685 research outputs found
The UK Retail Industry and its Effect on Construction Sectors
The retail industry originated from the local high street to expanding shopping centres and out of town shopping
centres. However, in the past 15 - 20 years the industry has taken multiple hits and is now currently at its lowest
point ever. There is now a growing amount of shop closing, leaving multiple empty units due to previous recession
and increase in online shopping. Ever since the recession, many businesses struggled to survive and had reported
losses during this period due to lack of business, lack of investment in retail outlet, and shoppers having less
disposable income for shopping. Online shopping iscontinuouslygrowing, increasing from 5% in 2008 to 18% in
2019 as shoppers’ habits change in terms of where and how they shop[1].However, how frequent they shop will play
major roles on future procurement opportunities for the retail construction industry. The recent pandemic (covid-19)
with lockdown around the world, will change the way we shop though theeffects are not yet fully established.
Procurement for constructing retail units are not as low as earlier anticipated in comparison to the struggling
market.Hence, this research aims to analyse the changes in the retail industry, its effect on procurement of retail
outlets and longevity of the construction industry, with the objectives of creating an awareness within the industry
and government policy maker so that the resulting effect can be address to prevent unemployment this might
generate or loosing our high street retail outlet completely. The research uses secondary data and tender information
from Building Cost Information Services (BCIS), and identifies the following changes in Retail Industry: increase
online shopping, changes in consumer buying habits and changes to the customer shopping experience
In medium T-matrix for superfluid nuclear matter
We study a generalized ladder resummation in the superfluid phase of the
nuclear matter. The approach is based on a conserving generalization of the
usual T-matrix approximation including also anomalous self-energies and
propagators. The approximation here discussed is a generalization of the usual
mean-field BCS approach and of the in medium T-matrix approximation in the
normal phase. The numerical results in this work are obtained in the
quasi-particle approximation. Properties of the resulting self-energy,
superfluid gap and spectral functions are studied.Comment: 38 pages, 19 figures, Introduction rewritten, Refs. adde
STM characterization of the Si-P heterodimer
We use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Auger electron spectroscopy to
study the behavior of adsorbed phosphine (PH) on Si(001), as a function
of annealing temperature, paying particular attention to the formation of the
Si-P heterodimer. Dosing the Si(001) surface with 0.002 Langmuirs of
PH results in the adsorption of PH (x=2,3) onto the surface and
some etching of Si to form individual Si ad-dimers. Annealing to 350C
results in the incorporation of P into the surface layer to form Si-P
heterodimers and the formation of short 1-dimensional Si dimer chains and
monohydrides. In filled state STM images, isolated Si-P heterodimers appear as
zig-zag features on the surface due to the static dimer buckling induced by the
heterodimer. In the presence of a moderate coverage of monohydrides this static
buckling is lifted, rending the Si-P heterodimers invisible in filled state
images. However, we find that we can image the heterodimer at all H coverages
using empty state imaging. The ability to identify single P atoms incorporated
into Si(001) will be invaluable in the development of nanoscale electronic
devices based on controlled atomic-scale doping of Si.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (only 72dpi
The Timing, the Treatment, the Question: Comparison of Epidemiologic Approaches to Minimize Immortal Time Bias in Real-World Data Using a Surgical Oncology Example
Background: Studies evaluating the effects of cancer treatments are prone to immortal time bias that, if unaddressed, can lead to treatments appearing more beneficial than they are. Methods: To demonstrate the impact of immortal time bias, we compared results across several analytic approaches (dichotomous exposure, dichotomous exposure excluding immortal time, time-varying exposure, landmark analysis, clone-censor-weight method), using surgical resection among women with metastatic breast cancer as an example. All adult women diagnosed with incident metastatic breast cancer from 2013–2016 in the National Cancer Database were included. To quantify immortal time bias, we also conducted a simulation study where the “true” relationship between surgical resection and mortality was known. Results: 24,329 women (median age 61, IQR 51–71) were included, and 24% underwent surgical resection. The largest association between resection and mortality was observed when using a dichotomized exposure [HR, 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.51–0.57], followed by dichotomous with exclusion of immortal time (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.59–0.65). Results from the time-varying exposure, landmark, and clone-censor-weight method analyses were closer to the null (HR, 0.67–0.84). Results from the plasmode simulation found that the time-varying exposure, landmark, and clone-censor-weight method models all produced unbiased HRs (bias -0.003 to 0.016). Both standard dichotomous exposure (HR, 0.84; bias, -0.177) and dichotomous with exclusion of immortal time (HR, 0.93; bias, -0.074) produced meaningfully biased estimates. Conclusions: Researchers should use time-varying exposures with a treatment assessment window or the clone-censor-weight method when immortal time is present. Impact: Using methods that appropriately account for immortal time will improve evidence and decision-making from research using real-world data
Single Spin Measurement using Single Electron Transistors to Probe Two Electron Systems
We present a method for measuring single spins embedded in a solid by probing
two electron systems with a single electron transistor (SET). Restrictions
imposed by the Pauli Principle on allowed two electron states mean that the
spin state of such systems has a profound impact on the orbital states
(positions) of the electrons, a parameter which SET's are extremely well suited
to measure. We focus on a particular system capable of being fabricated with
current technology: a Te double donor in Si adjacent to a Si/SiO2 interface and
lying directly beneath the SET island electrode, and we outline a measurement
strategy capable of resolving single electron and nuclear spins in this system.
We discuss the limitations of the measurement imposed by spin scattering
arising from fluctuations emanating from the SET and from lattice phonons. We
conclude that measurement of single spins, a necessary requirement for several
proposed quantum computer architectures, is feasible in Si using this strategy.Comment: 22 Pages, 8 Figures; revised version contains updated references and
small textual changes. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Split-off dimer defects on the Si(001)2x1 surface
Dimer vacancy (DV) defect complexes in the Si(001)2x1 surface were
investigated using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and first
principles calculations. We find that under low bias filled-state tunneling
conditions, isolated 'split-off' dimers in these defect complexes are imaged as
pairs of protrusions while the surrounding Si surface dimers appear as the
usual 'bean-shaped' protrusions. We attribute this to the formation of pi-bonds
between the two atoms of the split-off dimer and second layer atoms, and
present charge density plots to support this assignment. We observe a local
brightness enhancement due to strain for different DV complexes and provide the
first experimental confirmation of an earlier prediction that the 1+2-DV
induces less surface strain than other DV complexes. Finally, we present a
previously unreported triangular shaped split-off dimer defect complex that
exists at SB-type step edges, and propose a structure for this defect involving
a bound Si monomer.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Spectroscopic Survey of X-type Asteroids
We present reflected light spectral observations from 0.4 to 2.5 micron of 24
asteroids chosen from the population of asteroids initially classified as
Tholen X-type objects (Tholen, 1984). The X complex in the Tholen taxonomy
comprises the E, M and P classes which have very different inferred
mineralogies but which are spectrally similar to each other, with featureless
spectra in visible wavelengths. The data were obtained during several observing
runs in the 2004-2007 years at the NTT, TNG and IRTF telescopes. We find a
large variety of near-infrared spectral behaviors within the X class, and we
identify weak absorption bands in spectra of 11 asteroids. Our spectra,
together with albedos published by Tedesco et al. (2002), can be used to
suggest new Tholen classifications for these objects. In order to constrain the
possible composition of these asteroids, we perform a least-squares search
through the RELAB spectral database. Many of the best fits are consistent with
meteorite analogue materials suggested in the published literature. In fact, we
find that 7 of the new M-types can be fit with metallic iron (or pallasite)
materials, and that the low albedo C/P-type asteroids are best fitted with CM
meteorites, some of which have been subjected to heating episodes or laser
irradiation. Finally, we consider and analyse the sample of the X-type
asteroids we have when we combine the present observations with previously
published observations for a total of 72 bodies.Comment: Accepted for publication in Icaru
Self-Consistent Quasi-Particle RPA for the Description of Superfluid Fermi Systems
Self-Consistent Quasi-Particle RPA (SCQRPA) is for the first time applied to
a more level pairing case. Various filling situations and values for the
coupling constant are considered. Very encouraging results in comparison with
the exact solution of the model are obtained. The nature of the low lying mode
in SCQRPA is identified. The strong reduction of the number fluctuation in
SCQRPA vs BCS is pointed out. The transition from superfluidity to the normal
fluid case is carefully investigated.Comment: 23 pages, 18 figures and 1 table, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Experimental support of the scaling rule for demographic stochasticity
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73613/1/j.1461-0248.2006.00903.x.pd
Can forest management based on natural disturbances maintain ecological resilience?
Given the increasingly global stresses on forests, many ecologists argue that managers must maintain ecological resilience: the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances without undergoing fundamental change. In this review we ask: Can the emerging paradigm of natural-disturbance-based management (NDBM) maintain ecological resilience in managed forests? Applying resilience theory requires careful articulation of the ecosystem state under consideration, the disturbances and stresses that affect the persistence of possible alternative states, and the spatial and temporal scales of management relevance. Implementing NDBM while maintaining resilience means recognizing that (i) biodiversity is important for long-term ecosystem persistence, (ii) natural disturbances play a critical role as a generator of structural and compositional heterogeneity at multiple scales, and (iii) traditional management tends to produce forests more homogeneous than those disturbed naturally and increases the likelihood of unexpected catastrophic change by constraining variation of key environmental processes. NDBM may maintain resilience if silvicultural strategies retain the structures and processes that perpetuate desired states while reducing those that enhance resilience of undesirable states. Such strategies require an understanding of harvesting impacts on slow ecosystem processes, such as seed-bank or nutrient dynamics, which in the long term can lead to ecological surprises by altering the forest's capacity to reorganize after disturbance
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