2,999 research outputs found
Nonlinear force-free modelling: influence of inaccuracies in the measured magnetic vector
Context: Solar magnetic fields are regularly extrapolated into the corona
starting from photospheric magnetic measurements that can suffer from
significant uncertainties. Aims: Here we study how inaccuracies introduced into
the maps of the photospheric magnetic vector from the inversion of ideal and
noisy Stokes parameters influence the extrapolation of nonlinear force-free
magnetic fields. Methods: We compute nonlinear force-free magnetic fields based
on simulated vector magnetograms, which have been produced by the inversion of
Stokes profiles, computed froma 3-D radiation MHD simulation snapshot. These
extrapolations are compared with extrapolations starting directly from the
field in the MHD simulations, which is our reference. We investigate how line
formation and instrumental effects such as noise, limited spatial resolution
and the effect of employing a filter instrument influence the resulting
magnetic field structure. The comparison is done qualitatively by visual
inspection of the magnetic field distribution and quantitatively by different
metrics. Results: The reconstructed field is most accurate if ideal Stokes data
are inverted and becomes less accurate if instrumental effects and noise are
included. The results demonstrate that the non-linear force-free field
extrapolation method tested here is relatively insensitive to the effects of
noise in measured polarization spectra at levels consistent with present-day
instruments. Conclusions heading: Our results show that we can reconstruct the
coronal magnetic field as a nonlinear force-free field from realistic
photospheric measurements with an accuracy of a few percent, at least in the
absence of sunspots.Comment: A&A, accepted, 9 Pages, 4 Figure
Assessing missed opportunities for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in an Eastern Cape local service area
Background. Prevention of new HIV infections is a critical imperative for South Africa; the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) is one of the most efficacious HIV prevention interventions.Objective. Assessment of a PMTCT programme to determine missed opportunities.Setting. The Kouga local service area (LSA), bordering Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape.Methods. An assessment was conducted in 2007 before implementing technical support for strengthening the PMTCT programme, including: interviews with 20 PMTCT managers, 4 maternity staff and 27 other health workers on service provision, management, infrastructure, human resources and the health information system; 296 antenatal clinic users on their service perceptions; 70 HIV-positive women onHIV knowledge, infant feeding, coping, support and service perceptions; 8 representatives from community organisations and 101 traditional health practitioners (THPs). Observations were conducted during site visits to health facilities, and the District Health Information System (DHIS) data were reviewed.Results. Staff had high levels of awareness of HIV policies and most had received some relevant training. Nevirapine uptake varied by clinic, with an average of 56%. There were many missed opportunities for PMTCT, with 67% of pregnant women tested for HIV and only 43% of antenatal care attendees tested during a previous pregnancy. Only 6% of HIV-positive women reported support group participation.Conclusions. Reducing missed opportunities for PMTCT requires strengthening of the formal health sector, intersectoral liaison, and greater community support. Priority areas that require strengthening in the formal health sector include HIV counselling and testing; family planning and nutrition counselling; infant follow-up; human resources; and monitoring and evaluation
Quasiparticle evolution and pseudogap formation in V2O3: An infrared spectroscopy study
The infrared conductivity of V2O3 is measured in the whole phase diagram.
Quasiparticles appear above the Neel temperature TN and eventually disappear
further enhancing the temperature, leading to a pseudogap in the optical
spectrum above 425 K. Our calculations demonstrate that this loss of coherence
can be explained only if the temperature dependence of lattice parameters is
considered. V2O3 is therefore effectively driven from the metallic to the
insulating side of the Mott transition as the temperature is increased.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Integral-field spectroscopy of the quadruple QSO HE 0435-1223: Evidence for microlensing
We present the first spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the
recently discovered quadruple QSO and gravitational lens HE0435-1223. Using the
Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS), we show that all four QSO
components have very similar but not identical spectra. In particular, the
spectral slopes of components A, B, and D are indistinguishable, implying that
extinction due to dust plays no major role in the lensing galaxy. While also
the emission line profiles are identical within the error bars, as expected
from lensing, the equivalent widths show significant differences between
components. Most likely, microlensing is responsible for this phenomenon. This
is also consistent with the fact that component D, which shows the highest
relative continuum level, has brightened by 0.07 mag since Dec 2001. We find
that the emission line flux ratios between the components are in better
agreement with simple lens models than broad band or continuum measurements,
but that the discrepancies between model and data are still unacceptably large.
Finally, we present a detection of the lensing galaxy, although this is close
to the limits of the data. Comparing with a model galaxy spectrum, we obtain a
redshift estimate of z_lens=0.44+-0.02.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Effect of a program of short bouts of exercise on bone health in adolescents involved in different sports: the PRO-BONE study protocol
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease associated with high morbidity, mortality and increased economic costs. Early prevention during adolescence appears to be one of the most beneficial practices. Exercise is an effective approach for developing bone mass during puberty, but some sports may have a positive or negative impact on bone mass accrual. Plyometric jump training has been suggested as a type of exercise that can augment bone, but its effects on adolescent bone mass have not been rigorously assessed. The aims of the PRO-BONE study are to: 1) longitudinally assess bone health and its metabolism in adolescents engaged in osteogenic (football), non-osteogenic (cycling and swimming) sports and in a control group, and 2) examine the effect of a 9 month plyometric jump training programme on bone related outcomes in the sport groups. Methods/Design: This study will recruit 105 males aged 12-14 years who have participated in sport specific training for at least 3 hours per week during the last 3 years in the following sports groups: football (n=30), cycling (n=30) and swimming (n=30). An age-matched control group (n=15) that does not engage in these sports more than 3 hours per week will also be recruited. Participants will be measured on 5 occasions: 1) at baseline; 2) after 12 months of sport specific training where each sport group will be randomly allocated into two sub-groups: intervention group (sport + plyometric jump training) and sport group (sport only); 3) exactly after the 9 months of intervention; 4) 6 months following the intervention; 5) 12 months following the intervention. Body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, air displacement plethysmography and bioelectrical impedance), bone stiffness index (ultrasounds), physical activity (accelerometers), diet (24 h recall questionnaire), pubertal maturation (Tanner stage), physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscular) and biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption will be measured at each visit. Discussion: The PRO-BONE study is designed to investigate the impact of osteogenic and non-osteogenic sports on bone development in adolescent males during puberty, and how a plyometric jump training programme is associated with body composition parameters.European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013
Critical behavior of repulsive linear -mers on triangular lattices
Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and finite-size scaling analysis have been
carried out to study the critical behavior in a submonolayer two-dimensional
gas of repulsive linear -mers on a triangular lattice at coverage
. A low-temperature ordered phase, characterized by a repetition of
alternating files of adsorbed -mers separated by adjacent empty sites,
is separated from the disordered state by a order-disorder phase transition
occurring at a finite critical temperature, . The MC technique was
combined with the recently reported Free Energy Minimization Criterion Approach
(FEMCA), [F. Rom\'a et al., Phys. Rev. B, 68, 205407, (2003)], to predict the
dependence of the critical temperature of the order-disorder transformation.
The dependence on of the transition temperature, , observed in MC
is in qualitative agreement with FEMCA. In addition, an accurate determination
of the critical exponents has been obtained for adsorbate sizes ranging between
and . For , the results reveal that the system does not belong
to the universality class of the two-dimensional Potts model with (,
monomers). Based on symmetry concepts, we suggested that the behavior observed
for and 3 could be generalized to include larger particle sizes ().Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure
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