724 research outputs found
Population of bound excited states in intermediate-energy fragmentation reactions
Fragmentation reactions with intermediate-energy heavy-ion beams exhibit a
wide range of reaction mechanisms, ranging from direct reactions to statistical
processes. We examine this transition by measuring the relative population of
excited states in several sd-shell nuclei produced by fragmentation with the
number of removed nucleons ranging from two to sixteen. The two-nucleon removal
is consistent with a non-dissipative process whereas the removal of more than
five nucleons appears to be mainly statistical.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Shell structure underlying the evolution of quadrupole collectivity in S-38 and S-40 probed by transient-field g-factor measurements on fast radioactive beams
The shell structure underlying shape changes in neutron-rich nuclei between
N=20 and N=28 has been investigated by a novel application of the transient
field technique to measure the first-excited state g factors in S-38 and S-40
produced as fast radioactive beams. Details of the new methodology are
presented. In both S-38 and S-40 there is a fine balance between the proton and
neutron contributions to the magnetic moments. Shell model calculations which
describe the level schemes and quadrupole properties of these nuclei also give
a satisfactory explanation of the g factors. In S-38 the g factor is extremely
sensitive to the occupation of the neutron p3/2 orbit above the N=28 shell gap
as occupation of this orbit strongly affects the proton configuration. The g
factor of deformed S-40 does not resemble that of a conventional collective
nucleus because spin contributions are more important than usual.Comment: 10 pages, 36 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Cross-shell excitation in two-proton knockout: Structure of Ca
The two-proton knockout reaction Be(Ti,Ca) has
been studied at 72 MeV/nucleon. Besides the strong feeding of the Ca
ground state, the only other sizeable cross section proceeds to a 3 level
at 3.9 MeV. There is no measurable direct yield to the first excited 2
state at 2.6 MeV. The results illustrate the potential of such direct reactions
for exploring cross-shell proton excitations in neutron-rich nuclei and
confirms the doubly-magic nature of Ca
Shell structure at N=28 near the dripline: spectroscopy of Si, P and S
Measurements of the N=28 isotones 42Si, 43P and 44S using one- and two-proton
knockout reactions from the radioactive beam nuclei 44S and 46Ar are reported.
The knockout reaction cross sections for populating 42Si and 43P and a 184 keV
gamma-ray observed in 43P establish that the d_{3/2} and s_{1/2} proton orbits
are nearly degenerate in these nuclei and that there is a substantial Z=14
subshell closure separating these two orbits from the d_{5/2} orbit. The
increase in the inclusive two-proton knockout cross section from 42Si to 44S
demonstrates the importance of the availability of valence protons for
determining the cross section. New calculations of the two-proton knockout
reactions that include diffractive effects are presented. In addition, it is
proposed that a search for the d_{5/2} proton strength in 43P via a higher
statistics one-proton knockout experiment could help determine the size of the
Z=14 closure.Comment: Phys. Rev. C, in pres
CCAT-prime: a novel telescope for submillimeter astronomy
The CCAT-prime telescope is a 6-meter aperture, crossed-Dragone telescope,
designed for millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength observations. It will be
located at an altitude of 5600 meters, just below the summit of Cerro
Chajnantor in the high Atacama region of Chile. The telescope's unobscured
optics deliver a field of view of almost 8 degrees over a large, flat focal
plane, enabling it to accommodate current and future instrumentation fielding
>100k diffraction-limited beams for wavelengths less than a millimeter. The
mount is a novel design with the aluminum-tiled mirrors nested inside the
telescope structure. The elevation housing has an integrated shutter that can
enclose the mirrors, protecting them from inclement weather. The telescope is
designed to co-host multiple instruments over its nominal 15 year lifetime. It
will be operated remotely, requiring minimum maintenance and on-site activities
due to the harsh working conditions on the mountain. The design utilizes
nickel-iron alloy (Invar) and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials
in the mirror support structure, achieving a relatively temperature-insensitive
mount. We discuss requirements, specifications, critical design elements, and
the expected performance of the CCAT-prime telescope. The telescope is being
built by CCAT Observatory, Inc., a corporation formed by an international
partnership of universities. More information about CCAT and the CCAT-prime
telescope can be found at www.ccatobservatory.org.Comment: Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescope + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin,
Texas, USA; Proceedings Volume 10700, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes
VII; 107005X (2018
A DNA nanoswitch incorporating the fluorescent base analogue 2-aminopurine detects single nucleotide mismatches in unlabelled targets
DNA nanoswitches can be designed to detect unlabelled nucleic acid targets and have been shown to discriminate between targets which differ in the identity of only one base. This paper demonstrates that the fluorescent base analogue 2-aminopurine (AP) can be used to discriminate between nanoswitches with and without targets and to discriminate between matched and mismatched targets. In particular, we have used both steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to determine differences in AP environment at the branchpoint of nanoswitches assembled using complementary targets and targets which incorporate single base mismatches
Best practice recommendations for bladder management in spinal cord-afflicted patients in South Africa
Recent research on the standard of care and related quality of life of the spinal cord-afflicted community in South Africa (SA) has revealed significant gaps in practice, and challenges regarding levels of care and access to services and supplies specifically related to the neurogenic bladde
Best practice recommendations for bladder management in spinal cordafflicted patients in South Africa
Recent research on the standard of care and related quality of life of the spinal cord-afflicted community in South Africa (SA) has revealed significant gaps in practice, and challenges regarding levels of care and access to services and supplies specifically related to the neurogenic bladde
Barriers to obesity management: a pilot study of primary care clinicians
BACKGROUND: Obesity is an increasing epidemic in both the US and veteran populations, yet it remains largely understudied in the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) setting. The purpose of our study was to identify barriers to the effective management of obesity in VHA primary care settings. METHODS: Three focus groups of clinicians from a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and an affiliated Community Based Outpatient Center (CBOC) were conducted to identify potential barriers to obesity management. The focus groups and previously published studies then informed the creation of a 47-item survey that was then disseminated and completed by 55 primary care clinicians. RESULTS: The focus groups identified provider, system, and patient barriers to obesity care. Lack of obesity training during medical school and residency was associated with lower rates of discussing diet and exercise with obese patients (p < 0.05). Clinicians who watched their own diets vigorously were more likely to calculate BMI for obese patients than other clinicians (42% vs. 13%, p < 0.05). Many barriers identified in previous studies (e.g., attitudes toward obese patients, lack of insurance payments for obesity care) were not prevalent barriers in the current study. CONCLUSION: Many VHA clinicians do not routinely provide weight management services for obese patients. The most prevalent barriers to obesity care were poor education during medical school and residency and the lack of information provided by the VHA to both clinicians and patients about available weight management services
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