809 research outputs found

    Hall effect encoding of brushless dc motors

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    Encoding mechanism integral to the motor and using the permanent magnets embedded in the rotor eliminates the need for external devices to encode information relating the position and velocity of the rotating member

    Brane Resolution Through Fibration

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    We consider p-branes with one or more circular directions fibered over the transverse space. The fibration, in conjunction with the transverse space having a blown-up cycle, enables these p-brane solutions to be completely regular. Some such circularly-wrapped D3-brane solutions describe flows from SU(N)^3 N=2 theory, F_0 theory, as well as an infinite family of superconformal quiver gauge theories, down to three-dimensional field theories. We discuss the operators that are turned on away from the UV fixed points. Similarly, there are wrapped M2-brane solutions which describe smooth flows from known three-dimensional supersymmetric Chern-Simons matter theories, such as ABJM theory. We also consider p-brane solutions on gravitational instantons, and discuss various ways in which U-duality can be applied to yield other non-singular solutions.Comment: 35 pages, additional referenc

    The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

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    Spring and evaporite deposits are considered two of the most promising environments for past habitability on Mars and preservation of biosignatures. Manitoba, Canada hosts the East German Creek (EGC) hypersaline spring complex, and the post impact evaporite gypsum beds of the Lake St. Martin (LSM) impact. The EGC complex has microbial mats, sediments, algae and biofabrics, while endolithic communities are ubiquitous in the LSM gypsum beds. These communities are spectrally detectable based largely on the presence of a chlorophyll absorption band at 670 nm; however, the robustness of this feature under Martian surface conditions was unclear. Biological and biology-bearing samples from EGC and LSM were exposed to conditions similar to the surface of present day Mars (high UV flux, 100 mbar, anoxic, CO_2 rich) for up to 44 days, and preservation of the 670 nm chlorophyll feature and chlorophyll red-edge was observed. A decrease in band depth of the 670 nm band ranging from ∌16 to 80% resulted, with correlations seen in the degree of preservation and the spatial proximity of samples to the spring mound and mineral shielding effects. The spectra were deconvolved to Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Pancam and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mastcam science filter bandpasses to investigate the detectability of the 670 nm feature and to compare with common mineral features. The red-edge and 670 nm feature associated with chlorophyll can be distinguished from the spectra of minerals with features below ∌1000 nm, such as hematite and jarosite. However, distinguishing goethite from samples with the chlorophyll feature is more problematic, and quantitative interpretation using band depth data makes little distinction between iron oxyhydroxides and the 670 nm chlorophyll feature. The chlorophyll spectral feature is observable in both Pancam and Mastcam, and we propose that of the proposed EXOMARS Pancam filters, the PHYLL filter is best suited for its detection

    The Structure of the Vortex Liquid at the Surface of a Layered Superconductor

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    A density-functional approach is used to calculate the inhomogeneous vortex density distribution in the flux liquid phase at the planar surface of a layered superconductor, where the external magnetic field is perpendicular to the superconducting layers and parallel to the surface. The interactions with image vortices are treated within a mean field approximation as a functional of the vortex density. Near the freezing transition strong vortex density fluctuations are found to persist far into the bulk liquid. We also calculate the height of the Bean-Livingston surface barrier.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX, 2 figure

    Cardiovascular disease risk assessment in patients with familial Mediterranean fever related renal amyloidosis

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    Chronic inflammation and proteinuria is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with chronic kidney diseases and rheumatologic disorders. Our aim was to investigate the CVD events (CVDEs) and survival between the patients with FMF-related AA amyloidosis and glomerulonephropathies (GN) to define possible predictors for CVDEs. A prospective follow-up study with FMF-amyloidosis and glomerulonephropathy (GN) was performed and patients were followed for CVDEs. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), FGF-23, serum lipid, hsCRP levels, BMI and HOMA were assessed. A Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for CVDEs. There were 107 patients in the FMF-amyloidosis group and 126 patients with GN group. Forty-seven CVDEs were observed during the 4.2-years follow up; all 28 patients in the FMF-amyloidosis group and 14/19 patients with GN developed CVDEs before the age of 40 (p = 0.002). CVD mortality was 2.8 times higher (95% CI 1.02–7.76) in patients with FMF-amyloidosis. Across both groups, FMD and FGF23 (p < 0.001) levels were independently associated with the risk of CVDEs. Patients with FMF-amyloidosis are at increased risk of early CVDEs with premature mortality age. FGF 23, FMD and hsCRP can stratify the risk of early CVD in patients with FMF-related AA amyloidosis

    A Systematic Review for the Management of the Genetically Defined Il-1-Mediated Autoinflammatory Diseases, Caps, Traps, Mkd and Dira

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    Background:Ultra-rare genetically defined IL-1 mediated autoinflammatory diseases (AIDs) include mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), cryopyrinopathies (CAPS) and deficiency of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA). These disorders start perinatally, the clinical disease manifestations include systemic inflammation; and late diagnosis and inappropriate treatment cause irreversible organ damage. The varying skills of treating rheumatologists and paediatricians illustrate the need for management guidance, however criteria for validated methodology is geared towards common diseases with more heterogeneous pathogenesis.Objectives:The focus of this systematic review includes the evaluation of the existing literature and the evaluation of existing EULAR methodology for use in the ultra-rare diseases with defined pathomechanisms, CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRAMethods:EULAR standardized operating procedures were followed during the review, including a meeting of experts to discuss key words, inclusion/exclusion criteria and PICO questions. Three fellows established the protocol of the review under the supervision of the EULAR methodologist and PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched up to September 30, 2019.Results:We found 1582 articles for CAPS, 1109 articles for TRAPS,1741 articles for MKD and 557 articles for DIRA. Duplications, animal models and basic science studies, conference papers, systematic reviews/meta-analysis and articles not in English language is excluded. If we excluded case reports (n<4), then 72 articles for CAPS, 40 articles for TRAPS,44 articles for MKD and 1 article for DIRA should be included for full text evaluation and data extraction (Figure 1). However among the case reports, patients excluded achieved complete remission, assessed by clinical criteria and biomarkers. Of the studies included only few randomized studies for CAPS, TRAPS, MKD, and DIRA and would achieve higher level of evidence (Figure 1).Figure 1.Flow-charts of systematic review for CAPS, TRAPS and MKD.Conclusion:CAPS, TRAPS, MKD and DIRA are monogenic diseases with defined pathways and outcomes that include inflammatory remission based on clinical and biomarker data. Current methodological evaluations for genetically complex diseases undervalue the published evidence in case reports that report on remission and IL-1 biomarkers. We suggest that case studies that include hard outcomes includinginflammatory remission, and open label withdrawal studies that are both backed by biomarkers could be allowed to be included and be considered for a stronger evidence level.References:[1]van der Heijde D, Aletaha D, Carmona L, et al 2014 Update of the EULAR standardised operating procedures for EULAR-endorsed recommendations Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2015;74:8-13.[2]Gattorno M, Hofer M, Federici S, Vanoni F, Bovis F, Aksentijevich I, Anton J, Arostegui JI, Barron K, Ben-Cherit E, Brogan PA, Cantarini L, Ceccherini I, De Benedetti F, Dedeoglu F, Demirkaya E, Frenkel J, Goldbach-Mansky R, Gul A, Hentgen V, Hoffman H, Kallinich T, Kone-Paut I, Kuemmerle-Deschner J, Lachmann HJ, Laxer RM, Livneh A, Obici L, Ozen S, Rowczenio D, Russo R, Shinar Y, Simon A, Toplak N, Touitou I, Uziel Y, van Gijn M, Foell D, Garassino C, Kastner D, Martini A, Sormani MP, Ruperto N; Eurofever Registry and the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO). Classification criteria for autoinflammatory recurrent fevers. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019 Aug;78(8):1025-1032.Disclosure of Interests:Roberta Berard: None declared, micol romano: None declared, Zehra Serap Arici: None declared, David Piskin: None declared, Olcay Jones: None declared, Karen Durrant: None declared, Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky: None declared, Marco Gattorno Consultant of: Sobi, Novartis, Speakers bureau: Sobi, Novartis, Erkan Demirkaya: None declare

    A new cell primo-culture method for freshwater benthic diatom communities

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    A new cell primo-culture method was developed for the benthic diatom community isolated from biofilm sampled in rivers. The approach comprised three steps: (1) scraping biofilm from river pebbles, (2) diatom isolation from biofilm, and (3) diatom community culture. With a view to designing a method able to stimulate the growth of diatoms, to limit the development of other microorganisms, and to maintain in culture a community similar to the original natural one, different factors were tested in step 3: cell culture medium (Chu No 10 vs Freshwater “WC” medium modified), cell culture vessel, and time of culture. The results showed that using Chu No 10 medium in an Erlenmeyer flask for cell culture was the optimal method, producing enough biomass for ecotoxicological tests as well as minimising development of other microorganisms. After 96 h of culture, communities differed from the original communities sampled in the two rivers studied. Species tolerant of eutrophic or saprobic conditions were favoured during culture. This method of diatom community culture affords the opportunity to assess, in vitro, the effects of different chemicals or effluents (water samples andindustrial effluents) on diatom communities, as well as on diatom cells, from a wide range of perspectives
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