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Evaluating candidate reactions to selection practices using organisational justice theory
Objectives: This study aimed to examine candidate reactions to selection practices in postgraduate medical training using organisational justice theory.
Methods: We carried out three independent cross-sectional studies using samples from three consecutive annual recruitment rounds. Data were gathered from candidates applying for entry into UK general practice (GP) training during 2007, 2008 and 2009. Participants completed an evaluation questionnaire immediately after the short-listing stage and after the selection centre (interview) stage. Participants were doctors applying for GP training in the UK. Main outcome measures were participants’ evaluations of the selection methods and perceptions of the overall fairness of each selection stage (short-listing and selection centre).
Results: A total of 23 855 evaluation questionnaires were completed (6893 in 2007, 10 497 in 2008 and 6465 in 2009). Absolute levels of perceptions of fairness of all the selection methods at both the short-listing and selection centre stages were consistently high over the 3 years. Similarly, all selection methods were considered to be job-related by candidates. However, in general, candidates considered the selection centre stage to be significantly fairer than the short-listing stage. Of all the selection methods, the simulated patient consultation completed at the selection centre stage was rated as the most job-relevant.
Conclusions: This is the first study to use a model of organisational justice theory to evaluate candidate reactions during selection into postgraduate specialty training. The high-fidelity selection methods are consistently viewed as more job-relevant and fairer by candidates. This has important implications for the design of recruitment systems for all specialties and, potentially, for medical school admissions. Using this approach, recruiters can systematically compare perceptions of the fairness and job relevance of various selection methods
Dissipation of mechanical energy in fused silica fibers
For thermal noise considerations of LIGO suspensions, the sources of
dissipation in the suspending fibers must be analyzed. To determine the
dissipation induced by the surface of fused silica fibers, we measured the
quality factor of fibers having various diameters. We measured a maximum
quality factor of 21 million and extrapolated to obtain an intrinsic quality
factor for fused silica of 30 million. Dissipation in the surface dominated at
diameters less than about 1 mm. We developed a method for characterizing
surface-induced dissipation that is independent of sample geometry or mode
shape.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, RevTeX. Minor Revisions. Accepted for
publication by Review of Scientific Instruments (29 June 1999). Projected
publication date: October 199
Soft-Pulse Dynamical Decoupling with Markovian Decoherence
We consider the effect of broadband decoherence on the performance of
refocusing sequences, having in mind applications of dynamical decoupling in
concatenation with quantum error correcting codes as the first stage of
coherence protection. Specifically, we construct cumulant expansions of
effective decoherence operators for a qubit driven by a pulse of a generic
symmetric shape, and for several sequences of - and -pulses. While,
in general, the performance of soft pulses in decoupling sequences in the
presence of Markovian decoherence is worse than that of the ideal
-pulses, it can be substantially improved by shaping.Comment: New version contains minor content clarification
Symmetric Rotating Wave Approximation for the Generalized Single-Mode Spin-Boson System
The single-mode spin-boson model exhibits behavior not included in the
rotating wave approximation (RWA) in the ultra and deep-strong coupling
regimes, where counter-rotating contributions become important. We introduce a
symmetric rotating wave approximation that treats rotating and counter-rotating
terms equally, preserves the invariances of the Hamiltonian with respect to its
parameters, and reproduces several qualitative features of the spin-boson
spectrum not present in the original rotating wave approximation both
off-resonance and at deep strong coupling. The symmetric rotating wave
approximation allows for the treatment of certain ultra and deep-strong
coupling regimes with similar accuracy and mathematical simplicity as does the
RWA in the weak coupling regime. Additionally, we symmetrize the generalized
form of the rotating wave approximation to obtain the same qualitative
correspondence with the addition of improved quantitative agreement with the
exact numerical results. The method is readily extended to higher accuracy if
needed. Finally, we introduce the two-photon parity operator for the two-photon
Rabi Hamiltonian and obtain its generalized symmetric rotating wave
approximation. The existence of this operator reveals a parity symmetry similar
to that in the Rabi Hamiltonian as well as another symmetry that is unique to
the two-photon case, providing insight into the mathematical structure of the
two-photon spectrum, significantly simplifying the numerics, and revealing some
interesting dynamical properties.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Neurogenic Fever after Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Systematic Review.
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, pathogenesis, and clinical outcomes related to neurogenic fevers following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed on thermodysregulation secondary to acute traumatic SCI in adult patients. A literature search was performed using PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus. Using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven relevant articles were obtained.
RESULTS: The incidence of fever of all origins (both known and unknown) after SCI ranged from 22.5 to 71.7% with a mean incidence of 50.6% and a median incidence of 50.0%. The incidence of fever of unknown origin (neurogenic fever) ranged from 2.6 to 27.8% with a mean incidence of 8.0% and a median incidence of 4.7%. Cervical and thoracic spinal injuries were more commonly associated with fever than lumbar injuries. In addition, complete injuries had a higher incidence of fever than incomplete injuries. The pathogenesis of neurogenic fever after acute SCI is not thoroughly understood.
CONCLUSION: Neurogenic fevers are relatively common following an acute SCI; however, there is little in the scientific literature to help physicians prevent or treat this condition. The paucity of research underscored by this review demonstrates the need for further studies with larger sample sizes, focusing on incidence rate, clinical outcomes, and pathogenesis of neurogenic fever following acute traumatic SCI
Fivebranes from gauge theory
We study theories with sixteen supercharges and a discrete energy spectrum.
One class of theories has symmetry group . They arise as truncations
of super Yang Mills. They include the plane wave matrix model, 2+1
super Yang Mills on and super Yang Mills on . We explain how to obtain their gravity duals in a unified way.
We explore the regions of the geometry that are relevant for the study of some
1/2 BPS and near BPS states. This leads to a class of two dimensional (4,4)
supersymmetric sigma models with non-zero flux, including a massive
deformed WZW model. We show how to match some features of the string spectrum
with the Yang Mills theory.
The other class of theories are also connected to super Yang
Mills and arise by making some of the transverse scalars compact. Their vacua
are characterized by a 2d Yang Mills theory or 3d Chern Simons theory. These
theories realize peculiar superpoincare symmetry algebras in 2+1 or 1+1
dimensions with "non-central" charges. We finally discuss gravity duals of
super Yang Mills on .Comment: 50+24 pages, 9 figures, latex. v2: typos corrected, references adde
Schwarzschild solution in brane induced gravity
The metric of a Schwarzschild solution in brane induced gravity in five
dimensions is studied. We find a nonperturbative solution for which an exact
expression on the brane is obtained. We also find a linearized solution in the
bulk and argue that a nonsingular exact solution in the entire space should
exist. The exact solution on the brane is highly nontrivial as it interpolates
between different distance scales. This part of the metric is enough to deduce
an important property -- the ADM mass of the solution is suppressed compared to
the bare mass of a static source. This screening of the mass is due to
nonlinear interactions which give rise to a nonzero curvature outside the
source. The curvature extends away from the source to a certain macroscopic
distance that coincides with the would-be strong interaction scale. The very
same curvature shields the source from strong coupling effects. The four
dimensional law of gravity, including the correct tensorial structure, is
recovered at observable distances. We find that the solution has no vDVZ
discontinuity and show that the gravitational field on the brane is always
weak, in spite of the fact that the solution is nonperturbative.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, repetitions removed, PRD versio
crisscrossing Science Episode 070: What\u27s in Your Glass?
In this episode, Mike Crosser (professor of physics at Linfield College) and Chad Tillberg (professor of biology at Linfield College) invite Dr. Greg Jones (Evenstad Director of Wine Education and professor of wine studies at Linfield College) to drink wine and talk about how it gets made
Curvature Corrections to Dynamics of Domain Walls
The most usual procedure for deriving curvature corrections to effective
actions for topological defects is subjected to a critical reappraisal. A
logically unjustified step (leading to overdetermination) is identified and
rectified, taking the standard domain wall case as an illustrative example.
Using the appropriately corrected procedure, we obtain a new exact (analytic)
expression for the corresponding effective action contribution of quadratic
order in the wall width, in terms of the intrinsic Ricci scalar and the
extrinsic curvature scalar . The result is proportional to with the
coefficient given by . The resulting form of the ensuing dynamical
equations is obtained in terms of the second fundamental form and the
Dalembertian of its trace, K. It is argued that this does not invalidate the
physical conclusions obtained from the "zero rigidity" ansatz used in
previous work.Comment: 19 pages plain TeX, 2 figures include
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