402 research outputs found
Disentangling instrumental broadening
A new procedure aiming at disentangling the instrumental profile broadening
and the relevant X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) profile shape is presented.
The technique consists of three steps: denoising by means of wavelet
transforms, background suppression by morphological functions and deblurring by
a Lucy--Richardson damped deconvolution algorithm. Real XRPD intensity profiles
of ceria samples are used to test the performances. Results show the robustness
of the method and its capability of efficiently disentangling the instrumental
broadening affecting the measurement of the intrinsic physical line profile.
These features make the whole procedure an interesting and user-friendly tool
for the pre-processing of XRPD data.Comment: 9 pages, 1 table, 1 figure; typos correcte
Ab initio GW many-body effects in graphene
We present an {\it ab initio} many-body GW calculation of the self-energy,
the quasiparticle band plot and the spectral functions in free-standing undoped
graphene. With respect to other approaches, we numerically take into account
the full ionic and electronic structure of real graphene and we introduce
electron-electron interaction and correlation effects from first principles.
Both non-hermitian and also dynamical components of the self-energy are fully
taken into account. With respect to DFT-LDA, the Fermi velocity is
substantially renormalized and raised by a 17%, in better agreement with
magnetotransport experiments. Furthermore, close to the Dirac point the linear
dispersion is modified by the presence of a kink, as observed in ARPES
experiments. Our calculations show that the kink is due to low-energy single-particle excitations and to the plasmon. Finally, the GW
self-energy does not open the band gap.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Quantification of Thoracic Aorta Blood Flow by Magnetic Resonance Imaging During Supine Cycling Exercise of Increasing Intensity
Poster presentation from the 16th Annual SCMR Scientific Sessions San Francisco, CA, USA. 31 January - 3 February 2013
Treating a 20 mm Hg Gradient Alleviates Myocardial Hypertrophy in Experimental Aortic Coarctation
Background Children with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) can have a hyperdynamic and remodeled left ventricle (LV) from increased afterload. Literature from an experimental model suggests the putative 20 mm Hg blood pressure gradient (BPG) treatment guideline frequently implemented in CoA studies may permit irreversible vascular changes. LV remodeling from pressure overload has been studied, but data are limited following correction and using a clinically representative BPG. Materials and methods Rabbits underwent CoA at 10 weeks to induce a 20 mm Hg BPG using permanent or dissolvable suture thereby replicating untreated and corrected CoA, respectively. Cardiac function was evaluated at 32 weeks by magnetic resonance imaging using a spoiled cine GRE sequence (TR/TE/FA 8/2.9/20), 14 × 14-cm FOV, and 3-mm slice thickness. Images (20 frames/cycle) were acquired in 6-8 short axis views from the apex to the mitral valve annulus. LV volume, ejection fraction (EF), and mass were quantified. Results LV mass was elevated for CoA (5.2 ± 0.55 g) versus control (3.6 ± 0.16 g) and corrected (4.0 ± 0.44 g) rabbits, resulting in increased LV mass/volume ratio for CoA rabbits. A trend toward increased EF and stroke volume was observed but did not reach significance. Elevated EF by volumetric analysis in CoA rabbits was supported by concomitant increases in total aortic flow by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions The indices quantified trended toward a persistent hyperdynamic LV despite correction, but differences were not statistically significant versus control rabbits. These findings suggest the current putative 20 mm Hg BPG for treatment may be reasonable from the LV\u27s perspective
Semileptonic and rare B meson decays into a light pseudoscalar meson
In the framework of a QCD relativistic potential model we evaluate the form
factors describing the exclusive decays B => \pi l nu and B => K l+ l-. The
present calculation extends a previous analysis of B meson decays into light
vector mesons. We find results in agreement with the data, when available, and
with the theoretical constraints imposed by the Callan-Treiman relation and the
infinite heavy quark mass limit.Comment: 11 pages LaTeX + 2 figure
Semileptonic and Rare -meson transitions in a QCD relativistic potential model
Using a QCD relativistic potential model, previously applied to the
calculation of the heavy meson leptonic constants, we evaluate the form factors
governing the exclusive decays , and . In our approach the heavy meson is described as a
bound state, whose wave function is solution of the relativistic Salpeter
equation, with an instantaneous potential displaying Coulombic behaviour at
small distances and linear behaviour at large distances. The light vector meson
is described by using a vector current interpolating field, according to the
Vector Meson Dominance assumption. A Pauli-Villars regularized propagator is
assumed for the quarks not constituting the heavy meson. Our procedure allows
to avoid the description of the light meson in terms of wave function and
constituent quarks, and consequently the problem of boosting the light meson
wave function.
Assuming as an input the experimental results on , we
evaluate all the form factors describing the semileptonic and
rare transitions. The overall comparison with the data, whenever available, is
satisfactory.Comment: Latex, 19 pages, 3 figure
Novel Applications of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling in Pediatric Cardiovascular and Congenital Heart Disease
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) afflict many people across the world; thus, understanding the pathophysiology of CVD and the biomechanical forces which influence CVD progression is important in the development of optimal strategies to care for these patients. Over the last two decades, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has offered increasingly important insights into CVD. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, a method of simulating the characteristics of flowing fluids, can be applied to the study of CVD through the collaboration of engineers and clinicians. This chapter aims to explore the current state of the CMR-derived CFD, as this technique pertains to both acquired CVD (i.e., atherosclerosis) and congenital heart disease (CHD)
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