372 research outputs found
Disorder-induced melting of the charge order in thin films of Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3
We have studied the magnetic-field-induced melting of the charge order in
thin films of Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (PCMO) films on SrTiO3 (STO) by X-ray diffraction,
magnetization and transport measurement. At small thickness (25 nm) the films
are under tensile strain and the low-temperature melting fields are of the
order of 20 T or more, comparable to the bulk value. With increasing film
thickness the strain relaxes, which leads to a strong decrease of the melting
fields. For a film of 150 nm, with in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters
closer to the bulk value, the melting field has reduced to 4 T at 50 K, with a
strong increase in the hysteretic behavior and also an increasing fraction of
ferromagnetic material. Strain relaxation by growth on a template of
YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) or by post-annealing yields similar results with an even
stronger reduction of the melting field. Apparently, strained films behave
bulk-like. Relaxation leads to increasing suppression of the CO state,
presumably due to atomic scale disorder produced by the relaxation process.Comment: 7 pages, 4 fig
Non-Fermi-liquid behavior in Ce(RuFe)Ge: cause and effect
We present inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the intermetallic
compounds Ce(RuFe)Ge (=0.65, 0.76 and 0.87). These
compounds represent samples in a magnetically ordered phase, at a quantum
critical point and in the heavy-fermion phase, respectively. We show that at
high temperatures the three compositions have the identical response of a local
moment system. However, at low temperatures the spin fluctuations in the
critical composition are given by non-Fermi-liquid dynamics, while the spin
fluctuations in the heavy fermion system show a simple exponential decay in
time. In both compositions, the lifetime of the fluctuations is determined
solely by the distance to the quantum critical point. We discuss the
implications of these observations regarding the possible origins of
non-Fermi-liquid behavior in this system.Comment: 4 figures, submitted to PR
Quantification of Linear and Nonlinear Cardiorespiratory Interactions under Autonomic Nervous System Blockade
This paper proposes a methodology to extract both linear and nonlinear respiratory influences from the heart rate variability (HRV), by decomposing the HRV into a respiratory and a residual component. This methodology is based on least-squares support vector machines (LS-SVM) formulated for nonlinear function estimation. From this decomposition, a better estimation of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and the sympathovagal balance (SB) can be achieved. These estimates are first analyzed during autonomic blockade and an orthostatic maneuver, and then compared against the classical HRV and a model that considers only linear interactions. Results are evaluated using surrogate data analysis and they indicate that the classical HRV and the linear model underestimate the cardiorespiratory interactions. Moreover, the linear and nonlinear interactions appear to be mediated by different control mechanisms. These findings will allow to better assess the ANS and to improve the understanding of the interactions within the cardiorespiratory system
Harvesting the wisdom of the crowd: using online ratings to explore care experiences in regions.
Regional population health management (PHM) initiatives need an understanding of regional patient experiences to improve their services. Websites that gather patient ratings have become common and could be a helpful tool in this effort. Therefore, this study explores whether unsolicited online ratings can provide insight into (differences in) patient's experiences at a (regional) population level
Optical characterization of gold-cuprous oxide interfaces for terahertz emission applications
Liquid crystal elastomer coatings with programmed response of surface profile
Stimuli-responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) with a strong coupling of
orientational molecular order and rubber-like elasticity, show a great
potential as working elements in soft robotics, sensing, transport and
propulsion systems. We demonstrate a dynamic thermal control of the surface
topography of LCE coatings achieved through pre-designed patterns of in-plane
molecular orientation. These patterns determine whether the LCE coating
develops elevations, depressions, or in-plane deformations. The deterministic
dependence of the out-of-plane dynamic surface profile on the in-plane
orientational pattern is explained by activation forces. These forces are
caused by two factors: (i) stretching-contraction of the polymer networks
driven by temperature; (ii) spatially varying orientation of the LCE. The
activation force concept brings the responsive LCEs into the domain of active
matter. The demonstrated relationship can be used to design programmable
coatings with functionalities that mimic biological tissues such as skin
Radioscopie de la surveillance des maladies animales infectieuses en Belgique (partie II) : analyse des aspects organisationnels des activités de la surveillance et recommandations
Specification of data collection on animal diseases to increase the preparedness of the AHAW panel to answer future mandates – CFP/EFSA/AHAW/2010/01
Estimating the incidence of equine viral arteritis and the sensitivity of its surveillance in the French breeding stock
Equine viral arteritis (EVA) may have serious economic impact on the equine industry. For this reason, it is monitored in many countries, especially in breeding stock, to avoid its spread during breeding activities. In France, surveillance is mainly based on serological tests, since mares are not vaccinated, but difficulties in interpreting certain series of results may impair the estimation of the number of outbreaks. In this study, we propose specific rules for identifying seroconversion in order to estimate the number of outbreaks that were detected by the breeding stock surveillance component (BSSC) in France between 2006 and 2013. A consensus among multidisciplinary experts was reached to consider seroconversion as a change in antibody titer from negative to at least 32, or as an eight-fold or greater increase in antibody level. Using these rules, 239 cases and 177 outbreaks were identified. Subsequently, we calculated the BSSC's sensitivity as the ratio of the number of detected outbreaks to the total number of outbreaks that occurred in breeding stock (including unreported outbreaks) estimated using a capture-recapture model. The total number of outbreaks was estimated at 215 (95% credible interval 195-249) and the surveillance sensitivity at 82% (CrI95% 71-91). Our results confirm EVA circulation in French breeding stock, show that neutralizing antibodies can persist up to eight years in naturally infected mares and suggest that certain mares have been reinfected. This study shows that the sensitivity of the BSSC is relatively high and supports its relevance to prevent the disease spreading through mating
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