Digital phase-locked loops tracked by a relay sensor

An optimal algorithm is presented for tracking the phase of a slowly modulating signal by means of digital sampling of its sign. Error bounds and a numerical illustration are given

A slip model for micro/nano gas flows induced by body forces

A slip model for gas flows in micro/nano-channels induced by external body forces is derived based on Maxwell's collision theory between gas molecules and the wall. The model modifies the relationship between slip velocity and velocity gradient at the walls by introducing a new parameter in addition to the classic Tangential Momentum Accommodation Coefficient. Three-dimensional Molecular Dynamics simulations of helium gas flows under uniform body force field between copper flat walls with different channel height are used to validate the model and to determine this new parameter

Coherent imaging of extended objects

When used with coherent light, optical imaging systems, even diffraction-limited, are inherently unable to reproduce both the amplitude and the phase of a two-dimensional field distribution because their impulse response function varies slowly from point to point (a property known as non-isoplanatism). For sufficiently small objects, this usually results in a phase distortion and has no impact on the measured intensity. Here, we show that the intensity distribution can also be dramatically distorted when objects of large extension or of special shapes are imaged. We illustrate the problem using two simple examples: the pinhole camera and the aberration-free thin lens. The effects predicted by our theorical analysis are also confirmed by experimental observations.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Optics Communication

Infrared Exponents and the Running Coupling of Landau gauge QCD and their Relation to Confinement

The infrared behaviour of the gluon and ghost propagators in Landau gauge QCD is reviewed. The Kugo-Ojima confinement criterion and the Gribov-Zwanziger horizon condition result from quite general properties of the ghost Dyson-Schwinger equation. The numerical solutions for the gluon and ghost propagators obtained from a truncated set of Dyson-Schwinger equations provide an explicit example for the anticipated infrared behaviour. The results are in good agreement with corresponding lattice data obtained recently. The resulting running coupling approaches a fix point in the infrared, $\alpha(0) = 8.92/N_c$. Two different fits for the scale dependence of the running coupling are given and discussed.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures; talk given by R.A. at the conference Quark Nuclear Physics 200

An integral formulation for steady-state elastoplastic contact over a coated half-plane.

A boundary-domain integral equation for a coated half-space (elastically isotropic homogeneous substratum, possibly anisotropic coating layer) is developed. The half-space fundamental solution is used, so that the discretization is limited to the potential contact zone (boundary elements), the potentially plastic part of the substratum and the coating layer (domain integration cells). Steady-state elastoplastic analysis is implemented within this framework, for plane-strain conditions, for solving rolling and/or sliding contact problems, where at the moment the contact load comes from either a purely elastic contact analysis or is of Hertz type. The constitutive integration is of implicit type. In order to improve accuracy and computational efficiency, infinite elements are used. Comparison of numerical results with other sources, when available, is satisfactory. The present formulation is also used to compute the contact pressure for an isotropic (or anisotropic) coating on an isotropic homogeneous half-space indented by an elastic punch

Improvements in Biological X-Ray Microanalysis: Cryoembedding for Specimen Preparation and Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Data Interpretation

For biological X-ray microanalysis, cryoembedding (CE) combined with cryofixation (CF) and cryodehydration (CD) was already proposed as an alternative method to freeze-dried cryosections in 1984 by Wroblewski and Wroblewski. CD by freeze-drying (FD) is usually recommended because it provides better retention of diffusible elements. CD by freeze-substitution (FS) has the advantage of being simpler, giving more reproducible preservation of ultrastructure and causing fewer problems for resin infiltration. We have increased the retention of diffusible elements by using home-made devices for CS and CE in the new Lowicryl KllM and HM23 resins. These resins allow samples to be kept at a maximum temperature of 213K and 193K respectively. Application of multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) to X-ray data (spectra and maps) allows the study of correlations between the analyzed elements in different nuclear areas and in the cytoplasm. The factorial images, obtained with MSA, display the compartments of strong correlation between P and K (nucleic acids) and the compartments of strong correlation between S and K (proteins). We suggest that the future application of MSA methods will provide increased knowledge of the physio-pathological compartmentation of diffusible elements at the subcellular level

In-plane effects on segmented-mirror control

Extremely large optical telescopes are being designed with primary mirrors composed of hundreds of segments. The “out-of-plane” piston, tip, and tilt degrees of freedom of each segment are actively controlled using feedback from relative height measurements between neighboring segments. The “in-plane” segment translations and clocking (rotation) are not actively controlled; however, in-plane motions affect the active control problem in several important ways, and thus need to be considered. We extend earlier analyses by constructing the “full” interaction matrix that relates the height, gap, and shear motion at sensor locations to all six degrees of freedom of segment motion, and use this to consider three effects. First, in-plane segment clocking results in height discontinuities between neighboring segments that can lead to a global control system response. Second, knowledge of the in-plane motion is required both to compensate for this effect and to compensate for sensor installation errors, and thus, we next consider the estimation of in-plane motion and the associated noise propagation characteristics. In-plane motion can be accurately estimated using measurements of the gap between segments, but with one unobservable mode in which every segment clocks by an equal amount. Finally, we examine whether in-plane measurements (gap and/or shear) can be used to estimate out-of-plane segment motion; these measurements can improve the noise multiplier for the “focus-mode” of the segmented-mirror array, which involves pure dihedral angle changes between segments and is not observable with only height measurements

Short report: molecular markers associated with Plasmodium falciparum resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is the first line antimalarial treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Using polymerase chain reaction, we assessed the prevalence of mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) (codons 108, 51, 59) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) (codons 437, 540) genes of Plasmodium falciparum, which have been associated with resistance to pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine, respectively. Four hundred seventy-four patients were sampled in Kilwa (N = 138), Kisangani (N = 112), Boende (N = 106), and Basankusu (N = 118). The proportion of triple mutations dhfr varied between sites but was always > 50%. The proportion of dhps double mutations was < 20%, with some sites as low as 0.9%. A quintuple mutation was present in 12.8% (16/125) samples in Kilwa; 11.9% (13/109) in Kisangani, 2.9% (3/102) in Boende, and 0.9% (1/112) in Basankusu. These results suggest high resistance to pyrimethamine alone or combined with sulfadoxine. Adding artesunate to SP does not seem a valid alternative to the current monotherapy