5,091 research outputs found
Spectroscopic test of Bose-Einstein statistics for photons
Using Bose-Einstein-statistics-forbidden two-photon excitation in atomic
barium, we have limited the rate of statistics-violating transitions, as a
fraction of an equivalent statistics-allowed transition rate, to
at the 90% confidence level. This is an improvement of
more than three orders of magnitude over the best previous result.
Additionally, hyperfine-interaction enabling of the forbidden transition has
been observed, to our knowledge, for the first time
Investigation into the limits of perturbation theory at low Q^2 using HERA deep inelastic scattering data
A phenomenological study of the final combined HERA data on inclusive deep
inelastic scattering (DIS) has been performed. The data are presented and
investigated for a kinematic range extending from values of the four-momentum
transfer, , above 10 GeV down to the lowest values observable at
HERA of = 0.045 GeV and Bjorken , = 6
10. The data are well described by fits based on perturbative quantum
chromodynamics (QCD) using collinear factorisation and evolution of the parton
densities encompassed in the DGLAP formalism from the highest down to
of a few GeV. The Regge formalism can describe the data up to 0.65 GeV. The complete data set can be described by a new fit
using the ALLM parameterisation. The region between the Regge and the
perturbative QCD regimes is of particular interest.Comment: 38 pages, 13 figure
Comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly residing close to mine dumps in South Africa: A cross-sectional study
Background. Pollution arising from mine dumps in South Africa (SA) has been a source of concern to nearby communities.Objective. To investigate whether comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among elderly persons (≥55 years) was associated with proximity to mine dumps.Methods. Elderly persons in communities 1 - 2 km (exposed) and ≥5 km (unexposed) from five preselected mine dumps in Gauteng and North West provinces in SA were included in a cross-sectional study.Results. Exposed elderly persons had a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases than those who were unexposed. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that living close to mine dumps was significantly associated with asthma + hypertension (odds ratio (OR) 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 - 2.28), asthma + pneumonia (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.04), emphysema + arrhythmia (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.07 - 1.77), emphysema + myocardial infarction (OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.73 - 2.54), emphysema + pneumonia (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.41 - 7.98), hypertension + myocardial infarction (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.04 - 2.44) and hypertension + pneumonia (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05 - 1.93).Conclusion. Detrimental associations between comorbidity of the health outcomes and proximity to mine dumps were observed among the elderly in SA
On the interaction of a single-photon wave packet with an excited atom
The interaction of a single-photon wave packet with an initially excited
two-level atom in free space is studied in semiclassical and quantum
approaches. It is shown that the final state of the field does not contain
doubly occupied modes. The process of the atom's transition to the ground state
may be accelerated, decelerated or even reversed by the incoming photon,
depending on parameters. The spectrum of emitted radiation is close to the sum
of the spectrum of the incoming single-photon wave packet and the natural line
shape, with small and complicated deviations.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure
Modeling two-language competition dynamics
During the last decade, much attention has been paid to language competition
in the complex systems community, that is, how the fractions of speakers of
several competing languages evolve in time. In this paper we review recent
advances in this direction and focus on three aspects. First we consider the
shift from two-state models to three state models that include the possibility
of bilingual individuals. The understanding of the role played by bilingualism
is essential in sociolinguistics. In particular, the question addressed is
whether bilingualism facilitates the coexistence of languages. Second, we will
analyze the effect of social interaction networks and physical barriers.
Finally, we will show how to analyze the issue of bilingualism from a game
theoretical perspective.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures; published in the Special Issue of Advances in
Complex Systems "Language Dynamics
Universals versus historical contingencies in lexical evolution
© 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. The frequency with which we use different words changes all the time, and every so often, a new lexical item is invented or another one ceases to be used. Beyond a small sample of lexical items whose properties are well studied, little is known about the dynamics of lexical evolution. How do the lexical inventories of languages, viewed as entire systems, evolve? Is the rate of evolution of the lexicon contingent upon historical factors or is it driven by regularities, perhaps to do with universals of cognition and social interaction?We address these questions using the Google Books N-Gram Corpus as a source of data and relative entropy as a measure of changes in the frequency distributions of words. It turns out that there are both universals and historical contingencies at work. Across several languages, we observe similar rates of change, but only at timescales of at least around five decades. At shorter timescales, the rate of change is highly variable and differs between languages. Major societal transformations as well as catastrophic events such as wars lead to increased change in frequency distributions, whereas stability in society has a dampening effect on lexical evolution
``Superfast'' Reaction in Turbulent Flow with Potential Disorder
We explore the regime of ``superfast'' reactivity that has been predicted to
occur in turbulent flow in the presence of potential disorder. Computer
simulation studies confirm qualitative features of the previous renormalization
group predictions, which were based on a static model of turbulence. New
renormalization group calculations for a more realistic, dynamic model of
turbulence show that the superfast regime persists. This regime, with
concentration decay exponents greater than that for a well-mixed reaction,
appears to be a general result of the interplay among non-linear reaction
kinetics, turbulent transport, and local trapping by potential disorder.Comment: 14 pages. 4 figures. Uses IOP styles. To appear in J. Phys. A: Math.
Ge
Using WALS and Jazyki mira
The article's primary concern is to address the usage of The world atlas of language structures through comparing it with another typological database of similar scope, Jazyki mira. Such a comparison is carried out based on a set of criteria. First, the scope of the databases is compared, as well as their differences and similarities in structure, in the number of errors, and in the existing user interfaces. Then calculations of typological similarity and temporal stability of language features based on the data provided by both databases are compared. Finally, conclusions are drawn as to the relative efficiency and usefulness of these databases for different aims of research or educational goals. © Walter de Gruyter
Comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly residing close to mine dumps in South Africa: A cross-sectional study.
Background. Pollution arising from mine dumps in South Africa (SA) has been a source of concern to nearby communities.Objectives. To investigate whether comorbidity of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among elderly persons (≥55 years) was associated with proximity to mine dumps.Methods. Elderly persons in communities 1 - 2 km (exposed) and ≥5 km (unexposed) from five preselected mine dumps in Gauteng and North West provinces in SA were included in a cross-sectional study.Results. Exposed elderly persons had a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases than those who were unexposed. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that living close to mine dumps was significantly associated with asthma + hyper- tension (odds ratio (OR) 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 - 2.28), asthma + pneumonia (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.04), emphysema + arrhythmia (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.07 - 1.77), emphysema + myocardial infarction (OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.73 - 2.54), emphysema + pneumonia (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.41 - 7.98), hypertension + myocardial infarction (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.04 - 2.44) and hypertension + pneumonia (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05 - 1.93).Conclusion. Detrimental associations between comorbidity of the health outcomes and proximity to mine dumps were observed among the elderly in SA.
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