High-frequency ultrasound backscattering by blood: analytical and semianalytical models of the erythrocyte cross section

This paper proposes analytical and semianalytical models of the ultrasonic backscattering cross section (BCS) of various geometrical shapes mimicking a red blood cell (RBC) for frequencies varying from 0 to 90 MHz. By assuming the first-order Born approximation and by modeling the shape of a RBC by a realistic biconcave volume, different scattering behaviors were identified for increasing frequencies. For frequencies below 18 MHz, a RBC can be considered a Rayleigh scatterer. For frequencies less than 39 MHz, the general concept of acoustic inertia tensor is introduced to describe the variation of the BCS with the frequency and the incidence direction. For frequencies below 90 MHz, ultrasound backscattering by a RBC is equivalent to backscattering by a cylinder of height 2 microm and diameter 7.8 microm. These results lay the basis of ultrasonic characterization of RBC aggregation by proposing a method that distinguishes the contribution of the individual RBC acoustical characteristics from collective effects, on the global blood backscattering coefficient. A new method of data reduction that models the frequency dependence of the ultrasonic BCS of micron-sized weak scatterers is also proposed. Applications of this method are in tissue characterization as well as in hematology.     

Lie symmetries and solitons in nonlinear systems with spatially inhomogeneous nonlinearities

Using Lie group theory and canonical transformations, we construct explicit solutions of nonlinear Schr?dinger equations with spatially inhomogeneous nonlinearities. We present the general theory, use it to show that localized nonlinearities can support bound states with an arbitrary number solitons, and discuss other applications of interest to the field of nonlinear matter waves.     

Generation of a magnetic field by dynamo action in a turbulent flow of liquid sodium

We report the observation of dynamo action in the von Kármán sodium experiment, i.e., the generation of a magnetic field by a strongly turbulent swirling flow of liquid sodium. Both mean and fluctuating parts of the field are studied. The dynamo threshold corresponds to a magnetic Reynolds number R(m) approximately 30. A mean magnetic field of the order of 40 G is observed 30% above threshold at the flow lateral boundary. The rms fluctuations are larger than the corresponding mean value for two of the components. The scaling of the mean square magnetic field is compared to a prediction previously made for high Reynolds number flows.     

Mineralogical analysis of auriferous ores from the El Diamante mine, Colombia

X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectrometry (MS), secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and laser-ablation microprobe–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LAM–ICP–MS) were used to study mineral samples of Colombian auriferous ores collected from the “El Diamante” mine, located in the municipality of Guachavez-Nariño, in Colombia. The samples were prepared as polished thin sections and polished sections. From XRD data, quartz, sphalerite and pyrite were detected and their respective cell parameters were estimated. From MS analyses, pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite were identified; their respective hyperfine parameters and respective texture were deduced. Multiple regions of approximately 200 × 200 μm in each sample were analyzed with SIMS; the occurrence of “invisible gold” associated mainly with pyrite and secondarily with arsenopyrite could thus be assigned. It was also found that pyrite is of the arsenious type. Spots from 30 to 40 μm in diameter were analyzed with LAM–ICP–MS for pyrite, arsenopyrite and sphalerite; Au is “homogeneously” distributed inside the structure of the arsenious pyrite and the arsenopyrite (not as inclusions); the chemical composition indicates similarities of this “invisible gold”, forming a solid solution with arsenious pyrite and arsenopyrite. One hundred nineteen and 62 ppm of ‘invisible gold’ was quantified in 21 spots analyzed on pyrite and in 14 spots on arsenopyrite, respectively.     

Inclusive\bar K^{0*} (892) andK 0*(892) production on silicon by 200 GeVK − andπ −

The production of the neutralK ^? (892) resonances by 200 GeVK ^? andπ ^? has been studied over the kinematic range 0.0<x _f<1.0 andp _t ² <5.0 GeV². Longitudinal and transverse momentum distributions are presented. In addition the decay angular distributions inK ^? fragmentation to \(\bar K^{0*} \) have been investigated.     

Efficient diode-pumped Nd:GGG laser operation at 933.6 and 937.3 nm

CW laser emission on the quasi 3-level (⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2) transition in Nd:GGG is reported for different pump focusing and resonator dimensions. A nearly hemispherical plano-concave resonator led at 937.3 nm to a maximum output power of 4.1 W for an incident pump power of 21.7 W, thus corresponding to a slope efficiency of about 23.5%. Laser operation was also obtained for the first time around 933.6 nm by using a glass etalon for frequency selection with a maximum output power of 2.3 W and a slope efficiency of 16% with respect to the incident pump power. Dual-wavelength operation (around 933.6 and 937.3 nm), which offers a potential source to generate THz radiation, is also reported.     

Optical locking of two semiconductor lasers through high-order Brillouin Stokes components in optical fiber

A novel technique for optical injection locking of two semiconductor lasers through high-order Brillouin Stokes components in optical fiber is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The configuration potentially provides microwave signals generation at manifold Brillouin frequency without high-frequency external modulator and generator. Significant narrowing of the locked slave semiconductor laser linewidth was recorded.     

Substituent effect investigation of 3‐(2, 4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1‐(4′‐X‐phenyl)‐2‐propen‐1‐one. Part 1. Correlation analysis of 13C NMR chemical shifts

A series of substituted chlorinated chalcones namely, 3‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1‐(4′‐X‐phenyl)‐2‐propen‐1‐one, have been synthesized, X being H, NH₂, OMe, Me, F, Cl, CO₂Et, CN, and NO₂. Dual substituent parameter (DSP) models of ¹³C NMR chemical shift (CS) have revealed that π‐polarization concept could be utilized to explain the reverse field effect at CO, the enhanced substituent field effect at CO, C‐2, and C‐5, and the decreased sensitivity of substituent field effect at C‐6. Chlorine atoms dipole direction at the benzylidene ring either enhances or reduces substituent effect depending on how they couple with the substituent dipole at the probe site. The correlation of ¹³C NMR CS of C‐2, C‐5, and C‐6 with σ and σ indicates that chlorine atoms in the benzylidine ring deplete the ring from charges. Both MSP of Hammett and DSP of Taft ¹³C NMR CS models give similar trends of substituent effects at C‐2, C‐5, and C‐6. However, the former fail to give a significant correlation for CO and C‐6 ¹³C NMR CS. MSP of σ_q and DSP of Taft and Reynolds models significantly correlated ¹³C NMR CS of C_β. MSP of σ_q fails to correlate C‐1′ ¹³C NMR CS. Investigation of ¹³C NMR CS of non‐chlorinated chalcones series: 3‐phenyl‐1‐(4′‐X‐phenyl)‐2‐propen‐1‐one has revealed similar trends of substituent effects as in the chlorinated chalcones series for C‐1′, CO, C_α, and C_β. In contrast, the substituent effect of the non‐chlorinated chalcone series at C‐2, C‐5, and C‐6 did not correlate with any substituent constant. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite element approximation of nematic liquid crystal flows using a saddle-point structure

In this work, we propose finite element schemes for the numerical approximation of nematic liquid crystal flows, based on a saddle-point formulation of the director vector sub-problem. It introduces a Lagrange multiplier that allows to enforce the sphere condition. In this setting, we can consider the limit problem (without penalty) and the penalized problem (using a Ginzburg–Landau penalty function) in a unified way. Further, the resulting schemes have a stable behavior with respect to the value of the penalty parameter, a key difference with respect to the existing schemes. Two different methods have been considered for the time integration. First, we have considered an implicit algorithm that is unconditionally stable and energy preserving. The linearization of the problem at every time step value can be performed using a quasi-Newton method that allows to decouple fluid velocity and director vector computations for every tangent problem. Then, we have designed a linear semi-implicit algorithm (i.e. it does not involve nonlinear iterations) and proved that it is unconditionally stable, verifying a discrete energy inequality. Finally, some numerical simulations are provided.