Morphology and thermal conductivity of model organic aerogels

The intersection volume of two independent 2-level cut Gaussian random fields is proposed to model the open-cell microstructure of organic aerogels. The experimentally measured X-ray scattering intensity, surface area and solid thermal conductivity of both polymeric and colloidal organic aerogels can be accounted for by the model.Comment: 5 pages. RevTex with 4 encapsulated figures. Higher resolution figures have been submitted for publication. To be published in Phys. Rev. E (Rapid Comm.). email, [email protected]

Crystal Structure and Chemistry of Topological Insulators

Topological surface states, a new kind of electronic state of matter, have recently been observed on the cleaved surfaces of crystals of a handful of small band gap semiconductors. The underlying chemical factors that enable these states are crystal symmetry, the presence of strong spin orbit coupling, and an inversion of the energies of the bulk electronic states that normally contribute to the valence and conduction bands. The goals of this review are to briefly introduce the physics of topological insulators to a chemical audience and to describe the chemistry, defect chemistry, and crystal structures of the compounds in this emergent field.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Materials Chemistry, 47 double spaced pages, 9 figure

Shuttle STS-2 mission communication systems RF coverage and performance predictions. Volume 1: Ascent

The RF communications capabilities and nominally expected performance for the ascent phase of the second orbital flight of the shuttle are provided. Predicted performance is given mainly in the form of plots of signal strength versus elapsed mission time for the STDN (downlink) and shuttle orbiter (uplink) receivers for the S-band PM and FM, and UHF systems. Performance of the NAV and landing RF systems is treated for RTLS abort, since in this case the spacecraft will loop around and return to the launch site. NAV and landing RF systems include TACAN, MSBLS, and C-band altimeter. Signal strength plots were produced by a computer program which combines the spacecraft trajectory, antenna patterns, transmit and receive performance characteristics, and system mathematical models. When available, measured spacecraft parameters were used in the predictions; otherwise, specified values were used. Specified ground station parameter values were also used. Thresholds and other criteria on the graphs are explained

Emoji and communicative action: The semiotics, sequence and gestural actions of 'face covering hand'

This paper uses conversation analysis to explore the communicative functions of one emoji in a mobile reading community in China. In contrast to semiotic approaches to emoji that focus on their cultural signification, or that treat them as reflections of users’ inner intensions, we analyse emoji as communication phenomena by exploring their relation to other textual actions in the production of text-talk. The emoji analysed here functioned as a laughter token, and performed specific interactional work related to laughter. We conclude that conversation analysis offers an important corrective to abstracted semiotic analysis and a useful resource for exploring the demonstrable meaning of emoji for interlocutors. However, we also emphasise the importance of capturing the process of composing messages, the challenges of dealing with the variety of forms that emoji take and their relation to gestural and other actions in face to face communication

Arthritis of leprosy

An inflammatory polyarthritis has been previously described in leprosy but accounts of the clinical characteristics have varied. All patients with joint symptoms admitted to a leprosy centre over 5 months were examined by a rheumatologist. Of 48 acute admissions, 20 (42%) had a symmetrical polyarthritis affecting the wrists and fingers. This was strikingly similar to RA in appearance. The arthritis occurred exclusively in patients with reactions mainly during anti-mycobacterial treatment. The clinical features of the joint disorder were identical in Type I (associated with alterations in immune status) and Type II (erythema nodosum leprosum) reactions. Synovial tissue from one patient revealed no mycobacteria. Four of five hand X-rays suggested small erosions of the finger joints

Gapped Surface States in a Strong-Topological-Semimetal

A three-dimensional strong-topological-insulator or -semimetal hosts topological surface states which are often said to be gapless so long as time-reversal symmetry is preserved. This narrative can be mistaken when surface state degeneracies occur away from time-reversal-invariant momenta. The mirror-invariance of the system then becomes essential in protecting the existence of a surface Fermi surface. Here we show that such a case exists in the strong-topological-semimetal Bi$_4$Se$_3$. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and \textit{ab initio} calculations reveal partial gapping of surface bands on the Bi$_2$Se$_3$-termination of Bi$_4$Se$_3$(111), where an 85 meV gap along $\bar{\Gamma}\bar{K}$ closes to zero toward the mirror-invariant $\bar{\Gamma}\bar{M}$ azimuth. The gap opening is attributed to an interband spin-orbit interaction that mixes states of opposite spin-helicity.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Ligand binding to a hemoprotein lacking the distal histidine. The myoglobin from aplysia limacina (Val(E7)).

The time course of ligand recombination to the myoglobin from Aplysia limacina, which has Val(E7), was measured following photolysis by flashes of 35 ps to 300 ns with a time resolution of 10 ps or 1 ns. CO shows only biomolecular recombination. O2 has a small geminate reaction with a half-time of tens of picoseconds, but no nanosecond geminate reaction. NO has two picosecond relaxations with half-times of 70 ps (15%) and 1 ns (80%) and one nanosecond relaxation with a half-time of 4.6 ns. The biomolecular rates for O2 and NO are the same: 2 x 10(7) M-1 s-1. Methyl and ethyl isonitriles have a geminate reaction with a half-time of 35 ps. Ethyl isonitrile has, in addition, a nanosecond relaxation (25%) with a half-time of 100 ns. t-Butyl isonitrile has four geminate relaxations (10 ps, 35 ps, 1 ns, and 1 microseconds). Analysis of the results suggests much easier movement of ligand between the heme pocket and the exterior than in sperm whale myoglobin (His(E7]. The reactivity of the heme is little different, placing the effect of the differences from sperm whale myoglobin on the distal side of the heme

Association of Air Pollution with Increased Incidence of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Recorded by Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a consistent link between sudden cardiac deaths and particulate air pollution. We used implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) records of ventricular tachyarrhythmias to assess the role of air pollution as a trigger of these potentially life-threatening events. The study cohort consisted of 203 cardiac patients with ICD devices in the Boston metropolitan area who were followed for an average of 3.1 years between 1995 and 2002. Fine particle mass and gaseous air pollution plus temperature and relative humidity were measured on almost all days, and black carbon, sulfate, and particle number on a subset of days. Date, time, and intracardiac electrograms of ICD-detected arrhythmias were downloaded at the patients’ regular follow-up visits (about every 3 months). Ventricular tachyarrhythmias were identified by electrophysiologist review. Risk of ventricular arrhythmias associated with air pollution was estimated with logistic regression, adjusting for season, temperature, relative humidity, day of the week, patient, and a recent prior arrhythmia. We found increased risks of ventricular arrhythmias associated with 2-day mean exposure for all air pollutants considered, although these associations were not statistically significant. We found statistically significant associations between air pollution and ventricular arrhythmias for episodes within 3 days of a previous arrhythmia. The associations of ventricular tachyarrhythmias with fine particle mass, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon suggest a link with motor vehicle pollutants. The associations with sulfate suggest a link with stationary fossil fuel combustion sources