Long-time tails and cage effect in driven granular fluids

We study the velocity autocorrelation function (VACF) of a driven granular fluid in the stationary state in 3 dimensions. As the critical volume fraction of the glass transition in the corresponding elastic system is approached, we observe pronounced cage effects in the VACF as well as a strong decrease of the diffusion constant. At moderate densities the VACF is shown to decay algebraically in time (t^{-3/2}) like in a molecular fluid, as long as the driving conserves momentum locally.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Two distinct aetiologies of cardia cancer, evidence from premorbid serological markers of gastric atrophy and Helicobacter pylori status

Background: Non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma is positively associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis. The role of H pylori infection and atrophic gastritis in cardia cancer is unclear. Aim: To compare cardia versus non-cardia cancer with respect to the premorbid state of the stomach. Methods: Nested case–control study. To each of 129 non-cardia and 44 cardia cancers, three controls were matched. Serum collected a median of 11.9 years before the diagnosis of cancer was tested for anti-H pylori antibodies, pepsinogen I:II and gastrin. Results: Non-cardia cancer was positively associated with H pylori (OR 4.75, 95% CI 2.56 to 8.81) and gastric atrophy (pepsinogen I:II ,2.5; OR 4.47, 95% CI 2.71 to 7.37). The diffuse and intestinal histological subtypes of non-cardia cancer were of similar proportions and both showed a positive association with H pylori and atrophy. Cardia cancer was negatively associated with H pylori (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.59), but H pylori-positive cardia cancer showed an association with gastric atrophy (OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.06 to 10.5). The predominant histological subtype of cardia cancer was intestinal and was not associated with gastric atrophy compared with the diffuse subtype ((OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.19 to 2.79) vs (OR 3.46, 95% CI 0.32 to 37.5)). Cardia cancer in patients with atrophy had an intestinal: diffuse ratio (1:1) similar to non-cardia cancer (1.9:1), whereas cardia cancers in patients without atrophy were predominantly intestinal (7:1). Conclusion: These findings indicate two aetiologies of cardia cancer, one associated with H pylori atrophic gastritis, resembling non-cardia cancer, and the other associated with non-atrophic gastric mucosa, resembling oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Serological markers of gastric atrophy may provide the key to determining gastric versus oesophageal origin of cardia cancer

Level density and thermal properties in rare earth nuclei

A convergent method to extract the nuclear level density and the gamma-ray strength function from primary gamma-ray spectra has been established. Thermodynamical quantities have been obtained within the microcanonical and canonical ensemble theory. Structures in the caloric curve and in the heat capacity curve are interpreted as fingerprints of breaking of Cooper pairs and quenching of pairing correlations. The strength function can be described using models and common parameterizations for the E1, M1 and pygmy resonance strength. However, a significant decrease of the pygmy resonance strength at finite temperatures has been observed.Comment: 15 pages including 8 figures. Proceedings article for the conference Nuclear Structure and Related Topics, Dubna, Russia, June 6-10, 200

Discharge planning, self-management, and community support: Strategies to avoid psychiatric rehospitalisation from a service user perspective

Abstract Objective Psychiatric rehospitalisation is often seen as a negative outcome in terms of healthcare quality and cost, as well as potentially hindering the process of recovery. The purpose of our study was to explore psychiatric rehospitalisation from a service-user perspective, paying attention to how rehospitalisation can be avoided. Method Eight focus groups, including a total of 55 mental health service users, were conducted in six European countries (Austria, Finland, Italy, Norway, Romania, and Slovenia). The results were analysed using systematic text condensation. Results All participants had been in touch with mental health services for at least one year, and had experienced more than one psychiatric hospitalisation. Participants emphasised the importance of discharge planning and psychoeducation both during and after the hospital stay, as well as the benefits of structured plans, coping strategies, self-monitoring techniques, and close contact with local community services.Social contacts and meaningful activities were also considered to be critical, as was support from peers and family members. Conclusion Efforts to avoid psychiatric rehospitalisation should include actions that support a functional day-to-day life, improve coping strategies, and build on cross-sectoral collaboration. Practice implications The study emphasises the need for psychoeducational and psychosocial interventions, starting already during the inpatient stay

Does prior acute exercise affect postexercise substrate oxidation in response to a high carbohydrate meal?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Consumption of a mixed meal increases postprandial carbohydrate utilization and decreases fat oxidation. On the other hand, acute endurance exercise increases fat oxidation and decreases carbohydrate utilization during the post-exercise recovery period. It is possible that the resulting post-exercise increase in circulating nonesterified fatty acids could attenuate the ability of ingested carbohydrate to inhibit lipid oxidation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior exercise attenuates the usual meal-induced decline in lipid oxidation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Six healthy, physically active young subjects (x age = 26.3 years, 4 males, 2 females) completed three treatments in random order after a ~10 h fast: (a) Exercise/Carbohydrate (Ex/CHO) – subjects completed a bout of exercise at 70% VO_2peak(targeted net energy cost of 400 kcals), followed by consumption of a carbohydrate-rich meal; (b) Exercise/Placebo (Ex/Placebo) – subjects completed an identical bout of exercise followed by consumption of a placebo; and (c) No Exercise/Carbohydrate (NoEx/CHO) – subjects sat quietly rather than exercising and then consumed the carbohydrate-rich meal. Blood samples were obtained before and during the postprandial period to determine plasma glucose, insulin, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). Respiratory gas exchange measures were used to estimate rates of fat and carbohydrate oxidation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plasma NEFA were approximately two-fold higher immediately following the two exercise conditions compared to the no-exercise condition, while meal consumption significantly increased insulin and glucose in both Ex/CHO and NoEx/CHO. NEFA concentrations fell rapidly during the 2-h postprandial period, but remained higher compared to the NoEx/CHO treatment. Carbohydrate oxidation increased rapidly and fat oxidation decreased in response to the meal, with no differences in the rates of carbohydrate and fat oxidation during recovery between the Ex/CHO and NoEx/CHO conditions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The plasma NEFA concentration is increased during the post exercise period, which is associated with elevated fat oxidation when no meal is consumed. However, when a mixed meal is consumed immediately following exercise, the initially elevated plasma NEFA concentration decreases rapidly, and postexercise fat oxidation during this 2-h postexercise, postprandial period is no higher than that of the 2-h postprandial period without prior exercise.</p

The encounter with the unknown: Nurses lived experiences of their responsibility for the care of the patient in the Swedish ambulance service

Registered nurses (RNs) have, according to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, the overall responsibility for the medical care in the ambulance care setting. Bringing RNs into the ambulance service are judged, according to earlier studies, to lead to a degree of professionalism with a higher quality of medical care. Implicitly in earlier studies, the work in the ambulance service involves interpersonal skills. The aim of this study was to describe RNs' experiences of being responsible for the care of the patient in the Swedish ambulance service. A reflective lifeworld approach within the perspective of caring science was used. Five RNs with at least five years experience from care in the ambulance care setting were interviewed. The findings show that the essence of the phenomenon is to prepare and create conditions for care and to accomplish care close to the patient. Three meaning constituents emerged in the descriptions: prepare and create conditions for the nursing care, to be there for the patient and significant others and create comfort for the patient and significant others. The responsibility is a complex phenomenon, with a caring perspective, emerging from the encounter with the unique human being