Electronic transport properties of intermediately coupled superconductors: PdTe2 and Cu0.04PdTe2

We have investigated the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of PdTe2 and 4% Cu intercalated PdTe2 compounds. Electrical resistivity for the compounds shows Bloch-Gruneisen type linear temperature (T) dependence for 100 K < T < 480 K, and Fermi liquid behavior (~ T^2) below 50 K. Seebeck coefficient data exhibit strong competition between Normal (N) and Umklapp (U) scattering processes at low T. Though our results indicate the transfer of charge carriers to PdTe2 upon Cu intercalation, it is difficult to discern any change in the Fermi surface of the compound by Nordheim-Gorter plots. The estimated Fermi energies of the compounds are quite comparable to good metals Cu, Ag and Au. The low T, thermal conductivity (k) of the compounds is strongly dominated by the electronic contribution, and exhibits a rare linear T dependence below 10 K. However, high T, k(T) shows usual 1/T dependence, dominated by U scattering process. The electron phonon coupling parameters, estimated from the low T, specific heat data and first principle electronic structure calculations suggest that PdTe2 and Cu0.04PdTe2 are intermediately coupled superconductors.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Potential effects of environmental change on mining wastes in a hyperarid climate

Three desert washes were sampled to evaluate the transport of contaminated sediments from abandoned mining sites to downwash environments. The area of concern is an extreme arid climate considered stable and not to pose pathways for contaminated sediments to impact downwash environments. Research of mine wastes in Nelson, Nevada has shown that residual geogenic and anthropogenic trace elements have been mobilized in surface sediments as a result of storm event. Cyanide and trace elements, especially mercury and lead, have transported to 6000 m downwash from source areas. Short term environmental impacts appear to be minimal because of present-day environmental conditions. However, climate shifts caused by the El Nino Southern Oscillations or even a dramatic climate shift might increase regional precipitation promoting a more rapid erosion of contaminated sediment. Currently, wash sediments do not contain levels of CN- or trace elements that pose threats to the environment; however, if erosion and transport of mining waste increased because of additional precipitation, then CN- and trace elements loading in storm water would increase, with their possibly delivery to Lake Mohave

Unexpected sneezing after a peribulbar injection in a patient for elective cataract surgery

Sneezing or the sternutatory reflex, inborn in most animals, is a primitive neuromuscular physiological response to irritation. Sometimes, unusual sneezing occurs during and immediately after a peribulbar block, which is generally performed with a local anaesthetic in awake patients. We present a case report of an awake elderly male who experienced unexpected continuous sneezing immediately after the removal of the needle used for the peribulbar block, which was subsequently relieved with pheniramine maleate.Keywords: peribulbar block, pheniramine maleate, sneezin

Greenhouse gas emissions of waste management processes and options : a case study

Increasing concern about climate change is prompting organisations to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions. Waste management activities also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In the waste management sector, there has been an increasing diversion of waste sent to landfill, with much emphasis on recycling and reuse to prevent emissions. This study evaluates the carbon footprint of the different processes involved in waste management systems, considering the entire waste management stream. Waste management data from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London (UK), was used to estimate the carbon footprint for its (Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames) current source segregation system. Second, modelled full and partial co-mingling scenarios were used to estimate carbon emissions from these proposed waste management approaches. The greenhouse gas emissions from the entire waste management system at Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames were 12,347 t CO2e for the source-segregated scenario, and 11,907 t CO2e for the partial co-mingled model. These emissions amount to 203.26 kg CO2e t(-1) and 196.02 kg CO2e t(-1) municipal solid waste for source-segregated and partial co-mingled, respectively. The change from a source segregation fleet to a partial co-mingling fleet reduced the emissions, at least partly owing to a change in the number and type of vehicles

Jet propagation and the asymmetries of CSS radio sources

As Compact Steep Spectrum radio sources have been shown to be more asymmetrical than larger sources of similar powers, there is a high probability that they interact with an asymmetric medium in the central regions of the host elliptical galaxy. We consider a simple analytical model of the propagation of radio jets through a reasonable asymmetric environment and show that they can yield the range of arm-length and luminosity asymmetries that have been observed. We then generalize this to allow for the effects of orientation, and quantify the substantial enhancements of the asymmetries that can be produced in this fashion. We present two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations of jets propagating through multi-phase media and note that the results from the simulations are also broadly consistent with the observations.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&

Anaesthetic management in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta and a fractured femur

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