84 research outputs found
Construction and use of an intense positron source at new linac facilities in Germany (- conceptual report -)
In this conceptual report the idea to establish an European Positron Source for Applied Research ("EPOS") based on new LINAC facilities in Germany (ELBE/Rossendorf or TTF-DESY/Hamburg) is considered. The report contains not only the outline of obvious applications in atomic physics, materials science and surface physics, but also several new methodical developments which are only possible with an intense positron beam. This opportunity will also allow the use and further development of imaging techniques being of special interest for industrial applications
HeT-SiC-05International Topical Workshop on Heteroepitaxy of 3C-SiC on Silicon and its Application to Sensor DevicesApril 26 to May 1, 2005,Hotel Erbgericht Krippen / Germany- Selected Contributions -
This report collects selected outstanding scientific and technological results obtained within the frame of the European project "FLASiC" (Flash LAmp Supported Deposition of 3C-SiC) but also other work performed in adjacent fields. Goal of the project was the production of large-area epitaxial 3C-SiC layers grown on Si, where in an early stage of SiC deposition the SiC/Si interface is rigorously improved by energetic electromagnetic radiation from purpose-built flash lamp equipment developed at Forschungszentrum Rossendorf. Background of this work is the challenging task for areas like microelectronics, biotechnology, or biomedicine to meet the growing demands for high-quality electronic sensors to work at high temperatures and under extreme environmental conditions. First results in continuation of the project work – for example, the deposition of the topical semiconductor material zinc oxide (ZnO) on epitaxial 3C-SiC/Si layers – are reported too
Ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses in Trinidad and in British Columbia, Canada
This paper investigates the commonalities in ethnoveterinary medicine used for horses between Trinidad (West Indies) and British Columbia (Canada). These research areas are part of a common market in pharmaceuticals and are both involved in the North American racing circuit. There has been very little research conducted on medicinal plants used for horses although their use is widespread. The data on ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses was obtained through key informant interviews with horse owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, grooms and animal care specialists in two research areas: Trinidad and British Columbia (BC). A participatory validation workshop was held in BC. An extensive literature review and botanical identification of the plants was also done. In all, 20 plants were found to be used in treating racehorses in Trinidad and 97 in BC. Of these the most-evidently effective plants 19 of the plants used in Trinidad and 66 of those used in BC are described and evaluated in this paper. Aloe vera, Curcuma longa and Ricinus communis are used in both research areas. More research is needed in Trinidad to identify plants that respondents claimed were used in the past. Far more studies have been conducted on the temperate and Chinese medicinal plants used in BC and therefore these ethnoveterinary remedies reflect stronger evidence of efficacy
Quantum communication through a spin chain with interaction determined by a Jacobi matrix
We obtain the time-dependent correlation function describing the evolution of
a single spin excitation state in a linear spin chain with isotropic
nearest-neighbour XY coupling, where the Hamiltonian is related to the Jacobi
matrix of a set of orthogonal polynomials. For the Krawtchouk polynomial case
an arbitrary element of the correlation function is expressed in a simple
closed form. Its asymptotic limit corresponds to the Jacobi matrix of the
Charlier polynomial, and may be understood as a unitary evolution resulting
from a Heisenberg group element. Correlation functions for Hamiltonians
corresponding to Jacobi matrices for the Hahn, dual Hahn and Racah polynomials
are also studied. For the Hahn polynomials we obtain the general correlation
function, some of its special cases, and the limit related to the Meixner
polynomials, where the su(1,1) algebra describes the underlying symmetry. For
the cases of dual Hahn and Racah polynomials the general expressions of the
correlation functions contain summations which are not of hypergeometric type.
Simplifications, however, occur in special cases
Large‐scale mass movements recorded in the sediments of Lake Hallstatt (Austria)–evidence for recurrent natural hazards at a UNESCO World Heritage site
The Bronze to Iron Age underground salt mining complex of Hallstatt (Austria) is widely recognised for its cultural importance and wealth of archaeological artefacts. However, while the daily life in the salt mines is archaeologically well documented and environmental effects of the mining activity have been investigated recently, the impact of natural hazards on the prehistoric mining community is still poorly understood. For instance, while it is well established that the prehistoric underground mines have repeatedly been destroyed by large-scale mass movements, only little is known about the characteristics and extent of these events as well as about mass-movement recurrence during more recent times. To shed light on past mass-movement activity in the vicinity of the Hallstatt salt mines, we investigated sediment cores from adjacent Lake Hallstatt. Within the regular lake sediments we identified three large-scale event deposits, which are interpreted to originate from spontaneous or seismically induced mass movements in the mid-19th and late 9th century ce and the mid-4th century bce. While the age of the latter event is in good agreement with the abandonment of the famous Iron Age cemetery at Hallstatt, the younger events indicate that large-scale mass movements also occurred repeatedly during the Common Era
Global existence of classical solutions to the Vlasov-Poisson system in a three dimensional, cosmological setting
The initial value problem for the Vlasov-Poisson system is by now well
understood in the case of an isolated system where, by definition, the
distribution function of the particles as well as the gravitational potential
vanish at spatial infinity. Here we start with homogeneous solutions, which
have a spatially constant, non-zero mass density and which describe the mass
distribution in a Newtonian model of the universe. These homogeneous states can
be constructed explicitly, and we consider deviations from such homogeneous
states, which then satisfy a modified version of the Vlasov-Poisson system. We
prove global existence and uniqueness of classical solutions to the
corresponding initial value problem for initial data which represent spatially
periodic deviations from homogeneous states.Comment: 23 pages, Latex, report #
High Velocity Dust Collisions: Forming Planetesimals in a Fragmentation Cascade with Final Accretion
In laboratory experiments we determine the mass gain and loss in central
collisions between cm to dm-size SiO2 dust targets and sub-mm to cm-size SiO2
dust projectiles of varying mass, size, shape, and at different collision
velocities up to ~56.5 m/s. Dust projectiles much larger than 1 mm lead to a
small amount of erosion of the target but decimetre targets do not break up.
Collisions produce ejecta which are smaller than the incoming projectile.
Projectiles smaller than 1 mm are accreted by a target even at the highest
collision velocities. This implies that net accretion of decimetre and larger
bodies is possible. Independent of the original size of a projectile
considered, after several collisions all fragments will be of sub-mm size which
might then be (re)-accreted in the next collision with a larger body. The
experimental data suggest that collisional growth through fragmentation and
reaccretion is a viable mechanism to form planetesimals
Dust Ejection from Planetary Bodies by Temperature Gradients: Laboratory Experiments
Laboratory experiments show that dusty bodies in a gaseous environment eject
dust particles if they are illuminated. We find that even more intense dust
eruptions occur when the light source is turned off. We attribute this to a
compression of gas by thermal creep in response to the changing temperature
gradients in the top dust layers. The effect is studied at a light flux of 13
kW/(m*m) and 1 mbar ambient pressure. The effect is applicable to
protoplanetary disks and Mars. In the inner part of protoplanetary disks,
planetesimals can be eroded especially at the terminator of a rotating body.
This leads to the production of dust which can then be transported towards the
disk edges or the outer disk regions. The generated dust might constitute a
significant fraction of the warm dust observed in extrasolar protoplanetary
disks. We estimate erosion rates of about 1 kg/s for 100 m parent bodies. The
dust might also contribute to subsequent planetary growth in different
locations or on existing protoplanets which are large enough not to be
susceptible to particle loss by light induced ejection. Due to the ejections,
planetesimals and smaller bodies will be accelerated or decelerated and drift
outward or inward, respectively. The effect might also explain the entrainment
of dust in dust devils on Mars, especially at high altitudes where gas drag
alone might not be sufficient.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure
Development of a hard X-ray delay line for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and jitter-free pump–probe experiments at X-ray free-electron laser sources
A prototype device capable of splitting an X-ray pulse into two adjustable fractions, delaying one of them with the aim of performing split pulse X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and pump–probe type studies was designed and manufactured. Time delays up to 2.95 ns have been demonstrated. The achieved contrast values of 56% indicate a feasibility of performing coherence-based experiments with the delay line
Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens
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