Electronic polymers and soft-matter-like broken symmetries in underdoped cuprates

Empirical evidence in heavy fermion, pnictide, and other systems suggests that unconventional superconductivity appears associated to some form of real-space electronic order. For the cuprates, despite several proposals, the emergence of order in the phase diagram between the commensurate antiferromagnetic state and the superconducting state is not well understood. Here we show that in this regime doped holes assemble in "electronic polymers." Within a Monte Carlo study we find, that in clean systems by lowering the temperature the polymer melt condenses first in a smectic state and then in a Wigner crystal both with the addition of inversion symmetry breaking. Disorder blurs the positional order leaving a robust inversion symmetry breaking and a nematic order, accompanied by vector chiral spin order and with the persistence of a thermodynamic transition. Such electronic phases, whose properties are reminiscent of soft-matter physics, produce charge and spin responses in good accord with experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures plus supplementary informatio

Hidden Ferronematic Order in Underdoped Cuprates

We study a model for low doped cuprates where holes aggregate into oriented stripe segments which have a vortex and an antivortex fixed to the extremes. We argue that due to the interaction between segments a state with macroscopic polarization is stabilized, which we call a ferronematic. This state can be characterized as a charge nematic which, due to the net polarization, breaks inversion symmetry and also exhibits an incommensurate spin modulation. Our calculation can reproduce the doping dependent spin structure factor of lanthanum cuprates in excellent agreement with experiment and allows to rationalize experiments in which the incommensurability has an order parameter-like temperature dependence.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Web-based knowledge management system: Linking smart metering to the future of urban water planning

The planning of cities and the planning of their water supplies are intertwined. This paper explores the potential role of smart metering for the future of water planning and management in Australian cities. Smart meters for electricity are being rolled out nationally, and while smart meters for water are not yet being implemented at such a scale, they have the capacity to deliver increasing data to planners and residents about patterns of water use. To translate these data to useful information, a Web-Based Knowledge Management System (WBKMS) is proposed that integrates smart metering, end-use water consumption data, wireless communication networks and information management systems in order to provide real-time information on how, when and where water is being consumed for the consumer and utility. Summary data from the system will also be of interest to architects, developers and planners, seeking to understand water consumption patterns across stratified urban samples. An overview of the challenges for developing the WBKMS and an associated research agenda to address current knowledge gaps concludes the paper. © 2010 Planning Institute Australia

Wave Vector Difference of Magnetic Bragg Reflections and Low Energy Magnetic Excitations in Charge-stripe Ordered La2NiO4.11

We report on the magnetism of charge-stripe ordered La2NiO4.11±0.01 by neutron scattering and μSR. On going towards zero energy transfer there is an observed wave vector offset in the centring of the magnetic excitations and magnetic Bragg reflections, meaning the excitations cannot be described as Goldstone modes of the magnetic order. Weak transverse field μSR measurements determine the magnetically order volume fraction is 87% from the two stripe twins, and the temperature evolution of the magnetic excitations is consistent with the low energy excitations coming from the magnetically ordered volume of the material. We will discuss how these results contrast with the proposed origin of a similar wave vector offset recently observed in a La-based cuprate, and possible origins of this effect in La2NiO4.11

Investigation of concrete hollow blocks with powdered green mussel shell as partial cement replacement and pig hair as fiber reinforcement

The effects of green mussel shells (GMS) and pig hair fiber (PHF) on the compressive strength of non-load bearing concrete hollow blocks (CHB) and the material unit cost of production are presented in this research. Cement is partially replaced with (0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by volume of cement) powdered GMS, while PHF is used as an additive (0%, 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% by volume of mix). Two water contents (17.48% and 13.91% of the total volume of the mix for case A and B, respectively) are used in the study to observe if the amount of water in the mix affects the strength of the CHB. Compressive strength tests were performed at the age of 28 days. The strength tests were performed at the age of 28 days. The strength development of the strongest and weakest mix from each case is determined considering the 7th, 14th, and 21st day after production. The results show that the strength of the CHB increases as the curing prolongs. After determining the compressive strengths of the CHB mixes, a trend was observed regarding the use of PHF as an additive to the CHB. It shows that increasing the amountn of PHF added to the mix would result to a decrease in compresive strength. On the other hand, GMS increases the strength of CHB at 5% replacement of cement, but exceeding this percentage results to a decrease in strength. It was also observed that the material cost of CHB with GMS replacement and PHF addition is lesser compared to the material cost of a conventional CHB since the amount of cement is reduced and replaced with waste materials. The most economical out of all the cases is case B0G5P0 with 5% GMS cement replacement it has a 7.6% decrease in material cost and 6.5% increase in compressive strength compared to the control case

Detection of early left ventricular and atrial dysfunction in overweight patients with preserved ejection fraction: a speckle tracking analysis.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Little remains known about the role of overweight to promote progressive atrial and ventricular myocardial dysfunction. Aim of this study was to investigate the potential influence of overweight on left ventricular (LV) and atrial (LA) function, as assessed by speckle tracking strain analysis, in patients at low-to-moderate global cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Seventy patients presenting 1 or more cardiovascular risk factor, with preserved ejection fraction, were enrolled. Peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and Peak ventricular longitudinal strain (PVLS) were calculated by averaging values observed in all LV or LA segments, in four- and two-chamber views (global PALS and global PVLS), using a commercially available semiautomated two-dimensional (2D) strain software. RESULTS: Global PALS was similar in the 2 groups, while global PVLS was significantly lower in the overweight group as compared to normal weight (-17.2 ± 3.3 vs. -18.7 ± 2.8, P < 0.05). Univariate analysis of correlation showed a significantly correlation between global PALS and PVLS (r = -0.43, P < 0.01), as well as with E/A ratio (r = 0.40, P < 0.01) and with LV mass index (r = -0.34, P < 0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, these parameters were confirmed as independent predictors of PALS. CONCLUSION: In subjects at low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk, overweight is a key determinant of the reduction of global LV longitudinal function as assessed by 2D strain