2019-nCoV: The Identify-Isolate-Inform (3I) Tool Applied to a Novel Emerging Coronavirus

2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is an emerging infectious disease closely related to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV that was first reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. As of January 2020, cases of 2019-nCoV are continuing to be reported in other Eastern Asian countries as well as in the United States, Europe, Australia, and numerous other countries. An unusually high volume of domestic and international travel corresponding to the beginning of the 2020 Chinese New Year complicated initial identification and containment of infected persons. Due to the rapidly rising number of cases and reported deaths, all countries should be considered at risk of imported 2019-nCoV. Therefore, it is essential for prehospital, clinic, and emergency department personnel to be able to rapidly assess 2019-nCoV risk and take immediate actions if indicated. The Identify-Isolate-Inform (3I) tool, originally conceived for the initial detection and management of Ebola virus and later adjusted for other infectious agents, can be adapted for any emerging infectious disease. This paper reports a modification of the 3I tool for use in the initial detection and management of patients under investigation for 2019-nCoV. After initial assessment for symptoms and epidemiological risk factors, including travel to affected areas and exposure to confirmed 2019-nCoV patients within 14 days, patients are classified in a risk-stratified system. Upon confirmation of a suspected 2019-nCoV case, affected persons must immediately be placed in airborne infection isolation and the appropriate public health agencies notified. This modified 3I tool will assist emergency and primary care clinicians, as well as out-of-hospital providers, in effectively managing persons with suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV

New Results on e+e- Line Emission in U+Ta Collisions

We present new results obtained from a series of follow-up e+e- coincidence measurements in heavy-ion collisions, utilizing an improved experimental set-up at the double-Orange beta-spectrometer of GSI. The collision system U+Ta was reinvestigated in three independent runs at beam energies in the range (6.0-6.4)xA MeV and different target thicknesses, with the objective to reproduce a narrow sum-energy e+e- line at ~635 keV observed previously in this collision system. At improved statistical accuracy, the line could not be found in these new data. For the ''fission'' scenario, an upper limit (1 sigma) on its production probability per collision of 1.3x10^{-8} can be set which has to be compared to the previously reported value of [4.9 +- 0.8 (stat.) +- 1.0 (syst)]x10^{-7}. In the light of the new results, a reanalysis of the old data shows that the continuous part of the spectrum at the line position is significantly higher than previously assumed, thus reducing the production probability of the line by a factor of two and its statistical significance to < 3.4sigma.Comment: 15 pages, standard LaTeX with 3 included PS figures; Submitted to Physics Letters

How robust is a thermal photon interpretation of the ALICE low-p_T data?

We present a rigorous theoretical analysis of the ALICE measurement of low-p_T direct-photon production in central lead-lead collisions at the LHC with a centre-of-mass energy of \sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76 TeV. Using NLO QCD, we compute the relative contributions to prompt-photon production from different initial and final states and the theoretical uncertainties coming from independent variations of the renormalisation and factorisation scales, the nuclear parton densities and the fragmentation functions. Based on different fits to the unsubtracted and prompt-photon subtracted ALICE data, we consistently find T = 304 \pm 58 MeV and 309 \pm 64 MeV for the effective temperature of the quark-gluon plasma (or hot medium) at p_T \in [0.8;2.2] GeV and p_T \in [1.5;3.5] GeV as well as a power-law (p_T^{-4}) behavior for p_T > 4 GeV as predicted by QCD hard scattering.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Getting the picture : iconicity does not affect representation-referent confusion

Three experiments examined 3- to 5-year-olds' (N = 428) understanding of the relationship between pictorial iconicity (photograph, colored drawing, schematic drawing) and the real world referent. Experiments 1 and 2 explored pictorial iconicity in picture-referent confusion after the picture-object relationship has been established. Pictorial iconicity had no effect on referential confusion when the referent changed after the picture had been taken/drawn (Experiment 1) and when the referent and the picture were different from the outset (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 investigated whether children are sensitive to iconicity to begin with. Children deemed photographs from a choice of varying iconicity representations as best representations for object reference. Together, findings suggest that iconicity plays a role in establishing a picture-object relation per se but is irrelevant once children have accepted that a picture represents an object. The latter finding may reflect domain general representational abilities

First Energy and Angle differential Measurements of e^+e^- -pairs emitted by Internal Pair Conversion of excited Heavy Nuclei

We present the first energy and angle resolved measurements of e+e- pairs emitted from heavy nuclei (Z>=40) at rest by internal pair conversion (IPC) of transitions with energies of less than 2MeV as well as recent theoretical results using the DWBA method, which takes full account of relativistic effects, magnetic substates and finite size of the nucleus. The 1.76MeV E0 transition in Zr90 (Sr source) and the 1.77MeV M1 transition in Pb207 (Bi source) have been investigated experimentally using the essentially improved set-up at the double-ORANGE beta-spectrometer of GSI. The measurements prove the capability of the setup to cleanly identify the IPC pairs in the presence of five orders of magnitude higher beta- and gamma background from the same source and to yield essentially background-free sum spectra despite the large background. Using the ability of the ORANGE setup to directly determine the opening angle of the e+e- pairs, the angular correlation of the emitted pairs was measured. In the Zr90 case the correlation could be deduced for a wide range of energy differences of the pairs. The Zr90 results are in good agreement with recent theory. The angular correlation deduced for the M1 transition in Pb207 is in strong disagreement with theoretical predictions derived within the Born approximation and shows almost isotropic character. This is again in agreement with the new theoretical results.Comment: LaTeX, 28 pages incl. 10 PS figures; Accepted by Z.Phys.

Performance of high-altitude, long-endurance, turboprop airplanes using conventional or cryogenic fuels

An analytical study has been conducted to evaluate the potential endurance of remotely piloted, low speed, high altitude, long endurance airplanes designed with 1990 technology. The baseline configuration was a propeller driven, sailplane like airplane powered by turbine engines that used JP-7, liquid methane, or liquid hydrogen as fuel. Endurance was measured as the time spent between 60,000 feet and an engine limited maximum altitude of 70,000 feet. Performance was calculated for a baseline vehicle and for configurations derived by varying aerodynamic, structural or propulsion parameters. Endurance is maximized by reducing wing loading and engine size. The level of maximum endurance for a given wing loading is virtually the same for all three fuels. Constraints due to winds aloft and propulsion system scaling produce maximum endurance values of 71 hours for JP-7 fuel, 70 hours for liquid methane, and 65 hours for liquid hydrogen. Endurance is shown to be strongly effected by structural weight fraction, specific fuel consumption, and fuel load. Listings of the computer program used in this study and sample cases are included in the report

Comparative assessment of out-of-core nuclear thermionic power systems

The hardware selections available for fabrication of a nuclear electric propulsion stage for planetary exploration were explored. The investigation was centered around a heat-pipe-cooled, fast-spectrum nuclear reactor for an out-of-core power conversion system with sufficient detail for comparison with the in-core system studies completed previously. A survey of competing power conversion systems still indicated that the modular reliability of thermionic converters makes them the desirable choice to provide the 240-kWe end-of-life power for at least 20,000 full power hours. The electrical energy will be used to operate a number of mercury ion bombardment thrusters with a specific impulse in the range of about 4,000-5,000 seconds

Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 1: Guidelines for evaluating the management and operations planning of photovoltaic applications

Guidelines are provided to the Field Centers for organization, scheduling, project and cost control, and performance in the areas of project management and operations planning for Photovoltaics Test and Applications. These guidelines may be used in organizing a T and A Project Team for system design/test, site construction and operation, and as the basis for evaluating T and A proposals. The attributes are described for project management and operations planning to be used by the Field Centers. Specifically, all project management and operational issues affecting costs, schedules and performance of photovoltaic systems are addressed. Photovoltaic tests and applications include residential, intermediate load center, central station, and stand-alone systems. The sub-categories of system maturity considered are: Initial System Evaluation Experiments (ISEE); System Readiness Experiments (SRE); and Commercial Readiness Demonstration Projects (CRDP)

Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 3: Environmental issues and evaluation criteria for photovoltaic applications

The environmental issues and evaluation criteria relating to the suitability of sites proposed for photovoltaic (PV) system deployment are identified. The important issues are defined, briefly discussed and then developed into evaluation criteria. System designers are provided with information on the environmental sensitivity of PV systems in realistic applications, background material which indicates the applicability of the siting issues identified, and evaluation criteria are defined to facilitate the selection of sites that maximize PV system operation

Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 4: Review criteria for photovoltaic applications

Guidelines are provided for the organization, preparation and conduct of program reviews for photovoltaic applications. These criteria apply to all photovoltaic applications. They include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Conceptual design review; (2) Preliminary design review; (3) Critical design review; and (4) Operational readiness review. Contract goal's and objectives are met through program monitoring for cost, schedule, and performance for both managerial and technical elements for all PV applications activities