1,983 research outputs found
Radiative relaxation rates and intensities during outer planet entries
Gas properties which can affect outer planetary entry probe radiative heat transfer are reviewed in order to predict the effect of processes such as radiative relaxation, radiative cooling, and equilibrium radiation intensities on entry. These processes are quantified in order to avoid overestimating the radiative transfer by an over simplified approach to the problem. By reducing the uncertainties in the knowledge of these processes, the heatshield weight is minimized by reducing safety factors and performance limits
Coronaviruses: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Coronaviruses: Molecular and Cellular Biolog
Facilitating access to voluntary and community services for patients with psychosocial problems: a before-after evaluation
Background: Patients with psychosocial problems may benefit from a variety of community, educational, recreational and voluntary sector resources, but GPs often under-refer to these through lack of knowledge and time. This study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of graduate primary care mental health workers (GPCMHWs) facilitating access to voluntary and community sector services for patients with psychosocial problems. Methods: Patients with psychosocial problems from 13 general practices in London were referred to a GPCMHW Community Link scheme providing information and support to access voluntary and community resources. Patient satisfaction, mental health and social outcomes, and use of primary care resources, were evaluated. Results: 108 patients consented to take part in the study. At three-month follow-up, 63 (58%) had made contact with a community service identified as suitable for their needs. Most were satisfied with the help provided by the GPCMHW in identifying and supporting access to a suitable service. There was a reduction in the number of patients with a probable mental health problem on the GHQ-12 from 83% to 52% (difference 31% (95% CI, 17% – 44%). Social adjustment improved and frequencies of primary care consultations and of prescription of psychotropic medications were reduced. Conclusion: Graduates with limited training in mental health and no prior knowledge of local community resources can help patients with psychosocial problems access voluntary and community services, and patients value such a scheme. There was some evidence of effectiveness in reducing psychosocial and mental health problems
The Two Modes of Visual Processing: Implications for Spatial Orientation
The roles of the focal and ambient visual systems in spatial orientation are discussed. The two modes are defined and compared. The contribution of each system is illustrated through examples such as spatial disorientation/motion sickness, vehicle guidance/night driving, visual narrowing under stress/cortical brain damage, and aircraft instrumentation. Emphasis is placed on the need for testing procedures for the ambient system
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Learning together: Lessons from a collaborative curriculum design project
Based on an action research project implemented at two South African universities, we argue that content and language integration (ICL) collaborative partnerships benefit not only from collaboration between language and content specialists, but in addition, from collaboration between language specialists, general education specialists and content specialists from a variety of disciplines. However, as we illustrate below, these benefits may be accompanied by substantial challenges. We make a further claim, for the value of a transformative approach towards collaboration for content and language integration, in which the teacher/researchers engage in their practice in a critical and reflexive manner, and by so doing, foster their own deep learning, as well as the deep learning of the students
Dietary nitrate-induced increases in human muscle power: High versus low responders
Maximal neuromuscular power is an important determinant of athletic performance and also quality of life, independence, and perhaps even mortality in patient populations. We have shown that dietary nitrate (NO3- ), a source of nitric oxide (NO), improves muscle power in some, but not all, subjects. The present investigation was designed to identify factors contributing to this interindividual variability. Healthy men (n = 13) and women (n = 7) 22-79 year of age and weighing 52.1-114.9 kg were studied using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Subjects were tested 2 h after ingesting beetroot juice (BRJ) either containing or devoid of 12.3 ± 0.8 mmol of NO3- . Plasma NO3- and nitrite (NO2- ) were measured as indicators of NO bioavailability and maximal knee extensor speed (Vmax ), power (Pmax ), and fatigability were determined via isokinetic dynamometry. On average, dietary NO3- increased (P < 0.05) Pmax by 4.4 ± 8.1%. Individual changes, however, ranged from -9.6 to +26.8%. This interindividual variability was not significantly correlated with age, body mass (inverse of NO3- dose per kg), body mass index (surrogate for body composition) or placebo trial Vmax or fatigue index (in vivo indicators of muscle fiber type distribution). In contrast, the relative increase in Pmax was significantly correlated (r = 0.60; P < 0.01) with the relative increase in plasma NO2- concentration. In multivariable analysis female sex also tended (P = 0.08) to be associated with a greater increase in Pmax. We conclude that the magnitude of the dietary NO3- -induced increase in muscle power is dependent upon the magnitude of the resulting increase in plasma NO2- and possibly female sex
Null Geodesics in Five Dimensional Manifolds
We analyze a class of 5D non-compact warped-product spaces characterized by
metrics that depend on the extra coordinate via a conformal factor. Our model
is closely related to the so-called canonical coordinate gauge of Mashhoon et
al. We confirm that if the 5D manifold in our model is Ricci-flat, then there
is an induced cosmological constant in the 4D sub-manifold. We derive the
general form of the 5D Killing vectors and relate them to the 4D Killing
vectors of the embedded spacetime. We then study the 5D null geodesic paths and
show that the 4D part of the motion can be timelike -- that is, massless
particles in 5D can be massive in 4D. We find that if the null trajectories are
affinely parameterized in 5D, then the particle is subject to an anomalous
acceleration or fifth force. However, this force may be removed by
reparameterization, which brings the correct definition of the proper time into
question. Physical properties of the geodesics -- such as rest mass variations
induced by a variable cosmological ``constant'', constants of the motion and 5D
time-dilation effects -- are discussed and are shown to be open to experimental
or observational investigation.Comment: 19 pages, REVTeX, in press in Gen. Rel. Gra
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