1,857 research outputs found
Differential thermal analysis and solution growth of intermetallic compounds
To obtain single crystals by solution growth, an exposed primary
solidification surface in the appropriate, but often unknown, equilibrium alloy
phase diagram is required. Furthermore, an appropriate crucible material is
needed, necessary to hold the molten alloy during growth, without being
attacked by it. Recently, we have used the comparison of realistic simulations
with experimental differential thermal analysis (DTA) curves to address both
these problems. We have found: 1) complex DTA curves can be interpreted to
determine an appropriate heat treatment and starting composition for solution
growth, without having to determine the underlying phase diagrams in detail. 2)
DTA can facilitate identification of appropriate crucible materials. DTA can
thus be used to make the procedure to obtain single crystals of a desired phase
by solution growth more efficient. We will use some of the systems for which we
have recently obtained single-crystalline samples using the combination of DTA
and solution growth as examples. These systems are TbAl, PrNiSi,
and YMnAl.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure
Magnetic and thermal properties of the S = 1/2 zig-zag spin-chain compound In2VO5
Static magnetic susceptibility \chi, ac susceptibility \chi_{ac} and specific
heat C versus temperature T measurements on polycrystalline samples of In2VO5
and \chi and C versus T measurements on the isostructural, nonmagnetic compound
In2TiO5 are reported. A Curie-Wiess fit to the \chi(T) data above 175 K for
In2VO5 indicates ferromagnetic exchange between V^{4+} (S = 1/2) moments. Below
150 K the \chi(T) data deviate from the Curie-Weiss behavior but there is no
signature of any long range magnetic order down to 1.8 K. There is a cusp at
2.8 K in the zero field cooled (ZFC) \chi(T) data measured in a magnetic field
of 100 Oe and the ZFC and field cooled (FC) data show a bifurcation below this
temperature. The frequency dependence of the \chi_{ac}(T) data indicate that
below 3 K the system is in a spin-glass state. The difference \Delta C between
the heat capacity of In2VO5 and In2TiO5 shows a broad anomaly peaked at 130 K.
The entropy upto 300 K is more than what is expected for S = 1/2 moments. The
anomaly in \Delta C and the extra entropy suggests that there may be a
structural change below 130 K in In2VO5.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in irritable bowel syndrome: are there any predictors?
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition in which excessive levels of bacteria, mainly the colonic-type species are present in the small intestine. Recent data suggest that SIBO may contribute to the pathophysiology of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The purpose of this study was to identify potential predictors of SIBO in patients with IBS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adults with IBS based on Rome II criteria who had predominance of bloating and flatulence underwent a glucose breath test (GBT) to determine the presence of SIBO. Breath samples were obtained at baseline and at 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 minutes after ingestion of 50 g of glucose dissolved in 150 mL of water. Results of the glucose breath test, which measures hydrogen and methane levels in the breath, were considered positive for SIBO if 1) the hydrogen or methane peak was >20 ppm when the baseline was <10 ppm, or 2) the hydrogen or methane peak increased by 12 ppm when baseline was ≥10 ppm.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ninety-eight patients were identified who underwent a GBT (mean age, 49 y; 78% female). Thirty-five patients (36%) had a positive GBT result suggestive of SIBO. A positive GBT result was more likely in patients >55 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-9.0) and in females (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.1-14.5). Hydrogen was detected more frequently in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS (OR, 8; 95% CI, 1.4-45), and methane was the main gas detected in patients with constipation-predominant IBS (OR, 8; 95% CI, 1.3-44). There was no significant correlation between the presence of SIBO and the predominant bowel pattern or concurrent use of tegaserod, proton pump inhibitors, or opiate analgesics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth was present in a sizeable percentage of patients with IBS with predominance of bloating and flatulence. Older age and female sex were predictors of SIBO in patients with IBS. Identification of possible predictors of SIBO in patients with IBS could aid in the development of successful treatment plans.</p
Gastroparesis secondary to a demyelinating disease: a case series
BACKGROUND: Gastroparesis has a number of etiologies. The main ones are secondary to a complication from diabetes mellitus, related to post vagotomy or post gastric surgical resections, or idiopathic when the etiology is unclear. Gastroparesis secondary to a demyelinating disease of the brain is unusual. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old woman was referred for acute onset of intractable nausea and vomiting. She also had cerebellar deficits, dysphagia and paresthesias. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed an isolated area of demyelination in the medullary region. Another 24-year-old woman had a similar presentation with right hemiplegia and MRI of the brain revealed a distal medullary region. Both these patients had an abnormal gastric emptying test. Gastroparesis and neurological deficits improved with intravenous corticosteroids. While the former patient has had no further recurrences, the latter patient developed multiple sclerosis within three months of presentation. CONCLUSION: A demyelinating disease is a rare cause gastropareis, but should be suspected when symptoms of gastroparesis are associated with neurological deficits. MRI might help in the diagnosis and intravenous coriticosteroids can address the underlying disease process and improve gastric emptying, especially when used early during the course of the disease
A small sealed Ta crucible for thermal analysis of volatile metallic samples
Differential thermal analysis on metallic alloys containing volatile elements
can be highly problematic. Here we show how measurements can be performed in
commercial, small-sample, equipment without modification. This is achieved by
using a sealed Ta crucible, easily fabricated from Ta tubing and sealed in a
standard arc furnace. The crucible performance is demonstrated by measurements
on a mixture of Mg and MgB, after heating up to 1470. We
also show data, measured on an alloy with composition GdMg, that
clearly shows both the liquidus and a peritectic, and is consistent with
published phase diagram data
Cognitive Effort and Memory
We propose that the concept of cognitive effort in memory is both useful and important. Cognitive effort is defined as the engaged proportion of limited-capacity central processing. It·was hypothesized that this variable might have important memorial consequences and might also be a potential confounding factor in levels-of-processing paradigms. The first experiment tested this possibility using two types of incidental-learning tasks factorially combined with two degrees of effort. It was found that high effort led to better recall than low effort, but that level-of-processing effects were nonsignificant. A second experiment clearly demonstrated the feasibility of using performance on a secondary task as an independent criterion for measuring effort, and two further experiments ruled out alternative accounts of effort effects. A reliable levels-of-processing effect was obtained in the fourth experiment in which the incidental-learning tasks were blocked. Implications and possible future applications of the cognitive effort concept are discussed
Probing fractal magnetic domains on multiple length scales in Nd2Fe14B
Using small-angle neutron scattering, we demonstrate that the complex
magnetic domain patterns at the surface of Nd2Fe14B, revealed by quantitative
Kerr and Faraday microscopy, propagate into the bulk and exhibit structural
features with dimensions down to 6 nm, the domain wall thickness. The observed
fractal nature of the domain structures provides an explanation for the
anomalous increase in the bulk magnetization of Nd2Fe14B below the
spin-reorientation transition. These measurements open up a rich playground for
studies of fractal structures in highly anisotropic magnetic systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. (4 pages, 4 figures
Electrically-detected magnetic resonance in ion-implanted Si:P nanostructures
We present the results of electrically-detected magnetic resonance (EDMR)
experiments on silicon with ion-implanted phosphorus nanostructures, performed
at 5 K. The devices consist of high-dose implanted metallic leads with a square
gap, into which Phosphorus is implanted at a non-metallic dose corresponding to
10^17 cm^-3. By restricting this secondary implant to a 100 nm x 100 nm region,
the EDMR signal from less than 100 donors is detected. This technique provides
a pathway to the study of single donor spins in semiconductors, which is
relevant to a number of proposals for quantum information processing.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure
Discovery of a binary icosahedral quasicrystal in ScZn
We report the discovery of a new binary icosahedral phase in a Sc-Zn alloy
obtained through solution-growth, producing millimeter-sized, facetted, single
grain, quasicrystals that exhibit different growth morphologies, pentagonal
dodecahedra and rhombic triacontahedra, under only marginally different growth
conditions. These two morphologies manifest different degrees of
quasicrystalline order, or phason strain. The discovery of i-ScZn
suggests that a reexamination of binary phase diagrams at compositions close to
crystalline approximant structures may reveal other, new binary
quasicrystalline phases.Comment: Incorrect spelling in author list resolve
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