1,503 research outputs found
An update on the Hirsch conjecture
The Hirsch conjecture was posed in 1957 in a letter from Warren M. Hirsch to
George Dantzig. It states that the graph of a d-dimensional polytope with n
facets cannot have diameter greater than n - d.
Despite being one of the most fundamental, basic and old problems in polytope
theory, what we know is quite scarce. Most notably, no polynomial upper bound
is known for the diameters that are conjectured to be linear. In contrast, very
few polytopes are known where the bound is attained. This paper collects
known results and remarks both on the positive and on the negative side of the
conjecture. Some proofs are included, but only those that we hope are
accessible to a general mathematical audience without introducing too many
technicalities.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures. Many proofs have been taken out from version 2
and put into the appendix arXiv:0912.423
The trade-off between tuning ratio and quality factor of Ba<sub>x</sub>Sr<sub>1-x</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub> MIM capacitors on alumina substrates
Separation of intrinsic dielectric and resistive electrode losses in ferroelectric capacitors at radio frequencies
To analyze the intrinsic dielectric performance of planar high-density capacitors at radio frequencies (RF), the dielectric losses need to be distinguished from the resistive electrode losses. The resistive losses of the electrodes at RF are de-embedded employing a linear regression procedure with partial compensation for distributed effects. We use tunable ferroelectric capacitors with a barium strontium titanate (BST) dielectric with an inner diameter d ≥ 8 μm on a silicon substrate. The de-embedding of the electrode losses has been successfully performed utilizing 1-Port RF measurement data from of an Advantest R3767CG vector network analyzer (VNA) in the frequency range of 10 MHz – 8 GHz
A Qualitative Study of an Integrated Maternity, Drugs and Social Care Service for Drug-using Women
Background: The care of drug-using pregnant women is a growing health and social care concern in many countries. A specialist clinic was established offering multidisciplinary care and advice to pregnant drug users in and around Aberdeen (UK) in 1997. The majority of women stabilise and reduce their drug use. By determining the needs and views of the women more appropriate
services and prevention strategies may be developed. There has been little research conducted in this area and none in Scotland.
Methods: This is a qualitative study that aimed to gain an understanding of the experiences of women drug users, seeking and receiving prenatal care and drug services from a specialist clinic. Twelve women participated in semi-structured one-to-one interviews.
Results: The women preferred the multidisciplinary clinic (one-stop shop) to traditional prenatal care centred within General Practice. The relationships of the clients to the range of Clinic professionals and in hospital were explored as well as attitudes to Clinic care. The study
participants attributed success in reducing their drug use to the combination of different aspects of care of the multi-agency clinic, especially the high level prenatal support. It is this arrangement of all aspects of care together that seem to produce better outcomes for mother and child than single care elements delivered separately. Some women reported that their pregnancy encouraged them
to rapidly detoxify due to the guilt experienced. The most important aspects of the Clinic care were found to be non-judgemental attitude of staff, consistent staff, high level of support, reliable information and multi-agency integrated care.
Conclusion: There is an impetus for women drug users to change lifestyle during pregnancy. The study highlighted a need for women to have access to reliable information on the effects of drugs on the baby.
Further research is required to determine whether positive outcomes related to clinic attendance in the prenatal period are sustained in the postnatal period. Early referral to a specialist clinic is of benefit to the women, as they reported to receive more appropriate care, especially in relation to their drug use. A greater awareness of needs of the pregnant drug user could help the design of more effective prevention strategies
Effect of Non-Magnetic Impurities (Zn,Li) in a Hole Doped Spin-Fermion Model for Cuprates
The effect of adding non-magnetic impurities (NMI), such as Zn or Li, to
high-Tc cuprates is studied applying Monte Carlo techniques to a spin-fermion
model. It is observed that adding Li is qualitatively similar to doping with
equal percentages of Sr and Zn. The mobile holes (MH) are trapped by the NMI
and the system remains insulating and commensurate with antiferromagnetic (AF)
correlations. This behavior persists in the region %NMI > %MH. On the other
hand, when %NMI < %MH magnetic and charge incommensurabilities are observed.
The vertical or horizontal hole-rich stripes, present when % NMI=0 upon hole
doping, are pinned by the NMI and tend to become diagonal, surrounding finite
AF domains. The %MH-%NMI plane is investigated. Good agreement with
experimental results is found in the small portion of this diagram where
experimental data are available. Predictions about the expected behavior in the
remaining regions are made.Comment: Four pages with four figures embedded in tex
Energy levels in polarization superlattices: a comparison of continuum strain models
A theoretical model for the energy levels in polarization superlattices is
presented. The model includes the effect of strain on the local
polarization-induced electric fields and the subsequent effect on the energy
levels. Two continuum strain models are contrasted. One is the standard strain
model derived from Hooke's law that is typically used to calculate energy
levels in polarization superlattices and quantum wells. The other is a
fully-coupled strain model derived from the thermodynamic equation of state for
piezoelectric materials. The latter is more complete and applicable to strongly
piezoelectric materials where corrections to the standard model are
significant. The underlying theory has been applied to AlGaN/GaN superlattices
and quantum wells. It is found that the fully-coupled strain model yields very
different electric fields from the standard model. The calculated intersubband
transition energies are shifted by approximately 5 -- 19 meV, depending on the
structure. Thus from a device standpoint, the effect of applying the
fully-coupled model produces a very measurable shift in the peak wavelength.
This result has implications for the design of AlGaN/GaN optical switches.Comment: Revtex
Magnetic Domains and Stripes in the Spin-Fermion Model for Cuprates
Monte Carlo simulations applied to the Spin-Fermion model for cuprates show
the existence of antiferromagnetic spin domains and charge stripes upon doping.
The stripes are partially filled, with a filling of approximately 1/2 hole per
site, and they separate spin domains with a phase shift among them. The
stripes observed run either along the x or y axes and they are separated by a
large energy barrier. No special boundary conditions or external fields are
needed to stabilize these structures at low temperatures. When magnetic
incommensurate peaks are observed at momentum and symmetrical
points, charge incommensurate peaks appear at and symmetrical
points, as experimentally observed. The strong charge fluctuations responsible
for the formation of the stripes also induce a pseudogap in the density of
states.Comment: Four pages with four figures embedded in tex
Hybrid Synthetic Receptors on MOSFET Devices for Detection of Prostate Specific Antigen in Human Plasma
The study reports the use of extended gate field-effect transistors (FET) for the label-free and sensitive detection of prostate cancer (PCa) biomarkers in human plasma. The approach integrates for the first time hybrid synthetic receptors comprising of highly selective aptamer-lined pockets (apta-MIP) with FETs for sensitive detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) at clinically relevant concentrations. The hybrid synthetic receptors were constructed by immobilizing an aptamer–PSA complex on gold and subjecting it to 13 cycles of dopamine electropolymerization. The polymerization resulted in the creation of highly selective polymeric cavities that retained the ability to recognize PSA post removal of the protein. The hybrid synthetic receptors were subsequently used in an extended gate FET setup for electrochemical detection of PSA. The sensor was reported to have a limit of detection of 0.1 pg/mL with a linear detection range from 0.1 pg/mL to 1 ng/mL PSA. Detection of 1–10 pg/mL PSA was also achieved in diluted human plasma. The present apta-MIP sensor developed in conjunction with FET devices demonstrates the potential for clinical application of synthetic hybrid receptors for the detection of clinically relevant biomarkers in complex samples
Static stretching of the hamstring muscle for injury prevention in football codes: a systematic review
Purpose: Hamstring injuries are common among football players. There is still disagreement regarding prevention. The aim of this review is to determine whether static stretching reduces hamstring injuries in football codes.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on the online databases PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane, Web of Science, Bisp and Clinical Trial register. Study results were presented descriptively and the quality of the studies assessed were based on Cochrane’s ‘risk of bias’ tool.
Results: The review identified 35 studies, including four analysis studies. These studies show deficiencies in the quality of study designs.
Conclusion: The study protocols are varied in terms of the length of intervention and follow-up. No RCT studies are available, however, RCT studies should be conducted in the near future
Temperature–Time Texture Transition of Pb(Zr 1− x Ti x )O 3 Thin Films: I, Role of Pb-rich Intermediate Phases
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65877/1/j.1151-2916.1994.tb04602.x.pd
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