456 research outputs found
Trapping effects on inflation
We develop a Lagrangian approach based on the influence functional method so
as to derive self-consistently the Langevin equation for the inflaton field in
the presence of trapping points along the inflaton trajectory. The Langevin
equation exhibits the backreaction and the fluctuation-dissipation relation of
the trapping. The fluctuation is induced by a multiplicative colored noise that
can be identified as the the particle number density fluctuations and the
dissipation is a new effect that may play a role in the trapping with a strong
coupling. In the weak coupling regime, we calculate the power spectrum of the
noise-driven inflaton fluctuations for a single trapping point and studied its
variation with the trapping location. We also consider a case with closely
spaced trapping points and find that the resulting power spectrum is blue.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
An UML-XML-RDB Model Mapping Solution for Facilitating Information Standardization and Sharing
Abstract: To facilitate information standardization and sharing in Construction Industry, this paper presents a simple but effective approach that maps the UML (Unified Modeling Language) object-oriented information model related to a construction project to an XML schema, then to a Relational DataBase (RDB) schema. First of all, the mapping between UML model and XML schema is discussed since UML has been a popular tool to model the static structure and dynamic behaviors of the information and processes in a construction project, while XML has become a de-facto standard for information sharing and exchange. Then, a set of consistent rules for mapping from XML schema to RDB's Entity-Relational (E-R) model are studied and established since RDB has been the most popular choice for information management. The present study focuses on making the set of rules simple and easy-to-implement for most applications in construction industry. Finally, a mapping tool for automatically generating RDB schemas from XML Schemas is developed
Gravity Waves from Quantum Stress Tensor Fluctuations in Inflation
We consider the effects of the quantum stress tensor fluctuations of a
conformal field in generating gravity waves in inflationary models. We find a
non-scale invariant, non-Gaussian contribution which depends upon the total
expansion factor between an initial time and the end of inflation. This
spectrum of gravity wave perturbations is an illustration of a negative power
spectrum, which is possible in quantum field theory. We discuss possible
choices for the initial conditions. If the initial time is taken to be
sufficiently early, the fluctuating gravity waves are potentially observable
both in the CMB radiation and in gravity wave detectors, and could offer a
probe of transplanckian physics. The fact that they have not yet been observed
might be used to constrain the duration and energy scale of inflation.Comment: 17 -pages, no figure
Quantum Fluctuations of Radiation Pressure
Quantum fluctuations of electromagnetic radiation pressure are discussed. We
use an approach based on the quantum stress tensor to calculate the
fluctuations in velocity and position of a mirror subjected to electromagnetic
radiation. Our approach reveals that radiation pressure fluctuations are due to
a cross term between vacuum and state dependent terms in a stress tensor
operator product. Thus observation of these fluctuations would entail
experimental confirmation of this cross term. We first analyze the pressure
fluctuations on a single, perfectly reflecting mirror, and then study the case
of an interferometer. This involves a study of the effects of multiple bounces
in one arm, as well as the correlations of the pressure fluctuations between
arms of the interferometer. In all cases, our results are consistent with those
previously obtained by Caves using different mehods.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures, RevTe
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in the Enteral Feeding of the Elderly
SummaryToday we are faced with an aging society that may develop malnutrition because of dysphagia related to dementia, stroke, and malignancy seen often in the elderly. The preferred form of nutritional supplementation for this group is enteral nutrition, and the most appropriate long-term method is by use of a gastrostomy. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was first introduced in 1980 as an alternative to the traditional operative procedure and rapidly became the preferred procedure. In geriatric patients, the principal indications are neurological dysphagia and malnutrition, related to an underlying disease or anorexia-cachexia in very elderly. PEG is contraindicated in the presence of respiratory distress, previous gastric resection, total esophageal obstruction, coagulation disorders and sepsis in the elderly. Common complications include wound infection, leakage, hemorrhage, and fistula in the general population, but aspiration pneumonia is the major case of death in this group. Risks and complications of PEG must be discussed with patients and their families; and the decision for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion should only be made after careful consideration and discussion between managing physicians, allied health professionals, and the patient and/or family. Four ethical principles may help make feeding decisions: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. Attentive long-term care after tube replacement is mandatory. Acceptance of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement by patients and their families tends to increase once favorable outcomes are offered
Spin and charge transport in U-shaped one-dimensional channels with spin-orbit couplings
A general form of the Hamiltonian for electrons confined to a curved
one-dimensional (1D) channel with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) linear in momentum
is rederived and is applied to a U-shaped channel. Discretizing the derived
continuous 1D Hamiltonian to a tight-binding version, the Landauer-Keldysh
formalism (LKF) for nonequilibrium transport can be applied. Spin transport
through the U-channel based on the LKF is compared with previous quantum
mechanical approaches. The role of a curvature-induced geometric potential
which was previously neglected in the literature of the ring issue is also
revisited. Transport regimes between nonadiabatic, corresponding to weak SOC or
sharp turn, and adiabatic, corresponding to strong SOC or smooth turn, is
discussed. Based on the LKF, interesting charge and spin transport properties
are further revealed. For the charge transport, the interplay between the
Rashba and the linear Dresselhaus (001) SOCs leads to an additional modulation
to the local charge density in the half-ring part of the U-channel, which is
shown to originate from the angle-dependent spin-orbit potential. For the spin
transport, theoretically predicted eigenstates of the Rashba rings, Dresselhaus
rings, and the persistent spin-helix state are numerically tested by the
present quantum transport calculation.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
Observation of interlayer phonon modes in van der Waals heterostructures
We have investigated the vibrational properties of van der Waals
heterostructures of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs),
specifically MoS2/WSe2 and MoSe2/MoS2 heterobilayers as well as twisted MoS2
bilayers, by means of ultralow-frequency Raman spectroscopy. We discovered
Raman features (at 30 ~ 40 cm-1) that arise from the layer-breathing mode (LBM)
vibrations between the two incommensurate TMD monolayers in these structures.
The LBM Raman intensity correlates strongly with the suppression of
photoluminescence that arises from interlayer charge transfer. The LBM is
generated only in bilayer areas with direct layer-layer contact and atomically
clean interface. Its frequency also evolves systematically with the relative
orientation between of the two layers. Our research demonstrates that LBM can
serve as a sensitive probe to the interface environment and interlayer
interactions in van der Waals materials
Fluctuations of the Retarded Van der Waals Force
The retarded Van der Waals force between a polarizable particle and a
perfectly conducting plate is re-examined. The expression for this force given
by Casimir and Polder represents a mean force, but there are large fluctuations
around this mean value on short time scales which are of the same order of
magnitude as the mean force itself. However, these fluctuations occur on time
scales which are typically of the order of the light travel time between the
atom and the plate. As a consequence, they will not be observed in an
experiment which measures the force averaged over a much longer time. In the
large time limit, the magnitude of the mean squared velocity of a test particle
due to this fluctuating Van der Waals force approaches a constant, and is
similar to a Brownian motion of a test particle in an thermal bath with an
effective temperature. However the fluctuations are not isotropic in this case,
and the shift in the mean square velocity components can even be negative. We
interpret this negative shift to correspond to a reduction in the velocity
spread of a wavepacket. The force fluctuations discussed in this paper are
special case of the more general problem of stress tensor fluctuations. These
are of interest in a variety of areas fo physics, including gravity theory.
Thus the effects of Van der Waals force fluctuations serve as a useful model
for better understanding quantum effects in gravity theory.Comment: 14 pages, no figure
Molecular Imaging, Pharmacokinetics, and Dosimetry of 111In-AMBA in Human Prostate Tumor-Bearing Mice
Molecular imaging with promise of personalized medicine can provide patient-specific information noninvasively, thus enabling treatment to be tailored to the specific biological attributes of both the disease and the patient. This study was to investigate the characterization of DO3A-CH2CO-G-4-aminobenzoyl-Q-W-A-V-G-H-L-M-NH2 (AMBA) in vitro, MicroSPECT/CT imaging, and biological activities of 111In-AMBA in PC-3 prostate tumor-bearing SCID mice. The uptake of 111In-AMBA reached highest with 3.87 ± 0.65% ID/g at 8 h. MicroSPECT/CT imaging studies suggested that the uptake of 111In-AMBA was clearly visualized between 8 and 48 h postinjection. The distribution half-life (t1/2α) and the elimination half-life (t1/2β) of 111In-AMBA in mice were 1.53 h and 30.7 h, respectively. The Cmax and AUC of 111In-AMBA were 7.57% ID/g and 66.39 h∗% ID/g, respectively. The effective dose appeared to be 0.11 mSv/MBq−1. We demonstrated a good uptake of 111In-AMBA in the GRPR-overexpressed PC-3 tumor-bearing SCID mice. 111In-AMBA is a safe, potential molecular image-guided diagnostic agent for human GRPR-positive tumors, ranging from simple and straightforward biodistribution studies to improve the efficacy of combined modality anticancer therapy
Gender Difference in Statin Intervention on Blood Lipid Control among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease
SummaryBackgroundThe aim of this study was to clarify the current status in the effective control of dyslipidemia in Taiwanese women and men with coronary heart disease (CHD).Materials and methodsA total 1584 patients with CHD (1188 men, aged 64.8 ± 11.6 years and 396 women, aged 69.0 ± 9.8 years) from 3486 patients who had atherosclerotic vascular disease and complete lipids measured values [total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)] were used for analysis.ResultsThe waist, height, weight, and creatinine levels were higher in men than in women. The systolic blood pressure, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, fasting blood glucose, and platelet were lower in men than in women. Men were more likely to achieve the target goal than women in TC < 160 mg/dL, LDL-C < 100 mg/dL, and TG < 150 mg/dL as well as to achieve HDL-C goal.ConclusionA significant gap was found between the guidelines and clinical practice in statin intervention among these CHD patients, particularly for women. The strategy in control of dyslipidemia should consider gender difference
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