Superheavy elements and an upper limit to the electric field strength

An upper limit to the electric field strength, such as that of the nonlinear electrodynamics of Born and Infeld, leads to dramatic differences in the energy eigenvalues and wave functions of atomic electrons bound to superheavy nuclei. For example, the 1s1/2 energy level joins the lower continuum at Z=215 instead of Z=174, the value obtained when Maxwell's equations are used to determine the electric field

A semiclassical model of light mesons

The dominantly orbital state description is applied to the study of light mesons. The effective Hamiltonian is characterized by a relativistic kinematics supplemented by the usual funnel potential with a mixed scalar and vector confinement. The influence of two different finite quark masses and potential parameters on Regge and vibrational trajectories is discussed.Comment: 1 figur

Understanding children’s constructions of meanings about other children: implications for inclusiveeducation

This paper explores the factors that influence the way children construct meanings about other children, and especially those who seem to experience marginalisation, within school contexts. The research involved an ethnographic study in a primary school in Cyprus over a period of 5 months. Qualitative methods were used, particularly participant observations and interviews with children. Interpretation of the data suggests that children's perceptions about other children, and especially those who come to experience marginalisation, are influenced by the following factors: other children and the interactions between them; adults’ way of behaving in the school; the existing structures within the school; and the cultures of the school and the wider educational context. Even though the most powerful factor was viewed to be the adults’ influence, it was rather the interweaving between different factors that seemed to lead to the creation of particular meanings for other children. In the end, it is argued that children's voices should be seen as an essential element within the process of developing inclusive practices.<br/

Phenomenological prediction of the properties of the B_{C} system

We present a comprehensive calculation of the energies, splittings and electromagnetic decay rates of the bottom charmed meson system. Our calculated result for the ground state lifetime is 0.38 \pm 0.03 ps, in good agreement with the recent CDF measurement. In order to incorporate running coupling constant effects, we choose Richardson's potential for the central potential and take the spin-dependent potentials from the radiative one-loop expressions of Pantaleone, Tye and Ng. The effects of a nonperturbative spin-orbit potential are also included. Our parameters are determined from the low-lying levels of the upsilon system (avg. dev. of 4.3 MeV) and charmonium (avg. dev. of 19.9 MeV). We carry out detailed comparison with the earlier work of Eichten and Quigg and lattice calculations. Our predicted result for the ground state energy is 6286_{-6}^{+15} MeV. Our results are generally in agreement with the earlier calculations. However, we find the two lowest 1^{+} states to be very close to the j-j limit, in agreement with the NRQCD lattice calculations, but at odds with many of the earlier phenomenological calculations. The implications of this finding for the photon spectra of the 1P and 2S states are discussed in some detail. Some strategies for the observation of these states are discussed, and a table of their cascades to the ground state are presented.Comment: 14 pages Revtex plus 4 postscript figures, now includes calculation of ground state decay rate and justification for use of perturbation theory with contact potential

Statistical Mechanics of Glass Formation in Molecular Liquids with OTP as an Example

We extend our statistical mechanical theory of the glass transition from examples consisting of point particles to molecular liquids with internal degrees of freedom. As before, the fundamental assertion is that super-cooled liquids are ergodic, although becoming very viscous at lower temperatures, and are therefore describable in principle by statistical mechanics. The theory is based on analyzing the local neighborhoods of each molecule, and a statistical mechanical weight is assigned to every possible local organization. This results in an approximate theory that is in very good agreement with simulations regarding both thermodynamical and dynamical properties

Evaluation of SOVAT: An OLAP-GIS decision support system for community health assessment data analysis

Background. Data analysis in community health assessment (CHA) involves the collection, integration, and analysis of large numerical and spatial data sets in order to identify health priorities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable for management and analysis using spatial data, but have limitations in performing analysis of numerical data because of its traditional database architecture. On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) is a multidimensional datawarehouse designed to facilitate querying of large numerical data. Coupling the spatial capabilities of GIS with the numerical analysis of OLAP, might enhance CHA data analysis. OLAP-GIS systems have been developed by university researchers and corporations, yet their potential for CHA data analysis is not well understood. To evaluate the potential of an OLAP-GIS decision support system for CHA problem solving, we compared OLAP-GIS to the standard information technology (IT) currently used by many public health professionals. Methods. SOVAT, an OLAP-GIS decision support system developed at the University of Pittsburgh, was compared against current IT for data analysis for CHA. For this study, current IT was considered the combined use of SPSS and GIS ("SPSS-GIS"). Graduate students, researchers, and faculty in the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh were recruited. Each round consisted of: an instructional video of the system being evaluated, two practice tasks, five assessment tasks, and one post-study questionnaire. Objective and subjective measurement included: task completion time, success in answering the tasks, and system satisfaction. Results. Thirteen individuals participated. Inferential statistics were analyzed using linear mixed model analysis. SOVAT was statistically significant (α = .01) from SPSS-GIS for satisfaction and time (p < .002). Descriptive results indicated that participants had greater success in answering the tasks when using SOVAT as compared to SPSS-GIS. Conclusion. Using SOVAT, tasks were completed more efficiently, with a higher rate of success, and with greater satisfaction, than the combined use of SPSS and GIS. The results from this study indicate a potential for OLAP-GIS decision support systems as a valuable tool for CHA data analysis. © 2008 Scotch et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd