1,306 research outputs found
Bimodal switching field distributions in all-perpendicular spin-valve nanopillars
Switching field measurements of the free layer element of 75 nm diameter
spin-valve nanopillars reveal a bimodal distribution of switching fields at low
temperatures (below 100 K). This result is inconsistent with a model of thermal
activation over a single perpendicular anisotropy barrier. The correlation
between antiparallel to parallel and parallel to antiparallel switching fields
increases to nearly 50% at low temperatures. This reflects random fluctuation
of the shift of the free layer hysteresis loop between two different
magnitudes, which may originate from changes in the dipole field from the
polarizing layer. The magnitude of the loop shift changes by 25% and is
correlated to transitions of the spin-valve into an antiparallel configuration.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to JAP for 58th MMM Proceeding
Temperature dependent nucleation and propagation of domain walls in a sub-100 nm perpendicularly magnetized Co/Ni multilayer
We present a study of the temperature dependence of the switching fields in
Co/Ni-based perpendicularly magnetized spin-valves. While magnetization
reversal of all-perpendicular Co/Ni spin valves at ambient temperatures is
typically marked by a single sharp step change in resistance, low temperature
measurements can reveal a series of resistance steps, consistent with
non-uniform magnetization configurations. We propose a model that consists of
domain nucleation, propagation and annihilation to explain the temperature
dependence of the switching fields. Interestingly, low temperature (<30 K) step
changes in resistance that we associate with domain nucleation, have a bimodal
switching field and resistance step distribution, attributable to two competing
nucleation pathways.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Temperature dependence of the switching field distributions in all-perpendicular spin-valve nanopillars
We present temperature dependent switching measurements of the Co/Ni
multilayered free element of 75 nm diameter spin-valve nanopillars. Angular
dependent hysteresis measurements as well as switching field measurements taken
at low temperature are in agreement with a model of thermal activation over a
perpendicular anisotropy barrier. However, the statistics of switching (mean
switching field and switching variance) from 20 K up to 400 K are in
disagreement with a N\'{e}el-Brown model that assumes a temperature independent
barrier height and anisotropy field. We introduce a modified N\'{e}el-Brown
model thats fit the experimental data in which we take a dependence
to the barrier height and the anisotropy field due to the temperature dependent
magnetization and anisotropy energy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Schémas de sélection: de la représentation généalogique au modèle statistique. Justification asymptotique
International audienc
Instruments for investigating fitness to drive - needs and expectations in primary care: a qualitative study
Background: Primary care physicians are often requested to assess their patients' fitness to drive. Little is however known on their needs to help them in this task. Aims: The aim of this study is to develop theories on needs, expectations, and barriers for clinical instruments helping physicians assess fitness to drive in primary care. Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to investigate needs and expectations for instruments used to assess fitness to drive. From August 2011 to April 2013, we recorded opinions from five experts in traffic medicine, five primary care physicians, and five senior drivers. All interviews were integrally transcribed. Two independent researchers extracted, coded, and stratified categories relying on multi-grounded theory. All participants validated the final scheme. Results: Our theory suggests that for an instruments assessing fitness to drive to be implemented in primary care, it need to contribute to the decisional process. This requires at least five conditions: 1) it needs to reduce the range of uncertainty, 2) it needs to be adapted to local resources and possibilities, 3) it needs to be accepted by patients, 4) choices of tasks need to adaptable to clinical conditions, 5) and interpretation of results need to remain dependant of each patient's context. Discussion and conclusions: Most existing instruments assessing fitness to drive are not designed for primary care settings. Future instruments should also aim to support patient-centred dialogue, help anticipate driving cessation, and offer patients the opportunity to freely take their own decision on driving cessation as often as possible
Schémas de sélection: de la représentation généalogique au modèle statistique. Élaboration du modèle
International audienc
The trail making test as a screening instrument for driving performance in older drivers; a translational research.
BACKGROUND: In many countries, primary care physicians determine whether or not older drivers are fit to drive. Little, however, is known regarding the effects of cognitive decline on driving performance and the means to detect it. This study explores to what extent the trail making test (TMT) can provide indications to clinicians about their older patients' on-road driving performance in the context of cognitive decline.
METHODS: This translational study was nested within a cohort study and an exploratory psychophysics study. The target population of interest was constituted of older drivers in the absence of important cognitive or physical disorders. We therefore recruited and tested 404 home-dwelling drivers, aged 70 years or more and in possession of valid drivers' licenses, who volunteered to participate in a driving refresher course. Forty-five drivers also agreed to undergo further testing at our lab. On-road driving performance was evaluated by instructors during a 45 minute validated open-road circuit. Drivers were classified as either being excellent, good, moderate, or poor depending on their score on a standardized evaluation of on-road driving performance.
RESULTS: The area under the receiver operator curve for detecting poorly performing drivers was 0.668 (CI95% 0.558 to 0.778) for the TMT-A, and 0.662 (CI95% 0.542 to 0.783) for the TMT-B. TMT was related to contrast sensitivity, motion direction, orientation discrimination, working memory, verbal fluency, and literacy. Older patients with a TMT-A ≥ 54 seconds or a TMT-B ≥ 150 seconds have a threefold (CI95% 1.3 to 7.0) increased risk of performing poorly during the on-road evaluation. TMT had a sensitivity of 63.6%, a specificity of 64.9%, a positive predictive value of 9.5%, and a negative predictive value of 96.9%.
CONCLUSION: In screening settings, the TMT would have clinicians uselessly consider driving cessation in nine drivers out of ten. Given the important negative impact this could have on older drivers, this study confirms the TMT not to be specific enough for clinicians to justify driving cessation without complementary investigations on driving behaviors
Nucleon scalar and tensor charges using lattice QCD simulations at the physical value of the pion mass
We present results on the light, strange and charm nucleon scalar and tensor
charges from lattice QCD, using simulations with flavors of twisted
mass Clover-improved fermions with a physical value of the pion mass. Both
connected and disconnected contributions are included, enabling us to extract
the isoscalar, strange and charm charges for the first time directly at the
physical point. Furthermore, the renormalization is computed non-perturbatively
for both isovector and isoscalar quantities. We investigate excited state
effects by analyzing several sink-source time separations and by employing a
set of methods to probe ground state dominance. Our final results for the
scalar charges are , ,
, and for the tensor charges
, ,
, in the scheme at 2~GeV. The first error is statistical, the second is the
systematic error due to the renormalization and the third the systematic
arising from possible contamination due to the excited states.Comment: 20 pages and 13 figure
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