731 research outputs found
Site-selective quantum correlations revealed by magnetic anisotropy in the tetramer system SeCuO3
We present the investigation of a monoclinic compound SeCuO3 using x-ray
powder diffraction, magnetization, torque and electron-spin-resonance (ESR).
Structurally based analysis suggests that SeCuO3 can be considered as a 3D
network of tetramers. The values of intra-tetramer exchange interactions are
extracted from the temperature dependence of the susceptibility and amount to
~200 K. The inter-tetramer coupling leads to the development of long-range
antiferromagnetic order at TN = 8 K. An unusual temperature dependence of the
effective g-tensors is observed, accompanied with a rotation of macroscopic
magnetic axes. We explain this unique observation as due to site-selective
quantum correlations
Intelligent integrated maintenance for wind power generation
A novel architecture and system for the provision of Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) for offshore wind power generation is presented. The architecture was developed by conducting a bottom-up analysis of the data required to support RCM within this specific industry, combined with a top-down analysis of the required maintenance functionality. The architecture and system consists of three integrated modules for Intelligent Condition Monitoring, Reliability and Maintenance Modelling, and Maintenance Scheduling that provide a scalable solution for performing dynamic, efficient and cost effective preventative maintenance management within this extremely demanding renewable energy generation sector. The system demonstrates for the first time, the integration of state-of-the-art advanced mathematical techniques: Random Forests, Dynamic Bayesian Networks, and Memetic Algorithms in the development of an intelligent autonomous solution. The results from the application of the intelligent integrated system illustrated the automated detection of faults within a wind farm consisting of over 100 turbines, the modelling and updating of the turbines’ survivability and creation of a hierarchy of maintenance actions, and the optimising of the maintenance schedule with a view to maximising the availability and revenue generation of the turbines
Interactions between fine-grained sediment delivery, river bed deposition and salmonid spawning success
Salmonids clean river bed gravels to lay their eggs. However, during the incubation period fine sediment infiltrates the bed. This has been found to limit the success of salmonid spawning, as fine sediment reduces gravel permeability resulting in intra-gravel flow velocities and O2 concentrations decreasing. The success of salmonid spawning is therefore a function of the coincidence of fine sediment delivery and the development of the salmonid eggs. The presence of fine sediment also exerts sub-lethal effects on the rate of egg development with a negative feedback slowing and extending the incubation process meaning the eggs are in the gravels for longer and susceptible to more potential sediment delivery events. The SIDO (Sediment Intrusion and Dissolved Oxygen)-UK model is a physically-based numerical model which simulates the effect of fine sediment deposition on the abiotic characteristics of the salmonid redd, along with the consequences for egg development and survival. This model is used to investigate the interactions and feedbacks between the timing and concentrations of suspended sediment delivery events, and the deposition of fine sediment within the gravel bed, and the consequences of this on the rate of egg development and survival. The model simulations suggest that egg survival is highly sensitive to suspended sediment concentrations, particularly to changes in the supply rate of sand particles. The magnitude, frequency and specific timing of sediment delivery events effects egg survival rates. The modelling framework is also used to investigate the impact of the rate of gravel infilling by sediment
Soliton switching using cascaded nonlinear-optical loop mirrors
We demonstrate multiple-peaked switching in a nonlinear-optical loop mirror and present an experimental investigation of device cascading in the soliton regime based on a sequence of two independent nonlinear-optical loop mirrors. Cascading leads to an enhanced switching response with sharper switching edges, flattened peaks, and increased interpeak extinction ratios. We observe that pulses emerging from the cascade retain the sech2 temporal profile of a soliton with minimal degradation in the spectral characteristics
Targeted Doxorubicin Delivery to Brain Tumors via Minicells: Proof of Principle Using Dogs with Spontaneously Occurring Tumors as a Model
BACKGROUND: Cytotoxic chemotherapy can be very effective for the treatment of cancer but toxicity on normal tissues often limits patient tolerance and often causes long-term adverse effects. The objective of this study was to assist in the preclinical development of using modified, non-living bacterially-derived minicells to deliver the potent chemotherapeutic doxorubicin via epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting. Specifically, this study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EGFR targeted, doxorubicin loaded minicells (designated EGFRminicellsDox) to deliver doxorubicin to spontaneous brain tumors in 17 companion dogs; a comparative oncology model of human brain cancers. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: EGFRminicellsDox were administered weekly via intravenous injection to 17 dogs with late-stage brain cancers. Biodistribution was assessed using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Anti-tumor response was determined using MRI, and blood samples were subject to toxicology (hematology, biochemistry) and inflammatory marker analysis. Targeted, doxorubicin-loaded minicells rapidly localized to the core of brain tumors. Complete resolution or marked tumor regression (>90% reduction in tumor volume) were observed in 23.53% of the cohort, with lasting anti-tumor responses characterized by remission in three dogs for more than two years. The median overall survival was 264 days (range 49 to 973). No adverse clinical, hematological or biochemical effects were observed with repeated administration of EGFRminicellsDox (30 to 98 doses administered in 10 of the 17 dogs). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Targeted minicells loaded with doxorubicin were safely administered to dogs with late stage brain cancer and clinical activity was observed. These findings demonstrate the strong potential for clinical applications of targeted, doxorubicin-loaded minicells for the effective treatment of patients with brain cancer. On this basis, we have designed a Phase 1 clinical study of EGFR-targeted, doxorubicin-loaded minicells for effective treatment of human patients with recurrent glioblastoma
The Critical Project in Schelling, Tillich and Goodchild
2 Altizer and Tillich repeat a Cartesian trope that lies at the kernel of modernity: beginnings must be destructive; they ... The Critical Project in Schelling, Tillich, and Goodchild Daniel Whistler Radical Apologetics: Paul Tillich and Radical ..
Hole depletion and localization due to disorder in insulating PrBa2Cu3O7-d: a Compton scattering study
The (mostly) insulating behaviour of PrBa2Cu3O7-d is still unexplained and
even more interesting since the occasional appearance of superconductivity in
this material. Since YBa2Cu3O7-d is nominally iso-structural and always
superconducting, we have measured the electron momentum density in these
materials. We find that they differ in a striking way, the wavefunction
coherence length in PrBa2Cu3O7-d being strongly suppressed. We conclude that Pr
on Ba-site substitution disorder is responsible for the metal-insulator
transition. Preliminary efforts at growth with a method to prevent disorder
yield 90K superconducting PrBa2Cu3O7-d crystallites.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, revised version submitted to PR
X-ray Raman scattering study of aligned polyfluorene
We present a non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study at the carbon
K-edge on aligned poly[9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-fluorene-2,7-diyl] and show that
the x-ray Raman scattering technique can be used as a practical alternative to
x-ray absorption measurements. We demonstrate that this novel method can be
applied to studies on aligned -conjugated polymers complementing
diffraction and optical studies. Combining the experimental data and a very
recently proposed theoretical scheme we demonstrate a unique property of x-ray
Raman scattering by performing the symmetry decomposition on the density of
unoccupied electronic states into - and -type symmetry contributions.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure
Inclusive production of charged pions in p+C collisions at 158 GeV/c beam momentum
The production of charged pions in minimum bias p+C interactions is studied
using a sample of 377000 inelastic events obtained with the NA49 detector at
the CERN SPS at 158 GeV/c beam momentum. The data cover a phase space area
ranging from 0 to 1.8 GeV/c in transverse momentum and from -0.1 to 0.5 in
Feynman x. Inclusive invariant cross sections are given on a grid of 270 bins
per charge thus offering for the first time a dense coverage of the projectile
hemisphere and of the cross-over region into the target fragmentation zone.Comment: 31 pages, 30 figures, submitted to European Journal of Physic
Large-angle production of charged pions by 3 GeV/c - 12 GeV/c protons on carbon, copper and tin targets
A measurement of the double-differential production cross-section
in proton--carbon, proton--copper and proton--tin collisions in the range of
pion momentum 100 \MeVc \leq p < 800 \MeVc and angle 0.35 \rad \le \theta
<2.15 \rad is presented. The data were taken with the HARP detector in the T9
beam line of the CERN PS. The pions were produced by proton beams in a momentum
range from 3 \GeVc to 12 \GeVc hitting a target with a thickness of 5% of a
nuclear interaction length. The tracking and identification of the produced
particles was done using a small-radius cylindrical time projection chamber
(TPC) placed in a solenoidal magnet. An elaborate system of detectors in the
beam line ensured the identification of the incident particles. Results are
shown for the double-differential cross-sections at four incident proton beam
momenta (3 \GeVc, 5 \GeVc, 8 \GeVc and 12 \GeVc)
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