We investigate the pinning and driven dynamics of vortices interacting with twin boundaries using large scale molecular-dynamics simulations on samples with near one million pinning sites. For low applied driving forces, the vortex lattice orients itself parallel to the twin boundary and we observe the creation of a flux gradient and vortex-free region near the edges of the twin boundary. For i...

We propose a nematic liquid crystal ͑LC͒ optical phase plate, with a large continuous in-plane gradient that is variable, and its application to a beam steering device with high efficiency. The device is a vertically aligned, continuous phase, optical phased array ͑V-COPA͒ that uses a negative dielectric anisotropy LC material. High steering efficiency of over 95% is demonstrated by modeling the LC...

A method for unambiguous determination of point mutations in genomic DNA, based on electrophoresis in thin capillaries, is reported here. The method is based on the principle of temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE), a variant of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and exploits the differential melting of mutant and wild-type PCR-amplified DNA fragments during electrophore...

Introduction Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) generates large artefacts in concurrent electroencephalography (EEG) recordings that can significantly compromise EEG data quality (1-2). While much effort has been applied in studying the temporal variation of the artefact waveforms produced by time-varying magnetic field gradients (2-3), the spatial variation of the artefact voltage ac...

Voltage-activated H(+)-selective currents were studied in cultured adult rat alveolar epithelial cells and in human neutrophils using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique. The H+ conductance, gH, although highly selective for protons, was modulated by monovalent cations. In Na+ and to a smaller extent in Li+ solutions, H+ currents were depressed substantially and the voltag...

The present clinical taxonomy of distal renal tubular acidoses includes "gradient," "secretory," and "voltage" defects. These categories refer to presumed collecting duct defects in which the epithelium may be abnormally permeable and unable to sustain an ion gradient, in which luminal proton ATPases are defective, or in which electrogenic Na+ reabsorption is impaired and luminal electronegativ...

If we put a voltage between the magnetic shunt and two conducting plates perpendicular to the z-axis in a symmetric fashion, we would obtain the same shape of the electric field, because both E and B may be derived as gradient of a potential. We propose to explore this simple physical system, in which E and B are everywhere parallel, to obtain low temperature, magnetically confined electron beams.

ST-segment elevation in Brugada syndrome is caused by a shift in the ionic current balance and the creation of a voltage gradient between the epicardium and the endocardium. This ionic mechanism have been shown to be temperature dependent. We describe a 33-year-old man who presented with fever with the dynamic electrocardiographic changes similar to the Brugada syndrome. These electrocardiograp...

A kind of cells cascaded multilevel converter of switched reluctance motor was proposed, which can be made up of low voltage power electronic devices and can be applied to drive high voltage switched reluctance motor. Based on introducing the main circuit topology, the operating modes and the voltage superposition law of proposed converter, the control strategy for the switched reluctance drive...

Detection of image motion direction begins in the retina, with starburst amacrine cells (SACs) playing a major role. SACs generate larger dendritic Ca(2+) signals when motion is from their somata towards their dendritic tips than for motion in the opposite direction. To study the mechanisms underlying the computation of direction selectivity (DS) in SAC dendrites, electrical responses to expand...