Neodymmischmetall-Hydrid

[No abstract available

Strong coupling of a qubit to shot noise

We perform a nonperturbative analysis of a charge qubit in a double quantum dot structure coupled to its detector. We show that strong detector-dot interaction tends to slow down and halt coherent oscillations. The transitions to a classical and a low-temperature quantum overdamping (Zeno) regime are studied. In the latter, the physics of the dissipative phase transition competes with the effective shot noise.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

The shifting roles of medical stakeholders in opioid substitution treatment: a comparison between Denmark and the UK

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the shifting roles of medical professionals as stakeholders in opioid substitution treatment (OST) policies and practices in Denmark and the UK within the past 15 years. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on literature reviews, documentary analyses and key informant interviews with a range of stakeholders involved in OST and policy in Denmark and UK. The study is part of the EU-funded project: Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe: Reframing Addictions Project. Findings – Denmark and the UK are amongst those few European countries that have long traditions and elaborate systems for providing OST to heroin users. The UK has a history of dominance of medical professionals in drugs treatment, although this has been recently challenged by the recovery movement. In Denmark, a social problem approach has historically dominated the field, but a recent trend towards medicalisation can be traced. As in all kinds of policy changes, multiple factors are at play when shifts occur. We examine how both countries’ developments around drugs treatment policy and practice relate to broader societal, economic and political changes, how such divergent developments emerge and how medical professionals as stakeholders enhanced their roles as experts in the field through a variety of tactics, including the production and use of “evidence”, which became a key tool to promote specific stakeholder’s perspectives in these processes. Originality/value – The paper contributes to current policy and practice debates by providing comparative analyses of drug policies and examination of stakeholder influences on policy processes

Steady Hall Magnetohydrodynamics Near a X-type Magnetic Neutral Line

Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) properties near a two-dimensional (2D) X-type magnetic neutral line in the steady state are considered via heuristic and rigorous developments. Upon considering the steady-state as the asymptotic limit of the corresponding \textit{time-dependent} problem and using a rigorous development, Hall effects are shown to be able to sustain the hyperbolicity of the magnetic field (and hence a more open X-point configuration) near the neutral line in the steady state. The heuristic development misses this subtle connection of the steady state with the corresponding \textit{time-dependent} problem and predicts only an elongated current-sheet configuration (as in resistive MHD). However, the heuristic development turns out to be useful in providing insight into the lack of dependence of the reconnection rate on the mechanism breaking the frozen-in condition of the magnetic field lines. The latter result can be understood in terms of the ability of the ions and electrons to transport equal amounts of magnetic flux per unit time out of the reconnection region.Comment: 1-10 page

New Associations of Gamma-Ray Sources from the Fermi Second Source Catalog

We present the results of an all-sky radio survey between 5 and 9 GHz of the fields surrounding all unassociated gamma-ray objects listed in the Fermi Large Area Telescope Second Source Catalog (2FGL). The goal of these observations is to find all new gamma-ray AGN associations with radio sources >10 mJy at 8 GHz. We observed with the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array the areas around unassociated sources, providing localizations of weak radio point sources found in 2FGL fields at arcmin scales. Then we followed-up a subset of those with the Very Long Baseline and the Long Baseline Arrays to confirm detections of radio emission on parsec-scales. We quantified association probabilities based on known statistics of source counts and assuming a uniform distribution of background sources. In total we found 865 radio sources at arcsec scales as candidates for association and detected 95 of 170 selected for follow-up observations at milliarcsecond resolution. Based on this we obtained firm associations for 76 previously unknown gamma-ray AGN. Comparison of these new AGN associations with the predictions from using the WISE color-color diagram shows that half of the associations are missed. We found that 129 out of 588 observed gamma-ray sources at arcmin scales not a single radio continuum source was detected above our sensitivity limit within the 3-sigma gamma-ray localization. These "empty" fields were found to be particularly concentrated at low Galactic latitudes. The nature of these Galactic gamma-ray emitters is not yet determined.Comment: accepted for publication by ApJS, 18 pages, 10 figures, 12 tables; full electronic versions of tables 2-8 are available as ancillary file

Local delivery of fluorescent dye for fiber-optics confocal microscopy of the living heart

Fiber-optics confocal microscopy (FCM) is an emerging imaging technology with various applications in basic research and clinical diagnosis. FCM allows for real-time in situ microscopy of tissue at sub-cellular scale. Recently FCM has been investigated for cardiac imaging, in particular, for discrimination of cardiac tissue during pediatric open-heart surgery. FCM relies on fluorescent dyes. The current clinical approach of dye delivery is based on systemic injection, which is associated with high dye consumption, and adverse clinical events. In this study, we investigated approaches for local dye delivery during FCM imaging based on dye carriers attached to the imaging probe. Using three-dimensional confocal microscopy, automated bench tests, and FCM imaging we quantitatively characterized dye release of carriers composed of open-pore foam only and foam loaded with agarose hydrogel. In addition, we compared local dye delivery with a model of systemic dye delivery in the isolated perfused rodent heart. We measured the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of images acquired in various regions of the heart. Our evaluations showed that foam-agarose dye carriers exhibited a prolonged dye release vs. foam-only carriers. Foam-agarose dye carriers allowed reliable imaging of 5–9 lines, which is comparable to 4–8 min of continuous dye release. Our study in the living heart revealed that the SNR of FCM images using local and systemic dye delivery is not different. However, we observed differences in the imaged tissue microstructure with the two approaches. Structural features characteristic of microvasculature were solely observed for systemic dye delivery. Our findings suggest that local dye delivery approach for FCM imaging constitutes an important alternative to systemic dye delivery. We suggest that the approach for local dye delivery will facilitate clinical translation of FCM, for instance, for FCM imaging during pediatric heart surgery

Does Being Overweight Really Reduce Mortality?

There is indisputable evidence from epidemiologic and clinical studies that being overweight and obese elevates the risk of developing debilitating and costly chronic diseases, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and cancer (1). Nonetheless, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality remains the subject of much debate. A recent meta-analysis concluded that compared to those of normal weight (BMI<25.0), overweight individuals (BMI 25.0–29.9) had a significantly lower mortality risk (2). Even Class 1 obesity (BMI 30–34.9) was associated with marginally reduced mortality. In this Perspective, we discuss why this finding is likely to be an artifact of methodological limitations and what the clinical and public health implications may be