19,241 research outputs found
Particle trapping and banding in rapid solidification
Solidification of suspensions of small particles, from nanometer to colloidal (sub-micrometer) sizes, produces biomimetic materials with novel microstructure and expanding applications in microfluidics, nanotechnology and tissue engineering. To facilitate understanding and control of the solidification process, a thermodynamically consistent theory is here developed. We use the Boltzmann particle velocity distribution to determine the probability a particle is engulfed by an advancing solid-liquid interface and obtain the resulting kinetic phase diagram. We demonstrate use of the theory by predicting the formation of bands in rapidly solidified alumina suspensions, in quantitative agreement with experiment
Use of mathematical derivatives (time-domain differentiation) on chromatographic data to enhance the detection and quantification of an unknown 'rider' peak
Two samples of an anticancer prodrug, AQ4N, were submitted for HPLC assay and showed an unidentified impurity that eluted as a 'rider' on the tail of the main peak. Mathematical derivatization of the chromatograms offered several advantages over conventional skimmed integration. A combination of the second derivative amplitude and simple linear regression gave a novel method for estimating the true peak area of the impurity peak. All the calculation steps were carried out using a widely available spreadsheet program. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Structural characteristics of positionally-disordered lattices: relation to the first sharp diffraction peak in glasses
Positional disorder has been introduced into the atomic structure of certain
crystalline lattices, and the orientationally-averaged structure factor S(k)
and pair-correlation function g(r) of these disordered lattices have been
studied. Analytical expressions for S(k) and g(r) for Gaussian positional
disorder in 2D and 3D are confirmed with precise numerical simulations. These
analytic results also have a bearing on the unsolved Gauss circle problem in
mathematics. As the positional disorder increases, high-k peaks in S(k) are
destroyed first, eventually leaving a single peak, that with the lowest-k
value. The pair-correlation function for lattices with such high levels of
positional disorder exhibits damped oscillations, with a period equal to the
separation between the furthest-separated (lowest-k) lattice planes. The last
surviving peak in S(k) is, for example for silicon and silica, at a wavevector
nearly identical to that of the experimentally-observed first sharp diffraction
peak (FSDP) in the amorphous phases of those materials. Thus, for these
amorphous materials at least, the FSDP can be regarded as arising from
scattering from atomic configurations equivalent to the single family of
positionally-disordered local Bragg planes having the furthest separation.Comment: v2: changes in response to referees' comments: Figure 2 made more
readable, improved discussion of height of peaks in S(k), other minor changes
4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Parasitism, Adult Emergence, Sex Ratio, and Size of \u3ci\u3eAphidius Colemani\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) on Several Aphid Species
Aphidius colemani Viereck parasitizes several economically important aphid pests of small grain crops including the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum and the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia. The ability of A. colemani to switch from S. graminum to several species of aphids common to agricultural and associated non-agricultural ecosystems in the Great Plains, and the effects of host-change on several biological parameters that influence population growth rate were determined. Female A. colemani parasitized and developed to adulthood in nine of 14 aphid species to which they were exposed in the laboratory. All small grain feeding aphids except Sipha flava were parasiÂtized. Two sunflower feeding species (Aphis nerii and A. helianthi) and two crucifer feeding species (Lipaphis erysimi and Brevicoryne brassicae) were parasitized, as was the cotton aphid. Aphis gossypii. The average percentage of aphids parasitized differed significantly among host aphid species. as did the percentage of parasitoids surviving from the mummy to the adult stage and the time required for immature development. The sex ratio of adults that enclosed from the various hosts did not differ significantly among species. Dry weights of adult parasitoids differed significantly among host species. Adults from S. graminum weighed most (0.054 mg) while those emerging from A. helianthi weighed least (0.020 mg). Results are discussed in terms of strategies for classical biological control of aphid pests of cereals
The Interference Term between the Spin and Orbital Contributions to M1 Transitions
We study the cross-correlation between the spin and orbital parts of magnetic
dipole transitions M1 in both isoscalar and isovector channels. In particular,
we closely examine certain cases where is very close to , implying a cancellation of the summed
interference terms. We gain some insight into this problem by considering
special cases approaching the SU(3) limit, and by examining the behaviour of
single-particle transitions at the beginning and towards the end of the s-d
shell.Comment: 9 pages of latex file and no figure
Fast-Neutron Activation of Long-Lived Isotopes in Enriched Ge
We measured the production of \nuc{57}{Co}, \nuc{54}{Mn}, \nuc{68}{Ge},
\nuc{65}{Zn}, and \nuc{60}{Co} in a sample of Ge enriched in isotope 76 due to
high-energy neutron interactions. These isotopes, especially \nuc{68}{Ge}, are
critical in understanding background in Ge detectors used for double-beta decay
experiments. They are produced by cosmogenic-neutron interactions in the
detectors while they reside on the Earth's surface. These production rates were
measured at neutron energies of a few hundred MeV. We compared the measured
production to that predicted by cross-section calculations based on CEM03.02.
The cross section calculations over-predict our measurements by approximately a
factor of three depending on isotope. We then use the measured cosmic-ray
neutron flux, our measurements, and the CEM03.02 cross sections to predict the
cosmogenic production rate of these isotopes. The uncertainty in extrapolating
the cross section model to higher energies dominates the total uncertainty in
the cosmogenic production rate.Comment: Revised after feedback and further work on extrapolating cross
sections to higher energies in order to estimate cosmic production rates.
Also a numerical error was found and fixed in the estimate of the Co-57
production rat
Improving Patient Decision-Making in Health Care
Outlines regional variations within Minnesota in rates of patients with similar conditions receiving elective surgery, the concept of shared decision making, treatment choices for eight conditions, and steps for ensuring patients make informed decisions
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