Gallium oxide and gadolinium gallium oxide insulators on Si δ-doped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures

Test devices have been fabricated on two specially grown GaAs/AlGaAs wafers with 10 nm thick gate dielectrics composed of either Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> or a stack of Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub>. The wafers have two GaAs transport channels either side of an AlGaAs barrier containing a Si delta-doping layer. Temperature dependent capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) studies have been performed at temperatures between 10 and 300 K. Bias cooling experiments reveal the presence of DX centers in both wafers. Both wafers show a forward bias gate leakage that is by a single activated channel at higher temperatures and by tunneling at lower temperatures. When Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub> is included in a stack with 1 nm of Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> at the interface, the gate leakage is greatly reduced due to the larger band gap of the Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub> layer. The different band gaps of the two oxides result in a difference in the gate voltage at the onset of leakage of ~3 V. However, the inclusion of Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub> in the gate insulator introduces many oxide states (≤4.70Ã�Â�10<sup>12</sup> cm<sup>âÂ�Â�2</sup>). Transmission electron microscope images of the interface region show that the growth of a Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub> layer on Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> disturbs the well ordered Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/GaAs interface. We therefore conclude that while including Gd<sub>0.25</sub>Ga<sub>0.15</sub>O<sub>0.6</sub> in a dielectric stack with Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> is necessary for use in device applications, the inclusion of Gd decreases the quality of the Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/GaAs interface and near interface region by introducing roughness and a large number of defect states

Design of multi-megawatt actively cooled beam dumps for the Neutral-Beam Engineering Test Facility

The Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility will test Neutral Beam Sources up to 170 keV, 65 Amps, with 30 second beam-on times. For this application actively cooled beam dumps for both the neutral and ionized particles will be required. The dumps will be able to dissipate a wide range of power density profiles by utilizing a standard modular panel design which is incorporated into a moveable support structure. The thermal hydraulic design of the panels permit the dissipation of 2 kW/cm/sup 2/ anywhere on the panel surface. The water requirements of the dumps are optimized by restricting the flow to panel sections where the heat flux falls short of the design value. The mechanical design of the beam-dump structures is described along with tests performed on a prototype panel. The prototype tests were performed on two different panel designs, one manufactured by Mc Donnell Douglas (MDAC) the other by United Technologies (UT). The dissipation capabilities of the panels were tested at the critical regions to verify their use in the beam dump assemblies

Return to Sender: The need to re-address patient antibiotic allergy labels in Australia and New Zealand

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic allergies are frequently reported and have significant impacts upon appropriate prescribing and clinical outcomes. We surveyed infectious diseases physicians, allergists, clinical immunologists and hospital pharmacists to evaluate antibiotic allergy knowledge and service delivery in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: An online multi-choice questionnaire was developed and endorsed by representatives of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID) and Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia (SHPA). The 37-item survey was distributed in April 2015 to members of ASCIA, ASID, SHPA and Royal Australasian College of Physicians. RESULTS: Of 277 respondents, 94% currently use or would utilise antibiotic allergy testing (AAT) and reported seeing up to 10 patients/week labelled as antibiotic-allergic. Forty-two per cent were not aware of or did not have AAT available. Most felt that AAT would aid antibiotic selection, antibiotic appropriateness and antimicrobial stewardship (79%, 69% and 61%, respectively). Patients with histories of immediate hypersensitivity were more likely to be referred than those with delayed hypersensitivities (76% vs. 41%, p=0.0001). Lack of specialist physicians (20%) and personal experience (17%) were barriers to service delivery. A multidisciplinary approach was the preferred AAT model (53%). Knowledge gaps were identified, with the majority over-estimating rates of penicillin/cephalosporin (78%), penicillin/carbapenem (57%) and penicillin/monobactam (39%) cross-reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: A high burden of antibiotic allergy labelling and demand for AAT is complicated by a relative lack availability or awareness of AAT services in Australia and New Zealand. Antibiotic allergy education and deployment of AAT, accessible to community and hospital-based clinicians, may improve clinical decisions and reduce antibiotic allergy impacts. A collaborative approach involving ID physicians, pharmacists and allergists/immunologists is required

Mode-coupling approach to non-Newtonian Hele-Shaw flow

The Saffman-Taylor viscous fingering problem is investigated for the displacement of a non-Newtonian fluid by a Newtonian one in a radial Hele-Shaw cell. We execute a mode-coupling approach to the problem and examine the morphology of the fluid-fluid interface in the weak shear limit. A differential equation describing the early nonlinear evolution of the interface modes is derived in detail. Owing to vorticity arising from our modified Darcy's law, we introduce a vector potential for the velocity in contrast to the conventional scalar potential. Our analytical results address how mode-coupling dynamics relates to tip-splitting and side branching in both shear thinning and shear thickening cases. The development of non-Newtonian interfacial patterns in rectangular Hele-Shaw cells is also analyzed.Comment: 14 pages, 5 ps figures, Revtex4, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Sticky stuff : redefining bedform prediction in modern and ancient environments

This work was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under the COHBED project (NE/1027223/1). Paterson was funded by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS).The dimensions and dynamics of subaqueous bedforms are well known for cohesionless sediments. However, the effect of physical cohesion imparted by cohesive clay within mixed sand-mud substrates has not been examined, despite its recognized influence on sediment stability. Here we present a series of controlled laboratory experiments to establish the influence of substrate clay content on subaqueous bedform dynamics within mixtures of sand and clay exposed to unidirectional flow. The results show that bedform dimensions and steepness decrease linearly with clay content, and comparison with existing predictors of bedform dimensions, established within cohesionless sediments, reveals significant over-prediction of bedform size for all but the lowermost clay contents examined. The profound effect substrate clay content has on bedform dimensions has a number of important implications for interpretation in a range of modern and ancient environments, including reduced roughness and bedform heights in estuarine systems and the often cited lack of large dune cross-sets in turbidites. The results therefore offer a step change in our understanding of bedform formation and dynamics in these, and many other, sedimentary environments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Hypoxia modulates platelet purinergic signalling pathways.

BACKGROUND:  Hypoxia resulting from ascent to high-altitude or pathological states at sea level is known to increase platelet reactivity. Previous work from our group has suggested that this may be adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-specific. Given the clinical importance of drugs targeting ADP pathways, research into the impact of hypoxia on platelet ADP pathways is highly important. METHODS:  Optimul aggregometry was performed on plasma from 29 lowland residents ascending to 4,700 m, allowing systematic assessment of platelet reactivity in response to several platelet agonists. Aggregometry was also performed in response to ADP in the presence of inhibitors of the two main ADP receptors, P2Y1 and P2Y12 (MRS2500 and cangrelor, respectively). Phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), a key determinant of platelet aggregation, was analysed using the VASPFix assay. RESULTS:  Hypobaric hypoxia significantly reduced the ability of a fixed concentration of cangrelor to inhibit ADP-induced aggregation and increased basal VASP phosphorylation. However, in the absence of P2Y receptor inhibitors, we did not find evidence of increased platelet sensitivity to any of the agonists tested and found reduced sensitivity to thrombin receptor-activating peptide-6 amide. CONCLUSION:  Our results provide evidence of increased P2Y1 receptor activity at high altitude and suggest down-regulation of the P2Y12 pathway through increased VASP phosphorylation. These changes in ADP pathway activity are of potential therapeutic significance to high-altitude sojourners and hypoxic sea level patients prescribed platelet inhibitors and warrant further investigation

The Saffman-Taylor problem on a sphere

The Saffman-Taylor problem addresses the morphological instability of an interface separating two immiscible, viscous fluids when they move in a narrow gap between two flat parallel plates (Hele-Shaw cell). In this work, we extend the classic Saffman-Taylor situation, by considering the flow between two curved, closely spaced, concentric spheres (spherical Hele-Shaw cell). We derive the mode-coupling differential equation for the interface perturbation amplitudes and study both linear and nonlinear flow regimes. The effect of the spherical cell (positive) spatial curvature on the shape of the interfacial patterns is investigated. We show that stability properties of the fluid-fluid interface are sensitive to the curvature of the surface. In particular, it is found that positive spatial curvature inhibits finger tip-splitting. Hele-Shaw flow on weakly negative, curved surfaces is briefly discussed.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures, RevTex, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

On twisted Fourier analysis and convergence of Fourier series on discrete groups

We study norm convergence and summability of Fourier series in the setting of reduced twisted group $C^*$-algebras of discrete groups. For amenable groups, F{\o}lner nets give the key to Fej\'er summation. We show that Abel-Poisson summation holds for a large class of groups, including e.g. all Coxeter groups and all Gromov hyperbolic groups. As a tool in our presentation, we introduce notions of polynomial and subexponential H-growth for countable groups w.r.t. proper scale functions, usually chosen as length functions. These coincide with the classical notions of growth in the case of amenable groups.Comment: 35 pages; abridged, revised and update

Pinning of a solid--liquid--vapour interface by stripes of obstacles

We use a macroscopic Hamiltonian approach to study the pinning of a solid--liquid--vapour contact line on an array of equidistant stripes of obstacles perpendicular to the liquid. We propose an estimate of the density of pinning stripes for which collective pinning of the contact line happens. This estimate is shown to be in good agreement with Langevin equation simulation of the macroscopic Hamiltonian. Finally we introduce a 2--dimensional mean field theory which for small strength of the pinning stripes and for small capillary length gives an excellent description of the averaged height of the contact line.Comment: Plain tex, 12 pages, 3 figures available upon reques

Physical restraint in residential child care : the experiences of young people and residential workers

There have long been concerns about the use of physical restraint in residential care. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study which explores the experiences of children, young people and residential workers about physical restraint. The research identifies the dilemmas and ambiguities for both staff and young people, and participants discuss the situations where they feel physical restraint is appropriate as well as their concerns about unjustified or painful restraints. They describe the negative emotions involved in restraint but also those situations where, through positive relationships and trust, restraint can help young people through unsafe situations