Tin dioxide sol-gel derived thin films deposited on porous silicon

Undoped and Sb-doped SnO2 sol¿gel derived thin films have been prepared for the first time from tin (IV) ethoxide precursor and SbCl3 in order to be utilised for gas sensing applications where porous silicon is used as a substrate. Transparent, crack-free and adherent layers were obtained on different types of substrates (Si, SiO2/Si). The evolution of the Sn¿O chemical bonds in the SnO2 during film consolidation treatments was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. By energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy performed on the cross section of the porosified silicon coupled with transmission electron microscopy, the penetration of the SnO2 sol¿gel derived films in the nanometric pores of the porous silicon has been experimentally proved

Rigorous investigation of the reduced density matrix for the ideal Bose gas in harmonic traps by a loop-gas-like approach

In this paper, we rigorously investigate the reduced density matrix (RDM) associated to the ideal Bose gas in harmonic traps. We present a method based on a sum-decomposition of the RDM allowing to treat not only the isotropic trap, but also general anisotropic traps. When focusing on the isotropic trap, the method is analogous to the loop-gas approach developed by W.J. Mullin in [38]. Turning to the case of anisotropic traps, we examine the RDM for some anisotropic trap models corresponding to some quasi-1D and quasi-2D regimes. For such models, we bring out an additional contribution in the local density of particles which arises from the mesoscopic loops. The close connection with the occurrence of generalized-BEC is discussed. Our loop-gas-like approach provides relevant information which can help guide numerical investigations on highly anisotropic systems based on the Path Integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) method.Comment: v3: Minor modifications of v2. v2: Major modifications: the former version (v1) has been completely rewritten. New results concerning the anisotropic traps and generalized Bose-Einstein condensation have been added. The connection with the loop-gas approach is further discussed. 40 page

Normohomocysteinaemia and vitamin-treated hyperhomocysteinaemia are associated with similiar risks of cardiovascular events in patients with premature peripheral arterial occlusive disease. A prospective cohort study

Objectives. Mild hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHC), fasting or after methionine loading, is associated with an increased risk and severity of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Post-methionine and fasting HHC are responsive to treatment with vitamin

Collided path replanning in dynamic environments using RRT and Cell decomposition algorithms

The motion planning is an important part of robots’ models. It is responsible for robot’s movements. In this work, the cell decomposition algorithm is used to find a spatial path on preliminary static workspaces, and then, the rapidly exploring random tree algorithm (RRT) is used to validate this path on the actual workspace. Two methods have been proposed to enhance the omnidirectional robot’s navigation on partially changed workspace. First, the planner creates a RRT tree and biases its growth toward the path’s points in ordered form. The planner reduces the probability of choosing the next point when a collision is detected, which in turn increases the RRT’s expansion on the free space. The second method uses a straight planner to connect path’s points. If a collision is detected, the planner places RRTs on both sides of the collided segment. The proposed methods are compared with the others approaches, and the simulation shows better results in term of efficiency and completeness.Plánování pohybu robota je důležitou součástí modelování funkcí robotů. Plán řídí pohyby robota. V této práci se algoritmus rozkladu na buňky používá k nalezení cesty pracovní plochou a algoritmus prozkoumání náhodného stromu (RRT) k ověření cesty skutečným prostorem. Byly navrženy dvě metody ke zlepšení navigace všesměrové pohyblivého robota částečně změněnou pracovní plochou. Za prvé, plánovač vytvoří RRT strom a vychyluje jeho růst směrem k bodu na cestě. Plánovač snižuje pravděpodobnost výběru dalšího bodu, když je detekována kolize, což zase zvyšuje expanzi RRT na volném prostoru. Druhá metoda používá shodný plánovač pro napojení bodů cesty. Pokud je detekována kolize, plánovač upravuje RRT na obou stranách kolizního segmentu. Navrhované metody jsou porovnávány s dalšími používanými přístupy, přečemž simulace ukazuje lepší výsledky z hlediska účinnosti a úplnosti plánování cesty.The motion planning is an important part of robots’ models. It is responsible for robot’s movements. In this work, the cell decomposition algorithm is used to find a spatial path on preliminary static workspaces, and then, the rapidly exploring random tree algorithm (RRT) is used to validate this path on the actual workspace. Two methods have been proposed to enhance the omnidirectional robot’s navigation on partially changed workspace. First, the planner creates a RRT tree and biases its growth toward the path’s points in ordered form. The planner reduces the probability of choosing the next point when a collision is detected, which in turn increases the RRT’s expansion on the free space. The second method uses a straight planner to connect path’s points. If a collision is detected, the planner places RRTs on both sides of the collided segment. The proposed methods are compared with the others approaches, and the simulation shows better results in term of efficiency and completeness

Атеросклероз: патогенетические механизмы и принципы лечения

Проведен анализ факторов риска развития атеросклероза, дана оценка ряда теорий, объясняющих появление атеросклеротических изменений коронарных артерий. Подчеркивается роль эндотелиальной дисфункции в прогрессировании и обострении сердечно−сосудистых заболеваний. Проанализированы современные подходы к лечению атеросклероза.Risk factors of atherosclerosis development are described, a number of theories explaining atherosclerotic changes appearance in the coronary arteries are analyzed critically. The role of endothelial dysfunction in progress and exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases is emphasized. Contemporary approaches to atherosclerosis treatment are discussed

Thermal modelling of a porous silicon-based pellistor-type catalytic flammable gas sensor with two supporting beams

A three-dimensional transient thermal mathematical model of a porous silicon based pellistor with two supporting beams was developed. The model was numerically solved using the implicit alternating-direction finite difference method. A computer program written in ANSI C and run on a VAX/VMS computer was utilized to study the influence of the power consumption and the main geometrical dimensions (membrane, beam and heater size) of the pellistor mentioned above on its transient and steady-state thermal behaviour. It was found that considerable improvement in the thermal behaviour of the pellistor could be achieved by reducing the membrane size (length and width). The optimal beam length was determined as 100 μm. By comparing the main sources of energy dissipation it was found that energy was lost predominantly through the heat conduction into the supporting beams

Long-term observations of the pulsars in 47 Tucanae. I. A study of four elusive binary systems

For the past couple of decades, the Parkes radio telescope has been regularly observing the millisecond pulsars in 47 Tucanae (47 Tuc). This long-term timing program was designed to address a wide range of scientific issues related to these pulsars and the globular cluster where they are located. In this paper, the first of a series, we address one of these objectives: the characterization of four previously known binary pulsars for which no precise orbital parameters were known, namely 47 Tuc P, V, W and X (pulsars 47 Tuc R and Y are discussed elsewhere). We determined the previously unknown orbital parameters of 47 Tuc V and X and greatly improved those of 47 Tuc P and W. For pulsars W and X we obtained, for the first time, full coherent timing solutions across the whole data span, which allowed a much more detailed characterization of these systems. 47 Tuc W, a well-known tight eclipsing binary pulsar, exhibits a large orbital period variability, as expected for a system of its class. 47 Tuc X turns out to be in a wide, extremely circular, 10.9-day long binary orbit and its position is ~3.8 arcmin away from the cluster center, more than three times the distance of any other pulsar in 47 Tuc. These characteristics make 47 Tuc X a very different object with respect to the other pulsars of the cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS, 18 pages, 11 figure