Diffusive spin transport

Information to be stored and transported requires physical carriers. The quantum bit of information (qubit) can for instance be realised as the spin 1/2 degree of freedom of a massive particle like an electron or as the spin 1 polarisation of a massless photon. In this lecture, I first use irreducible representations of the rotation group to characterise the spin dynamics in a least redundant manner. Specifically, I describe the decoherence dynamics of an arbitrary spin S coupled to a randomly fluctuating magnetic field in the Liouville space formalism. Secondly, I discuss the diffusive dynamics of the particle's position in space due to the presence of randomly placed impurities. Combining these two dynamics yields a coherent, unified picture of diffusive spin transport, as applicable to mesoscopic electronic devices or photons propagating in cold atomic clouds.Comment: Lecture notes, published in A. Buchleitner, C. Viviescas, and M. Tiersch (Eds.), "Entanglement and Decoherence. Foundations and Modern Trends", Lecture Notes in Physics 768, Springer, Berlin (2009

Understanding Novel Superconductors with Ab Initio Calculations

This chapter gives an overview of the progress in the field of computational superconductivity. Following the MgB2 discovery (2001), there has been an impressive acceleration in the development of methods based on Density Functional Theory to compute the critical temperature and other physical properties of actual superconductors from first-principles. State-of-the-art ab-initio methods have reached predictive accuracy for conventional (phonon-mediated) superconductors, and substantial progress is being made also for unconventional superconductors. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the existing computational methods for superconductivity, and present selected examples of material discoveries that exemplify the main advancements.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures, Contribution to Springer Handbook of Materials Modellin

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Involving community pharmacists in pharmacy practice research: experiences of peer interviewing

Background Translation of interest in research into active engagement of community pharmacists as research partners/co-researchers remains a challenge. Involving pharmacists in specific research techniques such as peer interviewing, however, may enhance validity of the results. Objective To enhance community pharmacists’ involvement in pharmacy practice research through peer interview training. Method A subgroup of participants in a multi-phase pharmacy practice research project trained to do peer interviews. These pharmacist interviewers attended a workshop and were mentored. Comments from their feedback forms and ongoing engagement with the Research Associate were thematically analysed. Results Positive themes from five interviewers included the importance of the topic and their wish to learn skills beyond their everyday role. The small group format of the training day helped to build confidence. Interviewers felt their shared professional background helped them to capture relevant comments and probe effectively. There were challenges, however, for interviewers to balance research activities with their daily work. Interviewers experienced difficulty in securing uninterrupted time with interviewees which sometimes affected data quality by ‘rushing’. Conclusion Community pharmacists can be engaged as peer interviewers to the benefit of the volunteers and research team, but must be well resourced and supported

Privação de sono total na doença de Parkinson

Doze pacientes com doença de Parkinson (DP) foram submetidos a privação de sono total. A média de idade dos pacientes era 61 anos e a duração da doença era em média de 5,1 anos (1,5 a 12 anos). Quatro deles usavam apenas anticolinérgico, 4 usavam L-Dopa e 4 combinação de drogas de ambos os grupos. Após privação de sono total por uma única noite foi verificada melhora na rigidez, bradicinesia, alterações de postura e marcha e incapacidade funcional com duração de duas semanas, em comparação com os escores quando da inclusão no estudo. Não foi observado efeito sobre o tremor. Em relação aos sintomas depressivos foi verificada melhora com duração de apenas uma semana. Estes resultados sugerem efeito benéfico da privação de sono na DP. Com base em estudos experimentais julgamos que uma explicação possível para estes resultados seja a modificação de receptores dopaminérgicos