The Structure of Langevin's Memory Kernel From Lagrangian Dynamics

We obtain the memory kernel of the generalized Langevin equation, describing a particle interacting with longitudinal phonons in a liquid. The kernel is obtained analytically at T=0 Kelvin and numerically at T>0 Kelvin. We find that it shows some non-trivial structural features like negative correlations for some range of time separations. The system is shown to have three characteristic time scales, that control the shape of the kernel, and the transition between quadratic and linear behavior of the mean squared distance (MSD). Although the derivation of the structure in the memory kernel is obtained within a specific dynamical model, the phenomenon is shown to be quite generic.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, latex, include europhys.sty and euromacr.te

How Bioethics Principles Can Aid Design of Electronic Health Records to Accommodate Patient Granular Control

Ethics should guide the design of electronic health records (EHR), and recognized principles of bioethics can play an important role. This approach was adopted recently by a team of informaticists designing and testing a system where patients exert granular control over who views their personal health information. While this method of building ethics in from the start of the design process has significant benefits, questions remain about how useful the application of bioethics principles can be in this process, especially when principles conflict. For instance, while the ethical principle of respect for autonomy supports a robust system of granular control, the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence counsel restraint due to the danger of patients being harmed by restrictions on provider access to data. Conflict between principles has long been recognized by ethicists and has even motivated attacks on approaches that state and apply principles. In this paper we show how using ethical principles can help in the design of EHRs by first, explaining how ethical principles can and should be used generally, and then by, discuss how attention to details in specific cases can show that the tension between principles is not as bad as it initially appeared. We conclude by suggesting further ways in which the application of these (and other) principles can add value to the ongoing discussion of patient involvement in their health care. This is a new approach to linking principles to informatics design that we expect will stimulate further interest

To Be or Not to Be – A Research Subject

Most people do not know there are different kinds of medical studies; some are conducted on people who already have a disease or medical condition, and others are performed on healthy volunteers who want to help science find answers. No matter what sort of research you are invited to participate in, or whether you are a patient when you are asked, it’s entirely up to you whether or not to do it. This decision is important and may have many implications for your health and well-being, as well as those of other patients now and in the future. Making a good decision – the right one for you – requires you to become educated about topics you may not have thought about before, some of which may be quite complicated. This chapter explains the key issues to help you make a good decision

The effect of surface contamination on contact angles and surface potentials Summary report

Surface contamination effects on behavior of liquids in space vehicle tanks at zero gravit

Pool boiling from rotating and stationary spheres in liquid nitrogen

Results are presented for a preliminary experiment involving saturated pool boiling at 1 atm from rotating 2 and 3 in. diameter spheres which were immersed in liquid nitrogen (LN2). Additional results are presented for a stationary, 2 inch diameter sphere, quenched in LN2, which were obtained utilizing a more versatile and complete experimental apparatus that will eventually be used for additional rotating sphere experiments. The speed for the rotational tests was varied from 0 to 10,000 rpm. The stationary experiments parametrically varied pressure and subcooling levels from 0 to 600 psig and from 0 to 50 F, respectively. During the rotational tests, a high speed photographic analysis was undertaken to measure the thickness of the vapor film surrounding the sphere. The average Nusselt number over the cooling period was plotted against the rotational Reynolds number. Stationary sphere results included local boiling heat transfer coefficients at different latitudinal locations, for various pressure and subcooling levels

The ionization of hydrogen and of hydrogenic positive ions by electron impact

Ionization of hydrogen and hydrogenic positive ions by electron impac

Numerical study of the transition of the four dimensional Random Field Ising Model

We study numerically the region above the critical temperature of the four dimensional Random Field Ising Model. Using a cluster dynamic we measure the connected and disconnected magnetic susceptibility and the connected and disconnected overlap susceptibility. We use a bimodal distribution of the field with $h_R=0.35T$ for all temperatures and a lattice size L=16. Through a least-square fit we determine the critical exponents $\gamma$ and $\bar{\gamma}$. We find the magnetic susceptibility and the overlap susceptibility diverge at two different temperatures. This is coherent with the existence of a glassy phase above $T_c$. Accordingly with other simulations we find $\bar{\gamma}=2\gamma$. In this case we have a scaling theory with two indipendet critical exponentsComment: 10 pages, 2 figures, Late

Asymptotic Search for Ground States of SU(2) Matrix Theory

We introduce a complete set of gauge-invariant variables and a generalized Born-Oppenheimer formulation to search for normalizable zero-energy asymptotic solutions of the Schrodinger equation of SU(2) matrix theory. The asymptotic method gives only ground state candidates, which must be further tested for global stability. Our results include a set of such ground state candidates, including one state which is a singlet under spin(9).Comment: 51 page