Model for T2K indication with maximal atmospheric angle and tri-maximal solar angle

Recently T2K gives hint in favor of large reactor angle. Most of the models, with tri-bimaximal mixing at the leading order, can not reproduce such a large mixing angle since they predict typically corrections for the reactor angle of the order of the Cabibbo angle. In this letter, we discuss the possibility to have large reactor angle within the T2K region with maximal atmospheric mixing angle and trimaximal solar mixing angle, through the deviation from tri-bimaximal. We derive the structure of neutrino mass matrix that leads to the large reactor angle leaving maximal atmospheric angle and trimaximal solar angle. It is shown that such a structure of neutrino mass matrix can arise in a model with S4 flavor symmetry.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, some references added and text improve

Measuring access: how accurate are patient-reported waiting times?

Introduction: A national audit of waiting times in England’s genitourinary medicine clinics measures patient access. Data are collected by patient questionnaires, which rely upon patients’ recollection of first contact with health services, often several days previously. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of patient-reported waiting times. Methods: Data on true waiting times were collected at the time of patient booking over a three-week period and compared with patient-reported data collected upon clinic attendance. Factors contributing to patient inaccuracy were explored. Results: Of 341 patients providing initial data, 255 attended; 207 as appointments and 48 ‘walk-in’. The accuracy of patient-reported waiting times overall was 52% (133/255). 85% of patients (216/255) correctly identified themselves as seen within or outside of 48 hours. 17% of patients (17/103) seen within 48 hours reported a longer waiting period, whereas 20% of patients (22/108) reporting waits under 48 hours were seen outside that period. Men were more likely to overestimate their waiting time (10.4% versus 3.1% p<0.02). The sensitivity of patient-completed questionnaires as a tool for assessing waiting times of less than 48 hours was 83.5%. The specificity and positive predictive value were 85.5% and 79.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The overall accuracy of patient reported waiting times was poor. Although nearly one in six patients misclassified themselves as being seen within or outside of 48 hours, given the under and overreporting rates observed, the overall impact on Health Protection Agency waiting time data is likely to be limited

British American Tobacco and the "insidious impact of illicit trade'' in cigarettes across Africa

Objectives: To provide an overview of the complicity of British American Tobacco (BAT) in the illicit trade of cigarettes across the African continent in terms of rationale, supply routes and scale.Methods: Analysis of internal BAT documents and industry publications.Results: BAT has relied on illegal channels to supply markets across Africa since the 1980s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT's market entry strategy in order to gain leverage in negotiating with governments for tax concessions, compete with other transnational tobacco companies, circumvent local import restrictions and unstable political and economic conditions and gain a market presence. BAT worked through distributors and local agents to exploit weak government capacity to gain substantial market share in major countries.Conclusions: Documents demonstrate that the complicity of BAT in cigarette smuggling extends to Africa, which includes many of the poorest countries in the world. This is in direct conflict with offers by the company to contribute to stronger international cooperation to tackle the illicit tobacco trade.</p

Solidification and processing of aluminium based immiscible alloys

Copyright @ 2009 TMSThe Al-Sn and Al-Pb based immiscible alloys have significant potential for bearing applications. However, the mixing and understanding of solidification process for immiscible alloys have been long standing challenges for their development. This paper presents solidification and microstructural evolution of the Al-Sn-Cu alloys and also describes the mechanism of effective mixing by the intensive shearing. The experimental work was also focused on analyzing the effects of shear rate, temperature and time on Sn droplets size and their distribution. Results have been compared with earlier study on Al-Si-Pb alloys. Experimental results suggest that the intensive shearing process produces homogeneous and finely dispersed Sn and Pb droplets.This work was funded by the EPSRC and DTI

Microstrip filters for measurement and control of superconducting qubits

Careful filtering is necessary for observations of quantum phenomena in superconducting circuits at low temperatures. Measurements of coherence between quantum states requires extensive filtering to protect against noise coupled from room temperature electronics. We demonstrate distributed transmission line filters which cut off exponentially at GHz frequencies and can be anchored at the base temperature of a dilution refrigerator. The compact design makes them suitable to filter many different bias lines in the same setup, necessary for the control and measurement of superconducting qubits

Listing of solar radiation measuring equipment and glossary

An attempt is made to list and provide all available information about solar radiation measuring equipment which are being manufactured and are available on the market. The list is in tabular form and includes sensor type, response time, cost data and comments for each model. A cost code is included which shows ranges only

Oxynitride glass fibers

Research at the Army Materials Technology Laboratory (AMTL) and elsewhere has shown that many glass properties including elastic modulus, hardness, and corrosion resistance are improved markedly by the substitution of nitrogen for oxygen in the glass structure. Oxynitride glasses, therefore, offer exciting opportunities for making high modulus, high strength fibers. Processes for making oxynitride glasses and fibers of glass compositions similar to commercial oxide glasses, but with considerable enhanced properties, are discussed. We have made glasses with elastic moduli as high as 140 GPa and fibers with moduli of 120 GPa and tensile strengths up to 2900 MPa. AMTL holds a U.S. patent on oxynitride glass fibers, and this presentation discusses a unique process for drawing small diameter oxynitride glass fibers at high drawing rates. Fibers are drawn through a nozzle from molten glass in a molybdenum crucible at 1550 C. The crucible is situated in a furnace chamber in flowing nitrogen, and the fiber is wound in air outside of the chamber, making the process straightforward and commercially feasible. Strengths were considerably improved by improving glass quality to minimize internal defects. Though the fiber strengths were comparable with oxide fibers, work is currently in progress to further improve the elastic modulus and strength of fibers. The high elastic modulus of oxynitride glasses indicate their potential for making fibers with tensile strengths surpassing any oxide glass fibers, and we hope to realize that potential in the near future

Predictors of HPV Vaccination Series Completion in Philadelphia Adolescents

Research Aim: This study analyzed data from the Philadelphia KidsPlus Immunization information System (IIS) to look at factors associated with HPV vaccine series completion. Note: Student capstone presentation also available at: http://jdc.jefferson.edu/mphcapstone_presentation/190