6,409 research outputs found
Community learning and development training for professionals engaged in community regeneration and community planning
The study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive Development Department to identify training needs and current provision of community learning and development (CLD) training for a range of professionals (other than those formally qualified in CLD) who are engaged in community regeneration and community planning (Local Government in Scotland Act 2003). It was one of a series of studies emanating from the Scottish Executive response to the review: „Empowered to Practice – the future of community learning and development training in Scotland‟. One of the themes of the report taken up by the Scottish Executive was the need for; „wider opportunities for joint training with other disciplines such as teachers, librarians, college lecturers, health workers and social workers‟
Blue Quantum Fog: Chiral Condensation in Quantum Helimagnets
It is shown that a condensation transition involving a chiral order parameter
can occur in itinerant helimagnets, in analogy to the transition between the
isotropic phase and the phase known as blue fog or blue phase III in
cholesteric liquid crystals. It is proposed that such a transition is the
explanation for recent neutron scattering results in MnSi. Predictions are made
that will allow to experimentally test this proposal.Comment: 4pp, 1 eps fi
Universal low-temperature tricritical point in metallic ferromagnets and ferrimagnets
An earlier theory of the quantum phase transition in metallic ferromagnets is
revisited and generalized in three ways. It is shown that the mechanism that
leads to a fluctuation-induced first-order transition in metallic ferromagnets
with a low Curie temperature is valid, (1) irrespective of whether the magnetic
moments are supplied by the conduction electrons or by electrons in another
band, (2) for ferromagnets in the XY and Ising universality classes as well as
for Heisenberg ferromagnets, and (3) for ferrimagnets as well as for
ferromagnets. This vastly expands the class of materials for which a
first-order transition at low temperatures is expected, and it explains why
strongly anisotropic ferromagnets, such as UGe2, display a first-order
transition as well as Heisenberg magnets.Comment: 11pp, 2 fig
Columnar Fluctuations as a Source of Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior in Weak Metallic Magnets
It is shown that columnar fluctuations, in conjunction with weak quenched
disorder, lead to a T^{3/2} temperature dependence of the electrical
resistivity. This is proposed as an explanation of the observed
non-Fermi-liquid behavior in the helimagnet MnSi, with one possible realization
of the columnar fluctuations provided by skyrmion lines that have independently
been proposed to be present in this material.Comment: 4pp, 4 figure
Approaching zero : temporal effects of a restrictive antibiotic policy on hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing coliforms and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
A restrictive antibiotic policy banning routine use of ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin was implemented in a 450-bed district general hospital following an educational campaign. Monthly consumption of nine antibiotics was monitored in defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1000 patient-occupied bed-days (1000 pt-bds) 9 months before until 16 months after policy introduction. Hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum -lactamase (ESBL)- producing coliform cases per month/1000 pt-bds were identified and reviewed throughout the hospital. Between the first and final 6 months of the study, average monthly consumption of ceftriaxone reduced by 95% (from 46.213 to 2.129 DDDs/1000 pt-bds) and that for ciprofloxacin by 72.5% (109.804 to 30.205 DDDs/1000 pt-bds). Over the same periods, hospital-acquisition rates for C. difficile reduced by 77% (2.398 to 0.549 cases/1000 pt-bds), for MRSA by 25% (1.187 to 0.894 cases/1000 pt-bds) and for ESBL-producing coliforms by 17% (1.480 to 1.224 cases/1000 pt-bds). Time-lag modelling confirmed significant associations between ceftriaxone and C. difficile cases at 1 month (correlation 0.83; P < 0.005), and between ciprofloxacin and ESBL-producing coliform cases at 2 months (correlation 0.649; P = 0.002). An audit performed 3 years after the policy showed sustained reduction in C. difficile rates (0.259 cases/1000 pt-bds), with additional decreases for MRSA (0.409 cases/1000 pt-bds) and ESBL-producing coliforms (0.809 cases/1000 pt-bds). In conclusion, banning two antibiotics resulted in an immediate and profound reduction in hospital-acquired C. difficile, with possible longer-term effects on MRSA and ESBL-producing coliform rates. Antibiotic stewardship is fundamental in the control of major hospital pathogens
Breakdown of Hydrodynamic Transport Theory in the Ordered Phase of Helimagnets
It is shown that strong fluctuations preclude a hydrodynamic description of
transport phenomena in helimagnets, such as MnSi, at T>0. This breakdown of
hydrodynamics is analogous to the one in chiral liquid crystals. Mode-mode
coupling effects lead to infinite renormalizations of various transport
coefficients, and the actual macroscopic description is nonlocal. At T=0 these
effects are weakened due to the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, and the
renormalizations remain finite. Observable consequences of these results, as
manifested in the neutron scattering cross-section, are discussedComment: 4pp., 1 eps figur
Rocket study of the X-ray background
The X-ray optical detection system flown on Aerobee 17.08 is described in detail, and the preliminary results of the 24 June 1971 flight are discussed. The optical design, fabrication and parabolic nature of the mirrors, effective aperture of mirror array, and X-ray detectors are considered. Preliminary analysis of data from the flight confirms the extended nature and complex structure of the X-ray source in Virgo. A core of X-ray emission is indicated which is approximately 0.5 deg in diameter and surrounded by an emitting region at least 2 deg across. The Virgo source spectrum is observed to have few low energy photons
Nonanalytic Magnetization Dependence of the Magnon Effective Mass in Itinerant Quantum Ferromagnets
The spin wave dispersion relation in both clean and disordered itinerant
quantum ferromagnets is calculated. It is found that effects akin to
weak-localization physics cause the frequency of the spin-waves to be a
nonanalytic function of the magnetization m. For low frequencies \Omega, small
wavevectors k, and small m, the dispersion relation is found to be of the form
\Omega ~ m^{1-\alpha} k^2, with \alpha = (4-d)/2 (2<d<4) for disordered
systems, and \alpha = (3-d) (1<d<3) for clean ones. In d=4 (disordered) and d=3
(clean), \Omega ~ m ln(1/m) k^2. Experiments to test these predictions are
proposed.Comment: 4 pp., REVTeX, no fig
Competencies for the multi-disciplinary team caring for severely obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a systematic review.
Bariatric surgery is the only intervention leading to sustained weight reduction for severely obese individuals. However, there is variability across the UK in organisation of bariatric services, and perceptions of how to develop and deliver optimum care. This means lack of clarity on competencies and skills required for roles within the multidisciplinary bariatric surgical team. This systematic review was carried out to synthesise literature identifying the competencies required by members of the multidisciplinary team for provision of safe, meaningful and appropriate care for severely obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The databases CINAHL; Medline; ERIC; PsycINFO; IngentaConnect; The Knowledge Network, and Web of Knowledge were searched to identify key papers. Papers selected were independently appraised for methodological quality by two reviewers using Joanna Briggs Institute systems. Thirty-six papers were included in the review. The literature was poorly developed, largely consisting of text and opinion, and lacking evaluative content. Pooling of papers generated three synthesised findings: 1) Safe, meaningful and appropriate care may be delivered if staff in each role in the multidisciplinary team achieve a minimum set of competencies; 2) Safe, effective and meaningful care may require a minimum set of competencies for managing a bariatric surgery unit and the multidisciplinary team; 3) To achieve competencies for safe, effective and meaningful care certain approaches to education may be developed. Sensitive care, pre-operative psychological assessment, post-operative care and identification of complications, and team management may be areas in which educational interventions develop, but the conclusion remains tentative because of lack of empirical research in the area
Transport Anomalies and Marginal Fermi-Liquid Effects at a Quantum Critical Point
The conductivity and the tunneling density of states of disordered itinerant
electrons in the vicinity of a ferromagnetic transition at low temperature are
discussed. Critical fluctuations lead to nonanalytic frequency and temperature
dependences that are distinct from the usual long-time tail effects in a
disordered Fermi liquid. The crossover between these two types of behavior is
proposed as an experimental check of recent theories of the quantum
ferromagnetic critical behavior. In addition, the quasiparticle properties at
criticality are shown to be those of a marginal Fermi liquid.Comment: 4pp., REVTeX, no figs, final version as publishe
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