3,145 research outputs found
Persistent currents in normal metal rings
The authors have measured the magnetic response of 33 individual cold
mesoscopic gold rings, one ring at a time. The response of some sufficiently
small rings has a component that is periodic in the flux through the ring and
is attributed to a persistent current. Its period is close to h/e, and its sign
and amplitude vary between rings. The amplitude distribution agrees well with
predictions for the typical h/e current in diffusive rings. The temperature
dependence of the amplitude, measured for four rings, is also consistent with
theory. These results disagree with previous measurements of three individual
metal rings that showed a much larger periodic response than expected. The use
of a scanning SQUID microscope enabled in situ measurements of the sensor
background. A paramagnetic linear susceptibility and a poorly understood
anomaly around zero field are attributed to defect spins.Comment: Journal version. 4+ pages, 3 figures. See
http://stanford.edu/group/moler/publications.html for the auxiliary document
containing additional data and discussion (Ref. 29). Changes w.r.t. v1:
Clarified some details in introduction and regarding experimental procedures,
shortened abstract, added references and fixed some typo
Individual and community socioeconomic status : impact on mental health in individuals with arthritis
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
A Terraced Scanning Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Susceptometer with Sub-Micron Pickup Loops
Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) can have excellent spin
sensitivity depending on their magnetic flux noise, pick-up loop diameter, and
distance from the sample. We report a family of scanning SQUID susceptometers
with terraced tips that position the pick-up loops 300 nm from the sample. The
600 nm - 2 um pickup loops, defined by focused ion beam, are integrated into a
12-layer optical lithography process allowing flux-locked feedback, in situ
background subtraction and optimized flux noise. These features enable a
sensitivity of ~70 electron spins per root Hertz at 4K.Comment: See http://stanford.edu/group/moler/publications.html for an
auxiliary document containing additional fabrication details and discussio
Identifying public health policymakers' sources of information: comparing survey and network analyses.
Background: Research suggests that policymakers often use personal contacts to find information and advice. However, the main sources of information for public health policymakers are not known. This study aims to describe policymakers' sources of information. A questionnaire survey of public health policymakers across Greater Manchester (GM) was carried out (response rate 48%). All policy actors above Director level involved in public health policy (finding, analyzing or producing information, producing or implementing policy) in GM were included in the sampling frame. Respondents were provided with a list of sources of information and asked which they used (categorical data) and to name specific individuals who acted as sources of information (network data). Data were analyzed using frequencies and network analysis. The most frequently chosen sources of information from the categorical data were NICE, government websites and Directors of Public Health. However, the network data showed that the main sources of information in the network were actually mid-level managers in the NHS, who had no direct expertise in public health. Academics and researchers did not feature in the network. Both survey and network analyses provide useful insights into how policymakers access information. Network analysis offers practical and theoretical contributions to the evidence-based policy debate. Identifying individuals who act as key users and producers of evidence allows academics to target actors likely to use and disseminate their work
Tensile Cervical Facet Capsule Ligament Mechanics: Failure and Subfailure Responses in the Rat
Clinical, epidemiological, and biomechanical studies suggest the involvement of the cervical facet joint in neck pain. Mechanical studies have suggested the facet capsular ligament to be at risk for subfailure tensile injury during whiplash kinematics of the neck. Ligament mechanical properties can be altered by subfailure injury and such loading can induce cellular damage. However, at present, there is no clear understanding of the physiologic context of subfailure facet capsular ligament injury and mechanical implications for whiplash-related pain. Therefore, this study aimed to define a relationship between mechanical properties at failure and a subfailure condition associated with pain for tension in the rat cervical facet capsular ligament. Tensile failure studies of the C6/C7 rat cervical facet capsular ligament were performed using a customized vertebral distraction device. Force and displacement at failure were measured and stiffness and energy to failure were calculated. Vertebral motions and ligament deformations were tracked and maximum principal strains and their directions were calculated. Mean tensile force at failure (2.96Ā±0.69 N) was significantly greater (p\u3c0.005) than force at subfailure (1.17Ā±0.48 N). Mean ligament stiffness to failure was 0.75Ā±0.27 N/mm. Maximum principal strain at failure (41.3Ā±20.0%) was significantly higher (p=0.003) than the corresponding subfailure value (23.1Ā±9.3%). This study determined that failure and a subfailure painful condition were significantly different in ligament mechanics and findings provide preliminary insight into the relationship between mechanics and pain physiology for this ligament. Together with existing studies, these findings offer additional considerations for defining mechanical thresholds for painful injuries
Limits on Superconductivity-Related Magnetization in SrRuO and PrOsSb from Scanning SQUID Microscopy
We present scanning SQUID microscopy data on the superconductors Sr2RuO4 (Tc
= 1.5 K) and PrOsSb (Tc = 1.8 K). In both of these materials,
superconductivity-related time-reversal symmetry-breaking fields have been
observed by muon spin rotation; our aim was to visualize the structure of these
fields. However in neither SrRuO nor PrOsSb do we observe
spontaneous superconductivity-related magnetization. In SrRuO, many
experimental results have been interpreted on the basis of a
superconducting order parameter. This order parameter is expected to give
spontaneous magnetic induction at sample edges and order parameter domain
walls. Supposing large domains, our data restrict domain wall and edge fields
to no more than ~0.1% and ~0.2% of the expected magnitude, respectively.
Alternatively, if the magnetization is of the expected order, the typical
domain size is limited to ~30 nm for random domains, or ~500 nm for periodic
domains.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Evidence for Nodal Superconductivity in LaFePO from Scanning SQUID Susceptometry
We measure changes in the penetration depth of the
K superconductor LaFePO. In the process scanning SQUID susceptometry is
demonstrated as a technique for accurately measuring {\it local}
temperature-dependent changes in , making it ideal for studying early
or difficult-to-grow materials. of LaFePO is found to vary linearly
with temperature from 0.36 to 2 K, with a slope of 14315 \AA/K,
suggesting line nodes in the superconducting order parameter. The linear
dependence up to is similar to the cuprate superconductors,
indicating well-developed nodes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Perceptions of Individual and Community Environmental Influences on Fruit and Vegetable Intake, North Carolina, 2004
Introduction: Increases in obesity and other chronic conditions continue to fuel efforts for lifestyle behavior changes. However, many strategies do not address the impact of environment on lifestyle behaviors, particularly healthy dietary intake. This study explored the perceptions of environment on intake of fruits and vegetables in a cohort of 2,479 people recruited from 22 family practices in North Carolina. Methods: Participants were administered a health and social demographic survey. Formative assessment was conducted on a subsample of 32 people by using focus groups, semistructured individual interviews, community mapping, and photographs. Interviews and discussions were transcribed and content was analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 5. Survey data were evaluated for means, frequencies, and group differences. Results: The 2,479 participants had a mean age of 52.8 years, mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.4, and were predominantly female, white, married, and high school graduates. The 32 subsample participants were older, heavier, and less educated. Some prevalent perceptions about contextual factors related to dietary intake included taste-bud fatigue (boredom with commonly eaten foods), life stresses, lack of forethought in meal planning, current health status, economic status, the ability to garden, lifetime dietary exposure, concerns about food safety, contradictory nutrition messages from the media, and variable work schedules. Conclusion: Perceptions about intake of fruits and vegetables intake are influenced by individual (intrinsic) and community (extrinsic) environmental factors. We suggest approaches for influencing behavior and changing perceptions using available resources
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