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In situ Raman spectroscopy on silicon nanowire anodes integrated in lithium ion batteries
Rapid decay of silicon anodes during lithiation poses a significant challenge in application of silicon as an anode material in lithium ion batteries. In situ Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method to study the relationship between structural and electrochemical data during electrode cycling and to allow the observation of amorphous as well as liquid and transient species in a battery cell. Herein, we present in situ Raman spectroscopy on high capacity electrode using uncoated and carbon-coated silicon nanowires during first lithiation and delithiation cycle in an optimized lithium ion battery setup and complement the results with operando X-ray reflection diffraction measurements. During lithiation, we were able to detect a new Raman signal at 1859 cm−1 especially on uncoated silicon nanowires. The detailed in situ Raman measurement of the first lithiation/delithiation cycle allowed to differentiate between morphology changes of the electrode as well as interphase formation from electrolyte components
Mobility of thorium ions in liquid xenon
We present a measurement of the Th ion mobility in LXe at 163.0 K and
0.9 bar. The result obtained, 0.2400.011 (stat) 0.011 (syst)
cm/(kV-s), is compared with a popular model of ion transport.Comment: 6.5 pages,
Effects of topically delivered benzamil and amiloride on nasal potential difference in cystic fibrosis
The raised nasal transepithelial potential difference (PD) in cystic fibrosis (CF) reflects accelerated active transport of Na+, and is inhibited by topical administration of the Na+ channel blocker, amiloride. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-effect and time course of topically administered Na+ conductance inhibitors to inhibit nasal PD, including benzamil, an analog of amiloride. We measured the magnitude of drug inhibition of Na+ transport [percent inhibition of baseline PD (ΔPD%)] and duration of inhibition of PD, defined as the time when drug inhibition of PD had recovered by 50% (effective time = ET50). Amiloride [10-3 M (n = 16), 3 × 10-3 M (n = 9), 6 × 10-3 M (n = 7), 10-2 M (n = 3)] or benzamil [1.7 × 10-3 M (n = 7), and 7 × 10-3 M (n = 5)] were administered to the nasal surface via an aerosol generated by a jet nebulizer and a nasal mask. The concentration-dependent magnitude (ΔPD%) of inhibition was similar for amiloride and benzamil (∼67-77%), whereas the duration of inhibition (ET50) was about two-and-a-half times longer after benzamil administration as compared with equivalent concentrations of amiloride [1.6 ± 0.06 versus 4.5 ± 0.6 h (ET50 ± SEM), at 6-7 × 10-3 M]. In vitro studies of cultured normal nasal epithelia demonstrated directly that benzamil induced an approximately 2-fold more prolonged inhibition of active Na+ transport than amiloride. These data suggest aerosolized benzamil is a candidate long-duration Na+ channel blocker for CF
Thermal excitations of frustated XY spins in two dimensions
We present a new variational approach to the study of phase transitions in
frustrated 2D XY models. In the spirit of Villain's approach for the
ferromagnetic case we divide thermal excitations into a low temperature long
wavelength part (LW) and a high temperature short wavelength part (SW). In the
present work we mainly deal with LW excitations and we explicitly consider the
cases of the fully frustrated triangular (FFTXY) and square ( FFSQXY) XY
models. The novel aspect of our method is that it preserves the coupling
between phase (spin angles) and chiral degrees of freedom. LW fluctuations
consist of coupled phase and chiral excitations. As a result, we find that for
frustrated systems the effective interactions between phase variables is long
range and oscillatory in contrast to the unfrustrated problem. Using Monte
Carlo (MC) simulations we show that our analytical calculations produce
accurate results at all temperature ; this is seen at low in the spin
wave stiffness constant and in the staggered chirality; this is also the case
near : transitions are driven by the SW part associated with domain walls
and vortices, but the coupling between phase and chiral variables is still
relevant in the critical region. In that regime our analytical results yield
the correct dependence for bare couplings (given by the LW fluctuations)
such as the Coulomb gas temperature of the frustrated XY models . In
particular we find that tracks chiral rather than phase fluctuations.
Our results provides support for a single phase transition scenario in the
FFTXY and FFSQXY models.Comment: 32 pages, RevTex, 11 eps figures available upon request, article to
appear in Phys. Rev.
The rate of colonization by macro-invertebrates on artificial substrate samplers
The influence of exposure time upon macro-invertebrate colonization on modified Hester-Dendy substrate samplers was investigated over a 60-day period. The duration of exposure affected the number of individuals, taxa and community diversity. The numbers of individuals colonizing the samplers reached a maximum after 39 days and then began to decrease, due to the emergence of adult insects. Coefficients of variation for the four replicate samples retrieved each sampling day fluctuated extensively throughout the study. No tendencies toward increasing or decreasing coefficients of variation were noted with increasing time of sampler exposure. The number of taxa colonizing the samplers increased throughout the study period. The community diversity index was calculated for each sampling day and this function tended to increase throughout the same period. This supports the hypothesis that an exposure period of 6 weeks, as recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, may not always provide adequate opportunity for a truly representative community of macro-invertebrates to colonize multiplate samplers. Many of the taxa were collected in quite substantial proportions after periods of absence or extreme sparseness. This is attributed to the growth of periphyton and the collection of other materials that created food and new habitats suitable for the colonization of new taxa. Investigation of the relationship between ‘equitability’ and length of exposure revealed that equitability did not vary like diversity with increased time of exposure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72073/1/j.1365-2427.1979.tb01522.x.pd
Panspermia, Past and Present: Astrophysical and Biophysical Conditions for the Dissemination of Life in Space
Astronomically, there are viable mechanisms for distributing organic material
throughout the Milky Way. Biologically, the destructive effects of ultraviolet
light and cosmic rays means that the majority of organisms arrive broken and
dead on a new world. The likelihood of conventional forms of panspermia must
therefore be considered low. However, the information content of dam-aged
biological molecules might serve to seed new life (necropanspermia).Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Review
Primordialists and Constructionists: a typology of theories of religion
This article adopts categories from nationalism theory to classify theories of religion. Primordialist explanations are grounded in evolutionary psychology and emphasize the innate human demand for religion. Primordialists predict that religion does not decline in the modern era but will endure in perpetuity. Constructionist theories argue that religious demand is a human construct. Modernity initially energizes religion, but subsequently undermines it. Unpacking these ideal types is necessary in order to describe actual theorists of religion. Three distinctions within primordialism and constructionism are relevant. Namely those distinguishing: a) materialist from symbolist forms of constructionism; b) theories of origins from those pertaining to the reproduction of religion; and c) within reproduction, between theories of religious persistence and secularization. This typology helps to make sense of theories of religion by classifying them on the basis of their causal mechanisms, chronology and effects. In so doing, it opens up new sightlines for theory and research
Age of red cells for transfusion and outcomes in patients with ARDS
Packed red blood cells (PRBCs), stored for prolonged intervals, might contribute to adverse clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. In this study, short-term outcome after transfusion of PRBCs of two storage duration periods was analyzed in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Patients who received transfusions of PRBCs were identified from a cohort of 1044 ARDS patients. Patients were grouped according to the mean storage age of all transfused units. Patients transfused with PRBCs of a mean storage age ≤ 28 days were compared to patients transfused with PRBCs of a mean storage age > 28 days. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. Secondary endpoints included failure-free days composites. Two hundred and eighty-three patients were eligible for analysis. Patients in the short-term storage group had similar baseline characteristics and received a similar amount of PRBC units compared with patients in the long-term storage group (five units (IQR, 3-10) vs. four units (2-8), p = 0.14). The mean storage age in the short-term storage group was 20 (±5.4) days compared with 32 (±3.1) days in the long-term storage group (mean difference 12 days (95%-CI, 11-13)). There was no difference in 28-day mortality between the short-term storage group compared with the long-term storage group (hazard ratio, 1.36 (95%-CI, 0.84-2.21), p = 0.21). While there were no differences in ventilator-free, sedation-free, and vasopressor-free days composites, patients in the long-term storage group compared with patients in the short-term storage group had a 75% lower chance for successful weaning from renal replacement therapy (RRT) within 28 days after ARDS onset (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.24 (95%-CI, 0.1-0.55), p < 0.001). Further analysis indicated that even a single PRBC unit stored for more than 28 days decreased the chance for successful weaning from RRT. Prolonged storage of PRBCs was not associated with a higher mortality in adults with ARDS. However, transfusion of long-term stored PRBCs was associated with prolonged dependence of RRT in critically ill patients with an ARDS
Top Squarks and Bottom Squarks in the MSSM with Complex Parameters
We present a phenomenological study of top squarks (~t_1,2) and bottom
squarks (~b_1,2) in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with
complex parameters A_t, A_b, \mu and M_1. In particular we focus on the CP
phase dependence of the branching ratios of (~t_1,2) and (~b_1,2) decays. We
give the formulae of the two-body decay widths and present numerical results.
We find that the effect of the phases on the (~t_1,2) and (~b_1,2) decays can
be quite significant in a large region of the MSSM parameter space. This could
have important implications for (~t_1,2) and (~b_1,2) searches and the MSSM
parameter determination in future collider experiments. We have also estimated
the accuracy expected in the determination of the parameters of ~t_i and ~b_i
by a global fit of the measured masses, decay branching ratios and production
cross sections at e^+ e^- linear colliders with polarized beams. Analysing two
scenarios, we find that the fundamental parameters apart from A_t and A_b can
be determined with errors of 1% to 2%, assuming an integrated luminosity of 1
ab^-1 and a sufficiently large c.m.s. energy to produce also the heavier ~t_2
and ~b_2 states. The parameter A_t can be determined with an error of 2 - 3%,
whereas the error on A_b is likely to be of the order of 50%.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures, comments and references added, conclusions
unchanged; version to appear in Phys. Rev.
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