1,239 research outputs found
Spectroscopic study of unique line broadening and inversion in low-pressure microwave generated water plasmas
It was demonstrated that low pressure (~0.2 Torr) water vapor plasmas
generated in a 10 mm inner diameter quartz tube with an Evenson microwave
cavity show at least two features which are not explained by conventional
plasma models. First, significant (> 0.25 nm) hydrogen Balmer_ line broadening,
of constant width, up to 5 cm from the microwave coupler was recorded. Only
hydrogen, and not oxygen, showed significant line broadening. This feature,
observed previously in hydrogen-containing mixed gas plasmas generated with
high voltage dc and rf discharges was explained by some researchers to result
from acceleration of hydrogen ions near the cathode. This explanation cannot
apply to the line broadening observed in the (electrodeless) microwave plasmas
generated in this work, particularly at distances as great as 5 cm from the
microwave coupler. Second, inversion of the line intensities of both the Lyman
and Balmer series, again, at distances up to 5 cm from the coupler, were
observed. The line inversion suggests the existence of a hitherto unknown
source of pumping of the optical power in plasmas. Finally, it is notable that
other aspects of the plasma including the OH* rotational temperature and low
electron concentrations are quite typical of plasmas of this type.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure
Bulk phase behaviour of binary hard platelet mixtures from density functional theory
We investigate isotropic-isotropic, isotropic-nematic and nematic-nematic
phase coexistence in binary mixtures of circular platelets with vanishing
thickness, continuous rotational degrees of freedom and radial size ratios
up to 5. A fundamental measure density functional theory, previously
used for the one-component model, is proposed and results are compared against
those from Onsager theory as a benchmark. For the system
displays isotropic-nematic phase coexistence with a widening of the biphasic
region for increasing values of . For size ratios , we
find demixing into two nematic states becomes stable and an
isotropic-nematic-nematic triple point can occur. Fundamental measure theory
gives a smaller isotropic-nematic biphasic region than Onsager theory and
locates the transition at lower densities. Furthermore, nematic-nematic
demixing occurs over a larger range of compositions at a given value of
than found in Onsager theory. Both theories predict the same
topologies of the phase diagrams. The partial nematic order parameters vary
strongly with composition and indicate that the larger particles are more
strongly ordered than the smaller particles
Adaptive foveated single-pixel imaging with dynamic super-sampling
As an alternative to conventional multi-pixel cameras, single-pixel cameras
enable images to be recorded using a single detector that measures the
correlations between the scene and a set of patterns. However, to fully sample
a scene in this way requires at least the same number of correlation
measurements as there are pixels in the reconstructed image. Therefore
single-pixel imaging systems typically exhibit low frame-rates. To mitigate
this, a range of compressive sensing techniques have been developed which rely
on a priori knowledge of the scene to reconstruct images from an under-sampled
set of measurements. In this work we take a different approach and adopt a
strategy inspired by the foveated vision systems found in the animal kingdom -
a framework that exploits the spatio-temporal redundancy present in many
dynamic scenes. In our single-pixel imaging system a high-resolution foveal
region follows motion within the scene, but unlike a simple zoom, every frame
delivers new spatial information from across the entire field-of-view. Using
this approach we demonstrate a four-fold reduction in the time taken to record
the detail of rapidly evolving features, whilst simultaneously accumulating
detail of more slowly evolving regions over several consecutive frames. This
tiered super-sampling technique enables the reconstruction of video streams in
which both the resolution and the effective exposure-time spatially vary and
adapt dynamically in response to the evolution of the scene. The methods
described here can complement existing compressive sensing approaches and may
be applied to enhance a variety of computational imagers that rely on
sequential correlation measurements.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
Macrostructural analysis : unravelling polyphase glacitectonic histories
Many Pleistocene glacial profiles look extremely simple, comprising till, or glacitectonite, overlying
older sediments or bedrock (Figure 4.1). In more complex sequences the till may itself be overlain by
younger sediments laid down as the ice retreated or during a completely separate, later phase of
advance. Macroscopically, subglacial traction tills (Evans et al., 2007) are typically massive,
unstructured deposits suggesting that it should be relatively straightforward to unravel the
glacitectonic deformation history recorded by the sequence. Many reconstructions do indeed look
very simple, slabs of sediment have been tilted and stacked and then overridden by the glacier to
cap the structure with till. Added to this is the use of vertical exaggeration which makes the whole
structure look like alpine tectonics (for an example see fig. 5 in van Gijssel, 1987). Dropping the
exaggeration led to the recognition that actually we were looking at much more horizontal
structures, i.e. overriding nappes and not imbricated slabs (van der Wateren, 1987).
Traditionally (van der Meer, 1987) glaciotectonics was thought to relate to large structures
like big push moraines and not to smaller structures like drag structures underneath tills (Figure 4.2),
let alone to the tills themselves. With the notion that deforming bed tills are tectonically and not
sedimentologically structured and could be regarded as tectomicts (Menzies et al., 2006), comes the
realisation that glacitectonics happens across a wide range of scales, from the microscopic to tens of
kilometres. Only by realising the full range of glaciotectonic scales can we hope to understand the
processes
Phase behaviour of binary mixtures of diamagnetic colloidal platelets in an external magnetic field
Using fundamental measure density functional theory we investigate
paranematic-nematic and nematic-nematic phase coexistence in binary mixtures of
circular platelets with vanishing thicknesses. An external magnetic field
induces uniaxial alignment and acts on the platelets with a strength that is
taken to scale with the platelet area. At particle diameter ratio lambda=1.5
the system displays paranematic-nematic coexistence. For lambda=2, demixing
into two nematic states with different compositions also occurs, between an
upper critical point and a paranematic-nematic-nematic triple point. Increasing
the field strength leads to shrinking of the coexistence regions. At high
enough field strength a closed loop of immiscibility is induced and phase
coexistence vanishes at a double critical point above which the system is
homogeneously nematic. For lambda=2.5, besides paranematic-nematic coexistence,
there is nematic-nematic coexistence which persists and hence does not end in a
critical point. The partial orientational order parameters along the binodals
vary strongly with composition and connect smoothly for each species when
closed loops of immiscibility are present in the corresponding phase diagram.Comment: 9 pages, to appear in J.Phys:Condensed Matte
A double-blind randomized controlled trial of the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation on muscle inflammation and physical function in patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection
BackgroundResection of colorectal cancer (CRC) initiates inflammation, mediated at least partly by NFĸB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells), leading to muscle catabolism and reduced physical performance. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has been shown to modulate NFĸB, but evidence for its benefit around the time of surgery is limited.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of EPA supplementation on muscle inflammation and physical function around the time of major surgery.DesignIn a double-blind randomized control trial, 61 patients (age: 68.3 ± 0.95 y; 42 male) scheduled for CRC resection, received 3 g per day of EPA (n = 32) or placebo (n = 29) for 5-days before and 21-days after operation. Lean muscle mass (LMM) (via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)), anaerobic threshold (AT) (via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET)) and hand-grip strength (HG) were assessed before and 4-weeks after surgery, with muscle biopsies (m. vastus lateralis) obtained for the assessment of NF-ĸB protein expression.ResultsThere were no differences in muscle NFĸB between EPA and placebo groups (mean difference (MD) −0.002; 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.19 to 0.19); p = 0.98). There was no difference in LMM (MD 704.77 g; 95% CI -1045.6 g–2455.13 g; p = 0.42) or AT (MD 1.11 mls/kg/min; 95% CI -0.52 mls/kg/min to 2.74 mls/kg/min; p = 0.18) between the groups. Similarly, there was no difference between the groups in HG at follow up (MD 0.1; 95% CI -1.88 to 2.08; p = 0.81). Results were similar when missing data was imputed.ConclusionEPA supplementation confers no benefit in terms of inflammatory status, as judged by NFĸB, or preservation of LMM, aerobic capacity or physical function following major colorectal surgery
Ultra long range plasmonic waveguides using quasi two dimensional metallic layers
We calculate the bound plasmonic modes of a quantum metamaterial slab,
comprised of multiple quasi two dimensional electron gas (Q2DEG) layers, whose
thickness is much smaller than the optical wavelength. For the first order
transverse magnetic (TM) optical and the surface plasmonic modes we find
propagation constants which are independent of both the electron density and of
the scattering rates in the Q2DEGs. This leads to extremely long propagation
distances. In a detailed case study of a structure comprising a slab of
GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) material, we find propagation lengths
of 100s of mm. In addition, the electric field enhancement associated with the
plasmonic resonance is found to be sufficient to induce the condition of strong
coupling between the slab modes and the intersubband transitions in the MQWs
Terahertz optically pumped silicon lasers
Stimulated terahertz (THz) emission from silicon single crystals doped by group-V donors has been obtained by optical excitation with pulsed infrared lasers. Pumping by a conventional TEA CO2 laser results in lasing on discrete lines between 1.3 and 7 THz (see figure). Laser thresholds can be as low as 10 kW/cm2. They depend on the donors species and the laser mechanism. Intracentre population inversion is realized between particular excited states which are large-spaced due to the chemical shift of the donor binding energy. The lifetime of an electron in an excited state (up to ~70 ps) is determined by the efficiency of phonon-assisted nonradiative relaxation. Optical excitation by the emission of a frequency-tunable free electron laser results in two different types of lasing. At relatively low pump intensities (~1 kW/cm2) the intracentre mechanism of lasing is dominating. At pump intensities above ~100 kW/cm2 stimulated scattering of pump photons on transverse acoustic intervalley phonons can occur in the vicinity of an impurity atom. This results in laser emission in the frequency range from 4.6 to 5.8 THz. In this case the laser frequency can be tuned proportionally to the pump frequency
Development of a new SonovueTM contrast-enhanced ultrasound approach reveals temporal and age-related features of muscle microvascular responses to feeding
Compromised limb blood flow in aging may contribute to the development of sarcopenia, frailty, and the metabolic syndrome. We developed a novel contrast-enhanced ultrasound technique using Sonovue™ to characterize muscle microvasculature responses to an oral feeding stimulus (15 g essential amino acids) in young (~20 years) and older (~70 years) men. Intensity-time replenishment curves were made via an ultrasound probe “fixed” over the quadriceps, with intermittent high mechanical index destruction of microbubbles within muscle vasculature. This permitted real-time measures of microvascular blood volume (MBV), microvascular flow velocity (MFV) and their product, microvascular blood flow (MBF). Leg blood flow (LBF) was measured by Doppler and insulin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Steady-state contrast concentrations needed for comparison between different physiological states were achieved <150 sec from commencing Sonovue™ infusion, and MFV and MBV measurements were completed <120 sec thereafter. Interindividual coefficients of variation in MBV and MFV were 35–40%, (N = 36). Younger men (N = 6) exhibited biphasic vascular responses to feeding with early increases in MBV (+36%, P < 0.008 45 min post feed) reflecting capillary recruitment, and late increases in MFV (+77%, P < 0.008) and MBF (+130%, P < 0.007 195 min post feed) reflecting more proximal vessel dilatation. Early MBV responses were synchronized with peak insulin but not increased LBF, while later changes in MFV and MBF occurred with insulin at post absorptive values but alongside increased LBF. All circulatory responses were absent in old men (N = 7). Thus, impaired postprandial circulation could impact age-related declines in muscle glucose disposal, protein anabolism, and muscle mass
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