131 research outputs found
Comparisons of Supergranule Characteristics During the Solar Minima of Cycles 22/23 and 23/24
Supergranulation is a component of solar convection that manifests itself on
the photosphere as a cellular network of around 35 Mm across, with a turnover
lifetime of 1-2 days. It is strongly linked to the structure of the magnetic
field. The horizontal, divergent flows within supergranule cells carry local
field lines to the cell boundaries, while the rotational properties of
supergranule upflows may contribute to the restoration of the poloidal field as
part of the dynamo mechanism that controls the solar cycle. The solar minimum
at the transition from cycle 23 to 24 was notable for its low level of activity
and its extended length. It is of interest to study whether the convective
phenomena that influences the solar magnetic field during this time differed in
character to periods of previous minima. This study investigates three
characteristics (velocity components, sizes and lifetimes) of solar
supergranulation. Comparisons of these characteristics are made between the
minima of cycles 22/23 and 23/24 using MDI Doppler data from 1996 and 2008,
respectively. It is found that whereas the lifetimes are equal during both
epochs (around 18 h), the sizes are larger in 1996 (35.9 +/- 0.3 Mm) than in
2008 (35.0 +/- 0.3 Mm), while the dominant horizontal velocity flows are weaker
(139 +/- 1 m/s in 1996; 141 +/- 1 m/s in 2008). Although numerical differences
are seen, they are not conclusive proof of the most recent minimum being
inherently unusual.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. Solar Physics, in pres
Density functional theory calculations of the carbon ELNES of small diameter armchair and zigzag nanotubes: core-hole, curvature and momentum transfer orientation effects
We perform density functional theory calculations on a series of armchair and
zigzag nanotubes of diameters less than 1nm using the all-electron
Full-Potential(-Linearised)-Augmented-Plane-Wave (FPLAPW) method. Emphasis is
laid on the effects of curvature, the electron beam orientation and the
inclusion of the core-hole on the carbon electron energy loss K-edge. The
electron energy loss near-edge spectra of all the studied tubes show strong
curvature effects compared to that of flat graphene. The curvature induced
hybridisation is shown to have a more drastic effect on the
electronic properties of zigzag tubes than on those of armchair tubes. We show
that the core-hole effect must be accounted for in order to correctly reproduce
electron energy loss measurements. We also find that, the energy loss near edge
spectra of these carbon systems are dominantly dipole selected and that they
can be expressed simply as a proportionality with the local momentum projected
density of states, thus portraying the weak energy dependence of the transition
matrix elements. Compared to graphite, the ELNES of carbon nanotubes show a
reduced anisotropy.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, revtex4 submitted for publication to Phys. Rev.
Evaluating synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa
The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to marbofloxacin and gentamicin, and investigate the possible synergistic, additive, indifferent or antagonistic effects between the two agents. P. aeruginosa strains can develop resistance quickly against certain antibiotics if used alone, thus the need emerges to find synergistic combinations. A total of 68 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs were examined. In order to describe interactions between marbofloxacin and gentamicin the checkerboard microdilution method was utilized. The MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) for marbofloxacin and gentamicin were in the range 0.25â64 mg/L and 0.25â32 mg/L, respectively. The combination of marbofloxacin and gentamicin was more effective with a MIC range of 0.031â8 mg/L and a MIC90 of 1 mg/L, compared to 16 mg/L for marbofloxacin alone and 8 mg/L for gentamicin alone. The FIC (fractional inhibitory concentration) indices ranged from 0.0945 (pronounced synergy) to 1.0625 (indifference). Synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin was found in 33 isolates. The mean FIC index is 0.546, which represents a partial synergistic/additive effect close to the full synergy threshold. In vitro results indicate that marbofloxacin and gentamicin as partially synergistic agents may prove clinically useful in combination therapy against P. aeruginosa infections. Although marbofloxacin is not used in the human practice, the interactions between fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides may have importance outside the veterinary field
BONE HISTOMORPHOMETRY IN UNTREATED AND TREATED GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED OSTEOPOROSIS (GIO)
Bone histomorphometry is the gold standard for the evaluation of metabolic bone diseases. This approach is useful to understand pathogenetic mechanisms. The capter describes the histomorphometric results of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosi
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