Concomitant Phases Research Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic and institutional change in the EU’s financial assistance regime: the governance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)

ABSTRACT This article aims at explaining the establishment of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) around a new governance system of EU financial assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a process tracing analysis and semi-structured elite interviews, the paper shows that between the pandemic outbreak and the adoption of the RRF, an ‘ideational change’ occurred about the financial assistance regime in the EU. Such an ideational change consists in two concomitant phases – a first phase of ‘ideational collapse’ of the existing governance mode (i.e. intergovernmental coordination as per the ESM) and a subsequent phase of ‘ideational consolidation’ around a new governance mechanism (i.e. limited supranational delegation as exemplified by the RRF). Based on the specific case study of the RRF, the paper discusses implications for how institutional change in the EU may take place following an exogenous shock and the relative explanatory power of ideas in determining the final form of institutional change.

Metasurface for oscillatory spin splitting along the optical path

Spin splitting of light originates from the interplay between the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom as a fundamental constituent of the emerging spin photonics, providing a prominent pathway for manipulating photon spin and developing exceptional photonic devices. However, previously relevant devices were mainly designed for routing monotonous spin splitting of light. Here, we realize an oscillatory spin splitting of light via metasurface with two channel Pancharatnam–Berry phases. For the incidence of a linearly polarized light, the concomitant phases arising from opposite spin states transition within pathways of the metasurface induce lateral spin splitting of light with alternately changed transport direction during beam guiding. We demonstrate the invariance of this phenomenon with an analogous gauge transformation. This work provides a new insight on steering the photon spin and is expected to explore a novel guiding mechanism of relativistic spinning particles, as well as applications of optical trapping and chirality sorting.

Competition between Hydrogen and Anagostic Bonds in Ruthenocene Phases under High Pressure

High pressure favors anagostic bonds CH···Ru, which leads to a new polymorph of ruthenocene RuCp2, where Cp denotes the cyclopentadienyl ring [C5H5]−. Ruthenocene can be isothermally compressed in its ambient-pressure phase α up to 3.9 GPa, when it transforms to the new phase, β. The transition between phases α and β proceeds with an exceptionally wide hysteresis extending between 0.7 and 3.9 GPa. The transition destroys single crystals of RuCp2, but a single crystal of polymorph β can be obtained by high-pressure nucleation (above 3.9 GPa) and its isochoric growth continued above 1.0 GPa. On decompression, phase β transforms back to phase α at 0.7 GPa. The structures of phases α (space group Pnma) and β (space group Pcmb) have been determined by X-ray diffraction in the pressure range from 0.1 MPa up to 3.9 GPa. The eclipsed conformation of α-RuCp2 is retained in phase β, which contrasts with the conformational phase transitions in ferrocene and nickelocene. The lattice dimensions and molecular orientations in ruthenocene polymorphs are clearly related, which leads to the characteristic twinning-like oriented growth of the crystals of concomitant phases.

Stable and Tunable Current-Induced Phase Transition in Epitaxial Thin Films of Ca2RuO4.

Owing to the recent discovery of the current-induced metal-insulator transition and unprecedented electronic properties of the concomitant phases of calcium ruthenate Ca2RuO4, it is emerging as an important material. To further explore the properties, the growth of epitaxial thin films of Ca2RuO4 is receiving more attention, as high current densities can be applied to thin-film samples and the amount can be precisely controlled in an experimental environment. However, it is difficult to grow high-quality thin films of Ca2RuO4 due to the easy formation of the crystal defects originating from the sublimation of RuO4; therefore, the metal-insulator transition of Ca2RuO4 is typically not observed in the thin films. Herein, a stable current-induced metal-insulator transition is achieved in the high-quality thin films of Ca2RuO4 grown by solid-phase epitaxy under high growth temperatures and pressures. In the Ca2RuO4 thin films grown by ex situ annealing at >1200 °C and 1.0 atm, continuous changes in the resistance of over 2 orders of magnitude are induced by currents with a precise dependence of the resistance on the current amplitude. A hysteretic, abrupt resistive transition is also observed in the thin films from the resistance-temperature measurements conducted under constant-voltage (variable-current) conditions with controllability of the transition temperature. A clear resistive switching by the current-induced transition is demonstrated in the current-electric-field characteristics, and the switching currents and fields are shown to be very stable. These results represent a significant step toward understanding the high-current-density properties of Ca2RuO4 and the future development of Mott-electronic devices based on electricity-driven transitions.

Technical ceramics with predetermined electrophysical properties based on system ZnO—SrO—Al2O3—SiO2

Modern high-temperature materials designed to radio-engineering systems protecting from external influences are considered. The obtaining possibility of radio-transparent ceramic, consists of Willemite and Slavsonite, at a temperature of 1200 °C has been studied. It is shown that the obtained ceramic materials satisfy the radio-transparent materials requirements by dielectric characteristics (ε < 10, tgδ = 10–2 ÷ 10–4). It was established that to preserve the concomitant phases of Hannite and Zincite, which impair the dielectric characteristics of the material, it is necessary to maintain the ratio of Willemite to Slavsonite as 1 : 1, taking into account the stoichiometry of these phases. This makes it possible to obtain the radio-transparent ceramic materials of the Willemite-Slavsonite composition with a low dielectric permittivity (ε = 5.9) and insignificant dielectric losses (tgδ = 0.004).

Lattice dynamics of binary and ternary phases in Ti–Si–C system: A combined Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory study

Results of the x-ray diffraction and the Raman spectroscopy experiments on the multiphase Ti–Si–C system containing Ti3SiC2 as the major phase and TiSi2, TiCx, and Ti5Si3/Ti5Si3Cx impurity phases are reported. Experimental studies are supported by the density functional theory calculations of the Raman spectra performed for the major and concomitant phases. The effect of carbon vacancies and impurities on the TiCx and Ti5Si3Cx Raman spectra is investigated. It is shown that identification and refinement of the phase composition of the multicomponent Ti–Si–C system based on the theoretical Raman spectroscopy can be achieved when both frequencies and intensities of the simulated Raman-active modes are simultaneously considered.

A method for the formation of intergranular crystalline phases in liquid phase sintering

Abstract During the liquid phase sintering process a liquid is formed, penetrates into the pores, causes rearrangement of particles and shrinkage and forms an amorphous and/or crystalline intergranular phase after firing which re-melts upon heating to the same sintering temperature. In this research a method is proposed to alter the intergranular phase to a phase with a melting point higher than the sintering temperature. The hypothesis is based on the shape of the phase diagram and precise control of particle sizes of liquid forming species. Results show that in the CaO–Al2O3 system a liquid is formed at 1 500 °C and it will then change to CaO. Al2O3 with a melting point of more than 1 600 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis shows that the processes of formation of liquid and crystallization of concomitant crystalline phases occur obviously separately in this system. The system CaO–TiO2 also confirms the hypothesis, although more analytical evidence is needed for the latter.

Enhanced luminescence in SrMgAlxO17±δ:yMn4+ composite phosphors

Red-emitting SrMgAlxO17±δ:yMn4+ composite phosphors (x=10–100; y=0.05–4.0mol%) are synthesized by solid-state reaction method in air. Addition of Al2O3 leads to the formation of two concomitant phases, i.e., SrMgAl10O17 and Al2O3 phases in the composite phosphor. Red emission from Mn4+ ions in the composite phosphors is greatly enhanced due to multiple scattering and absorption of excitation light between SrMgAl10O17 and Al2O3 phases. SrMgAlxO17±δ:yMn4+ composite phosphors would be a promising candidate as red phosphor in the application of a 397nm near UV-based W-LED.

Nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A phase II, open-label, multicenter, randomized study.

8053 Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab in combination with chemotherapy (docetaxel and carboplatin) versus chemotherapy alone in stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: This multicenter, open-label, phase II study, randomized 110 patients to receive nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy (nimotuzumab group) or chemotherapy alone (control group), and comprised concomitant, maintenance, and follow-up phases. Nimotuzumab (200 mg) was administered once weekly for 13 weeks during the first 2 phases with 4 cycles of chemotherapy; docetaxel (75 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under the curve [AUC] = 5 mg/ml*min), every 3 weeks for a maximum of 4 cycles during the concomitant phase. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR; sum of complete response [CR] and partial response [PR]). Secondary endpoints, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Efficacy was evaluated on the intent-to-treat (ITT) and efficacy-evaluable (EE) sets. Safety was assessed from adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) data. Results: ORR was significantly higher in the nimotuzumab group than in the control group in the ITT (54% vs. 34.5%; P=0.04) population. CR and PR were achieved in 3.6% and 50% patients, respectively, in the nimotuzumab group, and in 4% and 30.9% patients, respectively, in the control group. No significant differences in median PFS and OS were observed. Safety profiles were comparable between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy significantly improved ORR as compared to chemotherapy alone; the combination was safe and well tolerated in stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients.

Retrato quase sem retoques dos egressos dos programas de pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, 1998-2007

We present the results of a data collection that allowed to identify where are and what the alumni of the Public Health post-graduation programs think about some attributes of their post-graduation, from 1998 to 2007. By means of two distinctive and concomitant phases, this subproject was initiated with information request along with the programs. The answers allowed the construction of a student census that defended thesis or equivalent, in three modalities: doctorate, academic and professional master. Besides the data provision that allowed us to construct and describe an academic-professional profile of the Public Health area alumni, the information allowed electronic contact with most of the alumni located. In the second phase, we sent the alumni a form to be answered online, with appreciative questions regarding the role of the post graduation on their intellectual and professional path, aiming to characterize their post-graduation degree. We forwarded some suggestions to future researches, as for example the creation of a standardized and digitalized enrollment form open to consultation.