6,228 research outputs found
An approach to market analysis for lighter than air transportation of freight
An approach is presented to marketing analysis for lighter than air vehicles in a commercial freight market. After a discussion of key characteristics of supply and demand factors, a three-phase approach to marketing analysis is described. The existing transportation systems are quantitatively defined and possible roles for lighter than air vehicles within this framework are postulated. The marketing analysis views the situation from the perspective of both the shipper and the carrier. A demand for freight service is assumed and the resulting supply characteristics are determined. Then, these supply characteristics are used to establish the demand for competing modes. The process is then iterated to arrive at the market solution
Dissipation enhanced vibrational sensing in an olfactory molecular switch
Motivated by a proposed olfactory mechanism based on a
vibrationally-activated molecular switch, we study electron transport within a
donor-acceptor pair that is coupled to a vibrational mode and embedded in a
surrounding environment. We derive a polaron master equation with which we
study the dynamics of both the electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom
beyond previously employed semiclassical (Marcus-Jortner) rate analyses. We
show: (i) that in the absence of explicit dissipation of the vibrational mode,
the semiclassical approach is generally unable to capture the dynamics
predicted by our master equation due to both its assumption of one-way
(exponential) electron transfer from donor to acceptor and its neglect of the
spectral details of the environment; (ii) that by additionally allowing strong
dissipation to act on the odorant vibrational mode we can recover exponential
electron transfer, though typically at a rate that differs from that given by
the Marcus-Jortner expression; (iii) that the ability of the molecular switch
to discriminate between the presence and absence of the odorant, and its
sensitivity to the odorant vibrational frequency, are enhanced significantly in
this strong dissipation regime, when compared to the case without mode
dissipation; and (iv) that details of the environment absent from previous
Marcus-Jortner analyses can also dramatically alter the sensitivity of the
molecular switch, in particular allowing its frequency resolution to be
improved. Our results thus demonstrate the constructive role dissipation can
play in facilitating sensitive and selective operation in molecular switch
devices, as well as the inadequacy of semiclassical rate equations in analysing
such behaviour over a wide range of parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, close to published version, comments welcom
Tomographic imaging and scanning thermal microscopy: thermal impedance tomography
The application of tomographic imaging techniques developed for medical applications to the data provided by the scanning thermal microscope will give access to true three-dimensional information on the thermal properties of materials on a mm length scale. In principle, the technique involves calculating and inverting a sensitivity matrix for a uniform isotropic material, collecting ordered data at several modulation frequencies, and multiplying the inverse of the matrix with the data vector. In practice, inversion of the matrix in impractical, and a novel iterative technique is used. Examples from both simulated and real data are given
An introduction to overviews of reviews: planning a relevant research question and objective for an overview.
This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Overviews of systematic reviews are a relatively new approach to synthesising evidence, and research methods and associated guidance are developing. Within this paper we aim to help readers understand key issues which are essential to consider when taking the first steps in planning an overview. These issues relate to the development of clear, relevant research questions and objectives prior to the development of an overview protocol. METHODS: Initial discussions and key concepts for this paper were formed during a workshop on overview methods at the 2016 UK Cochrane Symposium, at which all members of this author group presented work and contributed to wider discussions. Detailed descriptions of the various key features of overviews and their different objectives were created by the author group based upon current evidence (Higgins J, Green S. Cochrane Handbook Syst Rev Interv. 2011;4:5, Pollock M, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:190-205, Pollock A, et al. Cochrane overviews of reviews: exploring the methods and challenges. UK and Ireland: Cochrane Symposium; 2016, Pieper D, et al. Res Syn Meth. 2014;5:187-99, Lunny C, et al. Sys Rev. 2016;5:4-12, Hartling L, et al. Comparing multiple treatments: an introduction to overviews of reviews. In 23rd Cochrane Colloquium; 2015, Hartling L, et al. Plos One. 2012;7:1-8, Ballard M, Montgomery P. Res Syn Meth. 2017;8:92-108) and author experiences conducting overviews. RESULTS: Within this paper we introduce different types of overviews and suggest common research questions addressed by these overviews. We briefly reflect on the key features and objectives of the example overviews discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Clear decisions relating to the research questions and objectives are a fundamental first step during the initial planning stages for an overview. Key stakeholders should be involved at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the planned overview is relevant and meaningful to the potential end users of the overview. Following best practice in common with other forms of systematic evidence synthesis, an overview protocol should be published, ensuring transparency and reducing opportunities for introduction of bias in the conduct of the overview.Research conducted by Harriet Hunt referred to within this paper [38] was
supported as part of doctoral programme funding by the National Institute
for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health
Research and Care South West Peninsula (PenCLAHRC). The overview
conducted by Pollock [3] was supported by a project grant from the Chief
Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. The overview conducted by
McClurg [5] was supported by a project grant by the Physiotherapy Research
Foundation.
Alex Pollock is employed by the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health
Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, which is supported by the Chief
Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. Pauline Campbell is supported
by the Chief Nurses Office of the Scottish Government.
The overview conducted by Estcourt [7] was supported by an NIHR
Cochrane Programme Grant for the Safe and Appropriate Use of Blood
Components.
The overview conducted by Brunton [10] was commissioned by the
Department of Health as part of an ongoing programme of work on health
policy research synthesis
The internal-external respiratory motion correlation is unaffected by audiovisual biofeedback.
This study evaluated if an audiovisual (AV) biofeedback causes variation in the level of external and internal correlation due to its interactive intervention in natural breathing. The internal (diaphragm) and external (abdominal wall) respiratory motion signals of 15 healthy human subjects under AV biofeedback and free breathing (FB) were analyzed and measures of correlation and regularity taken. Regularity metrics (root mean square error and spectral power dispersion metric) were obtained and the correlation between these metrics and the internal and external correlation was investigated. For FB and AV biofeedback assisted breathing the mean correlations found between internal and external respiratory motion were 0.96±0.02 and 0.96±0.03, respectively. This means there is no evidence to suggest (p-value=0.88) any difference in the correlation between internal and external respiratory motion with the use of AV biofeedback. Our results confirmed the hypothesis that the internal-external correlation with AV biofeedback is the same as for free breathing. Should this correlation be maintained for patients, AV biofeedback can be implemented in the clinic with confidence as regularity improvements using AV biofeedback with an external signal will be reflected in increased internal motion regularity
Search for periodicities near 59 s in the COS-B gamma-ray data of 2CG195+04 (Geminga)
The COS-B data relating to five observations in the general direction of Geminga, spanning 6.7 years, were searched for pulsation near 59 s. The SAS-2 indication is not confirmed. An indication of a 59 s pulsation in the gamma ray emission from 2CG195+04 (Geminga) was reported. Early analysis of COS-B data supported the result while later improved statistics did not confirm it. Subsequently, detection of a 59 s pulsation in the emission from the direction of Geminga at ultra high gamma and X-rays was reported. Geminga was identified with the X-ray source 1E0630+128. The final COS-B data on Geminga which was observed five times for a total of 214 days are reported
Experimental search for evidence of the three-nucleon force and a new analysis method
A research program with the aim of investigating the spin dependence of the
three-nucleon continuum in pd collisions at intermediate energies was carried
out at IUCF using the Polarized INternal Target EXperiments (PINTEX) facility.
In the elastic scattering experiment at 135 and 200 MeV proton beam energies a
total of 15 independent spin observables were obtained. The breakup experiment
was done with a vector and tensor polarized deuteron beam of 270 MeV and an
internal polarized hydrogen gas target. We developed a novel technique for the
analysis of the breakup observables, the sampling method. The new approach
takes into account acceptance and non-uniformities of detection efficiencies
and is suitable for any kinematically complete experiment with three particles
in the final state.Comment: Contribution to the 19th European Few-Body Conference, Groningen Aug.
23-27, 200
Ground-state dispersion and density of states from path-integral Monte Carlo. Application to the lattice polaron
A formula is derived that relates the ground-state dispersion of a many-body
system with the end-to-end distribution of paths with open boundary conditions
in imaginary time. The formula does not involve the energy estimator. It allows
direct measurement of the ground-state dispersion by quantum Monte Carlo
methods without analytical continuation or auxiliary fitting. The formula is
applied to the lattice polaron problem. The exact polaron spectrum and density
of states are calculated for several models in one, two, and three dimensions.
In the adiabatic regime of the Holstein model, the polaron density of states
deviates spectacularly from the free-particle shape.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure
Cosmological entropy and generalized second law of thermodynamics in theory of gravity
We consider a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker space time
and investigate the second law and the generalized second law of thermodynamics
for apparent horizon in generalized modified Gauss Bonnet theory of gravity
(whose action contains a general function of Gauss Bonnet invariant and the
Ricci scalar: ). By assuming that the apparent horizon is in thermal
equilibrium with the matter inside it, conditions which must be satisfied by
are derived and elucidated through two examples: a quasi-de Sitter
space-time and a universe with power law expansion.Comment: 10 pages, minor changes, typos corrected, accepted for publication in
Europhysics Letter
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