4,007 research outputs found
Parental emotional management benefits family relationships: A randomized controlled trial in Hong Kong, China
There is a shortage of culturally appropriate, brief, preventive interventions designed to be sustainable and acceptable for community participants in nonwestern cultures. Parents’ ability to regulate their emotions is an important factor for psychological well-being of the family. In Chinese societies, emotional regulation may be more important in light of the cultural desirability of maintaining harmonious family relationships. The objectives of our randomized controlled trial were to test the effectiveness of our Effective Parenting Programme (EPP) to increase the use of emotional management strategies (primary outcome) and enhance the parent-child relationship (secondary outcome). We utilized design characteristics that promoted recruitment, retention, and intervention sustainability. We randomized a community sample of 412 Hong Kong middle- and low-income mothers of children aged 6–8 years to the EPP or attention control group. At 3, 6 and 12- month follow up, the Effective Parent Program group reported greater increases in the use of emotion management strategies during parent-child interactions, with small to medium effect size, and lower negative affect and greater positive affect, subjective happiness, satisfaction with the parent–child relationship, and family harmony, compared to the control group, with small to medium effect size. Our results provided evidence of effectiveness for a sustainable, preventive, culturally appropriate, cognitive behaviorally-based emotion management program, in a non-clinical setting for Chinese mothers.postprin
Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Lactate/N-Acetylaspartate Within 48 h Predicts Cell Death Following Varied Neuroprotective Interventions in a Piglet Model of Hypoxia–Ischemia With and Without Inflammation-Sensitization
Despite therapeutic hypothermia, survivors of neonatal encephalopathy have high rates of adverse outcome. Early surrogate outcome measures are needed to speed up the translation of neuroprotection trials. Thalamic lactate (Lac)/N-acetylaspartate (NAA) peak area ratio acquired with proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) accurately predicts 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome. We assessed the relationship between MR biomarkers acquired at 24–48 h following injury with cell death and neuroinflammation in a piglet model following various neuroprotective interventions. Sixty-seven piglets with hypoxia–ischemia, hypoxia alone, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensitization were included, and neuroprotective interventions were therapeutic hypothermia, melatonin, and magnesium. MRS and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were acquired at 24 and 48 h. At 48 h, experiments were terminated, and immunohistochemistry was assessed. There was a correlation between Lac/NAA and overall cell death [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)] [mean Lac/NAA basal ganglia and thalamus (BGT) voxel r = 0.722, white matter (WM) voxel r = 0.784, p < 0.01] and microglial activation [ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1)] (BGT r = −0.786, WM r = −0.632, p < 0.01). Correlation with marker of caspase-dependent apoptosis [cleaved caspase 3 (CC3)] was lower (BGT r = −0.636, WM r = −0.495, p < 0.01). Relation between DWI and TUNEL was less robust (mean diffusivity BGT r = −0.615, fractional anisotropy BGT r = 0.523). Overall, Lac/NAA correlated best with cell death and microglial activation. These data align with clinical studies demonstrating Lac/NAA superiority as an outcome predictor in neonatal encephalopathy (NE) and support its use in preclinical and clinical neuroprotection studies
Quark models of dibaryon resonances in nucleon-nucleon scattering
We look for and resonances by calculating
scattering phase shifts of two interacting baryon clusters of quarks with
explicit coupling to these dibaryon channels. Two phenomenological
nonrelativistic chiral quark models giving similar low-energy properties
are found to give significantly different dibaryon resonance structures. In the
chiral quark model (ChQM), the dibaryon system does not resonate in the
-waves, in agreement with the experimental SP07 partial-wave scattering
amplitudes. In the quark delocalization and color screening model (QDCSM), the
-wave NN resonances disappear when the nucleon size falls below 0.53 fm.
Both quark models give an resonance. At fm, the value favored by baryon spectrum, the resonance mass is 2390 (2420)
MeV for the ChQM with quadratic (linear) confinement, and 2360 MeV for the
QDCSM. Accessible from the channel, this resonance is a promising
candidate for the known isoscalar ABC structure seen more clearly in the
production cross section at 2410 MeV in the recent
preliminary data reported by the CELSIUS-WASA Collaboration. In the isovector
dibaryon sector, our quark models give a bound or almost bound
state that can give rise to a resonance.
None of the quark models used has bound -states that might
generate odd-parity resonances.Comment: 14 pages, 6 tables, 6 figures; added supplementary results,
added/deleted references, added 1 figur
Off center centers in a quantum well in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field: angular momentum transition and magnetic evaporation
We investigate the effect of the position of the donor in the quantum well on
the energy spectrum and the oscillator strength of the D- system in the
presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. As a function of the magnetic field
we find that when the D- centers are placed sufficiently off-center they
undergo singlet-triplet transitions which are similar to those found in
many-electron parabolic quantum dots. The main difference is that the number of
such transitions depends on the position of the donor and only a finite number
of such singlet-triplet transitions are found as function of the strength of
the magnetic field. For sufficiently large magnetic fields the two electron
system becomes unbound. For the near center D- system no singlet-triplet and no
unbinding of the D- is found with increasing magnetic field. A magnetic field
vs. donor position phase diagram is presented that depends on the width of the
quantum well.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Analytical study on holographic superconductors in external magnetic field
We investigate the holographic superconductors immersed in an external
magnetic field by using the analytical approach. We obtain the spatially
dependent condensate solutions in the presence of the magnetism and find
analytically that the upper critical magnetic field satisfies the relation
given in the Ginzburg-Landau theory. We observe analytically the reminiscent of
the Meissner effect where the magnetic field expels the condensate. Extending
to the D-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet AdS black holes, we examine the influence
given by the Gauss-Bonnet coupling on the condensation. Different from the
positive coupling, we find that the negative Gauss-Bonnet coupling enhances the
condensation when the external magnetism is not strong enough.Comment: revised version, to appear in JHE
Reduction of three-band model for copper oxides to single-band generalized t~-~J model
A three-band model for copper oxides in the region of parameters where the
second hole on the copper has energy close to the first hole on the oxygen is
considered. The exact solution for one hole on a ferromagnetic background of
the ordered copper spins is obtained. A general procedure for transformation of
the primary Hamiltonian to the Hamiltonian of singlet and triplet excitations
is proposed. Reduction of the singlet-triplet Hamiltonian to the single-band
Hamiltonian of the generalized t~-~J model is performed. A comparison of the
solution for the generalized t~-~J model on a ferromagnetic background with the
exact solution shows a very good agreement.Comment: 20 pages (LATEX
Star Formation in the Starburst Cluster in NGC 3603
We have used new, deep, visible and near infrared observations of the compact
starburst cluster in the giant HII region NGC 3603 and its surroundings with
the WFC3 on HST and HAWK-I on the VLT to study in detail the physical
properties of its intermediate mass (~ 1 - 3 M_sun) stellar population. We show
that after correction for differential extinction and actively accreting stars,
and the study of field star contamination, strong evidence remains for a
continuous spread in the ages of pre-main sequence stars in the range ~ 2 to ~
30 Myr within the temporal resolution available. Existing differences among
presently available theoretical models account for the largest possible
variation in shape of the measured age histograms within these limits. We also
find that this isochronal age spread in the near infrared and visible
Colour-Magnitude Diagrams cannot be reproduced by any other presently known
source of astrophysical or instrumental scatter that could mimic the luminosity
spread seen in our observations except, possibly, episodic accretion. The
measured age spread and the stellar spatial distribution in the cluster are
consistent with the hypothesis that star formation started at least 20-30 Myrs
ago progressing slowly but continuously up to at least a few million years ago.
All the stars in the considered mass range are distributed in a flattened
oblate spheroidal pattern with the major axis oriented in an approximate
South-East - North-West direction, and with the length of the equatorial axis
decreasing with increasing age. This asymmetry is most likely due to the fact
that star formation occurred along a filament of gas and dust in the natal
molecular cloud oriented locally in this direction.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics &
Space Scienc
Thermodynamic Simulation of the RDX-Aluminum Interface Using ReaxFF Molecular Dynamics
We use reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations to study the interface between cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) and aluminum (Al) with different oxide layers to elucidate the effect of nanosized Al on thermal decomposition of RDX. A published ReaxFF force field for C/H/N/O elements was retrained to incorporate Al interactions and then used in RMD simulations to characterize compound energetic materials. We find that the predicted adsorption energies for RDX on the Al(111) surface and the apparent activation energies of RDX and RDX/Al are in agreement with ab initio calculations. The Al(111) surface-assisted decomposition of RDX occurs spontaneously without potential barriers, but the decomposition rate becomes slow when compared with that for RDX powder. We also find that the Al(111) surface with an oxide layer (Al oxide) slightly increases the potential barriers for decomposition of RDX molecules, while α-Al_2O_3(0001) retards thermal decomposition of RDX, due to the changes in thermal decomposition kinetics. The most likely mechanism for the thermal decomposition of RDX powder is described by the Avrami–Erofeev equation, with n = 3/4, as random nucleation and subsequent growth model. Although the decomposition mechanism of RDX molecules in the RDX/Al matrix complies with three-dimensional diffusion, Jander’s equation for RDX(210)/Al oxide and the Zhuralev–Lesokin–Tempelman (Z-L-T) equation for RDX(210)/Al_2O_3(0001) provide a more accurate description. We conclude that the origin of these differences in dynamic behavior is due to the variations in the oxide layer morphologies
Horava-Lifshitz f(R) Gravity
This paper is devoted to the construction of new type of f(R) theories of
gravity that are based on the principle of detailed balance. We discuss two
versions of these theories with and without the projectability condition.Comment: 22 pages, references adde
Particle Probe of Horava-Lifshitz Gravity
Kehagias-Sfetsos black hole in Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity is probed through
particle geodesics. Gravitational force of KS black hole becomes weaker than
that of Schwarzschild around horizon and interior space. Particles can be
always scattered or trapped in new closed orbits, unlike those falling forever
in Schwarzschild black. The properties of null and timelike geodesics are
classified with values of coupling constants. The precession rates of the
orbits are evaluated. The time trajectories are also classified under different
values of coupling constants for both null and timelike geodesics. Physical
phenomena that may be observable are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
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