The influence of structural defects on intra-granular critical currents of bulk MgB2

Bulk MgB2 samples were prepared under different synthesis conditions and analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The critical current densities were determined from the magnetization versus magnetic field curves of bulk and powder-dispersed-in-epoxy samples. Results show that through a slow cooling process, the oxygen dissolved in bulk MgB2 at high synthesis temperatures can segregate and form nanometer-sized coherent precipitates of Mg(B,O)2 in the MgB2 matrix. Magnetization measurements indicate that these precipitates act as effective flux pinning centers and therefore significantly improve the intra-grain critical current density and its field dependence.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in IEE Transactions in Applied Superconductivit

MR253: A Landowner\u27s Guide to Woodcock Management in the Northeast

This report describes the spring migration and courtship, nesting, roosting, fall migration and habitat requirements of the American woodcock. It also presents specific steps that small landowners can take to enhance their property for woodcock by economically feasible methods. The report is designed for the landowner who is not a biologist, but who wants to do something for woodcock on his or her own land.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1002/thumbnail.jp

Chemical bonding technology for terrestrial photovoltaic modules

Encapsulated photovoltaic modules must hold together for 20 years, reliably resisting delamination and separation of any of the component materials. Delamination of encapsulation materials from each other, or from solar cells and interconnects, can create voids for accumulation of water, promoting corrosive failure. Delamination of silicone elastomers from unprimed surfaces was a common occurrence with early modules, but the incidences of silicone delamination with later modules decreased when adhesion promoters recommended by silicone manufacturers were used. An investigation of silicone delamination from unprimed surfaces successfully identified the mechanism, which was related to atmospheric oxygen and moisture. This early finding indicated that reliance on physical bonding of encapsulation interfaces for long life in an outdoor environment would be risky. For long outdoor life, the material components of a module must therefore be held together by weather-stable adhesion promoters that desirably form strong, interfacial chemical bonds

Why does the Engel method work? Food demand, economies of size and household survey methods

Estimates of household size economies are needed for the analysis of poverty and inequality. This paper shows that Engel estimates of size economies are large when household expenditures are obtained by respondent recall but small when expenditures are obtained by daily recording in diaries. Expenditure estimates from recall surveys appear to have measurement errors correlated with household size. As well as demonstrating the fragility of Engel estimates of size economies, these results help resolve a puzzle raised by Deaton and Paxson (1998) about differences between rich and poor countries in the effect of household size on food demand

Web-based physiotherapy for people affected by multiple sclerosis: a single blind, randomized controlled feasibility study

Objective: To examine the feasibility of a trial to evaluate web-based physiotherapy compared to a standard home exercise programme in people with multiple sclerosis. Design: Multi-centre, randomized controlled, feasibility study. Setting: Three multiple sclerosis out-patient centres. Participants: A total of 90 people with multiple sclerosis (Expanded Disability Status Scale 4–6.5). Interventions: Participants were randomized to a six-month individualized, home exercise programme delivered via web-based physiotherapy (n = 45; intervention) or a sheet of exercises (n = 45; active comparator). Outcome measures: Outcome measures (0, three, six and nine months) included adherence, two-minute walk test, 25 foot walk, Berg Balance Scale, physical activity and healthcare resource use. Interviews were undertaken with 24 participants and 3 physiotherapists. Results: Almost 25% of people approached agreed to take part. No intervention-related adverse events were recorded. Adherence was 40%–63% and 53%–71% in the intervention and comparator groups. There was no difference in the two-minute walk test between groups at baseline (Intervention-80.4(33.91)m, Comparator-70.6(31.20)m) and no change over time (at six-month Intervention-81.6(32.75)m, Comparator-74.8(36.16)m. There were no significant changes over time in other outcome measures except the EuroQol-5 Dimension at six months which decreased in the active comparator group. For a difference of 8(17.4)m in two-minute walk test between groups, 76 participants/group would be required (80% power, P > 0.05) for a future randomized controlled trial. Conclusion: No changes were found in the majority of outcome measures over time. This study was acceptable and feasible by participants and physiotherapists. An adequately powered study needs 160 participants

Search for a T-odd, P-even Triple Correlation in Neutron Decay

Background: Time-reversal-invariance violation, or equivalently CP violation, may explain the observed cosmological baryon asymmetry as well as signal physics beyond the Standard Model. In the decay of polarized neutrons, the triple correlation D\cdot(p_{e}\timesp_{\nu}) is a parity-even, time-reversal- odd observable that is uniquely sensitive to the relative phase of the axial-vector amplitude with respect to the vector amplitude. The triple correlation is also sensitive to possible contributions from scalar and tensor amplitudes. Final-state effects also contribute to D at the level of 1e-5 and can be calculated with a precision of 1% or better. Purpose: We have improved the sensitivity to T-odd, P-even interactions in nuclear beta decay. Methods: We measured proton-electron coincidences from decays of longitudinally polarized neutrons with a highly symmetric detector array designed to cancel the time-reversal-even, parity-odd Standard-Model contributions to polarized neutron decay. Over 300 million proton-electron coincidence events were used to extract D and study systematic effects in a blind analysis. Results: We find D = [-0.94\pm1.89(stat)\pm0.97(sys)]e-4. Conclusions: This is the most sensitive measurement of D in nuclear beta decay. Our result can be interpreted as a measurement of the phase of the ratio of the axial-vector and vector coupling constants (CA/CV= |{\lambda}|exp(i{\phi}_AV)) with {\phi}_AV = 180.012{\deg} \pm0.028{\deg} (68% confidence level) or to constrain time-reversal violating scalar and tensor interactions that arise in certain extensions to the Standard Model such as leptoquarks. This paper presents details of the experiment, analysis, and systematic- error corrections.Comment: 21 pages, 22 figure

Patients' experiences of illness, operation and outcome with reference to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Background. Describing the illness-story from a patient perspective could increase understanding of living with a chronic disease for health professionals and others, facilitate decision-making about treatment and enhance information about the outcome from a patient perspective. Aim. To illuminate patients' illness experiences of having a gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), going through surgery and the outcome. Methods. Twelve patients were interviewed 5 years after having had the operation; six patients had had fundoplication via laparoscopy and six via open surgery. Each patient was asked to talk openly about their experiences, thoughts, feelings and consequences of living with the illness, going through surgery and the period from surgery to the day of interview. A qualitative content analysis was performed concerning the context of the data and its meaning. Findings. Three central categories were identified and nine subcategories: living with GORD- symptoms of the disease affecting daily living, taking medicines, work, family and social life; concerns related to surgery- decision-making about the operation, influence by physicians; life after the operation- outcomes and consequences, side-effects and complications of the operation, sick leave, information and sharing experiences with future patients. All patients were free from symptoms of the illness after surgery independent of type of surgery, but side-effects from surgical treatment varied individually. Interviewees would have liked information concerning side-effects after surgery from previous patients. Conclusions. This study contributes to knowledge about patients' long-term suffering, their control of symptoms and how they have tried to cure themselves, but also about their concerns about surgery and the importance of surgical treatment to their quality of life. They wanted information about treatment, outcome and consequences, not only from a health care perspective but also from previous patients having had the same treatment