Continuum-continuum coupling and polarization potentials for weakly bound system

We investigate the influence of couplings among continuum states in collisions of weakly bound nuclei. For this purpose, we compare cross sections for complete fusion, breakup and elastic scattering evaluated by continuum discretized coupled channel (CDCC) calculations, including and not including these couplings. In our study, we discuss this influence in terms of the polarization potentials that reproduce the elastic wave function of the coupled coupled channel method in single channel calculations. We find that the inclusion of couplings among the continuum states renders the real part of the polarization potential more repulsive, whereas it leads to weaker apsorption to the breakup channel. We show that the non-inclusion of continuum-continuum couplings in CDCC calculations may not lead to qualitative and quantitative wrong conclusions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Assessing the adequacy of the bare optical potential in near-barrier fusion calculation

We critically examine the differences among the different bare nuclear interactions used in near-barrier heavy ion fusion analysis and Coupled-Channels calculations, and discuss the possibility of extracting the barrier parameters of the bare potential from above-barrier data. We show that the choice of the bare potential may be critical for the analysis of the fusion cross sections. We show also that the barrier parameters taken from above barrier data may be very wrong.Comment: 8 pages, 3 tables, 8 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

Suicide and self-harm in Britain: researching risk and resilience using UK surveys

Aim The main aim of this study was to raise awareness of surveys that could be used to inform self-harm and suicide prevention work. We asked: What UK survey datasets are available for research? What aspects of people’s lives are associated with self-harm and attempted suicide? How do statistical findings resonate with people’s lived experience? What implications do they see? Findings Survey analyses revealed that risk factors for self-harm are wide ranging and include: Mental health Physical health and health behaviours Social relationships Stressful events Employment and financial circumstances Identity and demographics Many different factors are independently associated with self-harm. There is a dose relationship, with more exposure to a factor linked with increased risk. Risks are cumulative that is, exposure to multiple factors is associated with greater risk. Through facilitated consultation, men with lived experience, bereaved family members, and practitioners identified recommendations for responding to suicidal distress in men. These related to the following three main areas: 1. Recognising need: who is ‘ill enough’? Permission - men said that they often did not know they were entitled to help Ask - people who outwardly appear to be functioning may not be Persistence - ask and offer help more than once. 2. Facilitating access: right words, time and place What is available - support is needed with ongoing stress as well as for crises Find the words - men wanted examples of how to ask for help Allow time - employers expect recovery to be swift, some men felt rushed to come off medications or were discharged from services they still needed. 3. Adjusting delivery: equal engagement Power - some were uncomfortable with service dynamics, preferring peer support Every service contact counts - negative contacts had particular impact Safe spaces - may be different for men and women. Methods There were three strands of work: Secondary analysis of nine survey series, spanning more than twenty years Linkage of 144,000 survey participants to information on whether they were alive in 2013 and whether they had taken their own life Facilitated consultation, through depth interviews with people with lived experience

A study of local approximation for polarization potentials

We discuss the derivation of an equivalent \textit{l}-independent polarization potential for use in the optical Schr\"{o}dinger equation that describes the elastic scattering of heavy ions. Three diffferent methods are used for this purpose. Application of our theory to the low energy scattering of the halo nucleus $^{11}$Li from a $^{12}$C target is made. It is found that the notion of \textit{l}-independent polarization potential has some validity but can not be a good substitute for the \textit{l}-dependent local equivalent Feshbach polarization potential.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Comparison of Lateral and Dorsal Recumbency During Endoscope-Assisted Oophorectomy in Mature Pond Sliders (Trachemys Scripta)

Ovariectomy via the prefemoral fossa is a well-described technique for sterilization in chelonians. The choice between lateral and dorsal recumbency is generally left to the surgeon\u2019s preference, with no data supporting an objective superiority of one over the other. Twenty-four sexually mature female pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) were enrolled for elective prefemoral endoscope-assisted oophorectomy, and were randomly divided in two groups: 12 animals were placed in right lateral recumbency with a left fossa approach (Group A), and 12 in dorsal recumbency with a right fossa approach (Group B). Scoring systems were applied to assess the ease of access to the coelomic cavity, and the ease of identification of the ovary opposite to the surgical incision. A negative correlation was found between the body weight of the animals and the ease of access to the coelom (p = 0.013), making the access easier in smaller animals. No significant dierence was found between the two groups in terms of ease of access to the coelomic cavity, first ovary removal time, ease of identification of the second ovary, second ovary removal time, or total surgery time