259 research outputs found
An EPTAS for scheduling jobs on uniform processors using an MILP relaxation with a constant number of integral variables
We present an efficient polynomial time approximation scheme (EPTAS) for scheduling on uniform processors, i.e. finding a minimum length schedule for a set of n independent jobs on m processors with different speeds (a fundamental NP-hard scheduling problem). The previous best polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) by Hochbaum and Shmoys has a running time of (n/\epsilon)^{O(1/\epsilon^2)}. Our algorithm, based on a new mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation with a constant number of integral variables and an interesting rounding method, finds a schedule whose length is within a relative error of the optimum, and has running time 2^{O(1/\epsilon^2 \log(1/\epsilon)^3)} + poly(n)
Attitudes towards vaccines and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19: a cross-sectional analysisâimplications for public health communications in Australia
Objective
To examine SARS-CoV-2 vaccine confidence, attitudes and intentions in Australian adults as part of the iCARE Study.
Design and setting
Cross-sectional online survey conducted when free COVID-19 vaccinations first became available in Australia in February 2021.
Participants
Total of 1166 Australians from general population aged 18â90 years (mean 52, SD of 19).
Main outcome measures
Primary outcome: responses to question âIf a vaccine for COVID-19 were available today, what is the likelihood that you would get vaccinated?â.
Secondary outcome: analyses of putative drivers of uptake, including vaccine confidence, socioeconomic status and sources of trust, derived from multiple survey questions.
Results
Seventy-eight per cent reported being likely to receive a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Higher SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intentions were associated with: increasing age (OR: 2.01 (95% CI 1.77 to 2.77)), being male (1.37 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.72)), residing in least disadvantaged area quintile (2.27 (95% CI 1.53 to 3.37)) and a self-perceived high risk of getting COVID-19 (1.52 (95% CI 1.08 to 2.14)). However, 72% did not believe they were at a high risk of getting COVID-19. Findings regarding vaccines in general were similar except there were no sex differences. For both the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and vaccines in general, there were no differences in intentions to vaccinate as a function of education level, perceived income level and rurality. Knowing that the vaccine is safe and effective and that getting vaccinated will protect others, trusting the company that made it and vaccination recommended by a doctor were reported to influence a large proportion of the study cohort to uptake the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Seventy-eight per cent reported the intent to continue engaging in virus-protecting behaviours (mask wearing, social distancing, etc) postvaccine.
Conclusions
Most Australians are likely to receive a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Key influencing factors identified (eg, knowing vaccine is safe and effective, and doctorâs recommendation to get vaccinated) can inform public health messaging to enhance vaccination rates
Vortices in superfluid trapped Fermi gases at zero temperature
We discuss various aspects of the vortex state of a dilute superfluid atomic
Fermi gas at T=0. The energy of the vortex in a trapped gas is calculated and
we provide an expression for the thermodynamic critical rotation frequency of
the trap for its formation. Furthermore, we propose a method to detect the
presence of a vortex by calculating the effect of its associated velocity field
on the collective mode spectrum of the gas
Relativistic nuclear recoil corrections to the energy levels of hydrogen-like and high lithium like atoms in all orders in
The relativistic nuclear recoil corrections to the energy levels of
low-laying states of hydrogen-like and high lithium-like atoms in all
orders in are calculated. The calculations are carried out using the
B-spline method for the Dirac equation.
For low the results of the calculation are in good agreement with the
-expansion results. It is found that the nuclear recoil
contribution, additional to the Salpeter's one, to the Lamb shift () of
hydrogen is . The total nuclear recoil correction to the energy
of the transition in lithium-like uranium
constitutes and is largely made up of QED contributions.Comment: 19 pages, latex, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Game Theoretical Interactions of Moving Agents
Game theory has been one of the most successful quantitative concepts to
describe social interactions, their strategical aspects, and outcomes. Among
the payoff matrix quantifying the result of a social interaction, the
interaction conditions have been varied, such as the number of repeated
interactions, the number of interaction partners, the possibility to punish
defective behavior etc. While an extension to spatial interactions has been
considered early on such as in the "game of life", recent studies have focussed
on effects of the structure of social interaction networks.
However, the possibility of individuals to move and, thereby, evade areas
with a high level of defection, and to seek areas with a high level of
cooperation, has not been fully explored so far. This contribution presents a
model combining game theoretical interactions with success-driven motion in
space, and studies the consequences that this may have for the degree of
cooperation and the spatio-temporal dynamics in the population. It is
demonstrated that the combination of game theoretical interactions with motion
gives rise to many self-organized behavioral patterns on an aggregate level,
which can explain a variety of empirically observed social behaviors
Temperature and Frequency Dependence of Complex Conductance of Ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-x Films: A Study of Vortex-Antivortex Pair Unbinding
We have studied the temperature dependencies of the complex sheet conductance
of 1-3 unit cell (UC) thick YBa2Cu3O7-x films sandwiched between semiconducting
Pr0.6Y0.4Ba2Cu3O7-x layers at high frequencies. Experiments have been carried
out in a frequency range between: 2 - 30 MHz with one-spiral coil technique,
100 MHz - 1 GHz frequency range with a new technique using the spiral coil
cavity and at 30 GHz by aid of a resonant cavity technique. The real and
imaginary parts of the mutual-inductance between a coil and a film were
measured and converted to complex conductivity by aid of the inversion
procedure. We have found a quadratic temperature dependence of the kinetic
inductance, L_k^-1(T), at low temperatures independent of frequency, with a
break in slope at T^dc_BKT, the maximum of real part of conductance and a large
shift of the break temperature and the maximum position to higher temperatures
with increasing frequency. We obtain from these data the universal ratio
T^dc_BKT/L_k^-1(T^dc_BKT) = 25, 25, and 17 nHK for 1-, 2- and 3UC films,
respectively in close agreement with theoretical prediction of 12 nHK for
vortex-antivortex unbinding transition. The activated temperature dependence of
the vortex diffusion constant was observed and discussed in the framework of
vortex-antivortex pair pinning.
PACS numbers: 74.80.Dm, 74.25.Nf, 74.72.Bk, 74.76.BzComment: PDF file, 10 pages, 6 figures, to be published in J. Low Temp. Phys.;
Proc. of NATO ARW: VORTEX 200
Classical approach in quantum physics
The application of a classical approach to various quantum problems - the
secular perturbation approach to quantization of a hydrogen atom in external
fields and a helium atom, the adiabatic switching method for calculation of a
semiclassical spectrum of hydrogen atom in crossed electric and magnetic
fields, a spontaneous decay of excited states of a hydrogen atom, Gutzwiller's
approach to Stark problem, long-lived excited states of a helium atom recently
discovered with the help of Poincar section, inelastic
transitions in slow and fast electron-atom and ion-atom collisions - is
reviewed. Further, a classical representation in quantum theory is discussed.
In this representation the quantum states are treating as an ensemble of
classical states. This approach opens the way to an accurate description of the
initial and final states in classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method and
a purely classical explanation of tunneling phenomenon. The general aspects of
the structure of the semiclassical series such as renormgroup symmetry,
criterion of accuracy and so on are reviewed as well. In conclusion, the
relation between quantum theory, classical physics and measurement is
discussed.Comment: This review paper was rejected from J.Phys.A with referee's comment
"The author has made many worthwhile contributions to semiclassical physics,
but this article does not meet the standard for a topical review"
Dynamic Scaling and Two-Dimensional High-Tc Superconductors
There has been ongoing debate over the critical behavior of two-dimensional
superconductors; in particular for high Tc superconductors. The conventional
view is that a Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition occurs as long as
finite size effects do not obscure the transition. However, there have been
recent suggestions that a different transition actually occurs which
incorporates aspects of both the dynamic scaling theory of Fisher, Fisher, and
Huse and the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition. Of general interest is
that this modified transition apparently has a universal dynamic critical
exponent. Some have countered that this apparent universal behavior is rooted
in a newly proposed finite-size scaling theory; one that also incorporates
scaling and conventional two-dimensional theory. To investigate these issues we
study DC voltage versus current data of a 12 angstrom thick YBCO film. We find
that the newly proposed scaling theories have intrinsic flexibility that is
relevant to the analysis of the experiments. In particular, the data scale
according to the modified transition for arbitrarily defined critical
temperatures between 0 K and 19.5 K, and the temperature range of a successful
scaling collapse is related directly to the sensitivity of the measurement.
This implies that the apparent universal exponent is due to the intrinsic
flexibility rather than some real physical property. To address this intrinsic
flexibility, we propose a criterion which would give conclusive evidence for
phase transitions in two-dimensional superconductors. We conclude by reviewing
results to see if our criterion is satisfied.Comment: 14 page
The Coevolution of Finance and Property Rights: Evidence from Transition Economies
The transition from communism to capitalism was necessarily accompanied by a sudden and abrupt increase in the financialization of society. This increase occurred in an environment that, even now, still has little experience with or expertise in financialization. Given that financialization occurred simultaneously with the growth and evolution of other political and economic institutions, the question arises: What was the effect on these other nascent institutions like property rights? This article empirically analyzes the relationship between financialization and property rights in transition countries. Using a unique monthly database of twenty transition countries over a period from 1989 to 2012, this article finds that the influence of financialization depends on which definition of âfinancializationâ is used. In particular, increases in basic financial intermediation improved property rights. However, higher-order âfinancialization,â proxied here by the size of capital markets and the wages in the financial sector, appeared to have a negative impact on the development of broad-based property rights in transition
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