1,583 research outputs found
Stop, think SCORTCH: rethinking the traditional 'TORCH' screen in an era of re-emerging syphilis
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of congenital infections is ever changing, with a recent resurgence in syphilis infection rates seen in the UK. Identification of congenital infection is often delayed; early recognition and management of congenital infections is important. Testing modalities and investigations are often limited, leading to missed diagnostic opportunities. METHODS: The SCORTCH (syphilis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), 'other', rubella, toxoplasmosis, chickenpox, herpes simplex virus (HSV) and blood-borne viruses) acronym increases the awareness of clinicians to the increased risk of congenital syphilis, while considering other infectious aetiologies including: zika, malaria, chagas disease, parvovirus, enterovirus, HIV, hepatitis B and C, and human T-lymphotropic virus 1, in addition to the classic congenital infections recognised in the 'TORCH screen' (toxoplasmosis, 'other', rubella, CMV, HSV). The SCORTCH diagnostic approach describes common signs present in infants with congenital infection, details serological testing for mother and infant and important direct diagnostics of the infant. Direct diagnostic investigations include: radiology, ophthalmology, audiology, microbiological and PCR testing for both the infant and placental tissue, the latter also warrants histopathology. CONCLUSION: The traditional 'TORCH screen' focuses on serology-specific investigations, often omits important direct diagnostic testing of the infant, and fails to consider emerging and re-emerging congenital infections. In recognition of syphilis as a re-emerging pathogen and the overlapping clinical presentations of various infectious aetiologies, we advocate for a broader outlook using the SCORTCH diagnostic approach
Levantamento dos principais indicadores econômicos aplicados à pecuária de corte.
Este trabalho tem como objetivo realizar um levantamento para identificação e classificação dos principais indicadores econômicos aplicados à pecuária de corte.Ana Cristina Mazzocato, editora técnica
Hungry Volterra equation, multi boson KP hierarchy and Two Matrix Models
We consider the hungry Volterra hierarchy from the view point of the multi
boson KP hierarchy. We construct the hungry Volterra equation as the
B\"{a}cklund transformations (BT) which are not the ordinary ones. We call them
``fractional '' BT. We also study the relations between the (discrete time)
hungry Volterra equation and two matrix models. From this point of view we
study the reduction from (discrete time) 2d Toda lattice to the (discrete time)
hungry Volterra equation.Comment: 13 pages, LaTe
Systematics of 2+ states in C isotopes from the ab initio no-core shell model
We study low-lying states of even carbon isotopes in the range A = 10 - 20
within the large- scale no-core shell model (NCSM). Using several accurate
nucleon-nucleon (NN) as well as NN plus three-nucleon (NNN) interactions, we
calculate excitation energies of the lowest 2+ state, the electromagnetic B(E2;
2+1 -> 0+1) transition rates, the 2+1 quadrupole moments as well as se- lected
electromagnetic transitions among other states. Recent experimental campaigns
to measure 2+-state lifetimes indicate an interesting evolution of nuclear
structure that pose a challenge to reproduce theoretically from first
principles. Our calculations do not include any effective charges or other
fitting parameters. However, calculated results extrapolated to infinite model
spaces are also presented. The model-dependence of those results is discussed.
Overall, we find a good agree- ment with the experimentally observed trends,
although our extrapolated B(E2; 2+1 -> 0+1) value for 16C is lower compared to
the most recent measurements. Relative transition strengths from higher excited
states are investigated and the influence of NNN forces is discussed. In
particular for 16C we find a remarkable sensitivity of the transition rates
from higher excited states to the details of the nuclear interactions.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, preprint version. Accepted for publication in
Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physic
Power-Based Droop Control in DC Microgrids Enabling Seamless Disconnection From Upstream Grids
This paper proposes a local power-based droop controller for distributed energy resource converters in dc microgrids that are connected to upstream grids by grid-interface converters. During normal operation, the grid-interface converter imposes the microgrid bus voltage, and the proposed controller allows power flow regulation at distributed energy resource converters\u2019 output. On the other hand, during abnormal operation of the grid-interface converter (e.g., due to faults in the upstream grid), the proposed controller allows bus voltage regulation by droop control. Notably, the controller can autonomously convert from power flow control to droop control, without any need of bus voltage variation detection schemes or communication with other microgrid components, which enables seamless transitions between these two modes of operation. Considering distributed energy resource converters employing the power-based droop control, the operation modes of a single converter and of the whole microgrid are defined and investigated herein. The controller design is also introduced. Furthermore, the power sharing performance of this control approach is analyzed and compared with that of classical droop control. The experimental results from a laboratory-scale dc microgrid prototype are reported to show the final performances of the proposed power-based droop control
Matrix models as solvable glass models
We present a family of solvable models of interacting particles in high
dimensionalities without quenched disorder. We show that the models have a
glassy regime with aging effects. The interaction is controlled by a parameter
. For we obtain matrix models and for `tensor' models. We
concentrate on the cases which we study analytically and numerically.Comment: 10 pages + 2 figures, Univ.Roma I, 1038/94, ROM2F/94/2
Glassy Random Matrix Models
This paper discusses Random Matrix Models which exhibit the unusual phenomena
of having multiple solutions at the same point in phase space. These matrix
models have gaps in their spectrum or density of eigenvalues. The free energy
and certain correlation functions of these models show differences for the
different solutions. Here I present evidence for the presence of multiple
solutions both analytically and numerically.
As an example I discuss the double well matrix model with potential where is a random matrix (the
matrix model) as well as the Gaussian Penner model with . First I study what these multiple solutions are in the large
limit using the recurrence coefficient of the orthogonal polynomials.
Second I discuss these solutions at the non-perturbative level to bring out
some differences between the multiple solutions. I also present the two-point
density-density correlation functions which further characterizes these models
in a new university class. A motivation for this work is that variants of these
models have been conjectured to be models of certain structural glasses in the
high temperature phase.Comment: 25 pages, Latex, 7 Figures, to appear in PR
Ice-lens formation and geometrical supercooling in soils and other colloidal materials
We present a new, physically-intuitive model of ice-lens formation and growth
during the freezing of soils and other dense, particulate suspensions.
Motivated by experimental evidence, we consider the growth of an ice-filled
crack in a freezing soil. At low temperatures, ice in the crack exerts large
pressures on the crack walls that will eventually cause the crack to split
open. We show that the crack will then propagate across the soil to form a new
lens. The process is controlled by two factors: the cohesion of the soil, and
the geometrical supercooling of the water in the soil; a new concept introduced
to measure the energy available to form a new ice lens. When the supercooling
exceeds a critical amount (proportional to the cohesive strength of the soil) a
new ice lens forms. This condition for ice-lens formation and growth does not
appeal to any ad hoc, empirical assumptions, and explains how periodic ice
lenses can form with or without the presence of a frozen fringe. The proposed
mechanism is in good agreement with experiments, in particular explaining
ice-lens pattern formation, and surges in heave rate associated with the growth
of new lenses. Importantly for systems with no frozen fringe, ice-lens
formation and frost heave can be predicted given only the unfrozen properties
of the soil. We use our theory to estimate ice-lens growth temperatures
obtaining quantitative agreement with the limited experimental data that is
currently available. Finally we suggest experiments that might be performed in
order to verify this theory in more detail. The theory is generalizable to
complex natural-soil scenarios, and should therefore be useful in the
prediction of macroscopic frost heave rates.Comment: Submitted to PR
Radiative association and inverse predissociation of oxygen atoms
The formation of \mbox{O}_2 by radiative association and by inverse
predissociation of ground state oxygen atoms is studied using
quantum-mechanical methods. Cross sections, emission spectra, and rate
coefficients are presented and compared with prior experimental and theoretical
results. At temperatures below 1000~K radiative association occurs by approach
along the state of \mbox{O}_2 and above 1000~K inverse
predissociation through the \mbox{B}\,{}^3\Sigma_u^- state is the dominant
mechanism. This conclusion is supported by a quantitative comparison between
the calculations and data obtained from hot oxygen plasma spectroscopy.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. A (Sept. 7., 1994), 19 pages, 4 figures,
latex (revtex3.0 and epsf.sty
Triangulated Surfaces in Twistor Space: A Kinematical Set up for Open/Closed String Duality
We exploit the properties of the three-dimensional hyperbolic space to
discuss a simplicial setting for open/closed string duality based on (random)
Regge triangulations decorated with null twistorial fields. We explicitly show
that the twistorial N-points function, describing Dirichlet correlations over
the moduli space of open N-bordered genus g surfaces, is naturally mapped into
the Witten-Kontsevich intersection theory over the moduli space of N-pointed
closed Riemann surfaces of the same genus. We also discuss various aspects of
the geometrical setting which connects this model to PSL(2,C) Chern-Simons
theory.Comment: 35 pages, references added, slightly revised introductio
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