Microstrip superconducting quantum interference device amplifiers with submicron Josephson junctions: enhanced gain at gigahertz frequencies

We present measurements of an amplifier based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with submicron Al-AlOx-Al Josephson junctions. The small junction size reduces their self-capacitance and allows for the use of relatively large resistive shunts while maintaining nonhysteretic operation. This leads to an enhancement of the SQUID transfer function compared to SQUIDs with micron-scale junctions. The device layout is modified from that of a conventional SQUID to allow for coupling signals into the amplifier with a substantial mutual inductance for a relatively short microstrip coil. Measurements at 310 mK exhibit gain of 32 dB at 1.55 GHz.Comment: Version with high resolution figures at: http://physics.syr.edu/~bplourde/bltp-publications.ht

Picovoltmeter for probing vortex dynamics in a single weak-pinning Corbino channel

We have developed a picovoltmeter using a Nb dc Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) for measuring the flux-flow voltage from a small number of vortices moving through a submicron weak-pinning superconducting channel. We have applied this picovoltmeter to measure the vortex response in a single channel arranged in a circle on a Corbino disk geometry. The circular channel allows the vortices to follow closed orbits without encountering any sample edges, thus eliminating the influence of entry barriers.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Review of Scientific Instrument

Intake of Dairy Products in Relation to Periodontitis in Older Danish Adults

This cross-sectional study investigates whether calcium intakes from dairy and non-dairy sources, and absolute intakes of various dairy products, are associated with periodontitis. The calcium intake (mg/day) of 135 older Danish adults was estimated by a diet history interview and divided into dairy and non-dairy calcium. Dairy food intake (g/day) was classified into four groups: milk, cheese, fermented foods and other foods. Periodontitis was defined as the number of teeth with attachment loss ≥3 mm. Intakes of total dairy calcium (Incidence-rate ratio (IRR) = 0.97; <em>p</em> = 0.021), calcium from milk (IRR = 0.97; <em>p</em> = 0.025) and fermented foods (IRR = 0.96; <em>p </em>= 0.03) were inversely and significantly associated with periodontitis after adjustment for age, gender, education, sucrose intake, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, vitamin D intake, heart disease, visits to the dentist, use of dental floss and bleeding on probing, but non-dairy calcium, calcium from cheese and other types of dairy food intakes were not. Total dairy foods (IRR = 0.96; <em>p</em> = 0.003), milk (IRR = 0.96; <em>p</em> = 0.028) and fermented foods intakes (IRR = 0.97; <em>p</em> = 0.029) were associated with reduced risk of periodontitis, but cheese and other dairy foods intakes were not. These results suggest that dairy calcium, particularly from milk and fermented products, may protect against periodontitis. Prospective studies are required to confirm these findings

Neonatal Vitamin D Levels in Relation to Risk of Overweight at 7 Years in the Danish D-Tect Case-Cohort Study

Background: Vitamin D level in pregnancy may be associated with risk of overweight in the offspring later in life. Methods: In a case-cohort study based on Danish biobanks and registers we examined the association between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) level at birth and overweight at 7 years. Cases of overweight (n = 871) were randomly selected among 7-year-old children from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register (CSHRR) with a BMI above the 90th percentile. The cohort (n = 1,311) was a random sample selected among all Danish children born during the same period. Neonatal 25(OH)D was measured in dried blood spots. Results: 25(OH)D3 exhibited the expected seasonal variation. Median level of 25(OH)D3 was 20.6 (11.9-33.3) nmol/l in the overweight group and 23.4 (13.5-34.3) nmol/l in the cohort. We found no association between neonatal 25(OH)D3 level and risk of overweight at age 7 years, neither in the crude model (OR (CI) 1.00 (0.99; 1.00)) nor in a model adjusted for maternal ethnicity, educational level, civil status, parity, season and year of birth, and offspring ponderal index (OR (CI) 1.00 (0.99; 1.01)). Conclusion: Risk of overweight at 7 years of age was not associated with vitamin D level at birth

Exploring Dark Energy with Next-Generation Photometric Redshift Surveys

The coming decade will be an exciting period for dark energy research, during which astronomers will address the question of what drives the accelerated cosmic expansion as first revealed by type Ia supernova (SN) distances, and confirmed by later observations. The mystery of dark energy poses a challenge of such magnitude that, as stated by the Dark Energy Task Force (DETF), nothing short of a revolution in our understanding of fundamental physics will be required to achieve a full understanding of the cosmic acceleration. The lack of multiple complementary precision observations is a major obstacle in developing lines of attack for dark energy theory. This lack is precisely what next-generation surveys will address via the powerful techniques of weak lensing (WL) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) -- galaxy correlations more generally -- in addition to SNe, cluster counts, and other probes of geometry and growth of structure. Because of their unprecedented statistical power, these surveys demand an accurate understanding of the observables and tight control of systematics. This white paper highlights the opportunities, approaches, prospects, and challenges relevant to dark energy studies with wide-deep multiwavelength photometric redshift surveys. Quantitative predictions are presented for a 20000 sq. deg. ground-based 6-band (ugrizy) survey with 5-sigma depth of r~27.5, i.e., a Stage 4 survey as defined by the DETF

Microwave response of vortices in superconducting thin films of Re and Al

Vortices in superconductors driven at microwave frequencies exhibit a response related to the interplay between the vortex viscosity, pinning strength, and flux creep effects. At the same time, the trapping of vortices in superconducting microwave resonant circuits contributes excess loss and can result in substantial reductions in the quality factor. Thus, understanding the microwave vortex response in superconducting thin films is important for the design of such circuits, including superconducting qubits and photon detectors, which are typically operated in small, but non-zero, magnetic fields. By cooling in fields of the order of 100 $\mu$T and below, we have characterized the magnetic field and frequency dependence of the microwave response of a small density of vortices in resonators fabricated from thin films of Re and Al, which are common materials used in superconducting microwave circuits. Above a certain threshold cooling field, which is different for the Re and Al films, vortices become trapped in the resonators. Vortices in the Al resonators contribute greater loss and are influenced more strongly by flux creep effects than in the Re resonators. This different behavior can be described in the framework of a general vortex dynamics model.Comment: Published in Physical Review B 79,174512(2009); preprint version with higher resolution figures available at http://physics.syr.edu/~bplourde/bltp-publications.ht

A novel scaling methodology to reduce the biases associated with missing data from commercial activity monitors

Background Commercial physical activity monitors have wide utility in the assessment of physical activity in research and clinical settings, however, the removal of devices results in missing data and has the potential to bias study conclusions. This study aimed to evaluate methods to address missingness in data collected from commercial activity monitors. Methods This study utilised 1526 days of near complete data from 109 adults participating in a European weight loss maintenance study (NoHoW). We conducted simulation experiments to test a novel scaling methodology (NoHoW method) and alternative imputation strategies (overall/individual mean imputation, overall/individual multiple imputation, Kalman imputation and random forest imputation). Methods were compared for hourly, daily and 14-day physical activity estimates for steps, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and time in physical activity categories. In a second simulation study, individual multiple imputation, Kalman imputation and the NoHoW method were tested at different positions and quantities of missingness. Equivalence testing and root mean squared error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the ability of each of the strategies relative to the true data. Results The NoHoW method, Kalman imputation and multiple imputation methods remained statistically equivalent (p<0.05) for all physical activity metrics at the 14-day level. In the second simulation study, RMSE tended to increase with increased missingness. Multiple imputation showed the smallest RMSE for Steps and TDEE at lower levels of missingness (<19%) and the Kalman and NoHoW methods were generally superior for imputing time in physical activity categories. Conclusion Individual centred imputation approaches (NoHoW method, Kalman imputation and individual Multiple imputation) offer an effective means to reduce the biases associated with missing data from activity monitors and maximise data retention

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess Healthcare personnel competence in cardiac arrest and resuscitation in pregnancy

acceptedVersionpublishedVersio

Magnetoplasmon excitations in an array of periodically modulated quantum wires

Motivated by the recent experiment of Hochgraefe et al., we have investigated the magnetoplasmon excitations in a periodic array of quantum wires with a periodic modulation along the wire direction. The equilibrium and dynamic properties of the system are treated self-consistently within the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsaecker approximation. A calculation of the dynamical response of the system to a far-infrared radiation field reveals a resonant anticrossing between the Kohn mode and a finite-wavevector longitudinal excitation which is induced by the density modulation along the wires. Our theoretical calculations are found to be in excellent agreement with experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

The Healthy Start project: a randomized, controlled intervention to prevent overweight among normal weight, preschool children at high risk of future overweight

BACKGROUND: Research shows that obesity prevention has to start early. Targeting interventions towards subgroups of individuals who are predisposed, but yet normal weight, may prove more effective in preventing overweight than interventions towards unselected normal weight subsets. Finally, interventions focused on other factors than diet and activity are lacking. The objectives were to perform a randomized, controlled intervention aiming at preventing overweight in children aged 2–6 years, who are yet normal weight, but have high predisposition for future overweight, and to intervene not only by improving diet and physical activity, but also reduce stress and improve sleep quality and quantity. METHODS/DESIGN: Based on information from the Danish National Birth Registry and administrative birth forms, children were selected based on having either a high birth weight, a mother who was overweight prior to pregnancy, or a familial low socioeconomic status. Selected children (n = 5,902) were randomized into three groups; an intervention group, a shadow control group followed in registers exclusively, and a control group examined at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Approximately 21% agreed to participate. Children who presented as overweight prior to the intervention were excluded from this study (n = 92). In the intervention group, 271 children were included, and in the control group 272 were included. Information obtained from the shadow control group is on-going, but it is estimated that 394 children will be included. The intervention took place over on average 1½ year between 2009 and 2011, and consisted of optional individual guidance in optimizing diet and physical activity habits, reducing chronic stress and stressful events and improving sleep quality and quantity. The intervention also included participation in cooking classes and play arrangements. Information on dietary intake, meal habits, physical activity, sleep habits, and overall stress level was obtained by 4–7 day questionnaire diaries and objective measurements. DISCUSSION: If the Healthy Start project is effective in preventing excessive weight gain, it will provide valuable information on new determinants of obesity which should be considered in future interventions, and on new strategies to prevent development of overweight and obesity at an early age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT01583335