116 research outputs found
Key risk factors associated with fractal dimension based geographical clustering of COVID-19 data in the Flemish and Brussels region, Belgium
IntroductionCOVID-19 remains a major concern globally. Therefore, it is important to evaluate COVID-19's rapidly changing trends. The fractal dimension has been proposed as a viable method to characterize COVID-19 curves since epidemic data is often subject to considerable heterogeneity. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between various socio-demographic factors and the complexity of the COVID-19 curve as quantified through its fractal dimension.MethodsWe collected population indicators data (ethnic composition, socioeconomic status, number of inhabitants, population density, the older adult population proportion, vaccination rate, satisfaction, and trust in the government) at the level of the statistical sector in Belgium. We compared these data with fractal dimension indicators of COVID-19 incidence between 1 January – 31 December 2021 using canonical correlation analysis.ResultsOur results showed that these population indicators have a significant association with COVID-19 incidences, with the highest explanatory and predictive power coming from the number of inhabitants, population density, and ethnic composition.ConclusionIt is important to monitor these population indicators during a pandemic, especially when dealing with targeted interventions for a specific population
Nuclear Charge Radius of Be
The nuclear charge radius of Be was precisely determined using the
technique of collinear laser spectroscopy on the transition in the Be ion. The mean square charge radius increases
from Be to Be by \delta ^{10,12} = 0.69(5) \fm^{2}
compared to \delta ^{10,11} = 0.49(5) \fm^{2} for the
one-neutron halo isotope Be. Calculations in the fermionic molecular
dynamics approach show a strong sensitivity of the charge radius to the
structure of Be. The experimental charge radius is consistent with a
breakdown of the N=8 shell closure.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
High-precision quadrupole moment reveals significant intruder component in 13 33Al20 ground state
The electric quadrupole moment of the Al201333 ground state, located at the border of the island of inversion, was obtained using continuous-beam β-detected nuclear quadrupole resonance (β-NQR). From the measured quadrupole coupling constant νQ=2.31(4) MHz in an α-Al2O3 crystal, a precise value for the electric quadrupole moment is extracted: |Qs(Al33)|=141(3) mb. A comparison with large-scale shell model calculations shows that Al33 has at least 50% intruder configurations in the ground state wave function, favoring the excitation of two neutrons across the N=20 shell gap. Al33 therefore clearly marks the gradual transition north of the deformed Na and Mg nuclei towards the normal Z≥14 isotopesThis work was partly supported by the European Community FP6—Structuring the ERA—Integrated Infrastructure Initiative Contract EURONS No. RII3-CT-2004-506065, by the FWO-Vlaanderen, by the IAP programme of the Belgium Science Policy under Grants No. P6/23 and No. P7/12, by a grant of the MICINN (Spain) (FPA2011-29854), by the Nupnet network SARFEN (PRI-PIMMNUP-2011-1361), by MINECO (Spain) Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Programme under Grant No. SEV-2012-0249, and by JSPS KAKENHI (Japan) Grants No. 21740204 and No. 15K05094. The experiment was carried out under Experimental Program E437
Precision measurement of the electric quadrupole moment of 31Al and determination of the effective proton charge in the sd-shell
he electric quadrupole coupling constant of the 31Al ground state is measured
to be nu_Q = |eQV_{zz}/h| = 2196(21)kHz using two different beta-NMR (Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance) techniques. For the first time, a direct comparison is made
between the continuous rf technique and the adiabatic fast passage method. The
obtained coupling constants of both methods are in excellent agreement with
each other and a precise value for the quadrupole moment of 31Al has been
deduced: |Q(31Al)| = 134.0(16) mb. Comparison of this value with large-scale
shell-model calculations in the sd and sdpf valence spaces suggests that the
31Al ground state is dominated by normal sd-shell configurations with a
possible small contribution of intruder states. The obtained value for
|Q(31Al)| and a compilation of measured quadrupole moments of odd-Z even-N
isotopes in comparison with shell-model calculations shows that the proton
effective charge e_p=1.1 e provides a much better description of the nuclear
properties in the sd-shell than the adopted value e_p=1.3 e
Voltage scanning and technical upgrades at the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy experiment
To optimize the performance of the Collinear Resonance Ionization
Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE, technical upgrades are
continuously introduced, aiming to enhance its sensitivity, precision,
stability, and efficiency. Recently, a voltage-scanning setup was developed and
commissioned at CRIS, which improved the scanning speed by a factor of three as
compared to the current laser-frequency scanning approach. This leads to faster
measurements of the hyperfine structure for systems with high yields (more than
a few thousand ions per second). Additionally, several beamline sections have
been redesigned and manufactured, including a new field-ionization unit, a
sharper electrostatic bend, and improved ion optics. The beamline upgrades are
expected to yield an improvement of at least a factor of 5 in the
signal-to-noise ratio by suppressing the non-resonant laser ions and providing
time-of-flight separation between the resonant ions and the collisional
background. Overall, the presented developments will further improve the
selectivity, sensitivity, and efficiency of the CRIS technique.Comment: 10 pages. Under review at NIM B as part of the proceedings of EMIS
2022 at RAON, South Kore
Metal-free graphene-carbon nitride hybrids for photodegradation of organic pollutants in water
Hybrid photocatalysts of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites were prepared in one-pot via a thermal condensation of melamine with different amounts of graphene oxide (GO). As metal-free hybrids, the prepared photocatalysts presented enhanced performances in photooxidation of both methylene blue and phenol in water solutions under various light irradiations. The level of rGO significantly affected MB photodegradation efficiencies. The introduced graphene can improve the MB adsorption and optical absorption in visible light region, therefore enables the hybrids to efficiently degrade MB under visible light with wavelengths longer than 430 nm. The metal-free photocatalysts were also able to degrade phenol effectively and the effects of catalyst loading and initial phenol concentration were investigated. This study provided an efficient and environmentally benign photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants in water, with complete prevention of secondary contamination from metal-leaching
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