Raman spectroscopy, a non-destructive solution to the study of glass and its alteration

This paper presents the potential of Raman spectroscopy, a non-destructive technique which can be applied in-situ, for the analyses of glass and their alteration. Recent analytical developments are summarised for different glass composition and practical examples are given. The paper describes how to extract compositional information from the glass, first based on the spectra profile to distinguish rapidly alkali silicate from alkaline-earth alkali silicate and lead alkali silicate glass, then using the spectral decomposition and correlations to extract quantitative data. For alkali silicate glasses, that are most prone to alteration, the spectral characteristics are described to interpret the alteration process (selective leaching or dissolution of the glass) from the Raman spectra of the altered glass. These developments have greatly widened the potential of the technique and supplement well its ability to measure the thickness of the altered layer and identify the crystalline deposits

Inhibition of post-ganglionic motor transmission in vas deferens by indirectily acting sympathomimetic drugs

Usando um campo elétrico estimulador, com séries curtas de pulsos (menor que 10 por série), a transmissão motora pós-ganglionar nos vasos deferentes de mamíferos foi posteriormente analisada do ponto de vista farmacológico

High-spin states with seniority v=4,4,6 in 119-126Sn

The 119-126Sn nuclei have been produced as fission fragments in two reactions induced by heavy ions: 12C+238U at 90 MeV bombarding energy, 18O+208Pb at 85 MeV. Their level schemes have been built from gamma rays detected using the Euroball array. High-spin states located above the long-lived isomeric states of the even- and odd-A 120-126Sn nuclei have been identified. Moreover isomeric states lying around 4.5 MeV have been established in 120,122,124,126Sn from the delayed coincidences between the fission fragment detector SAPhIR and the Euroball array. The states located above 3-MeV excitation energy are ascribed to several broken pairs of neutrons occupying the nu h11/2 orbit. The maximum value of angular momentum available in such a high-j shell, i.e. for mid-occupation and the breaking of the three neutron pairs, has been identified. This process is observed for the first time in spherical nuclei.Comment: 20 pages, 22 figures, 12 tables, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Search for Fingerprints of Tetrahedral Symmetry in 156Gd^{156}Gd

Theoretical predictions suggest the presence of tetrahedral symmetry as an explanation for the vanishing intra-band E2-transitions at the bottom of the odd-spin negative parity band in $^{156}Gd$. The present study reports on experiment performed to address this phenomenon. It allowed to determine the intra-band E2 transitions and branching ratios B(E2)/B(E1) of two of the negative-parity bands in $^{156}Gd$.Comment: presented by Q.T. Doan at XLII Zakopane School of Physics: Breaking Frontiers: Submicron Structures in Physics and Biology, May 2008. 5 pages, minor corrections. To be published in the proceeding

The High Burden of Malaria in Primary School Children in Southern Malawi.

Malaria among school children has received increased attention recently, yet there remain few detailed data on the health and educational burden of malaria, especially in southern Africa. This paper reports a survey among school children in 50 schools in Zomba District, Malawi. Children were assessed for Plasmodium infection, anemia, and nutritional status and took a battery of age-appropriate tests of attention, literacy, and numeracy. Overall, 60.0% of children were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 32.4% were anemic and 32.4% reported sleeping under a mosquito net the previous night. Patterns of P. falciparum infection and anemia varied markedly by school. In multivariable analysis, higher odds of P. falciparum infection were associated with younger age and being stunted, whereas lower odds were associated with reported net use, higher parental education, and socioeconomic status. The odds of anemia were significantly associated with P. falciparum infection, with a dose-response relationship between density of infection and odds of anemia. No clear relationship was observed between health status and cognitive and educational outcomes. The high burden of malaria highlights the need to tackle malaria among school children

Design, implementation and evaluation of a training programme for school teachers in the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests as part of a basic first aid kit in southern Malawi.

BACKGROUND: With increasing levels of enrolment, primary schools present a pragmatic opportunity to improve the access of school children to timely diagnosis and treatment of malaria, increasingly recognised as a major health problem within this age group. The expanded use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) by community health workers (CHWs) has raised the prospect of whether teachers can provide similar services for school children. We describe and evaluate the training of primary school teachers to use a first aid kit containing malaria RDTs and ACT for the diagnosis and treament of uncomplicated malaria in school children in southern Malawi. METHODS: We outline the development of the intervention as: (1) conception and design, (2) pilot training, (3) final training, and (4) 7-month follow up. The training materials were piloted at a four-day workshop in July 2013 following their design at national stakeholders meetings. The evaluation of the pilot training and materials were assessed in relation to increased knowledge and skill sets using checklist evaluations and questionnaires, the results of which informed the design of a final seven-day training programme held in December 2013. A follow up of trained teachers was carried out in July 2014 following 7 months of routine implementation. A total of 15 teachers were evaluated at four stages: pilot training, two weeks following pilot, final training and seven months following final training. RESULTS: A total of 15 and 92 teachers were trained at the pilot and final training respectively. An average of 93 % of the total steps required to use RDTs were completed correctly at the final training, declining to 87 % after 7 months. All teachers were observed correctly undertaking safe blood collection and handling, accurate RDT interpretation, and correct dispensing of ACT. The most commonly observed errors were a failure to wait 20 minutes before reading the test result, and adding an incorrect volume of buffer to the test cassette. CONCLUSION: Following training, teachers are able to competently use RDTs and ACTs test and treat children at school for uncomplicated malaria safely and accurately. Teachers demonstrate a comparable level of RDT use relative to non-health professional users of RDTs, and sustain this competency over a period of seven months during routine implementation

Quadrupole moment of the 6− isomeric state in 66Cu: Interplay between different nuclear deformation driving forces

AbstractWe have measured the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the 6− isomeric state in 66Cu to be |Qs|=18.6(12) efm2. This state results from a weak coupling of the πp3/2 and the νg9/2 orbitals, which lead to sizable deformation at oblate and prolate shapes, correspondingly, in the 68Ni region. The interplay between these two different deformation-driving orbitals is observed at N=37 for the 6− state resulting in a most probable oblate shape

Medium-spin states in neutron-rich 83As and 81As

The 83,81 As nuclei have been produced as fission fragments in the fusion reaction 18O + 208Pb at 85 MeV bombarding energy and studied with the Euroball array. Medium-spin states of 83,81 As have been established up to ∼3.5 MeV excitation energy. From angular correlation analysis, spin values have been assigned to most of the 81 As excited states. The behaviors of the yrast structures identified in this work are discussed in comparison with the general features known in the mass region. Then they are compared to the results of two theoretical approaches: the "rotor + quasiparticle" for 81 As and the shell model using the effective interactions JUN45 for 83,81 As

Charge-radius change and nuclear moments in the heavy tin isotopes from laser spectroscopy: Charge radius of 132^{132}Sn

NESTER ACCLaser spectroscopy measurements have been carried out on the neutron-rich tin isotopes with the COMPLIS experimental setup. Using the $5s^25p^2$ $^3P_0 \rightarrow 5s^25_p6s$ $^3P_1$ optical transition, hyperfine spectra of $^{126-132}$Sn and $^{125,127,129-131}Sn^m$ were recorded for the first time. The nuclear moments and the mean square charge radius variation ($\delta) were extracted. From the quadrupole moment values, these nuclei appear to be spherical. The magnetic moments measured are thus compared with those predicted by spherical basis approaches. From the measured$\delta, the absolute charge radii of these isotopes were deduced in particular that of the doubly magic $^{132}$Sn nucleus. The comparison of the results with several mean-field-type calculations have shown that dynamical effects play an important role in the tin isotopes