6,444 research outputs found
Proton electron elastic scattering and the proton charge radius
It is suggested that proton elastic scattering on atomic electrons allows a
precise measurement of the proton charge radius. Very small values of
transferred momenta (up to four order of magnitude smaller than the ones
presently available) can be reached with high probability.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Sharp transition for single polarons in the one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model
We study a single polaron in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model using four
different techniques (three numerical and one analytical). Polarons show a
smooth crossover from weak to strong coupling, as a function of the
electron-phonon coupling strength , in all models where this coupling
depends only on phonon momentum . In the SSH model the coupling also depends
on the electron momentum ; we find it has a sharp transition, at a critical
coupling strength , between states with zero and nonzero momentum of
the ground state. All other properties of the polaron are also singular at
, except the average number of phonons in the polaronic
cloud. This result is representative of all polarons with coupling depending on
and , and will have important experimental consequences (eg., in ARPES
and conductivity experiments)
Effects of a flat rate introduction: shifts in farm activity and impact on farmers' income
Current thoughts on CAP changes, e.g. the "Health Check", emphasize the necessity to move away from payments based on historical receipts towards a "flatter rate" system. The aim of current research is to simulate the impact of a flat rate system (equal payments per hectare of cultivated land) compared to the current historical system (payments based on individual historic entitlements). Impact on production and income of arable, dairy and cattle farms of two different flat rate scenario's, is assessed with a farm-based sector model for Flanders. The model maximizes income at farm level, calibrated to observed farming behavior in 2001-2003. Farm data can be selected by farm type, size and region, simulations could be run for specific sub sectors, size classes or regions. In the two simulated flat rate scenario's subsectors will gain subsidies at the expense of other subsectors. However, farms can compensate a substantial part of their income loss by changing activity choice.Positive Mathematical Programming, farm model, Common Agricultural Policy, Payment Entitlements., Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Use of breath hydrogen and methane as markers of colonic fermentation in epidemiologic studies: circadian patterns of excretion.
Fermentation in the large bowel has been postulated to play a protective role against colon cancer. Hydrogen and methane are end products of this fermentation process and are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via expired air in the breath. Breath levels of hydrogen and, to a lesser extent, methane correlate strongly with colonic fermentation and may serve as useful biomarkers for this process. In a preliminary study to assess the usefulness of these two markers in epidemiologic studies, we followed the hourly excretion of the two gases in expired alveolar air for 48 hr in 20 healthy subjects, using a Quintron gas chromatograph equipped with a solid-state detector specific for reducing gases. All subjects excreted hydrogen, but 71% did not excrete methane. Possible atmospheric contamination of the samples was corrected for on the basis of breath carbon dioxide levels. A clear circadian pattern of excretion was observed for breath hydrogen, with a decrease during the early morning followed by a progressive increase during the rest of the day. Methane excretion was constant throughout the day. This study shows that four samples collected at convenient times (0600, 1300, 1800, and 2200 hr) are optimal to characterize individuals by their breath excretions of hydrogen and methane during a 24-hr period
Intracerebral Implantation of Hydrogel-Coupled Adhesion Peptides: Tissue Reaction
Arg-Gly-Asp peptides (RGD) were synthesized
and chemically coupled to the bulk of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-based polymer
hydrogels. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
(FFIR) and amino acid analysis confirmed
the peptide coupling to the polymer. Activated
and control (unmodified) polymer matrices were
stereotaxically implanted in the striata of rat
brains, and two months later the brains were
processed for immunohistochemistry using antibodies
for glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP),
laminin and neurofilaments. RGD-containing
polymer matrices promoted stronger adhesion to
the host tissue than the unmodified polymer
matrices. In addition, the RGD-grafted polymer
implants promoted and supported the growth
and spread of GFAP-positive glial tissue onto
and into the hydrogels. Neurofilament-positive
fibers were also seen running along the surface
of the polymer and, in some instances, penetrating
the matrix. These findings are discussed
in the context of using bioactive polymers as a
new approach for promoting tissue repair and
axonal regeneration of damaged structures of
the central nervous system
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in motor rehabilitation after stroke: An update
AbstractStroke is a leading cause of adult motor disability. The number of stroke survivors is increasing in industrialized countries, and despite available treatments used in rehabilitation, the recovery of motor functions after stroke is often incomplete. Studies in the 1980s showed that non-invasive brain stimulation (mainly repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation [rTMS] and transcranial direct current stimulation [tDCS]) could modulate cortical excitability and induce plasticity in healthy humans. These findings have opened the way to the therapeutic use of the 2 techniques for stroke. The mechanisms underlying the cortical effect of rTMS and tDCS differ. This paper summarizes data obtained in healthy subjects and gives a general review of the use of rTMS and tDCS in stroke patients with altered motor functions. From 1988 to 2012, approximately 1400 publications were devoted to the study of non-invasive brain stimulation in humans. However, for stroke patients with limb motor deficit, only 141 publications have been devoted to the effects of rTMS and 132 to those of tDCS. The Cochrane review devoted to the effects of rTMS found 19 randomized controlled trials involving 588 patients, and that devoted to tDCS found 18 randomized controlled trials involving 450 patients. Without doubt, rTMS and tDCS contribute to physiological and pathophysiological studies in motor control. However, despite the increasing number of studies devoted to the possible therapeutic use of non-invasive brain stimulation to improve motor recovery after stroke, further studies will be necessary to specify their use in rehabilitation
Strontium ranelate decreases the incidence of new caudal vertebral fractures in a growing mouse model with spontaneous fractures by improving bone microarchitecture
Summary Young mice over-expressing Runx2 fail to gain bone relative to wild type mice with growth and present spontaneous fractures. It allows, for the first time in rodents, direct assessment of anti-fracture efficacy of strontium ranelate which was able to decrease caudal vertebrae fracture incidence through an improvement of trabecular and cortical architecture. Introduction The aim was to investigate whether strontium ranelate was able to decrease fracture incidence in mice over-expressing Runx2, model of severe developmental osteopenia associated with spontaneous vertebral fractures. Methods Transgenic mice and their wild type littermates were treated by oral route with strontium ranelate or vehicle for 9 weeks. Caudal fracture incidence was assessed by repeated X-rays, resistance to compressive loading by biochemical tests, and bone microarchitecture by histomorphometry. Results Transgenic mice receiving strontium ranelate had significantly fewer new fractures occurring during the 9 weeks of the study (−60%, p < 0.05). In lumbar vertebrae, strontium ranelate improves resistance to compressive loading (higher ultimate force to failure, +120%, p < 0.05) and trabecular microarchitecture (higher bone volume and trabecular number, lower trabecular separation, +60%, +50%, −39%, p < 0.05) as well as cortical thickness (+17%, p < 0.05). In tibiae, marrow cavity cross-section area and equivalent diameter were lower (−39%, −21%, p < 0.05). The strontium level in plasma and bone was in the same range as the values measured in treated postmenopausal women. Conclusions This model allows, for the first time, direct assessment of anti-fracture efficacy of strontium ranelate treatment in rodents. In these transgenic mice, strontium ranelate was able to decrease caudal vertebral fracture incidence through an improvement of trabecular and cortical architecture
Pressure-induced amorphization and polyamorphism in one-dimensional single crystal TiO2 nanomaterials
The structural phase transitions of single crystal TiO2-B nanoribbons were
investigated in-situ at high-pressure using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction
and the Raman scattering. Our results have shown a pressure-induced
amorphization (PIA) occurred in TiO2-B nanoribbons upon compression, resulting
in a high density amorphous (HDA) form related to the baddeleyite structure.
Upon decompression, the HDA form transforms to a low density amorphous (LDA)
form while the samples still maintain their pristine nanoribbon shape. HRTEM
imaging reveals that the LDA phase has an {\alpha}-PbO2 structure with short
range order. We propose a homogeneous nucleation mechanism to explain the
pressure-induced amorphous phase transitions in the TiO2-B nanoribbons. Our
study demonstrates for the first time that PIA and polyamorphism occurred in
the one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanomaterials and provides a new method for
preparing 1D amorphous nanomaterials from crystalline nanomaterials.Comment: 4 figure
Risk Factors for Mortality after COVID-19 in Patients with Preexisting Interstitial Lung Disease.
International audienc
Attitude Stabilization of a Quadrotor by Means of Event-Triggered Nonlinear Control
International audienceEvent-triggered control is a resource-aware sampling strategy that updates the control value only when a certain condition is satis ed, which denotes event instants. Such a technique allows to reduce the control computational cost and communications. In this paper, a quaternion-based feedback is developed for event-triggered attitude stabilization of a quadrotor mini-helicopter. The feedback is derived from the universal formula for eventtriggered stabilization of general nonlinear systems a ne in the control. The proposed feedback ensures the asymptotic stability to the desired attitude. Real-time experiments are carried out in order to show the convergence of the quadrotor states to the desired attitude as well as the robustness with respect to external disturbances. Results show that the proposed control can reduce by 80 % the communications of the embedded system without sacri cing performance of the whole system. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the rst time that a nonlinear event-triggered controller is experimentally applied to the attitude stabilization of an unmanned aircraft system
- …