5,442 research outputs found
Application of the Trace Formula in Pseudointegrable Systems
We apply periodic-orbit theory to calculate the integrated density of states
from the periodic orbits of pseudointegrable polygon and barrier
billiards. We show that the results agree so well with the results obtained
from direct diagonalization of the Schr\"odinger equation, that about the first
100 eigenvalues can be obtained directly from the periodic-orbit calculations
in good accuracy.Comment: 5 Pages, 4 Figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
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Medication decision-making for patients with renal insufficiency in inpatient and outpatient care at a US Veterans Affairs Medical Centre: a qualitative, cognitive task analysis.
BackgroundMany studies identify factors that contribute to renal prescribing errors, but few examine how healthcare professionals (HCPs) detect and recover from an error or potential patient safety concern. Knowledge of this information could inform advanced error detection systems and decision support tools that help prevent prescribing errors.ObjectiveTo examine the cognitive strategies that HCPs used to recognise and manage medication-related problems for patients with renal insufficiency.DesignHCPs submitted documentation about medication-related incidents. We then conducted cognitive task analysis interviews. Qualitative data were analysed inductively.SettingInpatient and outpatient facilities at a major US Veterans Affairs Medical Centre.ParticipantsPhysicians, nurses and pharmacists who took action to prevent or resolve a renal-drug problem in patients with renal insufficiency.OutcomesEmergent themes from interviews, as related to recognition of renal-drug problems and decision-making processes.ResultsWe interviewed 20 HCPs. Results yielded a descriptive model of the decision-making process, comprised of three main stages: detect, gather information and act. These stages often followed a cyclical path due largely to the gradual decline of patients' renal function. Most HCPs relied on being vigilant to detect patients' renal-drug problems rather than relying on systems to detect unanticipated cues. At each stage, HCPs relied on different cognitive cues depending on medication type: for renally eliminated medications, HCPs focused on gathering renal dosing guidelines, while for nephrotoxic medications, HCPs investigated the need for particular medication therapy, and if warranted, safer alternatives.ConclusionsOur model is useful for trainees so they can gain familiarity with managing renal-drug problems. Based on findings, improvements are warranted for three aspects of healthcare systems: (1) supporting the cyclical nature of renal-drug problem management via longitudinal tracking mechanisms, (2) providing tools to alleviate HCPs' heavy reliance on vigilance and (3) supporting HCPs' different decision-making needs for renally eliminated versus nephrotoxic medications
Level statistics and eigenfunctions of pseudointegrable systems: dependence on energy and genus number
We study the level statistics (second half moment and rigidity
) and the eigenfunctions of pseudointegrable systems with rough
boundaries of different genus numbers . We find that the levels form energy
intervals with a characteristic behavior of the level statistics and the
eigenfunctions in each interval. At low enough energies, the boundary roughness
is not resolved and accordingly, the eigenfunctions are quite regular functions
and the level statistics shows Poisson-like behavior. At higher energies, the
level statistics of most systems moves from Poisson-like towards Wigner-like
behavior with increasing . Investigating the wavefunctions, we find many
chaotic functions that can be described as a random superposition of regular
wavefunctions. The amplitude distribution of these chaotic functions
was found to be Gaussian with the typical value of the localization volume
. For systems with periodic boundaries we find
several additional energy regimes, where is relatively close to the
Poisson-limit. In these regimes, the eigenfunctions are either regular or
localized functions, where is close to the distribution of a sine or
cosine function in the first case and strongly peaked in the second case. Also
an interesting intermediate case between chaotic and localized eigenfunctions
appears
Pretransplant HLA typing revealed loss of heterozygosity in the major histocompatibility complex in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia
Introduction
Chromosomal abnormalities are frequent events in hematological malignancies. The degree of HLA compatibility between donor and recipient in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is critical.
Purpose of the study
In this report, we describe an acute myeloid leukemia case with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) encompassing the entire HLA.
Materials and methods
HLA molecular typing was performed on peripheral blood (PB) and buccal swabs (BS). Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was performed using a whole genome platform.
Results
Typing results on PB sample collected during blast crisis demonstrated homozygosity at the -A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ loci. A BS sample demonstrated heterozygosity at all loci. A subsequent PB sample drawn after count recovery confirmed heterozygosity. The CMA performed on PB samples collected during and after blast crisis revealed a large terminal region of copy-neutral LOH involving chromosome region 6p25.3p21.31, spanning approximately 35.9 Mb. The results of the CMA assay on sample collected after count recovery did not demonstrate LOH.
Conclusions
LOH at the HLA gene locus may significantly influence the donor search resulting in mistakenly choosing homozygous donors. We recommend confirming the HLA typing of recipients with hematological malignancies when homozygosity is detected at any locus by using BS samples, or alternatively from PB when remission is achieved
The back reaction and the effective Einstein's equation for the Universe with ideal fluid cosmological perturbations
We investigate the back reaction of cosmological perturbations on the
evolution of the Universe using the renormalization group method. Starting from
the second order perturbed Einstein's equation, we renormalize a scale factor
of the Universe and derive the evolution equation for the effective scale
factor which includes back reaction due to inhomogeneities of the Universe. The
resulting equation has the same form as the standard Friedman-Robertson-Walker
equation with the effective energy density and pressure which represent the
back reaction effect.Comment: 16 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Back Reaction Problem in the Inflationary Universe
We investigate the back reaction of cosmological perturbations on an
inflationary universe using the renormalization-group method. The second-order
zero mode solution which appears by the nonlinearity of the Einstein equation
is regarded as a secular term of a perturbative expansion, we renormalized a
constant of integration contained in the background solution and absorbed the
secular term to this constant in a gauge-invariant manner. The resultant
renormalization-group equation describes the back reaction effect of
inhomogeneity on the background universe. For scalar type classical
perturbation, by solving the renormalization-group equation, we find that the
back reaction of the long wavelength fluctuation works as a positive spatial
curvature, and the short wavelength fluctuation works as a radiation fluid. For
the long wavelength quantum fluctuation, the effect of back reaction is
equivalent to a negative spatial curvature.Comment: 17 page
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Technical Report Series
This document is part of Technical Report (ref: EUR 21758 EN) from the Joint Research Centre and presents part of the modelling work conducted by DG JRC/IPTS as a contribution to the DG ENV Communication on post-2012 climate policy analysis (June 2005). The analyses with the POLES and GEM-E3 models show that the costs of abatement policies, both in marginal terms and total terms, can be significantly reduced if emissions trading and project based mechanisms are used
Design of the Spitzer Space Telescope Heritage Archive
It is predicted that Spitzer Space Telescope’s cryogen will run out in April 2009, and the final reprocessing for the cryogenic mission is scheduled to end in April 2011, at which time the Spitzer archive will be transferred to the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) for long-term curation. The Spitzer Science Center (SSC) and IRSA are collaborating to design and deploy the Spitzer Heritage Archive (SHA), which will supersede the current Spitzer archive. It will initially contain the raw and final reprocessed cryogenic science products, and will eventually incorporate the final products from the Warm mission. The SHA will be accompanied by tools deemed necessary to extract the full science content of the archive and by comprehensive documentation
Robertson-Walker fluid sources endowed with rotation characterised by quadratic terms in angular velocity parameter
Einstein's equations for a Robertson-Walker fluid source endowed with
rotation Einstein's equations for a Robertson-Walker fluid source endowed with
rotation are presented upto and including quadratic terms in angular velocity
parameter. A family of analytic solutions are obtained for the case in which
the source angular velocity is purely time-dependent. A subclass of solutions
is presented which merge smoothly to homogeneous rotating and non-rotating
central sources. The particular solution for dust endowed with rotation is
presented. In all cases explicit expressions, depending sinusoidally on polar
angle, are given for the density and internal supporting pressure of the
rotating source. In addition to the non-zero axial velocity of the fluid
particles it is shown that there is also a radial component of velocity which
vanishes only at the poles. The velocity four-vector has a zero component
between poles
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