2,123 research outputs found
The photospheric solar oxygen project: III. Investigation of the centre-to-limb variation of the 630nm [OI]-NiI blend
The solar photospheric abundance of oxygen is still a matter of debate. For
about ten years some determinations have favoured a low oxygen abundance which
is at variance with the value inferred by helioseismology. Among the oxygen
abundance indicators, the forbidden line at 630nm has often been considered the
most reliable even though it is blended with a NiI line. In Papers I and Paper
II of this series we reported a discrepancy in the oxygen abundance derived
from the 630nm and the subordinate [OI] line at 636nm in dwarf stars, including
the Sun. Here we analyse several, in part new, solar observations of the the
centre-to-limb variation of the spectral region including the blend at 630nm in
order to separate the individual contributions of oxygen and nickel. We analyse
intensity spectra observed at different limb angles in comparison with line
formation computations performed on a CO5BOLD 3D hydrodynamical simulation of
the solar atmosphere. The oxygen abundances obtained from the forbidden line at
different limb angles are inconsistent if the commonly adopted nickel abundance
of 6.25 is assumed in our local thermodynamic equilibrium computations. With a
slightly lower nickel abundance, A(Ni)~6.1, we obtain consistent fits
indicating an oxygen abundance of A(O)=8.73+/-0.05. At this value the
discrepancy with the subordinate oxygen line remains. The derived value of the
oxygen abundance supports the notion of a rather low oxygen abundance in the
solar hotosphere. However, it is disconcerting that the forbidden oxygen lines
at 630 and 636nm give noticeably different results, and that the nickel
abundance derived here from the 630nm blend is lower than expected from other
nickel lines.Comment: to appear in A&
Monitoring grain boundary migration during recrystallisation using topotomography
International audienceThe growth of a single grain during recrystallisation into a mildly deformed {001}100 oriented single crystal has been monitored by synchrotron radiation using the topotomo technique. The formation and migration of individual facets is analysed using a new method which measures distances between grain boundary segments at different time steps along parallel lines normal to the facet plane. One facet is shown to move with a constant rate, while it remains planar and keeps the same boundary plane orientation. The formation of another facet, which is analysed in detail, reveals that first a planar boundary with a different orientation forms before it changes its boundary plane orientation into that of the final facet. It is argued that the local microstructural configuration in front of moving grain boundaries has a considerable influence on the kinetics of individual boundary segments and facets
Dark-field X-ray microscopy for multiscale structural characterization
Many physical and mechanical properties of crystalline materials depend strongly on their internal structure, which is typically organized into grains and domains on several length scales. Here we present dark-field X-ray microscopy; a non-destructive microscopy technique for the three-dimensional mapping of orientations and stresses on lengths scales from 100ânm to 1âmm within embedded sampling volumes. The technique, which allows âzoomingâ in and out in both direct and angular space, is demonstrated by an annealing study of plastically deformed aluminium. Facilitating the direct study of the interactions between crystalline elements is a key step towards the formulation and validation of multiscale models that account for the entire heterogeneity of a material. Furthermore, dark-field X-ray microscopy is well suited to applied topics, where the structural evolution of internal nanoscale elements (for example, positioned at interfaces) is crucial to the performance and lifetime of macro-scale devices and components thereof
Positive patient experience of wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) hand surgery in the government setting : a prospective descriptive study
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this study was to establish a subjective patient experience with wide awake local
anaesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) procedures performed in the institution from May 2019
to March 2020. WALANT surgery was initiated to improve standard operating procedure and to
decrease theatre burden.
METHODS:
This prospective, descriptive study included 100 patients with a mean age of 59 years who
required either a carpal tunnel or trigger finger release. The patientsâ pain experience was
documented on the visual analogue scale (VAS) for the local anaesthetic injection and the
surgical procedure. Overall experience was assessed on the patientâs preference to have the
procedure performed by the WALANT method or the conventional method.
RESULTS:
One hundred patients were included, of which 67 had medical comorbidities. The mean VAS
score was 1.5 (SD±1.6) with pain on injection. The mean VAS pain score during the surgical
procedure was 0.2 (SD±0.7). One hundred per cent of patients (100/100) felt they would do the
WALANT outpatient procedure again instead of admission to hospital and surgery in the theatre.
Two complications occurred related to wound care problems, and were successfully managed.
None of the patients required reoperations for incomplete release of the carpal tunnel or trigger
finger surgery.
CONCLUSION:
The results of this study suggest that minor hand surgery using the WALANT protocol can be
performed effectively and with high patient satisfaction rates in the orthopaedic outpatient clinic,
and is a useful tool in the skillset of a hand surgeon.https://www.saoj.org.zaOrthopaedic Surger
Continuous mode cooling and phonon routers for phononic quantum networks
We study the implementation of quantum state transfer protocols in phonon
networks, where in analogy to optical networks, quantum information is
transmitted through propagating phonons in extended mechanical resonator arrays
or phonon waveguides. We describe how the problem of a non-vanishing thermal
occupation of the phononic quantum channel can be overcome by implementing
optomechanical multi- and continuous mode cooling schemes to create a 'cold'
frequency window for transmitting quantum states. In addition, we discuss the
implementation of phonon circulators and switchable phonon routers, which rely
on strong coherent optomechanical interactions only, and do not require strong
magnetic fields or specific materials. Both techniques can be applied and
adapted to various physical implementations, where phonons coupled to spin or
charge based qubits are used for on-chip networking applications.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures. Final version, a few minor changes and updated
reference
Factors related to successful job reintegration of people with a lower limb amputation
Objective: To study demographically, amputation-, and employment-related factors that show a relationship to successful job reintegration of patients after lower limb amputation. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospital. Patients: Subjects had an acquired unilateral major amputation of the lower limb at least 2 years before, were aged 18 to 60 years (mean, 46yr), and were living in the Netherlands. All 322 patients were working at the time of amputation and were recruited from orthopedic workshops. Intervention: Questionnaires sent to subjects to self-report (1) demographic and amputation information and (2) job characteristics and readjustment postamputation. Questionnaire sent to rehabilitation specialists to assess physical work load. Main Outcome Measures: Demographically related (age, gender); amputation-related (comorbidity; reason and level; problems with stump, pain, prosthesis use and problems, mobility, rehabilitation); and employment-related (education, physical workload) information about the success of job reintegration. Results: Job reintegration was successful in 79% and unsuccessful in 21% of the amputees. Age at the time of amputation, wearing comfort of the prosthesis, and education level were significant indicators of successful job reintegration. Subjects with physically demanding jobs who changed type of job before and after the amputation more often successfully returned to work than subjects who tried to stay at the same type of job. Conclusions: Older patients with a low education level and problems with the wearing comfort of the prosthesis are a population at risk who require special attention during the rehabilitation process in order to return to work. Lowering the physical workload by changing to another type of work enhances the chance of successful reintegration
4D characterization of metals by 3DXRD
31st Riso International Symposium on Materials Science, Roskilde, DENMARK, SEP 06-10, 2010International audienceThe status of 3DXRD microscopy is reviewed, with a special view to applications in metallurgy. Various approaches are compared in terms of perfounance. In addition several recent advances are presented, such as a 3D grain map with an unprecedented spatial resolution of 500 nm, first results from the commissioning of a novel 3D detector set-up and a validation of the box-scan procedure
All spacetimes with vanishing curvature invariants
All Lorentzian spacetimes with vanishing invariants constructed from the
Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives are determined. A subclass of the
Kundt spacetimes results and we display the corresponding metrics in local
coordinates. Some potential applications of these spacetimes are discussed.Comment: 24 page
Quantum Theory and Time Asymmetry
The relation between quantum measurement and thermodynamically irreversible
processes is investigated. The reduction of the state vector is fundamentally
asymmetric in time and shows an observer-relatedness which may explain the
double interpretation of the state vector as a representation of physical
states as well as of information about them. The concept of relevance being
used in all statistical theories of irreversible thermodynamics is shown to be
based on the same observer-relatedness. Quantum theories of irreversible
processes implicitly use an objectivized process of state vector reduction. The
conditions for the reduction are discussed, and I speculate that the final
(subjective) observer system might even be carried by a spacetime point.Comment: Latex version of a paper published in 1979 (with minor revisions), 18
page
Characterization of the Local Density of States Fluctuations near the Integer Quantum Hall Transition in a Quantum Dot Array
We present a calculation for the second moment of the local density of states
in a model of a two-dimensional quantum dot array near the quantum Hall
transition. The quantum dot array model is a realistic adaptation of the
lattice model for the quantum Hall transition in the two-dimensional electron
gas in an external magnetic field proposed by Ludwig, Fisher, Shankar and
Grinstein. We make use of a Dirac fermion representation for the Green
functions in the presence of fluctuations for the quantum dot energy levels. A
saddle-point approximation yields non-perturbative results for the first and
second moments of the local density of states, showing interesting fluctuation
behaviour near the quantum Hall transition. To our knowledge we discuss here
one of the first analytic characterizations of chaotic behaviour for a
two-dimensional mesoscopic structure. The connection with possible experimental
investigations of the local density of states in the quantum dot array
structures (by means of NMR Knight-shift or single-electron-tunneling
techniques) and our work is also established.Comment: 11 LaTeX pages, 1 postscript figure, to appear in Phys.Rev.
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