Characterisation of the L-mode Scrape Off Layer in MAST: decay lengths

This work presents a detailed characterisation of the MAST Scrape Off Layer in L-mode. Scans in line averaged density, plasma current and toroidal magnetic field were performed. A comprehensive and integrated study of the SOL was allowed by the use of a wide range of diagnostics. In agreement with previous results, an increase of the line averaged density induced a broadening of the midplane density profile.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure

Epidemiological and economic burden of Clostridium difficile in the United States: Estimates from a modeling approach

Appendix A: Population and Setting. Appendix B: Demographic, epidemiologic and economic model parameters. Appendix C: Supplementary Methods and Results. (DOCX 132 kb

Flavor SU(3) breaking effects in the chiral unitary model for meson-baryon scatterings

We examine flavor SU(3) breaking effects on meson-baryon scattering amplitudes in the chiral unitary model. It turns out that the SU(3) breaking, which appears in the leading quark mass term in the chiral expansion, can not explain the channel dependence of the subtraction parameters of the model, which are crucial to reproduce the observed scattering amplitudes and resonance properties.Comment: RevTeX4, 4 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Anti-Kaon Induced Reactions on the Nucleon

Using a previously established effective Lagrangian model we describe anti-kaon induced reactions on the nucleon. The dominantly contributing channels in the cm-energy region from threshold up to 1.72 GeV are included (K N, \pi \Sigma, \pi \Lambda). We solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation in an unitary $K$-matrix approximation.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, minor typos corrected, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Landmine detection and imaging using Micropower Impulse Radar (MIR)

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed radar and imaging technologies with potential applications in mine detection by the armed forces and other agencies involved in determining efforts. These new technologies use a patented ultra-wideband (impulse) radar technology that is compact, low-cost, and low power. Designated as Micropower hnpulse Radar, these compact, self-contained radars can easily be assembled into arrays to form complete ground penetrating radar imaging systems. LLNL has also developed tomographic reconstruction and signal processing software capable of producing high-resolution 2-D and 3-D images of objects buried in materials like soil or concrete from radar data. Preliminary test results have shown that a radar imaging system using these technologies has the ability to image both metallic and plastic land mine surrogate targets buried in 5 to 10 cm of moist soil. In dry soil, the system can detect buried objects to a depth of 30 cm and more. This report describes our initial test results and plans for future work

The influence of a six degrees of freedom couch and an individual head support in patient positioning in radiotherapy of head and neck cancer

Reproducible patient positioning is important in radiotherapy (RT) of head-and-neck cancer. We therefore compared set-up errors in head-and-neck RT resulting from three different patient positioning systems. Patients were either treated with a standard head support (SHS) and conventional treatment couch (SHS-3, n = 10), a SHS and rotational couch (SHS-6, n = 10), or an individual head support (IHS) and rotational couch (IHS-6, n = 10). Interfraction mean translation vector lenghts were significantly lower for IHS-6 compared to SHS-3 (0.8 ± 0.3 mm vs. 1.4 ± 0.7 mm, P = 0.001). Intrafraction displacement was comparable among cohorts. This study showed that the use of a six degrees of freedom couch combined with an IHS in head-and-neck RT resulted in better interfraction reproducibilit

Validating child vaccination status in a demographic surveillance system using data from a clinical cohort study: evidence from rural South Africa

<p><b>Background:</b> Childhood vaccination coverage can be estimated from a range of sources. This study aims to validate vaccination data from a longitudinal population-based demographic surveillance system (DSS) against data from a clinical cohort study.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> The sample includes 821 children in the Vertical Transmission cohort Study (VTS), who were born between December 2001 and April 2005, and were matched to the Africa Centre DSS, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Vaccination information in the surveillance was collected retrospectively, using standardized questionnaires during bi-annual household visits, when the child was 12 to 23 months of age. DSS vaccination information was based on extraction from a vaccination card or, if the card was not available, on maternal recall. In the VTS, vaccination data was collected at scheduled maternal and child clinic visits when a study nurse administered child vaccinations. We estimated the sensitivity of the surveillance in detecting vaccinations conducted as part of the VTS during these clinic visits.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Vaccination data in matched children in the DSS was based on the vaccination card in about two-thirds of the cases and on maternal recall in about one-third. The sensitivity of the vaccination variables in the surveillance was high for all vaccines based on either information from a South African Road-to-Health (RTH) card (0.94-0.97) or maternal recall (0.94-0.98). Addition of maternal recall to the RTH card information had little effect on the sensitivity of the surveillance variable (0.95-0.97). The estimates of sensitivity did not vary significantly, when we stratified the analyses by maternal antenatal HIV status. Addition of maternal recall of vaccination status of the child to the RTH card information significantly increased the proportion of children known to be vaccinated across all vaccines in the DSS.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Maternal recall performs well in identifying vaccinated children aged 12-23 months (both in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers), with sensitivity similar to information extracted from vaccination cards. Information based on both maternal recall and vaccination cards should be used if the aim is to use surveillance data to identify children who received a vaccination.</p&gt