Dual-fibre stretcher and coma as tools for independent 2nd and 3rd order tunable dispersion compensation in a fibre-based ‘scan-free’ time domain optical coherence tomography system

Dispersion compensation up to the third order is experimentally demonstrated by using a dual-fibre stretcher combined with the coma of an imaging lens, in a fibre-based scan-free time domain optical coherence tomography system, leading to an axial resolution of less than 3 μm.     

La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films on SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> buffered Si substrates: structural,static, and dynamic magnetic properties

Nearly 50-nm thick La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) films were grown on Si substrates using molecular beam epitaxy on (001) Si substrates over-layered by a 20 nm thick SrTiO₃ (STO) or by a 20 nm thick CaTiO₃ (CTO) film. In addition, a reference LSMO film was directly deposited on a (001) STO substrate by pulsed laser deposition. For all the samples, X-ray diffraction revealed an excellent epitaxy of the LSMO film and small mosaicity around (001), with in-plane [100] and [010] cubic axes. The LSMO/CTO films are in-plane compressed while the LSMO/STO ones are in-plane extended. The temperature dependence of their static magnetic properties was studied using a SQUID, showing a Curie temperature overpassing 315 K for all the samples. Hysteresis loops performed at room temperature (294 K) with the help of a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) are also discussed. At 294 K Micro-strip ferromagnetic resonance (MS-FMR) was used to investigate the dynamic magnetic properties. It allows concluding to a strong anisotropy perpendicular to the films and to a weak fourfold in-plane anisotropy with easy axes along the [110] and [1[`1]0 1\bar{1}0 ] directions. Their values strongly depend on the studied sample and are presumably related to the strains suffered by the films.     

Kicked-rotor quantum resonances in position space: application to situations of experimental interest

We discuss a model for quantum computing with initially mixed states. Although such a computer is known to be less powerful than a quantum computer operating with pure (entangled) states, it may efficiently solve some problems for which no efficient classical algorithms are known. We suggest a new implementation of quantum computation with initially mixed states in which an algorithm realization is achieved by means of optimal basis independent transformations of qubits.     

A Geometric Approach to Integrability of Abel Differential Equations

A geometric approach is used to study the Abel first-order differential equation of the first kind. The approach is based on the recently developed theory of quasi-Lie systems which allows us to characterise some particular examples of integrable Abel equations. Second order Abel equations will be discussed and the inverse problem of the Lagrangian dynamics is analysed: the existence of two alternative Lagrangian formulations is proved, both Lagrangians being of a non-natural class. The study is carried out by means of the Darboux polynomials and Jacobi multipliers.     

Effects of temperature and dissolved CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on the scaling of water in the presence of copper and zinc

In this study, through the method of rapid controlled precipitation (RCP), the influence of temperature and dissolved CO₂ on the scaling capacity of mineral water in the presence of copper and zinc ions was studied in laboratory experiments. The results indicated that with a rise in temperature or concentration of dissolved CO₂, the scaling time of Salvetat water greatly decreased and the rate of precipitation considerably increased; therefore, the minimum dosage of copper or zinc ion for achieving total inhibition of scaling needed to be increased, which would provide better guidance for practical use of metal ions in inhibiting the scaling of drinking water.     

Limited resolution in complex network community detection with Potts model approach

According to Fortunato and Barthélemy, modularity-based community detection algorithms have a resolution threshold such that small communities in a large network are invisible. Here we generalize their work and show that the q-state Potts community detection method introduced by Reichardt and Bornholdt also has a resolution threshold. The model contains a parameter by which this threshold can be tuned, but no a priori principle is known to select the proper value. Single global optimization criteria do not seem capable for detecting all communities if their size distribution is broad.     

IMP321 (sLAG-3), an immunopotentiator for T cell responses against a HBsAg antigen in healthy adults: a single blind randomised controlled phase I study

Background  

LAG-3 (CD223) is a natural high affinity ligand for MHC class II. The soluble form (sLAG-3) induces maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro and is used as a potent Th1-like immune enhancer with many antigens in animal models. To extend this observation to human, a proof of concept study was conducted with a clinical-grade sLAG-3, termed IMP321, coinjected with alum-non-absorbed recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen.     

Mesoscopic phase statistics of diffuse ultrasound in dynamic matter

Temporal fluctuations in the phase of waves transmitted through a dynamic, strongly scattering, mesoscopic sample are investigated using ultrasonic waves, and compared with theoretical predictions based on circular Gaussian statistics. The fundamental role of phase in diffusing acoustic wave spectroscopy is revealed, and phase statistics are also shown to provide a sensitive and accurate way to probe scatterer motions at both short and long time scales.