2,901 research outputs found
Polarization dependence of four-wave mixing in a degenerate two-level system
Nearly degenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) within a closed degenerate
two-level atomic transition is theoretically and experimentally examined. Using
the model presented by A. Lezama et al [Phys. Rev. A 61, 013801 (2000)] the
NDFWM spectra corresponding to different pump and probe polarization cases are
calculated and discussed. The calculated spectra are compared to the
observation of NDFWM within the transition of
cesium in a phase conjugation experiment using magneto optically cooled atomsComment: 10 pages, 13 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.
Double marking revisited
In 2002, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published the report of an independent panel of experts into maintaining standards at Advanced Level (A-Level). One of its recommendations was for: âlimited experimental double marking of scripts in subjects such as English to determine whether the strategy would signi-ficantly reduce errors of measurementâ (p. 24). This recommendation provided the impetus for this paper which reviews the all but forgotten literature on double marking and considers its relevance now
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Effective elements of cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis: results of a novel type of subgroup analysis based on principal stratification
Background. Meta-analyses show that cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBT-P) improves distressing positive symptoms. However, it is a complex intervention involving a range of techniques. No previous study has assessed the delivery of the different elements of treatment and their effect on outcome. Our aim was to assess the differential effect of type of treatment delivered on the effectiveness of CBT-P, using novel statistical methodology.
Method. The Psychological Prevention of Relapse in Psychosis (PRP) trial was a multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared CBT-P with treatment as usual (TAU). Therapy was manualized, and detailed evaluations of therapy delivery and client engagement were made. Follow-up assessments were made at 12 and 24 months. In a planned analysis, we applied principal stratification (involving structural equation modelling with finite mixtures) to estimate intention-to-treat (ITT) effects for subgroups of participants, defined by qualitative and quantitative differences in receipt of therapy, while maintaining the constraints of randomization.
Results. Consistent delivery of full therapy, including specific cognitive and behavioural techniques, was associated with clinically and statistically significant increases in months in remission, and decreases in psychotic and affective symptoms. Delivery of partial therapy involving engagement and assessment was not effective.
Conclusions. Our analyses suggest that CBT-P is of significant benefit on multiple outcomes to patients able to engage in the full range of therapy procedures. The novel statistical methods illustrated in this report have general application to the evaluation of heterogeneity in the effects of treatment
Systematic effects and a new determination of the primordial abundance of 4He and dY/dZ from observations of blue compact galaxies
We use spectroscopic observations of a sample of 82 HII regions in 76 blue
compact galaxies to determine the primordial helium abundance Yp and the slope
dY/dZ from the Y-O/H linear regression. To improve the accuracy of the dY/dZ
measurement, we have included new spectrophotometric observations of 33 HII
regions which span a large metallicity range, with oxygen abundance 12+log(O/H)
varying between 7.43 and 8.30 (Zsun/30<Z<Zsun/4). For a subsample of 7 HII
regions, we derive the He mass fraction taking into account known systematic
effects, including collisional and fluorescent enhancements of HeI emission
lines, collisional excitation of hydrogen emission, underlying stellar HeI
absorption and the difference between the temperatures Te(HeII) in the He^+
zone and Te(OIII) derived from the collisionally excited [OIII] lines. We find
that the net result of all the systematic effects combined is small, changing
the He mass fraction by less than 0.6%. By extrapolating the Y vs. O/H linear
regression to O/H=0 for 7 HII regions of this subsample, we obtain
Yp=0.2421+/-0.0021 and dY/dO=5.7+/-1.8, which corresponds to dY/dZ=3.7+/-1.2,
assuming the oxygen mass fraction to be O=0.66Z. In the framework of the
standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis theory, this Yp corresponds to Omega_b h^2 =
0.012^+0.003_-0.002, where h is the Hubble constant in units of 100 km/s/Mpc.
This is smaller at the 2sigma level than the value obtained from recent
deuterium abundance and microwave background radiation measurements. The linear
regression slope dY/dO=4.3+/-0.7 (corresponding to dY/dZ=2.8+/-0.5) for the
whole sample of 82 HII regions is similar to that derived for the subsample of
7 HII regions, although it has a considerably smaller uncertainty.Comment: 53 pages, 3 Postscript figures, accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
Classical and quantum regimes of two-dimensional turbulence in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates
We investigate two-dimensional turbulence in finite-temperature trapped
Bose-Einstein condensates within damped Gross-Pitaevskii theory. Turbulence is
produced via circular motion of a Gaussian potential barrier stirring the
condensate. We systematically explore a range of stirring parameters and
identify three regimes, characterized by the injection of distinct quantum
vortex structures into the condensate: (A) periodic vortex dipole injection,
(B) irregular injection of a mixture of vortex dipoles and co-rotating vortex
clusters, and (C) continuous injection of oblique solitons that decay into
vortex dipoles. Spectral analysis of the kinetic energy associated with
vortices reveals that regime (B) can intermittently exhibit a Kolmogorov
power law over almost a decade of length or wavenumber () scales.
The kinetic energy spectrum of regime (C) exhibits a clear power law
associated with an inertial range for weak-wave turbulence, and a
power law for high wavenumbers. We thus identify distinct regimes of forcing
for generating either two-dimensional quantum turbulence or classical weak-wave
turbulence that may be realizable experimentally.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures. Minor updates to text and figures 1, 2 and
Communication: The Rosenfeld-Tarazona expression for liquidsâ specific heat:A numerical investigation of eighteen systems
We investigate the accuracy of the expression of Rosenfeld and Tarazona (RT)
for the excess isochoric heat capacity, C_V^{ex} \propto T^{-2/5}, for eighteen
model liquids. Previous investigations have reported no unifying features of
breakdown for the RT expression. Here liquids with different stoichiometric
composition, molecular topology, chemical interactions, degree of undercooling,
and environment are investigated. We find that the RT expression is a better
approximation for liquids with strong correlations between equilibrium
fluctuations of virial and potential energy, i.e., Roskilde simple liquids
[Ingebrigtsen et al., Phys. Rev. X 2, 011011 (2012)]. This observation holds
even for molecular liquids under severe nanoscale confinement, the physics of
which is completely different from the original RT bulk hard-sphere fluid
arguments. The density dependence of the specific heat is predicted from the
isomorph theory for Roskilde simple liquids, which in combination with the RT
expression provides a complete description of the specific heat's density and
temperature dependence.Comment: 6 page
Australian Wool Research and Development Corporation Development of information technologies for the effective communication of worm control strategies in sheep
Preoperative sonographic axillary staging in breast cancer: correlation with sentinel node sampling
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