534 research outputs found
Bound Modes in Dielectric Microcavities
We demonstrate how exactly bound cavity modes can be realized in dielectric
structures other than 3d photonic crystals. For a microcavity consisting of
crossed anisotropic layers, we derive the cavity resonance frequencies, and
spontaneous emission rates. For a dielectric structure with dissipative loss
and central layer with gain, the beta factor of direct spontaneous emission
into a cavity mode and the laser threshold is calculated.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
How large are the level sets of the Takagi function?
Let T be Takagi's continuous but nowhere-differentiable function. This paper
considers the size of the level sets of T both from a probabilistic point of
view and from the perspective of Baire category. We first give more elementary
proofs of three recently published results. The first, due to Z. Buczolich,
states that almost all level sets (with respect to Lebesgue measure on the
range of T) are finite. The second, due to J. Lagarias and Z. Maddock, states
that the average number of points in a level set is infinite. The third result,
also due to Lagarias and Maddock, states that the average number of local level
sets contained in a level set is 3/2. In the second part of the paper it is
shown that, in contrast to the above results, the set of ordinates y with
uncountably infinite level sets is residual, and a fairly explicit description
of this set is given. The paper also gives a negative answer to a question of
Lagarias and Maddock by showing that most level sets (in the sense of Baire
category) contain infinitely many local level sets, and that a continuum of
level sets even contain uncountably many local level sets. Finally, several of
the main results are extended to a version of T with arbitrary signs in the
summands.Comment: Added a new Section 5 with generalization of the main results; some
new and corrected proofs of the old material; 29 pages, 3 figure
Generalized seniority scheme in light Sn isotopes
The yrast generalized seniority states are compared with the corresponding
shell model states for the case of the Sn isotopes Sn. For most of
the cases the energies agree within 100 keV and the overlaps of the wave
functions are greater than 0.7.Comment: 8 pages, revtex. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients eligible for ICD therapy: Discrepancy between cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and 2D echocardiography
OBJECTIVE: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) have substantially improved the survival of patients with cardiomyopathy. Eligibility for this therapy requires a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <35 %. This is largely based on studies using echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is increasingly utilised for LVEF assessment, but several studies have shown differences between LVEF assessed by CMR and echocardiography. The present study compared LVEF assessment by CMR and echocardiography in a heart failure population and evaluated effects on eligibility for device therapy. METHODS: 152 patients (106 male, mean age 65.5 ± 9.9 years) referred for device therapy were included. During evaluation of eligibility they underwent both CMR and echocardiographic LVEF assessment. CMR volumes were computed from a stack of short-axis images. Echocardiographic volumes were computed using Simpson’s biplane method. RESULTS: The study population demonstrated an underestimation of end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) by echocardiography of 71 ± 53 ml (mean ± SD) and 70 ± 49 ml, respectively. This resulted in an overestimation of LVEF of 6.6 ± 8.3 % by echocardiography compared with CMR (echocardiographic LVEF 31.5 ± 8.7 % and CMR LVEF 24.9 ± 9.6 %). 28 % of patients had opposing outcomes of eligibility for cardiac device therapy depending on the imaging modality used. CONCLUSION: We found EDV and ESV to be underestimated by echocardiography, and LVEF assessed by CMR to be significantly smaller than by echocardiography. Applying an LVEF cut-off value of 35 %, CMR would significantly increase the number of patients eligible for device implantation. Therefore, LVEF cut-off values might need reassessment when using CMR
Analysis of actinic flux profiles measured from an ozonesonde balloon
A green light sensor has been developed at KNMI to measure actinic flux
profiles using an ozonesonde balloon. In total, 63 launches with ascending
and descending profiles were performed between 2006 and 2010. The measured
uncalibrated actinic flux profiles are analysed using the Doubling–Adding
KNMI (DAK) radiative transfer model. Values of the cloud optical thickness
(COT) along the flight track were taken from the Spinning Enhanced Visible
and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) Cloud Physical Properties (CPP) product. The
impact of clouds on the actinic flux profile is evaluated on the basis of the
cloud modification factor (CMF) at the cloud top and cloud base, which is the
ratio between the actinic fluxes for cloudy and clear-sky scenes. The impact
of clouds on the actinic flux is clearly detected: the largest enhancement
occurs at the cloud top due to multiple scattering. The actinic flux
decreases almost linearly from cloud top to cloud base. Above the cloud top
the actinic flux also increases compared to clear-sky scenes. We find that
clouds can increase the actinic flux to 2.3 times the clear-sky value at
cloud top and decrease it to about 0.05 at cloud base. The relationship
between CMF and COT agrees well with DAK simulations, except for a few
outliers. Good agreement is found between the DAK-simulated actinic flux
profiles and the observations for single-layer clouds in fully overcast
scenes. The instrument is suitable for operational balloon measurements
because of its simplicity and low cost. It is worth further developing the
instrument and launching it together with atmospheric chemistry composition
sensors
Entangled Photons from Small Quantum Dots
We discuss level schemes of small quantum-dot turnstiles and their
applicability in the production of entanglement in two-photon emission. Due to
the large energy splitting of the single-electron levels, only one single
electron level and one single hole level can be made resonant with the levels
in the conduction band and valence band. This results in a model with nine
distinct levels, which are split by the Coulomb interactions. We show that the
optical selection rules are different for flat and tall cylindrically symmetric
dots, and how this affects the quality of the entanglement generated in the
decay of the biexciton state. The effect of charge carrier tunneling and of a
resonant cavity is included in the model.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
Changes in hand and generalised bone mineral density in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis
Objectives: To evaluate changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in the hands, hip and spine after 1 and 2 years of follow-up, in relation to antirheumatic and antiresorptive therapies and disease and demographic variables in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis ( RA). Methods: Changes in BMD measured in metacarpals 2-4 by digital x-ray radiogrammetry and in the hip and spine by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry were assessed at baseline and after 1 and 2 years of follow-up in 218 patients with recent-onset RA from the BeSt study, who received one of four treatment strategies: sequential monotherapy ( group 1); step-up combination therapy ( group 2); initial combination therapy with tapered high-dose prednisone ( group 3); or initial combination therapy with infliximab (group 4). Results: After 1 and 2 years, there was significant BMD loss in all locations, with significantly greater BMD loss in the hands than generalised BMD loss in the hip and spine. Initial combination therapy with prednisone or infliximab were associated with less hand BMD loss compared with initial monotherapy after 1 and 2 years (-0.9 and -1.6%, -0.6 and -1.4%, -1.7 and -3.3%, and -2.6 and -3.6% for group 4-1 after 1 and 2 years, overall p = 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). Progression in erosions was independently associated with increased BMD loss both in the hands and hip after 1 year. The use of bisphosphonates protected only against generalised BMD loss in the hip and spine. Conclusions: The association between joint damage progression and both hand and generalised BMD loss in RA suggests common pathways between these processes, with hand BMD loss occurring earlier in the disease course than generalised BMD los
Survey on solar X-ray flares and associated coherent radio emissions
The radio emission during 201 X-ray selected solar flares was surveyed from
100 MHz to 4 GHz with the Phoenix-2 spectrometer of ETH Zurich. The selection
includes all RHESSI flares larger than C5.0 jointly observed from launch until
June 30, 2003. Detailed association rates of radio emission during X-ray flares
are reported. In the decimeter wavelength range, type III bursts and the
genuinely decimetric emissions (pulsations, continua, and narrowband spikes)
were found equally frequently. Both occur predominantly in the peak phase of
hard X-ray (HXR) emission, but are less in tune with HXRs than the
high-frequency continuum exceeding 4 GHz, attributed to gyrosynchrotron
radiation. In 10% of the HXR flares, an intense radiation of the above genuine
decimetric types followed in the decay phase or later. Classic meter-wave type
III bursts are associated in 33% of all HXR flares, but only in 4% they are the
exclusive radio emission. Noise storms were the only radio emission in 5% of
the HXR flares, some of them with extended duration. Despite the spatial
association (same active region), the noise storm variations are found to be
only loosely correlated in time with the X-ray flux. In a surprising 17% of the
HXR flares, no coherent radio emission was found in the extremely broad band
surveyed. The association but loose correlation between HXR and coherent radio
emission is interpreted by multiple reconnection sites connected by common
field lines.Comment: Solar Physics, in pres
Prevalence of vertebral fractures in a disease activity steered cohort of patients with early active rheumatoid arthritis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To determine the prevalence of vertebral fractures (VFs) after 5 years of disease activity score (DAS)-steered treatment in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate the association of VFs with disease activity, functional ability and bone mineral density (BMD) over time.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Five-year radiographs of the spine of 275 patients in the BeSt study, a randomized trial comparing four treatment strategies, were used. Treatment was DAS-steered (DAS ≤ 2.4). A height reduction >20% in one vertebra was defined a vertebral fracture. With linear mixed models, DAS and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores over 5 years were compared for patients with and without VFs. With generalized estimating equations the association between BMD and VFs was determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>VFs were observed in 41/275 patients (15%). No difference in prevalence was found when stratified for gender, prednisone use and menopausal status. Disease activity over time was higher in patients with VFs, mean difference 0.20 (95% CI: 0.05-0.36), and also HAQ scores were higher, independent of disease activity, with a mean difference of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.02-0.2). Age was associated with VFs (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.09), mean BMD in spine and hip over time were not (OR 95% CI, 0.99: 0.78-1.25 and 0.94: 0.65-1.36, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>After 5 years of DAS-steered treatment, 15% of these RA patients had VFs. Higher age was associated with the presence of VFs, mean BMD in hip and spine were not. Patients with VFs have greater functional disability over time and a higher disease activity, suggesting that VFs may be prevented by optimal disease activity suppression.</p
Generic Rotation in a Collective SD Nucleon-Pair Subspace
Low-lying collective states involving many nucleons interacting by a random
ensemble of two-body interactions (TBRE) are investigated in a collective
SD-pair subspace, with the collective pairs defined dynamically from the
two-nucleon system. It is found that in this truncated pair subspace collective
vibrations arise naturally for a general TBRE hamiltonian whereas collective
rotations do not. A hamiltonian restricted to include only a few randomly
generated separable terms is able to produce collective rotational behavior, as
long as it includes a reasonably strong quadrupole-quadrupole component.
Similar results arise in the full shell model space. These results suggest that
the structure of the hamiltonian is key to producing generic collective
rotation.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
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