam steering,versatile polarization control,and holograms,with an effective SH nonlinearityχ^((2))of~25 nm/V.This designer platform synergizes the TMDC monolayer and plasmonic nanosieves to empower tunable geometric phases and large field enhancement,paving the way toward multifunctional and ultracompact nonlinear optical devices.

Fractional Optimal Golomb Ruler Based WDM Channel Allocation

A novel channel allocation method, based on optimal golomb ruler, that allows reduction of FWM effect while maintaining bandwidth efficiency, is presented. Simulation is carried out to show performance improvement in WDM systems without inducing bandwidth increase.

Surface molecular doping of all-inorganic perovskite using zethrenes molecules

We present an optical and photoelectron spectroscopic study to elucidate the interfacial electronic properties of organic-inorganic semiconductor heterojunctions formed in a kinetically blocked heptazethrene triisopropylsilyl ethynylene (HZ-TIPS) and its homologue,octazethrene (OZ-TIPS) on an all-inorganic perovskite cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) surface.The photoluminescence behavior of the underlying perovskites upon differing molecular doping conditions was examined.It turns out that the charge transfer dynamics of thermally-evaporated OZ-TIPS molecule exhibited a faster average lifetime than that of the HZ-TIPS case suggesting the importance of the biradical state in the former molecule.An interfacial dipole was formed at the interface due to the competing interaction between the dispersion force of the bulky TIPS-substituent group and the attractive van der Waals interaction at the first few layers.Photoemission spectroscopy of the physisorbed HZ-TIPS shows chemical shifts,which indicates electron transfer from HZ-TIPS molecules to the CsPbBr3 perovskite single crystal.In contrast,the adsorbed OZ-TIPS molecular layer on CsPbBr3 demonstrates the opposite trend indicating a hole transfer process.The average molecular orientation as determined by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) suggests that the HZ-TIPS molecular plane is generally lifted with respect to the perovskite surface.We suggest that the nature of the closed-shell electronic ground state of HZ-TIPS could contribute to the formation of interfacial dipole at the molecule/perovskite interface.

Output beam analysis of high power COIL

As the output power of a chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) increases, the output laser beam instability appears as the far-field beam spot drift and deformation for the large Presnel number unstable resonator. In order to interpret this phenomenon, an output beam mode simulation code was developed with the fast Fourier transform method. The calculation results show that the presence of the nonuniform gain in COIL produces a skewed output intensity distribution, which causes the mirror tilt and bulge due to the thermal expansion. With the output power of COIL increases, the mirror surfaces, especially the back surface of the scraper mirror, absorb more and more heat, which causes the drift and deformation of far field beam spot seriously. The initial misalignment direction is an important factor for the far field beam spot drifting and deformation.

On Poincaré Series of Unicritical Polynomials at the Critical Point

In this paper,we show that for a unicritical polynomial having a priori bounds,the unique conformal measure of minimal exponent has no atom at the critical point.For a conformal measure of higher exponent,we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the critical point to be an atom,in terms of the growth rate of the derivatives at the critical value.

Security Governance in East Asia and China’s Response to COVID-19

A non-state centric approach challenged the concept of security governance in response to a changed security environment,bringing fragmentation of authority and heterarchical structures into the framework.The existing studies on this approach are largely contextualized from the European experience and developments in its security architecture.This leads to the questions as to whether and how non-state centric security governance occurs in other regions.This article contributes to the literature by studying security governance in East Asia,where the state is a dominant feature in security governance,and through the lens of non-traditional security,with China’s COVID-19 response as a case study.In this particular case,we find that security governance that opens spaces for greater involvement of actors beyond the state could happen,albeit in a more circumscribed manner and subject of certain conditions.We identify three conditions that catalyze the opening of governance spaces:when the capacity of the state is stretched to the limits,when the legitimacy of the government is under pressure,and when there is trust between the government and other actors.

Dynamic admission control in hybrid QoS networks with WiFi access

Providing quality of service （QoS） guarantees for multimedia applications over Hybrid networks by wired and wireless LANs is rapidly becoming an important issue. In order to protect the high priority traffic flows and improve network performance in a heavy-loaded network, a new dynamic admission control algorithm is proposed in this paper. We firstly propose a method to fit the fractional autoregressive integrated moving average （FARIMA） models to four actual wireless traffic traces and a traffic prediction based on the upper probability limit. Our experiments show that the one-step forecasts based on the FARIMA models are better than those based on autoregressive integrated moving average （ARIMA） models. We also propose a prediction-based admission control algorithm in hybrid QoS networks with WiFi access using the FARIMA models. The comprehensive simulation experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed admission control algorithm.

Eventual Positivity of Hermitian Algebraic Functions and Associated Integral Operators

Quillen proved that repeated multiplication of the standard sesquilinear form to a positive Hermitian bihomogeneous polynomial eventually results in a sum of Hermitian squares,which was the first Hermitian analogue of Hilbert s seventeenth problem in the nondegenerate case.Later Catlin-D’Angelo generalized this positivstellensatz of Quillen to the case of Hermitian algebraic functions on holomorphic line bundles over compact complex manifolds by proving the eventual positivity of an associated integral operator.The arguments of Catlin-D’Angelo involve subtle asymptotic estimates of the Bergman kernel.In this article,the authors give an elementary and geometric proof of the eventual positivity of this integral operator,thereby yielding another proof of the corresponding positivstellensatz.