1,211 research outputs found
Controlling the composition of a confined fluid by an electric field
Starting from a generic model of a pore/bulk mixture equilibrium, we propose
a novel method for modulating the composition of the confined fluid without
having to modify the bulk state. To achieve this, two basic mechanisms -
sensitivity of the pore filling to the bulk thermodynamic state and electric
field effect - are combined. We show by Monte Carlo simulation that the
composition can be controlled both in a continuous and in a jumpwise way. Near
the bulk demixing instability, we demonstrate a field induced population
inversion in the pore. The conditions for the realization of this method should
be best met with colloids, but being based on robust and generic mechanisms, it
should also be applicable to some molecular fluids.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Understanding Problem Fermentations – A Review
Despite advances in winemaking technology and improvements in fermentation control, problem alcoholic andmalolactic fermentations remain a major oenological concern worldwide. This is due to possible depreciation ofproduct quality and its consequent negative economic impact. Various factors have been identified and studied overthe years, yet the occurrence of fermentation problems persists. The synergistic effect of the various factors amongsteach other provides additional challenges for the study of such fermentations. This literature review summarisesthe most frequently studied causes of problematic alcoholic and malolactic fermentations and in addition provides asummary of established and some potential new analytical technologies to monitor and investigate the phenomenonof stuck and sluggish fermentations
Scattering Theory of Non-Equilibrium Noise and Delta current fluctuations through a quantum dot
We consider the non-equilibrium zero frequency noise generated by a
temperature gradient applied on a device composed of two normal leads separated
by a quantum dot. We recall the derivation of the scattering theory for
non-equilibrium noise for a general situation where both a bias voltage and a
temperature gradient can coexist and put it in a historical perspective. We
provide a microscopic derivation of zero frequency noise through a quantum dot
based on a tight binding Hamiltonian, which constitutes a generalization of the
pioneering work of Caroli et al. for the current obtained in the context of the
Keldysh formalism. For a single level quantum dot, the obtained transmission
coefficient entering the scattering formula for the non-equilibrium noise
corresponds to a Breit-Wigner resonance. We compute the delta- noise as a
function of the dot level position, and of the dot level width, in the
Breit-Wigner case, for two relevant situations which were considered recently
in two separate experiments. In the regime where the two reservoir temperatures
are comparable, our gradient expansion shows that the delta- noise is
dominated by its quadratic contribution, and is minimal close to resonance. In
the opposite regime where one reservoir is much colder, the gradient expansion
fails and we find the noise to be typically linear in temperature before
saturating. In both situations, we conclude with a short discussion of the case
where both a voltage bias and a temperature gradient are present, in order to
address the potential competition with thermoelectric effects.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure
Coronal magnetic reconnection driven by CME expansion -- the 2011 June 7 event
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupt and expand in a magnetically structured
solar corona. Various indirect observational pieces of evidence have shown that
the magnetic field of CMEs reconnects with surrounding magnetic fields,
forming, e.g., dimming regions distant from the CME source regions. Analyzing
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations of the eruption from AR 11226 on
2011 June 7, we present the first direct evidence of coronal magnetic
reconnection between the fields of two adjacent ARs during a CME. The
observations are presented jointly with a data-constrained numerical
simulation, demonstrating the formation/intensification of current sheets along
a hyperbolic flux tube (HFT) at the interface between the CME and the
neighbouring AR 11227. Reconnection resulted in the formation of new magnetic
connections between the erupting magnetic structure from AR 11226 and the
neighboring active region AR 11227 about 200 Mm from the eruption site. The
onset of reconnection first becomes apparent in the SDO/AIA images when
filament plasma, originally contained within the erupting flux rope, is
re-directed towards remote areas in AR 11227, tracing the change of large-scale
magnetic connectivity. The location of the coronal reconnection region becomes
bright and directly observable at SDO/AIA wavelengths, owing to the presence of
down-flowing cool, dense (10^{10} cm^{-3}) filament plasma in its vicinity. The
high-density plasma around the reconnection region is heated to coronal
temperatures, presumably by slow-mode shocks and Coulomb collisions. These
results provide the first direct observational evidence that CMEs reconnect
with surrounding magnetic structures, leading to a large-scale re-configuration
of the coronal magnetic field.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure
Accuracy of diabetes screening methods used for people with tuberculosis, Indonesia, Peru, Romania, South Africa
Objective
To evaluate the performance of diagnostic tools for diabetes mellitus, including laboratory methods and clinical risk scores, in newly-diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients from four middle-income countries.
Methods
In a multicentre, prospective study, we recruited 2185 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from sites in Indonesia, Peru, Romania and South Africa from January 2014 to September 2016. Using laboratory-measured glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as the gold standard, we measured the diagnostic accuracy of random plasma glucose, point-of-care HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, urine dipstick, published and newly derived diabetes mellitus risk scores and anthropometric measurements. We also analysed combinations of tests, including a two-step test using point-of-care HbA1cwhen initial random plasma glucose was ≥ 6.1 mmol/L.
Findings
The overall crude prevalence of diabetes mellitus among newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients was 283/2185 (13.0%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 11.6–14.4). The marker with the best diagnostic accuracy was point-of-care HbA1c (area under receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.75–0.86). A risk score derived using age, point-of-care HbA1c and random plasma glucose had the best overall diagnostic accuracy (area under curve: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.81–0.90). There was substantial heterogeneity between sites for all markers, but the two-step combination test performed well in Indonesia and Peru.
Conclusion
Random plasma glucose followed by point-of-care HbA1c testing can accurately diagnose diabetes in tuberculosis patients, particularly those with substantial hyperglycaemia, while reducing the need for more expensive point-of-care HbA1c testing. Risk scores with or without biochemical data may be useful but require validation
Structural Basis for Potentiation by Alcohols and Anaesthetics in a Ligand-gated Ion Channel
Ethanol alters nerve signalling by interacting with proteins in the central nervous system, particularly pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. A recent series of mutagenesis experiments on Gloeobacter violaceus ligand-gated ion channel, a prokaryotic member of this family, identified a single-site variant that is potentiated by pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol. Here we determine crystal structures of the ethanol-sensitized variant in the absence and presence of ethanol and related modulators, which bind in a transmembrane cavity between channel subunits and may stabilize the open form of the channel. Structural and mutagenesis studies defined overlapping mechanisms of potentiation by alcohols and anaesthetics via the inter-subunit cavity. Furthermore, homology modelling show this cavity to be conserved in human ethanol-sensitive glycine and GABA(A) receptors, and to involve residues previously shown to influence alcohol and anaesthetic action on these proteins. These results suggest a common structural basis for ethanol potentiation of an important class of targets for neurological actions of ethanol
Mechanical characterization of elastoplastic materials - use of axisymetric indenters
Dans cet article, nous présentons une expression de la courbe d'indentation instrumentée d'un matériau élastoplastique pouvant s'écrouir. Cette expression nécessite d'expliciter la pression moyenne de contact entre l'indenteur et le matériau, ainsi que de tenir compte de la forme que prend la surface du matériau sous l'indenteur. Le cas d'un indenteur conique est d'abord étudié ; puis l'expression est généralisée aux indenteurs d'autres formes (supposés axisymétriques). Les résultats sont comparés aux modèles déjà existants.In this article, an expression of the depth-sensing indentation curve for strain-hardening materials is introduced. This expression requires to formulate the mean contact pressure between the indenter and the material and to account for the shape of the material surface under the indenter. The case of a conical indenter is first studied, and extended to other axisymetric indenters. Results are compared to previous models
Mechanical characterization of elastoplastic materials - use of axisymetric indenters
Dans cet article, nous présentons une expression de la courbe d'indentation instrumentée d'un matériau élastoplastique pouvant s'écrouir. Cette expression nécessite d'expliciter la pression moyenne de contact entre l'indenteur et le matériau, ainsi que de tenir compte de la forme que prend la surface du matériau sous l'indenteur. Le cas d'un indenteur conique est d'abord étudié ; puis l'expression est généralisée aux indenteurs d'autres formes (supposés axisymétriques). Les résultats sont comparés aux modèles déjà existants.In this article, an expression of the depth-sensing indentation curve for strain-hardening materials is introduced. This expression requires to formulate the mean contact pressure between the indenter and the material and to account for the shape of the material surface under the indenter. The case of a conical indenter is first studied, and extended to other axisymetric indenters. Results are compared to previous models
- …