Korshunov instantons out of equilibrium

Zero-dimensional dissipative action possesses non-trivial minima known as Korshunov instantons. They have been known so far only for imaginary time representation that is limited to equilibrium systems. In this work we reconstruct and generalise Korshunov instantons using real-time Keldysh approach. This allows us to formulate the dissipative action theory for generic non-equilibrium conditions. Possible applications of the theory to transport in strongly biased quantum dots are discussed..Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Younger adults in long-term care facilities : a review of the literature concerning their characteristics and environmental design, staffing and programming needs

Concern over provision of long-term care for an increasing seniors\u27 population has tended to obscure the fact that younger persons may also require this level of care. This report focuses on the non-geriatric population in long-term care: specifically, on adults between the aged of 20-64. Within this group, the emphasis is on those requiring facility care. While there is general consensus (Ontario Medical Association Committee on Rehabilitation, 1980a and b; Reinecke, 1979; Nichols, 1978) that everything possible should be done to enable younger adult disabled persons to live out their lives in the community, it is recognized that for some individuals with severe congenital or accident-caused disabilities, community living is impossible. Others require periodic admission to an institution in order to continue to live most of the time in the community. Still others enter an institution at the late stages of a progressive deteriorating illness which they and/or their family caregivers can no longer manage in a community setting. For all of these groups, the objective must be to construct institutions that will best meet their physical and psycho-social needs -- that is, that provide the best possible physical care in the least restrictive, most emotionally and intellectually satisfying environment possible.Table of Contents: I INTRODUCTION. II CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNGER ADULTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES: Diagnosis; Age Distribution; Sex and Marital Status; Functional Abilities; Age at Onset of Disability. III ADMISSION CRITERIA AND TURNOVER RATES IN YOUNG DISABLED UNITS: Age; Mental Status and Physical Condition; Turnover Rates; Average Length of Stay. IV GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF YOUNG DISABLED UNITS. V DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS: Size of Unit; Location of Unit; Type of Rooms; Other Recommendations. VI STAFFING REQUIREMENTS: Type of Staff Needed; Staff-to-Patient Ratio; Volunteers; Selection and Training. VII THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS: General Recommendations; Recommendations Concerning Recreational/Leisure Programs; Recommendations Concerning Counselling; a) Educational and occupational; b) Sex; c) Marital and family; d) Counselling aimed at countering resentment and fostering acceptance of disability. VIII DISCUSSION. REFERENCES

Transient deprotonation of bacterial halorhodopsin by photoexcited base

AbstractThe excited singlet state of 6-methoxyquinoline is basic enough to abstract a proton from water and generate OH−. Pulse excitation of such a solution undergoes a massive transient alkalinization. This procedure was employed to monitor the deprotonation of the Schiff base of halorhodopsin. Both the deprotonation and reprotonation of the chromophore are diffusion controlled reactions

Towards more elder friendly hospitals : final report - studies 3b and 3c

Deconditioning and loss of functional status occurs at high rates among elderly persons admitted to hospitals, independent of their medical condition. Design of the physical environment is one of several explanations as to why this may occur. The two pilot studies described in this report tested selected environmental modifications designed to overcome some of the physical barriers to safe independent transfer, mobility, and toileting identified in Studies 1 and 2 of the Towards More Elder Friendly Acute Hospitals Research Project. One pilot study (Study 3b) took place in two originally identical bedrooms at Burnaby Hospital, a community hospital located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The second (Study 3c) took place in two adjacent bathrooms. In both Studies 3b and 3c, one room remained "as is " and the other was modified; 36 community-dwelling volunteers aged 75+ performed a series of tasks in both the original and the modified bedrooms and the two toilet areas. Order of exposure to the "typical" and modified rooms was counterbalanced. Three types of data were collected: subjective, physiological and video. The environment modifications of interest were rated by participants for ease of use, for helpfulness, and/or for appeal and they were asked to respond to questions such as "what did you like most/least about the rooms and why"? Heart rate was measured as participants rested in each bedroom and postural sway was recorded as they transferred from the bedroom to the bathroom and while they pretended to use the toilet and "freshen up" at the sink. To document gross movement, gestures, coping actions and facial expressions, high resolution webcams were mounted in the bedrooms and bathrooms and a camcorder followed the participants throughout the study. A number of lessons were learned from the study about relatively inexpensive design features that if implemented in new construction and retrofitting, have the potential to increase the elder friendliness of FH hospitals (e.g. movement activated lighting at the entrance to the bathroom). A number of useful lessons were also learned concerning equipment and procedures for remote monitoring of physiological functioning and stress. The report ends with a series of recommendations that include recognizing the diversity of the frail elder population of British Columbia and designing physical space in hospitals to meet the needs of patients with multiple chronic physical and/or cognitive impairments. NOTE: The following thesis constitutes Study 3a of this report series: Love, T. (2007). Modifications to the hospital physical environment: Effect on older adults\u27 retention of post-discharge instructions. M.A. Thesis, Department of Gerontology (Supervisor: G. Gutman)

Note on Branching

It has been demonstrated that the spectrum of the molecular graph contains information about the extent of branching of the molecular skeleton. In particular, the largest eigenvalue, xi, in the spectrum has been shown to be closely related to the total number of walks in the graph (eqs. (11) and (15)). Thus, a justification of the recent empirical finding that x1 is a measure of branching9,in has been obtained

Rethinking retirement

Four of the seven chapters in this volume are based on papers originally presented at the 6th Annual John K. Friesen Lecture Series in Gerontology held at Simon Fraser University April 3-4, 1995. The impetus for the symposium and the volume was provided by the profound changes that are taking place in Canada and throughout the developed world in the way retirement is being conceptualized, timed, and reflected in corporate and public policy.\u27 A systematic examination of these changes seemed warranted.TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Introduction. 2. Population Aging: A Contested Terrain of Social Policy/ Ellen M. Gee; 3. Rethinking Retirement: Issues for the Twenty-First Century / Victor W. Marshall; 4. The Older Worker in Canadian Society: Is There a Future? / Victor W Marshall; 5. Security for Social Security - Raise the Age of Entitlement? / Robert L. Brown; 6. Work, Retirement and Women in Later Life / Susan A. McDaniel; 7. Women\u27s Retirement: Shifting Ground / Lynne MacFadgen and Lillian Zimmerman

Process evaluation of a UK school-based alcohol intervention using the Behaviour Change Wheel Framework

There are few process evaluations of school-based alcohol education programmes, especially examining teacher’s role in implementation. Using a Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework, this qualitative study identifies the barriers and enablers to teacher delivery of the Talk About Alcohol (TAA) programme in UK secondary schools and provides strategies for improvement in this context. Ten teachers were interviewed about influences on their delivery of the TAA programme. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and then Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) were identified for optimisation. Key enablers included increased knowledge from training and resources, increased confidence and effective resource design. Barriers included social pressure on students and further training on complex issues related to alcohol use such as consent. Delivery was influenced by a range of positive enablers which can inform other school-based alcohol interventions. Strategies for optimisation include follow-up training sessions, notifications of new updates to the programme resources, training highlighting past successes for teachers and further action planning for students. This evaluation highlights how the BCW approach can be used to improve teacher implementation in educational research