Invariant Measures for Cherry Flows

We investigate the invariant probability measures for Cherry flows, i.e. flows on the two-torus which have a saddle, a source, and no other fixed points, closed orbits or homoclinic orbits. In the case when the saddle is dissipative or conservative we show that the only invariant probability measures are the Dirac measures at the two fixed points, and the Dirac measure at the saddle is the physical measure. In the other case we prove that there exists also an invariant probability measure supported on the quasi-minimal set, we discuss some situations when this other invariant measure is the physical measure, and conjecture that this is always the case. The main techniques used are the study of the integrability of the return time with respect to the invariant measure of the return map to a closed transversal to the flow, and the study of the close returns near the saddle.     

Mechanism of disease in early osteoarthritis: application of modern MR imaging techniques — a technical report

The application of biomolecular magnetic resonance imaging becomes increasingly important in the context of early cartilage changes in degenerative and inflammatory joint disease before gross morphological changes become apparent. In this limited technical report, we investigate the correlation of MRI T1, T2 and T1ρ relaxation times with quantitative biochemical measurements of proteoglycan and collagen contents of cartilage in close synopsis with histologic morphology. A recently developed MRI sequence, T1ρ, was able to detect early intracartilaginous degeneration quantitatively and also qualitatively by color mapping demonstrating a higher sensitivity than standard T2-weighted sequences. The results correlated highly with reduced proteoglycan content and disrupted collagen architecture as measured by biochemistry and histology. The findings lend support to a clinical implementation that allows rapid visual capturing of pathology on a local, millimeter level. Further information about articular cartilage quality otherwise not detectable in vivo, via normal inspection, is needed for orthopedic treatment decisions in the present and future.     

On using lens-assisted hologram interferometry to investigate semiconductor device behaviour

The paper analyses some of the causes that limit the performance of the hologram interferometry method when used for the study of the behaviour of semiconductors devices. Then some results are shown obtained by the authors using a method of lens-assisted microscope hologram interferometry for studying such structures. The method allows detection of defects and, besides, it renders quantitatively the structure local non-uniformities during the normal operation of the semiconductor devices.     

Synthesis,characterization, and cytotoxicity evaluation of high-magnetization multifunctional nanoclusters

The paper presents the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro cytotoxicity tests of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoclusters coated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA). Electron microscopy analysis (SEM) evidences that magnetite nanoparticles are closely packed into the clusters stabilized with EDTA with well-defined near spherical shapes and sizes in the range 100–200 nm. From XRD measurements, we determined the mean size of the crystallites inside the magnetic cluster about 36 nm. The saturation magnetization determined for the magnetic clusters stabilized with EDTA has high value, about 81.7 emu/g at 300 K. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to determine both the elemental and chemical structure of the magnetic cluster surface. In vitro studies have shown that the magnetic clusters at low doses did not induce toxicity on human umbilical vein endothelial cells or lesions of the cell membrane. In contrast, at high doses, the magnetic clusters increased the lipid peroxidation and reduced the leakage of a cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in parallel with increasing the antioxidant defense.

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Graphical abstract SEM images of EDTA-coated magnetic clusters (MCs) and the HUVEC viability at different MC doses

     

Investigation of helium implantation induced blistering in InP

 Four-inch InP wafers were implanted with 100 keV helium ions with a dose of 5×10¹⁶ cm⁻² and subsequently annealed in air in the temperature range of 225-400°C in order to determine the blistering kinetics of these wafers. An Arrhenius plot of the blistering time as a function of reciprocal temperature revealed two different activation energies for the formation of surface blisters in InP. The activation energy was found to be 0.30 eV in the higher temperature regime of 300-400 °C and 0.74 eV in the lower temperature regime of 225-300 °C. The implantation induced damage was analyzed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, which revealed a band of defects extending from 400-700 nm from the surface of InP. The damage band was found to be decorated with a large number of nanovoids having diameters between 2 and 5 nm. These nanovoids served as precursors for the formation of microcracks inside InP upon annealing, which led to the formation of surface blisters.     

Field-induced suppression of the heavy-fermion state in YbRh2Si2

We report dc-magnetization measurements on YbRh2Si2 at temperatures down to 0.04 K, magnetic fields B< or =11.5 T, and under hydrostatic pressure P< or =1.3 GPa. At ambient pressure a kink at B* =9.9 T indicates a new type of field-induced transition from an itinerant to a localized 4f state. This transition is different from the metamagnetic transition observed in other heavy-fermion compounds, as here ferromagnetic rather than antiferromagnetic correlations dominate below B*. Hydrostatic pressure experiments reveal a clear correspondence of B* to the characteristic spin fluctuation temperature determined from specific heat.     

Adaption of a diffractometer for time‐resolved X‐ray resonant magnetic scattering

A new set‐up is presented to measure element‐selective magnetization dynamics using the ALICE chamber [Grabis et al. (2003), Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74 , 4048–4051] at the BESSY II synchrotron at the Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin. A magnetic‐field pulse serves as excitation, and the magnetization precession is probed by element‐selective X‐ray resonant magnetic scattering. With the use of single‐bunch‐generated X‐rays a temporal resolution well below 100 ps is reached. The ALICE diffractometer environment enables investigations of thin films, described here, multilayers and laterally structured samples in reflection or diffuse scattering geometry. The combination of the time‐resolved set‐up with a cryostat in the ALICE chamber will allow temperature‐dependent studies of precessional magnetization dynamics and of damping constants to be conducted over a large temperature range and for a large variety of systems in reflection geometry.     

Tunneling time correction to the intersubband optical absorption in a THz laser-dressed GaAs/Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1-</Subscript><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>As quantum well

Tunneling effect on the intersubband optical absorption in a GaAs/Al _x Ga_{1- x} As quantum well under simultaneous presence of intense non-resonant laser and static electric fields is theoretically investigated. Based on the shooting method the quasi-stationary energy levels and their corresponding linewidths are obtained. By considering the joint action of the two external fields the linear absorption coefficient is calculated by means of Fermi’s golden rule and taking into account the intersubband relaxation. We found that: (i) the linewidth broadening due to the electron tunneling has an appreciable effect on the absorption spectrum; (ii) a constant relaxation time adopted in the previous studies could not be justified even for moderate electric fields, especially in the laser dressed wells. Our model predicts that the number of absorption peaks can be controlled by the external applied fields. While in the high-electric fields the excited states become unbounded due to a significant tunneling of the electrons, for high laser intensities and low/moderate electric fields the absorption spectrum has a richer structure due to the laser-generated resonant states. The possibility of tuning the resonant absorption energies by using the combined effects of the static electric field and the THz coherent radiation field can be useful in designing new optoelectronic devices.     

The geometry of Ingarden spaces

The Randers spaces RFⁿ were introduced by R. S. Ingarden. They are considered as Finsler spaces Fⁿ = (M, α + β) equipped with the Cartan nonlinear connection. In the present paper we define and study what we call the Ingarden spaces, I Fⁿ, as Finsler spaces I Fⁿ = (M, α + β) equipped with the Lorentz nonlinear connection. The spaces R Fⁿ and I Fⁿ are completely different. For I Fⁿ we discuss: the variational problem, Lorentz nonlinear connection, canonical N-metrical connection and its structure equations, the Cartan 1-form ω, the electromagnetic 2-form tF and the almost symplectic 2-form 0. The formula dω = F+θ is established. It has as a consequence the generalized Maxwell equations. Finally, the almost Hermitian model of I Fⁿ is constructed.     

Sequential optical coherence tomography and confocal imaging

We report a system capable of sequentially acquiring two en-face images of different depth resolutions. The two images are generated by use of different principles, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal microscopy, and have depth resolutions, at present, of better than 20 microm and over 0.12 mm, respectively. The lower-depth-resolution image is ideal for target positioning before collection of stacks of en-face OCT images. Switching between the two types of image by flipping an opaque screen in the reference arm, coupled with self-adjusting gain operation of avalanche photodiodes in the receiver. We illustrate the usefulness of the system by imaging a leaf and an optic nerve in vivo.