2,914 research outputs found
MIRACAL: A mission radiation calculation program for analysis of lunar and interplanetary missions
A computational procedure and data base are developed for manned space exploration missions for which estimates are made for the energetic particle fluences encountered and the resulting dose equivalent incurred. The data base includes the following options: statistical or continuum model for ordinary solar proton events, selection of up to six large proton flare spectra, and galactic cosmic ray fluxes for elemental nuclei of charge numbers 1 through 92. The program requires an input trajectory definition information and specifications of optional parameters, which include desired spectral data and nominal shield thickness. The procedure may be implemented as an independent program or as a subroutine in trajectory codes. This code should be most useful in mission optimization and selection studies for which radiation exposure is of special importance
Low-loss photonic crystal fibers for transmission systems and their dispersion properties
We report on a single-mode photonic crystal fiber with attenuation and
effective area at 1550 nm of 0.48 dB/km and 130 square-micron, respectively.
This is, to our knowledge, the lowest loss reported for a PCF not made from VAD
prepared silica and at the same time the largest effective area for a low-loss
(< 1 dB/km) PCF. We briefly discuss the future applications of PCFs for data
transmission and show for the first time, both numerically and experimentally,
how the group velocity dispersion is related to the mode field diameterComment: 5 pages including 3 figures + 1 table. Accepted for Opt. Expres
Photonic crystal fiber with a hybrid honeycomb cladding
We consider an air-silica honeycomb lattice and demonstrate a new approach to
the formation of a core defect. Typically, a high or low-index core is formed
by adding a high-index region or an additional air-hole (or other low-index
material) to the lattice, but here we discuss how a core defect can be formed
by manipulating the cladding region rather than the core region itself.
Germanium-doping of the honeycomb lattice has recently been suggested for the
formation of a photonic band-gap guiding silica-core and here we experimentally
demonstrate how an index-guiding silica-core can be formed by fluorine-doping
of the honeycomb lattice.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures. Accepted for Optics Expres
Lymphatic Filariasis Control in Tanzania: Effect of Six Rounds of Mass Drug Administration with Ivermectin and Albendazole on Infection and Transmission.
Control of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa is based on annual mass drug administration (MDA) with a combination of ivermectin and albendazole, in order to interrupt transmission. We present findings from a detailed study on the effect of six rounds of MDA with this drug combination as implemented by the National Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Programme (NLFEP) in a highly endemic rural area of north-eastern Tanzania.\ud
The effect of treatment on transmission and human infection was monitored in a community- and a school-based study during an 8-year period (one pre-intervention and 7 post-intervention years) from 2003 to 2011. Before intervention, 24.5% of the community population had microfilariae (mf) in the blood, 53.3% had circulating filarial antigens (CFA) and 78.9% had specific antibodies to the recombinant filarial antigen Bm14. One year after the sixth MDA, these values had decreased considerably to 2.7%, 19.6% and 27.5%, respectively. During the same period, the CFA prevalence among new intakes of Standard 1 pupils in 10 primary schools decreased from 25.2% to 5.6%. In line with this, transmission by the three vectors (Anopheles gambiae, An. funestus and Culex quinquefasciatus) as determined by dissection declined sharply (overall vector infectivity rate by 99.3% and mean monthly transmission potential by 99.2% between pre-intervention and fifth post-intervention period). A major shift in vector species composition, from predominantly anopheline to almost exclusively culicine was observed over the years. This may be largely unrelated to the MDAs but may have important implications for the epidemiology of LF in the area. Six MDAs caused considerable decrease in all the measured indices for transmission and human infection. In spite of this, indices were still relatively high in the late period of the study, and it may take a long time to reach the recommended cut-off levels for interruption of transmission unless extra efforts are made. These should include increased engagement of the target population in the control activities, to ensure higher treatment coverage. It is expected that the recent initiative to distribute insecticide impregnated bed nets to every household in the area will also contribute towards reaching the goal of successful LF elimination
Light scattering from an amplifying medium bounded by a randomly rough surface: A numerical study
We study by numerical simulations the scattering of -polarized light from
a rough dielectric film deposited on the planar surface of a semi-infinite
perfect conductor. The dielectric film is allowed to be either active or
passive, situations that we model by assigning negative and positive values,
respectively, to the imaginary part of the dielectric constant of
the film. We study the reflectance and the total scattered energy
for the system as functions of both and the angle of
incidence of the light. Furthermore, the positions and widths of the enhanced
backscattering and satellite peaks are discussed. It is found that these peaks
become narrower and higher when the amplification of the system is increased,
and that their widths scale linearly with . The positions of the
backscattering peaks are found to be independent of , while we find
a weak dependence on this quantity in the positions of the satellite peaks.Comment: Revtex, 9 pages, 9 figure
The Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves from Two-Dimensional Randomly Rough Penetrable Surfaces
An accurate and efficient numerical simulation approach to electromagnetic
wave scattering from two-dimensional, randomly rough, penetrable surfaces is
presented. The use of the M\"uller equations and an impedance boundary
condition for a two-dimensional rough surface yields a pair of coupled
two-dimensional integral equations for the sources on the surface in terms of
which the scattered field is expressed through the Franz formulas. By this
approach, we calculate the full angular intensity distribution of the scattered
field that is due to a finite incident beam of -polarized light. We
specifically check the energy conservation (unitarity) of our simulations (for
the non-absorbing case). Only after a detailed numerical treatment of {\em
both} diagonal and close-to-diagonal matrix elements is the unitarity condition
found to be well-satisfied for the non-absorbing case (), a
result that testifies to the accuracy of our approach.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 2 figure
Synchronization Model for Stock Market Asymmetry
The waiting time needed for a stock market index to undergo a given
percentage change in its value is found to have an up-down asymmetry, which,
surprisingly, is not observed for the individual stocks composing that index.
To explain this, we introduce a market model consisting of randomly fluctuating
stocks that occasionally synchronize their short term draw-downs. These
synchronous events are parameterized by a ``fear factor'', that reflects the
occurrence of dramatic external events which affect the financial market.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Monte Carlo inversion of firn layers observed in firn cores and radar images - a validation of a dynamic firn compaction model
Concepts for manned lunar habitats
The design philosophy that will guide the design of early lunar habitats will be based on a compromise between the desired capabilities of the base and the economics of its development and implantation. Preferred design will be simple, make use of existing technologies, require the least amount of lunar surface preparation, and minimize crew activity. Three concepts for an initial habitat supporting a crew of four for 28 to 30 days are proposed. Two of these are based on using Space Station Freedom structural elements modified for use in a lunar-gravity environment. A third concept is proposed that is based on an earlier technology based on expandable modules. The expandable modules offer significant advantages in launch mass and packaged volume reductions. It appears feasible to design a transport spacecraft lander that, once landed, can serve as a habitat and a stand-off for supporting a regolith environmental shield. A permanent lunar base habitat supporting a crew of twelve for an indefinite period can be evolved by using multiple initial habitats. There appears to be no compelling need for an entirely different structure of larger volume and increased complexity of implantation
Characterizing Ebola Transmission Patterns based on Internet News Reports.
BACKGROUND: Detailed information on patient exposure, contact patterns, and discharge status, is rarely available in real time from traditional surveillance systems in the context of an emerging infectious disease outbreak. Here we validate the systematic collection of Internet news reports to characterize epidemiological patterns of Ebola virus disease (EVD) infections during the West African 2014-2015 outbreak.
METHODS: Based on 58 news reports, we analyzed a total of 79 EVD clusters (286 cases) of size ranging from 1 to 33 cases between January 2014 and February 2015 in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The great majority of reported exposures stemmed from contact with family members (57.3%) followed by hospitals (18.2%) and funerals (12.7%). Our data indicated that funeral exposure was significantly more frequent in Sierra Leone (27.3%) followed by Guinea (18.2%) and Liberia (1.8%) (Chi-square test;
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