185 research outputs found
Simulation of reproductive risk and emergence of female reproductive cessation
Using a simple computer model for evolution, we show that in a sexual
population subject only to age-increasing reproductive risk, a cessation of
female reproduction emerges.Comment: 11 pages including 3 figure
Using a family systems approach to treat tobacco use among cancer patients
Tobacco use treatment is an essential component of cancer care. Family members play a significant role in smoking behavior, but more research is needed regarding the development, implementation, and impact of family-based interventions in cancer care. The UNC Tobacco Treatment Program conducted an 18-month pilot study to examine the feasibility of implementing a family systems approach to treat tobacco use among patients at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital and to measure the impact of such an approach on patient abstinence. Implementation included four phases: (1) modifying the electronic health record and monthly report generated from the electronic health record; (2) training Tobacco Treatment Specialists to provide family counseling; (3) integrating family members into patients’ treatment; and (4) conducting six-month follow-up calls. During the course of the study, 42% (N = 221/532) of patients had family members integrated into their tobacco use treatment. Only 21 patients (4%) had family members present but not integrated into the treatment plan. At the six-month follow up time point, the seven-day point-prevalence quit rate for patients with family integration was 28% (N = 56/200), compared to 23% (N = 67/291) (p = 0.105) for patients without family integration. Integration of family members is clearly possible in an academic medical center’s oncology tobacco treatment program. Although pilot results were not statistically significant at 6 months, a potentially higher quit rate suggests a need for expanded research on methods to integrate family members in oncology settings for patients with tobacco-related cancers
Relativistic Two-Body Processes in Axial-Charge Transitions
We study the contribution of two-body meson-exchange processes to axial
charge transitions for nuclei in the lead, tin and oxygen regions. We conduct
calculations in the Dirac-Hartree (the Walecka model) and the relativistic
Hartree (where the full one-nucleon-loop effects are included) approximations.
We present results indicating that one- and two-body processes enhance the
matrix elements of the axial-charge operator by some (100+-20)% in all three
regions studied. This agrees well with the fit of eighteen first-forbidden
beta-decay transitions conducted by Warburton in the lead region. We also
discuss some sensitivities present in the calculation.Comment: 23 pages, RevTeX format, 5 PostScript figures available on reques
A lean quality improvement initiative to enhance tobacco use treatment in a cancer hospital
Sustained tobacco use after cancer diagnosis decreases treatment effectiveness while increasing treatment side effects, primary cancer recurrence, and the occurrence of secondary cancers. Delivering tobacco use treatment to fewer patients due to inefficient workflow represents missed opportunities to deliver life-saving care. In 2017, the National Cancer Institute initiated the Cancer Cessation Initiative (C3I) to push new tobacco cessation resources into cancer centers across the United States. This grant allowed the University of North Carolina Tobacco Treatment Program (UNC TTP) to dramatically expand tobacco use treatment (TUT) services to patients at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital (NCCH). With this push, the team saw an opportunity to utilize Lean Six Sigma, a set of quality improvement (QI) tools, to streamline their processes and uncover the root causes of program inefficiencies. A 12-month QI project using the Lean A3 problem-solving tool was implemented to examine the team’s workflow. The study team mapped out the processes and, as a result, developed multiple “experiments” to test within the NCCH to address workflow efficiency and clinical reach. Outcome measures from the baseline to follow-up included: (1) the number of new patient referrals per month, and (2) the number of counseling sessions delivered per month. From the baseline to final state, the team’s referrals increased from a mean of 10 to 24 per month, and counseling sessions increased from a mean of 74 to 84 per month. This project provided a deeper understanding of how workflow inefficiencies can be eliminated in the clinical setting, how technology can be harnessed to increase reach, and finally, that soliciting and using feedback from NCCH leadership can remove barriers and improve patient care
Aspects of the FM Kondo Model: From Unbiased MC Simulations to Back-of-an-Envelope Explanations
Effective models are derived from the ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model with
classical corespins, which greatly reduce the numerical effort. Results for
these models are presented. They indicate that double exchange gives the
correct order of magnitude and the correct doping dependence of the Curie
temperature. Furthermore, we find that the jump in the particle density
previously interpreted as phase separation is rather explained by ferromagnetic
polarons.Comment: Proceedings of Wandlitz Days of Magnetism 200
A Biased Review of Sociophysics
Various aspects of recent sociophysics research are shortly reviewed:
Schelling model as an example for lack of interdisciplinary cooperation,
opinion dynamics, combat, and citation statistics as an example for strong
interdisciplinarity.Comment: 16 pages for J. Stat. Phys. including 2 figures and numerous
reference
Breakdown of K selection in Hf178
Coulomb activation of the four quasiparticle Kπ=16+ Hf178 isomer (t1/2=31y) has led to the measurement of a set of Eλ matrix elements coupling the isomer band to the ground band. The present data combined with earlier Hf178 Coulomb excitation data have probed the K components in the wave functions and revealed the onset and saturation of K mixing in low-K bands, whereas the mixing is negligible in the high-K bands. The implications can be applied to other quadrupole-deformed nuclei
Spin dependence of K mixing, strong configuration mixing, and electromagnetic properties of Hf178
The combined data of two Coulomb excitation experiments has verified the purely electromagnetic population of the Kπ=4+,6+,8-, and 16+ rotational bands in Hf178 via 2≤ν≤14 K-forbidden transitions, quantifying the breakdown of the K-selection rule with increasing spin in the low-K bands. The γ-, 4+, and 6+ bands were extended, and four new states in a rotational band were tentatively assigned to a previously known Kπ=0+ band. The quasiparticle structure of the 6+ (t12=77 ns) and 8- (t12=4 s) isomer bands were evaluated, showing that the gyromagnetic ratios of the 6+ isomer band are consistent with a pure π72+[404],π52+[402] structure. The 8- isomer band at 1147 keV and the second 8- band at 1479 keV, thought to be predominantly ν72-[514],ν92+[624] and π92-[514],π72+[404], respectively, are mixed to a degree approaching the strong-mixing limit. Based on measured Kπ=16+ E2 Kπ=0+ matrix elements, it was shown that heavy-ion bombardment could depopulate the 16+ isomer at the ~1% level, although no states were found that would mediate photodeexcitation of the isomer via low-energy x-ray absorption
Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology
Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and share similar risk to anthropogenic threats that vary on a vertical gradient. We highlight the critical next steps toward incorporating vertical movement into global management and monitoring strategies for elasmobranchs, emphasizing the need to address geographic and taxonomic biases in deployments and to concurrently consider both horizontal and vertical movements
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