7,751 research outputs found
Thermal analysis comparison between two random glass fibre reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites bonded by adhesives using microwaves: preliminary results
[Abstract]: This paper compares the thermal analysis of two types of random glass fibre reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites joined by adhesives using microwave energy. Fixed frequency, 2.45 GHz, microwave facility is used to join thirty three percent by weight random glass fibre reinforced polystyrene composite [PS/GF (33%)] and thirty three percent by weight random glass fibre reinforced low density polyethylene composite [LDPE/GF (33%)]. The facility used is shown in Figure 1. With a given power level, the composites were exposed to various exposure times to microwave irradiation. The primer or coupling agent used was 5-minute two-part adhesive. The heat distribution of the samples of the two types of composites was analysed and compared. The relationship between the heat distribution and the lap shear strength of the samples was also compared and discussed
High-temperature phase transitions in SrBi_2Ta_2O_9 film: a study by THz spectroscopy
Time-domain THz transmission experiment was performed on a film deposited on sapphire substrate. Temperatures between 300
and 923 K were investigated and complex permittivity spectra of the film were
determined. The lowest frequency optic phonon near 28 cm reveals a slow
monotonic decrease in frequency on heating with no significant anomaly near the
phase transitions. We show that the dielectric anomaly near the ferroelectric
phase transition can be explained by slowing down of a relaxational mode,
observed in the THz spectra. A second harmonic generation signal observed in a
single crystal confirms a loss of center of symmetry in the ferroelectric phase
and a presence of polar clusters in the intermediate ferroelastic phase.Comment: subm. to J. Phys.: Condens. Matte
Association between actigraphy-derived physical activity and cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia
An association between low levels of physical activity and impaired cognitive performance in schizophrenia has been proposed, but most studies have relied on self-report measures of activity. This study examined the association between actigraphy-derived physical activity and cognitive performance adjusting for multiple covariates in patients with schizophrenia.
Patients with schizophrenia (n = 199) were recruited from chronic psychiatric wards, and 60 age-, sex- and body mass index-matched comparison participants were recruited from the staff of two hospitals and universities. Physical activity was assessed objectively for 7 days using an ActiGraph. Cognitive performance was assessed with the Cognitrone test from the Vienna Test System and the Grooved Pegboard Test. Demographic variables, metabolic parameters, positive and negative symptoms, duration of illness and hospitalization, and medication use were included as covariates. Pearson correlations and multivariable linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations between physical activity levels and cognitive performance.
Patients with schizophrenia were less physically active and had poorer performance on attention/concentration and speed of processing than the comparison group. Patients with schizophrenia who spent more time in light physical activity showed better performance on attention/concentration (β = 0.198, p = 0.020) and speed of processing (β= −0.169, p = 0.048) tasks than those who were less active. Cognitive performance was also associated with moderate-vigorous physical activity, but the effect was no longer significant once light physical activity had been taken into account.
This study provides evidence for a positive association between objectively measured light physical activity and cognitive performance in people with schizophrenia, after adjustment for multiple confounders
Pulsed THz radiation due to phonon-polariton effect in [110] ZnTe crystal
Pulsed terahertz (THz) radiation, generated through optical rectification
(OR) by exciting [110] ZnTe crystal with ultrafast optical pulses, typically
consists of only a few cycles of electromagnetic field oscillations with a
duration about a couple of picoseconds. However, it is possible, under
appropriate conditions, to generate a long damped oscillation tail (LDOT)
following the main cycles. The LDOT can last tens of picoseconds and its
Fourier transform shows a higher and narrower frequency peak than that of the
main pulse. We have demonstrated that the generation of the LDOT depends on
both the duration of the optical pulse and its central wavelength. Furthermore,
we have also performed theoretical calculations based upon the OR effect
coupled with the phonon-polariton mode of ZnTe and obtained theoretical THz
waveforms in good agreement with our experimental observation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
A Three-dimensional Printed Low-cost Anterior Shoulder Dislocation Model for Ultrasound-guided Injection Training.
Anterior shoulder dislocations are the most common, large joint dislocations that present to the emergency department (ED). Numerous studies support the use of intraarticular local anesthetic injections for the safe, effective, and time-saving reduction of these dislocations. Simulation training is an alternative and effective method for training compared to bedside learning. There are no commercially available ultrasound-compatible shoulder dislocation models. We utilized a three-dimensional (3D) printer to print a model that allows the visualization of the ultrasound anatomy (sonoanatomy) of an anterior shoulder dislocation. We utilized an open-source file of a shoulder, available from embodi3D® (Bellevue, WA, US). After approximating the relative orientation of the humerus to the glenoid fossa in an anterior dislocation, the humerus and scapula model was printed with an Ultimaker-2 Extended+ 3D® (Ultimaker, Cambridge, MA, US) printer using polylactic acid filaments. A 3D model of the external shoulder anatomy of a live human model was then created using Structure Sensor®(Occipital, San Francisco, CA, US), a 3D scanner. We aligned the printed dislocation model of the humerus and scapula within the resultant external shoulder mold. A pourable ballistics gel solution was used to create the final shoulder phantom. The use of simulation in medicine is widespread and growing, given the restrictions on work hours and a renewed focus on patient safety. The adage of see one, do one, teach one is being replaced by deliberate practice. Simulation allows such training to occur in a safe teaching environment. The ballistic gel and polylactic acid structure effectively reproduced the sonoanatomy of an anterior shoulder dislocation. The 3D printed model was effective for practicing an in-plane ultrasound-guided intraarticular joint injection. 3D printing is effective in producing a low-cost, ultrasound-capable model simulating an anterior shoulder dislocation. Future research will determine whether provider confidence and the use of intraarticular anesthesia for the management of shoulder dislocations will improve after utilizing this model
Experimental observation of the crystallization of a paired holon state
A new excitation is observed at 201 meV in the doped-hole ladder cuprate
SrCuO, using ultraviolet resonance Raman scattering with
incident light at 3.7 eV polarized along the direction of the rungs. The
excitation is found to be of charge nature, with a temperature independent
excitation energy, and can be understood via an intra-ladder pair-breaking
process. The intensity tracks closely the order parameter of the charge density
wave in the ladder (CDW), but persists above the CDW transition
temperature (), indicating a strong local pairing above .
The 201 meV excitation vanishes in LaCaCuO,
and LaCaCuO which are samples with no holes in the
ladders. Our results suggest that the doped holes in the ladder are composite
bosons consisting of paired holons that order below .Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters (4 figures
Electronic and magnetic properties of GaMnAs: Annealing effects
The effect of short-time and long-time annealing at 250C on the conductivity,
hole density, and Curie temperature of GaMnAs single layers and GaMnAs/InGaMnAs
heterostructures is studied by in-situ conductivity measurements as well as
Raman and SQUID measurements before and after annealing. Whereas the
conductivity monotonously increases with increasing annealing time, the hole
density and the Curie temperature show a saturation after annealing for 30
minutes. The incorporation of thin InGaMnAs layers drastically enhances the
Curie temperature of the GaMnAs layers.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Physica
Variational Mote Carlo Study of Flat Band Ferromagnetism -- Application to CeRh_3 B_2
A new mechanism for ferromagnetism in CeRh_3B_2 is proposed on the basis of
variational Monte Carlo results. In a one-dimensional Anderson lattice where
each 4f electron hybridizes with a ligand orbital between neighboring Ce sites,
ferromagnetism is stabilized due to a nearly flat band which is a mixture of
conduction and 4f electron states. Because of the strong spin-orbit interaction
in 4f electron states, and of considerable amount of hybridization in the
nearly flat band, the magnetic moments from 4f and conduction electrons tend to
cancel each other. The resultant ferromagnetic moment becomes smaller as
compared with the local 4f moment, and the Fermi surface in the ferromagnetic
ground state is hardly affected by the presence of 4f electrons. These
theoretical results are consistent with experimental observations in CeRh_3B_2
by neutron scattering and dHvA effects.Comment: to be published in J.Phys.Soc.Jp
Angiotensin II causes b-cell dysfunction through an ER stress-induced proinflammatory response
The metabolic syndrome is associated with an increase in the activation of the renin angiotensin system, whose inhibition reduces the incidence of new-onset diabetes. Importantly, angiotensin II (AngII), independently of its vasoconstrictor action, causes b-cell inflammation and dysfunction, which may be an early step in the development of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine how AngII causes b-cell dysfunction. Islets of Langerhans were isolated from C57BL/6J mice that had been infused with AngII in the presence or absence of taurineconjugated ursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and effects on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, and b-cell function determined. The mechanism of action of AngII was further investigated using isolated murine islets and clonal b cells. We show that AngII triggers ER stress, an increase in the messenger RNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and promotes b-cell dysfunction in murine islets of Langerhans both in vivo and ex vivo. These effects were significantly attenuated by TUDCA, an inhibitor of ER stress. We also show that AngII-induced ER stress is required for the increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and is caused by reactive oxygen species and IP3 receptor activation. These data reveal that the induction of ER stress is critical for AngII-induced b-cell dysfunction and indicates how therapies that promote ER homeostasis may be beneficial in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. © 2017 Endocrine Society
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