569 research outputs found
On the Incommensurate Phase in Modulated Heisenberg Chains
Using the density matrix renormalization group method (DMRG) we calculate the
magnetization of frustrated S=1/2 Heisenberg chains for various modulation
patterns of the nearest neighbour coupling: commensurate, incommensurate with
sinusoidal modulation and incommensurate with solitonic modulation. We focus on
the order of the phase transition from the commensurate dimerized phase (D) to
the incommensurate phase (I). It is shown that the order of the phase
transition depends sensitively on the model. For the solitonic model in
particular, a -dependent elastic energy modifies the order of the
transition. Furthermore, we calculate gaps in the incommensurate phase in
adiabatic approximation.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure
A magnetic model for the incommensurate I phase of spin-Peierls systems
A magnetic model is proposed for describing the incommensurate I phase of
spin-Peierls systems. Based on the harmonicity of the lattice distortion, its
main ingredient is that the distortion of the lattice adjusts to the average
magnetization such that the system is always gapful. The presence of dynamical
incommensurabilities in the fluctuation spectra is also predicted. Recent
experimental results for CuGeO_3 obtained by NMR, ESR and light scattering
absorption are well understood within this model.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Latex with EPL style files all include
Recent benthic foraminifera from the Tagus Prodelta and Estuary, Portugal: microhabitats, assemblage composition and stable isotopes
Early diagenetic overprint in Caribbean sediment cores and its effect on the geochemical composition of planktonic foraminifera
Early diagenetic features are noticed in the vicinity of carbonate platforms. Planktonic foraminifera of two tropical Atlantic deep-sea sediment cores show the strict relation between micro-scale euhydral crystallites of inorganic precipitates, higher oxygen isotope values and Mg/Ca ratios, and lower Sr/Ca ratios than expected for their pelagic environment in the time interval of ~100 000–550 000 calendar years before present. Laser ablation Mg/Ca (Sr/Ca) of crystallite-bearing foraminiferal chamber walls revealed 4–6 times elevated (2–3 times depleted) ratios, when ablating the diagenetic overgrowth. Crystalline overgrowth in proportion of 10–20% are estimated to cause the observed geochemical alteration. The extent of foraminiferal Mg/Ca alteration, moreover, seems to be controlled by the composition of the bulk sediment, especially the content of high-magnesium calcite. Anomalous ratios of >6 mmol/mol only occur, when high-magnesium calcite has dissolved within the sediment. The older parts (back to ~800 kyrs) of the records are characterized by similar trends of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca. We discuss possible scenarios to accommodate the obtained geochemical information
Finite Temperature DMRG Investigation of the Spin-Peierls Transition in CuGeO
We present a numerical study of thermodynamical properties of dimerized
frustrated Heisenberg chains down to extremely low temperatures with
applications to CuGeO. A variant of the finite temperature density matrix
renormalization group (DMRG) allows the study of the dimerized phase previously
unaccessible to ab initio calculations. We investigate static dimerized systems
as well as the instability of the quantum chain towards lattice dimerization.
The crossover from a quadratic response in the free energy to the distortion
field at finite temperature to nonanalytic behavior at zero temperature is
studied quantitatively. Various physical quantities are derived and compared
with experimental data for CuGeO such as magnetic dimerization, critical
temperature, susceptibility and entropy.Comment: LaTeX, 5 pages, 5 eps figures include
Gemcitabine combined with oxaliplatin in pretreated patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: an observational study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin ± gemcitabine in patients with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) pretreated with pemetrexed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study enrolled consecutive patients with relapsed MPM, all of them pretreated with a platin-pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Oxaliplatin 80 mg/m<sup>2 </sup>was administered as monotherapy or in combination with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m<sup>2 </sup>given on day 1 and 8. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. The primary endpoints were response rate and disease control rate. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), time to tumour progression (TTP), progression-free survival (PFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), and toxicity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Between February 2005 and September 2007 29 patients (median age: 65.0 years, World Health Organisation (WHO) performance status: 0–3) were enrolled. The follow-up period encompassed 5.4 to 97.4 weeks (median: 24.3 weeks). Out of these 29 patients, 15 were treated in second, 10 in third, 3 in fourth and 1 in fifth line, respectively. The majority of the patients received the combination oxaliplatin and gemcitabine (n = 25 vs. 4; 86.2 vs. 13.8%).</p> <p>The median overall survival (OS) was 71.7 weeks (30.6–243.3 weeks), whereas survival from the start of oxaliplatin/gemcitabine-treatment was 24.3 weeks (5.4–97.3 weeks). Median time to tumour progression (TTP) was 9.3 weeks (3.0–67.6 weeks).</p> <p>Partial response (PR) was observed in 2 patients (6.9%), stable disease (SD) for at least three courses of treatment in 11 patients (37.9%). Thus, disease control rate was 44.8%, whereas 16 of 29 patients exhibited progressive disease (55.2%).</p> <p>The toxicity profile was favourable, with no WHO grade 4-toxicities, only few dose-reductions were performed due to non-symptomatic haematotoxicities (neutropenia, thrombopenia). Mild WHO grade 2 neurotoxicity was seen in 6 patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pemetrexed-pretreated patients with progressive MPM may benefit from a consecutive chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and gemcitabine without significant toxicity.</p
Excitations of the field-induced soliton lattice in CuGeO3
Here we report the first inelastic neutron scattering study of the magnetic
excitations in the incommensurate phase of a spin-Peierls material. The results
on CuGeO3 provide direct evidence of a finite excitation gap, two sharp
magnetic excitation branches and a very low-lying excitation which is
identified as a phason mode, the Goldstone mode of the incommensurate soliton
lattice.Comment: 5 pages, revtex, 4 figures (*.eps), win-zippe
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