4,106 research outputs found
Rare earth contributions to the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the Co K edge in rare earth-cobalt compounds investigated by multiple-scattering calculations
The X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) has been measured at the Co K
edge in Co-hcp and R-Co compounds (R=La, Tb, Dy). The structure of the
experimental XMCD spectra in the near-edge region has been observed to be
highly sensitive to the magnetic environment of the absorbing site.
Calculations of the XMCD have been carried out at the Co K edge in Co metal,
LaCo and TbCo within the multiple-scattering framework including the
spin-orbit coupling. In the three systems, the XMCD spectra in the near-edge
region are well reproduced. The possibility to separate and quantitatively
estimate the local effects from those due to the neighboring atoms in the XMCD
cross section makes possible a more physical understanding of the spectra. The
present results emphasize the major role played by the states of the Tb
ions in the XMCD spectrum at the Co K edge in the TbCo compound.Comment: 34 pages, revtex, 10 eps figures included with epsf, after referee
revie
Space-time evolution of electron cascades in diamond
Here we describe model calculations to follow the spatio-temporal evolution
of secondary electron cascades in diamond. The band structure of the insulator
has been explicitly incorporated into the calculations as it affects
ionizations from the valence band. A Monte-Carlo model was constructed to
describe the path of electrons following the impact of a single electron of
energy E 250 eV. The results show the evolution of the secondary electron
cascades in terms of the number of electrons liberated, the spatial
distribution of these electrons, and the energy distribution among the
electrons as a function of time. The predicted ionization rates (5-13 electrons
in 100 fs) lie within the limits given by experiments and phenomenological
models. Calculation of the local electron density and the corresponding Debye
length shows that the latter is systematically larger than the radius of the
electron cloud. This means that the electron gas generated does not represent a
plasma in a single impact cascade triggered by an electron of E 250 eV energy.
This is important as it justifies the independent-electron approximation used
in the model. At 1 fs, the (average) spatial distribution of secondary
electrons is anisotropic with the electron cloud elongated in the direction of
the primary impact. The maximal radius of the cascade is about 50 A at this
time. As the system cools, energy is distributed more equally, and the spatial
distribution of the electron cloud becomes isotropic. At 90 fs maximal radius
is about 150 A. The Monte-Carlo model described here could be adopted for the
investigation of radiation damage in other insulators and has implications for
planned experiments with intense femtosecond X-ray sources.Comment: 26 pages, latex, 13 figure
A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of hydrotherapy and land exercises on overall well being and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis
Background \ud
Hydrotherapy is highly valued by people with rheumatoid arthritis yet few studies have compared the benefits of exercises in heated water against exercises on land. In particular, data on quality of life is rarely reported. This is especially important because patients treated with hydrotherapy often report an enhanced sense of well-being. We report a randomised controlled trial in which we compared the effects of hydrotherapy with exercises on land on overall response to treatment, physical function and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. \ud
\ud
Methods \ud
One hundred and fifteen patients with RA were randomised to receive a weekly 30-minute session of hydrotherapy or similar exercises on land for 6 weeks. Our primary outcome was a self-rated global impression of change – a measure of treatment effect on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(very much worse) to 7 (very much better) assessed immediately on completion of treatment. Secondary outcomes including EuroQol health related quality of life, EuroQol health status valuation, HAQ, 10 metre walk time and pain scores were collected at baseline, after treatment and 3 months later. Binary outcomes were analysed by Fisher's exact test and continuous variables by Wilcoxon or Mann-Whitney tests. \ud
\ud
Results \ud
Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Significantly more patients treated with hydrotherapy (40/46, 87%) were much better or very much better than the patients treated with land exercise (19/40, 47.5%), p < 0.001 Fisher's exact test. Eleven patients allocated land exercise failed to complete treatment compared with 4 patients allocated hydrotherapy (p = 0.09). Sensitivity analyses confirmed an advantage for hydrotherapy if we assumed non-completers would all not have responded (response rates 70% versus 38%; p < 0.001) or if we assumed that non-completers would have had the same response as completers (response rates 82% versus 55% p = 0.002). Ten metre walk time improved after treatment in both cases (median pre-treatment time for both groups combined 10.9 seconds, post-treatment 9.1 s, and 3 months later 9.6 s). There was however no difference between treatment groups. Similarly there were no significant differences between groups in terms of changes to HAQ, EQ-5D utility score, EQ VAS and pain VAS. \ud
\ud
Conclusion \ud
Patients with RA treated with hydrotherapy are more likely to report feeling much better or very much better than those treated with land exercises immediately on completion of the treatment programme. This perceived benefit was not reflected by differences between groups in 10-metre walk times, functional scores, quality of life measures and pain scores
On Unbounded Composition Operators in -Spaces
Fundamental properties of unbounded composition operators in -spaces are
studied. Characterizations of normal and quasinormal composition operators are
provided. Formally normal composition operators are shown to be normal.
Composition operators generating Stieltjes moment sequences are completely
characterized. The unbounded counterparts of the celebrated Lambert's
characterizations of subnormality of bounded composition operators are shown to
be false. Various illustrative examples are supplied
Gaining and sustaining schistosomiasis control: study protocol and baseline data prior to different treatment strategies in five African countries
The Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) was established in 2008 to answer strategic questions about schistosomiasis control. For programme managers, a high-priority question is: what are the most cost-effective strategies for delivering preventive chemotherapy (PCT) with praziquantel (PZQ)? This paper describes the process SCORE used to transform this question into a harmonized research protocol, the study design for answering this question, the village eligibility assessments and data resulting from the first year of the study.; Beginning in 2009, SCORE held a series of meetings to specify empirical questions and design studies related to different schedules of PCT for schistosomiasis control in communities with high (gaining control studies) and moderate (sustaining control studies) prevalence of Schistosoma infection among school-aged children. Seven studies are currently being implemented in five African countries. During the first year, villages were screened for eligibility, and data were collected on prevalence and intensity of infection prior to randomisation and the implementation of different schemes of PZQ intervention strategies.; These studies of different treatment schedules with PZQ will provide the most comprehensive data thus far on the optimal frequency and continuity of PCT for schistosomiasis infection and morbidity control.; We expect that the study outcomes will provide data for decision-making for country programme managers and a rich resource of information to the schistosomiasis research community.; The trials are registered at International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial registry (identifiers: ISRCTN99401114 , ISRCTN14849830 , ISRCTN16755535 , ISRCTN14117624 , ISRCTN95819193 and ISRCTN32045736 )
Andreev reflections in the pseudogap state of cuprate supercondcutors
We propose that, if the pseudogap state in the cuprate superconductors can be
described in terms of the phase-incoherent preformed pairs, there should exist
Andreev reflection from these pairs even above the superconducting transition
temperature, . After giving qualitative arguments for this effect, we
present more quantitative calculations based on the Bogoliubov--de Gennes
equation. Experimental observations of the effects of Andreev reflections above
---such as an enhanced tunneling conductance below the gap along the
copper oxide plane---could provide unambiguous evidence for the preformed pairs
in the pseudogap state.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
On the Schoenberg Transformations in Data Analysis: Theory and Illustrations
The class of Schoenberg transformations, embedding Euclidean distances into
higher dimensional Euclidean spaces, is presented, and derived from theorems on
positive definite and conditionally negative definite matrices. Original
results on the arc lengths, angles and curvature of the transformations are
proposed, and visualized on artificial data sets by classical multidimensional
scaling. A simple distance-based discriminant algorithm illustrates the theory,
intimately connected to the Gaussian kernels of Machine Learning
Lessons Learned in Conducting Mass Drug Administration for Schistosomiasis Control and Measuring Coverage in an Operational Research Setting
The Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) was created to conduct research that could inform programmatic decision-making related to schistosomiasis. SCORE included several large cluster randomized field studies involving mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel. The largest of these were studies of gaining or sustaining control of schistosomiasis, which were conducted in five African countries. To enhance relevance for routine practice, the MDA in these studies was coordinated by or closely aligned with national neglected tropical disease (NTD) control programs. The study protocol set minimum targets of at least 90% for coverage among children enrolled in schools and 75% for all school-age children. Over the 4 years of intervention, an estimated 3.5 million treatments were administered to study communities. By year 4, the median village coverage was at or above targets in all studies except that in Mozambique. However, there was often a wide variation behind these summary statistics, and all studies had several villages with very low or high coverage. In studies where coverage was estimated by comparing the number of people treated with the number eligible for treatment, denominator estimation was often problematic. The SCORE experiences in conducting these studies provide lessons for future efforts that attempt to implement strong research designs in real-world contexts. They also have potential applicability to country MDA campaigns against schistosomiasis and other NTDs, most of which are conducted with less logistical and financial support than was available for the SCORE study efforts
Spectroscopic investigation of quantum confinement effects in ion implanted silicon-on-sapphire films
Crystalline Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS) films were implanted with boron (B)
and phosphorous (P) ions. Different samples, prepared by varying the ion
dose in the range to 5 x and ion energy in the range
150-350 keV, were investigated by the Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence
(PL) spectroscopy and glancing angle x-ray diffraction (GAXRD). The Raman
results from dose dependent B implanted samples show red-shifted and
asymmetrically broadened Raman line-shape for B dose greater than
ions cm. The asymmetry and red shift in the Raman line-shape is
explained in terms of quantum confinement of phonons in silicon nanostructures
formed as a result of ion implantation. PL spectra shows size dependent visible
luminescence at 1.9 eV at room temperature, which confirms the presence
of silicon nanostructures. Raman studies on P implanted samples were also
done as a function of ion energy. The Raman results show an amorphous top SOS
surface for sample implanted with 150 keV P ions of dose 5 x ions
cm. The nanostructures are formed when the P energy is increased to
350 keV by keeping the ion dose fixed. The GAXRD results show consistency with
the Raman results.Comment: 9 Pages, 6 Figures and 1 Table, \LaTex format To appear in
SILICON(SPRINGER
Process evaluation for complex interventions in health services research: Analysing context, text trajectories and disruptions
Background: Process evaluations assess the implementation and sustainability of complex healthcare interventions within clinical trials, with well-established theoretical models available for evaluating intervention delivery within specific contexts. However, there is a need to translate conceptualisations of context into analytical tools which enable the dynamic relationship between context and intervention implementation to be captured and understood. Methods: In this paper I propose an alternative approach to the design, implementation and analysis of process evaluations for complex health interventions through a consideration of trial protocols as textual documents, distributed and enacted at multiple contextual levels. As an example, I conduct retrospective analysis of a sample of field notes and transcripts collected during the ESTEEM study - a cluster randomised controlled trial of primary care telephone triage. I draw on theoretical perspectives associated with Linguistic Ethnography to examine the delivery of ESTEEM through staff orientation to different texts. In doing so I consider what can be learned from examining the flow and enactment of protocols for notions of implementation and theoretical fidelity (i.e. intervention delivered as intended and whether congruent with the intervention theory). Results: Implementation of the triage intervention required staff to integrate essential elements of the protocol within everyday practice, seen through the adoption and use of different texts that were distributed across staff and within specific events. Staff were observed deploying texts in diverse ways (e.g. reinterpreting scripts, deviating from standard operating procedures, difficulty completing decision support software), providing numerous instances of disruption to maintaining intervention fidelity. Such observations exposed tensions between different contextual features in which the trial was implemented, offering theoretical explanations for the main trial findings. Conclusions: The value of following how trial protocols produce new texts is that we can observe the flow of 'the intervention as intended' across a series of events which are enacted to meet specific demands of intervention delivery. Such observations are not solely premised on identifying routines or practices of implementation, but where 'protocols as intended' breaks down. In doing so, I discuss whether it is here where we might expose the 'active ingredients' of interventions in action
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