427 research outputs found
Psychometric properties of a short self-reported measure of medication adherence among patients with hypertension treated in a busy clinical setting in Korea.
BackgroundWe examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) among adults with hypertension.MethodsA total of 373 adults with hypertension were given face-to-face interviews in 2 cardiology clinics at 2 large teaching hospitals in Seoul, South Korea. Blood pressure was measured twice, and medical records were reviewed. About one-third of the participants (n = 109) were randomly selected for a 2-week test-retest evaluation of reliability via telephone interview.ResultsInternal consistency reliability was moderate (Cronbach α = 0.56), and test-retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation = 0.91; P < 0.001), although a ceiling effect was detected. The correlation of MMAS-8 scores with scores for the original 4-item scale indicated that convergent validity was good (r = 0.92; P < 0.01). A low MMAS-8 score was significantly associated with poor blood pressure control (Ï(2) = 29.86; P < 0.001; adjusted odds ratio = 5.08; 95% CI, 2.56-10.08). Using a cut-off point of 6, sensitivity and specificity were 64.3% and 72.9%, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis identified 3 dimensions of the scale, with poor fit for the 1-dimensional construct using confirmatory factory analysis.ConclusionsThe MMAS-8 had satisfactory reliability and validity and thus might be suitable for assessment and counseling regarding medication adherence among adults with hypertension in a busy clinical setting in Korea
Exploring Zeptosecond Quantum Equilibration Dynamics: From Deep-Inelastic to Fusion-Fission Outcomes in Ni+Ni Reactions
Energy dissipative processes play a key role in how quantum many-body systems
dynamically evolve towards equilibrium. In closed quantum systems, such
processes are attributed to the transfer of energy from collective motion to
single-particle degrees of freedom; however, the quantum many-body dynamics of
this evolutionary process are poorly understood. To explore energy dissipative
phenomena and equilibration dynamics in one such system, an experimental
investigation of deep-inelastic and fusion-fission outcomes in the
Ni+Ni reaction has been carried out. Experimental outcomes have
been compared to theoretical predictions using Time Dependent Hartree Fock and
Time Dependent Random Phase Approximation approaches, which respectively
incorporate one-body energy dissipation and fluctuations. Excellent
quantitative agreement has been found between experiment and calculations,
indicating that microscopic models incorporating one-body dissipation and
fluctuations provide a potential tool for exploring dissipation in low-energy
heavy ion collisions.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, including Supplemental Material -
Version accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Reduced quasifission competition in fusion reactions forming neutron-rich heavy elements
Measurements of mass-angle distributions (MADs) for Cr + W reactions,
providing a wide range in the neutron-to-proton ratio of the compound system,
(N/Z)CN, have allowed for the dependence of quasifission on the (N/Z)CN to be
determined in a model-independent way. Previous experimental and theoretical
studies had produced conflicting conclusions. The experimental MADs reveal an
increase in contact time and mass evolution of the quasifission fragments with
increasing (N/Z)CN, which is indicative of an increase in the fusion
probability. The experimental results are in agreement with microscopic
time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of the quasifission process. The
experimental and theoretical results favor the use of the most neutron-rich
projectiles and targets for the production of heavy and superheavy nuclei.Comment: Accepted to PRC as a Rapid Communicatio
Sub-barrier quasifission in heavy element formation reactions with deformed actinide target nuclei
Background: The formation of superheavy elements (SHEs) by fusion of two massive nuclei is severely
inhibited by the competing quasifission process. Low excitation energies favor SHE survival against fusion-fission
competition. In âcoldâ fusion with spherical target nuclei near 208Pb, SHE yields are largest at beam energies
significantly below the average capture barrier. In âhotâ fusion with statically deformed actinide nuclei, this is not
the case. Here the elongated deformation-aligned configurations in sub-barrier capture reactions inhibits fusion
(formation of a compact compound nucleus), instead favoring rapid reseparation through quasifission.
Purpose: To determine the probabilities of fast and slow quasifission in reactions with prolate statically deformed
actinide nuclei, through measurement and quantitative analysis of the dependence of quasifission characteristics
at beam energies spanning the average capture barrier energy.
Methods: The Australian National University Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility and CUBE fission spectrometer
have been used to measure fission and quasifission mass and angle distributions for reactions with projectiles
from C to S, bombarding Th and U target nuclei.
Results: Mass-asymmetric quasifission occurring on a fast time scale, associated with collisions with the tips of
the prolate actinide nuclei, shows a rapid increase in probability with increasing projectile charge, the transition
being centered around projectile atomic number ZP = 14. For mass-symmetric fission events, deviations of
angular anisotropies from expectations for fusion fission, indicating a component of slower quasifission, suggest
a similar transition, but centered around ZP ⌠8.
Conclusions: Collisions with the tips of statically deformed prolate actinide nuclei show evidence for two distinct
quasifission processes of different time scales. Their probabilities both increase rapidly with the projectile charge.
The probability of fusion can be severely suppressed by these two quasifission processes, since the sub-barrier
heavy element yield is likely to be determined by the product of the probabilities of surviving each quasifission
process.The authors acknowledge support from ARC Grants
No. FL110100098, No. DP130101569, No. FT120100760, No.
DE140100784, No. DP140101337, No. DP160101254, and
No. DP170102318, and support by the Federal Government
NCRIS program for operations of the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator
Facility
Competition between Fusion and Quasi-fission in the Formation of Super-heavy Elements
Quasifission is a non-equilibrium dynamical process resulting in rapid separation of the dinuclear system initially formed after capture and sticking of two colliding heavy nuclei. This can inhibit fusion by many orders of magnitude, thus suppressing the cross section for formation of superheavy elements. Measurements with projectiles from C to Ni, made at the Australian National University Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility, have mapped out quasifission characteristics and systematics using mass-angle distributions (MAD) - the fission mass-split as a function of centre-of-mass angle. These provide information on quasifission dynamics in the least model-dependent way. Quasifission time-scale information in the MAD has been compared with TDHF calculations of the collisions, with good agreement being found. Most significantly, the nuclear structure of the two colliding nuclei has a dramatic effect on quasifission probabilities and characteristics in gentle collisions at near-barrier energies. The effect of static deformation alignment, closed shells and N/Z matching can completely change reaction outcomes. The realization of this strong dependence makes modelling quasifission and superheavy element formation a challenging task, but should ultimately allow more reliable prediction of superheavy element formation cross sections
A phase II study of S-1 monotherapy administered for 2 weeks of a 3-week cycle in advanced gastric cancer patients with poor performance status
Systemic chemotherapy for gastric cancer is often associated with treatment-related toxicity, which is particularly severe in patients with a poor performance status. In this paper, we describe the first study to evaluate S-1 monotherapy as an option for advanced gastric cancer patients who are not candidates for combination chemotherapy due to poor clinical condition. Fifty-two patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance scale 2â3, whose general condition had made use of combination chemotherapy impossible, were enrolled. S-1 was administered to 30 patients as second- or third-line therapy. The initial dose of S-1 was 35âmgâmâ2, administered b.i.d for 14 days every 3 weeks. With a median follow-up period of 33 weeks, the median progression-free survival, and overall survival were 11 weeks (95% CI, 8â14) and 33 weeks (95% CI, 19â47), respectively. The overall 1-year survival rate was 29% by intent-to-treat analysis. The overall response rate was 12% (95% CI, 3â21), and the percentage of stable disease was 35%, resulting in the disease control rate of 47% (95% CI, 32â60). Significant drug-related toxicity included grade 3 diarrhoea (14%), anorexia (14%), fatigue (10%), neutropenia (10%), and leucopenia (6%). In conclusion, this study indicated the modest activity of S-1 in gastric cancer patients with poor performance status
Systematic study of quasifission characteristics and timescales in heavy element formation reactions
Superheavy elements can only be created in the laboratory by the fusion of two massive nuclei. Mass-angle distributions give the most direct information on the characteristics and time scales of quasifission, the major competitor to fusion in these reactions. The systematics of 42 mass-angle distributions provide information on the global characteristics of quasifission. Deviations from the systematics reveal the major role played by the nuclear structure of the two colliding nuclei in determining the reaction outcome, and in hindering or favouring heavy element production.The authors acknowledge operations support for the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator
Facility from NCRIS, and support from Dr. N. Lobanov and Dr. T.
Kibedi and the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility staff in operating the
Linac. Financial support from ARC grants DP130101569, DP140101337,
FL110100098, FT120100760 and DE140100784 is acknowledged
Theoretical study of the absorption spectra of the sodium dimer
Absorption of radiation from the sodium dimer molecular states correlating to
Na(3s)-Na(3s) is investigated theoretically. Vibrational bound and continuum
transitions from the singlet X Sigma-g+ state to the first excited singlet A
Sigma-u+ and singlet B Pi-u states and from the triplet a Sigma-u+ state to the
first excited triplet b Sigma-g+ and triplet c Pi-g states are studied
quantum-mechanically. Theoretical and experimental data are used to
characterize the molecular properties taking advantage of knowledge recently
obtained from ab initio calculations, spectroscopy, and ultra-cold atom
collision studies. The quantum-mechanical calculations are carried out for
temperatures in the range from 500 to 3000 K and are compared with previous
calculations and measurements where available.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, revtex, eps
Limit on suppression of ionization in metastable neon traps due to long-range anisotropy
This paper investigates the possibility of suppressing the ionization rate in
a magnetostatic trap of metastable neon atoms by spin-polarizing the atoms.
Suppression of the ionization is critical for the possibility of reaching
Bose-Einstein condensation with such atoms. We estimate the relevant long-range
interactions for the system, consisting of electric quadrupole-quadrupole and
dipole-induced dipole terms, and develop short-range potentials based on the
Na_2 singlet and triplet potentials. The auto-ionization widths of the system
are also calculated. With these ingredients we calculate the ionization rate
for spin-polarized and for spin-isotropic samples, caused by anisotropy of the
long-range interactions. We find that spin-polarization may allow for four
orders of magnitude suppression of the ionization rate for Ne. The results
depend sensitively on a precise knowledge of the interaction potentials,
however, pointing out the need for experimental input. The same model gives a
suppression ratio close to unity for metastable xenon in accordance with
experimental results, due to a much increased anisotropy in this case.Comment: 15 pages including figures, LaTex/RevTex, uses epsfig.st
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