2,308 research outputs found
Study to determine experimentally the feasibility of new methods for improving thermal conductance of mechanical joints in a vacuum Summary research report, 8 Apr. - 30 Sep. 1966
Surface-plateauing techniques, and flexible surface membranes for improved thermal conductance of mechanical joints in vacuu
Analytical sensitivity of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests: A case for a robust reference standard
Aggressive diagnostic testing remains an indispensable strategy for health and aged care facilities to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in vulnerable populations. The preferred diagnostic platform has shifted towards COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) to identify the most infectious individuals. As such, RATs are being manufactured faster than at any other time in our history yet lack the relevant quantitative analytics required to inform on absolute analytical sensitivity enabling manufacturers to maintain high batch-to-batch reproducibility, and end-users to accurately compare brands for decision making. Here, we describe a novel reference standard to measure and compare the analytical sensitivity of RATs using a recombinant GFP-tagged nucleocapsid protein (NP-GFP). Importantly, we show that the GFP tag does not interfere with NP detection and provides several advantages affording streamlined protein expression and purification in high yields as well as faster, cheaper and more sensitive quality control measures for post-production assessment of protein solubility and stability. Ten commercial COVID-19 RATs were evaluated and ranked using NP-GFP as a reference standard. Analytical sensitivity data of the selected devices as determined with NP-GFP did not correlate with those reported by the manufacturers using the median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) assay. Of note, TCID50 discordance has been previously reported. Taken together, our results highlight an urgent need for a reliable reference standard for evaluation and benchmarking of the analytical sensitivity of RAT devices. NP-GFP is a promising candidate as a reference standard that will ensure that RAT performance is accurately communicated to healthcare providers and the public
Bragg spectroscopy of a cigar shaped Bose condensate in optical lattices
We study properties of excited states of an array of weakly coupled
quasi-two-dimensional Bose condensates by using the hydrodynamic theory. We
calculate multibranch Bogoliubov-Bloch spectrums and its corresponding
eigenfunctions. The spectrum of the axial excited states and its eigenfunctions
strongly depends on the coupling among various discrete radial modes within a
given symmetry. This mode coupling is due to the presence of radial trapping
potential. The multibranch nature of the Bogoliubov-Bloch spectrum and its
dependence on the mode-coupling can be realized by analyzing dynamic structure
factor and momentum transferred to the system in Bragg spectroscopy
experiments. We also study dynamic structure factor and momentum transferred to
the condensate due to the Bragg spectroscopy experiment.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Journal of Physics B: Atomic,
Molecular & Optical Physic
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