3,638 research outputs found
Slowing heavy, ground-state molecules using an alternating gradient decelerator
Cold supersonic beams of molecules can be slowed down using a switched
sequence of electrostatic field gradients. The energy to be removed is
proportional to the mass of the molecules. Here we report deceleration of YbF,
which is 7 times heavier than any molecule previously decelerated. We use an
alternating gradient structure to decelerate and focus the molecules in their
ground state. We show that the decelerator exhibits the axial and transverse
stability required to bring these molecules to rest. Our work significantly
extends the range of molecules amenable to this powerful method of cooling and
trapping.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium Rydberg atoms I. Experiment for nS and nD atoms with n=8-20
Collisional and thermal ionization of sodium nS and nD Rydberg atoms with
n=8-20 has been studied. The experiments were performed using a two-step pulsed
laser excitation in an effusive atomic beam at atom density of about 2 10^{10}
cm^{-3}. Molecular and atomic ions from associative, Penning, and thermal
ionization processes were detected. It has been found that the atomic ions were
created mainly due to photoionization of Rydberg atoms by photons of blackbody
radiation at the ambient temperature of 300K. Blackbody ionization rates and
effective lifetimes of Rydberg states of interest were determined. The
molecular ions were found to be from associative ionization in Na(nL)+Na(3S)
collisions. Rate constants of associative ionization have been measured using
an original method based on relative measurements of Na_{2}^{+} and Na^{+} ion
signals.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure
Meta-analysis of risk of developing malignancy in congenital choledochal malformation
BackgroundCholedochal malformations comprise various congenital cystic dilatations of the extrahepatic and/or intrahepatic biliary tree. Choledochal malformation is generally considered a premalignant condition, but reliable data on the risk of malignancy and optimal surgical treatment are lacking. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the prevalence of malignancy in patients with choledochal malformation and to differentiate between subtypes. In addition, the risk of malignancy following cystic drainage versus complete cyst excision was assessed. MethodsA systematic review of PubMed and Embase databases was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement. A meta-analysis of the risk of malignancy following cystic drainage versus complete cyst excision was undertaken in line with MOOSE guidelines. Prevalence of malignancy was defined as the rate of biliary cancer before resection, and malignant transformation as new-onset biliary cancer after surgery. ResultsEighteen observational studies were included, reporting a total of 2904 patients with a median age of 36 years. Of these, 312 in total developed a malignancy (107 per cent); the prevalence of malignancy was 73 per cent and the rate of malignant transformation was 34 per cent. Patients with types I and IV choledochal malformation had an increased risk of malignancy (P = 0016). Patients who underwent cystic drainage had an increased risk of developing biliary malignancy compared with those who had complete cyst excision, with an odds ratio of 397 (95 per cent c.i. 240 to 655). ConclusionThe risk of developing malignancy among patients with choledochal malformation was almost 11 per cent. The malignancy risk following cystic drainage surgery was four times higher than that after complete cyst excision. Complete surgical resection is recommended in patients with choledochal malformation. Choledochal cysts should be resecte
Can Polymer Coils be modeled as "Soft Colloids"?
We map dilute or semi-dilute solutions of non-intersecting polymer chains
onto a fluid of ``soft'' particles interacting via a concentration dependent
effective pair potential, by inverting the pair distribution function of the
centers of mass of the initial polymer chains. A similar inversion is used to
derive an effective wall-polymer potential; these potentials are combined to
successfully reproduce the calculated exact depletion interaction induced by
non-intersecting polymers between two walls. The mapping opens up the
possibility of large-scale simulations of polymer solutions in complex
geometries.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures ReVTeX[epsfig,multicol,amssymb] references update
Anharmonic magnetic deformation of self-assembled molecular nanocapsules
High magnetic fields were used to deform spherical nanocapsules,
self-assembled from bola-amphiphilic sexithiophene molecules. At low fields the
deformation -- measured through linear birefringence -- scales quadratically
with the capsule radius and with the magnetic field strength. These data
confirm a long standing theoretical prediction (W. Helfrich, Phys. Lett. {\bf
43A}, 409 (1973)), and permits the determination of the bending rigidity of the
capsules as (2.60.8) J. At high fields, an enhanced
rigidity is found which cannot be explained within the Helfrich model. We
propose a complete form of the free energy functional that accounts for this
behaviour, and allows discussion of the formation and stability of nanocapsules
in solution.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev. Let
Phase separation in mixtures of colloids and long ideal polymer coils
Colloidal suspensions with free polymer coils which are larger than the
colloidal particles are considered. The polymer-colloid interaction is modeled
by an extension of the Asakura-Oosawa model. Phase separation occurs into
dilute and dense fluid phases of colloidal particles when polymer is added. The
critical density of this transition tends to zero as the size of the polymer
coils diverges.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Lymph Node Negative Colorectal Cancers with Isolated Tumor Deposits Should Be Classified and Treated As Stage III
BACKGROUND: The prognostic role of pericolic or perirectal isolated tumor deposits (ITDs) in node-negative colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is unclear. Rules to define ITDs as regional lymph node metastases changed in subsequent editions of the TNM staging without substantial evidence. Aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between ITDs and disease recurrence in stage II and III CRC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical files of 870 CRC patients were reviewed. Number, size, shape, and location pattern of all ITDs in node-negative patients were examined in relation to involvement of vascular structures and nerves. The correlation between ITDs and the development of recurrent disease was investigated. RESULTS: Disease recurrence was observed in 50.0% of stage II patients with ITDs (13 of 26), compared with 24.4% of stage II patients without ITDs (66 of 270) (P <.01). Disease-free survival of ITD-positive stage II patients was comparable with that of stage III patients. Also within stage III, more recurrences were observed in ITD-positive patients compared with ITD-negative patients (65.1 vs. 39.1%, respectively). No correlation was found between size of ITDs and disease recurrence. More recurrences were seen in patients with irregularly shaped ITDs compared with patients with 1 or more smooth ITDs present. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high risk of disease recurrence, all node-negative stage II patients with ITDs, regardless of size and shape, should be classified as stage III, for whom adjuvant chemotherapy should be considere
Engineered arrays of NV color centers in diamond based on implantation of CN- molecules through nanoapertures
We report a versatile method to engineer arrays of nitrogen-vacancy (NV)
color centers in dia- mond at the nanoscale. The defects were produced in
parallel by ion implantation through 80 nm diameter apertures patterned using
electron beam lithography in a PMMA layer deposited on a diamond surface. The
implantation was performed with CN- molecules which increased the NV defect
formation yield. This method could enable the realization of a solid-state
coupled-spin array and could be used for positioning an optically active NV
center on a photonic microstructure.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Influence of polymer excluded volume on the phase behavior of colloid-polymer mixtures
We determine the depletion-induced phase-behavior of hard sphere colloids and
interacting polymers by large-scale Monte Carlo simulations using very accurate
coarse-graining techniques. A comparison with standard Asakura-Oosawa model
theories and simulations shows that including excluded volume interactions
between polymers leads to qualitative differences in the phase diagrams. These
effects become increasingly important for larger relative polymer size. Our
simulations results agree quantitatively with recent experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures submitted to Physical Review Letter
Temperature and density extrapolations in canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulations
We show how to use the multiple histogram method to combine canonical
ensemble Monte Carlo simulations made at different temperatures and densities.
The method can be applied to study systems of particles with arbitrary
interaction potential and to compute the thermodynamic properties over a range
of temperatures and densities. The calculation of the Helmholtz free energy
relative to some thermodynamic reference state enables us to study phase
coexistence properties. We test the method on the Lennard-Jones fluids for
which many results are available.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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