963 research outputs found
Dynamic modelling of acidification of Norwegian surface waters
Årsliste 2008In 2006 and November 2007, the Coordination Centre for Effects (CCE) under the UNECE LRTAP Convention issued calls for data on results from dynamic models to soils and surface waters given specified future scenarios of sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition. Submitted data from Norway is summarized here. 1007 lakes sampled in 1995 were modelled using the MAGIC model. The results were then matched to 2304 grid squares in the critical load grid for Norway. The past, present and future deposition (CLE=current legislation, i.e. Gothenburg protocol, and MFR=maximum feasible reduction) were specified by the CCE for each EMEP grid square. The results showed that the increasing trend in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) in surface waters observed since 1990 will continue slightly through 2020. Many lakes in southernmost Norway will continue to be acidified (critical load exceeded) unless deposition of S and N is reduced substantially below requirements of the Gothenburg protocol. Under the MFR scenario, ANC can increase in most lakes throughout the country. Many lakes in Finnmark in northernmost Norway will experience reacidification due to projected increases in S and N deposition.Statens Forurensningstilsyn
Viability of primordial black holes as short period gamma-ray bursts
It has been proposed that the short period gamma-ray bursts, which occur at a
rate of , may be evaporating primordial black holes
(PBHs). Calculations of the present PBH evaporation rate have traditionally
assumed that the PBH mass function varies as . This mass
function only arises if the density perturbations from which the PBHs form have
a scale invariant power spectrum. It is now known that for a scale invariant
power spectrum, normalised to COBE on large scales, the PBH density is
completely negligible, so that this mass function is cosmologically irrelevant.
For non-scale-invariant power spectra, if all PBHs which form at given epoch
have a fixed mass then the PBH mass function is sharply peaked around that
mass, whilst if the PBH mass depends on the size of the density perturbation
from which it forms, as is expected when critical phenomena are taken into
account, then the PBH mass function will be far broader than . In this paper we calculate the present day PBH evaporation rate,
using constraints from the diffuse gamma-ray background, for both of these mass
functions. If the PBH mass function has significant finite width, as recent
numerical simulations suggest, then it is not possible to produce a present day
PBH evaporation rate comparable with the observed short period gamma-ray burst
rate. This could also have implications for other attempts to detect
evaporating PBHs.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev. D with additional
reference
Estimating Soil Moisture Depletion from Climate, Crop and Soil Data
TREMENDOUS international scientific
effort has been expended on
evaporation and transpiration problems
during the past decade as evidenced
by hundreds of technical publications,
and numerous conferences. However,
use of this scientific achievement by
agriculturalists, project planners and
operators of irrigation farms has lagged
behind technological advancements.
The lag in adaptation of new technology
by the user can be partly attributed
to a lack of time, technical
training and experience in meteorology,
physics and agronom
Nanostructure and paramagnetic centres in diamond-like carbon: Effect of Ar dilution in PECVD process
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited utilising plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) with acetylene precursor, diluted with 0 – 45% argon. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements show the presence of one paramagnetic centre with no change in spin population over the range of film deposition conditions. However, the EPR linewidth decreases with increasing argon content of the precursor mix, suggesting an enhancement of motional narrowing due to an increase in electron delocalization, related to an increase in the sp2 cluster size. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements indicate the surface of the DLC is formed of nanoscale asperities of material. With radii of tens of nanometres for films deposited with zero argon, the size of the features increases with the argon dilution of the acetylene. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis and electrical measurements further elucidate the changes in film structure
Amplitude measurements of Faraday waves
A light reflection technique is used to measure quantitatively the surface
elevation of Faraday waves. The performed measurements cover a wide parameter
range of driving frequencies and sample viscosities. In the capillary wave
regime the bifurcation diagrams exhibit a frequency independent scaling
proportional to the wavelength. We also provide numerical simulations of the
full Navier-Stokes equations, which are in quantitative agreement up to
supercritical drive amplitudes of 20%. The validity of an existing perturbation
analysis is found to be limited to 2.5% overcriticaly.Comment: 7 figure
Real time monitoring of screw insertion using acoustic emission can predict screw stripping in human cancellous bone
Background
To develop experience, orthopaedic surgeons train their own proprioception to detect torque during screw insertion. This experience is acquired over time and when implanting conventional/non-locked screws in osteopenic cancellous bone the experienced surgeon still strips between 38 and 45%. Technology needs to be investigated to reduce stripping rates. Acoustic-Emission technology has the ability to detect stress wave energy transmitted through a screw during insertion into synthetic bone. Our hypothesis is Acoustic-Emission waves can be detected through standard orthopaedic screwdrivers while advancing screws through purchase and overtightening in cancellous human bone with different bone mineral densities replicating the clinical state.
Methods
77 non-locking 4 mm and 6.5 mm diameter cancellous bone screws were inserted through to stripping into the lateral condylar area of 6 pairs of embalmed distal femurs. Specimens had varying degrees of bone mineral density determined by quantitative CT. Acoustic-Emission energy and axial force were detected for each test.
Results
The tests showed a significant high correlation between bone mineral density and Acoustic-Emission energy with R = 0.74. A linear regression model with the mean stripping load as the dependent variable and mean Acoustic-Emission energy, bone mineral densities and screw size as the independent variables resulted in r 2 = 0.94.
Interpretation
This experiment succeeded in testing real time Acoustic-Emission monitoring of screw purchase and overtightening in human bone. Acoustic-Emission energy and axial compressive force have positive high correlation to bone mineral density. The purpose is to develop a known technology and apply it to improve the bone-metal construct strength by reducing human error of screw overtightening
Surface and electronic structure of MOCVD-grown Ga(0.92)In(0.08)N investigated by UV and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies
The surface and electronic structure of MOCVD-grown layers of
Ga(0.92)In(0.08)N have been investigated by means of photoemission. An
additional feature at the valence band edge, which can be ascribed to the
presence of In in the layer, has been revealed. A clean (0001)-(1x1) surface
was prepared by argon ion sputtering and annealing. Stability of chemical
composition of the investigated surface subjected to similar ion etching was
proven by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
The Oregon Experiment — Effects of Medicaid on Clinical Outcomes
Background: Despite the imminent expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income adults, the effects of expanding coverage are unclear. The 2008 Medicaid expansion in Oregon based on lottery drawings from a waiting list provided an opportunity to evaluate these effects. Methods: Approximately 2 years after the lottery, we obtained data from 6387 adults who were randomly selected to be able to apply for Medicaid coverage and 5842 adults who were not selected. Measures included blood-pressure, cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin levels; screening for depression; medication inventories; and self-reported diagnoses, health status, health care utilization, and out-of-pocket spending for such services. We used the random assignment in the lottery to calculate the effect of Medicaid coverage. Results: We found no significant effect of Medicaid coverage on the prevalence or diagnosis of hypertension or high cholesterol levels or on the use of medication for these conditions. Medicaid coverage significantly increased the probability of a diagnosis of diabetes and the use of diabetes medication, but we observed no significant effect on average glycated hemoglobin levels or on the percentage of participants with levels of 6.5% or higher. Medicaid coverage decreased the probability of a positive screening for depression (−9.15 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, −16.70 to −1.60; P=0.02), increased the use of many preventive services, and nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures. Conclusions: This randomized, controlled study showed that Medicaid coverage generated no significant improvements in measured physical health outcomes in the first 2 years, but it did increase use of health care services, raise rates of diabetes detection and management, lower rates of depression, and reduce financial strain.United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and EvaluationCalifornia HealthCare FoundationNational Institute on Aging (P30AG012810)National Institute on Aging (RC2AGO36631)National Institute on Aging (R01AG0345151)John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationRobert Wood Johnson FoundationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationSmith Richardson FoundationUnited States. Social Security Administration (5 RRC 08098400-03-00, to the National Bureau of Economic Research as part of the Retirement Research Consortium of the Social Security Administration)Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S.
Solving the Sports League Scheduling Problem with Tabu Search
In this paper we present a tabu approach for a version of the Sports League Scheduling Problem. The approach adopted is based on a formulation of the problem as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). Tests were carried out on problem instances of up to 40 teams representing 780 integer variables with 780 values per variable. Experimental results show that this approach outperforms some existing methods and is one of the most promising methods for solving problems of this type
Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (agora)
Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with app1133132sem informaçãosem informaçã
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