4,838 research outputs found
Experimental assessment of predation risk for juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, by two predatory fishes
Canonical quantization of macroscopic electrodynamics in a linear, inhomogeneous magneto-electric medium
We present a canonical quantization of macroscopic electrodynamics. The
results apply to inhomogeneous media with a broad class of linear
magneto-electric responses which are consistent with the Kramers-Kronig and
Onsager relations. Through its ability to accommodate strong dispersion and
loss, our theory provides a rigorous foundation for the study of quantum
optical processes in structures incorporating metamaterials, provided these may
be modeled as magneto-electric media. Previous canonical treatments of
dielectric and magneto-dielectric media have expressed the electromagnetic
field operators in either a Green function or mode expansion representation.
Here we present our results in the mode expansion picture with a view to
applications in guided wave and cavity quantum optics.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review A 24/07/201
Independent registration for naturopaths and herbalists in Australia: The coming of age of an ancient profession in contemporary healthcare
Recent changes in the healthcare landscape in Australia have prompted renewed debate regarding the most appropriate regulatory model for naturopaths and herbalists. Numerous government reports have recommended independent statutory regulation yet naturopaths and Western herbalists are yet to be included in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. This has left professional associations to carry the administrative burden and manage the conflicting interests of practitioner regulation and professional advocacy. The outcome of this self-regulatory model has damaged advancement of these professions through limiting the scope of professional associations to promote the value of practitioners within contemporary healthcare. It has also left naturopaths and Western herbalists vulnerable to health policy reform which impact on unregistered practitioners. In response, an independent registration body, the Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONAH) has been established which mirrors the NRAS process and offers legitimacy to the professions whilst also safeguarding the public. This paper outlines: the history of the registration debate in Australia; the scope and role of ARONAH; the relationship between ARONAH and the existing professional associations and the rationale underpinning important standards and guidelines developed by ARONAH for its members. © National Herbalists Association of Australia 2013
Optic nerve head segmentation
Reliable and efficient optic disk localization and segmentation are important tasks in automated retinal screening. General-purpose edge detection algorithms often fail to segment the optic disk due to fuzzy boundaries, inconsistent image contrast or missing edge features. This paper presents an algorithm for the localization and segmentation of the optic nerve head boundary in low-resolution images (about 20 /spl mu//pixel). Optic disk localization is achieved using specialized template matching, and segmentation by a deformable contour model. The latter uses a global elliptical model and a local deformable model with variable edge-strength dependent stiffness. The algorithm is evaluated against a randomly selected database of 100 images from a diabetic screening programme. Ten images were classified as unusable; the others were of variable quality. The localization algorithm succeeded on all bar one usable image; the contour estimation algorithm was qualitatively assessed by an ophthalmologist as having Excellent-Fair performance in 83% of cases, and performs well even on blurred image
Teaching university students to cook, to improve their diet: a pilot study at Nottingham Trent University
Revealing the Young Starburst in Haro 3 with Radio and Infrared Imaging
The Wolf-Rayet galaxy Haro 3 (Mrk 35, NGC 3353) was observed at the near-IR
and radio wavelengths as part of ongoing program to study the earliest stages
of starbursts. These observations confirm that the current episode of star
formation is dominated by a single region (region A). While there are knots of
recent (~10 Myr) star formation outside of region A, the sources of ionizing
radiation as observed in both radio and Br-gamma observations are almost
exclusively associated with region A. The derived ionizing flux implies a star
formation rate of ~0.6 solar masses per year localized within a radius of ~0.1
kpc. A comparison with observations from HST indicates that one or more of the
star clusters in region A are optically obscured. The star clusters in region A
have ages at least as young as ~5 Myr, and possibly as young as ~0.1 Myr. The
star cluster that appears to be the youngest also exhibits a near-IR excess in
its colors, possibly indicating natal dust in very close proximity to the
ionizing stars. The difference between optical- and radio-determined ionizing
fluxes as well as the near-IR colors indicate an average extinction value of
A_V ~2.5 in region A. The total stellar mass associated with the current
starburst in region A is inferred from both the near-IR and radio observations
to be ~10^6 solar masses. The other main stellar concentrations observed in the
near-IR (Regions B1 and B2) are somewhat older than region A, with ages ~8-10
Myr, and the near-IR observations indicate they have stellar masses of ~8x10^4
and ~2x10^4 solar masses, respectively.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, to appear in AJ August 200
Optical RKKY Interaction between Charged Semiconductor Quantum Dots
We show how a spin interaction between electrons localized in neighboring
quantum dots can be induced and controlled optically. The coupling is generated
via virtual excitation of delocalized excitons and provides an efficient
coherent control of the spins. This quantum manipulation can be realized in the
adiabatic limit and is robust against decoherence by spontaneous emission.
Applications to the realization of quantum gates, scalable quantum computers,
and to the control of magnetization in an array of charged dots are proposed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Health-seeking behaviour, views and preferences of adults with suspected increased intestinal permeability: A cross-sectional survey of Australian adults
Background: The public health consequence of increased intestinal permeability (IP) is currently limited by the lack of patient-centred research. This study aims to describe the health-seeking behaviour of Australian adults with suspected IP. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 589 Australian adults who have been diagnosed with IP or have suspected (undiagnosed) IP. Results: The majority (56.2%) of participants with suspected IP reported self-diagnosing their condition, with the majority (56.7%) of these participants preferring to be assessed using an accurate method by a general practitioner or naturopath. On average, Australian adults with suspected IP spent 11.1 (95% CI: 9.5, 12.8) years between first suspecting IP and receiving a formal diagnosis. Over the previous 12 months, participants spent an average of 2176 on dietary supplements for the treatment of IP, and an average of 2963) on dietary supplements compared to participants who find it easy to live on their available household income ($1918) (p=0.015). Conclusion: The investigation of Australian adults with suspected IP found the majority of participants experienced a considerable length of time between first suspecting IP and receiving a diagnosis of IP. The out-of-pocket expenditure associated with the management of IP suggests a financial burden for people with suspected IP. The results of this study provide novel patient-centred considerations that can be used to inform a clinical practice guideline for the management of IP
The Subjective Well-being and Health-Related Quality of Life of Australian Adults with Increased Intestinal Permeability and Associations with Treatment Interventions.
Objective: The integrity and function of the gastrointestinal system is important in disease prevention and management. This study aims to describe the management methods used by Australian adults with suspected increased intestinal permeability (IP) and the association with subjective wellbeing (SWB) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Design and Setting: Cross-sectional survey of Australian adults diagnosed with IP or have suspected (undiagnosed) IP. Outcome Measures: Questionnaire items investigating demographic characteristics, self-reported outcome of IP and treatment methods used to manage IP. Participants' HRQoL and SWB according to the 20-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-20) and Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A) scale, respectively. Results: Participants (n = 589) frequently used dietary products (87.9%), dietary supplements (72.9%) and lifestyle therapies (54.6%) for managing IP. Participants had lower (i.e., worse) mean SWB scores for all domains compared to the Australian population (p p p = 0.015), use dietary supplements (OR = 2.66, p = 0.003), participate in vigorous exercise (OR = 2.99, p p = 0.010). Conversely, they were less likely to consume gluten (OR = 0.35, p p = 0.022). Self-reported improvement of IP (β = 10.70, p p = 0.008) were predictors of a higher level of SWB. Conclusions: Altered IP may pose a greater health burden than previously thought, with poor SWB and HRQoL reported in Australian adults with self-reported IP. Our results highlight the potential clinical relevance and consequence of altered IP, providing the first indication of a possible relationship between altered IP and both SWB and HRQoL
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