1,564 research outputs found
A Bragg glass phase in the vortex lattice of a type II superconductor
Although crystals are usually quite stable, they are sensitive to a
disordered environment: even an infinitesimal amount of impurities can lead to
the destruction of the crystalline order. The resulting state of matter has
been a longstanding puzzle. Until recently it was believed to be an amorphous
state in which the crystal would break into crystallites. But a different
theory predicts the existence of a novel phase of matter: the so-called Bragg
glass, which is a glass and yet nearly as ordered as a perfect crystal. The
lattice of vortices that can contain magnetic flux in type II superconductors
provide a good system to investigate these ideas. Here we show that neutron
diffraction data of the vortex lattice in type II superconductors provides
unambiguous evidence for a weak, power-law decay of the crystalline order
characteristic of a Bragg glass. The theory also predicts accurately the
electrical transport properties of superconductors; it naturally explains the
observed phase transition and the dramatic jumps in the critical current
associated with the melting of the Bragg glass. Moreover the model explains
experiments as diverse as X-ray scattering in disordered liquid crystals and
conductivity of electronic crystals.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Assessing connectivity between an overlying aquifer and a coal seam gas resource using methane isotopes, dissolved organic carbon and tritium
Coal seam gas (CSG) production can have an impact on groundwater quality and quantity in adjacent or overlying aquifers. To assess this impact we need to determine the background groundwater chemistry and to map geological pathways of hydraulic connectivity between aquifers. In south-east Queensland (Qld), Australia, a globally important CSG exploration and production province, we mapped hydraulic connectivity between the Walloon Coal Measures (WCM, the target formation for gas production) and the overlying Condamine River Alluvial Aquifer (CRAA), using groundwater methane (CH4) concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C-CH4), groundwater tritium (3H) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. A continuous mobile CH4 survey adjacent to CSG developments was used to determine the source signature of CH4 derived from the WCM. Trends in groundwater δ13C-CH4 versus CH4 concentration, in association with DOC concentration and 3H analysis, identify locations where CH4 in the groundwater of the CRAA most likely originates from the WCM. The methodology is widely applicable in unconventional gas development regions worldwide for providing an early indicator of geological pathways of hydraulic connectivity
Safety and efficacy of fluticasone propionate in the topical treatment of skin diseases
Fluticasone propionate - the first carbothioate corticosteroid - has been classified as a potent anti-inflammatory drug for dermatological use. It is available as 0.05% cream and 0.005% ointment formulations for the acute and maintenance treatment of patients with dermatological disorders such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo. This glucocorticoid is characterized by high lipophilicity, high glucocorticoid receptor binding and activation, and a rapid metabolic turnover in skin. Although skin blanching following fluticasone propionate exceeds that of corticosteroids of medium strength, several clinical trials demonstrate a low potential for cutaneous and systemic side-effects, even in difficult-to-treat areas like the face, the eyelids and intertriginous areas. Even among paediatric patients with atopic dermatitis, fluticasone propionate proved to be safe and effective. These pharmacological and clinical properties are reflected by the high therapeutic index of this glucocorticoid
Two-dimensional Vortices in Superconductors
Superconductors have two key characteristics. They expel magnetic field and
they conduct electrical current with zero resistance. However, both properties
are compromised in high magnetic fields which can penetrate the material and
create a mixed state of quantized vortices. The vortices move in response to an
electrical current dissipating energy which destroys the zero resistance
state\cite{And64}. One of the central problems for applications of high
temperature superconductivity is the stabilization of vortices to ensure zero
electrical resistance. We find that vortices in the anisotropic superconductor
BiSrCaCuO (Bi-2212) have a phase transition from
a liquid state, which is inherently unstable, to a two-dimensional vortex
solid. We show that at high field the transition temperature is independent of
magnetic field, as was predicted theoretically for the melting of an ideal
two-dimensional vortex lattice\cite{Fis80,Gla91}. Our results indicate that the
stable solid phase can be reached at any field as may be necessary for
applications involving superconducting magnets\cite{Has04,Sca04,COHMAG}. The
vortex solid is disordered, as suggested by previous studies at lower
fields\cite{Lee93,Cub93}. But its evolution with increasing magnetic field
displays unexpected threshold behavior that needs further investigation.Comment: 5 pages and 4 figures. submitted to Nature Physic
Schr\"odinger Holography with and without Hyperscaling Violation
We study the properties of the Schr\"odinger-type non-relativistic holography
for general dynamical exponent z with and without hyperscaling violation
exponent \theta. The scalar correlation function has a more general form due to
general z as well as the presence of \theta, whose effects also modify the
scaling dimension of the scalar operator. We propose a prescription for minimal
surfaces of this "codimension 2 holography," and demonstrate the (d-1)
dimensional area law for the entanglement entropy from (d+3) dimensional
Schr\"odinger backgrounds. Surprisingly, the area law is violated for d+1 < z <
d+2, even without hyperscaling violation, which interpolates between the
logarithmic violation and extensive volume dependence of entanglement entropy.
Similar violations are also found in the presence of the hyperscaling
violation. Their dual field theories are expected to have novel phases for the
parameter range, including Fermi surface. We also analyze string theory
embeddings using non-relativistic branes.Comment: 62 pages and 6 figures, v2: several typos in section 5 corrected,
references added, v3: typos corrected, references added, published versio
Quantum magnetism and criticality
Magnetic insulators have proved to be fertile ground for studying new types
of quantum many body states, and I survey recent experimental and theoretical
examples. The insights and methods transfer also to novel superconducting and
metallic states. Of particular interest are critical quantum states, sometimes
found at quantum phase transitions, which have gapless excitations with no
particle- or wave-like interpretation, and control a significant portion of the
finite temperature phase diagram. Remarkably, their theory is connected to
holographic descriptions of Hawking radiation from black holes.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figures, review article for non-specialists; (v2) added
clarifications and references; (v3) minor corrections; (v4) added footnote on
hydrodynamic long-time tail
Extended pharmacodynamic responses observed upon PROTAC-mediated degradation of RIPK2.
Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are heterobifunctional small-molecules that can promote the rapid and selective proteasome-mediated degradation of intracellular proteins through the recruitment of E3 ligase complexes to non-native protein substrates. The catalytic mechanism of action of PROTACs represents an exciting new modality in drug discovery that offers several potential advantages over traditional small-molecule inhibitors, including the potential to deliver pharmacodynamic (PD) efficacy which extends beyond the detectable pharmacokinetic (PK) presence of the PROTAC, driven by the synthesis rate of the protein. Herein we report the identification and development of PROTACs that selectively degrade Receptor-Interacting Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase 2 (RIPK2) and demonstrate in vivo degradation of endogenous RIPK2 in rats at low doses and extended PD that persists in the absence of detectable compound. This disconnect between PK and PD, when coupled with low nanomolar potency, offers the potential for low human doses and infrequent dosing regimens with PROTAC medicines
Clinical and biochemical prediction of early fatal outcome following hip fracture in the elderly
Hip fracture, a moderate musculoskeletal trauma, is associated with a high postoperative mortality. Most patients are elderly, with comorbid conditions and often with heart disease. The objective of this study was to find out if clinical parameters and analyses of specific muscle enzymes could predict three month postoperative mortality. A total of 302 patients above 75 years of age with hip fracture were consecutively enrolled. Baseline information on age, sex and comorbidity assessed with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score was obtained before surgery. Creatine kinase (CK), myocardium-specific creatine kinase (CK-MB) and troponin T (TnT) were analysed from venous blood, collected the day before surgery (−1) and postoperatively, within 24 hours (0) and on days one (+1) and four (+4). The overall three month mortality was 19.5%. Multivariate analyses showed that age, male sex and comorbidity (ASA) correlated with mortality (p = 0.027, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). Surgery induced a two- to threefold increase of CK and CK-MB but without any correlation with mortality. However, high TnT levels >0.04 μg/l correlated significantly with death (days −1, +1 and +4, p = 0.003, p = 0.005 and p = 0.003, respectively). Multivariate analyses, adjusted for age, sex and ASA category, confirmed this correlation (day +4, p = 0.008). Thus, in elderly patients with comorbidities undergoing hip fracture surgery information on sex, age, ASA category and postoperative laboratory analyses on TnT provide the clinicians with useful information on patients at risk of fatal outcome
Information effect on voter turnout: How campaign spending mobilises voters
We explore the impact of campaign effort on constituency-level turnout variation in Britain, under the premise that higher levels of campaign visibility stimulate electoral participation. We focus on the relationship between the competitiveness of the race and campaign effort as a provider of electoral information on the one hand, and voter turnout on the other hand. In doing so, we address the role of campaign effort and competitiveness in shaping turnout both independently as well as jointly. Further to this, we seek to add nuance to our understanding of how electoral campaigns mobilise voters by evaluating the comparative ability of different parties – based on whether or not they are ‘viable’ contenders in a particular constituency – to stimulate turnout. We find evidence that campaign effort mobilises voters and has a significant positive effect on voter turnout; this effect is independent from, and unconditioned by, the competitiveness of the race. However, we do find that this effect is mostly driven by the campaign effort of the ‘viable’ contenders in the constituency
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