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Global Optimization Of Quasi-Monoenergetic Electron Beams From Laser Wakefield Accelerators
We globally optimize a terawatt-laser-driven wakefield accelerator by systematically varying laser and target parameters to achieve 100 MeV electrons, 10% energy spread, 100 pC charge, 4 mrad divergence and 10 mrad pointing fluctuation with similar to 100% reproducibility, thereby meeting conditions for producing similar to 10(6) 200 keV X-ray photons/pulse by inverse Compton scatter.Physic
A structure marker study for Pd_2Si formation: Pd moves in epitaxial Pd_2Si
A sample with the configuration Si (111)/single crystalline Pd_2Si/polycrystalline Pd_2Si/Pd is used to study the dominant moving species during subsequent Pd_2Si formation by annealing at 275 °C. The interface between monocrystalline and polycrystalline Pd_2Si is used as a marker to monitor the dominant moving species. The result shows that Pd is the dominant moving species in the monocrystal
Zero Temperature Insulator-Metal Transition in Doped Manganites
We study the transition at T=0 from a ferromagnetic insulating to a
ferromagnetic metallic phase in manganites as a function of hole doping using
an effective low-energy model Hamiltonian proposed by us recently. The model
incorporates the quantum nature of the dynamic Jahn-Teller(JT) phonons strongly
coupled to orbitally degenerate electrons as well as strong Coulomb correlation
effects and leads naturally to the coexistence of localized (JT polaronic) and
band-like electronic states. We study the insulator-metal transition as a
function of doping as well as of the correlation strength U and JT gain in
energy E_{JT}, and find, for realistic values of parameters, a ground state
phase diagram in agreement with experiments. We also discuss how several other
features of manganites as well as differences in behaviour among manganites can
be understood in terms of our model.Comment: To be published in Europhysics Letter
The Casimir force on a surface with shallow nanoscale corrugations: Geometry and finite conductivity effects
We measure the Casimir force between a gold sphere and a silicon plate with
nanoscale, rectangular corrugations with depth comparable to the separation
between the surfaces. In the proximity force approximation (PFA), both the top
and bottom surfaces of the corrugations contribute to the force, leading to a
distance dependence that is distinct from a flat surface. The measured Casimir
force is found to deviate from the PFA by up to 15%, in good agreement with
calculations based on scattering theory that includes both geometry effects and
the optical properties of the material
Unique gap structure and symmetry of the charge density wave in single-layer VSe
Single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are excellent
candidates for electronic applications beyond the graphene platform; many of
them exhibit novel properties including charge density waves (CDWs) and
magnetic ordering. CDWs in these single layers are generally a planar
projection of the corresponding bulk CDWs because of the quasi-two-dimensional
nature of TMDCs; a different CDW symmetry is unexpected. We report herein the
successful creation of pristine single-layer VSe, which shows a () CDW in contrast to the (4 4) CDW for the layers in
bulk VSe. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) from the single
layer shows a sizable () CDW gap of 100 meV at the
zone boundary, a 220 K CDW transition temperature twice the bulk value, and no
ferromagnetic exchange splitting as predicted by theory. This robust CDW with
an exotic broken symmetry as the ground state is explained via a
first-principles analysis. The results illustrate a unique CDW phenomenon in
the two-dimensional limit
The Prevalence of Latent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection Based on an Interferon-γ Release Assay: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Urban Adults in Mwanza, Tanzania.
One third of the world's population is estimated to be latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LTBI). Surveys of LTBI are rarely performed in resource poor TB high endemic countries like Tanzania although low-income countries harbor the largest burden of the worlds LTBI. The primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of LTBI in household contacts of pulmonary TB cases and a group of apparently healthy neighborhood controls in an urban setting of such a country. Secondly we assessed potential impact of LTBI on inflammation by quantitating circulating levels of an acute phase reactant: alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) in neighborhood controls. The study was nested within the framework of two nutrition studies among TB patients in Mwanza, Tanzania. Household contacts- and neighborhood controls were invited to participate. The study involved a questionnaire, BMI determination and blood samples to measure AGP, HIV testing and a Quantiferon Gold In tube (QFN-IT) test to detect signs of LTBI. 245 household contacts and 192 neighborhood controls had available QFN-IT data. Among household contacts, the proportion of QFT-IT positive was 59% compared to 41% in the neighborhood controls (p = 0.001). In a linear regression model adjusted for sex, age, CD4 and HIV, a QFT-IT positive test was associated with a 10% higher level of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein(AGP) (10(B) 1.10, 95% CI 1.01; 1.20, p = 0.03), compared to individuals with a QFT-IT negative test. LTBI is highly prevalent among apparently healthy urban Tanzanians even without known exposure to TB in the household. LTBI was found to be associated with elevated levels of AGP. The implications of this observation merit further studies
Singular value decomposition in parametrised tests of post-Newtonian theory
Various coefficients of the 3.5 post-Newtonian (PN) phasing formula of
non-spinning compact binaries moving in circular orbits is fully characterized
by the two component masses. If two of these coefficients are independently
measured, the masses can be estimated. Future gravitational wave observations
could measure many of the 8 independent PN coefficients calculated to date.
These additional measurements can be used to test the PN predictions of the
underlying theory of gravity. Since all of these parameters are functions of
the two component masses, there is strong correlation between the parameters
when treated independently. Using Singular Value Decomposition of the Fisher
information matrix, we remove this correlations and obtain a new set of
parameters which are linear combinations of the original phasing coefficients.
We show that the new set of parameters can be estimated with significantly
improved accuracies which has implications for the ongoing efforts to implement
parametrised tests of PN theory in the data analysis pipelines.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Classical and
Quantum Gravity (Matches with the published version
Quality and Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies in TB, HIV and Malaria: Evaluation Using QUADAS and STARD Standards
BackgroundPoor methodological quality and reporting are known concerns with diagnostic accuracy studies. In 2003, the QUADAS tool and the STARD standards were published for evaluating the quality and improving the reporting of diagnostic studies, respectively. However, it is unclear whether these tools have been applied to diagnostic studies of infectious diseases. We performed a systematic review on the methodological and reporting quality of diagnostic studies in TB, malaria and HIV.MethodsWe identified diagnostic accuracy studies of commercial tests for TB, malaria and HIV through a systematic search of the literature using PubMed and EMBASE (2004–2006). Original studies that reported sensitivity and specificity data were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics and diagnostic accuracy, and used QUADAS and STARD to evaluate the quality of methods and reporting, respectively.FindingsNinety (38%) of 238 articles met inclusion criteria. All studies had design deficiencies. Study quality indicators that were met in less than 25% of the studies included adequate description of[...] and description of the team executing the test and management of indeterminate/outlier results (both 17%). The use of STARD was not explicitly mentioned in any study. Only 22% of 46 journals that published the studies included in this review required authors to use STARD
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON SELFCOMPACTING CONCRETE CONTAINING INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS
Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is a type of concrete that has thecapacity to consolidate under its own weight. The current trend all over theworld is to utilize the treated and untreated industrial by-products, domesticwaste etc. as a raw material in concrete, which gives an eco-friendly edge tothe concrete preparation process. This practice not only helps in reuse of thewaste material but also creates a cleaner and greener environment. This studyaims to focus on the possibility of using industrial by-products like GroundGranulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS) and Silica fumes (SF) in preparationof SCC. The usage of these powders is proposed as a replacement for cementin the production of SCC by adopting the much popular Nan Su et al. methodof mix design. The paper deals with comparison of performances of GGBSand SF based SCC mixes
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