482 research outputs found
Characteristics of Civil Defense Search and Rescue Units, Turkey, 2008-2009
Background Search and rescue (SAR) is a component of emergency and disaster response. SAR teams are limited in number; thus, collecting information on their characteristics may facilitate the establishment of mutual agreement protocols between countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the Turkish Civil Defense SAR Units. Methods This descriptive study was conducted in 11 provinces of Turkey from July 2008 to October 2009. Interviews, observations and records were used to gather data, and descriptive statistics are presented. To evaluate the adequacy of personnel and equipment, a Likert-type scoring system was used (0-4 points). Results The size and population density of regions served by SAR Units varied. The mean duration of ground transportation from SAR Unit bases to the furthest provinces in their regions was 4.0±1.2 hours. The mean gathering and loading times were 70.5±42.3 and 48.6±18.0 minutes, respectively. The total employment ratio was 55.6%. The surface and underwater rescue section showed the highest functional sufficiency (3.3±0.7). The mean value for adequacy of SAR equipment was 2.6. Deficiencies were identified in periodic medical check-ups, preventive health measures and after-mission medical examinations for the personnel. Conclusion There is a need for standardization and improvement in various characteristics of SAR Units
Conditions for the freezing phenomena of geometric measure of quantum discord for arbitrary two-qubit X states under non-dissipative dephasing noises
We study the dynamics of geometric measure of quantum discord (GMQD) under
the influences of two local phase damping noises. Consider the two qubits
initially in arbitrary X-states, we find the necessary and sufficient
conditions for which GMQD is unaffected for a finite period. It is further
shown that such results also hold for the non-Markovian dephasing process.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Overview on the phenomenon of two-qubit entanglement revivals in classical environments
The occurrence of revivals of quantum entanglement between separated open
quantum systems has been shown not only for dissipative non-Markovian quantum
environments but also for classical environments in absence of back-action.
While the phenomenon is well understood in the first case, the possibility to
retrieve entanglement when the composite quantum system is subject to local
classical noise has generated a debate regarding its interpretation. This
dynamical property of open quantum systems assumes an important role in quantum
information theory from both fundamental and practical perspectives. Hybrid
quantum-classical systems are in fact promising candidates to investigate the
interplay among quantum and classical features and to look for possible control
strategies of a quantum system by means of a classical device. Here we present
an overview on this topic, reporting the most recent theoretical and
experimental results about the revivals of entanglement between two qubits
locally interacting with classical environments. We also review and discuss the
interpretations provided so far to explain this phenomenon, suggesting that
they can be cast under a unified viewpoint.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures. Chapter written for the upcoming book "Lectures
on general quantum correlations and their applications
Model for performance prediction in multi-axis machining
This paper deals with a predictive model of kinematical performance in 5-axis
milling within the context of High Speed Machining. Indeed, 5-axis high speed
milling makes it possible to improve quality and productivity thanks to the
degrees of freedom brought by the tool axis orientation. The tool axis
orientation can be set efficiently in terms of productivity by considering
kinematical constraints resulting from the set machine-tool/NC unit. Capacities
of each axis as well as some NC unit functions can be expressed as limiting
constraints. The proposed model relies on each axis displacement in the joint
space of the machine-tool and predicts the most limiting axis for each
trajectory segment. Thus, the calculation of the tool feedrate can be performed
highlighting zones for which the programmed feedrate is not reached. This
constitutes an indicator for trajectory optimization. The efficiency of the
model is illustrated through examples. Finally, the model could be used for
optimizing process planning
Nanomaterial-based Sensors for the Study of DNA Interaction with Drugs
The interaction of drugs with DNA has been searched thoroughly giving rise to an endless number of findings of undoubted importance, such as a prompt alert to harmful substances, ability to explain most of the biological mechanisms, or provision of important clues in targeted development of novel chemotherapeutics. The existence of some drugs that induce oxidative damage is an increasing point of concern as they can cause cellular death, aging, and are closely related to the development of many diseases. Because of a direct correlation between the response, strength/ nature of the interaction and the pharmaceutical action of DNA-targeted drugs, the electrochemical analysis is based on the signals of DNA before and after the interaction with the DNA-targeted drug. Nowadays, nanoscale materials are used extensively for offering fascinating characteristics that can be used in designing new strategies for drug-DNA interaction detection. This work presents a review of nanomaterials (NMs) for the study of drug-nucleic acid interaction. We summarize types of drug-DNA interactions, electroanalytical techniques for evidencing these interactions and quantification of drug and/or DNA monitoring
State-dependent distributed-delay model of orthogonal cutting
In this paper we present a model of turning
operations with state-dependent distributed time delay.
We apply the theory of regenerative machine tool chat-
ter and describe the dynamics of the tool-workpiece sys-
tem during cutting by delay-diferential equations. We
model the cutting-force as the resultant of a force sys-
tem distributed along the rake face of the tool, which
results in a short distributed delay in the governing
equation superimposed on the large regenerative de-
lay. According to the literature on stress distribution
along the rake face, the length of the chip-tool inter-
face, where the distributed cutting-force system is act-
ing, is function of the chip thickness, which depends on
the vibrations of the tool-workpiece system due to the
regenerative efect. Therefore, the additional short de-
lay is state-dependent. It is shown that involving state-
dependent delay in the model does not afect linear sta-
bility properties, but does afect the nonlinear dynamics
of the cutting process. Namely, the sense of the Hopf bi-
furcation along the stability boundaries may turn from
sub- to supercritical at certain spindle speed regions
FLOW MEDIATED DILATION AND CAROTID INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GASTRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION
Integrating plant physiology into simulation of fire behavior and effects
Wildfires are a global crisis, but current fire models fail to capture vegetation response to changing climate. With drought and elevated temperature increasing the importance of vegetation dynamics to fire behavior, and the advent of next generation models capable of capturing increasingly complex physical processes, we provide a renewed focus on representation of woody vegetation in fire models. Currently, the most advanced representations of fire behavior and biophysical fire effects are found in distinct classes of fine-scale models and do not capture variation in live fuel (i.e. living plant) properties. We demonstrate that plant water and carbon dynamics, which influence combustion and heat transfer into the plant and often dictate plant survival, provide the mechanistic linkage between fire behavior and effects. Our conceptual framework linking remotely sensed estimates of plant water and carbon to fine-scale models of fire behavior and effects could be a critical first step toward improving the fidelity of the coarse scale models that are now relied upon for global fire forecasting. This process-based approach will be essential to capturing the influence of physiological responses to drought and warming on live fuel conditions, strengthening the science needed to guide fire managers in an uncertain future
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