Local energy-density functional approach to many-body nuclear systems with s-wave pairing

The ground-state properties of superfluid nuclear systems with ^1S_0 pairing are studied within a local energy-density functional (LEDF) approach. A new form of the LEDF is proposed with a volume part which fits the Friedman- Pandharipande and Wiringa-Fiks-Fabrocini equation of state at low and moderate densities and allows an extrapolation to higher densities preserving causality. For inhomogeneous systems, a surface term with two free parameters is added. In addition to the Coulomb direct and exchange interaction energy, an effective density-dependent Coulomb-nuclear correlation term is included with one more free parameter, giving a contribution of the same order of magnitude as the Nolen-Schiffer anomaly in Coulomb displacement energy. The root-mean-square deviations from experimental masses and radii with the proposed LEDF come out about a factor of two smaller than those obtained with the conventional functionals based on the Skyrme or finite-range Gogny force, or on the relativistic mean-field theory. The generalized variational principle is formulated leading to the self-consistent Gor'kov equations which are solved exactly, with physical boundary conditions both for the bound and scattering states. With a zero-range density-dependent cutoff pairing interaction incorporating a density-gradient term, the evolution of differential observables such as odd-even mass differences and staggering in charge radii, is reproduced reasonably well, including kinks at magic neutron numbers. An extrapolation to infinite nuclear matter is discussed. We study also the dilute limit in both the weak and strong coupling regime.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. LaTeX, with modified cls file supplied. To be published in vol. 3 of the series "Advances in Quantum Many-Body Theory", World Scientific (Proceedings of the MBX Conference, Seattle, September 10-15, 1999

Atmospheric Heating and Wind Acceleration: Results for Cool Evolved Stars based on Proposed Processes

A chromosphere is a universal attribute of stars of spectral type later than ~F5. Evolved (K and M) giants and supergiants (including the zeta Aurigae binaries) show extended and highly turbulent chromospheres, which develop into slow massive winds. The associated continuous mass loss has a significant impact on stellar evolution, and thence on the chemical evolution of galaxies. Yet despite the fundamental importance of those winds in astrophysics, the question of their origin(s) remains unsolved. What sources heat a chromosphere? What is the role of the chromosphere in the formation of stellar winds? This chapter provides a review of the observational requirements and theoretical approaches for modeling chromospheric heating and the acceleration of winds in single cool, evolved stars and in eclipsing binary stars, including physical models that have recently been proposed. It describes the successes that have been achieved so far by invoking acoustic and MHD waves to provide a physical description of plasma heating and wind acceleration, and discusses the challenges that still remain.Comment: 46 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; modified and unedited manuscript; accepted version to appear in: Giants of Eclipse, eds. E. Griffin and T. Ake (Berlin: Springer

Polarized Neutron Reflectometry of Nickel Corrosion Inhibitors.

Polarized neutron reflectometry has been used to investigate the detailed adsorption behavior and corrosion inhibition mechanism of two surfactants on a nickel surface under acidic conditions. Both the corrosion of the nickel surface and the structure of the adsorbed surfactant layer could be monitored in situ by the use of different solvent contrasts. Layer thicknesses and roughnesses were evaluated over a range of pH values, showing distinctly the superior corrosion inhibition of one negatively charged surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) compared to a positively charged example (dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide) due to its stronger binding interaction with the surface. It was found that adequate corrosion inhibition occurs at significantly less than full surface coverage.X-ray photoelectron spectra were obtained at the National Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) XPS User’s Service (NEXUS) at Newcastle University, an EPSRC midrange facility. NR data were obtained on the D17 instrument, and samples were treated in the laboratories of the Partnership for Soft Condensed Matter (PSCM) at the Institut Laue-Langevin. M.H.W. is grateful for funding from the Oppenheimer Trust.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Chemical Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b0171

New Nanostructured Carbon Coating Inhibits Bacterial Growth, but Does Not Influence on Animal Cells

An electrospark technology has been developed for obtaining a colloidal solution containing nanosized amorphous carbon. The advantages of the technology are its low cost and high performance. The colloidal solution of nanosized carbon is highly stable. The coatings on its basis are nanostructured. They are characterized by high adhesion and hydrophobicity. It was found that the propagation of microorganisms on nanosized carbon coatings is significantly hindered. At the same time, eukaryotic animal cells grow and develop on nanosized carbon coatings, as well as on the nitinol medical alloy. The use of a colloidal solution as available, cheap and non-toxic nanomaterial for the creation of antibacterial coatings to prevent biofilm formation seems to be very promising for modern medicine, pharmaceutical and food industries

Treatment of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation in synergy with advanced oxidation process

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are very tenacious wastewater contaminants. The consequences of their existence have been acknowledged for negatively affecting the ecosystem with specific impact upon endocrine disruption and hormonal diseases in humans. Their recalcitrance and circumvention of nearly all the known wastewater treatment procedures are also well documented. The reported successes of POPs treatment using various advanced technologies are not without setbacks such as low degradation efficiency, generation of toxic intermediates, massive sludge production, and high energy expenditure and operational cost. However, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently recorded successes in the treatment of POPs in wastewater. AOPs are technologies which involve the generation of OH radicals for the purpose of oxidising recalcitrant organic contaminants to their inert end products. This review provides information on the existence of POPs and their effects on humans. Besides, the merits and demerits of various advanced treatment technologies as well as the synergistic efficiency of combined AOPs in the treatment of wastewater containing POPs was reported. A concise review of recently published studies on successful treatment of POPs in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation technology in combination with other advanced oxidation processes is presented with the highlight of direction for future research focus

THE EFFECT OF SMOKING ON THE MALE FACTOR OF INFERTILITY

Cigarette smoking is widespread among the male population. Objective: to identify the degree of influence of cigarette smoking on spermatogenesis. Materials and Methods: 70 patients were examined, whose wife did not have a pregnancy in the course of 1 year of marriage. All men abused cigarette smoking. Results: 60% of patients smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day. Asthenozoospermia is the most common among them - 45 (64,2%). Azoospermia was detected in 5 (7,1%) patients who abused tobacco. Findings: With prolonged smoking in the testicular tissue, an increased apoptosis of spermatogenic cells is observed

Surgical Treatment of Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

The aim is to study the clinical profiles of patients with severe AP treated surgically during their stay in the hospital. Methods and materials: a result analysis of treating 125 patients with severe forms of acute pancreatitis was carried out. All patients in the preoperative period were imaged through ultrasound scanning (hereinafter referred to as the US). 40 patients were also imaged through computed tomography (hereinafter referred to as CT). US and CT data obtained before surgery were compared with intraoperative ones. Results: All patients were operated on. Operation indications involved: peritonitis clinical picture in 117 patients (93.6%), arosive vessel bleeding in the necrotizing and sequestrum area in 4 patients (3.2%), jaundice growth in 4 patients (3.2%). 80 patients showed infected pancreonecrosis, 80 patients showed retroperitoneal tissue disease. 34 patients died. Factors affecting the disease outcome were revealed: infected pancreonecrosis, retroperitoneal tissue disease, cachexia, obesity, alcoholism, coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension and hepatic disorders, total ASSES scores are higher than 13 upon admission and before surgery, as well as higher than 16 on the 1st-2nd and 3rd-4th day after the operation. Conclusion: The complex use of computed tomography and ultrasound when diagnosing severe forms of acute pancreatitis increases the informational value of these methods to almost 100%

UV treatment of microorganisms on artificially-contaminated surfaces using excimer and microwave UV lamps

An XeBr excilamp having a peak emission at 283 nm, and microwave UV lamps with peak emissions at 253.7 nm that also generate ozone, have been tested for ability to eradicate high populations of microbial vegetative cells and spores (of bacteria and fungi) artificially added to filter surfaces. The study examined the energy required to completely eradicate large populations on filter surfaces. It was found that both the excilamp and microwave UV lamps were effective at killing large populations on surfaces with killing efficiency dependant on the type of organism, and, whether present in its vegetative or spore forms. The main killing factor is UV radiation following short treatment times. It is considered that for longer irradiation periods that are required to facilitate complete destruction of surface microorganisms, ozone and other oxidising species produced by microwave UV lamps would act to enhance microbial destruction