Identity building and social transformation: the cases of Namibia and Botswana compared

Namibia and Botswana differ from other sub-Saharan nations in their record of stable political performance. However, both countries have to face increasing social problems. In the case of Namibia these are still mainly related to the process of post-apartheid national reconciliation and identity building, in the case of Botswana they refer to issues of growing tribal tensions and of a gradual interior restructuring of society. This paper analyzes the various patterns of social transformation in the two countries and examines in what ways state-society relations are different from other African nations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Are Q-stars a serious threat for stellar-mass black hole candidates?

We examine the status of the threat posed to stellar-mass black hole candidates by the possible existence of Q-stars (compact objects with an exotic equation of state that might have masses well above the normally accepted maximum for standard neutron stars). We point out that Q-stars could be extremely compact (with radii less than 1.5 times the corresponding Schwarzschild radius) making it difficult to determine observationally that a given object is a black hole rather than a Q-star, unless there is direct evidence for the absence of a material surface. On the other hand, in order for a Q-star to have a mass as high as that inferred for the widely favoured black hole candidate V404 Cygni, it would be necessary for the Q-matter equation of state to apply already at densities an order of magnitude below that of nuclear matter and this might well be considered implausible on physical grounds. We also describe how rotation affects the situation and discuss the prospects for determining observationally that black hole candidates are not Q-stars.     

Improbability of DUrca Process Constraints EOS

According to recent observational and theoretical progresses, the DUrca process （direct Urca process） may be excluded from the category of neutron star cooling mechanisms. This result, combined with the latest nuclear symmetry energy experiments, will provide us an independent way of testing the EOS （equation of state） for supernuclear density. For example, soft EOSs, such as FPS, will probably be excluded.     

He Conductivity in Cool White Dwarf Atmospheres

We investigate the conductivity of warm dense helium under conditions found in the atmospheres of cool white dwarfs using ab initio simulations. The calculations performed consist of quantum molecular dynamics simulations where the electronic wavefunction at each time step is obtained using density functional theory, while the ion trajectories are calculated using the resulting quantum mechanical forces. We use both conventional DFT (PW91) and hybrid (PBE0) functionals to calculate the conductivities that provide an estimate of the ionization fraction. While the calculations are in good agreement with the measurements for the equation of state, a significant discrepancy exists with the recently measured conductivity.     

基于模糊Hopfield神经网络的大气降水粒子分类

提出基于模糊Hopfield神经网络的大气降水粒子分类,它是通过计算样本间的模糊关系的相似程度,再加上Hopfield网络所特有的高稳定性,对大气降水粒子进行分类.通过对各降水粒子所对应雷达回波数据的分析,验证了方法的可行性.     

Performing environmental governance

This essay reflects on issues of researcher positionality within participant observation and action research, and the specific methodological issues surrounding research on neoliberal governance strategies, using my experience at the US Environmental Protection Agency as case material. Although I was initially concerned about participating with the anti-progressive Bush Administration, I attempted to adopt the interests and subjectivity of an environmental bureaucrat. Doing so proved to be an extremely effective way of exploring the multi-vocality and cross-cutting interests constituting the state, which often appears from the outside to be a policy monolith. Participant research among elites in the neoliberal state is an effective way to observe such complexity. It became apparent that, because mainstream economics tends to adopt a totalizing epistemology, both its casual and dogmatic adherents usually do not conceive of a coherent external critique. This often means that researchers of any theoretical background can be quite frank concerning their purposes, background, and interests, even as participants.     

Mineral occurrence for Dachang gold deposit and its impact on gold recovery rate in Qumarleb County,Qinghai

Based on X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis of the Dachang gold ore, it is showed that the sulfide of ore is the main carrier minerals of gold. A majority of gold is embedded in pyrite and tetrahedrite as the form of inclusion and a small amount intergrowth with pyrite and gangue mineral, occasionally the presence is in form of monomer natural gold. The main factors which influence the recovery rate are sulfide mineral particle size, and the fine grained sulfide is beneficial for the dissociation and flotation of gold bearing minerals. The monomer dissociation degree of gold bearing minerals can reach 91.3% , when the grinding fineness is less than 0. 074 mm and grain level accounts as 80%. It is not conducive to the flotation of sulfide if the grinding fineness is low or high. It is difficult to completely dissociate the monomer if there is a small amount of pyrite and arsenopyrite in the ore. Therefore, before leaching the gold, it must conduct pretreatment to reach the ideal recovery rate of the gold, like roasting oxidation, pressure oxidation and biological oxidation. The fine microscopic gold has little influence on the gold recovery rate.