287 research outputs found
Reframing the future: the role of reflexivity in governance networks in sustainability transitions
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183569.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)30 november 201
Mathematical modelling long-term effects of replacing Prevnar7 with Prevnar13 on invasive pneumococcal diseases in England and Wales
England and Wales recently replaced the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) with its 13-valent equivalent (PCV13), partly based on projections from mathematical models of the long-term impact of such a switch compared to ceasing pneumococcal conjugate vaccination altogether. A compartmental deterministic model was used to estimate parameters governing transmission of infection and competition between different groups of pneumococcal serotypes prior to the introduction of PCV13. The best-fitting parameters were used in an individual based model to describe pneumococcal transmission dynamics and effects of various options for the vaccination programme change in England and Wales. A number of scenarios were conducted using (i) different assumptions about the number of invasive pneumococcal disease cases adjusted for the increasing trend in disease incidence prior to PCV7 introduction in England and Wales, and (ii) a range of values representing serotype replacement induced by vaccination of the additional six serotypes in PCV13. Most of the scenarios considered suggest that ceasing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use would cause an increase in invasive pneumococcal disease incidence, while replacing PCV7 with PCV13 would cause an overall decrease. However, the size of this reduction largely depends on the level of competition induced by the additional serotypes in PCV13. The model estimates that over 20 years of PCV13 vaccination, around 5000–62000 IPD cases could be prevented compared to stopping pneumococcal conjugate vaccination altogether. Despite inevitable uncertainty around serotype replacement effects following introduction of PCV13, the model suggests a reduction in overall invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in all cases. Our results provide useful evidence on the benefits of PCV13 to countries replacing or considering replacing PCV7 with PCV13, as well as data that can be used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of such a switch
Keplerian Squeezed States and Rydberg Wave Packets
We construct minimum-uncertainty solutions of the three-dimensional
Schr\"odinger equation with a Coulomb potential. These wave packets are
localized in radial and angular coordinates and are squeezed states in three
dimensions. They move on elliptical keplerian trajectories and are appropriate
for the description of the corresponding Rydberg wave packets, the production
of which is the focus of current experimental effort. We extend our analysis to
incorporate the effects of quantum defects in alkali-metal atoms, which are
used in experiments.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review
Elliptical Squeezed States and Rydberg Wave Packets
We present a theoretical construction for closest-to-classical wave packets
localized in both angular and radial coordinates and moving on a keplerian
orbit. The method produces a family of elliptical squeezed states for the
planar Coulomb problem that minimize appropriate uncertainty relations in
radial and angular coordinates. The time evolution of these states is studied
for orbits with different semimajor axes and eccentricities. The elliptical
squeezed states may be useful for a description of the motion of Rydberg wave
packets excited by short-pulsed lasers in the presence of external fields,
which experiments are attempting to produce. We outline an extension of the
method to include certain effects of quantum defects appearing in the
alkali-metal atoms used in experiments.Comment: published in Phys. Rev. A, vol. 52, p. 2234, Sept. 199
Analytic results for Gaussian wave packets in four model systems: II. Autocorrelation functions
The autocorrelation function, A(t), measures the overlap (in Hilbert space)
of a time-dependent quantum mechanical wave function, psi(x,t), with its
initial value, psi(x,0). It finds extensive use in the theoretical analysis and
experimental measurement of such phenomena as quantum wave packet revivals. We
evaluate explicit expressions for the autocorrelation function for
time-dependent Gaussian solutions of the Schrodinger equation corresponding to
the cases of a free particle, a particle undergoing uniform acceleration, a
particle in a harmonic oscillator potential, and a system corresponding to an
unstable equilibrium (the so-called `inverted' oscillator.) We emphasize the
importance of momentum-space methods where such calculations are often more
straightforwardly realized, as well as stressing their role in providing
complementary information to results obtained using position-space
wavefunctions.Comment: 18 pages, RevTeX, to appear in Found. Phys. Lett, Vol. 17, Dec. 200
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