Preparation and Elastic Moduli of Germanate Glass Containing Lead and Bismuth

This paper reports the rapid melt quenching technique preparation for the new family of bismuth-lead germanate glass (BPG) systems in the form of (GeO2)60–(PbO)40−x–(½Bi2O3)x where x = 0 to 40 mol%. Their densities with respect of Bi2O3 concentration were determined using Archimedes’ method with acetone as a floatation medium. The current experimental data are compared with those of bismuth lead borate (B2O3)20–(PbO)80−x–(Bi2O3)x. The elastic properties of BPG were studied using the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique where both longitudinal and transverse sound wave velocities have been measured in each glass samples at a frequency of 15 MHz and at room temperature. Experimental data shows that all the physical parameters of BPG including density and molar volume, both longitudinal and transverse velocities increase linearly with increasing of Bi2O3 content in the germanate glass network. Their elastic moduli such as longitudinal, shear and Young’s also increase linearly with addition of Bi2O3 but the bulk modulus did not. The Poisson’s ratio and fractal dimensionality are also found to vary linearly with the Bi2O3 concentration

Transforming traditional CRM into social CRM: an empirical investigation in Iraqi healthcare industry

The unprecedented growth of social media usage questions the conventional customer relationship management (CRM). Social CRM strategy is a novel version of CRM empowered by social media technology that offers a new way of managing relationships with customers effectively. The aims of this study are two-fold, examining the important determinants of the successful adoption of the social CRM; and to validate the outcomes on this novel social CRM adoption in the healthcare industry. The proposed adoption model of this study derived with theoretical support from TOE, DOI and ISS theories in IS/IT, social media, and CRM literatures. This undertaking focuses on the use of structural equations modelling, to examine a theoretical social CRM (Social Customer Relationship Management) model involving 17 Iraqi hospitals, and a sample total of 428. The model's principal independent constructs are associated to the viewpoint of top management, IT staff and operational staff, regarding the grounds for social CRM adoption, the operations performed on social CRM, and the themes employed. PLS-SEM was applied for statistical analysis, to evaluate the hypnotized linkages between the variables. The results show that, social CRM adoption has a tremendous impact on healthcare organizations with its perceived benefits. According to the results attained, all constructs have significant impact on social CRM adoption except for leadership knowledge. Consequently, adoption results in remarkable outcomes that gives credence to the intervening performance of social CRM. Following an examination of the model, which included a scrutiny of its pathways, we are of the view that the concerns, past history, and potential let-downs with regards to social CRM adoption, need to be thoroughly investigated. This study is one of the few researches that provide the in-depth knowledge about the constructs impacting CRM transformation and the benefits attained. The results can guide healthcare providers during their efforts to develop effective marketing techniques, and advance the perceived benefits, particularly in the healthcare profession. Moreover, this study contributes to the IS literature by suggesting the empirically extended TOE model which advances the conventional TOE model

Quantum key distribution in terms of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state: multi-key generation

In this paper, we develop a quantum key distribution protocol based on the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states (GHZs). The particles are exchanged among the users in blocks through two steps. In this protocol, for three-particle GHZs three keys can be simultaneously generated. The advantage of this is that the users can select the most suitable key for communication. The protocol can be generalized to $N$ users to provide $N$ keys. The protocol has two levels for checking the eavesdroppers. Moreover, we discuss the security of the protocol against different attacks.Comment: 10 Page, no figures. Comments are most welcom

Crystal structure of Cu-Sn-In alloys around the {\eta} phase field studied by neutron diffraction

The study of the Cu-Sn-In ternary system has become of great importance in recent years, due to new environmental regulations forcing to eliminate the use of Pb in bonding technologies for electronic devices. A key relevant issue concerns the intermetallic phases which grow in the bonding zone and are determining in their quality and performance. In this work, we focus in the {\eta}-phase (Cu2In or Cu6Sn5) that exists in both end binaries and as a ternary phase. We present a neutron diffraction study of the constitution and crystallography of a series of alloys around the 60 at.% Cu composition, and with In contents ranging from 0 to 25 at.%, quenched from 300\degreeC. The alloys were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, probe microanalysis and high-resolution neutron diffraction. The Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data allowed to improve the currently available model for site occupancies in the hexagonal {\eta}-phase in the binary Cu-Sn as well as in ternary alloys. For the first time, structural data is reported in the ternary Cu-Sn-In {\eta}-phase as a function of composition, information that is of fundamental technological importance as well as valuable input data for ongoing modelisations of the ternary phase diagram.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

Design of entertainment mobile robot: IDAP

Robotic system applications have advanced dramatically over the past few years. This paper presents the IDAP Robot, which is designed and fabricated by taking the first Malaysia robot games festival or Robofest 2002. Development of the IDAP Robot based on the contest regulation to place out the beach balls into the cylinder tubes. This paper focuses on strategies motion of the IDAP robot. The strategies that involve are; it can carry out eighteen beach balls in one time and it is able to place all the cylinder tubes in one track within 3 minutes. The structure design of the robot is divided into two parts namely hardware and software parts. The hardware part involves the design and development of the platform module, storage module, arm manipulator module, power supply module, permanent magnet DC motor, sensing system, control panel, circuit protection and programmable logic controller (PLC). The platform module is divided into three parts namely, Y-axis design, Z-axis design and θ-axis design

Torsional Alfven waves in stratified and expanding magnetic flux tubes

The effects of both density stratification and magnetic field expansion on torsional Alfven waves in magnetic flux tubes are studied. The frequencies, the period ratio P1/P2 of the fundamental and its first-overtone, and eigenfunctions of torsional Alfven modes are obtained. Our numerical results show that the density stratification and magnetic field expansion have opposite effects on the oscillating properties of torsional Alfven waves.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Malaysian primary care doctors' views on men's health: an unresolved jigsaw puzzle

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Men have been noted to utilise health care services less readily then women. Primary care settings provide an opportunity to engage men in health care activities because of close proximity to the target group (men in the community). Understanding attitudes towards men's health among Malaysian primary care doctors is important for the effective delivery of health services to men. We aimed to explore the opinions and attitudes of primary care doctors (PCDs) relating to men's health and help-seeking behaviour.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A qualitative approach to explore the opinions of 52 PCDs was employed, using fourteen in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions in public and private settings. Purposive sampling of PCDs was done to ensure maximum variation in the PCD sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Open coding with thematic analysis was used to identify key issues raised in the interview.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The understanding of the concept of men's health among PCDs was fragmented. Although many PCDs were already managing health conditions relevant and common to men, they were not viewed by PCDs as "men's health". Less attention was paid to men's help-seeking behaviour and their gender roles as a potential determinant of the poor health status of men. There were opposing views about whether men's health should focus on men's <it>overall </it>health or a more focused approach to sexual health. There was also disagreement about whether special attention was warranted for men's health services. Some doctors would prioritise more common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The concept of men's health was new to PCDs in Malaysia. There was wide variation in understanding and opposing attitudes towards men's health among primary care doctors. Creating awareness and having a systematic approach would facilitate PCDs in delivering health service to men.</p

Violent aggression predicted by multiple pre-adult environmental hits

Early exposure to negative environmental impact shapes individual behavior and potentially contributes to any mental disease. We reported previously that accumulated environmental risk markedly decreases age at schizophrenia onset. Follow-up of matched extreme group individuals (≤1 vs. ≥3 risks) unexpectedly revealed that high-risk subjects had >5 times greater probability of forensic hospitalization. In line with longstanding sociological theories, we hypothesized that risk accumulation before adulthood induces violent aggression and criminal conduct, independent of mental illness. We determined in 6 independent cohorts (4 schizophrenia and 2 general population samples) pre-adult risk exposure, comprising urbanicity, migration, physical and sexual abuse as primary, and cannabis or alcohol as secondary hits. All single hits by themselves were marginally associated with higher violent aggression. Most strikingly, however, their accumulation strongly predicted violent aggression (odds ratio 10.5). An epigenome-wide association scan to detect differential methylation of blood-derived DNA of selected extreme group individuals yielded overall negative results. Conversely, determination in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of histone-deacetylase1 mRNA as 'umbrella mediator' of epigenetic processes revealed an increase in the high-risk group, suggesting lasting epigenetic alterations. Together, we provide sound evidence of a disease-independent unfortunate relationship between well-defined pre-adult environmental hits and violent aggression, calling for more efficient prevention

Exciton-polariton topological insulator

The authors thank R. Thomale for fruitful discussions. S.K. acknowledges the European Commission for the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fellowship (Topopolis). S.K., S.H. and M.S. are grateful for financial support by the JMU-Technion seed money program. S.H. also acknowledges support by the EPSRC ”Hybrid Polaritonics” Grant (EP/M025330/1). The Würzburg group acknowledges support by the ImPACT Program, Japan Science and Technology Agency and the State of Bavaria. T.C.H.L. and R. G. were supported by the Ministry of Education (Singapore) Grant No. 2017-T2-1-001Topological insulators—materials that are insulating in the bulk but allow electrons to flow on their surface—are striking examples of materials in which topological invariants are manifested in robustness against perturbations such as defects and disorder1. Their most prominent feature is the emergence of edge states at the boundary between areas with different topological properties. The observable physical effect is unidirectional robust transport of these edge states. Topological insulators were originally observed in the integer quantum Hall effect2 (in which conductance is quantized in a strong magnetic field) and subsequently suggested3,4,5 and observed6 to exist without a magnetic field, by virtue of other effects such as strong spin–orbit interaction. These were systems of correlated electrons. During the past decade, the concepts of topological physics have been introduced into other fields, including microwaves7,8, photonic systems9,10, cold atoms11,12, acoustics13,14 and even mechanics15. Recently, topological insulators were suggested to be possible in exciton-polariton systems16,17,18 organized as honeycomb (graphene-like) lattices, under the influence of a magnetic field. Exciton-polaritons are part-light, part-matter quasiparticles that emerge from strong coupling of quantum-well excitons and cavity photons19. Accordingly, the predicted topological effects differ from all those demonstrated thus far. Here we demonstrate experimentally an exciton-polariton topological insulator. Our lattice of coupled semiconductor microcavities is excited non-resonantly by a laser, and an applied magnetic field leads to the unidirectional flow of a polariton wavepacket around the edge of the array. This chiral edge mode is populated by a polariton condensation mechanism. We use scanning imaging techniques in real space and Fourier space to measure photoluminescence and thus visualize the mode as it propagates. We demonstrate that the topological edge mode goes around defects, and that its propagation direction can be reversed by inverting the applied magnetic field. Our exciton-polariton topological insulator paves the way for topological phenomena that involve light–matter interaction, amplification and the interaction of exciton-polaritons as a nonlinear many-body system.PostprintPeer reviewe