1,423 research outputs found
Studies of the electric dipole transitions of deformed rare-earth nuclei
Spectrum and electric dipole transition rates and relative intensities in
Sm, Gd, Dy are studied in the framework of
the interacting boson model with s,p,d,f bosons. It is found that E1 transition
data among the low-lying levels are in good agreement with the SU(3) dynamical
symmetry of the spdf interacting boson model proposed by Engel and Iachello to
describe collective rotation with octupole vibration. These results show that
these nuclei have SU(3) dynamic symmetry to a good approximation. Also in this
work many algebraic expressions for electric dipole transitions in the SU(3)
limit of the spdf-IBM have been obtained. These formulae together with the
formulae given previously exhaust nearly all the E1 transitions for low-lying
negative parity states. They are useful in analyzing experimental data.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figur
Multi-nanolayered VO2/Sapphire Thin Film via Spinodal Decomposition
Abstract Coating of VO2-based thin film has been extensively studied for fabricating energy-saving smart windows. One of the most efficient ways for fabricating high performance films is to create multi-nanolayered structure. However, it has been highly challenge to make such layers in the VO2-based films using conventional methods. In this work, a facile two-step approach is established to fabricate multilayered VO2-TiO2 thin films. We first deposited the amorphous thin films upon sputtering, and then anneal them to transform the amorphous phase into alternating Ti- and V-rich multilayered nanostructure via a spinodal decomposition mechanism. In particular, we take advantage of different sapphire substrate planes (A-plane (11–20), R-plane (1–102), C-plane (0001), and M-plane (10-10)) to achieve different decomposition modes. The new approach has made it possible to tailoring the microstructure of the thin films for optimized performances by controlling the disorder-order transition in terms of both kinetic and thermodynamic aspects. The derived thin films exhibit superior optical modulation upon phase transition, significantly reduced transition temperature and hysteresis loop width, and high degradation resistance, these improvements indicate a high potential to be used for fabricating the next generation of energy saving smart windows
Blood pressure estimation from photoplethysmogram and electrocardiogram signals using machine learning
Blood pressure measurement is a significant part of preventive healthcare and has been widely used in clinical risk and disease management. However, conventional measurement does not provide continuous monitoring and sometimes is inconvenient with a cuff. In addition to the traditional cuff-based blood pressure measurement methods, some researchers have developed various cuff-less and noninvasive blood pressure monitoring methods based on Pulse Transit Time (PTT). Some emerging methods have employed features of either photoplethysmogram (PPG) or electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, although no studies to our knowledge have employed the combined features from both PPG and ECG signals. Therefore this study aims to investigate the performance of a predictive, machine learning blood pressure monitoring system using both PPG and ECG signals. It validates that the employment of the combination of PPG and ECG signals has improved the accuracy of the blood pressure estimation, compared with previously reported results based on PPG signal only. © 2018 Institution of Engineering and Technology. All rights reserved
Is a randomised controlled trial of take home naloxone distributed in emergency settings likely to be feasible and acceptable? Findings from a UK qualitative study exploring perspectives of people who use opioids and emergency services staff
Objective
Distribution of take-home naloxone (THN) by emergency services may increase access to THN and reduce deaths and morbidity from opioid overdose. As part of a feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of distribution of THN kits and education within ambulance services and Emergency Departments (EDs), we used qualitative methods to explore key stakeholders’ perceptions of feasibility and acceptability of delivering the trial.
Methods
We undertook semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 26 people who use opioids and with 20 paramedics and ED staff from two intervention sites between 2019 and 2021. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Framework Analysis.
Results
People using opioids reported high awareness of overdose management, including personal experience of THN use. Staff perceived emergency service provision of THN as a low-cost, low-risk intervention with potential to reduce mortality, morbidity and health service use. Staff understood the trial aims and considered it compatible with their work. All participants supported widening access to THN but reported limited trial recruitment opportunities partly due to difficulties in consenting patients during overdose. Procedural problems, restrictive recruitment protocols, limited staff buy-in and patients already owning THN limited trial recruitment. Determining trial effectiveness was challenging due to high levels of alternative community provision of THN.
Conclusions
Distribution of THN in emergency settings was considered feasible and acceptable for stakeholders but an RCT to establish the effectiveness of THN delivery is unlikely to generate further useful evidence due to difficulties in recruiting patients and assessing benefits
On the Nature and Genesis of EUV Waves: A Synthesis of Observations from SOHO, STEREO, SDO, and Hinode
A major, albeit serendipitous, discovery of the SOlar and Heliospheric
Observatory mission was the observation by the Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope
(EIT) of large-scale Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) intensity fronts propagating
over a significant fraction of the Sun's surface. These so-called EIT or EUV
waves are associated with eruptive phenomena and have been studied intensely.
However, their wave nature has been challenged by non-wave (or pseudo-wave)
interpretations and the subject remains under debate. A string of recent solar
missions has provided a wealth of detailed EUV observations of these waves
bringing us closer to resolving their nature. With this review, we gather the
current state-of-art knowledge in the field and synthesize it into a picture of
an EUV wave driven by the lateral expansion of the CME. This picture can
account for both wave and pseudo-wave interpretations of the observations, thus
resolving the controversy over the nature of EUV waves to a large degree but
not completely. We close with a discussion of several remaining open questions
in the field of EUV waves research.Comment: Solar Physics, Special Issue "The Sun in 360",2012, accepted for
publicatio
What is the Nature of EUV Waves? First STEREO 3D Observations and Comparison with Theoretical Models
One of the major discoveries of the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
(EIT) on SOHO were intensity enhancements propagating over a large fraction of
the solar surface. The physical origin(s) of the so-called `EIT' waves is still
strongly debated. They are considered to be either wave (primarily fast-mode
MHD waves) or non-wave (pseudo-wave) interpretations. The difficulty in
understanding the nature of EUV waves lies with the limitations of the EIT
observations which have been used almost exclusively for their study. Their
limitations are largely overcome by the SECCHI/EUVI observations on-board the
STEREO mission. The EUVI telescopes provide high cadence, simultaneous
multi-temperature coverage, and two well-separated viewpoints. We present here
the first detailed analysis of an EUV wave observed by the EUVI disk imagers on
December 07, 2007 when the STEREO spacecraft separation was .
Both a small flare and a CME were associated with the wave cadence, and single
temperature and viewpoint coverage. These limitations are largely overcome by
the SECCHI/EUVI observations on-board the STEREO mission. The EUVI telescopes
provide high cadence, simultaneous multi-temperature coverage, and two
well-separated viewpoints. Our findings give significant support for a
fast-mode interpretation of EUV waves and indicate that they are probably
triggered by the rapid expansion of the loops associated with the CME.Comment: Solar Physics, 2009, Special STEREO Issue, in pres
The Energy of Regular Black Hole in General Relativity Coupled to Nonlinear Electrodynamics
According to the Einstein, Weinberg, and M{\o}ller energy-momentum complexes,
we evaluate the energy distribution of the singularity-free solution of the
Einstein field equations coupled to a suitable nonlinear electrodynamics
suggested by Ay\'{o}n-Beato and Garc\'{i}a. The results show that the energy
associated with the definitions of Einstein and Weinberg are the same, but
M{\o}ller not. Using the power series expansion, we find out that the first two
terms in the expression are the same as the energy distributions of the
Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m solution, and the third term could be used to survey the
factualness between numerous solutions of the Einstein field eqautions coupled
to a nonlinear electrodynamics.Comment: 11 page
Black Hole Evaporation and Compact Extra Dimensions
We study the evaporation of black holes in space-times with extra dimensions
of size L. We first obtain a description which interpolates between the
expected behaviors of very large and very small black holes and then show that
the luminosity is greatly damped when the horizon shrinks towards L from a
larger value. Analogously, black holes born with an initial size smaller than L
are almost stable. This effect is due to the dependence of both the Hawking
temperature and the grey-body factor of a black hole on the dimensionality of
space. Although the picture of what happens when the horizon becomes of size L
is still incomplete, we argue that there occurs a (first order) phase
transition, possibly signaled by an outburst of energy which leaves a
quasi-stable remnant.Comment: RevTeX, 13 pages, 6 figures include
A measurement of the tau mass and the first CPT test with tau leptons
We measure the mass of the tau lepton to be 1775.1+-1.6(stat)+-1.0(syst.) MeV
using tau pairs from Z0 decays. To test CPT invariance we compare the masses of
the positively and negatively charged tau leptons. The relative mass difference
is found to be smaller than 3.0 10^-3 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Letts.
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