R-matrices and Tensor Product Graph Method

A systematic method for constructing trigonometric R-matrices corresponding to the (multiplicity-free) tensor product of any two affinizable representations of a quantum algebra or superalgebra has been developed by the Brisbane group and its collaborators. This method has been referred to as the Tensor Product Graph Method. Here we describe applications of this method to untwisted and twisted quantum affine superalgebras.Comment: LaTex 7 pages. Contribution to the APCTP-Nankai Joint Symposium on "Lattice Statistics and Mathematical Physics", 8-10 October 2001, Tianjin, Chin

Infrared Line Emission from Planetary Nebulae. I - General Theory

General theory of infrared line emission from planetary nebul

Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care

Background Health care‐associated infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Hand hygiene is regarded as an effective preventive measure. This is an update of a previously published review. Objectives To assess the short‐ and long‐term success of strategies to improve compliance to recommendations for hand hygiene, and to determine whether an increase in hand hygiene compliance can reduce rates of health care‐associated infection. Search methods We conducted electronic searches of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL. We conducted the searches from November 2009 to October 2016. Selection criteria We included randomised trials, non‐randomised trials, controlled before‐after studies, and interrupted time series analyses (ITS) that evaluated any intervention to improve compliance with hand hygiene using soap and water or alcohol‐based hand rub (ABHR), or both. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently screened citations for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias for each included study. Meta‐analysis was not possible, as there was substantial heterogeneity across studies. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach and present the results narratively in a 'Summary of findings' table. Main results This review includes 26 studies: 14 randomised trials, two non‐randomised trials and 10 ITS studies. Most studies were conducted in hospitals or long‐term care facilities in different countries, and collected data from a variety of healthcare workers. Fourteen studies assessed the success of different combinations of strategies recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve hand hygiene compliance. Strategies consisted of the following: increasing the availability of ABHR, different types of education for staff, reminders (written and verbal), different types of performance feedback, administrative support, and staff involvement. Six studies assessed different types of performance feedback, two studies evaluated education, three studies evaluated cues such as signs or scent, and one study assessed placement of ABHR. Observed hand hygiene compliance was measured in all but three studies which reported product usage. Eight studies also reported either infection or colonisation rates. All studies had two or more sources of high or unclear risks of bias, most often associated with blinding or independence of the intervention. Multimodal interventions that include some but not all strategies recommended in the WHO guidelines may slightly improve hand hygiene compliance (five studies; 56 centres) and may slightly reduce infection rates (three studies; 34 centres), low certainty of evidence for both outcomes. Multimodal interventions that include all strategies recommended in the WHO guidelines may slightly reduce colonisation rates (one study; 167 centres; low certainty of evidence). It is unclear whether the intervention improves hand hygiene compliance (five studies; 184 centres) or reduces infection (two studies; 16 centres) because the certainty of this evidence is very low. Multimodal interventions that contain all strategies recommended in the WHO guidelines plus additional strategies may slightly improve hand hygiene compliance (six studies; 15 centres; low certainty of evidence). It is unclear whether this intervention reduces infection rates (one study; one centre; very low certainty of evidence). Performance feedback may improve hand hygiene compliance (six studies; 21 centres; low certainty of evidence). This intervention probably slightly reduces infection (one study; one centre) and colonisation rates (one study; one centre) based on moderate certainty of evidence. Education may improve hand hygiene compliance (two studies; two centres), low certainty of evidence. Cues such as signs or scent may slightly improve hand hygiene compliance (three studies; three centres), low certainty of evidence. Placement of ABHR close to point of use probably slightly improves hand hygiene compliance (one study; one centre), moderate certainty of evidence. Authors' conclusions With the identified variability in certainty of evidence, interventions, and methods, there remains an urgent need to undertake methodologically robust research to explore the effectiveness of multimodal versus simpler interventions to increase hand hygiene compliance, and to identify which components of multimodal interventions or combinations of strategies are most effective in a particular context

A New Photometric Model of the Galactic Bar using Red Clump Giants

We present a study of the luminosity density distribution of the Galactic bar using number counts of red clump giants (RCGs) from the OGLE-III survey. The data were recently published by Nataf et al. (2013) for 9019 fields towards the bulge and have $2.94\times 10^6$ RC stars over a viewing area of $90.25 \,\textrm{deg}^2$. The data include the number counts, mean distance modulus ($\mu$), dispersion in $\mu$ and full error matrix, from which we fit the data with several tri-axial parametric models. We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to explore the parameter space and find that the best-fit model is the $E_3$ model, with the distance to the GC is 8.13 kpc, the ratio of semi-major and semi-minor bar axis scale lengths in the Galactic plane $x_{0},y_{0}$, and vertical bar scale length $z_0$, is $x_0:y_0:z_0 \approx 1.00:0.43:0.40$ (close to being prolate). The scale length of the stellar density profile along the bar's major axis is $\sim$ 0.67 kpc and has an angle of $29.4^\circ$, slightly larger than the value obtained from a similar study based on OGLE-II data. The number of estimated RC stars within the field of view is $2.78 \times 10^6$, which is systematically lower than the observed value. We subtract the smooth parametric model from the observed counts and find that the residuals are consistent with the presence of an X-shaped structure in the Galactic centre, the excess to the estimated mass content is $\sim 5.8$. We estimate the total mass of the bar is $\sim 1.8 \times 10^{10} M_\odot$. Our results can be used as a key ingredient to construct new density models of the Milky Way and will have implications on the predictions of the optical depth to gravitational microlensing and the patterns of hydrodynamical gas flow in the Milky Way.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables. MNRAS accepte

Statistics of Cosmological Black Hole Jet Sources: Blazar Predictions for GLAST

A study of the statistics of cosmological black-hole jet sources is applied to EGRET blazar data, and predictions are made for GLAST. Black-hole jet sources are modeled as collimated relativistic plasma outflows with radiation beamed along the jet axis due to strong Doppler boosting. The comoving rate density of blazar flares is assumed to follow a blazar formation rate (BFR), modeled by analytic functions based on astronomical observations and fits to EGRET data. The redshift and size distributions of gamma-ray blazars observed with EGRET, separated into BL Lac object (BL) and flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) distributions, are fit with monoparametric functions for the distributions of the jet Lorentz factor \Gamma, comoving directional power l'_e, and spectral slope. A BFR factor ~10 x greater at z ~ 1 than at present is found to fit the FSRQ data. A smaller comoving rate density and greater luminosity of BL flares at early times compared to the present epoch fits the BL data. Based on the EGRET observations, ~1000 blazars consisting of ~800 FSRQs and FR2 radio galaxies and ~200 BL Lacs and FR1 radio galaxies will be detected with GLAST during the first year of the mission. Additional AGN classes, such as hard-spectrum BL Lacs that were mostly missed with EGRET, could add more GLAST sources. The FSRQ and BL contributions to the EGRET gamma-ray background at 1 GeV are estimated at the level of ~10 - 15% and ~2 - 4%, respectively. EGRET and GLAST sensitivities to blazar flares are considered in the optimal case, and a GLAST analysis method for blazar detection is outlined.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, ApJ, in press, v.660, May 1, 2007 (minor changes from previous version

Nearby Microlensing Events - Identification of the Candidates for the SIM

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is the instrument of choice when it comes to observing astrometric microlensing events where nearby, usually high-proper-motion stars (``lenses''), pass in front of more distant stars (``sources''). Each such encounter produces a deflection in the source's apparent position that when observed by SIM can lead to a precise mass determination of the nearby lens star. We search for lens-source encounters during the 2005-2015 period using Hipparcos, ACT and NLTT to select lenses, and USNO-A2.0 to search for the corresponding sources, and rank these by the SIM time required for a 1% mass measurement. For Hipparcos and ACT lenses, the lens distance and lens-source impact parameter are precisely determined so the events are well characterized. We present 32 candidates beginning with a 61 Cyg A event in 2012 that requires only a few minutes of SIM time. Proxima Centauri and Barnard's star each generate several events. For NLTT lenses, the distance is known only to a factor of 3, and the impact parameter only to 1''. Together, these produce uncertainties of a factor ~10 in the amount of SIM time required. We present a list of 146 NLTT candidates and show how single-epoch CCD photometry of the candidates could reduce the uncertainty in SIM time to a factor of ~1.5.Comment: ApJ accepted, 31 pages (inc. 5 tables), 5 figures. t SIM refine

Monoterpenes reduced adducts formation in rats exposed to aflatoxin B1

Perillyl alcohol and d-limonene are naturally occurring plant compounds that exhibited anti-carcinogenic activities in mammary tumor models. The effects of these monoterpenes at the initiation stage of aflatoxin B1-induced hepatocarcinogenesis were investigated. Male F344 rats were fed Control or treatment diets throughout the study and exposed to aflatoxin for 5 days. Three days after the last aflatoxin dose, blood and liver samples were obtained. Analysis of liver samples showed that both limonene and perillyl alcohol significantly inhibited (

Routine hand hygiene audit by direct observation: has nemesis arrived?

Infection prevention and control experts have expended valuable health service time developing and implementing tools to audit health workers' hand hygiene compliance by direct observation. Although described as the ‘gold standard’ approach to hand hygiene audit, this method is labour intensive and may be inaccurate unless performed by trained personnel who are regularly monitored to ensure quality control. New technological devices have been developed to generate ‘real time’ data, but the cost of installing them and using them during routine patient care has not been evaluated. Moreover, they do not provide as much information about the hand hygiene episode or the context in which hand hygiene has been performed as direct observation. Uptake of hand hygiene products offers an inexpensive alternative to direct observation. Although product uptake would not provide detailed information about the hand hygiene episode or local barriers to compliance, it could be used as a continuous monitoring tool. Regular inspection of the data by infection prevention and control teams and clinical staff would indicate when and where direct investigation of practice by direct observation and questioning of staff should be targeted by highly trained personnel to identify local problems and improve practice