2,012 research outputs found
Measurement and calculation of levitation forces between magnets and granular superconductors
Recent developments indicate that exploitation of the phenomenon of magnetic levitation may become one of the most important near-term applications of high-T(sub c) superconductivity. Because of this, the interaction between a strong permanent magnet(PM) and bulk high-T(sub c) superconductor (HTSC) is currently a subject of much interest. We have studied central features of the mechanics of PM-HTSC systems of simple geometries. Here we report experimental results for the components of the levitation force, their associated stiffness and mechanical ac-loss. To analyze the observed behavior a theoretical framework based on critical-state considerations is developed. It will be shown that all the mechanical properties can be explained consistently at a quantitative level wing a minimum of model parameters
Complement activation predicts negative outcomes in COVID-19: The experience from Northen Italian patients
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) may present as a multi-organ disease with a hyperinflammatory and prothrombotic response (immunothrombosis) in addition to upper and lower airway involvement. Previous data showed that complement activation plays a role in immunothrombosis mainly in severe forms. The study aimed to investigate whether complement involvement is present in the early phases of the disease and can be predictive of a negative outcome. We enrolled 97 symptomatic patients with a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 presenting to the emergency room. The patients with mild symptoms/lung involvement at CT-scan were discharged and the remaining were hospitalized. All the patients were evaluated after a 4-week follow-up and classified as mild (n. 54), moderate (n. 17) or severe COVID-19 (n. 26). Blood samples collected before starting any anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive therapy were assessed for soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9) and C5a plasma levels by ELISA, and for the following serum mediators by ELLA: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p70, IFNγ, IFNα, VEGF-A, VEGF-B, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-17A, VEGFR2, BLyS. Additional routine laboratory parameters were measured (fibrin fragment D-dimer, C-reactive protein, ferritin, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, platelets, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen). Fifty age and sex-matched healthy controls were also evaluated. SC5b-9 and C5a plasma levels were significantly increased in the hospitalized patients (moderate and severe) in comparison with the non-hospitalized mild group. SC5b9 and C5a plasma levels were predictive of the disease severity evaluated one month later. IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, IL-10 and complement split products were higher in moderate/severe versus non-hospitalized mild COVID-19 patients and healthy controls but with a huge heterogeneity. SC5b-9 and C5a plasma levels correlated positively with CRP, ferritin values and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. Complement can be activated in the very early phases of the disease, even in mild non-hospitalized patients. Complement activation can be observed even when pro-inflammatory cytokines are not increased, and predicts a negative outcome
Central peak position in magnetization loops of high- superconductors
Exact analytical results are obtained for the magnetization of a
superconducting thin strip with a general behavior J_c(B) of the critical
current density. We show that within the critical-state model the magnetization
as function of applied field, B_a, has an extremum located exactly at B_a=0.
This result is in excellent agreement with presented experimental data for a
YBCO thin film. After introducing granularity by patterning the film, the
central peak becomes shifted to positive fields on the descending field branch
of the loop. Our results show that a positive peak position is a definite
signature of granularity in superconductors.Comment: $ pages, 6 figure
New results from the NA57 experiment
We report results from the experiment NA57 at CERN SPS on hyperon production
at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 GeV/ and 40 GeV/.
, and yields are compared with those from the STAR
experiment at the higher energy of the BNL RHIC. , , \
and preliminary transverse mass spectra are presented and interpreted
within the framework of a hydro-dynamical blast wave model.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, contribution to the proceedings of The XXXVIIIth
Rencontres de Moriond "QCD and High Energy Hadronic Interactions
Results on hyperon production from the NA57 experiment
Recent results on hyperon production in Pb--Pb collisions from the NA57
experiment are reported. Strangeness enhancement and the transverse mass
spectra properties at 158 GeV per nucleon are described.Comment: submitted to Acta Phys. Hung. A (Heavy Ion Physics
Rapidity distributions around mid-rapidity of strange particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 GeV/c
The production at central rapidity of K0s, Lambda, Xi and Omega particles in
Pb-Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c has been measured by the NA57 experiment over a
centrality range corresponding to the most central 53% of the inelastic Pb-Pb
cross section. In this paper we present the rapidity distribution of each
particle in the central rapidity unit as a function of the event centrality.
The distributions are analyzed based on hydrodynamical models of the
collisions.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure
Strangeness enhancements at central rapidity in 40 A GeV/c Pb-Pb collisions
Results are presented on neutral kaon, hyperon and antihyperon production in
Pb-Pb and p-Be interactions at 40 GeV/c per nucleon. The enhancement pattern
follows the same hierarchy as seen in the higher energy data - the enhancement
increases with the strangeness content of the hyperons and with the centrality
of collision. The centrality dependence of the Pb-Pb yields and enhancements is
steeper at 40 than at 158 A GeV/c. The energy dependence of strangeness
enhancements at mid-rapidity is discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures and 3 tables. Presented at International
Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter (SQM2009), Buzios, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, 27 Sept - 2 Oct 2009. Submitted to J.Phys.G: Nucl.Part.Phys, one
reference adde
Strange particle production in 158 and 40 GeV/ Pb-Pb and p-Be collisions
Results on strange particle production in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 and 40
GeV/ beam momentum from the NA57 experiment at CERN SPS are presented.
Particle yields and ratios are compared with those measured at RHIC.
Strangeness enhancements with respect to p-Be reactions at the same beam
momenta have been also measured: results about their dependence on centrality
and collision energy are reported and discussed.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the "Hot Quarks 2004" Conference,
July 18-24 2004, New Mexico, USA, submitted to Journal of Physics G 7 pages,
5 figure
Study of the transverse mass spectra of strange particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c
The NA57 experiment has collected high statistics, high purity samples of
\PKzS and \PgL, and hyperons produced in Pb-Pb collisions at 158
GeV/. In this paper we present a study of the transverse mass spectra of
these particles for a sample of events corresponding to the most central 53% of
the inelastic Pb-Pb cross-section. We analyse the transverse mass distributions
in the framework of the blast-wave model for the full sample and, for the first
time at the SPS, as a function of the event centrality.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, submitted to J. Phys. G: Nucl. Phy
Reshaping Curriculum to Enhance the Relevance of Literary Competence in Children's Education06
Twenty-first century learners face a multi-literacy landscape as they strive to acquire the cognitive skills needed for independent learning, apply linguistic skills to other knowledge base, and become computer literate. This article envisions a combination of skill sets and knowledge bases as the foundation of a literary competence-based curriculum. Such a curriculum would have the goal of enhancing young learners"critical thinking abilities; this would also help them take charge of the cognitive,linguistic, and sociocultural dimensions of written and spoken language in order to make learning transferable and applicable to the real world
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