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Anomalous vomume expansion of plutonium alloys
A simple heuristic model for the valence of Pu in its various phases is used to explain the large positive deviations from Vegard's Law in ..cap alpha..-Pu(Al), ..cap alpha..-Pu(Ti), and delta-Pu(Sc)
Chalcogenide glasses for photonics device applications
Chalcogenides are compounds formed predominately from one or more of the chalcogen elements; sulphur, selenium and tellurium. Although first studied over fifty years ago, interest in chalcogenide glasses has, over the past few years, increased significantly as glasses, crystals and alloys find new life in a wide range of photonic devices. This chapter begins with an overview of chalcogenide glass compositions, their purification, synthesis and fabrication. Focussing on more novel gallium lanthanum sulphide based chalcogenides, as well as reviewing more established materials such as arsenic trisulphide based glasses we then explore the purification and synthesis of these materials, along with their basic optical and thermal properties. Next the fabrication of these versatile glasses into a variety of forms; including thin films, microspheres and optical fibers is explained. This chapter ends with an overview of representative applications of these exciting optoelectronic materials
Action research in physical education: focusing beyond myself through cooperative learning
This paper reports on the pedagogical changes that I experienced as a teacher engaged in an action research project in which I designed and implemented an indirect, developmentally appropriate and childâcentred approach to my teaching. There have been repeated calls to expunge â or at least rationalise â the use of traditional, teacherâled practice in physical education. Yet despite the advocacy of many leading academics there is little evidence that such a change of approach is occurring. In my role as teacherâasâresearcher I sought to implement a new pedagogical approach, in the form of cooperative learning, and bring about a positive change in the form of enhanced pupil learning. Data collection included a reflective journal, postâteaching reflective analysis, pupil questionnaires, student interviews, document analysis, and nonâparticipant observations. The research team analysed the data using inductive analysis and constant comparison. Six themes emerged from the data: teaching and learning, reflections on cooperation, performance, time, teacher change, and social interaction. The paper argues that cooperative learning allowed me to place social and academic learning goals on an even footing, which in turn placed a focus on pupilsâ understanding and improvement of skills in athletics alongside their interpersonal development
Probing neutrino masses with future galaxy redshift surveys
We perform a new study of future sensitivities of galaxy redshift surveys to
the free-streaming effect caused by neutrino masses, adding the information on
cosmological parameters from measurements of primary anisotropies of the cosmic
microwave background (CMB). Our reference cosmological scenario has nine
parameters and three different neutrino masses, with a hierarchy imposed by
oscillation experiments. Within the present decade, the combination of the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and CMB data from the PLANCK experiment will
have a 2-sigma detection threshold on the total neutrino mass close to 0.2 eV.
This estimate is robust against the inclusion of extra free parameters in the
reference cosmological model. On a longer term, the next generation of
experiments may reach values of order sum m_nu = 0.1 eV at 2-sigma, or better
if a galaxy redshift survey significantly larger than SDSS is completed. We
also discuss how the small changes on the free-streaming scales in the normal
and inverted hierarchy schemes are translated into the expected errors from
future cosmological data.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Added results with the KAOS proposal and 1
referenc
Current cosmological bounds on neutrino masses and relativistic relics
We combine the most recent observations of large-scale structure (2dF and
SDSS galaxy surveys) and cosmic microwave anisotropies (WMAP and ACBAR) to put
constraints on flat cosmological models where the number of massive neutrinos
and of massless relativistic relics are both left arbitrary. We discuss the
impact of each dataset and of various priors on our bounds. For the standard
case of three thermalized neutrinos, we find an upper bound on the total
neutrino mass sum m_nu < 1.0 (resp. 0.6) eV (at 2sigma), using only CMB and LSS
data (resp. including priors from supernovae data and the HST Key Project), a
bound that is quite insensitive to the splitting of the total mass between the
three species. When the total number of neutrinos or relativistic relics N_eff
is left free, the upper bound on sum m_nu (at 2sigma, including all priors)
ranges from 1.0 to 1.5 eV depending on the mass splitting. We provide an
explanation of the parameter degeneracy that allows larger values of the masses
when N_eff increases. Finally, we show that the limit on the total neutrino
mass is not significantly modified in the presence of primordial gravitational
waves, because current data provide a clear distinction between the
corresponding effects.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
âItâs not that they donât want to access the support⊠itâs the impact of the autismâ: the experience of eating disorder services from the perspective of autistic women, parents and healthcare professionals
This study explores autistic womenâs experiences of eating disorder services. Estimates suggest that 20%â30% of women in treatment for anorexia nervosa display diagnostic features characteristic of autism. Research suggests that autistic individualsâ needs are not being met by standard anorexia nervosa treatments. In the current study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 autistic women with experience of anorexia nervosa, 12 parents of autistic women with anorexia nervosa, and 11 eating disorder healthcare professionals. Using thematic analysis, three overarching themes were identified: misunderstanding autism and autistic traits, one treatment does not fit all, and improving accessibility and engagement within services. We found that there were diverse barriers facing autistic women when in treatment for anorexia nervosa, and these were accentuated by a lack of autism understanding within eating disorder services. Future research should focus on developing interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of autistic individuals with anorexia nervosa
Supernova Observation Via Neutrino-Nucleus Elastic Scattering in the CLEAN Detector
Development of large mass detectors for low-energy neutrinos and dark matter
may allow supernova detection via neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering. An
elastic-scattering detector could observe a few, or more, events per ton for a
galactic supernova at 10 kpc ( m). This large yield, a
factor of at least 20 greater than that for existing light-water detectors,
arises because of the very large coherent cross section and the sensitivity to
all flavors of neutrinos and antineutrinos. An elastic scattering detector can
provide important information on the flux and spectrum of and
from supernovae. We consider many detectors and a range of target
materials from He to Pb. Monte Carlo simulations of low-energy
backgrounds are presented for the liquid-neon-based Cryogenic Low Energy
Astrophysics with Noble gases (CLEAN) detector. The simulated background is
much smaller than the expected signal from a galactic supernova.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
DNA methylation of blood cells is associated with prevalent type 2 diabetes in a meta-analysis of four European cohorts
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disease with well-known genetic and environmental risk factors contributing to its prevalence. Epigenetic mec
Novel inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isozymes I, II and III by carbamoyl phosphate
Carbamoyl phosphate has been shown to inhibit carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes CA I, CA II and CA III. This physiologically important molecule is the most potent, naturally occurring inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase yet found. It is also unique, among carbonic anhydrase inhibitors discovered hitherto, in that it inhibits the 3 isozymes with equal effect, despite their strikingly different properties. The results imply the participation of carbonic anhydrase in the regulation of substrate availability for the urea cycle.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24933/1/0000360.pd
Distribution of Major Health Risks: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study
BACKGROUND: Most analyses of risks to health focus on the total burden of their aggregate effects. The distribution of risk-factor-attributable disease burden, for example by age or exposure level, can inform the selection and targeting of specific interventions and programs, and increase cost-effectiveness. METHODS AND FINDINGS: For 26 selected risk factors, expert working groups conducted comprehensive reviews of data on risk-factor exposure and hazard for 14 epidemiological subregions of the world, by age and sex. Age-sex-subregion-population attributable fractions were estimated and applied to the mortality and burden of disease estimates from the World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease database. Where possible, exposure levels were assessed as continuous measures, or as multiple categories. The proportion of risk-factor-attributable burden in different population subgroups, defined by age, sex, and exposure level, was estimated. For major cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, fruit and vegetable intake, body mass index, and physical inactivity) 43%â61% of attributable disease burden occurred between the ages of 15 and 59 y, and 87% of alcohol-attributable burden occurred in this age group. Most of the disease burden for continuous risks occurred in those with only moderately raised levels, not among those with levels above commonly used cut-points, such as those with hypertension or obesity. Of all disease burden attributable to being underweight during childhood, 55% occurred among children 1â3 standard deviations below the reference population median, and the remainder occurred among severely malnourished children, who were three or more standard deviations below median. CONCLUSIONS: Many major global risks are widely spread in a population, rather than restricted to a minority. Population-based strategies that seek to shift the whole distribution of risk factors often have the potential to produce substantial reductions in disease burden
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