Electronic transport properties of intermediately coupled superconductors: PdTe2 and Cu0.04PdTe2

We have investigated the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of PdTe2 and 4% Cu intercalated PdTe2 compounds. Electrical resistivity for the compounds shows Bloch-Gruneisen type linear temperature (T) dependence for 100 K < T < 480 K, and Fermi liquid behavior (~ T^2) below 50 K. Seebeck coefficient data exhibit strong competition between Normal (N) and Umklapp (U) scattering processes at low T. Though our results indicate the transfer of charge carriers to PdTe2 upon Cu intercalation, it is difficult to discern any change in the Fermi surface of the compound by Nordheim-Gorter plots. The estimated Fermi energies of the compounds are quite comparable to good metals Cu, Ag and Au. The low T, thermal conductivity (k) of the compounds is strongly dominated by the electronic contribution, and exhibits a rare linear T dependence below 10 K. However, high T, k(T) shows usual 1/T dependence, dominated by U scattering process. The electron phonon coupling parameters, estimated from the low T, specific heat data and first principle electronic structure calculations suggest that PdTe2 and Cu0.04PdTe2 are intermediately coupled superconductors.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Anaesthetic management in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta and a fractured femur

No Abstract

Pathogenic variability in Exserohilum turcicum and identification of resistant sources to turcicum leaf blight of maize (Zea mays L.)

Turcicum leaf blight of maize incited by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard and Suggs is the major limiting factor of maize production in temperate agro-ecologies. Disease management through host plant resistance is the most effective strategy. In the present study among 26 maize genotypes which were initially screened for resistance against E. turcicum under field conditions, 8 genotypes viz., PS 39, CML 451, CML 470, CML 472, VL 1030, VL 1018140, VL1018527 and SMI178-1 were found resistant when screened against twelve isolates of E. turcicum under artificial epiphytotic conditions. Eight genotypes viz., PS45, CML165, CML459, VL1249, VL0536, SMC-5, SMC-3 and KDL 211 were found moderately resistant with disease grade ranged from 2.1-2.5. These maize genotypes possess resistance to turcicum leaf blight can be used successfully in developing high yielding early maturing varieties for high altitude temperate agro-ecologies. The fungus E. turcicum is highly variable in nature. Variability studies on pathogenicity were conducted on twelve isolates of E. turcicum on eleven putative differential maize lines. During the present study a wide pathogenic variation was observed among the twelve isolates of E. turcicum. Cluster analysis on the basis of similarity or dissimilarity in reaction types exhibited by the differential hosts, clustered the isolates into 6 pathogenic groups. The isolates belonged to higher altitudes (Kti 10, Kti11, Kti5) were found to be more aggressive as compared to the isolates of low altitude areas

Sensors for Harsh Environment: Radiation Resistant FBG Sensor System

This paper presents radiation resistant characteristics of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors written in a photosensitive fiber and connected to a silica core radiation resistant optical fibre, aiming to develop a sensor system suitable for both sensing and data transmission in harsh environment. The silica core fluorine-down-doped clad optical fibre has been specifically designed and fabricated for this study using the modified chemical vapor deposition technique. Key waveguide parameters, including the width of the fluorine doped inner cladding have been optimized to obtain a low loss (<;0.2 dB/km) at the operating wavelength region of 1550 nm. The fibre fabrication process, mainly the deposition condition, has also been optimized to achieve smooth deposition and sintering of silica core layers, to minimize radiation induced absorption. As a result, radiation induced absorption of ~2.2 dB/km at 1550 nm under accumulated dose of 25 MRad at dose rate of 0.39 MRad/hr has been successfully achieved. To create an effective sensor system for harsh environmental conditions, this specialty fibre is connected to a number of FBGs (sensors) fabricated in photosensitive fibres prior to their extensive evaluations by being exposed to different accumulated dose of gamma radiation. Their corresponding Bragg wavelength shifts (BWS) and peak amplitudes were continuously monitored. It was found that the radiation induced BWS can be greatly reduced by shielding the sensors using stainless steel tubing. The temperature sensitivity and peak amplitude were found to be largely unchanged before and after exposure to Gamma radiation of 25 MRad which shows their potential use for temperature measurements in radiation environments with an uncertainty of around 0.1 °C

Driving factors of aerosol properties over the foothills of central Himalayas based on 8.5 years continuous measurements

This study presents analysis of in situ measurements conducted over the period 2005–2014 in the Indian Himalayas to give a thorough overview of the factors and causes that drive aerosol properties. Aerosol extensive properties (namely, particle number concentration, scattering coefficient, equivalent black carbon, PM2.5, and PM10) have 1.5–2 times higher values in the early to late afternoon than during the night, and a strong seasonality. The interannual variability is ±20% for both PM2.5 and total particle number concentration. Analysis of the data shows statistically significant decreasing trends of −2.3 μg m−3 year−1 and −2.7 μg m−3 year−1 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, over the study period. The mountainous terrain site (Mukteshwar, MUK) is primarily under the influence of air from the plains. This is due to convective transport processes that are enhanced by local and mesoscale topography, leading to pronounced valley/mountain winds and consequently to atmospheric boundary layer air lifting from the plains below. The transport from plains is evident in seasonal‐diurnal patterns observed at MUK. The timing of the patterns corresponds with changes in turbulence and water vapor (q). According to our analysis, using these as proxies is a viable method for examining boundary layer influence in the absence of direct atmospheric boundary layer height measurements. Comparing the measurements with climate models shows that even regional climate models have problems capturing the orographic influence accurately at MUK, highlighting the importance of long‐term direct measurements at multiple points to understand aerosol behavior in mountainous areas