PECULIAR PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION PROPAGATION IN PHOTONIC CRYSTALLINE METAL-DIELECTRIC SYSTEMS BASED ON OPALS

The article studies the propagation of electromagnetic waves in metal-dielectric systems based on opals. We revealed anomalous transmission and absorption of light by hybrid plasmon- photonic layered heterostructures associated with the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons propagating along the metal-dielectric interface. The position of maxima in the reflection spectra of nanocomposites, obtained by filling the opal matrix with metal by the electrothermodiffusion method, is explained by the Bragg diffraction, and the asymmetric form of the spectral curves is attributed to the Fano resonance.

Asymmetric Hybrids: Dialogues for Computational Concept Combination

When people combine concepts these are often characterised as “hybrid”, “impossible”, or “humorous”. However, when simply considering them in terms of extensional logic, the novel concepts understood as a conjunctive concept will often lack meaning having an empty extension (consider “a tooth that is a chair”, “a pet flower”, etc.). Still, people use different strategies to produce new non-empty concepts: additive or integrative combination of features, alignment of features, instantiation, etc. All these strategies involve the ability to deal with conflicting attributes and the creation of new (combinations of) properties. We here consider in particular the case where a Head concept has superior ‘asymmetric’ control over steering the resulting concept combination (or hybridisation) with a Modifier concept. Specifically, we propose a dialogical approach to concept combination and discuss an implementation based on axiom weakening, which models the cognitive and logical mechanics of this asymmetric form of hybridisation.

Adaptation of metabolite leakiness leads to symbiotic chemical exchange and to a resilient microbial ecosystem

Microbial communities display remarkable diversity, facilitated by the secretion of chemicals that can create new niches. However, it is unclear why cells often secrete even essential metabolites after evolution. Based on theoretical results indicating that cells can enhance their own growth rate by leaking even essential metabolites, we show that such “leaker” cells can establish an asymmetric form of mutualism with “consumer” cells that consume the leaked chemicals: the consumer cells benefit from the uptake of the secreted metabolites, while the leaker cells also benefit from such consumption, as it reduces the metabolite accumulation in the environment and thereby enables further secretion, resulting in frequency-dependent coexistence of multiple microbial species. As supported by extensive simulations, such symbiotic relationships generally evolve when each species has a complex reaction network and adapts its leakiness to optimize its own growth rate under crowded conditions and nutrient limitations. Accordingly, symbiotic ecosystems with diverse cell species that leak and exchange many metabolites with each other are shaped by cell-level adaptation of leakiness of metabolites. Moreover, the resultant ecosystems with entangled metabolite exchange are resilient against structural and environmental perturbations. Thus, we present a theory for the origin of resilient ecosystems with diverse microbes mediated by secretion and exchange of essential chemicals.

Передача и преобразование электромагнитного излучения фотонно-кристаллическими металлодиэлектрическими системами на основе опалов

An experimental study of the optical properties of two types of metal-dielectric composites based on opal matrices was carried out: 1) layered structures obtained by successive deposition of metal and dielectric films on a monolayer of opal globules, where extraordinary transmission and extraordinary absorption of light were detected due to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons of various types; 2) "massive" opal samples, which were infilled with metal by electrothermodiffusion, where an asymmetric form of Bragg resonance curves was observed, due to the Fano resonance.

Asymmetric Decentralization and Peace Building: A Comparison of Aceh and Northern Ireland

This article compares the asymmetric form of decentralization model in the Aceh, Indonesia, and in the Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, towards the process of peacemaking. In general, the decentralization models in the two regions have almost similar backgrounds due to prolonged religious conflicts. However, the devolution model in Northern Ireland is far more complex than Aceh’s, and closely related to other countries, that affect the constitutional status of Northern Ireland in the future. This is different from the Aceh government, which since the Helsinki MoU has remained a part of the Indonesia’s unitary form. On the other hand, in terms of governmental matters, decentralization in Aceh reflects a reduction in their special authority, with a pattern of division of government functions that is almost similar to the division of functions in the ordinary regional government. It is in contrast to the affairs of Northern Ireland’s government concerning matters that are categorized traditionally as the exclusive affairs of the central government in a unitary state, such as security matters. This provides a lesson for Indonesia that the issue of federalism in Aceh is indisputable and the Northern Ireland case reinforces the insight that federal state and unitary state have some degrees of similarity.

Оптические свойства металлодиэлектрических структур на основе фотонно-кристаллических опаловых матриц-=SUP=-*-=/SUP=-

Optical properties of novel metal–dielectric nanocomposite materials based on opal matrices have been investigated. The position of optical resonances of nanocomposites, obtained by embedding of silver into the opal matrix by the electrothermodiffusion method, is explained by the Bragg diffraction, and an asymmetric form of resonance curves is attributed to the Fano resonance. An anomalous transmission and absorption of light by hybrid plasmon-photonic layered heterostructures, which is apparently associated with excitation of surface plasmon-polaritons, propagating along “metal–dielectric” interfaces, was revealed.