1D charge density wave in the hidden order state of URu2Si2

Moir\'e patterns can lead to fundamentally new electronic behavior when formed between two atomic lattices slightly shifted with respect to each other. A solid is however not just characterized by the atomic lattice, but also by charge or magnetic excitations that do not need to be commensurate to the lattice. This raises the question if one can obtain a moir\'e by combining periodic electronic modulations and the atomic lattice. Here we report on the discovery of a one-dimensional charge density wave (1D-CDW) which is a moir\'e pattern between the atomic lattice and a hot spot for electronic scattering in the bandstructure of the hidden order (HO) state of URu$_2$Si$_2$. The moir\'e is produced by fracturing the crystal at low temperatures. Our results suggest that charge interactions are among the most relevant features competing with HO in URu$_2$Si$_2$

Scanning microscopies of superconductors at very low temperatures

We discuss basics of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S) of the superconducting state with normal and superconducting tips. We present a new method to measure the local variations in the Andreev reflection amplitude between a superconducting tip and the sample. This method is termed Scanning Andreev Reflection Spectroscopy (SAS). We also briefly discuss vortex imaging with STM/S under an applied current through the sample, and show the vortex lattice as a function of the angle between the magnetic field and sample's surface

Post-harvest quality of fresh-marketed tomatoes as a function of harvest periods

Losses on tomato business chain start at harvest, a two-months period. At the beginning of the harvest, fruits concentrate at the basal part of the plant, then in the middle, and finally at the top, and undergo changes in diameter and maturity indexes as harvest progresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of handling at three different periods: (I) 15 days, (II) 30 days, and (III) 45 days after the beginning of harvest. Tomatoes were ordinarily grown and harvested in to bamboo baskets, and transferred to plastics boxes. Fruits were classified according to ripening stage and diameter, and evaluated for mechanical damage and external defects caused by harvesting procedures. The time required for the harvest operation was measured; damage to fruits (%) and weight loss (%), caused either in the field and/or during the harvesting process, were taken into consideration and related to the final quality of fruit after storage for 21 days. The same methodology was used all through the production and harvest cycle. The highest % fruit damage occurred during period II, a longer harvest time than the other two periods. Fruits not submitted to handling showed lower weight loss than handled fruits. Fruits harvested in period II and stored for 21 days showed higher losses due to mechanical injury

Tilted vortex cores and superconducting gap anisotropy in 2H-NbSe2

The superconductor 2H-NbSe2 features vortices with a sixfold star shape when the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plane of the hexagonal crystal structure. This is due to the anisotropy in the quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surface tubes oriented along the c axis. But the properties of another, three-dimensional, pocket are unknown, in spite that it has a dominant contribution in many experiments. Here we measure vortices in tilted magnetic fields using a scanning tunneling microscope. We find patterns of stripes due to in-plane vortices and show how these change with the in-plane direction of the magnetic field. The shape of outgoing vortices is successfully compared with detailed calculations of vortex cores. Our data show that vortices exit at an angle with the surface and that the sixfold gap anisotropy is present over the whole Fermi surface

Effect of a Sepsis Educational Intervention on Hospital Stay

Objectives: To evaluate adherence to the sepsis bundle before and after an educational strategy and its impact on hospital stay. Design: A prospective, analytic, before-and-after study of children with severe sepsis and septic shock who presented to the emergency department. Setting: Carried out from January to December 2014 in the emergency department of a quaternary care hospital. Patients: Of a total of 19,836 children who presented to the emergency department, 4,383 had an infectious pathology, with 203 of these showing severe sepsis and septic shock (124 pre intervention, and 79 post intervention). Interventions: The healthcare providers caring for the patients in pediatric emergency received an educational intervention and an update on the bundle concepts proposed in 2010 by the Pediatric Advanced Life Support program of the American Heart Association and adapted by this study's investigators. Measurements and Main Results: The main cause of sepsis in both groups was respiratory (59 vs 33; p = 0.72), without differences in the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 score (7.23 vs 8.1; p = 0.23). The postintervention group showed a reduced hospital stay (11.6 vs 7.9 d; p = 0.01), a shorter time before ordering fluid boluses (247 vs 5 min; p = 0.001), the application of the first dose of antibiotic (343 vs 271 min; p = 0.03), and a decreased need for mechanical ventilation (20.1% vs 7.5%; p = 0.01). Postintervention adherence to the complete bundle was 19.2%, compared with the preintervention group, which was 27.7% (p = 0.17). Conclusions: Adherence to a bundle strategy is low following an educational intervention. However, when patients are managed after instruction in guideline recommendations, hospital stay may be significantly reduced. © 2018 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies