5,934 research outputs found
A simple focometer for the determination of short focal lengths, both negative and positive
n/
Hybrid expansions for local structural relaxations
A model is constructed in which pair potentials are combined with the cluster
expansion method in order to better describe the energetics of structurally
relaxed substitutional alloys. The effect of structural relaxations away from
the ideal crystal positions, and the effect of ordering is described by
interatomic-distance dependent pair potentials, while more subtle
configurational aspects associated with correlations of three- and more sites
are described purely within the cluster expansion formalism. Implementation of
such a hybrid expansion in the context of the cluster variation method or Monte
Carlo method gives improved ability to model phase stability in alloys from
first-principles.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur
The Darlington and Northallerton Long Term Asthma Study: pulmonary function
BACKGROUND: The Darlington and Northallerton Asthma Study is an observational cohort study started in 1983. At that time little was published about long term outcome in asthma and the contribution of change in reversible disease or airway remodelling to any excess deterioration in function. The study design included regular review of overall and fixed function lung. We report the trends over fifteen years. METHODS: All asthmatics attending secondary care in 1983, 1988 and 1993 were recruited. Pulmonary function was recorded at attendance and potential best function estimated according to protocol. Rate of decline was calculated over each 5-year period and by linear regression analysis in those seen every time. The influence of potential explanatory variables on this decline was explored. RESULTS: 1724 satisfactory 5-year measurements were obtained in 912 subjects and in 200 subjects on all occasions. Overall rate of decline (ml/year (95%CI)) calculated from 5-year periods was FEV1 ♂41.0 (34.7–47.3), ♀28.9 (23.2–34.6) and best FVC ♂63.1 (55.1–71.2)ml/year, ♀45.8 (40.0–51.6).The principal association was with age. A dominant cubic factor suggested fluctuations in the rate of change in middle life with less rapid decline in youth and more rapid decline in the elderly. Rapid decline was possibly associated with short duration. Treatment step did not predict rate of deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Function declined non-linearly and more rapidly than predicted from normal subjects. It reports for the first time a cubic relationship between age and pulmonary function. This should be taken into account when interpreting other articles reporting change in function over time
3D Spherical models of coupled mantle thermo-chemical evolution, plate tectonics, magmatism and core evolution incorporating self-consistently calculated mineralogy
Complement Inhibition as a Proposed Neuroprotective Strategy following Cardiac Arrest
Out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a devastating disease
process with neurological injury accounting for
a disproportionate amount of the morbidity and
mortality following return of spontaneous
circulation. A dearth of effective treatment
strategies exists for global cerebral
ischemia-reperfusion (GCI/R) injury following
successful resuscitation from OHCA. Emerging
preclinical as well as recent human clinical
evidence suggests that activation of the
complement cascade plays a critical role in the
pathogenesis of GCI/R injury following OHCA. In
addition, it is well established that complement
inhibition improves outcome in both global and
focal models of brain ischemia. Due to the
profound impact of GCI/R injury following OHCA,
and the relative lack of effective
neuroprotective strategies for this pathologic
process, complement inhibition provides an
exciting opportunity to augment existing
treatments to improve patient outcomes. To this
end, this paper will explore the
pathophysiology of complement-mediated GCI/R
injury following OHCA
Phase stability analysis in Fe-Pt and Co-Pt alloy systems: An augmented space study
We have studied the problem of phase stability in Fe-Pt and Co-Pt alloy
systems. We have used the orbital peeling technique in the conjunction of
augmented space recursion based on the tight binding linear orbital method as
the method for the calculation of pair interaction energies. In particular, we
have generalized our earlier technique to take into account of magnetic effects
for the cases where the magnetic transition is higher than the order disorder
chemical transition temperature as in the case of CoPt. Our theoretical
results obtained within this framework successfully reproduce the
experimentally observed trends.Comment: 17 pages, 9 Figures. Accepted for publication in Journal of Physics :
Condensed Matte
SDSS-RASS: Next Generation of Cluster-Finding Algorithms
We outline here the next generation of cluster-finding algorithms. We show
how advances in Computer Science and Statistics have helped develop robust,
fast algorithms for finding clusters of galaxies in large multi-dimensional
astronomical databases like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Specifically,
this paper presents four new advances: (1) A new semi-parametric algorithm -
nicknamed ``C4'' - for jointly finding clusters of galaxies in the SDSS and
ROSAT All-Sky Survey databases; (2) The introduction of the False Discovery
Rate into Astronomy; (3) The role of kernel shape in optimizing cluster
detection; (4) A new determination of the X-ray Cluster Luminosity Function
which has bearing on the existence of a ``deficit'' of high redshift, high
luminosity clusters. This research is part of our ``Computational
AstroStatistics'' collaboration (see Nichol et al. 2000) and the algorithms and
techniques discussed herein will form part of the ``Virtual Observatory''
analysis toolkit.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of MPA/MPE/ESO Conference "Mining the Sky",
July 31 - August 4, 2000, Garching, German
- …