Nonequilibrium effects due to charge fluctuations in intrinsic Josephson systems

Nonequilibrium effects in layered superconductors forming a stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions are investigated. We discuss two basic nonequilibrium effects caused by charge fluctuations on the superconducting layers: a) the shift of the chemical potential of the condensate and b) charge imbalance of quasi-particles, and study their influence on IV-curves and the position of Shapiro steps.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, revised version slightly shortene

Railway defect detection method: A review

The railway is indeed one of the main transportations means in the world. However, with the rapid development and advancement of the railway industries, more railways accidents occur mainly due to its defects which result in economic losses. Traditionally, the railway defect detections process which is deems to be dirty, difficult and dangerous are done manually by the railway maintenance workers. In the recent years, many sophisticated equipment such as portable detectors, track inspection trolleys, track comprehensive inspection vehicles, etc had been developed. This article outlines two main mode of inspection namely static and dynamic inspection, which are commonly used in the railway defect detection and maintenance work. Furthermore, the railway inspection equipment used by the major countries are summarized and the impact on railway inspection based on deep learning and artificial intelligence are appropriately predicted

Action semantics in retrospect

This paper is a themed account of the action semantics project, which Peter Mosses has led since the 1980s. It explains his motivations for developing action semantics, the inspirations behind its design, and the foundations of action semantics based on unified algebras. It goes on to outline some applications of action semantics to describe real programming languages, and some efforts to implement programming languages using action semantics directed compiler generation. It concludes by outlining more recent developments and reflecting on the success of the action semantics project

Reflections on a 'virtual' practice development unit: changing practice through identity development

Aims. This paper draws together the personal thoughts and critical reflections of key people involved in the establishment of a ‘virtual’ practice development unit of clinical nurse specialists in the south of England. Background. This practice development unit is ‘virtual’ in that it is not constrained by physical or specialty boundaries. It became the first group of Trust-wide clinical nurse specialists to be accredited in the UK as a practice development unit in 2004. Design and methods. The local university was asked to facilitate the accreditation process via 11 two-hour audio-recorded learning sessions. Critical reflections from practice development unit members, leaders and university staff were written 12 months after successful accreditation, and the framework of their content analysed. Findings and discussion. Practice development was seen as a way for the clinical nurse specialists to realize their potential for improving patient care by transforming care practice in a collaborative, interprofessional and evolutionary manner. The practice development unit provided a means for these nurses to analyse their role and function within the Trust. Roberts’ identity development model for nursing serves as a useful theoretical underpinning for the reflections contained in this paper. Conclusions. These narratives provide another example of nurses making the effort to shape and contribute to patient care through organizational redesign. This group of nurses began to realize that the structure of the practice development unit process provided them with the means to analyse their role and function within the organization and, as they reflected on this structure, their behaviour began to change. Relevance to clinical practice. Evidence from these reflections supports the view that practice development unit participants have secured a positive and professional identity and are, therefore, better able to improve the patient experience

A review of agro-potential waste as a constituent in railway sleepers

Historically, concrete was used exclusively for building construction. Concrete has recently found application in the railway business, notably in the construction of concrete railway sleepers. Concrete is made up of three primary ingredients: fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, and cement. To enhance the qualities of concrete, research was conducted on the possibility of substituting wastes from other industries for the ingredients of concrete. With agriculture being one of Malaysia's main industries, ranking third in terms of national economic activity, it demonstrated the potential for using agricultural wastes as ingredients of concrete manufacturing (fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and cement). While the characteristics of agricultural waste-derived concrete have improved, research on their use as concrete railway sleepers remains uncommon. As such, this article will examine the feasibility of incorporating agricultural waste into concrete for the manufacturing of concrete railway sleepers

Geographic Distribution of Childbirth among Adolescents in Cameroon from 2003 to 2005

Objective. To determine the frequency and the trend of adolescents (10–19 years) in childbirth within a period of 3 years in referral maternity units in Cameroon. Method. Descriptive and retrospective study for a 3-year period (2003–2005) in referral maternity units headed by a qualified Obstetrician-Gynecologist. We analyzed the trend and geographic distribution of 8222 adolescent deliveries over 3 years. Epi Info 3.5 software was used for data analysis. Chi square test for trend was used to assess the contribution of adolescent deliveries over years. The trend was considered significant if P < .05. Results. During the period of the study, there was a total of 8387 deliveries. We excluded 165 women because of lack of information about age. We therefore included a total of 8222 adolescent deliveries. Overall, the contribution of adolescents to deliveries ranged from 6.87% to 26.51%, depending on the region with a national mean of 14.23%. Adolescents aged 16 or less contributed to 2.82% of deliveries while those aged from 17 to 19 contributed to 11.41%. The contribution of adolescents to deliveries decreased significantly over 3 years (P < .0001). Conclusion. The study underscores the importance of Public Health programs in strengthening maternity services for adolescents in Cameroon while taking into consideration geographic differences

Multi-terminal spin-dependent transport in ballistic carbon nanotubes

We study theoretically nonlocal spin transport in a ballistic carbon nanotube contacted to two ferromagnetic leads and two normal-metal leads. When the magnetizations of the two ferromagnets are changed from a parallel to an antiparallel configuration, the circuit shows a hysteretic behavior which is specific to the few-channel regime. In the coherent limit, the amplitude of the magnetic signals is strongly enhanced due to resonance effects occurring inside the nanotube. Our calculations pave the way for experiments on low-dimensional nonlocal spin transport, which should give results remarkably different from the experiments realized so far in the multichannel diffusive incoherent regime.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Working and learning across professional boundaries

This paper focuses on a context where interdisciplinarity intersects with interprofessionality: the work of children's services professionals who address the needs of children identified as vulnerable. It draws on evidence and perspectives from two disciplines - educational studies and health care - to consider the issues and challenges posed by learning and/or working across disciplinary boundaries and why these have proved so obdurate

The Self stepping into the shoes of the Other: Understanding and developing self-perceptions of empathy among prospective physical education teachers through a special school placement

Teachers who demonstrate a high degree of empathy are said to have more positive attitudes towards pupils with disabilities. Therefore, this article sought to explore the influence of a special school placement on prospective teachers’ self-perceptions of empathy. Thirty-two final year undergraduate students participated in focus group interviews and were selected because they aspired to be a physical education teacher and had attended a placement in a special school. Interview transcripts were analysed and the following themes constructed: Stepping into the shoes of the Other; Frustrated ‘for’ not ‘with’ pupils with disabilities; Empathy for planning inclusive lessons and ‘reading’ pupil body language; and Knowing when not to show empathy. All prospective teachers felt that: (a) they could empathise with pupils with disabilities; (b) situated learning experiences within the placement enabled them to reflect on the ways in which their empathy influences their teaching now and could continue to do so in the future; and (c) it was important that teachers demonstrated empathy. Thus, it is recommended that all prospective teachers gain some experience teaching in special schools. Our research also warns against teachers claiming the last, conclusive word about who children with disabilities are, what they think, how they feel and what they want, in myriad contexts and situations