Cation disorder in NaW2O6+δ·nH2−zO post-ion exchange with K, Rb, Sr, and Cs

The structure of the defect pyrochlore NaW₂O_6+δ·nH_2−zO after ion exchange with K, Rb, Sr or Cs for Na has been investigated using thermal analysis, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, laboratory X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. Neutron diffraction studies show that both the A-type cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, and/or Cs⁺) and the water molecules reside within the channels that form in the 111 direction of the W₂O₆ framework and that these strongly interact. The analytical results suggest that the water and A-type cations compete for space in the tunnels within the W₂O₆ pyrochlore framework, with the total number of water molecules and cations being approximately constant in the six samples investigated. The interplay between the cations and water explains the non-linear dependence of the a lattice parameter on the choice of cation. It appears that the ion-exchange capacity of the material will be controlled by the amount of water initially present in the sample.     

Compact interrogator for fiber optic Bragg sensors based on an acousto-optic filter formed by photonic crystal rows of air holes

Fiber optic sensors are typically used with expensive tunable lasers or optical spectrum analyzers for wavelength interrogation. We propose to replace the tunable laser by a broadband optical source incorporated with a novel thin linewidth acousto-optic tunable filter. It utilizes optical beam expanders constituted by photonic crystal rows of air holes in LiNbO(3) waveguide. A new design is numerically studied for a short structure (with 32 photonic crystal rows) by a two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. Extrapolation of these results to larger structure sizes (about 1 cm) demonstrates the possibility to develop compact interrogators with 0.4 pm wavelength resolution and 40 nm tunable range around 1550 nm.     

The relationship between BOLD signal and autonomic nervous system functions: implications for processing of "physiological noise"

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research has revealed not only important aspects of the neural basis of cognitive and perceptual functions, but also important information on the relation between high-level brain functions and physiology. One of the central outstanding questions, given the features of the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal, is whether and how autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions are related to changes in brain states as measured in the human brain. A straightforward way to address this question has been to acquire external measurements of ANS activity such as cardiac and respiratory data, and examine their relation to the BOLD signal. In this article, we describe two conceptual approaches to the treatment of ANS measures in the context of BOLD fMRI analysis. On the one hand, several research lines have treated ANS activity measures as noise, considering them as nothing but a confounding factor that reduces the power of fMRI analysis or its validity. Work in this line has developed powerful methods to remove ANS effects from the BOLD signal. On the other hand, a different line of work has made important progress in showing that ANS functions such as cardiac pulsation, heart rate variability and breathing rate could be considered as a theoretically meaningful component of the signal that is useful for understanding brain function. Work within this latter framework suggests that caution should be exercised when employing procedures to remove correlations between BOLD data and physiological measures. We discuss these two positions and the reasoning underlying them. Thereafter, we draw on the reviewed literature in presenting practical guidelines for treatment of ANS data, which are based on the premise that ANS data should be considered as theoretically meaningful information. This holds particularly when studying cortical systems involved in regulation, monitoring and/or generation of ANS activity, such as those involved in decision making, conflict resolution and the experience of emotion.     

Full control by locally induced relaxation

We demonstrate a scheme for controlling a large quantum system by acting on a small subsystem only. The local control is mediated to the larger system by some fixed coupling Hamiltonian. The scheme allows us to transfer arbitrary and unknown quantum states from a memory to the large system ("upload access") as well as the inverse ("download access"). We study the sufficient conditions of the coupling Hamiltonian and give lower bounds on the fidelities for downloading and uploading.     

An exact solution for one-dimensional unsteady nonlinear groundwater flow

After a brief review of the validity of Darcy's law, a nonlinear flow law is adopted for the analytical solution of a groundwater flow problem. A one-dimensional unsteady flow in plane geometry, with prescribed head at the boundaries, is studies. The solution of the analogous linear case is reviewed through the use of Boltzmann's transformation. A solution for nonlinear flow is obtained through a generalization of this transformation. Detailed expressions for specific discharge and drawdown are derived for two significant values of the exponent of the flow law. All results are presented in dimensionless form for a comparative analysis. Some significant cases are plotted. Finally, some implications of the adoption of a nonlinear flow law are discussed.

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Sommario Dopo un breve riepilogo sui limiti di validità della legge di Darcy, si adotta una formulazione non lineare della legge del moto per la risoluzione analitica di un problema di filtrazione. Si studia un moto non stazionario monodimensionale in geometria piana, con carico assegnato al contorno. Viene richiamata la soluzione dell'analogo caso lineare, tramite l'applicazione della trasformata di Boltzmann. Una soluzione per il moto non lineare è ottenuta mediante la generalizzazione di tale trasformazione. Si ricavano le espressioni della velocità apparente di filtrazione e del drawdown per due valori significativi dell'esponente della legge del moto. Tutti i risultati sono presentati in forma adimensionale per una analisi comparativa. Alcuni casi significativi sono diagrammati. In conclusione, sono discusse alcune implicazioni dell'adozione di una legge del moto non lineare.

     

Preparation of self-supporting mesostructured silica thin film membranes as gateable interconnects for microfluidics

A methodology for the preparation of self-standing 100–200 nm thick mesoporous silica membrane interconnects is reported. Interconnects may become an important component in future microfluidic device technology since it allows extension of microfluidic architectures into the third dimension. The silica film was mechanically supported by a perforated silicon nitride microsieve and covered a hexagonal array of 500 nm-sized holes. The potential applicability of these films as gateable interconnects for controlled dosing of ions was demonstrated. The permeability of ionic species can be controlled by the ionic strength.     

Proton and α sequential emission in the 16O + 58Ni deep inelastic reaction: A semi-classical approach

The 132 MeV ¹⁶O + ⁵⁸Ni reaction has been experimentally investigated by using coincident charged particle techniques. A closed-form theoretical approach, describing in a simple picture the non-equilibrium component and the evaporative one of the angular correlation between light particles and reaction residues emitted in a peripheral heavy-ion collision, is applied — in the hypotesis of a sequential process — to the (C,N,O)-α and (C,N,O)-p differential multiplicities for the ¹⁶O + ⁵⁸Ni at 8.25 MeV/A deep inelastic collision. From this analysis some reaction mechanism information is deduced.