Apparatus for time‐resolved measurements of acoustic birefringence in particle dispersions

An apparatus for time‐resolved measurements of the birefringence induced in a particle suspension by an acoustic wave pulse is described. Efficient acoustic coupling is obtained by operating near the transducer resonant frequency and by matching the acoustic impedances of the cell constituents. An almost‐overdamped acoustic configuration can alternatively be employed whenever a faster response is needed. Careful design of the optical setup and of the detection unit minimize diffraction and stress‐birefringence parasitic effects and yields a good responsivity at fairly low acoustic intensities. A test of the apparatus on a colloidal suspension of PTFE rodlike particles is presented and discussed

Higher physical fitness levels are associated with less language decline in healthy ageing

Healthy ageing is associated with decline in cognitive abilities such as language. Aerobic fitness has been shown to ameliorate decline in some cognitive domains, but the potential benefits for language have not been examined. In a cross-sectional sample, we investigated the relationship between aerobic fitness and tip-of-the-tongue states. These are among the most frequent cognitive failures in healthy older adults and occur when a speaker knows a word but is unable to produce it. We found that healthy older adults indeed experience more tip-of-the-tongue states than young adults. Importantly, higher aerobic fitness levels decrease the probability of experiencing tip-of-the-tongue states in healthy older adults. Fitness-related differences in word finding abilities are observed over and above effects of age. This is the first demonstration of a link between aerobic fitness and language functioning in healthy older adults

Counterexample Guided Inductive Optimization Applied to Mobile Robots Path Planning (Extended Version)

We describe and evaluate a novel optimization-based off-line path planning algorithm for mobile robots based on the Counterexample-Guided Inductive Optimization (CEGIO) technique. CEGIO iteratively employs counterexamples generated from Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) and Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solvers, in order to guide the optimization process and to ensure global optimization. This paper marks the first application of CEGIO for planning mobile robot path. In particular, CEGIO has been successfully applied to obtain optimal two-dimensional paths for autonomous mobile robots using off-the-shelf SAT and SMT solvers.Comment: 7 pages, 14rd Latin American Robotics Symposium (LARS'2017

An NTCP Analysis of Urethral Complications from Low Doserate Mono- and Bi-Radionuclide Brachytherapy

Urethral NTCP has been determined for three prostates implanted with seeds based on 125I (145 Gy), 103Pd (125 Gy), 131Cs (115 Gy), 103Pd-125I (145 Gy), or 103Pd-131Cs (115 Gy or 130 Gy). First, DU20, meaning that 20% of the urhral volume receive a dose of at least DU20, is converted into an I-125 LDR equivalent DU20 in order to use the urethral NTCP model. Second, the propagation of uncertainties through the steps in the NTCP calculation was assessed in order to identify the parameters responsible for large data uncertainties. Two sets of radiobiological parameters were studied. The NTCP results all fall in the 19%–23% range and are associated with large uncertainties, making the comparison difficult. Depending on the dataset chosen, the ranking of NTCP values among the six seed implants studied changes. Moreover, the large uncertainties on the fitting parameters of the urethral NTCP model result in large uncertainty on the NTCP value. In conclusion, the use of NTCP model for permanent brachytherapy is feasible but it is essential that the uncertainties on the parameters in the model be reduced

A simple interpretation of quantum mirages

In an interesting new experiment the electronic structure of a magnetic atom adsorbed on the surface of Cu(111), observed by STM, was projected into a remote location on the same surface. The purpose of the present paper is to interpret this experiment with a model Hamiltonian, using ellipses of the size of the experimental ones, containing about 2300 atoms. The charge distribution for the different wavefunctions is analyzed, in particular, for those with energy close to the Fermi energy of copper Ef. Some of them show two symmetric maxima located on the principal axis of the ellipse but not necessarily at the foci. If a Co atom is adsorbed at the site where the wavefunction with energy $E_F$ has a maximum and the interaction is small, the main effect of the adsorbed atom will be to split this particular wavefunction in two. The total charge density will remain the same but the local density of states will present a dip at Ef at any site where the charge density is large enough. We relate the presence of this dip to the observation of quantum mirages. Our interpretation suggests that other sites, apart from the foci of the ellipses, can be used for projecting atomic images and also indicates the conditions for other non magnetic adsorbates to produce mirages.Comment: 3 pages, 3 Fig

Reduction in jejunal fluid absorption in vivo through distension and cholinergic stimulation not attributable to enterocyte secretion

Jejunal fluid absorption in vivo was reduced by distension and by hydrostatic pressure and further declined on adding E. coli STa enterotoxin but no net fluid secretion was detected. Luminal atropine reduced pressure mediated reductions in fluid absorption to normal values but intravenous hexamethonium was without effect. A neural component to inhibition of absorption by pressure (though not stretch) may be mediated by axon reflexes within cholinergic neurons.Perfusion of cholinergic compounds also reduced net fluid absorption but did not cause secretion. In order to show that these actions were not secretory processes stimulated by cholinergic compounds that offset normal rates of absorption, these compounds were tested for their ability to cause net secretion in loops that were perfused with solutions in which choline substituted for sodium ion. In addition, these perfusates additionally contained E. coli STa enterotoxin or EIPA (ethyl-isopropyl-amiloride) to minimize absorption.In these circumstances, where it might be expected to do so if it were acting through a secretory rather than an absorptive mechanism, carbachol did not cause net fluid secretion. Cholinergic stimulation and pressure induced distension are thought to reduce net fluid absorption through inducing secretion but are found only to reduce fluid absorption.In conclusion, distension and cholinergic stimulation of the small intestine are two further circumstances in which fluid secretion is assumed to explain their action on fluid movement, as required by the enterocyte secretion model of secretion but, which like STa enterotoxin, instead are only able to reduce fluid absorption. This casts further doubt on the widespread validity of the enterocyte secretion model for fluid appearance in the lumen in diarrhoeal diseases

Magnetic field stabilization system for atomic physics experiments

Atomic physics experiments commonly use millitesla-scale magnetic fields to provide a quantization axis. As atomic transition frequencies depend on the amplitude of this field, many experiments require a stable absolute field. Most setups use electromagnets, which require a power supply stability not usually met by commercially available units. We demonstrate stabilization of a field of 14.6 mT to 4.3 nT rms noise (0.29 ppm), compared to noise of $\gtrsim$ 100 nT without any stabilization. The rms noise is measured using a field-dependent hyperfine transition in a single $^{43}$Ca$^+$ ion held in a Paul trap at the centre of the magnetic field coils. For the $^{43}$Ca$^+$ "atomic clock" qubit transition at 14.6 mT, which depends on the field only in second order, this would yield a projected coherence time of many hours. Our system consists of a feedback loop and a feedforward circuit that control the current through the field coils and could easily be adapted to other field amplitudes, making it suitable for other applications such as neutral atom traps.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Ground-State SiO Maser Emission Toward Evolved Stars

We have made the first unambiguous detection of vibrational ground-state maser emission from SiO toward six evolved stars. Using the Very Large Array, we simultaneously observed the v=0, J=1-0, 43.4-GHz, ground-state and the v=1, J=1-0, 43.1-GHz, first excited-state transitions of SiO toward the oxygen-rich evolved stars IRC+10011, o Ceti, W Hya, RX Boo, NML Cyg, and R Cas and the S-type star chi Cyg. We detected at least one v=0 SiO maser feature from six of the seven stars observed, with peak maser brightness temperatures ranging from 10,000 K to 108,800 K. In fact, four of the seven v=0 spectra show multiple maser peaks, a phenomenon which has not been previously observed. Ground-state thermal emission was detected for one of the stars, RX Boo, with a peak brightness temperature of 200 K. Comparing the v=0 and the v=1 transitions, we find that the ground-state masers are much weaker with spectral characteristics different from those of the first excited-state masers. For four of the seven stars the velocity dispersion is smaller for the v=0 emission than for the v=1 emission, for one star the dispersions are roughly equivalent, and for two stars (one of which is RX Boo) the velocity spread of the v=0 emission is larger. In most cases, the peak flux density in the v=0 emission spectrum does not coincide with the v=1 maser peak. Although the angular resolution of these VLA observations were insufficient to completely resolve the spatial structure of the SiO emission, the SiO spot maps produced from the interferometric image cubes suggest that the v=0 masers are more extended than their v=1 counterparts