851 research outputs found
Object-Oriented Paradigms for Modelling Vascular\ud Tumour Growth: a Case Study
Motivated by a family of related hybrid multiscale models, we have built an object-oriented framework for developing and implementing multiscale models of vascular tumour growth. The models are implemented in our framework as a case study to highlight how object-oriented programming techniques and good object-oriented design may be used effectively to develop hybrid multiscale models of vascular tumour growth. The intention is that this paper will serve as a useful reference for researchers modelling complex biological systems and that these researchers will employ some of the techniques presented herein in their own projects
Cavity QED with Single Atoms and Photons
Recent experimental advances in the field of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) have opened new possibilities for control of atom-photon interactions. A laser with "one and the same atom" demonstrates the theory of laser operation pressed to its conceptual limit. The generation of single photons on demand and the realization of cavity QED with well defined atomic numbers N = 0, 1, 2,... both represent important steps toward realizing diverse protocols in quantum information science. Coherent manipulation of the atomic state via Raman transitions provides a new tool in cavity QED for in situ monitoring and control of the atom-cavity system. All of these achievements share a common point of departure: the regime of strong coupling. It is thus interesting to consider briefly the history of the strong coupling criterion in cavity QED and to trace out the path that research has taken in the pursuit of this goal
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Control of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices in Narok district of Kenya
CBPP is an important transboundary disease in sub-Saharan Africa whose control is urgent. Participatory data collection involving 52 focus group discussions in 37 village clusters and key informant interviews, a cross-sectional study involving 232 households and a post-vaccination follow up involving 203 households was carried out in 2006–2007 in Narok South district of Kenya. This was to investigate knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices (KAPP) associated with control of CBPP as well as the adverse post-vaccination reactions in animals in order to advice the control policy. The community perceived trans-boundary CBPP threat to their cattle. They had traditional disease coping mechanisms and were conversant with CBPP prevention and control with 49.8% (95%CI: 42.8–56.7%) giving priority to CBPP control. However, 12.9% (95%CI: 9.0–18.1%) of pastoralists had no knowledge of any prevention method and 10.0% (95%CI: 6.5–14.7%) would not know what to do or would do nothing in the event of an outbreak. Although 43.5% (95%CI: 37.1–50.2%) of pastoralists were treating CBPP cases with antimicrobials, 62.5% (95%CI: 52.1–71.7%) of them doubted the effectiveness of the treatments. Pastoralists perceived vaccination to be the solution to CBPP but vaccination was irregular due to unavailability of the vaccine. Vaccination was mainly to control outbreaks rather than preventive and exhibited adverse post-vaccination reactions among 70.4% (95%CI: 63.6–76.5%) of herds and 3.8% (95%CI: 3.5–4.2%) of animals. Consequently, nearly 25.2% (95%CI: 18.5–33.2%) of pastoralists may resist subsequent vaccinations against CBPP. Pastoralists preferred CBPP vaccination at certain times of the year and that it is combined with other vaccinations. In conclusion, pastoralists were not fully aware of the preventive measures and interventions and post-vaccination reactions may discourage subsequent CBPP vaccinations. Consequently there is need for monitoring and management of post vaccination reactions and awareness creation on CBPP prevention and interventions and their merits and demerits. CBPP vaccine was largely unavailable to the pastoralists and the preference of the pastoralists was for vaccination at specified times and vaccine combinations which makes it necessary to avail the vaccine in conformity with the pastoralists preferences. In addition, planning vaccinations should involve pastoralists and neighbouring countries. As the results cannot be generalized, further studies on CBPP control methods and their effectiveness are recommended
Collective Oscillations of an Imbalanced Fermi Gas: Axial Compression Modes and Polaron Effective Mass
We investigate the low-lying compression modes of a unitary Fermi gas with
imbalanced spin populations. For low polarization, the strong coupling between
the two spin components leads to a hydrodynamic behavior of the cloud. For
large population imbalance we observe a decoupling of the oscillations of the
two spin components, giving access to the effective mass of the Fermi polaron,
a quasi-particle composed of an impurity dressed by particle-hole pair
excitations in a surrounding Fermi sea. We find , in agreement
with the most recent theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
Between Kurdistan and Damascus: Kurdish Nationalism and Arab State Formation in Syria
Since the fall of the Ottoman empire, Kurdish nationalism has developed as an ideology within a regional state system where Kurds lack national representation or recognition. This ideology has manifested itself into a fractured movement where the contemporary state borders that separate the Kurdish population at large have proven to be both a limiting and a creative factor. This thesis examines the history of Kurdish nationalism in Syria with a focus on both the local context as defined by Syria’s borders in addition to the broader region, for the politics of Kurds in Syria have clearly been shaped by interactions with the Syrian state as well as the regional Kurdish nationalist movement and interstate dynamics. In order to carry this out, this paper employs a methodological framework largely informed by the work of Hamit Bozarslan.
This theoretical underpinning conceptualizes Kurdish nationalist actors as existing within a broader ‘minority sphere’ where they interact with each other, various ‘state spheres,’ and the Kurdish population at large. While manifestations of Kurdish nationalism are informed by interactions with processes of state formation in their local contexts, nationalist actors are also shaped by ‘crossborder’ communication with the broader Kurdish minority sphere. The degree to which this crossborder dynamic is available to Kurdish nationalist actors largely depends on regional interstate relations; in periods of status quo borders are strong and penetration is difficult, whereas in periods of interstate conflict borders become porous and states will engage with adjacent Kurdish actors in an effort to undermine rivals.
Using this framework, this paper examines the secondary literature and primary sources relating to the history of the Kurdish movement within Syria, with a focus on three main events and their aftereffects: the 1962 al-Hasakah census, the entrance of the PKK into Syria from Turkey, and the 2004 al-Qamishli uprising. These endeavors further highlight the importance of interstate conflict in strengthening crossborder Kurdish nationalism, but additionally point to how the temporary opening of room for Kurdish nationalist actors to operate creates new dynamics within the local Kurdish minority sphere which the state struggles to address after a status quo reemerges
Observation of the Vacuum-Rabi Spectrum for One Trapped Atom
The transmission spectrum for one atom strongly coupled to the field of a
high-finesse optical resonator is observed to exhibit a clearly resolved
vacuum-Rabi splitting characteristic of the normal modes in the eigenvalue
spectrum of the atom-cavity system. A new Raman scheme for cooling atomic
motion along the cavity axis enables a complete spectrum to be recorded for an
individual atom trapped within the cavity mode, in contrast to all previous
measurements in cavity QED that have required averaging over many atoms.Comment: 5 pages with 4 figure
Theory of Photon Blockade by an Optical Cavity with One Trapped Atom
In our recent paper [1], we reported observations of photon blockade by one
atom strongly coupled to an optical cavity. In support of these measurements,
here we provide an expanded discussion of the general phenomenology of photon
blockade as well as of the theoretical model and results that were presented in
Ref. [1]. We describe the general condition for photon blockade in terms of the
transmission coefficients for photon number states. For the atom-cavity system
of Ref. [1], we present the model Hamiltonian and examine the relationship of
the eigenvalues to the predicted intensity correlation function. We explore the
effect of different driving mechanisms on the photon statistics. We also
present additional corrections to the model to describe cavity birefringence
and ac-Stark shifts. [1] K. M. Birnbaum, A. Boca, R. Miller, A. D. Boozer, T.
E. Northup, and H. J. Kimble, Nature 436, 87 (2005).Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Vacuum-stimulated cooling of single atoms in three dimensions
Taming quantum dynamical processes is the key to novel applications of
quantum physics, e.g. in quantum information science. The control of
light-matter interactions at the single-atom and single-photon level can be
achieved in cavity quantum electrodynamics, in particular in the regime of
strong coupling where atom and cavity form a single entity. In the optical
domain, this requires permanent trapping and cooling of an atom in a
micro-cavity. We have now realized three-dimensional cavity cooling and
trapping for an orthogonal arrangement of cooling laser, trap laser and cavity
vacuum. This leads to average single-atom trapping times exceeding 15 seconds,
unprecedented for a strongly coupled atom under permanent observation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Predicting 30-day mortality in patients with sepsis: an exploratory analysis of process of care and patient characteristics
Background
Sepsis represents a significant public health burden, costing the NHS £2.5 billion annually, with 35% mortality in 2006. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate risk factors predictive of 30-day mortality amongst patients with sepsis in Nottingham.
Methods
Data were collected prospectively from adult patients with sepsis in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust as part of an on-going quality improvement project between November 2011 and March 2014. Patients admitted to critical care with the diagnosis of sepsis were included in the study. In all, 97 separate variables were investigated for their association with 30-day mortality. Variables included patient demographics, symptoms of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, organ dysfunction or tissue hypoperfusion, locations of early care, source of sepsis and time to interventions.
Results
A total of 455 patients were included in the study. Increased age (adjOR = 1.05 95%CI = 1.03–1.07 p < 0.001), thrombocytopenia (adjOR = 3.10 95%CI = 1.23–7.82 p = 0.016), hospital-acquired sepsis (adjOR = 3.34 95%CI = 1.78–6.27 p < 0.001), increased lactate concentration (adjOR = 1.16 95%CI = 1.06–1.27 p = 0.001), remaining hypotensive after vasopressors (adjOR = 3.89 95%CI = 1.26–11.95 p = 0.02) and mottling (adjOR = 3.80 95%CI = 1.06–13.55 p = 0.04) increased 30-day mortality odds. Conversely, fever (adjOR = 0.46 95%CI = 0.28-0.75 p = 0.002), fluid refractory hypotension (adjOR = 0.29 95%CI = 0.10–0.87 p = 0.027) and being diagnosed in surgical wards (adjOR = 0.35 95%CI = 0.15–0.81 p = 0.015) were protective. Treatment timeliness were not significant factors.
Conclusion
Several important predictors of 30-day mortality were found by this research. Retrospective analysis of our sepsis data has revealed mortality predictors that appear to be more patient-related than intervention-specific. With this information, care can be improved for those identified most at risk of death
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