2,130 research outputs found
In search of a future strategy for market research services: clients' views on market research suppliers
The market research environment is transforming rapidly and research suppliers may not be keeping up with changing research client needs. This paper examines research client perceptions of current research supplier performance and future competencies. The key findings are that research suppliers need to move their staffing profiles beyond technical expertise in conducting research (generating outputs) to functional expertise in understanding research outcomes within internal and external organizational contexts. The transition from data collector to expert advisor may involve anew business model and new pricing strategies based on intellectual expertise rather than margins on data collection services
Hole doping dependences of the magnetic penetration depth and vortex core size in YBa2Cu3Oy: Evidence for stripe correlations near 1/8 hole doping
We report on muon spin rotation measurements of the internal magnetic field
distribution n(B) in the vortex solid phase of YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) single
crystals, from which we have simultaneously determined the hole doping
dependences of the in-plane Ginzburg-Landau (GL) length scales in the
underdoped regime. We find that Tc has a sublinear dependence on
1/lambda_{ab}^2, where lambda_{ab} is the in-plane magnetic penetration depth
in the extrapolated limits T -> 0 and H -> 0. The power coefficient of the
sublinear dependence is close to that determined in severely underdoped YBCO
thin films, indicating that the same relationship between Tc and the superfluid
density is maintained throughout the underdoped regime. The in-plane GL
coherence length (vortex core size) is found to increase with decreasing hole
doping concentration, and exhibit a field dependence that is explained by
proximity-induced superconductivity on the CuO chains. Both the magnetic
penetration depth and the vortex core size are enhanced near 1/8 hole doping,
supporting the belief by some that stripe correlations are a universal property
of high-Tc cuprates.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure
Penetration depth, multiband superconductivity, and absence of muon-induced perturbation in superconducting PrOsSb
Transverse-field muon spin rotation (SR) experiments in the
heavy-fermion superconductor PrOsSb ( K) suggest that
the superconducting penetration depth is temperature-independent
at low temperatures, consistent with a gapped quasiparticle excitation
spectrum. In contrast, radiofrequency (rf) inductive measurements yield a
stronger temperature dependence of , indicative of point nodes in
the gap. This discrepancy appears to be related to the multiband structure of
PrOsSb. Muon Knight shift measurements in PrOsSb
suggest that the perturbing effect of the muon charge on the neighboring
Pr crystalline electric field is negligibly small, and therefore is
unlikely to cause the difference between the SR and rf results.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Estimation of bubble-mediated air–sea gas exchange from concurrent DMS and CO2 transfer velocities at intermediate–high wind speeds
Simultaneous air–sea fluxes and concentration differences of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured during a summertime North Atlantic cruise in 2011. This data set reveals significant differences between the gas transfer velocities of these two gases (Δkw) over a range of wind speeds up to 21 m s−1. These differences occur at and above the approximate wind speed threshold when waves begin breaking. Whitecap fraction (a proxy for bubbles) was also measured and has a positive relationship with Δkw, consistent with enhanced bubble-mediated transfer of the less soluble CO2 relative to that of the more soluble DMS. However, the correlation of Δkw with whitecap fraction is no stronger than with wind speed. Models used to estimate bubble-mediated transfer from in situ whitecap fraction underpredict the observations, particularly at intermediate wind speeds. Examining the differences between gas transfer velocities of gases with different solubilities is a useful way to detect the impact of bubble-mediated exchange. More simultaneous gas transfer measurements of different solubility gases across a wide range of oceanic conditions are needed to understand the factors controlling the magnitude and scaling of bubble-mediated gas exchange
Genome-wide RNA sequencing of ocular fibroblasts from glaucomatous and normal eyes: Implications for glaucoma management
Primary open angle glaucoma is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness which is commonly treated with drugs or laser but may require surgery. Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts are involved in wound-healing after glaucoma filtration surgery and may compromise a favourable outcome of glaucoma surgery by contributing to fibrosis. To investigate changes in gene expression and key pathways contributing to the glaucomatous state we performed genome-wide RNA sequencing. Human Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts were cultured from normal and glaucomatous human donors undergoing eye surgery (n = 12). mRNA was extracted and RNA-Seq performed on the Illumina platform. Differentially expressed genes were identified using a bioinformatics pipeline consisting of FastQC, STAR, FeatureCounts and edgeR. Changes in biological functions and pathways were determined using Enrichr and clustered using Cytoscape. A total of 5817 genes were differentially expressed between Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts from normal versus glaucomatous eyes. Enrichment analysis showed 787 significantly different biological functions and pathways which were clustered into 176 clusters. Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts from glaucomatous eyes showed signs of fibrosis with fibroblast to myofibroblast transdifferentiation and associated changes in mitochondrial fission, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, proliferation, unfolded protein response, inflammation and apoptosis which may relate to the pathogenesis of glaucoma or the detrimental effects of topical glaucoma therapies. Altered gene expression in glaucomatous Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts may contribute to an unfavourable outcome of glaucoma filtration surgery. This work presents a genome-wide transcriptome of glaucomatous versus normal Tenon’s ocular fibroblasts which may identify genes or pathways of therapeutic value to improve surgical outcomes
Spin-glass state of vortices in YBa2Cu3Oy and La2-xSrxCuO4 below the metal-to-insulator crossover
Highly disordered magnetism confined to individual weakly interacting
vortices is detected by muon spin rotation in two different families of
high-transition-temperature superconductors, but only in samples on the
low-doping side of the low-temperature normal state metal-to-insulator
crossover (MIC). The results support an extended quantum phase transition (QPT)
theory of competing magnetic and superconducting orders that incorporates the
coupling between CuO2 planes. Contrary to what has been inferred from previous
experiments, the static magnetism that coexists with superconductivity near the
field-induced QPT is not ordered. Our findings unravel the mystery of the MIC
and establish that the normal state of high-temperature superconductors is
ubiquitously governed by a magnetic quantum critical point in the
superconducting phase.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Measurement of statistical nuclear spin polarization in a nanoscale GaAs sample
We measure the statistical polarization of quadrupolar nuclear spins in a
sub-micrometer (0.6 um^3) particle of GaAs using magnetic resonance force
microscopy. The crystalline sample is cut out of a GaAs wafer and attached to a
micro-mechanical cantilever force sensor using a focused ion beam technique.
Nuclear magnetic resonance is demonstrated on ensembles containing less than 5
x 10^8 nuclear spins and occupying a volume of around (300 nm)^3 in GaAs with
reduced volumes possible in future experiments. We discuss how the further
reduction of this detection volume will bring the spin ensemble into a regime
where random spin fluctuations, rather than Boltzmann polarization, dominate
its dynamics. The detection of statistical polarization in GaAs therefore
represents an important first step toward 3D magnetic resonance imaging of
III-V materials on the nanometer-scale.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, 1 supplementary fil
Social support for and through exercise and sport in a sample of men with serious mental illness.
Social support is important for people experiencing serious mental illness and is also important during the initiation and maintenance of exercise. In this article we draw on interpretive research into the experiences of 11 men with serious mental illness to explore four dimensions of social support both for and through exercise. Our findings suggest that informational, tangible, esteem, and emotional support were both provided for and given by participants through exercise. We conclude that experiences of both receiving and giving diverse forms of support in this way are significant for some people living with and recovering from serious mental illness
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