The Electronic and Superconducting Properties of Oxygen-Ordered MgB2 compounds of the form Mg2B3Ox

Possible candidates for the Mg2B3Ox nanostructures observed in bulk of polycrystalline MgB2 (Ref.1) have been studied using a combination of Z-contrast imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and first-principles calculations. The electronic structures, phonon modes, and electron phonon coupling parameters are calculated for two oxygen-ordered MgB2 compounds of composition Mg2B3O and Mg2B3O2, and compared with those of MgB2. We find that the density of states for both Mg2B3Ox structures show very good agreement with EELS, indicating that they are excellent candidates to explain the observed coherent oxygen precipitates. Incorporation of oxygen reduces the transition temperature and gives calculated TC values of 18.3 K and 1.6 K for Mg2B3O and Mg2B3O2, respectively.Comment: Submitted to PR

Buccal and Palatal Talon Cusps with Pulp Extensions on a Supernumerary Primary Tooth

This paper reports an unusual occurrence of talon cusp on a supernumerary primary incisor, presenting on both labial and palatal sides. The tooth was scheduled for extraction due to its interference with the occlusion. Morphometric analysis of the taloned cusps was performed on digitized replicas of the tooth crown using open-source image analysis toolkit (ImageJ). Further non-destructive investigation of the taloned crown under cone-beam X-ray computed tomography revealed pulpal extensions in both talon cusps

Electroencephalogram findings in patients with posterior cortical atrophy

Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to evaluate standard scalp EEG findings in patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clinical rationale: PCA is a topographically selective variant of AD. Patients with typical AD have an increased likelihood of seizures, which may negatively impact overall functional performance and cognition. It is currently unknown what the typical EEG findings are for patients with PCA. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients identified either with autopsy confirmed (n = 13) or clinically (n = 126) as PCA. Results: 139 patients were included though only 23 (16.5%) had undergone EEG recording. The EEG was normal in 6 (26%), while an abnormal EEG was present in 17 (74%). Interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) were found in 2 of the 23 patients (9%). Conclusions: This study of limited sample size suggests that there may be an increased predilection to find IEDs within PCA when compared to typical AD. Larger cohorts are required to determine frequency of abnormal EEGs in PCA, roles of AEDs in therapy, and in the selection of preferred AED. Clinical implications: Patients with PCA would potentially benefit from an EEG for assessment of IEDs which may provide the clinician with a therapeutic opportunity

Transferring Learning To Rank Models for Web Search

ABSTRACT Learning to rank techniques provide mechanisms for combining document feature values into learned models that produce effective rankings. However, issues concerning the transferability of learned models between different corpora or subsets of the same corpus are not yet well understood. For instance, is the importance of different feature sets consistent between subsets of a corpus, or whether a learned model obtained on a small subset of the corpus effectively transfer to the larger corpus? By formulating our experiments around two null hypotheses, in this work, we apply a full-factorial experiment design to empirically investigate these questions using the ClueWeb09 and ClueWeb12 corpora, combined with queries from the TREC Web track. Among other observations, our experiments reveal that ClueWeb09 remains an effective choice of training corpus for learning effective models for ClueWeb12, and also that the importance of query independent features varies among the ClueWeb09 and ClueWeb12 corpora. In doing so, this work contributes an important study into the transferability of learning to rank models, as well as empirically-derived best practices for effective retrieval on the ClueWeb12 corpus

Unusual Symmetries in the Kugel-Khomskii Hamiltonian

The Kugel-Khomskii Hamiltonian for cubic titanates describes spin and orbital superexchange interactions between $d^1$ ions having three-fold degenerate $t_{2g}$ orbitals. Since orbitals do not couple along "inactive" axes, perpendicular to the orbital planes, the total number of electrons in $|\alpha >$ orbitals in any such plane and the corresponding total spin are both conserved. A Mermin-Wagner construction shows that there is no long-range spin ordering at nonzero temperatures. Inclusion of spin-orbit coupling allows such ordering, but even then the excitation spectrum is gapless due to a continuous symmetry. Thus, the observed order and gap require more symmetry breaking terms.Comment: 4 pages (two column format with 2 figures), to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. (submitted on Dec. 2002

Orientational Phase Transition in NaxC60 (1 \u3c x \u3c 3)

X-ray diffraction and calorimetry data on cubic NaxC60(1\u3cxTm above that of pure C60, e.g., Tm(x=1.3)=325 K. The ordered phases are the same as in pure C60: simple cubic, space group Pa3¯, but the orientations in the disordered phase are more restricted. We explain how Na stabilizes the ordered phase to rather high T, while K and Rb do not, in terms of Coulomb interactions between C60 molecules and and Na ions which we calculate from the local density approximation charge density of C60

Landau Expansion for the Kugel-Khomskii t2gt_{2g} Hamiltonian

The Kugel-Khomskii (KK) Hamiltonian for the titanates describes spin and orbital superexchange interactions between $d^1$ ions in an ideal perovskite structure in which the three $t_{2g}$ orbitals are degenerate in energy and electron hopping is constrained by cubic site symmetry. In this paper we implement a variational approach to mean-field theory in which each site, $i$, has its own $n \times n$ single-site density matrix \rhov(i), where $n$, the number of allowed single-particle states, is 6 (3 orbital times 2 spin states). The variational free energy from this 35 parameter density matrix is shown to exhibit the unusual symmetries noted previously which lead to a wavevector-dependent susceptibility for spins in $\alpha$ orbitals which is dispersionless in the $q_\alpha$-direction. Thus, for the cubic KK model itself, mean-field theory does not provide wavevector `selection', in agreement with rigorous symmetry arguments. We consider the effect of including various perturbations. When spin-orbit interactions are introduced, the susceptibility has dispersion in all directions in ${\bf q}$-space, but the resulting antiferromagnetic mean-field state is degenerate with respect to global rotation of the staggered spin, implying that the spin-wave spectrum is gapless. This possibly surprising conclusion is also consistent with rigorous symmetry arguments. When next-nearest-neighbor hopping is included, staggered moments of all orbitals appear, but the sum of these moments is zero, yielding an exotic state with long-range order without long-range spin order. The effect of a Hund's rule coupling of sufficient strength is to produce a state with orbital order.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B (2003

Can Taxpayers Stand Discrimination?: Lack of Standing and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Permits the Executive Branch to Fund Discrimination Within Religious Organizations

The Density Functional Theory (DFT) and ab initio (HF and MP2) calculations were performed on the quinoline molecule (QL) and its derivatives, namely quinaldine (QLD) and quinaldic acid (QLDA) to investigate their possible role as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in acidic medium. Calculations were done for non-protonated and protonated forms in vacuo and in water. Some quantum chemical parameters were calculated and discussed in order to provide insight into the reactivity and selectivity of the molecules. The performance of the different calculation methods were also compared with available experimental data. The results show that DFT/B3LYP basis set is adequate in describing the geometry and quantum chemical parameters of the studied systems. Both experimental and theoretical results established that QLDA has the highest inhibition efficiency. A comparison in the trends of the quantum chemical parameters in water solution and in vacuo shows minimal influence of the solvent effects