Composite vertices that lead to soft form factors

The momentum-space cut-off parameter $\Lambda$ of hadronic vertex functions is studied in this paper. We use a composite model where we can measure the contributions of intermediate particle propagations to $\Lambda$. We show that in many cases a composite vertex function has a much smaller cut-off than its constituent vertices, particularly when light constituents such as pions are present in the intermediate state. This suggests that composite meson-baryon-baryon vertex functions are rather soft, i.e., they have \Lambda considerably less than 1 GeV. We discuss the origin of this softening of form factors as well as the implications of our findings on the modeling of nuclear reactions.Comment: REVTex, 19 pages, 5 figs(to be provided on request

General method for extracting the quantum efficiency of dispersive qubit readout in circuit QED

We present and demonstrate a general three-step method for extracting the quantum efficiency of dispersive qubit readout in circuit QED. We use active depletion of post-measurement photons and optimal integration weight functions on two quadratures to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the non-steady-state homodyne measurement. We derive analytically and demonstrate experimentally that the method robustly extracts the quantum efficiency for arbitrary readout conditions in the linear regime. We use the proven method to optimally bias a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier and to quantify different noise contributions in the readout amplification chain.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Estimation des niveaux d'inondation pour une crue éclair en milieu urbain : comparaison de deux modèles hydrodynamiques sur la crue de Nîmes d'octobre 1988

Lors des crues extrêmes en ville, une forte part des écoulements reste en surface. Pour simuler ces inondations, deux modèles sont présentés : le logiciel REM2 U unidimensionnel a pour objectif de simuler la propagation des débits de crue dans l'ensemble d'un réseau de rues alors que le logiciel Rubar 20 bidimensionnel vise à fournir plus d'information sur ces écoulements. Des calculs avec ces deux logiciels ont été menés sur la crue d'octobre 1988 dans un quartier de Nîmes. Lors de cet événement, les hauteurs d'eau maximales ont dépassé deux mètres en certains points et les vitesses 2 m/s ce qui entraînait des passages en régime torrentiel. A partir des données rassemblées sur les sections en travers des rues, des maillages de calcul limités au réseau de rues ont été construits pour les deux logiciels afin de permettre un calcul détaillé. La comparaison des résultats avec les laisses de crue montre des situations très contrastées d'un point à un autre pour une hauteur d'eau maximale moyenne sur l'ensemble de la zone inondée correctement simulée. L'écart sur cette hauteur est, en moyenne, de 1 m ce qui provient des incertitudes sur les observations, sur la topographie et sur les conditions aux limites, des approximations lors de la modélisation et de particularités locales non décrites. Entre les deux logiciels, l'évolution des hauteurs et des vitesses est généralement très proche bien que, comme pour la comparaison avec les laisses de crue, des différences locales importantes sont observées.The hydraulic models that are used to simulate floods in rural areas are not adapted to model floods through urban areas, because of details that may deviate flows and create strong discontinuities in the water levels, and because of the possible water flow running in the sewage network. However, such modelling is strongly required because damage is often concentrated in urban areas. Thus, it is necessary to develop models specifically dedicated to such floods. In the southern part of France, rains may have a high intensity but floods generally last a few hours. During extreme events such as the October 1988 flood in the city of Nîmes, most of the flow remained on the ground with high water depths and high velocities, and the role of sewage network can be neglected. A 1-D model and a 2-D model were used to calculate such flows, which may become supercritical. On the catchments of the streams which cross the city of Nîmes, the rainfall was estimated as 80 mm in one hour and 250 mm in six hours in October 1988, although some uncertainties remain. The return period can be estimated between 150 and 250 years. The zone selected to test the models was an area 1.2 km long and less than 1 km wide in the north-eastern part of the city. It includes a southern part with a high density of houses. The slope from the North (upstream) to the South (downstream) was more than 1 % on average and was decreasing from North to South. Various topographical and hydrological data were obtained from the local Authorities. The basic data were composed of 258 cross sections of 69 streets with 11 to 19 points for each cross section. Observations of the limits of the flooded areas and of the peak water levels at more than 80 points can be used to validate the calculation results. The inputs consisted of two discharge hydrographs, estimated from a rainfall-discharge model from rains with a return period of 100 years, which may result in an underestimate of these inputs. These two hydrographs correspond to the two main structures that cross the railway embankment, which constitutes an impervious upstream boundary of the modelled area. Whereas the western and eastern boundaries are well delimitated by hills above maximum water levels, the downstream southern boundary is somewhat more questionable because of possibilities of backwater and inflows from neighbouring areas.The 1-D software REM2U solved the Saint Venant equations on a meshed network. At crossroads, continuities of discharge and of water heads were set. The hydraulic jump was modelled by a numerical diffusion applied wherever high water levels were found. The Lax Wendroff numerical scheme was implemented. It included a prediction step and a correction step, which implied precise solving of these very unsteady and hyperbolic problems. The software was validated on numerous test cases (Al Mikdad, 2000) which proved the adaptation to problems of calculations in a network of streets.The 2-D software Rubar 20 solves 2-D shallow water equations by an explicit second-order Van Leer type finite volume scheme on a computational grid made from triangles and quadrilaterals (Paquier, 1998). The discontinuities (hydraulic jumps for instance) are treated as ordinary points through the solving of Riemann problems. For the Nîmes case, the grid was built from the cross sections of the streets. Four grids were built with respectively 4, 5, 7 or 11 points for every cross section and these points correspond to the main characteristics of the cross section: the walls of the buildings, the sidewalks, the gutters and the middle point. The simplest crossroads were described from the crossings of the lines corresponding to these points, which provide respectively 16, 25, 49 or 121 computational cells. The space step was about 25 metres along the streets but went as low as 0.1 m in the crossroads; due to the explicit scheme, which implies that the Courant number was limited to 1, the time step was very small and a long computational time was required.The computations were performed with a uniform Strickler coefficient of 40 m1/3/s. Both 1-D and 2-D models provided results that agreed well with observed water levels. The limits of the flooded area were also quite well simulated. However, locally, the differences between calculated and observed maximum water depths were high, resulting in an average deviation of about 1 metre. The reasons for such deviations could come from three main causes. First, the uncertainty of topographical data is relatively high, because of the interpolation between measured cross sections without a detailed complementary DEM (digital elevation model). Second, the observed levels were also uncertain and reveal local situations that are not reconstructed by the hydraulic models which provided maximum water levels averaged on one cell which may not coincide with the exact location of the observations. Finally, modelling means a simplification of the processes, which implies cancelling the level variations due to some obstacles, such as cars, which are not simple to identify.In conclusion, both software packages can model a flood, even a flash flood, in an urbanised area. Research is still necessary to develop methods to fully use urban databases in order to define details more precisely. The improvements to the 1-D software should include a better modelling of storage and of crossroads with an integration of adapted relations for the head losses. 2-D software has a greater potential but the difficulty to build an optimal computational grid means a long computational time, which limits the use of such software to small areas. For both software packages, methods still need to be developed in order to represent exchanges with the sewage network, storage inside buildings and inputs directly coming from rainfall

The Impact of Sustainability to Strengthen the Competitiveness of Industrial Companies

This paper deals with the sustainability dimension as one of the contemporary strategic tools in evaluating the industrial companies performance. Also, this study explores the application of sustainability dimension  and its impact on achieving the success in the competitive field of industrial companies. Coping with the growing dynamics of the competitive society in which companies operate and ensuring the strengthening of the competitiveness of the companies have become challenging issues.Despite significant research interest in the field of sustainability, an extensive review of the literature revealed no substantive evidence of attention being paid to the impact of sustainability to strengthen the competitiveness of industrial companies. In addition,  there has been little work done in this field of study.This study contributes to knowledge concerning the impact of sustainability on competiveness. It does this by improving understanding of industrial companies roles and responsibilities and how this intersects with stakeholders expectations.The research problem can be formulated in the following question: Does the application of the sustainability dimension affect strengthening the competitiveness?".This paper depends on an exploratory study by scanning the field for several companies in the engineering industries sector in Syria by using a questionnaire to determine the impact of sustainability performance on strengthening competitiveness. The most important findings of the research are: - There is a very good positive and direct correlation between the sustainability and enhancing cost advantage. - There is a strong positive and direct correlation between the sustainability and enhancing quality advantage. - There is a good positive and direct correlation between the sustainability and enhancing environmental advantage. Keywords: Sustainability dimension, environmental advantage, competitive advantage, quality advantage, cost advantage

Study of the island morphology at the early stages of Fe/Mo(110) MBE growth

We present theoretical study of morphology of Fe islands grown at Mo(110) surface in sub-monolayer MBE mode. We utilize atomistic SOS model with bond counting, and interactions of Fe adatom up to third nearest neighbors. We performed KMC simulations for different values of adatom interactions and varying temperatures. We have found that, while for the low temperature islands are fat fractals, for the temperature 500K islands have faceted rhombic-like shape. For the higher temperature, islands acquire a rounded shape. In order to evaluated qualitatively morphological changes, we measured averaged aspect ration of islands. We calculated dependence of the average aspect ratio on the temperature, and on the strength of interactions of an adatom with neighbors.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Proceedings of 11-th Symposium on Surface Physics, Prague 200

Enhancing properties of iron and manganese ores as oxygen carriers for chemical looping processes by dry impregnation

The use of naturally occurring ores as oxygen carriers in CLC processes is attractive because of their relative abundance and low cost. Unfortunately, they typically exhibit lower reactivity and lack the mechanical robustness required, when compared to synthetically produced carriers. Impregnation is a suitable method for enhancing both the reactivity and durability of natural ores when used as oxygen carriers for CLC systems. This investigation uses impregnation to improve the chemical and mechanical properties of a Brazilian manganese ore and a Canadian iron ore. The manganese ore was impregnated with Fe2O3 and the iron ore was impregnated with Mn2O3 with the goal of forming a combined Fe/Mn oxygen carrier. The impregnated ore’s physical characteristics were assessed by SEM, BET and XRD analysis. Measurements of the attrition resistance and crushing strength were used to investigate the mechanical robustness of the oxygen carriers. The impregnated ore’s mechanical and physical properties were clearly enhanced by the impregnation method, with boosts in crushing strength of 11–26% and attrition resistance of 37–31% for the impregnated iron and manganese ores, respectively. Both the unmodified and impregnated ore’s reactivity, for the conversion of gaseous fuel (CH4 and syngas) and gaseous oxygen release (CLOU potential) were investigated using a bench-scale quartz fluidised-bed reactor. The impregnated iron ore exhibited a greater degree of syngas conversion compared to the other samples examined. Iron ore based oxygen carrier’s syngas conversion increases with the number of oxidation and reduction cycles performed. The impregnated iron ore exhibited gaseous oxygen release over extended periods in an inert atmosphere and remained at a constant 0.2% O2 concentration by volume at the end of this inert period. This oxygen release would help ensure the efficient use of solid fuels. The impregnated iron ore’s reactivity for CH4 conversion was similar to the reactivity of its unmodified counterpart. The unmodified manganese ore converted CH4 to the greatest extent of all the samples tested here, while the impregnated manganese ore exhibited a decrease in reactivity with respect to syngas and CH4 conversion.EPSR

Efek Ekstrak Limbah Cair Empulur Batang Sagu Baruk (Arenga Microcarpha) Terhadap Fotoreduksi Besi(III)

Telah dilakukan penelitian untuk menganalisis kandungan fenolik, flavonoid, dan tanin dari limbah cair empulur batang sagu baruk dan menguji kemampuanya dalam fotoreduksi Fe3+. Empulur batang sagu baruk diekstrak dengan pelarut akuades secara maserasi selama 2 jam. Selanjutnya ekstrak hasil maserasi dianalisis kandungan fitokimia fenolik, flavonoid dan tanin dengan menggunakan spektrofotometer UV-Vis. Pengujian fotoreduksi dilakukan pada cahaya fluorescent dengan konsentrasi 1000 mg/L selama 5 jam dengan variasi pH 4, 5, 6, 7 dan 8 serta kapasitas daya 42, 62 dan 104 Watt. Analisis ekstrak limbah cair empulur batang sagu baruk menunjukkan konsentrasi fenolik 112,04 mg asam galat/L konsentrasi flavonoid 30,10 mg kuersetin/L dan konsentrasi tanin 22,02 mg katekin/L.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak limbah cair empulur batang sagu baruk pada pH 6 dengan kapasitas daya 104 Watt mempunyai kemampuan yang paling baik untuk mereduksi Fe3+ dibandingkan dengan ekstrak lainya.Research had been carried out to analyze the photochemicals phenolic, flavonoids, and tanins in liquid waste of pith trunk sago baruk and to test its ability in photoreduction. Pith trunk extracted with aquadest in maceration for two hours. The extracts resulted were then analyzed for phenolic, flavonoids and tanins phytochemicals using spectrophotometer UV-Vis. The photoreduction tests performed on fluorescent light with concentration of 1000 mg/L for five hours with variation pH 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 and on energy capacities of 42, 62 dan 104 Watt. Analysis of liquid waste of pith trunk sago baruk extract showed that phenolic concentration was 112,04 mg gallic acid/L, flavonoid concentration was 30,10 mg quersetin/L and tannin concentration was 22,02 mg chatechin/L. The results showed that extract liquid waste pith trunk sago baruk at pH 6 with energy capacities 104 Watt had best ability in photoreduction Fe3+

protocol for a systematic review

Introduction In Europe alone, over 70 million people experience tinnitus. Despite its considerable socioeconomic relevance, progress in developing successful treatments has been limited. Clinical effectiveness is judged according to change in primary outcome measures, but because tinnitus is a subjective condition, the definition of outcomes is challenging and it remains unclear which distinct aspects of tinnitus (ie, ‘domains’) are most relevant for assessment. The development of a minimum outcome reporting standard would go a long way towards addressing these problems. In 2006, a consensus meeting recommended using 1 of 4 questionnaires for tinnitus severity as an outcome in clinical trials, in part because of availability in different language translations. Our initiative takes an approach motivated by clinimetrics, first by determining what to measure before seeking to determine how to measure it. Agreeing on the domains that contribute to tinnitus severity (ie, ‘what’) is the first step towards achieving a minimum outcome reporting standard for tinnitus that has been reached via a methodologically rigorous and transparent process. Methods and analysis Deciding what should be the core set of outcomes requires a great deal of discussion and so lends itself well to international effort. This protocol lays out the first-step methodology in defining a Core Domain Set for clinical trials of tinnitus by establishing existing knowledge and practice with respect to which outcome domains have been measured and which instruments used in recent registered and published clinical trials. Ethics and dissemination No ethical issues are foreseen. Findings will be reported at national and international ear, nose and throat (ENT) and audiology conferences and in a peer-reviewed journal, using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines. Trial registration number The systematic review protocol is registered on PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews): CRD42015017525

Toward a unified description of hadro- and photoproduction: S-wave pi- and eta-photoproduction amplitudes

The Chew-Mandelstam parameterization, which has been used extensively in the two-body hadronic sector, is generalized in this exploratory study to the electromagnetic sector by simultaneous fits to the pion- and eta-photoproduction S-wave multipole amplitudes for center-of-mass energies from the pion threshold through 1.61 GeV. We review the Chew-Mandelstam parameterization in detail to clarify the theoretical content of the SAID hadronic amplitude analysis and to place the proposed, generalized SAID electromagnetic amplitudes in the context of earlier employed parameterized forms. The parameterization is unitary at the two-body level, employing four hadronic channels and the gamma-N electromagnetic channel. We compare the resulting fit to the MAID parameterization and find qualitative agreement though, numerically, the solution is somewhat different. Applications of the extended parameterization to global fits of the photoproduction data and to global fits of the combined hadronic and photoproduction data are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures; added figures and tex