5,524 research outputs found
The random phase approximation applied to ice
Standard density functionals without van der Waals interactions yield an
unsatisfactory description of ice phases, specifically, high density phases
occurring under pressure are too unstable compared to the common low density
phase I observed at ambient conditions. Although the description is
improved by using functionals that include van der Waals interactions, the
errors in relative volumes remain sizable. Here we assess the random phase
approximation (RPA) for the correlation energy and compare our results to
experimental data as well as diffusion Monte Carlo data for ice. The RPA yields
a very balanced description for all considered phases, approaching the accuracy
of diffusion Monte Carlo in relative energies and volumes. This opens a route
towards a concise description of molecular water phases on surfaces and in
cavities
Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the UK: their disorder predispositions and protections
Abstract: Background: The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a popular dog breed in the UK but there is limited reliable evidence on disorder predispositions and protections within the breed. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass™ Programme, this study aimed to identify common disorders with predisposition and protection in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The study hypothesised that Staffordshire Bull Terriers would have higher odds of aggression compared with non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Results: The clinical records of a random sample of dogs of all types were reviewed to extract the most definitive diagnoses for all disorders existing during 2016. A combined list from the 30 most common disorders in Staffordshire Bull Terriers and the 30 most common disorders in non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers was generated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to report the odds of each of these disorders in 1304 (5.8%) Staffordshire Bull Terriers compared with 21,029 (94.2%) non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers. After accounting for confounding, Staffordshire Bull Terriers had significantly increased odds of 4/36 (11.1%) disorders compared to non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers with highest odds for seizure disorder (OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.24 to 3.40; p = 0.005). Conversely, Staffordshire Bull Terriers had reduced odds of 5/36 (13.9%) disorders, with lowest odds for patellar luxation (OR 0.15; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.61; p = 0.008). There was no significant difference in the odds of aggression between Staffordshire Bull Terriers compared with non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers (OR 1.09; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.58; p = 0.644). Conclusions: This study provides a reliable evidence base of breed-specific disorder predispositions and protections that can be used by breeders to optimise breeding decisions. The findings can assist prospective owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers to make informed decisions when acquiring a dog. From the relative number of predispositions to protections identified, there is no evidence that Staffordshire Bull Terriers have higher overall health problems than non-Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016
The Chihuahua, the world’s smallest dog breed, is a popular breed in the UK today. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical records from primary-care veterinary practices in the UK for epidemiological research. This study aimed to characterise the demography, age at death and common disorders of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care during 2016 in the UK
Unravelling the health status of brachycephalic dogs in the UK using multivariable analysis
Brachycephalic dog breeds are regularly asserted as being less healthy than non-brachycephalic breeds. Using primary-care veterinary clinical data, this study aimed to identify predispositions and protections in brachycephalic dogs and explore differing inferences between univariable and multivariable results. All disorders during 2016 were extracted from a random sample of 22,333 dogs within the VetCompass Programme from a sampling frame of 955,554 dogs under UK veterinary care in 2016. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression modelling explored brachycephaly as a risk factor for each of a series of common disorders. Brachycephalic dogs were younger, lighter and less likely to be neutered than mesocephalic, dolichocephalic and crossbred dogs. Brachycephalic differed to non-brachycephalic types in their odds for 10/30 (33.33%) common disorders. Of these, brachycephalic types were predisposed for eight disorders and were protected for two disorders. Univariable and multivariable analyses generated differing inference for 11/30 (30.67%) disorders. This study provides strong evidence that brachycephalic breeds are generally less healthy than their non-brachycephalic counterparts. Results from studies that report only univariable methods should be treated with extreme caution due to potential confounding effects that have not been accounted for during univariable study design or analysis
An Exact Solution for Static Scalar Fields Coupled to Gravity in -Dimensions
We obtain an exact solution for the Einstein's equations with cosmological
constant coupled to a scalar, static particle in static, "spherically"
symmetric background in 2+1 dimensions.Comment: 9 pages. Replaced by a revised versio
Using the stated preference method for the calculation of social discount rate
The aim of this paper is to build the stated preference method into the social discount rate methodology. The first part of the paper presents the results of a survey about stated time preferences through pair-choice decision situations for various topics and time horizons. It is assumed that stated time preferences differ from calculated time preferences and that the extent of stated rates depends on the time period, and on how much respondents are financially and emotionally involved in the transactions. A significant question remains: how can the gap between the calculation and the results of surveys be resolved, and how can the real time preferences of individuals be interpreted using a social time preference rate. The second part of the paper estimates the social time preference rate for Hungary using the results of the survey, while paying special attention to the pure time preference component. The results suggest that the current method of calculation of the pure time preference rate does not reflect the real attitudes of individuals towards future generations
Interacting mindreaders
Could interacting mindreaders be in a position to know things which they would be unable to know if they were manifestly passive observers? This paper argues that they could. Mindreading is sometimes reciprocal: the mindreader's target reciprocates by taking the mindreader as a target for mindreading. The paper explains how such reciprocity can significantly narrow the range of possible interpretations of behaviour where mindreaders are, or appear to be, in a position to interact. A consequence is that revisions and extensions are needed to standard theories of the evidential basis of mindreading. The view also has consequences for understanding how abilities to interact combined with comparatively simple forms of mindreading may explain the emergence, in evolution or development, of sophisticated forms of social cognition
Theory of optical spectra of polar quantum wells: Temperature effects
Theoretical and numerical calculations of the optical absorption spectra of
excitons interacting with longitudinal-optical phonons in quasi-2D polar
semiconductors are presented. In II-VI semiconductor quantum wells, exciton
binding energy can be tuned on- and off-resonance with the longitudinal-optical
phonon energy by varying the quantum well width. A comprehensive picture of
this tunning effect on the temperature-dependent exciton absorption spectrum is
derived, using the exciton Green's function formalism at finite temperature.
The effective exciton-phonon interaction is included in the Bethe-Salpeter
equation. Numerical results are illustrated for ZnSe-based quantum wells. At
low temperatures, both a single exciton peak as well as a continuum resonance
state are found in the optical absorption spectra. By contrast, at high enough
temperatures, a splitting of the exciton line due to the real phonon absorption
processes is predicted. Possible previous experimental observations of this
splitting are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. B. Permanent address:
[email protected]
Halo properties and secular evolution in barred galaxies
The halo plays a crucial role in the evolution of barred galaxies. Its
near-resonant material absorbs angular momentum emitted from some of the disc
particles and helps the bar become stronger. As a result, a bar (oval) forms in
the inner parts of the halo of strongly barred disc galaxies. It is thinner in
the inner parts (but still considerably fatter than the disc bar) and tends to
spherical at larger radii. Its length increases with time, while always staying
shorter than the disc bar. It is roughly aligned with the disc bar, which it
trails only slightly, and it turns with roughly the same pattern speed. The
bi-symmetric component of the halo density continues well outside the halo bar,
where it clearly trails behind the disc bar. The length and strength of the
disc and halo bars correlate; the former being always much stronger than the
latter. If the halo is composed of weakly interacting massive particles, then
the formation of the halo bar, by redistributing the matter in the halo and
changing its shape, could influence the expected annihilation signal. This is
indeed found to be the case if the halo has a core, but not if it has a steep
cusp. The formation and evolution of the bar strongly affect the halo orbits. A
fraction of them becomes near-resonant, similar to the disc near-resonant
orbits at the same resonance, while another fraction becomes chaotic. Finally,
a massive and responsive halo makes it harder for a central mass concentration
to destroy the disc bar.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in "Island Universes - Structure and
Evolution of Disk Galaxies" ed. R. S. de Jon
Superselection Sectors and General Covariance.I
This paper is devoted to the analysis of charged superselection sectors in
the framework of the locally covariant quantum field theories. We shall analize
sharply localizable charges, and use net-cohomology of J.E. Roberts as a main
tool. We show that to any 4-dimensional globally hyperbolic spacetime it is
attached a unique, up to equivalence, symmetric tensor \Crm^*-category with
conjugates (in case of finite statistics); to any embedding between different
spacetimes, the corresponding categories can be embedded, contravariantly, in
such a way that all the charged quantum numbers of sectors are preserved. This
entails that to any spacetime is associated a unique gauge group, up to
isomorphisms, and that to any embedding between two spacetimes there
corresponds a group morphism between the related gauge groups. This form of
covariance between sectors also brings to light the issue whether local and
global sectors are the same. We conjecture this holds that at least on simply
connected spacetimes. It is argued that the possible failure might be related
to the presence of topological charges. Our analysis seems to describe theories
which have a well defined short-distance asymptotic behaviour.Comment: 66 page
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