300 research outputs found
Instability and dynamics of two nonlinearly coupled laser beams in a plasma
We investigate the nonlinear interaction between two laser beams in a plasma
in the weakly nonlinear and relativistic regime. The evolution of the laser
beams is governed by two nonlinear Schroedinger equations that are coupled with
the slow plasma density response. We study the growth rates of the Raman
forward and backward scattering instabilities as well of the Brillouin and
self-focusing/modulational instabilities. The nonlinear evolution of the
instabilities is investigated by means of direct simulations of the
time-dependent system of nonlinear equations.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure
Corticomuscular Coherence Is Tuned to the Spontaneous Rhythmicity of Speech at 2-3 Hz
Human speech features rhythmicity that frames distinctive, fine-grained speech patterns. Speech can thus be counted among rhythmic motor behaviors that generally manifest characteristic spontaneous rates. However, the critical neural evidence for tuning of articulatory control to a spontaneous rate of speech has not been uncovered. The present study examined the spontaneous rhythmicity in speech production and its relationship to cortex–muscle neurocommunication, which is essential for speech control. Our MEG results show that, during articulation, coherent oscillatory coupling between the mouth sensorimotor cortex and the mouth muscles is strongest at the frequency of spontaneous rhythmicity of speech at 2–3 Hz, which is also the typical rate of word production. Corticomuscular coherence, a measure of efficient cortex–muscle neurocommunication, thus reveals behaviorally relevant oscillatory tuning for spoken language.Peer reviewe
Polynomial sequences for bond percolation critical thresholds
In this paper, I compute the inhomogeneous (multi-probability) bond critical
surfaces for the (4,6,12) and (3^4,6) lattices using the linearity
approximation described in (Scullard and Ziff, J. Stat. Mech. P03021),
implemented as a branching process of lattices. I find the estimates for the
bond percolation thresholds, p_c(4,6,12)=0.69377849... and
p_c(3^4,6)=0.43437077..., compared with Parviainen's numerical results of p_c
\approx 0.69373383 and p_c \approx 0.43430621 . These deviations are of the
order 10^{-5}, as is standard for this method, although they are outside
Parviainen's typical standard error of 10^{-7}. Deriving thresholds in this way
for a given lattice leads to a polynomial with integer coefficients, the root
in [0,1] of which gives the estimate for the bond threshold. I show how the
method can be refined, leading to a sequence of higher order polynomials making
predictions that likely converge to the exact answer. Finally, I discuss how
this fact hints that for certain graphs, such as the kagome lattice, the exact
bond threshold may not be the root of any polynomial with integer coefficients.Comment: submitted to Journal of Statistical Mechanic
Kepler423b: a half-Jupiter mass planet transiting a very old solar-like star
We report the spectroscopic confirmation of the Kepler object of interest
KOI-183.01 (Kepler-423b), a half-Jupiter mass planet transiting an old
solar-like star every 2.7 days. Our analysis is the first to combine the full
Kepler photometry (quarters 1-17) with high-precision radial velocity
measurements taken with the FIES spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope.
We simultaneously modelled the photometric and spectroscopic data-sets using
Bayesian approach coupled with Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. We found that
the Kepler pre-search data conditioned (PDC) light curve of KOI-183 exhibits
quarter-to-quarter systematic variations of the transit depth, with a
peak-to-peak amplitude of about 4.3 % and seasonal trends reoccurring every
four quarters. We attributed these systematics to an incorrect assessment of
the quarterly variation of the crowding metric. The host star KOI-183 is a G4
dwarf with M_\rm{Sun},
R_\rm{Sun}, K, dex, and with
an age of Gyr. The planet KOI-183b has a mass of
M and a radius of
R, yielding a planetary bulk
density of g/cm. The radius of KOI-183b
is consistent with both theoretical models for irradiated coreless giant
planets and expectations based on empirical laws. The inclination of the
stellar spin axis suggests that the system is aligned along the line of sight.
We detected a tentative secondary eclipse of the planet at a 2-
confidence level ( ppm) and found that the
orbit might have a small non-zero eccentricity of .
With a Bond albedo of , KOI-183b is one of the
gas-giant planets with the lowest albedo known so far.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A.
Planet designation changed from KOI-183b to Kepler-423
Detection of transit timing variations in excess of one hour in the Kepler multi-planet candidate system KOI 806 with the GTC
We report the detection of transit timing variations (TTVs) well in excess of
one hour in the Kepler multi-planet candidate system KOI 806. This system
exhibits transits consistent with three separate planets -- a Super-Earth, a
Jupiter, and a Saturn -- lying very nearly in a 1:2:5 resonance, respectively.
We used the Kepler public data archive and observations with the Gran
Telescopio de Canarias to compile the necessary photometry. For the largest
candidate planet (KOI 806.02) in this system, we detected a large transit
timing variation of -103.56.9 minutes against previously published
ephemeris. We did not obtain a strong detection of a transit color signature
consistent with a planet-sized object; however, we did not detect a color
difference in transit depth, either. The large TTV is consistent with
theoretical predictions that exoplanets in resonance can produce large transit
timing variations, particularly if the orbits are eccentric. The presence of
large TTVs among the bodies in this systems indicates that KOI806 is very
likely to be a planetary system. This is supported by the lack of a strong
color dependence in the transit depth, which would suggest a blended eclipsing
binary.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted into A&A Letter
Critical surfaces for general inhomogeneous bond percolation problems
We present a method of general applicability for finding exact or accurate
approximations to bond percolation thresholds for a wide class of lattices. To
every lattice we sytematically associate a polynomial, the root of which in
is the conjectured critical point. The method makes the correct
prediction for every exactly solved problem, and comparison with numerical
results shows that it is very close, but not exact, for many others. We focus
primarily on the Archimedean lattices, in which all vertices are equivalent,
but this restriction is not crucial. Some results we find are kagome:
, , ,
, , :
. The results are generally within of numerical
estimates. For the inhomogeneous checkerboard and bowtie lattices, errors in
the formulas (if they are not exact) are less than .Comment: Submitted to J. Stat. Mec
Sustainability of cellulose dissolution and regeneration in 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-enium acetate : a batch simulation of the IONCELL-F process
The recyclability of 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0] non-5-enium acetate ([DBNH][OAc]), as a direct dissolution solvent for cellulose, was evaluated during laboratory scale recycling trials. The main objective was to simulate the conditions of a spinning bath from a Lyocell-type air-gap spinning process, called the IONCELL-F process. The saline solution was then concentrated, recycled and reused as many times as possible before cellulose dissolution was no longer possible. The chemical compositions of the ionic liquid and pulp were recorded throughout the experiments. The results of the experiments showed that [DBNH][OAc] can be recycled from aqueous media with an average recovery rate of 95.6 wt% using basic laboratory equipment, without any further process intensification or optimisation. The recycling of the ionic liquid did not change the chemical composition or degree of polymerisation of the recovered pulp but the colour of the regenerated pulps gradually darkened as the recycling times increased. The ionic liquid was found to hydrolyse 6.0-13.6 mol% per cycle, under these conditions. The build-up of the hydrolysis product, 3-( aminopropyl)-2-pyrrolidonium acetate, killed the dissolution feature at between 30.6-45.6 wt% hydrolysis product. The enzymatic digestibility of the regenerated pulp samples was studied with both a monocomponent endoglucanase and a cellulase mixture. The amount of residual [DBNH][OAc] in the regenerated pulps was determined, by both NMR and capillary electrophoresis. Although hydrolysis of the ionic liquid occurs, this study clearly shows potential for industrial application, with appropriate process equipment and recycling conditions.Peer reviewe
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Identifying teamwork-related needs of the medical emergency team: Nurses' perspectives
© 2021 The Authors. Background
The role of medical emergency team (MET) in managing deteriorating patients and enhancing patient safety is greatly affected by teamwork.
Aims
To identify teamwork-related needs of the MET from MET nurses' perspectives. To assess the associations between MET nurses' perceptions of teamwork and their work experience and education.
Study design
A quantitative, descriptive correlational design.
Methods
Registered intensive care unit (ICU) nurses (n = 50) who were members of the MET in an acute tertiary care hospital answered a modified version of the team assessment questionnaire in 2017. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the univariate analysis of variance method. The reporting of this study adheres to the strengthening the reporting of observational studies (STROBE) guidelines.
Results
Participants showed least agreement with the items presenting leadership skills (mean = 2.6, SD = 0.68). Approximately 50% nurses disagreed that the MET had adequate resources, training, and skills. The majority of nurses (80%) felt that their responsibilities as a MET member interfered with taking care of their own ICU patients. Many nurses (64%) felt that they did not have a voice in MET's decision-making process. Approximately 50% nurses felt that they were not recognized for their individual contribution, and they were uncertain regarding MET's policies for dealing with conflicts. The amounts of MET nurses' work experience and education were associated with MET skills and function, respectively.
Conclusion
Key teamwork elements of the MET that need improvements include decision-making and conflict resolution skills, valuing team members, and team leadership. Practicing shared mental models, implementing the TeamSTEPPS curricula at hospitals for training ICU nurses, and simulation-based team-training programmes may be beneficial in improving teamwork of MET members.
Relevance to clinical practice
This study revealed key teamwork elements of the MET that need improvements. Our findings may contribute to improve teamwork, thereby optimizing MET function, and enhancing patient outcomes.Finnish Cultural Foundation North Savo region Funds. Grant Numbers: 2017, 2018; Finnish Nursing Education Foundation. Grant Number: 2016; Marja-Terttu Korhonen's Fund; Otto A. Malm Donations Funds; University of Eastern Finland. Grant Number: 201
Predictors of hospital and one-year mortality in intensive care patients with refractory status epilepticus: a populationbased study
Background: The aim was to determine predictors of hospital and 1-year mortality in patients with intensive care unit (ICU)-treated refractory status epilepticus (RSE) in a population-based study.Methods: This was a retrospective study of the Finnish Intensive Care Consortium (FICC) database of adult patients (16 years of age or older) with ICU-treated RSE in Finland during a 3-year period (2010-2012). The database consists of admissions to all 20 Finnish hospitals treating RSE in the ICU. All five university hospitals and 11 out of 15 central hospitals participated in the present study. The total adult referral population in the study hospitals was 3.92 million, representing 91% of the adult population of Finland. Patients whose condition had a post-anoxic aetiological basis were excluded.Results: We identified 395 patients with ICU-treated RSE, corresponding to an annual incidence of 3.4/100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.04-3.71). Hospital mortality was 7.4% (95% CI 0-16.9%), and 1-year mortality was 25. 4% (95% CI 21.2-29.8%). Mortality at hospital discharge was associated with severity of organ dysfunction. Mortality at 1 year was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.033, 95% CI 1.104-1.051, p = 0.001), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (aOR 1.156, CI 1.051-1.271, p = 0.003), super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) (aOR 2.215, 95% CI 1.20-3.84, p = 0.010) and dependence in activities of daily living (ADL) (aOR 2.553, 95% CI 1.537-4.243, p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Despite low hospital mortality, 25% of ICU-treated RSE patients die within a year. Super-refractoriness, dependence in ADL functions, severity of organ dysfunction at ICU admission and older age predict long-term mortality
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