8,317 research outputs found
Development of dispersion strengthened chromium alloys Summary report
Dispersion strengthened chromium alloys with minimal quantities of interstitial impuritie
Towards an understanding of GPs' viewpoint on diagnosing postnatal depression in general practice: a small-scale realist evaluation
BACKGROUND: Less than half of postnatal depression cases are identified in routine clinical assessment. Guidelines and current literature suggest that general practitioners (GPs) may have an opportunistic role in detecting postnatal depression due to their early contact and existing rapport with many new mothers. There is limited research on the diagnostic approaches chosen by GPs in different GP-patient contexts. Our small-scale study evaluates the thought processes of seven GPs based in one practice when forming a clinical diagnosis of postnatal depression under different contexts. METHODS: Seven GP participants were interviewed using case vignettes about postnatal depression, based on an adapted Johari's window framework. A realist approach to analysis was undertaken with the intention of understanding GPs' responses to different situations. Context-mechanism-outcome configurations were constructed, and a programme theory was formed to consolidate the findings. FINDINGS: Findings suggest that diagnoses may be a clinician-led or collaborative process between GP and patient. In collaborative contexts, stigmatising views were addressed by GPs, time for self-reflection was encouraged and mothers' views were accounted for. Clinician-led diagnoses often occurred in contexts where there was a lack of acknowledgement of symptoms on behalf of the patient or where safety was a concern. The personal and clinical experience of GPs themselves, as well as effective communication channels with other primary care professionals, was significant mechanisms. CONCLUSION: GPs use a variety of strategies to support patient disclosure and acceptance of their condition. The complexity of GP-patient contexts may influence the clinical thought process. We address some of the gaps in existing literature by exploring postnatal depression diagnosis in primary care and provide tentative explanations to suggest what works, for whom and in what contexts
Spectral line shape of resonant four-wave mixing induced by broad-bandwidth lasers
We present a theoretical and experimental study of the line shape of resonant four-wave mixing induced by broad-bandwidth laser radiation that revises the theory of Meacher, Smith, Ewart, and Cooper (MSEC) [Phys. Rev. A 46, 2718 (1992)]. We adopt the same method as MSEC but correct for an invalid integral used to average over the distribution of atomic velocities. The revised theory predicts a Voigt line shape composed of a homogeneous, Lorentzian component, defined by the collisional rate Γ, and an inhomogeneous, Doppler component, which is a squared Gaussian. The width of the inhomogeneous component is reduced by a factor of √2 compared to the simple Doppler width predicted by MSEC. In the limit of dominant Doppler broadening, the width of the homogeneous component is predicted to be 4Γ, whereas in the limit of dominant homogeneous broadening, the predicted width is 2Γ. An experimental measurement is reported of the line shape of the four-wave-mixing signal using a broad-bandwidth, "modeless", laser resonant with the Q1 (6) line of the A2 Σ - X2 Π(0,0) system of the hydroxyl radical. The measured widths of the Voigt components were found to be consistent with the predictions of the revised theory
Higher Order Methods for Simulations on Quantum Computers
To efficiently implement many-qubit gates for use in quantum simulations on
quantum computers we develop and present methods reexpressing exp[-i (H_1 + H_2
+ ...) \Delta t] as a product of factors exp[-i H_1 \Delta t], exp[-i H_2
\Delta t], ... which is accurate to 3rd or 4th order in \Delta t. The methods
we derive are an extended form of symplectic method and can also be used for
the integration of classical Hamiltonians on classical computers. We derive
both integral and irrational methods, and find the most efficient methods in
both cases.Comment: 21 pages, Latex, one figur
New summing algorithm using ensemble computing
We propose an ensemble algorithm, which provides a new approach for
evaluating and summing up a set of function samples. The proposed algorithm is
not a quantum algorithm, insofar it does not involve quantum entanglement. The
query complexity of the algorithm depends only on the scaling of the
measurement sensitivity with the number of distinct spin sub-ensembles. From a
practical point of view, the proposed algorithm may result in an exponential
speedup, compared to known quantum and classical summing algorithms. However in
general, this advantage exists only if the total number of function samples is
below a threshold value which depends on the measurement sensitivity.Comment: 13 pages, 0 figures, VIth International Conference on Quantum
Communication, Measurement and Computing (Boston, 2002
Simulating Physical Phenomena by Quantum Networks
Physical systems, characterized by an ensemble of interacting elementary
constituents, can be represented and studied by different algebras of
observables or operators. For example, a fully polarized electronic system can
be investigated by means of the algebra generated by the usual fermionic
creation and annihilation operators, or by using the algebra of Pauli
(spin-1/2) operators. The correspondence between the two algebras is given by
the Jordan-Wigner isomorphism. As we previously noted similar one-to-one
mappings enable one to represent any physical system in a quantum computer. In
this paper we evolve and exploit this fundamental concept in quantum
information processing to simulate generic physical phenomena by quantum
networks. We give quantum circuits useful for the efficient evaluation of the
physical properties (e.g, spectrum of observables or relevant correlation
functions) of an arbitrary system with Hamiltonian .Comment: 44 pages, 15 psfigur
Psychological attachment to the group: Cross-cultural differences in organizational identification and subjective norms as predictors of workers' turnover intentions
Two studies wed the theory of reasoned action, social identity theory, and Ashforth and Mael's work on organizational identification to predict turnover intentions in Japanese and British commercial and academic organizations. In both studies and in both countries, the authors expected and found that identification with the organization substantially and significantly predicted turnover intentions. Attitudes predicted intentions only in Study 2, and subjective norms significantly predicted intentions across both studies. The authors hypothesized that subjective norms would be a significantly stronger predictor of turnover intentions in a collectivist setting. This prediction was supported. Although social identity is strongly associated with turnover intentions across both cultures, the subjective normative aspects of group membership are significantly more strongly associated in the Japanese organizations
Random copying in space
Random copying is a simple model for population dynamics in the absence of
selection, and has been applied to both biological and cultural evolution. In
this work, we investigate the effect that spatial structure has on the
dynamics. We focus in particular on how a measure of the diversity in the
population changes over time. We show that even when the vast majority of a
population's history may be well-described by a spatially-unstructured model,
spatial structure may nevertheless affect the expected level of diversity seen
at a local scale. We demonstrate this phenomenon explicitly by examining the
random copying process on small-world networks, and use our results to comment
on the use of simple random-copying models in an empirical context.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figures. Based on invited talk at AHRC CECD Conference
on "Cultural Evolution in Spatially Structured Populations" at UCL, September
2010. To appear in ACS - Advances in Complex System
Nonlinear quantum mechanics implies polynomial-time solution for NP-complete and #P problems
If quantum states exhibit small nonlinearities during time evolution, then
quantum computers can be used to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time.
We provide algorithms that solve NP-complete and #P oracle problems by
exploiting nonlinear quantum logic gates. It is argued that virtually any
deterministic nonlinear quantum theory will include such gates, and the method
is explicitly demonstrated using the Weinberg model of nonlinear quantum
mechanics.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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