52,857 research outputs found
Exact factorization of the time-dependent electron-nuclear wavefunction
We present an exact decomposition of the complete wavefunction for a system
of nuclei and electrons evolving in a time-dependent external potential. We
derive formally exact equations for the nuclear and electronic wavefunctions
that lead to rigorous definitions of a time-dependent potential energy surface
(TDPES) and a time-dependent geometric phase. For the molecular ion
exposed to a laser field, the TDPES proves to be a useful interpretive tool to
identify different mechanisms of dissociation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Sexual negotiation in the AIDS era: negotiated safety revisited
Objective: To test the safety of the 'negotiated safety' strategy - the strategy of dispensing with condoms within HIV-seronegative concordant regular sexual relationships under certain conditions. Method: Data from a recently recruited cohort of homosexually active men (Sydney Men and Sexual Health cohort, n = 1037) are used to revisit negotiated safety. The men were surveyed using a structured questionnaire and questions addressing their sexual relationships and practice, their own and their regular partner's serostatus, agreements entered into by the men concerning sexual practice within and outside their regular relationship, and contextual and demographic variables. Results: The findings indicate that a significant number of men used negotiated safety as an HIV prevention strategy. In the 6 months prior to interview, of the 181 men in seroconcordant HIV-negative regular relationships, 62% had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse within their relationship, and 91% (165 men) had not engaged in unprotected anal intercourse outside their relationship. Of these 165 men, 82% had negotiated agreements about sex outside their relationship. The safety of negotiation was dependent not only on seroconcordance but also on the presence of an agreement; 82% of the men who had not engaged in unprotected anal intercourse outside their regular relationship had entered into an agreement with their partner, whereas only 56% of those who had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse had an agreement. The safety of negotiation was also related to the nature of the safety agreement reached between the men and on the acceptability of condoms. Agreements between HIV-negative seroconcordant regular partners prohibiting anal intercourse with casual partners or any form of sex with a casual partner were typically complied with, and men who had such negotiated agreements were at low risk of HIV infection. Conclusions: The adoption of the strategy of negotiated safety among men in HIV-seronegative regular relationships may help such men sustain the safety of their sexual practice
Time evolution of the chiral phase transition during a spherical expansion
We examine the non-equilibrium time evolution of the hadronic plasma produced
in a relativistic heavy ion collision, assuming a spherical expansion into the
vacuum. We study the linear sigma model to leading order in a large-
expansion. Starting at a temperature above the phase transition, the system
expands and cools, finally settling into the broken symmetry vacuum state. We
consider the proper time evolution of the effective pion mass, the order
parameter , and the particle number distribution. We
examine several different initial conditions and look for instabilities
(exponentially growing long wavelength modes) which can lead to the formation
of disoriented chiral condensates (DCCs). We find that instabilities exist for
proper times which are less than 3 fm/c. We also show that an experimental
signature of domain growth is an increase in the low momentum spectrum of
outgoing pions when compared to an expansion in thermal equilibrium. In
comparison to particle production during a longitudinal expansion, we find that
in a spherical expansion the system reaches the ``out'' regime much faster and
more particles get produced. However the size of the unstable region, which is
related to the domain size of DCCs, is not enhanced.Comment: REVTex, 20 pages, 8 postscript figures embedded with eps
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Comparing proxy rated quality of life of people living with dementia in care homes
Background: Improving quality of life (QOL) for people with dementia is a priority. In care homes, we often rely on proxy ratings from staff and family but we do not know if, or how, they differ in care homes.
Methods: We compared 1056 pairs of staff and family DEMQOL-Proxy ratings from 86 care homes across England. We explored factors associated with ratings quantitatively using multilevel modelling and, qualitatively, through thematic analysis of 12 staff and 12 relative interviews.
Results: Staff and family ratings were weakly correlated (Ïs = 0.35). Median staff scores were higher than family's (104 v. 101; p < 0.001). Family were more likely than staff to rate resident QOL as âPoorâ (Ï2 = 55.91, p < 0.001). Staff and family rated QOL higher when residents had fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms and severe dementia. Staff rated QOL higher in homes with lower staff:resident ratios and when staff were native English speakers. Family rated QOL higher when the resident had spent longer living in the care home and was a native English. Spouses rated residentsâ QOL higher than other relatives. Qualitative results suggest differences arise because staff felt good care provided high QOL but families compared the present to the past. Family judgements centre on loss and are complicated by decisions about care home placement and their understandings of dementia.
Conclusion: Proxy reports differ systematically between staff and family. Reports are influenced by the rater:staff and family may conceptualise QOL differently
Isotropic and Anisotropic Regimes of the Field-Dependent Spin Dynamics in Sr2IrO4: Raman Scattering Studies
A major focus of experimental interest in Sr2IrO4 has been to clarify how the
magnetic excitations of this strongly spin-orbit coupled system differ from the
predictions of anisotropic 2D spin-1/2 Heisenberg model and to explore the
extent to which strong spin-orbit coupling affects the magnetic properties of
iridates. Here, we present a high-resolution inelastic light (Raman) scattering
study of the low energy magnetic excitation spectrum of Sr2IrO4 and doped
Eu-doped Sr2IrO4 as functions of both temperature and applied magnetic field.
We show that the high-field (H>1.5 T) in-plane spin dynamics of Sr2IrO4 are
isotropic and governed by the interplay between the applied field and the small
in-plane ferromagnetic spin components induced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya
interaction. However, the spin dynamics of Sr2IrO4 at lower fields (H<1.5 T)
exhibit important effects associated with interlayer coupling and in-plane
anisotropy, including a spin-flop transition at Hc in Sr2IrO4 that occurs
either discontinuously or via a continuous rotation of the spins, depending
upon the in-plane orientation of the applied field. These results show that
in-plane anisotropy and interlayer coupling effects play important roles in the
low-field magnetic and dynamical properties of Sr2IrO4.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitte
Dynamics of broken symmetry lambda phi^4 field theory
We study the domain of validity of a Schwinger-Dyson (SD) approach to
non-equilibrium dynamics when there is broken symmetry. We perform exact
numerical simulations of the one- and two-point functions of lambda phi^4 field
theory in 1+1 dimensions in the classical domain for initial conditions where <
phi(x) > not equal to 0. We compare these results to two self-consistent
truncations of the SD equations which ignore three-point vertex function
corrections. The first approximation, which sets the three-point function to
one (the bare vertex approximation (BVA)) gives an excellent description for <
phi(x) > = phi(t). The second approximation which ignores higher in 1/N
corrections to the 2-PI generating functional (2PI -1/N expansion) is not as
accurate for phi(t). Both approximations have serious deficiencies in
describing the two-point function when phi(0) > .4.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Isotope Effect in the Superfluid Density of HTS Cuprates: Stripes, Pseudogap and Impurities
Underdoped cuprates exhibit a normal-state pseudogap, and their spins and
doped carriers tend to spatially separate into 1- or 2-D stripes. Some view
these as central to superconductivity, others as peripheral and merely
competing. Using LaSrCuZnO we show that an oxygen
isotope effect in and in the superfluid density can be used to
distinguish between the roles of stripes and pseudogap and also to detect the
presence of impurity scattering. We conclude that stripes and pseudogap are
distinct, and both compete and coexist with superconductivity.Comment: Revised submission to PRL with added appendix on a possible isotope
effect in the effective mass, 4 pages, 3 figure
'I-I' and 'I-me' : Transposing Buber's interpersonal attitudes to the intrapersonal plane
Hermans' polyphonic model of the self proposes that dialogical relationships can be established between multiple I-positions1 (e.g., Hermans, 2001a). There have been few attempts, however, to explicitly characterize the forms that these intrapersonal relationships may take. Drawing on Buber's (1958) distinction between the 'I-Thou' and 'I-It' attitude, it is proposed that intrapersonal relationships can take one of two forms: an 'I-I' form, in which one I-position encounters and confirms another I-position in its uniqueness and wholeness; and an 'I-Me' form, in which one I-position experiences another I-position in a detached and objectifying way. This article argues that this I-Me form of intrapersonal relating is associated with psychological distress, and that this is so for a number of reasons: Most notably, because an individual who objectifies and subjugates certain I-position cannot reconnect with more central I-positions when dominance reversal (Hermans, 2001a) takes place. On this basis, it is suggested that a key role of the therapeutic process is to help clients become more able to experience moments of I-I intrapersonal encounter, and it is argued that this requires the therapist to confirm the client both as a whole and in terms of each of his or her different voices
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