4,989 research outputs found
The unusual pulsation spectrum of the cool ZZ Ceti star HS 0507+0434B
We present the analysis of one week of single-site high-speed CCD photometric
observations of the cool ZZ Ceti star HS 0507+0434B. Ten independent
frequencies are detected in the star's light variations: one singlet and three
nearly-equally spaced triplets. We argue that these triplets are due to
rotationally split modes of spherical degree l=1. This is the first detection
of consistent multiplet structure in the amplitude spectrum of a cool ZZ Ceti
star and it allows us to determine the star's rotation period: 1.70 +/- 0.11 d.
We report exactly equal frequency, not period, spacings between the detected
mode groups. In addition, certain pairs of modes from the four principal groups
have frequency ratios which are very close to 3:4 or 4:5; while these ratios
are nearly exact (within one part in 10^4), they still lie outside the computed
error bars. We speculate that these relationships between different frequencies
could be caused by resonances. One of the three triplets may not be constant in
amplitude and/or frequency.
We compare our frequency solution for the combination frequencies (of which
we detected 38) to Wu's (1998, 2001) model thereof. We obtain consistent
results when trying to infer the star's convective thermal time and the
inclination angle of its rotational axis. Theoretical combination-frequency
amplitude spectra also resemble those of the observations well, and direct
theoretical predictions of the observed second-order light-curve distortions
were also reasonably successful assuming the three triplets are due to l=1
modes. Attempts to reproduce the observed combination frequencies adopting all
possible l=2 identifications for the triplets did not provide similarly
consistent results, supporting their identification with l=1.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 12 pages, 8 figure
The Effect of Cluster Size Variability on Statistical Power in Cluster-Randomized Trials
The frequency of cluster-randomized trials (CRTs) in peer-reviewed literature has increased exponentially over the past two decades. CRTs are a valuable tool for studying interventions that cannot be effectively implemented or randomized at the individual level. However, some aspects of the design and analysis of data from CRTs are more complex than those for individually randomized controlled trials. One of the key components to designing a successful CRT is calculating the proper sample size (i.e. number of clusters) needed to attain an acceptable level of statistical power. In order to do this, a researcher must make assumptions about the value of several variables, including a fixed mean cluster size. In practice, cluster size can often vary dramatically. Few studies account for the effect of cluster size variation when assessing the statistical power for a given trial. We conducted a simulation study to investigate how the statistical power of CRTs changes with variable cluster sizes. In general, we observed that increases in cluster size variability lead to a decrease in power
Revisiting the theoretical DBV (V777 Her) instability strip: the MLT theory of convection
We reexamine the theoretical instability domain of pulsating DB white dwarfs
(DBV or V777 Her variables). We performed an extensive -mode nonadiabatic
pulsation analysis of DB evolutionary models considering a wide range of
stellar masses, for which the complete evolutionary stages of their progenitors
from the ZAMS, through the thermally pulsing AGB and born-again phases, the
domain of the PG1159 stars, the hot phase of DO white dwarfs, and then the DB
white dwarf stage have been considered. We explicitly account for the evolution
of the chemical abundance distribution due to time-dependent chemical diffusion
processes. We examine the impact of the different prescriptions of the MLT
theory of convection and the effects of small amounts of H in the almost
He-pure atmospheres of DB stars on the precise location of the theoretical blue
edge of the DBV instability strip.Comment: Proceedings, 16th European White Dwarf Workshop, Barcelona, 200
The mechanism for the 3 x 3 distortion of Sn/ge (111)
We show that two distinct ground states, one nonmagnetic,
metallic, and distorted, the other magnetic, semimetallic (or insulating) and
undistorted, compete in -phase adsorbates on semiconductor (111)
surfaces. In Sn/Ge(111), LSDA/GGA calculations indicate, in agreement with
experiment, that the distorted metallic ground state prevails. The reason for
stability of this state is analysed, and is traced to a sort of bond density
wave, specifically a modulation of the antibonding state filling between the
adatom and a Ge-Ge bond directly underneath
Identification of 13 DB + dM and 2 DC + dM binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
We present the identification of 13 DB + dM binaries and 2 DC + dM binaries
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Before the SDSS only 2 DB + dM
binaries and 1 DC + dM binary were known. At least three, possibly 8, of the
new DB + dM binaries seem to have white dwarf temperatures well above 30000 K
which would place them in the so called DB-gap. Finding these DB white dwarfs
in binaries may suggest that they have formed through a different evolutionary
channel than the ones in which DA white dwarfs transform into DB white dwarfs
due to convection in the upper layers.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letter
Disturbed EEG Sleep, Paranoid Cognition and Somatic Symptoms Identify Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Background
Chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) behavioural symptoms and medically unexplainable somatic symptoms are reported to occur following the stressful experience of military combatants in war zones. Aims
To determine the contribution of disordered EEG sleep physiology in those military combatants who have unexplainable physical symptoms and PTSD behavioural difficulties following war-zone exposure. Method
This case-controlled study compared 59 veterans with chronic sleep disturbance with 39 veterans with DSM-IV and clinician-administered PTSD Scale diagnosed PTSD who were unresponsive to pharmacological and psychological treatments. All had standardised EEG polysomnography, computerised sleep EEG cyclical alternating pattern (CAP) as a measure of sleep stability, self-ratings of combat exposure, paranoid cognition and hostility subscales of Symptom Checklist-90, Beck Depression Inventory and the Wahler Physical Symptom Inventory. Statistical group comparisons employed linear models, logistic regression and chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID)-like decision trees. Results
Veterans with PTSD were more likely than those without PTSD to show disturbances in non-rapid eye movement (REM) and REM sleep including delayed sleep onset, less efficient EEG sleep, less stage 4 (deep) non-REM sleep, reduced REM and delayed onset to REM. There were no group differences in the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoeas/hypopnoeas and periodic leg movements, but sleep-disturbed, non-PTSD military had more EEG CAP sleep instability. Rank order determinants for the diagnosis of PTSD comprise paranoid thinking, onset to REM sleep, combat history and somatic symptoms. Decision-tree analysis showed that a specific military event (combat), delayed onset to REM sleep, paranoid thinking and medically unexplainable somatic pain and fatigue characterise chronic PTSD. More PTSD veterans reported domestic and social misbehaviour. Conclusions
Military combat, disturbed REM/non-REM EEG sleep, paranoid ideation and medically unexplained chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue are key factors in determining PTSD disability following war-zone exposure
A mixed ultrasoft/normconserved pseudopotential scheme
A variant of the Vanderbilt ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme, where the
normconservation is released for only one or a few angular channels, is
presented. Within this scheme some difficulties of the truly ultrasoft
pseudopotentials are overcome without sacrificing the pseudopotential softness.
i) Ghost states are easily avoided without including semicore shells. ii) The
ultrasoft pseudo-charge-augmentation functions can be made more soft. iii) The
number of nonlocal operators is reduced. The scheme will be most useful for
transition metals, and the feasibility and accuracy of the scheme is
demonstrated for the 4d transition metal rhodium.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Assessment of the Validity of Reported Antibiotic Allergic Reactions in Pediatric Patients
Study Objective. To determine whether a reported antibiotic allergy was likely to have been immunologically mediated.
Design. Questionnaire-based study.
Setting. Tertiary care, freestanding children\u27s hospital.
Patients. One hundred patients aged 1 month-18 years for whom guardians reported an allergy to an antibiotic at the time of hospital admission between October 2009 and March 2010.
Intervention. Guardians of the patients were interviewed by using a standardized allergy assessment questionnaire.
Measurements and Main Results. Based on answers to the questionnaire, the reported allergic reactions were categorized to determine if they were true allergies or adverse reactions. Among the 100 patients, reported allergies were categorized as immunologically mediated reactions in 58%, non-immunologically mediated adverse drug reactions in 27%, no reaction in 3%, and unknown in 12%. Reactions to penicillins, cephalosporins, or sulfonamides were reported most frequently and were attributed to immunologically mediated reactions in 68% (26/38), 74% (17/23), and 67% (10/15) of instances, respectively.
Conclusion. Use of the allergy assessment questionnaire determined that 58% of the 100 reported antibiotic allergies fulfilled criteria for an immunologically mediated reaction. These findings underscore the utility of an allergy assessment questionnaire, versus a simple drug history, in improving the accuracy of reported antibiotic reactions
Microscopic Theory of Magnon-Drag Thermoelectric Transport in Ferromagnetic Metals
A theoretical study of the magnon-drag Peltier and Seebeck effects in
ferromagnetic metals is presented. A magnon heat current is described
perturbatively from the microscopic viewpoint with respect to electron--magnon
interactions and the electric field. Then, the magnon-drag Peltier coefficient
\Pi_\MAG is obtained as the ratio between the magnon heat current and the
electric charge current. We show that \Pi_\MAG=C_\MAG T^{5/2} at a low
temperature ; that the coefficient C_\MAG is proportional to the spin
polarization of the electric conductivity; and that for C_\MAG<0,
but . From experimental results for magnon-drag Peltier
effects, we estimate that the strength of the electron--magnon interaction is
about 0.3 eV for permalloy.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Journal of the
Physical Society of Japa
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