611 research outputs found
Unforeseen high temperature and humidity stability of FeCl intercalated few layer graphene
We present the first systematic study of the stability of the structure and
electrical properties of FeCl intercalated few-layer graphene to high
levels of humidity and high temperature. Complementary experimental techniques
such as electrical transport, high resolution transmission electron microscopy
and Raman spectroscopy conclusively demonstrate the unforeseen stability of
this transparent conductor to a relative humidity up to at room
temperature for 25 days, to a temperature up to 150\,^\circC in atmosphere
and up to a temperature as high as 620\,^\circC in vacuum, that is more than
twice higher than the temperature at which the intercalation is conducted. The
stability of FeCl intercalated few-layer graphene together with its unique
values of low square resistance and high optical transparency, makes this
material an attractive transparent conductor in future flexible electronic
applications.Comment: Scientific Reports, volume 5, article no. 760
Assessing the long-term effectiveness of interferon-beta and glatiramer acetate in multiple sclerosis: final 10-year results from the UK multiple sclerosis risk-sharing scheme
Background Because multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing disability over decades, it is crucial to know if the short-term effects of disease-modifying therapies reported in randomised controlled trials reduce long-term disability. This 10-year prospective observational study of disability outcomes (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and utility) was set up, in conjunction with a risk-sharing agreement between payers and producers, to investigate this issue.
Methods The outcomes of the UK treated patients were compared with a modelled untreated control based on the British Columbia MS data set to assess the long-term effectiveness of these treatments. Two complementary analysis models were used: a multilevel model (MLM) and a continuous Markov model.
Results 4862 patients with MS were eligible for the primary analysis (mean and median follow-up times 8.7 and 10 years). EDSS worsening was reduced by 28% (MLM), 7% (Markov) and 24% time-adjusted Markov in the total cohort, and by 31% (MLM) and 14% (Markov) for relapsing remitting patients. The utility worsening was reduced by 23%–24% in the total cohort and by 24%–31% in the RR patients depending on the model used. All sensitivity analyses showed a treatment effect. There was a 4-year (CI 2.7 to 5.3) delay to EDSS 6.0. An apparent waning of treatment effect with time was seen. Subgroup analyses suggested better treatment effects in those treated earlier and with lower EDSS scores.
Conclusions This study supports a beneficial effect on long-term disability with first-line MS disease-modifying treatments, which is clinically meaningful. However the waning effect noted requires further study
Probing the equation of state in the AGS energy range with 3-d hydrodynamics
The effect of (i) the phase transition between a quark gluon plasma (QGP) and
a hadron gas and (ii) the number of resonance degrees of freedom in the
hadronic phase on the single inclusive distributions of 16 different types of
produced hadrons for Au+Au collisions at AGS energies is studied.
We have used an exact numerical solution of the relativistic hydrodynamical
equations without free parameters which, because of its 3-d character,
constitutes a considerable improvement over the classical Landau solution.
Using two different equations of state (eos) - one containing a phase
transition from QGP to the Hadronic Phase and two versions of a purely hadronic
eos - we find that the first one gives an overall better description of the
Au+Au experimental data at energies.
We reproduce and analyse measured meson and proton spectra and also make
predictions for anti-protons, deltas, anti-deltas and hyperons. The low m_t
enhancement in pi- spectra is explained by baryon number conservation and
strangeness equilibration.
We also find that negative kaon data are more sensitive to the eos, as well
as the K-/pi- ratio. All hyperons and deltas are sensitive to the presence of a
phase transition in the forward rapidity region. Anti-protons, Omegas and heavy
anti-baryons are sensitive in the whole rapidity range.Comment: 25 pages (.tex) and 9 figures (.ps
Recoil Studies in the Reaction of 12-C Ions with the Enriched Isotope 118-Sn
The recoil properties of the product nuclei from the interaction of 2.2
GeV/nucleon 12-C ions from Nuclotron of the Laboratory of High Energies (LHE),
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) at Dubna with a 118-Sn target have
been studied using catcher foils. The experimental data were analyzed using the
mathematical formalism of the standard two-step vector model. The results for
12-C ions are compared with those for deuterons and protons. Three different
Los Alamos versions of the Quark-Gluon String Model (LAQGSM) were used for
comparison with our experimental data.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Nucl. Phys.
Enhancement of singly and multiply strangeness in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at 158A GeV/c
The idea that the reduction of the strange quark suppression in string
fragmentation leads to the enhancement of strange particle yield in
nucleus-nucleus collisions is applied to study the singly and multiply strange
particle production in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at 158A GeV/c. In this
mechanism the strange quark suppression factor is related to the effective
string tension, which increases in turn with the increase of the energy, of the
centrality and of the mass of colliding system. The WA97 observation that the
strange particle enhancement increases with the increasing of centrality and of
strange quark content in multiply strange particles in Pb-Pb collisions with
respect to p-Pb collisions was accounted reasonably.Comment: 8 pages, 3 PostScript figures, in Latex form. submitted to PR
Two-kaon correlations in central Pb + Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c
Two-particle interferometry of positive kaons is studied in Pb + Pb
collisions at mean transverse momenta and 0.91 GeV/c. A
three-dimensional analysis was applied to the lower data, while a
two-dimensional analysis was used for the higher data. We find that the
source size parameters are consistent with the scaling curve observed in
pion correlation measurements in the same collisions, and that the duration
time of kaon emission is consistent with zero within the experimental
sensitivity.Comment: 4 pages incl. 1 table and 3 fig's; RevTeX; accepted for publication
in PR
Centrality dependence of charged-particle pseudorapidity distributions from d+Au collisions at sqrt(s_{NN})=200 GeV
Charged-particle pseudorapidity densities are presented for the d+Au reaction
at sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV with -4.2 <= eta <= 4.2$. The results, from the BRAHMS
experiment at RHIC, are shown for minimum-bias events and 0-30%, 30-60%, and
60-80% centrality classes. Models incorporating both soft physics and hard,
perturbative QCD-based scattering physics agree well with the experimental
results. The data do not support predictions based on strong-coupling,
semi-classical QCD. In the deuteron-fragmentation region the central 200 GeV
data show behavior similar to full-overlap d+Au results at sqrt{s_{NN}}=19.4
GeV.Comment: 4 pages, 3figures; expanded discussion of uncertainties; added 60-80%
centrality range; added additional discussion on centrality selection bia
Leading particle effect, inelasticity and the connection between average multiplicities in {\bf } and {\bf } processes
The Regge-Mueller formalism is used to describe the inclusive spectrum of the
proton in collisions. From such a description the energy dependences of
both average inelasticity and leading proton multiplicity are calculated. These
quantities are then used to establish the connection between the average
charged particle multiplicities measured in {\bf } and {\bf } processes. The description obtained for the leading proton cross section
implies that Feynman scaling is strongly violated only at the extreme values of
, that is at the central region () and at the diffraction
region (), while it is approximately observed in the
intermediate region of the spectrum.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Physical Review
Dose and energy dependence of mechanical properties of focused electron beam induced pillar deposits from Cu(C5HF6O2)2
Bending and vibration tests performed inside the scanning electron microscope
were used to mechanically characterize high-aspect pillars grown by focused
electron-beam (FEB) induced deposition from the precursor Cu(C5HF6O2)2.
Supported by finite element (FE) analysis the Young's modulus was determined
from load-deflection measurements using cantilever-based force sensing and the
material density from additional resonance vibration analysis. The pillar
material consisted of a carbonaceous (C, O, F, H containing) matrix which
embeds 5...10 at. % Cu deposited at 5 keV and 20 keV primary electron energy
and 100 pA beam current, depending on primary electron energy. Young's moduli
of the FEB deposits increased from 17+/-6 GPa to 25+/-8 GPa with increasing
electron dose. The density of the carbonaceous matrix shows a dependence on the
primary electron energy: 1.2+/-0.3 g cm-3 (5 keV) and 2.2+/-0.5 g cm-3 (20
keV). At a given primary energy a correlation with the irradiation dose is
found. Quality factors determined from the phase relation at resonance of the
fundamental pillar vibration mode were in the range of 150 to 600 and
correlated to the deposited irradiation energy.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
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