615 research outputs found
Understanding and protecting vulnerable financial consumers
This article considers how consumer protection law and policy should address the interests of particularly vulnerable financial consumers. Specifically, the article proposes a taxonomy of vulnerability which helps to identify (a) what makes consumers particularly vulnerable, and (b) how consumer protection law and consumer policy (broadly understood) can respond to these causes in a way that provides such consumers with appropriate protection. Changes to economic conditions, legal requirements on traders and our understanding of consumer behaviour make discussion of these issues particularly topical. There is little doubt that finding solutions is extremely difficult. Trade-offs are necessary and some enduring factors that contribute to vulnerability, in particular poverty, sometimes appear intractable. Nevertheless, it is submitted that by identifying clearly both why consumers are vulnerable and how the factors that lead to such vulnerability can be addressed, it is possible to construct an environment which respects consumer choice while ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected appropriately
Electronic structure and chemical bonding in Ti2AlC investigated by soft x-ray emission spectroscopy
The electronic structure of the nanolaminated transition metal carbide Ti2AlC
has been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. The
measured Ti L, C K and Al L emission spectra are compared with calculated
spectra using ab initio density-functional theory including dipole matrix
elements. The detailed investigation of the electronic structure and chemical
bonding provides increased understanding of the physical properties of this
type of nanolaminates. Three different types of bond regions are identified;
the relatively weak Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization 1 eV below the Fermi level, and
the Ti 3d - C 2p and Ti 3d - C 2s hybridizations which are stronger and deeper
in energy are observed around 2.5 eV and 10 eV below the Fermi level,
respectively. A strongly modified spectral shape of the 3s final states in
comparison to pure Al is detected for the buried Al monolayers indirectly
reflecting the Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization. The differences between the
electronic and crystal structures of Ti2AlC, Ti3AlC2 and TiC are discussed in
relation to the number of Al layers per Ti layer in the two former systems and
the corresponding change of the unusual materials properties.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; PACS:78.70.En, 71.15.Mb, 71.20.-
Prescribing by mental health nurses in acute general hospitals
This article will consider the role of mental health nurses (MHNs) working in a mental health liaison team (MHLT) as non-medical prescribers (NMPs) for inpatients in acute hospitals. The author has spent 10 years working as a mental health liaison nurse in acute hospitals, qualified as an NMP in 2014, and has seen how NMPs working in MHLTs can enhance care given to patients. MHLTs support and advise colleagues caring for patients with mental health problems in the acute general hospital environment, and ensure appropriate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Consideration is given to the recent delivery of innovative services, such as rapid assessment interface and discharge (RAID), and how these services could be further strengthened by MHN NMPs, along with possible barriers and facilitators to the MHN NMP role in the acute hospital. The author believes NMP roles within MHLTs are essential to patients experiencing mental health problems in acute hospitals; these roles facilitate quick access to assessment, diagnosis and prescribing. </jats:p
Electronic structure and chemical bonding in Ti4SiC3 investigated by soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and first principle theory
The electronic structure in the new transition metal carbide Ti4SiC3 has been
investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and compared to
the well-studied Ti3SiC2 and TiC systems. The measured high-resolution Ti L, C
K and Si L x-ray emission spectra are discussed with ab initio calculations
based on density-functional theory including core-to-valence dipole matrix
elements. The detailed investigations of the Ti-C and Ti-Si chemical bonds
provide increased understanding of the physical properties of these
nanolaminates. A strongly modified spectral shape is detected for the buried Si
monolayers due to Si 3p hybridization with the Ti 3d orbitals. As a result of
relaxation of the crystal structure and the charge-transfer from Ti (and Si) to
C, the strength of the Ti-C covalent bond is increased. The differences between
the electronic and crystal structures of Ti4SiC3 and Ti3SiC2 are discussed in
relation to the number of Si layers per Ti layer in the two systems and the
corresponding change of materials properties.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
Carbon release by selective alloying of transition metal carbides
We have performed first principles density functional theory calculations on
TiC alloyed on the Ti sublattice with 3d transition metals ranging from Sc to
Zn. The theory is accompanied with experimental investigations, both as regards
materials synthesis as well as characterization. Our results show that by
dissolving a metal with a weak ability to form carbides, the stability of the
alloy is lowered and a driving force for the release of carbon from the carbide
is created. During thin film growth of a metal carbide this effect will favor
the formation of a nanocomposite with carbide grains in a carbon matrix. The
choice of alloying elements as well as their concentrations will affect the
relative amount of carbon in the carbide and in the carbon matrix. This can be
used to design the structure of nanocomposites and their physical and chemical
properties. One example of applications is as low-friction coatings. Of the
materials studied, we suggest the late 3d transition metals as the most
promising elements for this phenomenon, at least when alloying with TiC.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Electronic structure investigation of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2, and Ti3GeC2 by soft-X-ray emission spectroscopy
The electronic structures of epitaxially grown films of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2 and
Ti3GeC2 have been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft X-ray emission
spectroscopy. The measured high-resolution Ti L, C K, Al L, Si L and Ge M
emission spectra are compared with ab initio density-functional theory
including core-to-valence dipole matrix elements. A qualitative agreement
between experiment and theory is obtained. A weak covalent Ti-Al bond is
manifested by a pronounced shoulder in the Ti L-emission of Ti3AlC2. As Al is
replaced with Si or Ge, the shoulder disappears. For the buried Al and
Si-layers, strongly hybridized spectral shapes are detected in Ti3AlC2 and
Ti3SiC2, respectively. As a result of relaxation of the crystal structure and
the increased charge-transfer from Ti to C, the Ti-C bonding is strengthened.
The differences between the electronic structures are discussed in relation to
the bonding in the nanolaminates and the corresponding change of materials
properties.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure
Reaction-diffusion systems and nonlinear waves
The authors investigate the solution of a nonlinear reaction-diffusion
equation connected with nonlinear waves. The equation discussed is more general
than the one discussed recently by Manne, Hurd, and Kenkre (2000). The results
are presented in a compact and elegant form in terms of Mittag-Leffler
functions and generalized Mittag-Leffler functions, which are suitable for
numerical computation. The importance of the derived results lies in the fact
that numerous results on fractional reaction, fractional diffusion, anomalous
diffusion problems, and fractional telegraph equations scattered in the
literature can be derived, as special cases, of the results investigated in
this article.Comment: LaTeX, 16 pages, corrected typo
A certain class of Laplace transforms with applications to reaction and reaction-diffusion equations
A class of Laplace transforms is examined to show that particular cases of
this class are associated with production-destruction and reaction-diffusion
problems in physics, study of differences of independently distributed random
variables and the concept of Laplacianness in statistics, alpha-Laplace and
Mittag-Leffler stochastic processes, the concepts of infinite divisibility and
geometric infinite divisibility problems in probability theory and certain
fractional integrals and fractional derivatives. A number of applications are
pointed out with special reference to solutions of fractional reaction and
reaction-diffusion equations and their generalizations.Comment: LaTeX, 12 pages, corrected typo
Tick-transmitted co-infections among erythema migrans patients in a general practice setting in Norway:a clinical and laboratory follow-up study
Background
Erythema migrans (EM) is the most common manifestation of Lyme borreliosis. Here, we examined EM patients in Norwegian general practice to find the proportion exposed to tick-transmitted microorganisms other than Borrelia, and the impact of co-infection on the clinical manifestations and disease duration.
Methods
Skin biopsies from 139/188 EM patients were analyzed using PCR for Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. Follow-up sera from 135/188 patients were analyzed for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia, A. phagocytophilum and Babesia microti antibodies, and tested with PCR if positive. Day 0 sera from patients with fever (8/188) or EM duration ofââ„â21Â days (69/188) were analyzed, using PCR, for A. phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp. and N. mikurensis. Day 14 sera were tested for TBEV IgG.
Results
We detected no microorganisms in the skin biopsies nor in the sera of patients with fever or prolonged EM duration. Serological signs of exposure against SFG Rickettsia and A. phagocytophilum were detected in 11/135 and 8/135, respectively. Three patients exhibited both SFG Rickettsia and A. phagocytophilum antibodies, albeit negative PCR. No antibodies were detected against B. microti. 2/187 had TBEV antibodies without prior immunization. There was no significant increase in clinical symptoms or disease duration in patients with possible co-infection.
Conclusions
Co-infection with N. mikurensis, A. phagocytophilum, SFG Rickettsia, Babesia spp. and TBEV is uncommon in Norwegian EM patients. Despite detecting antibodies against SFG Rickettsia and A. phagocytophilum in some patients, no clinical implications could be demonstrated
Solution of generalized fractional reaction-diffusion equations
This paper deals with the investigation of a closed form solution of a
generalized fractional reaction-diffusion equation. The solution of the
proposed problem is developed in a compact form in terms of the H-function by
the application of direct and inverse Laplace and Fourier transforms.
Fractional order moments and the asymptotic expansion of the solution are also
obtained.Comment: LaTeX, 18 pages, corrected typo
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