794 research outputs found
Piezoelectric signal suppression by a composite-pulse sequence in NMR
International audienceNumerous NMR techniques are available for the study of nuclei with spin I â„ 1. These nuclei interact with their surrounding electric field gradient, which depends on the symmetry of the crystallographic site. Spurious (or piezoelectric) signals, due to the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of a LiNbO3 crystal and generated by the vibration of the macroscopic electric dipole of the crystal, have been observed with the one-pulse sequence and cancelled using a composite-pulse sequence. The suppression of these piezoelectric signals by this sequence is illustrated by lithium-7 (I = 3/2) nuclei. Java applets available in our web site www.pascal-man.com for the determination of quadrupole parameters from one-dimensional nutation method are also presented
Negotiations of minority ethnic rugby league players in the Cathar country of France
This article is based on new empirical, qualitative research with minority ethnic rugby league players in the southwest of France. Drawing on similar research on rugby league in the north and the south of England, the article examines how rugby league, traditionally viewed as a white, working-class male game (Collins, 2006; Denham, 2004; Spracklen, 1995, 2001) has had to re-imagine its symbolic boundaries as they are constituted globally and locally to accommodate the needs of players from minority ethnic backgrounds. In particular, the article examines the sense in which experiences of minority ethnic rugby league players in France compare with those of their counterparts in England (Spracklen, 2001, 2007), how rugby league is used in France to construct identity, and in what sense the norms associated with the imaginary community of rugby league are replicated or challenged by the involvement of minority ethnic rugby league players in France. Questions about what it means to be (provincial, national) French (Kumar, 2006) are posed, questions that relate to the role of sport in the construction of Frenchness, and in particular the role of rugby league (and union). © Copyright ISSA and SAGE Publications
Second-order shaped pulses for solid-state quantum computation
We present the constructon and detailed analysis of highly-optimized
self-refocusing pulse shapes for several rotation angles. We characterize the
constructed pulses by the coefficients appearing in the Magnus expansion up to
second order. This allows a semi-analytical analysis of the performance of the
constructed shapes in sequences and composite pulses by computing the
corresponding leading-order error operators. Higher orders can be analyzed with
the numerical technique suggested by us previously. We illustrate the technique
by analysing several composite pulses designed to protect against pulse
amplitude errors, and on decoupling sequences for potentially long chains of
qubits with on-site and nearest-neighbor couplings.Comment: 16 pages, 29 figure
The under-representation and experiences of elite level minority coaches in professional football in England, France and the Netherlands
This article will examine the previously under-researched area of the under-representation and experiences of elite level minority (male) coaches in (menâs) professional football in Western Europe. More specifically, the article will draw on original interview data with 40 elite level minority coaches in England, France and the Netherlands and identify a series of key constraining factors which have limited the potential for and realization of opportunities for career progression across the transition from playing to coaching in the professional game. In doing so, the article will focus on three main themes identified by interviewees as the most prescient in explaining the ongoing under-representation of minority coaches in the sport: their limited access to and negative experiences of the high level coach education environment; the continued existence of racisms and stereotypes in the professional coaching workplace; and the over-reliance of professional clubs on networks rather than qualifications-based frameworks for coach recruitment. Finally, the article will contextualize these findings from within a critical race theory perspective and will draw clear linkages between patterns of minority coach under-representation, the enactment of processes and practices of institutional racism, and the underlying nor
Caloric Restriction Alters Postprandial Responses of Essential Brain Metabolites in Young Adult Mice
Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to extend longevity and protect brain function in aging. However, the effects of CR in young adult mice remain largely unexplored. In addition to the fundamental, long-term changes, recent studies demonstrate that CR has a significant impact on transient, postprandial metabolic flexibility and turnover compared to control groups. The goal of this study was to identify the brain metabolic changes at a transient (2 h) and steady (6 h) postprandial state in young mice (5â6 months of age) fed with CR or ad libitum (AL; free eating). Using metabolomics profiling, we show that CR mice had significantly higher levels of neurotransmitters (e.g., glutamate, N-acetylglutamate), neuronal integrity markers (e.g., NAA and NAAG), essential fatty acids (e.g., DHA and DPA), and biochemicals associated carnitine metabolism (related to reduced oxidative stress and inflammation) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus at 2-h. These biochemicals remained at high levels at the 6-h postprandial time-point. The AL mice did not show the similar increases in essential fatty acid and carnitine metabolism until the 6-h time-point, and failed to show increases in neurotransmitters and neuronal integrity markers at any time-point. On the other hand, metabolites related to glucose utilizationâglycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)âwere low in the CR mice throughout the 6-h period and significantly increased at the 6-h time-point in the AL mice. Our findings suggest that CR induces distinct postprandial responses in metabolites that are essential to maintain brain functions. CR mice produced higher levels of essential brain metabolites in a shorter period after a meal and sustained the levels for an extended period, while maintaining a lower level of glucose utilization. These early brain metabolism changes in the CR mice might play a critical role for neuroprotection in aging. Understanding the interplay between dietary intervention and postprandial metabolic responses from an early age may have profound implications for impeding brain aging and reducing risk for neurodegenerative disorders
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