Reduced leakage current in Josephson tunnel junctions with codeposited barriers

Josephson junctions were fabricated using two different methods of barrier formation. The trilayers employed were Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb on sapphire, where the first two layers were epitaxial. The oxide barrier was formed either by exposing the Al surface to O2 or by codepositing Al in an O2 background. The codeposition process yielded junctions that showed the theoretically predicted subgap current and no measurable shunt conductance. In contrast, devices with barriers formed by thermal oxidation showed a small shunt conductance in addition to the predicted subgap current.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Estimation of standard molar entropy of cement hydrates and clinker minerals

It is not straightforward to experimentally measure the standard molar entropy of cement hydrates or clinker minerals. This is further compounded by the controversies surrounding the entropy values reported in established thermodynamic datasets for cements. The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability of standard entropies compiled in those datasets. To this end, a simple but robust method is used in which the standard entropy of an inorganic solid is correlated to its formula unit volume via a linear equation. The results of this analysis show that the standard entropies and/or molar volumes (and in cases solubility products) of the following phases deserve closer scrutiny: meta-ettringite phases; magnesium/aluminium layered double hydroxide solid solutions; almost all iron-bearing monosulfate and hydrogarnet phases; and several calcium silicate hydrate solid solution end-members. In addition, this study reports the provisional estimates for the standard entropies of minerals ternesite and ye'elimite

Outcomes in hepatitis C virus–infected recipients of living donor vs. deceased donor liver transplantation

In this retrospective study of hepatitis C virus (HCV)–infected transplant recipients in the 9-center Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study, graft and patient survival and the development of advanced fibrosis were compared among 181 living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients and 94 deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) recipients. Overall 3-year graft and patient survival were 68% and 74% in LDLT, and 80% and 82% in DDLT, respectively. Graft survival, but not patient survival, was significantly lower for LDLT compared to DDLT ( P = 0.04 and P = 0.20, respectively). Further analyses demonstrated lower graft and patient survival among the first 20 LDLT cases at each center (LDLT 20; P = 0.002 and P = 0.002, respectively) and DDLT recipients ( P 20 and DDLT were not significantly different ( P = 0.66 and P = 0.74, respectively). Overall, 3-year graft survival for DDLT, LDLT >20, and LDLT 20 were not significantly different. Important predictors of graft loss in HCV-infected patients were limited LDLT experience, pretransplant HCC, and higher MELD at transplantation. Liver Transpl 13:122–129, 2007. © 2006 AASLD.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55915/1/20995_ftp.pd

A Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Milrinone in Pediatric Patients After Cardiac Surgery

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the optimal pharmacokinetic model for milrinone in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery when milrinone was administered as a slow loading dose followed by a constant-rate infusion. The data used for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled multi-center trial of milrinone as prophylaxis for the development of low cardiac output syndrome after surgery for repair of complex congenital cardiac defects. Two blood samples were randomly collected from each patient for determination of plasma milrinone concentrations with subsequent population pharmacokinetic modeling. The pharmacokinetics of milrinone in pediatric patients under 6year's age were best described by a weight-normalized one compartment model after a slow loading dose followed by a constant-rate infusion. The volume of distribution was 482mlkg −1 , and was independent of age. Clearance was a linear function of age given by Cl=2.42mlkg −1 min −1 [1+0.0396*age].Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45063/1/10928_2004_Article_485925.pd

Treatment of multi-dentate surface complexes and diffuse layer implementation in various speciation codes

International audienceSpectroscopic studies and atomistic simulations of (hydr)oxide surfaces show that ionic aqueous adsorbates can bind to one, two, three, or four surface oxygen atoms (sites), forming multi-dentate species in surface complexation reactions. The law of mass action (LMA) for such reactions can be expressed in several alternative scales of surface concentration (activity). Unlike for mono-dentate surface complexes, the numerical value of the equilibrium constant is not independent of the choice of the surface concentration scale. Here, we show in a number of examples that the different formalisms implemented in popular speciation codes (MINEQL, MINTEQ, PHREEQC, and ECOSAT) yield different results for the same systems when the same parameters are used. We conclude that it is very important to generate general equations to easily transfer stability constants between the different concentration scales. It is of utmost importance for application of these models to reactive transport that the implementation in both the model fitting and speciation codes, and in the transport codes, is transparent to users.We also point to the problem that the implementation of the diffuse layer formalism in the various codes is not necessarily generally applicable. Thus, codes like VisualMinteq or MINEQL involve the Gouy–Chapman equation, which is limited to symmetrical (z:z) electrolytes, while PHREEQC and ECOSAT use general equations. Application of the former two to environmental problems with mixed electrolytes will therefore involve an inconsistency

World Octopus Fisheries

153 pages, 97 figures, 10 tables, 2 appendixesRecent studies have shown that coastal and shelf cephalopod populations have increased globally over the last six decades. Although cephalopod landings are dominated by the squid fishery, which represents nearly 80% of the worldwide cephalopod catches, octopuses and cuttlefishes represent ∼10% each. Total reported global production of octopuses over the past three decades indicates a relatively steady increase in catch, almost doubling from 179,042 t in 1980 to 355,239 t in 2014. Octopus fisheries are likely to continue to grow in importance and magnitude as many finfish stocks are either fully or over-exploited. More than twenty described octopus species are harvested from some 90 countries worldwide. The current review describes the major octopus fisheries around the globe, providing an overview of species targeted, ecological and biological features of exploited stocks, catches and the key aspects of managementIGG has been supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (Grants J130000263 and AS2715164U). RV has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture (Grant PRX17/00090), Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (OCTOSET project, RTI2018-097908-B-I00, MCIU/AEI/FEDER, EU) and by the Direcció General de Pesca i Afers Marítims, Generalitat de Catalunya. FAFA was supported by a predoctoral fellowship of the MINECO (BES-2013-063551) and an Irish Research Council - Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship (Ref. GOIPD/2019/460)Peer reviewe