323 research outputs found
Towards a Holistic CAD Platform for Nanotechnologies
Silicon-based CMOS technologies are predicted to reach their ultimate limits
by the middle of the next decade. Research on nanotechnologies is actively
conducted, in a world-wide effort to develop new technologies able to maintain
the Moore's law. They promise revolutionizing the computing systems by
integrating tremendous numbers of devices at low cost. These trends will have a
profound impact on the architectures of computing systems and will require a
new paradigm of CAD. The paper presents a work in progress on this direction.
It is aimed at fitting requirements and constraints of nanotechnologies, in an
effort to achieve efficient use of the huge computing power promised by them.
To achieve this goal we are developing CAD tools able to exploit efficiently
these huge computing capabilities promised by nanotechnologies in the domain of
simulation of complex systems composed by huge numbers of relatively simple
elements.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions
(http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions
Solar Antineutrinos from Fluctuating Magnetic Fields at Kamiokande
We consider the effect of a strongly chaotic magnetic field at the narrow
bottom of the convective zone of the Sun together with resonant matter
oscillations on the production of electron Majorana antineutrinos. Even for
moderate levels of noise, we show that it is possible to obtain a small but
significant probability for conversions (1-3%) at the
energy range 2-10 MeV for large regions of the mixing parameter space while
still satisfying present (Super)-Kamiokande antineutrino bounds and observed
total rates. In the other hand it would be possible to obtain information about
the solar magnetic internal field if antineutrino bounds reach the 1% level and
a particle physics solution to the SNP is assumed. The mechanism presented here
has the advantage of being independent of the largely unknown magnetic profile
of the Sun and the intrinsic neutrino magnetic moment.Comment: 10 pags. latex. 3 figures, 3 ps files. epsfig.sty neccesary. Version
with minor typo errors correcte
Categorical Foundation of Quantum Mechanics and String Theory
The unification of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity remains the
primary goal of Theoretical Physics, with string theory appearing as the only
plausible unifying scheme. In the present work, in a search of the conceptual
foundations of string theory, we analyze the relational logic developed by C.
S. Peirce in the late nineteenth century. The Peircean logic has the
mathematical structure of a category with the relation among two
individual terms and , serving as an arrow (or morphism). We
introduce a realization of the corresponding categorical algebra of
compositions, which naturally gives rise to the fundamental quantum laws, thus
indicating category theory as the foundation of Quantum Mechanics. The same
relational algebra generates a number of group structures, among them
. The group is embodied and realized by the matrix
models, themselves closely linked with string theory. It is suggested that
relational logic and in general category theory may provide a new paradigm,
within which to develop modern physical theories.Comment: To appear in International Journal of Modern Physics
Patients Reasons for Choosing Office-based Buprenorphine: Preference for Patient-Centered Care
Objectives - To explore HIV-infected patients\u27 attitudes about buprenorphine treatment in office-based and opioid treatment program (OTP) settings.
Methods - We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 29 patients with co-existing HIV infection and opioid dependence seeking buprenorphine maintenance therapy in office-based and OTP settings. We used thematic analysis of transcribed audiorecorded interviews to identify themes.
Results - Patients voiced a strong preference for office-based treatment. Four themes emerged to explain this preference. First, patients perceived the greater convenience of office-based treatment as improving their ability to address HIV and other healthcare issues. Second, they perceived a strong patient-focused orientation in patient-provider relationships underpinning their preference for office-based care. This was manifest as increased trust, listening, empathy, and respect from office-based staff and providers. Third, they perceived shared power and responsibility in officebased settings. Finally, patients viewed office-based treatment as a more supportive environment for sobriety and relapse prevention. This was partly due to strong therapeutic alliances with office-based staff and providers who prioritized a harm reduction approach, but also due to the perception that the office-based settings were safer for sobriety, compared with increased opportunities for purchasing and using illicit opiates in OTP settings.
Conclusions - HIV-infected patients with opioid dependence preferred office-based buprenorphine because they perceived it as offering a more patient-centered approach to care compared with OTP referral. Office-based buprenorphine may facilitate engagement in care for patients with co-existing opioid dependence and HIV infection
Conceptualization of Autism in the Latino Community and its Relationship with Early Diagnosis
Objective—Early identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been linked to improved long-term developmental outcomes. However, Latino children are diagnosed later than white non- Latino children. We aimed to qualitatively assess the understanding and conceptualization of ASD in the Latino community in order to understand potential community barriers to early diagnosis.
Method—We conducted 5 focus groups and 4 qualitative interviews with 30 parents of typicallydeveloping Latino children in Oregon. Participants were asked structured questions concerning video vignettes that follow a Latina mother from the time she begins to worry about her 3-year-old son\u27s behaviors to the time he receives an ASD diagnosis. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and independently coded. Coded data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results—Many Latino families in the study had not heard of ASD or had little information about it. Families sometimes assumed ASD red flags were normal or could be attributed to family dysfunction. Families also had concerns about provider communication and access to language services. Having a child with a developmental delay was associated with embarrassment, rejection, and family burden, making it difficult for parents to raise developmental concerns with providers.
Conclusion—Pediatric providers should not assume that Latino parents have heard of ASD or know its symptoms. Providers should be aware that parents may be reluctant to mention concerns due to cultural factors. The health care system needs to improve resources for Latino parents with limited English proficiency. Policies should encourage the use of developmental screening in primary car
Development of the AASPIRE web accessibility guidelines for autistic web users
Websites figure predominantly in everyday life. However, many websites remain inaccessible to autistic people, and existing efforts to improve accessibility are in early stages, do not directly include autistic users in their development, or have not been empirically evaluated. The Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) used a community-based participatory research approach to create a website to improve health care access for autistic adults. We used the creation of that website as a “living laboratory” to develop the AASPIRE Web Accessibility Guidelines for Autistic Web Users. Our guidelines are grounded in accessibility theory, had autistic end-user involvement at all stages, and were empirically evaluated through a usability study and evaluation surveys. We incorporated what we learned into the design of the website, and compiled the accessibility information into a set of guidelines. The guidelines offer recommendations for increasing the physical, intellectual, and social acceptability of websites for use by autistic adults. In the evaluation of the website by 170 autistic end users, nearly all indicated it was easy to use (97%), easy to understand (95%), important (97%), and useful (96%). Ninety-two percent would recommend it to a friend, and 95% would recommend it to a health care provider. There were no significant associations between usability or understandability and education level, receipt of help using the site, browser type (e.g., IE or Safari), or device type (e.g., PC or tablet). We recommend using the guidelines to improve website accessibility for autistic Internet users
Floquet theory of neutrino oscillations in the earth
We review the Floquet theory of linear differential equations with periodic
coefficients and discuss its applications to neutrino oscillations in matter of
periodically varying density. In particular, we consider parametric resonance
in neutrino oscillations which can occur in such media, and discuss
implications for oscillations of neutrinos traversing the earth and passing
through the earth's core.Comment: LaTeX, 28 pages, 8 eps figures. Contribution to the special issue of
Yad. Fiz. dedicated to the memory of A.B. Migda
Lifetime Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence Among U.S. Adults
Introduction: This study estimated the U.S. lifetime per-victim cost and economic burden of intimate partner violence.
Methods: Data from previous studies were combined with 2012 U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data in a mathematical model. Intimate partner violence was defined as contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking victimization with related impact (e.g., missed work days). Costs included attributable impaired health, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs from the societal perspective. Mean age at first victimization was assessed as 25 years. Future costs were discounted by 3%. The main outcome measures were the mean per-victim (female and male) and total population (or economic burden) lifetime cost of intimate partner violence. Secondary outcome measures were marginal outcome probabilities among victims (e.g., anxiety disorder) and associated costs. Analysis was conducted in 2017.
Results: The estimated intimate partner violence lifetime cost was 23,414 per male victim, or a population economic burden of nearly ) over victims’ lifetimes, based on 43 million U.S. adults with victimization history. This estimate included 1.3 trillion (37%) in lost productivity among victims and perpetrators, 62 billion (2%) in other costs, including victim property loss or damage. Government sources pay an estimated $1.3 trillion (37%) of the lifetime economic burden.
Conclusions: Preventing intimate partner violence is possible and could avoid substantial costs. These findings can inform the potential benefit of prioritizing prevention, as well as evaluation of implemented prevention strategies
Neutrino tomography - Learning about the Earth's interior using the propagation of neutrinos
Because the propagation of neutrinos is affected by the presence of Earth
matter, it opens new possibilities to probe the Earth's interior. Different
approaches range from techniques based upon the interaction of high energy
(above TeV) neutrinos with Earth matter, to methods using the MSW effect on the
neutrino oscillations of low energy (MeV to GeV) neutrinos. In principle,
neutrinos from many different sources (sun, atmosphere, supernovae, beams etc.)
can be used. In this talk, we summarize and compare different approaches with
an emphasis on more recent developments. In addition, we point out other
geophysical aspects relevant for neutrino oscillations.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures. Proceedings of ``Neutrino sciences 2005:
Neutrino geophysics'', December 14-16, 2005, Honolulu, USA. Minor changes,
some references added. Final version to appear in Earth, Moon, and Planet
String Tension and the Generation of the Conformal Anomaly
The origin of the string conformal anomaly is studied in detail. We use a
reformulated string Lagrangian which allows to consider the string tension
as a small perturbation. The expansion parameter is the worldsheet
speed of light c, which is proportional to . We examine carefully the
interplay between a null (tensionless) string and a tensionful string which
includes orders and higher. The conformal algebra generated by the
constraints is considered. At the quantum level the normal ordering provides a
central charge proportional to . Thus it is clear that quantum null
strings respect conformal invariance and it is the string tension which
generates the conformal anomaly.Comment: More references are included. Final version, to appear in Phys.Rev.D.
6 pages, LaTex, no figure
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