Shape-dependence of near-field heat transfer between a spheroidal nanoparticle and a flat surface

We study the radiative heat transfer between a spheroidal metallic nanoparticle and a planar metallic sample for near- and far-field distances. In particular, we investigate the shape dependence of the heat transfer in the near-field regime. In comparison with spherical particles, the heat transfer typically varies by factors between 1/2 and 2 when the particle is deformed such that its volume is kept constant. These estimates help to quantify the deviation of the actual heat transfer recorded by a near-field scanning thermal microscope from the value provided by a dipole model which assumes a perfectly spherical sensor

Tuneable Capacitor based on dual picks profile of the sacrificial layer

In this paper, we present a novel dual gap tuneable capacitor process based on the profile of the sacrificial layer. This profile involves a tri-layer photo-resist process with only one mask level. This realization is based on a special profile of the sacrificial layer designed by two picks. The mechanism of the sacrificial layer realisation is dependent on resist thickness, resist formulation (viscosity, type of polymer and/or solvent, additives...), design of the patterned layer (size or width) and the conditions under which this layer is prepared: thermal treatment, etch back processes... In this communication we demonstrate influence of the later parameters and discuss how a dual pick profile was achieved.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/EDA-Publishing

A Bright Future for Fluorescence Imaging of Fungi in Living Hosts

Funding: The PhD studentship (A.C.) was funded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), grant number NC/N002482/1. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen (MR/N006364/1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Le bassin laitier en Amazonie brésilienne, situation actuelle et perspectives d'évolution.

Le Brésil a rejoint la France et l?Allemagne dans la hiérarchie mondiale des producteurs laitiers et devrait très prochainement les dépasser. Comme pour la viande bovine où le Brésil est devenu en moins de 10 ans le second producteur mondial et le premier exportateur, l?expansion de la production laitière repose en partie sur la construction du bassin laitier amazonien. La production de lait provient d?exploitations familiales extensives quant à la conduite des troupeaux et des surfaces. En outre, les processus d?intensification, pourtant un enjeu pour améliorer la viabilité économique et environnementale de ces fermes, apparaissent encore très limités à des opportunités individuelles. Depuis une dizaine d?années, la filière laitière est soumise à de profondes modifications avec la structuration de bassins laitiers qui se traduisent par l?installation d?industries régionales, puis nationales, qui mettent en place des laiteries de capacité toujours plus grande. Cependant l?Amazonie est aussi marquée par la disparité d?organisation des filières, avec la vente informelle et les petites laiteries familiales. Avec le fort développement de la production laitière, des questions se posent sur l?évolution des systèmes laitiers et des processus d?intensification : quelle est la situation actuelle des exploitations commercialisant du lait et vers où vont-elles ? Les auteurs basent leurs réflexions sur les résultats de recherches menées depuis plus de 10 ans sur les systèmes d?élevage laitier et les filières laitières dans l?état du Pará. Les résultats présentent le fort développement de la production laitière au cours de la dernière décennie et les processus de mise en place des bassins laitiers. A partir de trois frontières agricoles contrastées, ils montrent également les caractéristiques des élevages et les organisations des filières laitières ainsi que les perspectives d?évolution. Les auteurs concluent sur l?intensification progressive dans les années à venir des élevages, notamment poussée par le développement des industries laitières de portée nationale et internationale. D?autres évolutions sont à prévoir : une demande de plus en plus forte exprimée sur l?amélioration des conditions de travail et de vie, une forte progression de l?agroforesterie

Perfil logístico de Colombia

El presente documento ofrece un estudio del perfil logístico de Colombia con la finalidad de dar a conocer el estado de arte de las ciudades, puertos e infraestructura principal para facilitar la toma de decisiones de los empresarios. Para el desarrollo de este trabajo se determinaron a partir de un análisis competitivo del país; las principales ciudades y puertos; logrando establecer un inventario de maquinaria y equipo e infraestructura logística; enmarcados en retos ya establecidos en las políticas públicas.This document provides a profile study logistics Colombia in order to present the state of art of the cities, ports and infrastructure in facilitating the decision making of managers. For the development of this work were determined from a competitive analysis of the country's major cities and ports, making an inventory of machinery and equipment and logistics infrastructure; framed challenges established in public policy

The Distance to the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1627-41

We report millimeter observations of the line of sight to the recently discovered Soft Gamma Repeater, SGR 1627-41, which has been tentatively associated with the supernova remnant SNR G337.0-0.1 Among the eight molecular clouds along the line of sight to SGR 1627-41, we show that SNR G337.0-0.1 is probably interacting with one of the most massive giant molecular clouds (GMC) in the Galaxy, at a distance of 11 kpc from the sun. Based on the high extinction to the persistent X-ray counterpart of SGR 1627-41, we present evidence for an association of this new SGR with the SNR G337.0-0.1; they both appear to be located on the near side of the GMC. This is the second SGR located near an extraordinarily massive GMC. We suggest that SGR 1627-41 is a neutron star with a high transverse velocity (~ 1,000 \kms) escaping the young (~ 5,000 years) supernova remnant G337.0-0.1Comment: 17 pages, including 2 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Lifetimes of Confined Acoustic Phonons in Ultra-Thin Silicon Membranes

We study the relaxation of coherent acoustic phonon modes with frequencies up to 500 GHz in ultra-thin free-standing silicon membranes. Using an ultrafast pump-probe technique of asynchronous optical sampling, we observe that the decay time of the first-order dilatational mode decreases significantly from \sim 4.7 ns to 5 ps with decreasing membrane thickness from \sim 194 to 8 nm. The experimental results are compared with theories considering both intrinsic phonon-phonon interactions and extrinsic surface roughness scattering including a wavelength-dependent specularity. Our results provide insight to understand some of the limits of nanomechanical resonators and thermal transport in nanostructures