The interaction region of high energy protons

The spatial view of the interaction region of colliding high energy protons (in terms of impact parameter) is considered. It is shown that the region of inelastic collisions has a very peculiar shape. It saturates for central collisions at an energy of 7 TeV. We speculate on the further evolution with energy, which is contrasted to the "black disk" picture.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1406.215

On the discrete spectrum of quantum layers

Consider a quantum particle trapped between a curved layer of constant width built over a complete, non-compact, $\mathcal C^2$ smooth surface embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$. We assume that the surface is asymptotically flat in the sense that the second fundamental form vanishes at infinity, and that the surface is not totally geodesic. This geometric setting is known as a quantum layer. We consider the quantum particle to be governed by the Dirichlet Laplacian as Hamiltonian. Our work concerns the existence of bound states with energy beneath the essential spectrum, which implies the existence of discrete spectrum. We first prove that if the Gauss curvature is integrable, and the surface is weakly $\kappa$-parabolic, then the discrete spectrum is non-empty. This result implies that if the total Gauss curvature is non-positive, then the discrete spectrum is non-empty. We next prove that if the Gauss curvature is non-negative, then the discrete spectrum is non-empty. Finally, we prove that if the surface is parabolic, then the discrete spectrum is non-empty if the layer is sufficiently thin.Comment: Clarifications and corrections to previous version, conjecture from previous version is proven here (Theorem 1.5), additional references include

Calculation of reduced density matrices from correlation functions

It is shown that for solvable fermionic and bosonic lattice systems, the reduced density matrices can be determined from the properties of the correlation functions. This provides the simplest way to these quantities which are used in the density-matrix renormalization group method.Comment: 4 page

Improved signal analysis and time-synchronous reconstruction in waveform interpolation coding

This paper presents a waveform-matched waveform interpolation (WMWI) technique which enables improved speech analysis over existing WI coders. In WMWI, an accurate representation of speech evolution is produced by extracting critically-sampled pitch periods of a time-warped, constant pitch residual. The technique also offers waveform-matching capabilities by using an inverse warping process to near-perfectly reconstruct the residual. Here, a pitch track optimisation technique is described which ensures the speech residual can be effectively decomposed and quantised. Also, the pitch parameters required to efficiently quantise and recreate the pitch track, on a period-by-period basis, are identified. This allows time-synchrony between the original and decoded signals to be preserved

Phase Diagram of a 2D Vertex Model

Phase diagram of a symmetric vertex model which allows 7 vertex configurations is obtained by use of the corner transfer matrix renormalization group (CTMRG), which is a variant of the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG). The critical indices of this model are identified as $\beta = 1/8$ and $\alpha = 0$.Comment: 2 pages, 5 figures, short not

Thick film silicon growth techniques

One inch wide silicon ribbons up to 14 inches long have been produced from graphite dies. Several different techniques have been employed to improve the semiconductor purity of silicon. This has resulted in a general increase in quality although the techniques involved have not been optimized. The power factor of uncoated ribbon solar cells produced for material evaluation has increased to approximately 75% of those evaluation cells made from commercial silicon. The present limitation is believed due to low lifetime. Additional work has continued with new die materials; however, only composite dies of SiO2 and C show significant potential at this time

The barriers to and enablers of providing reasonably adjusted health services to people with intellectual disabilities in acute hospitals: evidence from a mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that promote and compromise the implementation of reasonably adjusted healthcare services for patients with intellectual disabilities in acute National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. DESIGN: A mixed-methods study involving interviews, questionnaires and participant observation (July 2011-March 2013). SETTING: Six acute NHS hospital trusts in England. METHODS: Reasonable adjustments for people with intellectual disabilities were identified through the literature. Data were collected on implementation and staff understanding of these adjustments. RESULTS: Data collected included staff questionnaires (n=990), staff interviews (n=68), interviews with adults with intellectual disabilities (n=33), questionnaires (n=88) and interviews (n=37) with carers of patients with intellectual disabilities, and expert panel discussions (n=42). Hospital strategies that supported implementation of reasonable adjustments did not reliably translate into consistent provision of such adjustments. Good practice often depended on the knowledge, understanding and flexibility of individual staff and teams, leading to the delivery of reasonable adjustments being haphazard throughout the organisation. Major barriers included: lack of effective systems for identifying and flagging patients with intellectual disabilities, lack of staff understanding of the reasonable adjustments that may be needed, lack of clear lines of responsibility and accountability for implementing reasonable adjustments, and lack of allocation of additional funding and resources. Key enablers were the Intellectual Disability Liaison Nurse and the ward manager. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that ward culture, staff attitudes and staff knowledge are crucial in ensuring that hospital services are accessible to vulnerable patients. The authors suggest that flagging the need for specific reasonable adjustments, rather than the vulnerable condition itself, may address some of the barriers. Further research is recommended that describes and quantifies the most frequently needed reasonable adjustments within the hospital pathways of vulnerable patient groups, and the most effective organisational infrastructure required to guarantee their use, together with resource implications

Next Generation Sequencing Assay for Detection of Circulating HPV DNA (cHPV-DNA) in Patients Undergoing Radical (Chemo)Radiotherapy in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ASCC).

Background: Following chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for human papilloma virus positive (HPV+) anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC), detection of residual/recurrent disease is challenging. Patients frequently undergo unnecessary repeated biopsies for abnormal MRI/clinical findings. In a pilot study we assessed the role of circulating HPV-DNA in identifying "true" residual disease. Methods: We prospectively collected plasma samples at baseline (n = 21) and 12 weeks post-CRT (n = 17). Circulating HPV-DNA (cHPV DNA) was measured using a novel next generation sequencing (NGS) assay, panHPV-detect, comprising of two primer pools covering distinct regions of eight high-risk HPV genomes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, and 58) to detect circulating HPV-DNA (cHPV DNA). cHPV-DNA levels post-CRT were correlated to disease response. Results: In pre-CRT samples, panHPV-detect demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for HPV associated ASCC. PanHPV-detect was able to demonstrate cHPV-DNA in 100% (9/9) patients with T1/T2N0 cancers. cHPV-DNA was detectable 12 weeks post CRT in just 2/17 patients, both of whom relapsed. 1/16 patients who had a clinical complete response (CR) at 3 months post-CRT but relapsed at 9 months and 1/1 patient with a partial response (PR). PanHPV-detect demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity in predicting response to CRT. Conclusion: We demonstrate that panHPV-detect, an NSG assay is a highly sensitive and specific test for the identification of cHPV-DNA in plasma at diagnosis. cHPV-DNA post-treatment may predict clinical response to CRT

Phase diagram of the half-filled Hubbard chain with next-nearest-neighbor hopping

We investigate the ground-state phase diagram of the half-filled one-dimensional Hubbard model with next-nearest-neighbor hopping using the Density-Matrix Renormalization Group technique as well as an unrestricted Hartree-Fock approximation. We find commensurate and incommensurate disordered magnetic insulating phases and a spin-gapped metallic phase in addition to the one-dimensional Heisenberg phase. At large on-site Coulomb repulsion $U$, we make contact with the phase diagram of the frustrated Heisenberg chain, which has spin-gapped phases for sufficiently large frustration. For weak $U$, sufficiently large next-nearest-neighbor hopping $t_2$ leads to a band structure with four Fermi points rather than two, producing a spin-gapped metallic phase. As $U$ is increased in this regime, the system undergoes a Mott-Hubbard transition to a frustrated antiferromagnetic insulator

Resolving Molecular Line Emission from Protoplanetary Disks: Observational Prospects for Disks Irradiated by Infalling Envelopes

Molecular line observations that could resolve protoplanetary disks of ~100 AU both spatially and kinematically would be a useful tool to unambiguously identify these disks and to determine their kinematical and physical characteristics. In this work we model the expected line emission from a protoplanetary disk irradiated by an infalling envelope, addressing the question of its detectability with subarcsecond resolution. We adopt a previously determined disk model structure that gives a continuum spectral energy distribution and a mm intensity spatial distribution that are consistent with observational constraints of HL Tau. An analysis of the capability of presently working and projected interferometers at mm and submm wavelengths shows that molecular transitions of moderate opacity at these wavelengths (e.g., C17O lines) are good candidates for detecting disk lines at subarcsecond resolution in the near future. We suggest that, in general, disks of typical Class I sources will be detectable.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures. To be published in The Astrophysical Journa