934 research outputs found
âFull-time wifeâ and the change of gender order in the Chinese City
Work and family are the most critical of the contested terrains that determine the status of women in the gender order, the differing pattern of inequality between men and women. âFull-time wifeâ is a relatively new label in China, emerging only in the late twentieth century. It corresponds to the term âhousewifeâ used in the 1950s and 1960s. Based on 59 in-depth interviews carried out between 2006 and 2007 in Guangzhou City, this article focuses on âfull-time wivesâ and the dilemma they face in the conflict between family and work, an issue that is essential to an understanding of changing gender relations in China. The paper argues that a combination of the traditional Chinese gender order, improving wages of the family under the âsocialistâ market economy, and the rolling back of state protection was a key reason for the emergence of the full-time wife phenomenon. The analysis of the position of the full-time wife demonstrates how rolling back state protection affected women and specifically how it undermined the admittedly inconsistent advances in gender equality made in the previous era. For example, women now experience many new kinds of subordination, both in the labor market and the family. Chinaâs market economy requires social policies that aim to improve the work-family balance in order to prevent or mitigate the further development of the market-constructed gender order
The Coupled Cluster Method in Hamiltonian Lattice Field Theory: SU(2) Glueballs
The glueball spectrum within the Hamiltonian formulation of lattice gauge
theory (without fermions) is calculated for the gauge group SU(2) and for two
spatial dimensions.
The Hilbert space of gauge-invariant functions of the gauge field is
generated by its parallel-transporters on closed paths along the links of the
spatial lattice. The coupled cluster method is used to determine the spectrum
of the Kogut-Susskind Hamiltonian in a truncated basis. The quality of the
description is studied by computing results from various truncations, lattice
regularisations and with an improved Hamiltonian.
We find consistency for the mass ratio predictions within a scaling region
where we obtain good agreement with standard lattice Monte Carlo results.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
The effect of urine concentration and pH on the growth of Escherichia coli in canine urine in vitro
Background:
Lower urinary tract infections are common in dogs, and Escherichia coli is the most common bacterial pathogen isolated. The literature has conflicting evidence regarding the inhibitory effects of urine concentration and pH on E. coli growth.
Hypothesis/Objectives:
To determine the effect of different pH and urine concentrations on E. coli growth in vitro.
Animals:
Voided urine samples from 10 apparently healthy spayed female dogs were used.
Methods:
A matrix of 9 urine specific gravity (USG; 1.010, 1.020, and 1.030) and pH (5.5, 7.0, and 8.5) combinations was prepared by diluting and titrating filtered voided urine samples. Three E. coli isolates were obtained from urine of female dogs with signs of lower urinary tract infection and cultured at different urine pH and USG combinations in wells of a microtiter plate. The number of E. coli colonyâforming units (CFU) per mL of urine was calculated after aerobic incubation of the urine at 37°C for 18 hours, and statistically compared.
Results:
Significant differences were identified in the mean log CFU/mL among different combinations of pH and USG. The lowest log CFU/mL were observed in alkaline concentrated urine (pH 8.5 and USG 1.030).
Conclusions and Clinical Importance:
Escherichia coli in vitro growth was higher in neutral to acidic and diluted urine compared to alkaline and concentrated urine. The impact of nonâalkalizing diluting diets on the incidence of E. coli lower urinary tract infections should be further explored
Solidification behavior of intensively sheared hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy liquid
The official published version of this article can be found at the link below.The effect of the processing temperature on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Al-Si (hypoeutectic) alloy solidified from intensively sheared liquid metal has been investigated systematically. Intensive shearing gives a significant refinement in grain size and intermetallic particle size. It also is observed that the morphology of intermetallics, defect bands, and microscopic defects in high-pressure die cast components are affected by intensive shearing the liquid metal. We attempt to discuss the possible mechanism for these effects.Funded by the EPSRC
Protective Effect of Ocotillol, the Derivate of Ocotillol-Type Saponins in Panax Genus, against Acetic Acid-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats Based on Untargeted Metabolomics
Gastric ulcer (GU), a prevalent digestive disease, has a high incidence and is seriously harmful to human health. Finding a natural drug with a gastroprotective effect is needed. Ocotillol, the derivate of ocotillol-type saponins in the Panax genus, possesses good anti-inflammatory activity. The study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective effect of ocotillol on acetic acid-induced GU rats. The serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO), the gastric mucosa levels of epidermal growth factor, superoxide dismutase and NO were assessed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of gastric mucosa for pathological changes and immunohistochemical staining of ET-1, epidermal growth factor receptors and inducible nitric oxide synthase were evaluated. A UPLC-QTOF-MS-based serum metabolomics approach was applied to explore the latent mechanism. A total of 21 potential metabolites involved in 7 metabolic pathways were identified. The study helps us to understand the pathogenesis of GU and to provide a potential natural anti-ulcer agent
Path Integral Monte Carlo Approach to the U(1) Lattice Gauge Theory in (2+1) Dimensions
Path Integral Monte Carlo simulations have been performed for U(1) lattice
gauge theory in (2+1) dimensions on anisotropic lattices. We extractthe static
quark potential, the string tension and the low-lying "glueball" spectrum.The
Euclidean string tension and mass gap decrease exponentially at weakcoupling in
excellent agreement with the predictions of Polyakov and G{\" o}pfert and Mack,
but their magnitudes are five times bigger than predicted. Extrapolations are
made to the extreme anisotropic or Hamiltonian limit, and comparisons are made
with previous estimates obtained in the Hamiltonian formulation.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure
Hamiltonian Study of Improved Lattice Gauge Theory in Three Dimensions
A comprehensive analysis of the Symanzik improved anisotropic
three-dimensional U(1) lattice gauge theory in the Hamiltonian limit is made.
Monte Carlo techniques are used to obtain numerical results for the static
potential, ratio of the renormalized and bare anisotropies, the string tension,
lowest glueball masses and the mass ratio. Evidence that rotational symmetry is
established more accurately for the Symanzik improved anisotropic action is
presented. The discretization errors in the static potential and the
renormalization of the bare anisotropy are found to be only a few percent
compared to errors of about 20-25% for the unimproved gauge action. Evidence of
scaling in the string tension, antisymmetric mass gap and the mass ratio is
observed in the weak coupling region and the behaviour is tested against
analytic and numerical results obtained in various other Hamiltonian studies of
the theory. We find that more accurate determination of the scaling
coefficients of the string tension and the antisymmetric mass gap has been
achieved, and the agreement with various other Hamiltonian studies of the
theory is excellent. The improved action is found to give faster convergence to
the continuum limit. Very clear evidence is obtained that in the continuum
limit the glueball ratio approaches exactly 2, as expected in a
theory of free, massive bosons.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Density Matrix Renormalisation Group Approach to the Massive Schwinger Model
The massive Schwinger model is studied, using a density matrix
renormalisation group approach to the staggered lattice Hamiltonian version of
the model. Lattice sizes up to 256 sites are calculated, and the estimates in
the continuum limit are almost two orders of magnitude more accurate than
previous calculations. Coleman's picture of `half-asymptotic' particles at
background field theta = pi is confirmed. The predicted phase transition at
finite fermion mass (m/g) is accurately located, and demonstrated to belong in
the 2D Ising universality class.Comment: 38 pages, 18 figures, submitted to PR
DT/T beyond linear theory
The major contribution to the anisotropy of the temperature of the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB) radiation is believed to come from the interaction
of linear density perturbations with the radiation previous to the decoupling
time. Assuming a standard thermal history for the gas after recombination, only
the gravitational field produced by the linear density perturbations present on
a universe can generate anisotropies at low z (these
anisotropies would manifest on large angular scales). However, secondary
anisotropies are inevitably produced during the nonlinear evolution of matter
at late times even in a universe with a standard thermal history. Two effects
associated to this nonlinear phase can give rise to new anisotropies: the
time-varying gravitational potential of nonlinear structures (Rees-Sciama RS
effect) and the inverse Compton scattering of the microwave photons with hot
electrons in clusters of galaxies (Sunyaev-Zeldovich SZ effect). These two
effects can produce distinct imprints on the CMB temperature anisotropy. We
discuss the amplitude of the anisotropies expected and the relevant angular
scales in different cosmological scenarios. Future sensitive experiments will
be able to probe the CMB anisotropies beyong the first order primary
contribution.Comment: plain tex, 16 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the Laredo Advance
School on Astrophysics "The universe at high-z, large-scale structure and the
cosmic microwave background". To be publised by Springer-Verla
FUV and X-ray absorption in the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium
The Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) arises from shock-heated gas
collapsing in large-scale filaments and probably harbours a substantial
fraction of the baryons in the local Universe. Absorption-line measurements in
the ultraviolet (UV) and in the X-ray band currently represent the best method
to study the WHIM at low redshifts. We here describe the physical properties of
the WHIM and the concepts behind WHIM absorption line measurements of H I and
high ions such as O VI, O VII, and O VIII in the far-ultraviolet and X-ray
band. We review results of recent WHIM absorption line studies carried out with
UV and X-ray satellites such as FUSE, HST, Chandra, and XMM-Newton and discuss
their implications for our knowledge of the WHIM.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Space Science
Reviews, special issue "Clusters of galaxies: beyond the thermal view",
Editor J.S. Kaastra, Chapter 3; work done by an international team at the
International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, organised by J.S.
Kaastra, A.M. Bykov, S. Schindler & J.A.M. Bleeke
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