1,453 research outputs found
Reviews
Review of Of Common Cloth: Women in the Global Textile Industry, From Subservience to Strike: Industrial Relations in the Banking Industry, Understanding Industrial Relation
Double-network hydrogels improve pH-switchable adhesion
For environmentally-switchable adhesive systems to be reused repeatedly, the adhesive strength must not
deteriorate after each adhesion cycle. An important criterion to achieve this goal is that the integrity of the
interface must be retained after each adhesion cycle. Furthermore, in order to have practical benefits,
reversing the adhesion must be a relatively rapid process. Here, a double-network hydrogel of
poly(methacrylic acid) and poly[oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate] is shown to undergo
adhesive failure during pH-switchable adhesion with a grafted (brush) layer of polycationic poly[2-(diethyl
amino)ethyl methacrylate], and can be reused at least seven times. The surfaces are attached at pH 6 and
detached at pH 1. A single-network hydrogel of poly(methacrylic acid), also exhibits pH-switchable
adhesion with poly[2-(diethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate] but cohesive failure leads to an accumulation of
the hydrogel on the brush surface and the hydrogel can only be reused at different parts of that surface.
Even without an environmental stimulus (i.e. attaching and detaching at pH 6), the double-network
hydrogel can be used up to three times at the same point on the brush surface. The single-network
hydrogel cannot be reused under such circumstances. Finally, the time taken for the reuse of the doublenetwork
hydrogel is relatively rapid, taking no more than an hour to reverse the adhesion
Improving immunization practices in United States hospitals and health systems
Purpose - Payment for healthcare services in the USA has shifted from fee for service to compensation based on value and quality. The indicators used for payments are a variety of clinical measures, including administration of vaccines to patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of programs in health systems to improve vaccination rates and patient outcomes. Design/methodology/approach - A search of the literature was conducted to find examples of vaccine programs in US health systems, and also to identify policies to improve immunization rates. Findings - Successful programs for improving vaccination rates require advocacy and support of leadership, a systematic and multidisciplinary approach, and an evaluation of local resources and capacity. Numerous examples exist of medical, nursing, and pharmacy led programs that improve vaccination rates. The department in charge has relied on the support of other groups to ensure the success. Social implications - Mandatory vaccination of healthcare personnel (HCP) in the health system has been a growing trend in the USA. Although there has been some resistance to mandatory vaccinations for HCP, the standards and requirements have resulted in improved rates in health systems, which ultimately improve efficiency and protects patients. Originality/value - This review describes considerations for implementing a successful vaccination program in a health system and provides examples of specific strategies. An overview of mandatory vaccinations for HCP is also described
Research infrastructure challenges in preparing essential biodiversity variables data products for alien invasive species
High Bone Mass is associated with bone-forming features of osteoarthritis in non-weight bearing joints independent of body mass index
Objectives: High Bone Mass (HBM) is associated with (a) radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA), partly mediated by increased BMI, and (b) pelvic enthesophytes and hip osteophytes, suggestive of a bone-forming phenotype. We aimed to establish whether HBM is associated with radiographic features of OA in non weight-bearing (hand) joints, and whether such OA demonstrates a bone-forming phenotype. Methods: HBM cases (BMD Z-scores ≥+3.2) were compared with family controls. A blinded assessor graded all PA hand radiographs for: osteophytes (0-3), joint space narrowing (JSN)(0-3), subchondral sclerosis (0-1), at the index Distal Interphalangeal Joint (DIPJ) and 1st Carpometacarpal Joint (CMCJ), using an established atlas. Analyses used a random effects logistic regression model, adjusting a priori for age and gender. Mediating roles of BMI and bone turnover markers (BTMs) were explored by further adjustment. Results: 314 HBM cases (mean age 61.1years, 74% female) and 183 controls (54.3years, 46% female) were included. Osteophytes (grade≥1) were more common in HBM (DIPJ: 67% vs. 45%, CMCJ: 69% vs. 50%), with adjusted OR [95% CI] 1.82 [1.11, 2.97], p=0.017 and 1.89 [1.19, 3.01], p=0.007 respectively; no differences were seen in JSN. Further adjustment for BMI failed to attenuate ORs for osteophytes in HBM cases vs. controls; DIPJ 1.72 [1.05, 2.83], p=0.032, CMCJ 1.76 [1.00, 3.06], p=0.049. Adjustment for BTMs (concentrations lower amongst HBM cases) did not attenuate ORs. Conclusions: HBM is positively associated with OA in non weight-bearing joints, independent of BMI. HBMassociated OA is characterised by osteophytes, consistent with a bone-forming phenotype, rather than JSN reflecting cartilage loss. Systemic factors (e.g. genetic architecture) which govern HBM may also increase bone-forming OA risk
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Coupled transport and chemical interactions in petroleum reservoirs: Multicomponent tracer demonstration large scale application
This is the final report for a two-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Enhanced tracer approaches for characterization of oil reservoirs were demonstrated and evaluated for both transport and chemical interactions. Existing tracer technology is limited in numbers of tracers and relies heavily on radioactive species. Using expertise developed at Los Alamos through applications of chemical, analytical, and geologic techniques to testing, alternative energy and environmental programs, we have defined new classes of conservative and reactive non-radioactive tracers for both laboratory and field experiments. Reservoir experiments are critical to improved reservoir management, characterization of CO{sub 2} flooding, and validation/development of significantly enhanced simulators utilizing advanced computational technology. A demonstration field tracer experiment has been performed in the Salt Creek Field Unit in West Texas to characterize a section of the reservoir under water-flood. An initial robust set of tracers, field experience in their application, and interpretation methodology was demonstrated for large scale multi-well, multi-tracer flow and connectivity tests
Novae Ejecta as Colliding Shells
Following on our initial absorption-line analysis of fifteen novae spectra we
present additional evidence for the existence of two distinct components of
novae ejecta having different origins. As argued in Paper I one component is
the rapidly expanding gas ejected from the outer layers of the white dwarf by
the outburst. The second component is pre-existing outer, more slowly expanding
circumbinary gas that represents ejecta from the secondary star or accretion
disk. We present measurements of the emission-line widths that show them to be
significantly narrower than the broad P Cygni profiles that immediately precede
them. The emission profiles of novae in the nebular phase are distinctly
rectangular, i.e., strongly suggestive of emission from a relatively thin,
roughly spherical shell. We thus interpret novae spectral evolution in terms of
the collision between the two components of ejecta, which converts the early
absorption spectrum to an emission-line spectrum within weeks of the outburst.
The narrow emission widths require the outer circumbinary gas to be much more
massive than the white dwarf ejecta, thereby slowing the latter's expansion
upon collision. The presence of a large reservoir of circumbinary gas at the
time of outburst is suggestive that novae outbursts may sometime be triggered
by collapse of gas onto the white dwarf, as occurs for dwarf novae, rather than
steady mass transfer through the inner Lagrangian point.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures; Revised manuscript; Accepted for publication in
Astrophysics & Space Scienc
The Association between Parity and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease in Women: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on the relationship between parity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with few evaluating multiple cardiovascular outcomes. It is also unclear if any relationship between parity and CVD is independent of breastfeeding. We examined the associations between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, including breastfeeding adjustment. Materials and Methods: Data were from 8,583 White and African American women, 45-64 years of age, in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, and strokes were ascertained from 1987 to 2016 by annual interviews and hospital surveillance. Parity and breastfeeding were self-reported. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios (HR) for the association between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, adjusting for baseline sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle factors, and breastfeeding. Results: Women reported no pregnancies (6.0%), or having 0 (1.6%), 1-2 (36.2%), 3-4 (36.4%), or 5+ (19.7%) live births. During 30 years follow-up, there were 1,352 CHDs, 843 MIs, 750 strokes, and 1,618 heart failure events. Compared with women with 1-2 prior births, those with prior pregnancies and no live births had greater incident CHD (HR=1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.14-2.42) and heart failure risk (1.46, 1.04-2.05), after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Women with 5+ births had greater risk of CHD (1.29, 1.10-1.52) and hospitalized MI (1.38, 1.13-1.69), after adjustment for baseline characteristics and breastfeeding. Conclusions: In a diverse U.S. cohort, a history of 5+ live births is associated with CHD risk, specifically, MI, independent of breastfeeding. Having a prior pregnancy and no live birth is associated with greater CHD and heart failure risk
Electromagnetic Dissociation of Nuclei in Heavy-Ion Collisions
Large discrepancies have been observed between measured Electromagnetic
Dissociation(ED) cross sections and the predictions of the semiclassical
Weiz\"acker-Williams-Fermi(WWF) method. In this paper, the validity of the
semiclassical approximation is examined. The total cross section for
electromagnetic excitation of a nuclear target by a spinless projectile is
calculated in first Born approximation, neglecting recoil. The final result is
expressed in terms of correlation functions and convoluted densities in
configuration space. The result agrees with the WWF approximation to leading
order(unretarded electric dipole approximation), but the method allows an
analytic evaluation of the cutoff, which is determined by the details of the
electric dipole transition charge density. Using the Goldhaber-Teller model of
that density, and uniform charge densities for both projectile and target, the
cutoff is determined for the total cross section in the nonrelativistic limit,
and found to be smaller than values currently used for ED calculations. In
addition, cross sections are calculated using a phenomenological momentum space
cutoff designed to model final state interactions. For moderate projectile
energies, the calculated ED cross section is found to be smaller than the
semiclassical result, in qualitative agreement with experiment.Comment: 28 page
Dynamics and Berry phase of two-species Bose-Einstein condensates
In terms of exact solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for an
effective giant spin modeled from a coupled two-mode Bose-Einstein condensate
(BEC) with adiabatic and cyclic time-varying Raman coupling between two
hyperfine states of the BEC, we obtain analytic time-evolution formulas of the
population imbalance and relative phase between two components with various
initial states, especially the SU(2)coherent state. We find the Berry phase
depending on the number parity of atoms, and particle number dependence of the
collapse revival of population-imbalance oscillation. It is shown that
self-trapping and phase locking can be achieved from initial SU(2) coherent
states with proper parameters.Comment: 18 pages,5 figure
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