453 research outputs found
Effect of PolyGlycopleX (PGX) consumption on blood lipid profiles in healthy, Low CVD risk overweight adults
Raised blood lipid levels are associated with a risk of a cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moderate reductions in several CVD factors such as total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol concentrations may be more effective in reducing overall risk than a major reduction in just one. A blind, randomised controlled trial was conducted with 120 healthy overweight (BMI 25â30) adults aged 25â70 years who were non-smokers, not diabetic and of low risk of cardiovascular disease, as assessed by the Framingham risk equation. Participants consumed 4.5 g PolyGlycopleX (PGX) as softgel capsules (PGXS) or 5 g PGX granules (PGXG) or 5 g rice flour (RF) with meals three times a day for 12 weeks. Total, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol were all significantly reduced (â6%, â5% and â3.5%, respectively) post the PGX granule treatment; however, PGX in softgel capsule form did not affect blood lipid profiles. Daily consumption of PGX granules in overweight low CVD risk adults produced lipid changes indicating a CVD preventative benefit
Successful implementation of stroke early supported discharge services. Collaborative leadership in applied health research and care (CLAHRC), Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, UK
A Cochrane systematic review demonstrated that ESD services can reduce long-term dependency and admission to institutional care as well as reducing the length of hospital stay. No adverse impact on the mood or well-being of patients or carers was reported. This ongoing study aims to facilitate and evaluate the successful implementation of Stroke Early Supported Discharge (ESD) services across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, UK. This study is being conducted to ensure that the health and cost benefits are still in evidence when ESD services are implemented into local areas
The sensitivity of the vortex filament method to different reconnection models
We present a detailed analysis on the effect of using different algorithms to
model the reconnection of vortices in quantum turbulence, using the
thin-filament approach. We examine differences between four main algorithms for
the case of turbulence driven by a counterflow. In calculating the velocity
field we use both the local induction approximation (LIA) and the full
Biot-Savart integral. We show that results of Biot-Savart simulations are not
sensitive to the particular reconnection method used, but LIA results are.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
A rotating three component perfect fluid source and its junction with empty space-time
The Kerr solution for empty space-time is presented in an ellipsoidally
symmetric coordinate system and it is used to produce generalised ellipsoidal
metrics appropriate for the generation of rotating interior solutions of
Einstein's equations. It is shown that these solutions are the familiar static
perfect fluid cases commonly derived in curvature coordinates but now endowed
with rotation. The resulting solutions are also discussed in the context of
T-solutions of Einstein's equations and the vacuum T-solution outside a
rotating source is presented. The interior source for these solutions is shown
not to be a perfect fluid but rather an anisotropic three component perfect
fluid for which the energy momentum tensor is derived. The Schwarzschild
interior solution is given as an example of the approach.Comment: 14 page
Minority carrier lifetime in silicon photovoltaics : the effect of oxygen precipitation
Single-crystal Czochralski silicon used for photovoltaics is typically supersaturated with interstitial oxygen at temperatures just below the melting point. Oxide precipitates therefore can form during ingot cooling and cell processing, and nucleation sites are typically vacancy-rich regions. Oxygen precipitation gives rise to recombination centres, which can reduce cell efficiencies by as much as 4% (absolute). We have studied the recombination behaviour in p-type and n-type monocrystalline silicon with a range of doping levels intentionally processed to contain oxide precipitates with a range of densities, sizes and morphologies. We analyse injection-dependent minority carrier lifetime measurements to give a full parameterisation of the recombination activity in terms of ShockleyâReadâHall statistics. We intentionally contaminate specimens with iron, and show recombination activity arises from iron segregated to oxide precipitates and surrounding defects. We find that phosphorus diffusion gettering reduces the recombination activity of the precipitates to some extent. We also find that bulk iron is preferentially gettered to the phosphorus diffused layer rather than to oxide precipitates
Tree method for quantum vortex dynamics
We present a numerical method to compute the evolution of vortex filaments in
superfluid helium. The method is based on a tree algorithm which considerably
speeds up the calculation of Biot-Savart integrals. We show that the
computational cost scales as Nlog{(N) rather than N squared, where is the
number of discretization points. We test the method and its properties for a
variety of vortex configurations, ranging from simple vortex rings to a
counterflow vortex tangle, and compare results against the Local Induction
Approximation and the exact Biot-Savart law.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure
The effects of wearing an Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis (ASO) Ankle Brace on ankle joints kinetics and kinematics during a basketball rebounding task
HI in the Outskirts of Nearby Galaxies
The HI in disk galaxies frequently extends beyond the optical image, and can
trace the dark matter there. I briefly highlight the history of high spatial
resolution HI imaging, the contribution it made to the dark matter problem, and
the current tension between several dynamical methods to break the disk-halo
degeneracy. I then turn to the flaring problem, which could in principle probe
the shape of the dark halo. Instead, however, a lot of attention is now devoted
to understanding the role of gas accretion via galactic fountains. The current
cold dark matter theory has problems on galactic scales, such as
the core-cusp problem, which can be addressed with HI observations of dwarf
galaxies. For a similar range in rotation velocities, galaxies of type Sd have
thin disks, while those of type Im are much thicker. After a few comments on
modified Newtonian dynamics and on irregular galaxies, I close with statistics
on the HI extent of galaxies.Comment: 38 pages, 17 figures, invited review, book chapter in "Outskirts of
Galaxies", Eds. J. H. Knapen, J. C. Lee and A. Gil de Paz, Astrophysics and
Space Science Library, Springer, in pres
Current assessment of the Red Rectangle band problem
In this paper we discuss our insights into several key problems in the
identification of the Red Rectangle Bands (RRBs). We have combined three
independent sets of observations in order to try to define the constraints
guiding the bands. We provide a summary of the general behavior of the bands
and review the evidence for a molecular origin of the bands. The extent,
composition, and possible absorption effects of the bands are discussed.
Comparison spectra of the strongest band obtained at three different spectral
resolutions suggests that an intrinsic line width of individual rotational
lines can be deduced. Spectroscopic models of several relatively simple
molecules were examined in order to investigate where the current data are
weak. Suggestions are made for future studies to enhance our understanding of
these enigmatic bands
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