2,169 research outputs found
Semiclassical Study on Tunneling Processes via Complex-Domain Chaos
We investigate the semiclassical mechanism of tunneling process in
non-integrable systems. The significant role of complex-phase-space chaos in
the description of the tunneling process is elucidated by studying a simple
scattering map model. Behaviors of tunneling orbits are encoded into symbolic
sequences based on the structure of complex homoclinic tanglement. By means of
the symbolic coding, the phase space itineraries of tunneling orbits are
related with the amounts of imaginary parts of actions gained by the orbits, so
that the systematic search of significant tunneling orbits becomes possible.Comment: 26 pages, 28 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Changes in plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Background:
Elevated plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and their association with heart failure have been reported in subjects with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (AECOPD).
Purpose:
To examine and compare plasma BNP levels and diastolic and systolic dysfunction in subjects with AECOPD and s
table chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods:
In all,87 unselected consecutive hospitalizations due to AECOPD in 61 subjects and a total of 190 consecutive subjects with stable COPD were recruited. Plasma BNP levels were compared cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Transthoracic echocardiographic examinations
were also performed in the hospitalized subjects.
Results:
In the hospitalized subjects, the median plasma BNP level (interquartile range) was 55.4 (26.9–129.3) pg/mL and was higher than that of patients with stable COPD: 18.3 (10.0–45.3)for Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease grade I; 25.8 (11.0–53.7) for grade II; 22.1 (9.1–52.6) for grade III; and 17.2 (9.6–22.9) pg/mL for grade IV, all P,0.001.
In 15 subjects studied prospectively, the median plasma BNP level was 19.4 (9.8–32.2) pg/mL before AECOPD, 72.7 (27.7–146.3) pg/mL during AECOPD, and 14.6 (12.9–39.0) pg/mL
after AECOPD (P,0.0033 and P,0.0013, respectively). Median plasma BNP levels during AECOPD were significantly higher in ten unsuccessfully discharged subjects 260.5 (59.4–555.0)
than in 48 successfully discharged subjects 48.5(24.2–104.0) pg/mL (P=0.0066). Only 5.6%
of AECOPD subjects were associated with systolic dysfunction defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),50%; a further 7.4% were considered to have impaired relaxation defined as an E/A wave velocity ratio,0.8 and a deceleration time of E.240 ms. BNP levels were weakly correlated with the E/peak early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (Ea) ratio (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient =0.353,P =0.018), but they were not correlated with the LVEF (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient =−0.221,P = 0.108).
Conclusion:
A modest elevation of plasma BNP is observed during AECOPD. It appears that AECOPD may have an impact on plasma BNP levels that is not attributable to heart failure
Occupational hazard of female film rolling workers and effects of improved working conditions
Effective Crystalline Electric Field Potential in a j-j Coupling Scheme
We propose an effective model on the basis of a - coupling scheme to
describe local -electron states for realistic values of Coulomb interaction
and spin-orbit coupling , for future development of microscopic
theory of magnetism and superconductivity in -electron systems, where
is the number of local electrons. The effective model is systematically
constructed by including the effect of a crystalline electric field (CEF)
potential in the perturbation expansion in terms of . In this paper,
we collect all the terms up to the first order of . Solving the
effective model, we show the results of the CEF states for each case of
=25 with symmetry in comparison with those of the Stevens
Hamiltonian for the weak CEF. In particular, we carefully discuss the CEF
energy levels in an intermediate coupling region with in the order
of 0.1 corresponding to actual -electron materials between the and
- coupling schemes. Note that the relevant energy scale of is the
Hund's rule interaction. It is found that the CEF energy levels in the
intermediate coupling region can be quantitatively reproduced by our modified
- coupling scheme, when we correctly take into account the corrections in
the order of in addition to the CEF terms and Coulomb interactions
which remain in the limit of =. As an application of the
modified - coupling scheme, we discuss the CEF energy levels of filled
skutterudites with symmetry.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Typeset with jpsj2.cl
Superconductivity emerging near quantum critical point of valence transition
The nature of the quantum valence transition is studied in the
one-dimensional periodic Anderson model with Coulomb repulsion between f and
conduction electrons by the density-matrix renormalization group method. It is
found that the first-order valence transition emerges with the quantum critical
point and the crossover from the Kondo to the mixed-valence states is strongly
stabilized by quantum fluctuation and electron correlation. It is found that
the superconducting correlation is developed in the Kondo regime near the sharp
valence increase. The origin of the superconductivity is ascribed to the
development of the coherent motion of electrons with enhanced valence
fluctuation, which results in the enhancement of the charge velocity, but not
of the charge compressibility. Statements on the valence transition in
connection with Ce metal and Ce compounds are given.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Huge Enhancement of Impurity Scattering due to Critical Valence Fluctuations in a Ce-Based Heavy Electron System
On the basis of the Ward-Pitaevskii identity, the residual resistivity
is shown to exhibit huge enhancement around the quantum critical
point of valence transition in Ce-based heavy electron systems. This explains a
sharp peak of observed in CeCuGe under the pressure at
16GPa where the superconducting trasition temperature also exhibit the
sharp peak.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
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