130 research outputs found
Phase transitions in a three dimensional lattice London superconductor
We consider a three-dimensional lattice superconductor in
the London limit, with two individually conserved condensates. The problem,
generically, has two types of intercomponent interactions of different
characters. First, the condensates are interacting via a minimal coupling to
the same fluctuating gauge field. A second type of coupling is the direct
dissipationless drag represented by a local intercomponent current-current
coupling term in the free energy functional. The interplay between these two
types of interactions produces a number of physical effects not present in
previously investigated models with only one kind of
intercomponent interaction. In this work, we present a study of the phase
diagram of a superconductor which includes both of these
interactions. We study phase transitions and two types of competing paired
phases which occur in this general model: (i) a metallic superfluid phase
(where there is order only in the gauge invariant phase difference of the order
parameters), (ii) a composite superconducting phase where there is order in the
phase sum of the order parameters which has many properties of a
single-component superconductor but with a doubled value of electric charge. We
investigate the phase diagram with particular focus on what we call "preemptive
phase transitions". These are phase transitions {\it unique to multicomponent
condensates with competing topological objects}. A sudden proliferation of one
kind of topological defects may come about due to a fluctuating background of
topological defects in other sectors of the theory.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
Pengaruh Kompensasi Finansial dan Kepuasan Kerja terhadap Komitmen Organisasi pada PT. Asuransi Sinarmas Cabang Denpasar
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of financial compensation and job satisfaction on organizational commitment. The population in this study were 49 employees. Sample determination method used is saturated sample method, then the entire population will be sampled. Object in this research is financial compensation and job satisfaction and its influence to organizational commitment in PT. Asuransi Sinarmas Denpasar Branch. Data collection methods used were questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis technique used is multiple linear regression. The result of this research is financial compensation have positive and significant effect to organizational commitment, and job satisfaction have positive and significant influence to organizational commitment.
Keyword : financial compensation, job satisfaction, organizational commitmen
The phases of deuterium at extreme densities
We consider deuterium compressed to higher than atomic, but lower than
nuclear densities. At such densities deuterium is a superconducting quantum
liquid. Generically, two superconducting phases compete, a "ferromagnetic" and
a "nematic" one. We provide a power counting argument suggesting that the
dominant interactions in the deuteron liquid are perturbative (but screened)
Coulomb interactions. At very high densities the ground state is determined by
very small nuclear interaction effects that probably favor the ferromagnetic
phase. At lower densities the symmetry of the theory is effectively enhanced to
SU(3), and the quantum liquid enters a novel phase, neither ferromagnetic nor
nematic. Our results can serve as a starting point for investigations of the
phase dynamics of deuteron liquids, as well as exploration of the stability and
dynamics of the rich variety of topological objects that may occur in phases of
the deuteron quantum liquid, which range from Alice strings to spin skyrmions
to Z_2 vortices.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures; v2: fixed typo
Withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids in people with COPD in primary care: a randomised controlled trial
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Control of Neural Stem Cell Survival by Electroactive Polymer Substrates
Stem cell function is regulated by intrinsic as well as microenvironmental factors, including chemical and mechanical signals. Conducting polymer-based cell culture substrates provide a powerful tool to control both chemical and physical stimuli sensed by stem cells. Here we show that polypyrrole (PPy), a commonly used conducting polymer, can be tailored to modulate survival and maintenance of rat fetal neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs cultured on PPy substrates containing different counter ions, dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS), tosylate (TsO), perchlorate (ClO4) and chloride (Cl), showed a distinct correlation between PPy counter ion and cell viability. Specifically, NSC viability was high on PPy(DBS) but low on PPy containing TsO, ClO4 and Cl. On PPy(DBS), NSC proliferation and differentiation was comparable to standard NSC culture on tissue culture polystyrene. Electrical reduction of PPy(DBS) created a switch for neural stem cell viability, with widespread cell death upon polymer reduction. Coating the PPy(DBS) films with a gel layer composed of a basement membrane matrix efficiently prevented loss of cell viability upon polymer reduction. Here we have defined conditions for the biocompatibility of PPy substrates with NSC culture, critical for the development of devices based on conducting polymers interfacing with NSCs
Prevention of Salmonella contamination of finished soybean meal used for animal feed by a Norwegian production plant despite frequent Salmonella contamination of raw soy beans, 1994–2012
Phenology of deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) host-seeking flight activity and its relationship with prevailing autumn weather
The health economic impact of disease management programs for COPD: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
__Abstract__
Background: There is insufficient evidence of the cost-effectiveness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Disease Management (COPD-DM) programs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the economic impact of COPD-DM programs and investigate the relation between the impact on healthcare costs and health outcomes. We also investigated the impact of patient-, intervention, and study-characteristics.Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review to identify cost-effectiveness studies of COPD-DM. Where feasible, results were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis and explorative subgroup analyses were performed.Results: Sixteen papers describing 11 studies were included (7 randomized control trials (RCT), 2 pre-post, 2 case-control). Meta-analysis showed that COPD-DM led to hospitalization savings of €1060 (95% CI: €2040 to €80) per patient per year and savings in total healthcare uti
Reassessing the Evidence Hierarchy in Asthma: Evaluating Comparative Effectiveness
Classical randomized controlled trials are the gold standard in medical evidence because of their high internal validity. However, their necessarily strict design can limit their external validity and the ability to extrapolate these data to real world patients. Therefore, alternatively designed studies may play a complementary role in evaluating the comparative effectiveness of therapies in nonidealized patients in more naturalistic, real world settings. Observational studies have high external validity and can evaluate real world outcomes. Their strength lies in hypothesis generation and testing and in identifying areas in which further clinical trials may be required. Pragmatic trials are designed to maximize applicability of trial results to usual care settings by relying on clinically important outcomes and enrolling a wide range of participants. A combination of these approaches is preferable and necessary
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