10,026 research outputs found
The equation of state of neutron star matter and the symmetry energy
We present an overview of microscopical calculations of the Equation of State
(EOS) of neutron matter performed using Quantum Monte Carlo techniques. We
focus to the role of the model of the three-neutron force in the high-density
part of the EOS up to a few times the saturation density. We also discuss the
interplay between the symmetry energy and the neutron star mass-radius
relation.
The combination of theoretical models of the EOS with recent neutron stars
observations permits us to constrain the value of the symmetry energy and its
slope. We show that astrophysical observations are starting to provide
important insights into the properties of neutron star matter.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure, talk given at the 11th International Conference on
Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1,
2012. To appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference
Series (JPCS
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mHealth: providing a mindfulness app for women with chronic pelvic pain in gynaecology outpatient clinics: qualitative data analysis of user experience and lessons learnt
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a pre-existing smartphone app to teach mindfulness meditation is acceptable to women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and can be integrated into clinical practice within the National Health Service (NHS) CPP pathways, and to inform the design of a potential randomised clinical trial.
DESIGN: A prestudy patient and public involvement (PPI) group to collect feedback on the acceptability of the existing app and study design was followed by a three-arm randomised feasibility trial. In addition, we undertook interviews and focus groups with patients and staff to explore app usability and acceptability. We also obtained participant comments on the research process, such as acceptability of the study questionnaires.
SETTING: Two gynaecology clinics within Barts Health NHS, London, UK.
PARTICIPANTS: Patients with CPP lasting ≥6 months with access to smartphone or personal computer and understanding of basic English.
INTERVENTION: The intervention was mindfulness meditation content plus additional pain module delivered by a smartphone app. Active controls received muscle relaxation content from the same app. Passive (waiting list) controls received usual care.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Themes on user feedback, app usability and integration, and reasons for using/not using the app.
RESULTS: The use of the app was low in both active groups. Patients in the prestudy PPI group, all volunteers, were enthusiastic about the app (convenience, content, portability, flexibility, ease of use). Women contributing to the interview or focus group data (n=14), from a 'real world' clinic (some not regular app users), were less positive, citing as barriers lack of opportunities/motivation to use the app and lack of familiarity and capabilities with technology. Staff (n=7) were concerned about the potential need for extra support for them and for the patients, and considered the app needed organisational backing and peer acceptance.
CONCLUSION: The opinions of prestudy PPI volunteers meeting in their private time may not represent those of patients recruited at a routine clinic appointment. It may be more successful to codesign/codevelop an app with typical users than to adapt existing apps for use in real-world clinical populations.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN10925965
Modeling quasi-dark states with Temporal Coupled-Mode Theory
Coupled resonators are commonly used to achieve tailored spectral responses
and allow novel functionalities in a broad range of applications, from optical
modulation and filtering in integrated photonic circuits to the study of
nonlinear dynamics in arrays of resonators. The Temporal Coupled-Mode Theory
(TCMT) provides a simple and general tool that is widely used to model these
devices and has proved to yield very good results in many different systems of
low-loss, weakly coupled resonators. Relying on TCMT to model coupled
resonators might however be misleading in some circumstances due to the
lumped-element nature of the model. In this article, we report an important
limitation of TCMT related to the prediction of dark states. Studying a coupled
system composed of three microring resonators, we demonstrate that TCMT
predicts the existence of a dark state that is in disagreement with
experimental observations and with the more general results obtained with the
Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) and the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD)
simulations. We identify the limitation in the TCMT model to be related to the
mechanism of excitation/decay of the supermodes and we propose a correction
that effectively reconciles the model with expected results. A comparison with
TMM and FDTD allows to verify both steady-state and transient solutions of the
modified-TCMT model. The proposed correction is derived from general
considerations, energy conservation and the non-resonant power circulating in
the system, therefore it provides good insight on how the TCMT model should be
modified to eventually account for the same limitation in a different
coupled-resonator design. Moreover, our discussion based on coupled microring
resonators can be useful for other electromagnetic resonant systems due to the
generality and far-reach of the TCMT formalism.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Thermal expansion behavior of holes in graphene nanomeshes
CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPERJ - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIROThe thermal expansion of a hole, in a planar system, follows the same trend as the thermal expansion of the whole system, i.e., the hole expands (contracts) if the material expands (contracts) under thermal excitation. At nanoscale, this phenomenon has not been studied so far. Here, using tools of classical molecular dynamics simulations, we show that graphene nanomeshes (GNMs) behave oppositely: While the whole structure contracts (expands), the nanoholes expand (contract) under thermal excitation. We propose and test a simple mechanism to describe this unexpected behavior in terms of out-of-plane vibrations of the atoms close to and far from the edges of the holes. This mechanism allows us to see that, contrary to usual planar systems, this behavior comes from nonuniform thermal expansion along the structure. Although the thermal expansion of holes in GNMs is contrary to the classical prediction, we verify that the thermal expansion of the whole GNM structure is the same as that of pristine graphene.The thermal expansion of a hole, in a planar system, follows the same trend as the thermal expansion of the whole system, i.e., the hole expands (contracts) if the material expands (contracts) under thermal excitation. At nanoscale, this phenomenon has not been studied so far. Here, using tools of classical molecular dynamics simulations, we show that graphene nanomeshes (GNMs) behave oppositely: While the whole structure contracts (expands), the nanoholes expand (contract) under thermal excitation. We propose and test a simple mechanism to describe this unexpected behavior in terms of out-of-plane vibrations of the atoms close to and far from the edges of the holes. This mechanism allows us to see that, contrary to usual planar systems, this behavior comes from nonuniform thermal expansion along the structure. Although the thermal expansion of holes in GNMs is contrary to the classical prediction, we verify that the thermal expansion of the whole GNM structure is the same as that of pristine graphene.891918CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPERJ - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIROCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPERJ - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIROFAPESP [2012/10106-8]Sem informação2012/10106-8Sem informaçãoThis work was supported in part by the Brazilian Agencies CNPq, FAPESP, FAPERJ, and FAEPEX/UNICAMP. A.F.F. acknowledges Grant No. 2012/10106-8 from São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Sulphur-isotope compositions of pig tissues from a controlled feeding study
Sulphur-isotope determinations are becoming increasingly useful for palaeodietary reconstruction, but knowledge of isotopic discrimination between diet and various tissues remains inadequate. In this study, we explore the sensitivity of δ34Stissue values to changes in δ34Sdiet values, sulphur isotopic discrimination between diet and consumer, and the potential impact of terrestrial vs. marine protein consumption on these discrimination offsets. We present new δ34S values of bone collagen, muscle, liver, hair, milk and faeces from ten mature sows, ten piglets and fifteen adolescent pigs from a controlled feeding study. The δ34Stissue values were found to co-vary with the δ34Sdiet values, the δ34Stissue – δ34Sdiet isotopic offsets (Δ34Stissue-diet) are small but consistent, and dietary protein source does not systematically alter the Δ34Stissue-diet isotopic discrimination. The outcomes of this study are of particular relevance to questions that are difficult to resolve using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes alone, and will also be useful in regions where terrestrial, freshwater, and marine resources could have all potentially contributed to human diet
Bar imprints on the inner gas kinematics of M33
We present measurements of the stellar and gaseous velocities in the central
5' of the Local Group spiral M33. The data were obtained with the ARC 3.5m
telescope. Blue and red spectra with resolutions from 2 to 4\AA covering the
principal gaseous emission and stellar absorption lines were obtained along the
major and minor axes and six other position angles. The observed radial
velocities of the ionized gas along the photometric major axis of M33 remain
flat at ~22 km s^{-1} all the way into the center, while the stellar velocities
show a gradual rise from zero to 22 km s^{-1} over that same region. The
central star cluster is at or very close to the dynamical center, with a
velocity that is in accordance with M33's systemic velocity to within our
uncertainties. Velocities on the minor axis are non-zero out to about 1' from
the center in both the stars and gas. Together with the major axis velocities,
they point at significant deviations from circular rotation. The most likely
explanation for the bulk of the velocity patterns are streaming motions along a
weak inner bar with a PA close to that of the minor axis, as suggested by
previously published IR photometric images. The presence of bar imprints in M33
implies that all major Local Group galaxies are barred. The non-circular
motions over the inner 200 pc make it difficult to constrain the shape of M33's
inner dark matter halo profile. If the non-circular motions we find in this
nearby Sc galaxy are present in other more distant late-type galaxies, they
might be difficult to recognize.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, ApJ in pres
Helicobacter pylori and cancer among adults in Uganda
Data from Africa on infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are sparse. Therefore, as part of an epidemiological study of cancer in Uganda, we investigated the prevalence and determinants of antibodies against H. pylori among 854 people with different cancer types and benign tumours. Patients were recruited from hospitals in Kampala, Uganda, interviewed about various demographic and lifestyle factors and tested for antibodies against H. pylori. In all patients combined, excluding those with stomach cancer (which has been associated with H. pylori infection), the prevalence of antibodies was 87% (723/833) overall, but declined with increasing age (p = 0.02) and was lower among people who were HIV seropositive compared to seronegative (p <0.001). Otherwise, there were few consistent epidemiological associations. Among those with stomach cancer, 18/21 (86%) had anti-H. pylori antibodies (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence intervals 0.2–2.9, p = 0.7; estimated using all other patients as controls, with adjustment for age, sex and HIV serostatus). No other cancer site or type was significantly associated with anti-H. pylori antibodies. The prevalence of H. pylori reported here is broadly in accord with results from other developing countries, although the determinants of infection and its' role in the aetiology of gastric cancer in Uganda remain unclear
Environmental factors influence both abundance and genetic diversity in a widespread bird species.
Genetic diversity is one of the key evolutionary variables that correlate with population size, being of critical importance for population viability and the persistence of species. Genetic diversity can also have important ecological consequences within populations, and in turn, ecological factors may drive patterns of genetic diversity. However, the relationship between the genetic diversity of a population and how this interacts with ecological processes has so far only been investigated in a few studies. Here, we investigate the link between ecological factors, local population size, and allelic diversity, using a field study of a common bird species, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We studied sparrows outside the breeding season in a confined small valley dominated by dispersed farms and small-scale agriculture in southern France. Population surveys at 36 locations revealed that sparrows were more abundant in locations with high food availability. We then captured and genotyped 891 house sparrows at 10 microsatellite loci from a subset of these locations (N = 12). Population genetic analyses revealed weak genetic structure, where each locality represented a distinct substructure within the study area. We found that food availability was the main factor among others tested to influence the genetic structure between locations. These results suggest that ecological factors can have strong impacts on both population size per se and intrapopulation genetic variation even at a small scale. On a more general level, our data indicate that a patchy environment and low dispersal rate can result in fine-scale patterns of genetic diversity. Given the importance of genetic diversity for population viability, combining ecological and genetic data can help to identify factors limiting population size and determine the conservation potential of populations
Plastron properties of a superhydrophobic surface
Most insects and spiders drown when submerged during flooding or tidal inundation, but some are able to survive and others can remain submerged indefinitely without harm. Many achieve this by natural adaptations to their surface morphology to trap films of air, creating plastrons which fix the water-vapor interface and provide an incompressible oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange surface. Here the authors demonstrate how the surface of an extremely water-repellent foam mimics this mechanism of underwater respiration and allows direct extraction of oxygen from aerated water. The biomimetic principle demonstrated can be applied to a wide variety of man-made superhydrophobic materials
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