Evaluation of different internal standards for precious metals quantification

The current study involved the evaluation of five different internal standards (Sc, Co, Y, In and La) as well as normal external or direct calibration methods in the simultaneous quantification of all six platinum group metals (PGMs) and gold (precious metals). The use of Sc as internal standard in the quantitative determination of precious metals in a liquid reference material (RM) and the geological Pyroxenite CRM was shown to yield excellent recoveries (> 99%) compared to the other metals used as internal standard in this study and the direct calibration method (> 91 %).Os recovered only 89% of the expected metal content. The evaluation of different proposed models (wavelength combinations, ionization and/or excitation energy) did not succeed in identifying or discriminating between the unsuccessful and successful internal standards. The robustness of the Sc internal standard addition method was evaluated with the variation in solution matrix (addition of HCl and NaCl). The analytical method (total metal recovery) proved to be very sensitive to elevated unmatched HCl matrix levels (above 1.0 mL of HCl (32% v/v) added) and Na+ addition larger than 4 ppm sodium using ICP-OES. KEY WORDS: Internal standard, Scandium, Precious metals, Spectrometric techniques, ICP-OES Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2016, 30(1), 55-70.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v30i1.

Simple modeling of self-oscillation in Nano-electro-mechanical systems

We present here a simple analytical model for self-oscillations in nano-electro-mechanical systems. We show that a field emission self-oscillator can be described by a lumped electrical circuit and that this approach is generalizable to other electromechanical oscillator devices. The analytical model is supported by dynamical simulations where the electrostatic parameters are obtained by finite element computations.Comment: accepted in AP

Researching Bradford: A review of social research on Bradford District

A synthesis of findings from social research on the District of Bradford. This report synthesises the findings from a wide range of social research undertaken on the District of Bradford, primarily between 1995 and 2005. The researchers reviewed almost 200 pieces of work. The key results are summarised under thematic headings: - The social, economic and institutional context - Community cohesion - Housing, neighbourhoods and regeneration - Business and enterprise - Health, disability and social care - Children and young people - Education, skills and the labour market - Crime and community safety It also identifies a future research agenda. The main purpose of the review was to provide the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and local organisations in Bradford with a firm basis upon which to build future work in the District

Tailored quantum dots for entangled photon pair creation

We compare the asymmetry-induced exchange splitting delta_1 of the bright-exciton ground-state doublet in self-assembled (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots, determined by Faraday rotation, with its homogeneous linewidth gamma, obtained from the radiative decay in time-resolved photoluminescence. Post-growth thermal annealing of the dot structures leads to a considerable increase of the homogeneous linewidth, while a strong reduction of the exchange splitting is simultaneously observed. The annealing can be tailored such that delta_1 and gamma become comparable, whereupon the carriers are still well confined. This opens the possibility to observe polarization entangled photon pairs through the biexciton decay cascade.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Carbon­yl(N-nitroso-N-oxido-1-naphtylamine-κ2 O,O′)(triphenyl­phosphine-κP)rhodium(I) acetone solvate

The title compound, [Rh(C10H7N2O2)(C18H15P)(CO)]·(CH3)2CO, is the second structural report of a metal complex formed with the O,O′-C10H7N2O2 (neocupferrate) ligand. In the crystal structure, the metal centre is surrounded by one carbonyl ligand, one triphenyl­phosphine ligand and the bidentate neocupferrate ligand, forming a distorted square-planar RhCO2P coordination set which is best illustrated by the small O—Rh—O bite angle of 77.74 (10)°. There are no classical hydrogen-bond inter­actions observed for this complex

Spectral properties and magneto-optical excitations in semiconductor double-rings under Rashba spin-orbit interaction

We have numerically solved the Hamiltonian of an electron in a semiconductor double ring subjected to the magnetic flux and Rashba spin-orbit interaction. It is found that the Aharonov-Bohm energy spectrum reveals multi-zigzag periodic structures. The investigations of spin-dependent electron dynamics via Rabi oscillations in two-level and three-level systems demonstrate the possibility of manipulating quantum states. Our results show that the optimal control of photon-assisted inter-ring transitions can be achieved by employing cascade-type and $\Lambda$-type transition mechanisms. Under chirped pulse impulsions, a robust and complete transfer of an electron to the final state is shown to coincide with the estimation of the Landau-Zener formula.Comment: RevTex, 9 pages, 5 figure

Magnetic field induced lattice anomaly inside the superconducting state of CeCoIn5_5: evidence of the proposed Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state

We report high magnetic field linear magnetostriction experiments on CeCoIn$_5$ single crystals. Two features are remarkable: (i) a sharp discontinuity in all the crystallographic axes associated with the upper superconducting critical field $B_{c2}$ that becomes less pronounced as the temperature increases; (ii) a distinctive second order-like feature observed only along the c-axis in the high field (10 T $\lesssim B \leq B_{c2}$) low temperature ($T \lesssim$ 0.35 K) region. This second order transition is observed only when the magnetic field lies within 20$^o$ of the ab-planes and there is no signature of it above $B_{c2}$, which raises questions regarding its interpretation as a field induced magnetically ordered phase. Good agreement with previous results suggests that this anomaly is related to the transition to the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superconducting state.Comment: 3 figures, 5 page

Fatal Pulmonary Embolism in a 10-Year Old With Nephrotic Syndrome

We present a case report of a 10-year-old male with nephrotic syndrome who presented with a complaint of shortness of breath. The patient had been recently hospitalized for an exacerbation of nephrotic syndrome and had received steroid and diuretic therapy. Initial vital signs showed tachycardia and mild tachypnea. After being observed for more than four hours without deterioration he was discharged home for close follow up. The patient returned 4 hours later with worsening symptoms and went into cardiac arrest in the ED. Autopsy revealed bilateral large pulmonary emboli. Pulmonary embolism is a known complication of nephrotic syndrome. Hyperviscosity occurs due to a variety of mechanisms. Nearly all reported incidents are associated with the use of steroids and diuretics. It is essential to maintain a heightened suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE) when children with nephrotic syndrome present with pulmonary complaints, particularly when they have been treated with steroids and diuretics

Cooperative spontaneous emission in nonuniform media

The subject of this paper is modification of cooperative spontaneous emission by a nonuniform medium, with nonuniform distributions of electromagnetic field. A brief analyzis is presented and it is postulated, that if spontaneous emission from an atom is strongly suppressed, cooperative emission with another atom may be a preferred emission channel and counteract the suppression.Comment: The final publication is available at http://www.epj.or

Some Remarks on the Question of Charge Densities in Stationary-Current-Carrying Conductors

Recently, some discussions arose as to the definition of charge and the value of the density of charge in stationary-current-carrying conductors. We stress that the problem of charge definition comes from a misunderstanding of the usual definition. We provide some theoretical elements which suggest that positive and negative charge densities are equal in the frame of the positive ions.Comment: 14 pages, TeX, macro newsym.tex include