69 research outputs found
Effect of temperature anisotropy on various modes and instabilities for a magnetized non-relativistic bi-Maxwellian plasma
Using kinetic theory for homogeneous collisionless magnetized plasmas, we
present an extended review of the plasma waves and instabilities and discuss
the anisotropic response of generalized relativistic dielectric tensor and
Onsager symmetry properties for arbitrary distribution functions. In general,
we observe that for such plasmas only those electromagnetic modes whose
magnetic field perturbations are perpendicular to the ambient magneticeld,
i.e.,B1 \perp B0, are effected by the anisotropy. However, in oblique
propagation all modes do show such anisotropic effects. Considering the
non-relativistic bi-Maxwellian distribution and studying the relevant
components of the general dielectric tensor under appropriate conditions, we
derive the dispersion relations for various modes and instabilities. We show
that only the electromagnetic R- and L- waves, those derived from them and the
O-mode are affected by thermal anisotropies, since they satisfy the required
condition B1\perpB0. By contrast, the perpendicularly propagating X-mode and
the modes derived from it (the pure transverse X-mode and Bernstein mode) show
no such effect. In general, we note that the thermal anisotropy modifies the
parallel propagating modes via the parallel acoustic effect, while it modifies
the perpendicular propagating modes via the Larmor-radius effect. In oblique
propagation for kinetic Alfven waves, the thermal anisotropy affects the
kinetic regime more than it affects the inertial regime. The generalized fast
mode exhibits two distinct acoustic effects, one in the direction parallel to
the ambient magnetic field and the other in the direction perpendicular to it.
In the fast-mode instability, the magneto-sonic wave causes suppression of the
firehose instability. We discuss all these propagation characteristics and
present graphic illustrations
Tunnelling Methods and Hawking's radiation: achievements and prospects
The aim of this work is to review the tunnelling method as an alternative
description of the quantum radiation from black holes and cosmological
horizons. The method is first formulated and discussed for the case of
stationary black holes, then a foundation is provided in terms of analytic
continuation throughout complex space-time. The two principal implementations
of the tunnelling approach, which are the null geodesic method and the
Hamilton-Jacobi method, are shown to be equivalent in the stationary case. The
Hamilton-Jacobi method is then extended to cover spherically symmetric
dynamical black holes, cosmological horizons and naked singularities. Prospects
and achievements are discussed in the conclusions.Comment: Topical Review commissioned and accepted for publication by
"Classical and Quantum Gravity". 101 pages; 6 figure
An Anatomy Massive Open Online Course as a Continuing Professional Development Tool for Healthcare Professionals
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) remain a novel and under-evaluated learning tool within anatomical and medical education. This study aimed to provide valuable information by using an anatomy MOOC to investigate the demographic profile, patterns of engagement and self-perceived benefits to healthcare professionals. A 21-item survey aimed at healthcare professionals was embedded into the Exploring Anatomy: The Human Abdomen MOOC, in April 2016. The course attracted 2711 individual learners with 94 of these completing the survey, and 79 of those confirming they worked full- or part-time as healthcare professionals. Variations in use across healthcare profession (allied healthcare professional, nurse or doctor) were explored using a Fisher’s exact test to calculate significance across demographic, motivation and engagement items; one-way ANOVA was used to compare self-perceived benefits. Survey data revealed that 53.2% were allied healthcare professionals, 35.4% nurses and 11.4% doctors. Across all professions, the main motivation for enrolling was to learn new things in relation to their clinical practice, with a majority following the prescribed course pathway and utilising core, and clinically relevant, material. The main benefits were in relation to improving anatomy knowledge, which enabled better support for patients. This exploratory study assessing engagement and self-perceived benefits of an anatomy MOOC has shown a high level of ordered involvement, with some indicators suggesting possible benefits to patients by enhancing the subject knowledge of those enrolled. It is suggested that this type of learning tool should be further explored as an approach to continuing professional, and interprofessional, education
Herd Immunity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in 10 Communities, Qatar.
We investigated what proportion of the population acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and whether the herd immunity threshold has been reached in 10 communities in Qatar. The study included 4,970 participants during June 21-September 9, 2020. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Seropositivity ranged from 54.9% (95% CI 50.2%-59.4%) to 83.8% (95% CI 79.1%-87.7%) across communities and showed a pooled mean of 66.1% (95% CI 61.5%-70.6%). A range of other epidemiologic measures indicated that active infection is rare, with limited if any sustainable infection transmission for clusters to occur. Only 5 infections were ever severe and 1 was critical in these young communities; infection severity rate of 0.2% (95% CI 0.1%-0.4%). Specific communities in Qatar have or nearly reached herd immunity for SARS-CoV-2 infection: 65%-70% of the population has been infected
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Fractional Activation of Accumulation-Mode Particles in Warm Continental Stratiform Clouds
The degree of activation of accumulation-mode particles (AMP) in clouds has been studied using continuous (1 second average) aircraft measurements of the number concentrations of cloud droplets (N[sub cd], 2 to 35 [mu]m diameter) and of unactivated AMP (N[sub amp], 0.17 to 2.07 [mu]m diameter) in cloud interstitial air. The magnitude and spatial variation of the activated fraction (F) of all measured particles (defined as F [triple bond] N[sub cd]/N[sub tot], where N[sub tot] = N[sub cd] + N[sub amp]) are investigated, based on measurements made during ten aircraft flights in non-precipitating warm continental stratiform clouds near Syracuse NY in the fall of 1984. Based on instantaneous observations throughout the clouds, the spatial distribution of F was found to be quite nonuniform. In general, F was low in cloud edges and where total particle loading was high and/or cloud convective activity was low. In the interior of clouds, the value of F exceeded 0.9 for 36% of the data, but was below 0.6 for 28%. Factors influencing F the most were the total particle loading (N[sub tot]) and the thermal stability of the cloud layer. The dependence of F on N[sub tot] in cloud interior was characterized by two distinct regimes. For N[sub tot] 800 cm[sup [minus]3], F tended to decrease with increasing N[sub tot]. This decrease was greatest in a stable stratus deck embedded in a warm moist airmass. The results suggest that, in warm continental stratiform clouds, the process of particle activation becomes nonlinear and self-limiting at high particle loading. The degree of this nonlinearity depends on cloud convective activity (thermal instability)
The Emancipated Learner? The Tensions Facing Learners in Massive, Open Learning
MOOCs have the potential to challenge existing educational models. Paradoxically, they frequently reinforce educational conventions by requiring the learners to conform to expected norms of current educational models. Recent research has produced data on how learners engage in MOOCs. And yet, despite the extensive data, rather than freeing learners to chart their own pathways, MOOCs still require the learners to conform to expected norms. The very act of learning autonomously often causes tensions, most noticeably when learners choose to drop out, rather than complete a course as expected, or when they engage in MOOCs as mere observers, rather than active contributors. In this chapter, we explore how the emphasis on the individual as active and autonomous learner sometimes conflicts with the expectation that learners conform to accepted norms. This expectation that learners conform to accepted ‘ways of being’ in a MOOC isolates those who plan their own pathway. The chapter concludes with a typology of different learners, arguing that, rather than adhering to a ‘type’, each MOOC participant moves across these learner types, depending on their motivations, and may span different types, rather than falling into one single category
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