Charge and magnetic X-ray scattering

The hole doped transition metal oxides show remarkable properties that are related to the influence of charge and spin correlations. In this thesis charge correlations in hole doped manganite and nickelate systems are smdied using soft (˂2 keV), normal (10 keV) and high energy x-ray scattering (100 keV).The charge and J aim-Teller (JT) order is studied in the bi-layer manganite La(_2)-(_2r) Sr(_1)+(_2x)Mn(_2)O(_7) for x = 0.5, 0.55 and 0.60 using high energy x-ray scattering. In the x = 0.55 sample the charge ordered state existed in the same checkerboard pattern as observed in the x = 0.5 sample with no change in behaviour. However, in the x = 0.6 doped sample the charge ordered state entered a new regime characterised by incommensurate JT and charge order. The magnitude of the incommensurability was inversely proportional to the intensity of the JT and charge peaks. High resolution x-ray measurements of the charge stripe order in the La(_2-x)Sr(_x)NiO(_4) system in the doping range 0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.50 are presented. As the doping was moved away in either direction from the commensurate x = 0.33 the charge stripes changed from a highly correlated state to an increasingly disordered charge glass state. At the commensurate 0.5 composition there was no increase in the intensity or correlation of the charge order despite a significantly higher transition temperature than in the lower doped compositions. Finally the first measurements of the orbital order in La(_0.5)Sr(_1.5) MnO(_4) using soft x-ray scattering at the manganese L edges are presented. The measurements directly probe the orbital order unlike the previously reported measurements at the manganese K-edge. Energy scans were carried out on the orbital order and compared with theoretical predictions. From this it was determined that both the Jahn-Teller distortions and direct orbital ordering contribute to the observed scattering

Some stratigraphical and sedimentological studies on the Devonian of the Trondheimsled, Norway

The Devonian rocks considered here, outcrop over a distance of 100 kms., along the northern side of a strip of water, known as the Trondheimsled, near Trondheim, Norway. Since time did not permit complete examination, two areas were selected for detailed study: 1) the western end of the outcrop on the large island of Hitra, where fossils suggesting an Upper Silurian or Downtonian age had been found; and 2) the outcrops on the island complex south of the neighbouring island of Smola. The precise age of these beds was unknown. An attempt was made to establish the stratigraphy of both areas, and to deduce the environment of deposition, the nature of the source area, and the direction of derivation of the sediments. Hitra. The succession (1055 m. thick) has been divided into a number of stratigraphical units on the basis of lithology. Much of it is made up of thick sandstones, often pebbly or conglomeratic, and alternating sandstone/siltstone sequences. Study of the sedimentary structures and size distributions of these sequences suggests that the cycles have been produced in an inshore estuarine environment, as a result of the lateral migration of channels. The petrography of the sandstones and conglomerates shown thot the sediments were derived from a source area composed mainly of plutonic rocks, while current direction analysis shows derivation from the northwest. Smola: The Smola Series, composed of 3745 m. of conglomerate, has been divided petrographically into four units. The oldest conglomerate lies unconformably on the beds below and is made up of large boulders of locally derived material. The younger conglomerates are composed of abundant pebbles of green sandstone (possibly the Ordovician Hovin Sandstone), and various igneous and metamorphic PEBBLES which are difficult to match with rocks now exposed in Norway. The sediments wore derived from the north and were probably deposited in a piedmont environment. Relative age of the Hitra and Smola series Consideration of the stratigraphical, petrographical, and sedimentological evidence shows that the Hitra sediments are older than those Smola. A reconsideration of the paleontological evidence suggests that the Hitra beds could be of Upper Welockian or early Ludlovian age, while the Smola beds are probably Lower or Middle Devonian

Monitoring live fuel moisture using soil moisture and remote sensing proxies

Live fuel moisture (LFM) is an important fuel property controlling fuel ignition and fire propagation. LFM varies seasonally, and is controlled by precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and plant physiology. LFM is typically sampled manually in the field, which leads to sparse measurements in space and time. Use of LFM proxies could reduce the need for field sampling while potentially improving spatial and temporal sampling density. This study compares soil moisture and remote sensing data to field-sampled LFM for Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt) and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt) in northern Utah. Bivariate linear regression models were constructed between LFM and four independent variables. Soil moisture was more strongly correlated with LFM than remote sensing measurements, and produced the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) in predicted LFM values at most of the sites. When sites were pooled, canopy water content (CWC) had stronger correlations with LFM than normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) or normalized difference water index (NDWI). MAE values for all proxies were frequently above 20 % LFM at individual sites. Despite this relatively large error, remote sensing and soil moisture data may still be useful for improving understanding of spatial and temporal trends in LFM

No difference in surgical outcomes between Open and Closed exposure of palatally displaced maxillary canines

Purpose: To investigate differences in the surgical outcomes between Open and Closed exposure for palatally displaced maxillary cuspids (PDC). Methods: A multicenter, RCT involving two parallel groups. The settings were one dental teaching hospital in, and two hospital units near Sheffield, UK. Participants were aged <20 years with a unilateral PDC, who provided informed consent. They were randomly allocated to either receive the Open (O) or the Closed (C) surgical procedure. The outcomes were time spent in the operating room and 10-day post-operative patient questionnaire. Statistical differences between the two techniques were tested using independent t tests for continuous variables and chi-squared tests for frequencies. Results: The final study sample was composed of 71 participants (64% females). There were no differences in the gender ratios (O: F=27, M=13; C: F=25, M=16) or mean ages of the two groups (O: 14.3 yrs SD 1.3; C: 14.1 yrs SD 1.6) at the start. The mean operating times for the Open and Closed techniques were 34.3 mins (SD 11.2) and 34.3 mins (SD 11.9) respectively (p=.986). There were no statistically significant differences between the two treatment groups for any of the patient-assessed outcomes (p>.05). Conclusions: There were no differences in the surgical outcomes investigated in this study between Open and Closed exposure for PDC

Constitutive modelling of polylactic acid at large deformation using multiaxial strains

YesSheet specimens of a PLLA-based polymer have been extended at a temperature near to the glass transition in both uniaxial and planar tension, with stress relaxation observed for some time after reaching the final strain. Both axial and transverse stresses were recorded in the planar experiments. In all cases during loading, yielding at small strain was followed by a drop in true stress and then strain hardening. This was followed by stress relaxation at constant strain, during which stress dropped to reach an effectively constant level. Stresses were modelled as steady state and transient components. Steady-state components were identified with the long-term stress in stress relaxation and associated with an elastic component of the model. Transient stresses were modelled using Eyring mechanisms. The greater part of the stress during strain hardening was associated with dissipative Eyring processes. The model was successful in predicting stresses in both uniaxial and planar extension over a limited range of strain rate

Imaging of changes in copper trafficking and redistribution in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick C disease using positron emission tomography

Niemann-Pick C disease (NPC) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder resulting from mutations in the NPC1 (95% of cases) or NPC2 genes. Disturbance of copper homeostasis has been reported in NPC1 disease. In this study we have used whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) and brain electronic autoradiography with copper-64 (64Cu), in the form of the copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complex 64Cu-GTSM, to image short-term changes in copper trafficking after intravenous injection in a transgenic mouse model of NPC1 disease. 64Cu-GTSM is taken up in all tissues and dissociates rapidly inside cells, allowing monitoring of the subsequent efflux and redistribution of 64Cu from all tissues. Significantly enhanced retention of 64Cu radioactivity was observed in brain, lungs and blood at 15 h post-injection in symptomatic Npc1−/− transgenic mice compared to wildtype controls. The enhanced retention of 64Cu in brain was confirmed by electronic autoradiography, particularly in the midbrain, thalamus, medulla and pons regions. Positron emission tomography imaging with 64Cu in selected chemical forms could be a useful diagnostic and research tool for the management and understanding of NPC1 disease

Incorporating chemical signalling factors into cell-based models of growing epithelial tissues

In this paper we present a comprehensive computational framework within which the effects of chemical signalling factors on growing epithelial tissues can be studied. The method incorporates a vertex-based cell model, in conjunction with a solver for the governing chemical equations. The vertex model provides a natural mesh for the finite element method (FEM), with node movements determined by force laws. The arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation is adopted to account for domain movement between iterations. The effects of cell proliferation and junctional rearrangements on the mesh are also examined. By implementing refinements of the mesh we show that the finite element (FE) approximation converges towards an accurate numerical solution. The potential utility of the system is demonstrated in the context of Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a morphogen which plays a crucial role in development of the Drosophila imaginal wing disc. Despite the presence of a Dpp gradient, growth is uniform across the wing disc. We make the growth rate of cells dependent on Dpp concentration and show that the number of proliferation events increases in regions of high concentration. This allows hypotheses regarding mechanisms of growth control to be rigorously tested. The method we describe may be adapted to a range of potential application areas, and to other cell-based models with designated node movements, to accurately probe the role of morphogens in epithelial tissues

Prevalence in Britain of abnormal prion protein in human appendices before and after exposure to the cattle BSE epizootic

Widespread dietary exposure of the population of Britain to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions in the 1980s and 1990s led to the emergence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans. Two previous appendectomy sample surveys (Appendix-1 and -2) estimated the prevalence of abnormal prion protein (PrP) in the British population exposed to BSE to be 237 per million and 493 per million, respectively. The Appendix-3 survey was recommended to measure the prevalence of abnormal PrP in population groups thought to have been unexposed to BSE. Immunohistochemistry for abnormal PrP was performed on 29,516 samples from appendices removed between 1962 and 1979 from persons born between 1891 through 1965, and from those born after 1996 that had been operated on from 2000 through 2014. Seven appendices were positive for abnormal PrP, of which two were from the pre-BSE-exposure era and five from the post BSE-exposure period. None of the seven positive samples were from appendices removed before 1977, or in patients born after 2000 and none came from individuals diagnosed with vCJD. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of abnormal PrP across birth and exposure cohorts. Two interpretations are possible. Either there is a low background prevalence of abnormal PrP in human lymphoid tissues that may not progress to vCJD. Alternatively, all positive specimens are attributable to BSE exposure, a finding that would necessitate human exposure having begun in the late 1970s and continuing through the late 1990s