A comparison of steady-state evoked potentials to modulated tones in awake and sleeping humans.

Steady-state evoked potential responses were measured to binaural amplitude-modulated (AM) and combined amplitude- and frequency-modulated (AM/FM) tones. For awake subjects, AM/FM tones produced larger amplitude responses than did AM tones. Awake and sleeping responses to 30-dB HL AM/FM tones were compared. Response amplitudes were lower during sleep and the extent to which they differed from awake amplitudes was dependent on both carrier and modulation frequencies. Background EEG noise at the stimulus modulation frequency was also reduced during sleep and varied with modulation frequency. A detection efficiency function was used to indicate the modulation frequencies likely to be most suitable for electrical estimation of behavioral threshold. In awake subjects, for all carrier frequencies tested, detection efficiency was highest at a modulation frequency of 45 Hz. In sleeping subjects, the modulation frequency regions of highest efficiency varied with carrier frequency. For carrier frequencies of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, and 1 kHz, the highest efficiencies were found in two modulation frequency regions centered on 45 and 90 Hz. For 2 and 4 kHz, the highest efficiencies were at modulation frequencies above 70 Hz. Sleep stage affected both response amplitude and background EEG noise in a manner that depended on modulation frequency. The results of this study suggest that, for sleeping subjects, modulation frequencies above 70 Hz may be best when using steady-state potentials for hearing threshold estimation.     

Spalling in liquids

A new mechanism for exciting cavitation has been identified. Surface-reflected shock waves can produced localized spalling in liquids. This spalling mechanism forms cavities which then collapse under the influence of gravity and atmospheric pressure. The form of the closure pulses generated by cavity collapse characterizes this new type of cavitation.     

Bifurcation to infinitely many sinks

This paper considers one parameter families of diffeomorphisms {F _t } in two dimensions which have a curve of dissipative saddle periodic pointsP _t , i.e.F _t ⁿ (P _t )=P _t and |detDF _t ⁿ (P _t )|<1. The family is also assumed to create new homoclinic intersections of the stable and unstable manifolds ofP _t as the parameter varies throught ₀. Gavirlov and Silnikov proved that if the new homoclinic intersections are created nondegenerately att ₀, then there is an infinite cascade of periodic sinks, i.e. there are parameter valuest _n accumulating att ₀ for which there is a sink of periodn [GS2, Sect. 4]. We show that this result is true for real analytic diffeomorphisms even if the homoclinic intersection is created degenerately. We give computer evidence to show that this latter result is probably applicable to the Hénon map forA near 1.392 andB equal ?0.3. Newhouse proved a related result which showed the existence of infinitely many periodic sinks for a single diffeomorphism which is a perturbation of a diffeomorphism with a nondegenerate homoclinic tangency. We give the main geometric ideas of the proof of this theorem. We also give a variation of a key lemma to show that the result is true for a fixed one parameter family which creates a nondegenerate tangency. Thus under the nondegeneracy assumption, not only is there a cascade of sinks proved by Gavrilov and Silnikov, but also a single parameter valuet* with infinitely many sinks.     

Nature of the quantum critical point as disclosed by extraordinary behavior of magnetotransport and the lorentz number in the heavy-fermion metal YbRh2Si2

Physicists are engaged in vigorous debate on the nature of the quantum critical points (QCP) governing the low-temperature properties of heavy-fermion metals. Recent experimental observations of the much-studied compound YbRh₂Si₂ in the regime of vanishing temperature incisively probe the nature of its magnetic-field-tuned QCP. The jumps revealed both in the residual resistivity ??₀ and the Hall resistivity R _H, along with violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law, provide vital clues to the origin of such non-Fermi-liquid behavior. The empirical facts point unambiguously to association of the observed QCP with a fermion-condensation phase transition. Based on this insight, the resistivities ??₀ and R _H are predicted to show jumps at the crossing of the QCP produced by application of a magnetic field, with attendant violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law. It is further demonstrated that experimentally identifiable multiple energy scales are related to the scaling behavior of the effective mass of the quasiparticles responsible for the low-temperature properties of such heavy-fermion metals.     

The vapour phase Raman spectra,Raman band contour analyses,Coriolis coupling constants,and e-species force constants for the molecules HCF3, ClCF3, BrCF3, and ICF3

The vapour phase Raman spectra of the molecules HCF₃, ClCF₃, BrCF₃, and ICF₃ have been recorded at pressures of up to 1 atmosphere over the fundamental frequency regions. The Raman band contours of the e-species fundamentals have been analysed to yield first-order Coriolis coupling constants from which, together with the fundamental frequencies, e-species force constants of the general harmonic potential function have been evaluated. One force field was found for fluoroform, but two different ones were found for the molecules ClCF₃, BrCF₃ and ICF₃.     

Diffusion tensor parameters and principal eigenvector coherence: Relation to b-value intervals and field strength

Diffusion-weighted MRI images acquired at b-value greater than 1000 s mm^− 2 measure the diffusion of a restricted pool of water molecules. High b-value images are accompanied by a reduction in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the application of large diffusion gradients. By fitting the diffusion tensor model to data acquired at incremental b-value intervals, we determined the effect of SNR on tensor parameters in normal human brains, in vivo. In addition, we also investigated the impact of field strength on the diffusion tensor model. Data were acquired at 1.5 and 3 T, at b-values 0, 1000, 2000 and 3000 s mm^− 2 in twenty diffusion-sensitised directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and principal eigenvector coherence (κ) were calculated from diffusion tensors fitted between datasets with b-values 0–1000, 0–2000, 0–3000, 1000–2000 and 2000–3000 s mm^− 2. Field strength and b-value effects on diffusion parameters were analysed in white and grey matter regions of interest. Decreases in FA, κ and MD were found with increasing b-value in white matter. Univariate analysis showed a significant increase in FA with increasing field strength in highly organised white matter. These results suggest there are significant differences in diffusion parameters at 1.5 and 3 T and that the optimal results, in terms of the highest values of FA in white matter, are obtained at 3 T with a maximum b = 1000 s mm^− 2.     

Scalable bottom‐up assembly of suspended carbon nanotube and graphene devices by dielectrophoresis

Bottom‐up assembly by dielectrophoresis (DEP) has emerged in recent years as a viable alternative to conventional top–down fabrication of electronic devices from nanomaterials, particularly carbon nanotubes and graphene. Here, we demonstrate how this technique can be extended to fabricate devices containing carbon nanotubes and graphene suspended between two electrodes over a back‐gate electrode. The suspended device geometry is critical for the development of nano‐electromechanical devices and to extract maximum performance out of electronic and optoelectronic devices. This technique allows for parallel assembly of devices over large scale. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)