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Sample records for selfconsistent strength functions

  1. Approximate self-consistent potentials for density-functional-theory exchange-correlation functionals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cafiero, Mauricio; Gonzalez, Carlos

    2005-01-01

    We show that potentials for exchange-correlation functionals within the Kohn-Sham density-functional-theory framework may be written as potentials for simpler functionals multiplied by a factor close to unity, and in a self-consistent field calculation, these effective potentials find the correct self-consistent solutions. This simple theory is demonstrated with self-consistent exchange-only calculations of the atomization energies of some small molecules using the Perdew-Kurth-Zupan-Blaha (PKZB) meta-generalized-gradient-approximation (meta-GGA) exchange functional. The atomization energies obtained with our method agree with or surpass previous meta-GGA calculations performed in a non-self-consistent manner. The results of this work suggest the utility of this simple theory to approximate exchange-correlation potentials corresponding to energy functionals too complicated to generate closed forms for their potentials. We hope that this method will encourage the development of complex functionals which have correct boundary conditions and are free of self-interaction errors without the worry that the functionals are too complex to differentiate to obtain potentials

  2. Self-consistent hybrid functionals for solids: a fully-automated implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erba, A.

    2017-08-01

    A fully-automated algorithm for the determination of the system-specific optimal fraction of exact exchange in self-consistent hybrid functionals of the density-functional-theory is illustrated, as implemented into the public Crystal program. The exchange fraction of this new class of functionals is self-consistently updated proportionally to the inverse of the dielectric response of the system within an iterative procedure (Skone et al 2014 Phys. Rev. B 89, 195112). Each iteration of the present scheme, in turn, implies convergence of a self-consistent-field (SCF) and a coupled-perturbed-Hartree-Fock/Kohn-Sham (CPHF/KS) procedure. The present implementation, beside improving the user-friendliness of self-consistent hybrids, exploits the unperturbed and electric-field perturbed density matrices from previous iterations as guesses for subsequent SCF and CPHF/KS iterations, which is documented to reduce the overall computational cost of the whole process by a factor of 2.

  3. Self-consistent Green’s-function technique for surfaces and interfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skriver, Hans Lomholt; Rosengaard, N. M.

    1991-01-01

    We have implemented an efficient self-consistent Green’s-function technique for calculating ground-state properties of surfaces and interfaces, based on the linear-muffin-tin-orbitals method within the tight-binding representation. In this approach the interlayer interaction is extremely short...... ranged, and only a few layers close to the interface need be treated self-consistently via a Dyson equation. For semi-infinite jellium, the technique gives work functions and surface energies that are in excellent agreement with earlier calculations. For the bcc(110) surface of the alkali metals, we find...

  4. Self-consistent green function calculations for isospin asymmetric nuclear matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mansour, Hesham; Gad, Khalaf; Hassaneen, Khaled S.A.

    2010-01-01

    The one-body potentials for protons and neutrons are obtained from the self-consistent Green-function calculations of asymmetric nuclear matter, in particular their dependence on the degree of proton/neutron asymmetry. Results of the binding energy per nucleon as a function of the density and asymmetry parameter are presented for the self-consistent Green function approach using the CD-Bonn potential. For the sake of comparison, the same calculations are performed using the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation. The contribution of the hole-hole terms leads to a repulsive contribution to the energy per nucleon which increases with the nuclear density. The incompressibility for asymmetric nuclear matter has been also investigated in the framework of the self-consistent Green-function approach using the CD-Bonn potential. The behavior of the incompressibility is studied for different values of the nuclear density and the neutron excess parameter. The nuclear symmetry potential at fixed nuclear density is also calculated and its value decreases with increasing the nucleon energy. In particular, the nuclear symmetry potential at saturation density changes from positive to negative values at nucleon kinetic energy of about 200 MeV. For the sake of comparison, the same calculations are performed using the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation. The proton/neutron effective mass splitting in neutron-rich matter has been studied. The predicted isospin splitting of the proton/neutron effective mass splitting in neutron-rich matter is such that m n * ≥ m p * . (author)

  5. Electric dipole strength and dipole polarizability in 48Ca within a fully self-consistent second random–phase approximation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Gambacurta

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The second random–phase–approximation model corrected by a subtraction procedure designed to cure double counting, instabilities, and ultraviolet divergences, is employed for the first time to analyze the dipole strength and polarizability in 48Ca. All the terms of the residual interaction are included, leading to a fully self-consistent scheme. Results are illustrated with two Skyrme parametrizations, SGII and SLy4. Those obtained with the SGII interaction are particularly satisfactory. In this case, the low-lying strength below the neutron threshold is well reproduced and the giant dipole resonance is described in a very satisfactory way especially in its spreading and fragmentation. Spreading and fragmentation are produced in a natural way within such a theoretical model by the coupling of 1 particle-1 hole and 2 particle-2 hole configurations. Owing to this feature, we may provide for the electric polarizability as a function of the excitation energy a curve with a similar slope around the centroid energy of the giant resonance compared to the corresponding experimental results. This represents a considerable improvement with respect to previous theoretical predictions obtained with the random–phase approximation or with several ab-initio models. In such cases, the spreading width of the excitation cannot be reproduced and the polarizability as a function of the excitation energy displays a stiff increase around the predicted centroid energy of the giant resonance.

  6. Electric dipole strength and dipole polarizability in 48Ca within a fully self-consistent second random-phase approximation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambacurta, D.; Grasso, M.; Vasseur, O.

    2018-02-01

    The second random-phase-approximation model corrected by a subtraction procedure designed to cure double counting, instabilities, and ultraviolet divergences, is employed for the first time to analyze the dipole strength and polarizability in 48Ca. All the terms of the residual interaction are included, leading to a fully self-consistent scheme. Results are illustrated with two Skyrme parametrizations, SGII and SLy4. Those obtained with the SGII interaction are particularly satisfactory. In this case, the low-lying strength below the neutron threshold is well reproduced and the giant dipole resonance is described in a very satisfactory way especially in its spreading and fragmentation. Spreading and fragmentation are produced in a natural way within such a theoretical model by the coupling of 1 particle-1 hole and 2 particle-2 hole configurations. Owing to this feature, we may provide for the electric polarizability as a function of the excitation energy a curve with a similar slope around the centroid energy of the giant resonance compared to the corresponding experimental results. This represents a considerable improvement with respect to previous theoretical predictions obtained with the random-phase approximation or with several ab-initio models. In such cases, the spreading width of the excitation cannot be reproduced and the polarizability as a function of the excitation energy displays a stiff increase around the predicted centroid energy of the giant resonance.

  7. Self-consistent DFT +U method for real-space time-dependent density functional theory calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tancogne-Dejean, Nicolas; Oliveira, Micael J. T.; Rubio, Angel

    2017-12-01

    We implemented various DFT+U schemes, including the Agapito, Curtarolo, and Buongiorno Nardelli functional (ACBN0) self-consistent density-functional version of the DFT +U method [Phys. Rev. X 5, 011006 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevX.5.011006] within the massively parallel real-space time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) code octopus. We further extended the method to the case of the calculation of response functions with real-time TDDFT+U and to the description of noncollinear spin systems. The implementation is tested by investigating the ground-state and optical properties of various transition-metal oxides, bulk topological insulators, and molecules. Our results are found to be in good agreement with previously published results for both the electronic band structure and structural properties. The self-consistent calculated values of U and J are also in good agreement with the values commonly used in the literature. We found that the time-dependent extension of the self-consistent DFT+U method yields improved optical properties when compared to the empirical TDDFT+U scheme. This work thus opens a different theoretical framework to address the nonequilibrium properties of correlated systems.

  8. Analysis of self-consistency effects in range-separated density-functional theory with Møller-Plesset perturbation theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fromager, Emmanuel; Jensen, Hans Jørgen Aagaard

    2011-01-01

    Range-separated density-functional theory combines wave function theory for the long-range part of the two-electron interaction with density-functional theory for the short-range part. When describing the long-range interaction with non-variational methods, such as perturbation or coupled......-cluster theories, self-consistency effects are introduced in the density functional part, which for an exact solution requires iterations. They are generally assumed to be small but no detailed study has been performed so far. Here, the authors analyze self-consistency when using Møller-Plesset-type (MP......) perturbation theory for the long range interaction. The lowest-order self-consistency corrections to the wave function and the energy, that enter the perturbation expansions at the second and fourth order, respectively, are both expressed in terms of the one-electron reduced density matrix. The computational...

  9. Two-particle irreducible effective actions versus resummation: Analytic properties and self-consistency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Brown

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Approximations based on two-particle irreducible (2PI effective actions (also known as Φ-derivable, Cornwall–Jackiw–Tomboulis or Luttinger–Ward functionals depending on context have been widely used in condensed matter and non-equilibrium quantum/statistical field theory because this formalism gives a robust, self-consistent, non-perturbative and systematically improvable approach which avoids problems with secular time evolution. The strengths of 2PI approximations are often described in terms of a selective resummation of Feynman diagrams to infinite order. However, the Feynman diagram series is asymptotic and summation is at best a dangerous procedure. Here we show that, at least in the context of a toy model where exact results are available, the true strength of 2PI approximations derives from their self-consistency rather than any resummation. This self-consistency allows truncated 2PI approximations to capture the branch points of physical amplitudes where adjustments of coupling constants can trigger an instability of the vacuum. This, in effect, turns Dyson's argument for the failure of perturbation theory on its head. As a result we find that 2PI approximations perform better than Padé approximation and are competitive with Borel–Padé resummation. Finally, we introduce a hybrid 2PI–Padé method.

  10. Assessment of oscillator strengths with multiconfigurational short-range density functional theory for electronic excitations in organic molecules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegård, Erik Donovan

    2017-01-01

    considered the large collection of organic molecules whose excited states were investigated with a range of electronic structure methods by Thiel et al. As a by-product of our calculations of oscillator strengths, we also obtain electronic excitation energies, which enable us to compare the performance......We have in a series of recent papers investigated electronic excited states with a hybrid between a complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) wave function and density functional theory (DFT). This method has been dubbed the CAS short-range DFT method (CAS–srDFT). The previous papers...

  11. Covariant density functional theory for decay of deformed proton emitters: A self-consistent approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.S. Ferreira

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Proton radioactivity from deformed nuclei is described for the first time by a self-consistent calculation based on covariant relativistic density functionals derived from meson exchange and point coupling models. The calculation provides an important new test to these interactions at the limits of stability, since the mixing of different angular momenta in the single particle wave functions is probed.

  12. Self-consistent GW0 results for the electron gas: Fixed screened potential W0 within the random-phase approximation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    von Barth, U.; Holm, B.

    1996-01-01

    With the aim of properly understanding the basis for and the utility of many-body perturbation theory as applied to extended metallic systems, we have calculated the electronic self-energy of the homogeneous electron gas within the GW approximation. The calculation has been carried out in a self-consistent way; i.e., the one-electron Green function obtained from Dyson close-quote s equation is the same as that used to calculate the self-energy. The self-consistency is restricted in the sense that the screened interaction W is kept fixed and equal to that of the random-phase approximation for the gas. We have found that the final results are marginally affected by the broadening of the quasiparticles, and that their self-consistent energies are still close to their free-electron counterparts as they are in non-self-consistent calculations. The reduction in strength of the quasiparticles and the development of satellite structure (plasmons) gives, however, a markedly smaller dynamical self-energy leading to, e.g., a smaller reduction in the quasiparticle strength as compared to non-self-consistent results. The relatively bad description of plasmon structure within the non-self-consistent GW approximation is marginally improved. A first attempt at including W in the self-consistency cycle leads to an even broader and structureless satellite spectrum in disagreement with experiment. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  13. Effects of self-consistency in a Green's function description of saturation in nuclear matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dewulf, Y.; Neck, D. van; Waroquier, M.

    2002-01-01

    The binding energy in nuclear matter is evaluated within the framework of self-consistent Green's function theory, using a realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction. The two-body dynamics is solved at the level of summing particle-particle and hole-hole ladders. We go beyond the on-shell approximation and use intermediary propagators with a discrete-pole structure. A three-pole approximation is used, which provides a good representation of the quasiparticle excitations, as well as reproducing the zeroth- and first-order energy-weighted moments in both the nucleon removal and addition domains of the spectral function. Results for the binding energy are practically independent of the details of the discretization scheme. The main effect of the increased self-consistency is to introduce an additional density dependence, which causes a shift towards lower densities and smaller binding energies, as compared to a (continuous choice) Brueckner calculation with the same interaction. Particle number conservation and the Hugenholz-Van Hove theorem are satisfied with reasonable accuracy

  14. Coupled Dyson-Schwinger equations and effects of self-consistency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, S.S.; Zhang, H.X.; Yao, Y.J.

    2001-01-01

    Using the σ-ω model as an effective tool, the effects of self-consistency are studied in some detail. A coupled set of Dyson-Schwinger equations for the renormalized baryon and meson propagators in the σ-ω model is solved self-consistently according to the dressed Hartree-Fock scheme, where the hadron propagators in both the baryon and meson self-energies are required to also satisfy this coupled set of equations. It is found that the self-consistency affects the baryon spectral function noticeably, if only the interaction with σ mesons is considered. However, there is a cancellation between the effects due to the σ and ω mesons and the additional contribution of ω mesons makes the above effect insignificant. In both the σ and σ-ω cases the effects of self-consistency on meson spectral function are perceptible, but they can nevertheless be taken account of without a self-consistent calculation. Our study indicates that to include the meson propagators in the self-consistency requirement is unnecessary and one can stop at an early step of an iteration procedure to obtain a good approximation to the fully self-consistent results of all the hadron propagators in the model, if an appropriate initial input is chosen. Vertex corrections and their effects on ghost poles are also studied

  15. Self-consistent embedding of density-matrix renormalization group wavefunctions in a density functional environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresselhaus, Thomas; Neugebauer, Johannes; Knecht, Stefan; Keller, Sebastian; Ma, Yingjin; Reiher, Markus

    2015-01-28

    We present the first implementation of a density matrix renormalization group algorithm embedded in an environment described by density functional theory. The frozen density embedding scheme is used with a freeze-and-thaw strategy for a self-consistent polarization of the orbital-optimized wavefunction and the environmental densities with respect to each other.

  16. First-row diatomics: Calculation of the geometry and energetics using self-consistent gradient-functional approximations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutzler, F.W.; Painter, G.S.

    1992-01-01

    A fully self-consistent series of nonlocal (gradient) density-functional calculations has been carried out using the augmented-Gaussian-orbital method to determine the magnitude of gradient corrections to the potential-energy curves of the first-row diatomics, Li 2 through F 2 . Both the Langreth-Mehl-Hu and the Perdew-Wang gradient-density functionals were used in calculations of the binding energy, bond length, and vibrational frequency for each dimer. Comparison with results obtained in the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA) using the Vosko-Wilk-Nusair functional, and with experiment, reveals that bond lengths and vibrational frequencies are rather insensitive to details of the gradient functionals, including self-consistency effects, but the gradient corrections reduce the overbinding commonly observed in the LSDA calculations of first-row diatomics (with the exception of Li 2 , the gradient-functional binding-energy error is only 50--12 % of the LSDA error). The improved binding energies result from a large differential energy lowering, which occurs in open-shell atoms relative to the diatomics. The stabilization of the atom arises from the use of nonspherical charge and spin densities in the gradient-functional calculations. This stabilization is negligibly small in LSDA calculations performed with nonspherical densities

  17. Photon strength functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergqvist, I.

    1976-01-01

    Methods for extracting photon strength functions are briefly discussed. We follow the Brink-Axel approach to relate the strength functions to the giant resonances observed in photonuclear work and summarize the available data on the E1, E2 and M1 resonances. Some experimental and theoretical problems are outlined. (author)

  18. Self-consistent description of dipole states taking into account the one-particle continuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gareev, F.A.; Ershov, S.N.; Pyatov, N.I.; Fayans, S.A.; Salamov, D.I.

    1981-01-01

    A self-consistent translationally invariant model with separable effective interactions is used to describe the dipole excitations of spherical nuclei. The equations for the effective field are solved in the coordinate representation, taking the one-particle continuum into account exactly. This makes it possible to obtain the escape widths of excitations with energy above the nucleon-emission threshold. We calculate the energies, B(E1), strength functions, escape widths, and transition densities of the dipole states for a number of light and heavy nuclei

  19. Quasiparticle self-consistent GW method: a short summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotani, Takao; Schilfgaarde, Mark van; Faleev, Sergey V; Chantis, Athanasios

    2007-01-01

    We have developed a quasiparticle self-consistent GW method (QSGW), which is a new self-consistent method to calculate the electronic structure within the GW approximation. The method is formulated based on the idea of a self-consistent perturbation; the non-interacting Green function G 0 , which is the starting point for GWA to obtain G, is determined self-consistently so as to minimize the perturbative correction generated by GWA. After self-consistency is attained, we have G 0 , W (the screened Coulomb interaction) and G self-consistently. This G 0 can be interpreted as the optimum non-interacting propagator for the quasiparticles. We will summarize some theoretical discussions to justify QSGW. Then we will survey results which have been obtained up to now: e.g., band gaps for normal semiconductors are predicted to a precision of 0.1-0.3 eV; the self-consistency including the off-diagonal part is required for NiO and MnO; and so on. There are still some remaining disagreements with experiments; however, they are very systematic, and can be explained from the neglect of excitonic effects

  20. The energy levels and oscillator strength of a complex atom--Au50+ in a self-consistent potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Rong; Zou Yu; Fang Quanyu

    1998-01-01

    The effects of free electrons in a plasma on a complex atom are discussed, here the authors are interested in the target ion--Au 50+ in inertia confined fusion (ICF). The results are compared with those in the case of hydrogenic ions. Accurate numerical solutions have been obtained for Schroedinger's equation through Debye screened Hartree-Fock-Slater self-consistent potential. Solutions have been computed for 28 eigenstates, 1s through n =3D 7, l =3D 6, yielding the energy eigenvalues for a wide range of Debye screening length Λ. As in the case of hydrogenic ions, under screening, all energy levels are shifted away from their unscreened values toward the continuum, that is, the ionization limits are shifted downward. Conclusions have been made that when Λ>5a 0 , that is, in the weak screening cases, Debye screening has little effect on oscillator strength, average orbital radius, transition matrix elements, etc., of Au 50+ . For each (n,l) eigenstate, there is a finite value of screening length Λ 0 (n,l), for which the energy becomes zero. When Λ is sufficiently small, level crossing appears at high n states. Optical oscillator strength for Au 50+ has also been calculated, the results are compared with those under unscreened potential

  1. Self-consistency and sum-rule tests in the Kramers-Kronig analysis of optical data: Applications to aluminum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiles, E.; Sasaki, T.; Inokuti, M.; Smith, D.Y.

    1980-01-01

    An iterative, self-consistent procedure for the Kramers-Kronig analysis of data from reflectance, ellipsometric, transmission, and electron-energy-loss measurements is presented. This procedure has been developed for practical dispersion analysis since experimentally no single optical function can be readily measured over the entire range of frequencies as required by the Kramers-Kronig relations. The present technique is applied to metallic aluminum as an example. The results are then examined for internal consistency and for systematic errors by various optical sum rules. The present procedure affords a systematic means of preparing a self-consistent set of optical functions provided some optical or energy-loss data are available in all important spectral regions. The analysis of aluminum discloses that currently available data exhibit an excess oscillator strength, apparently in the vicinity of the L edge. A possible explanation is a systematic experimental error in the absorption-coefficient measurements resulting from surface layers: possibly oxides: present in thin-film transmission samples. A revised set of optical functions has been prepared by an ad hoc reduction of the reported absorption coefficient above the L edge by 14%. These revised data lead to a total oscillator strength consistent with the known electron density and are in agreement with dc-conductivity and stopping-power measurements as well as with absorption coefficients inferred from the cross sections of neighboring elements in the periodic table. The optical functions resulting from this study show evidence for both the redistribution of oscillator strength between energy levels and the effects on real transitions of the shielding of conduction electrons by virtual processes in the core states

  2. Full self-consistency versus quasiparticle self-consistency in diagrammatic approaches: exactly solvable two-site Hubbard model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutepov, A L

    2015-08-12

    Self-consistent solutions of Hedin's equations (HE) for the two-site Hubbard model (HM) have been studied. They have been found for three-point vertices of increasing complexity (Γ = 1 (GW approximation), Γ1 from the first-order perturbation theory, and the exact vertex Γ(E)). Comparison is made between the cases when an additional quasiparticle (QP) approximation for Green's functions is applied during the self-consistent iterative solving of HE and when QP approximation is not applied. The results obtained with the exact vertex are directly related to the present open question-which approximation is more advantageous for future implementations, GW + DMFT or QPGW + DMFT. It is shown that in a regime of strong correlations only the originally proposed GW + DMFT scheme is able to provide reliable results. Vertex corrections based on perturbation theory (PT) systematically improve the GW results when full self-consistency is applied. The application of QP self-consistency combined with PT vertex corrections shows similar problems to the case when the exact vertex is applied combined with QP sc. An analysis of Ward Identity violation is performed for all studied in this work's approximations and its relation to the general accuracy of the schemes used is provided.

  3. Self-consistent tight-binding model of B and N doping in graphene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Thomas Garm; Pedersen, Jesper Goor

    2013-01-01

    . The impurity potential depends sensitively on the impurity occupancy, leading to a self-consistency requirement. We solve this problem using the impurity Green's function and determine the self-consistent local density of states at the impurity site and, thereby, identify acceptor and donor energy resonances.......Boron and nitrogen substitutional impurities in graphene are analyzed using a self-consistent tight-binding approach. An analytical result for the impurity Green's function is derived taking broken electron-hole symmetry into account and validated by comparison to numerical diagonalization...

  4. Self-consistent determination of quasiparticle properties in nuclear matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oset, E.; Palanques-Mestre, A.

    1981-01-01

    The self-energy of nuclear matter is calculated by directing the attention to the energy and momentum dependent pieces which determine the quasiparticle properties. A microscopic approach is followed which starts from the boson exchange picture for the NN interaction, then the π-and p-mesons are shown to play a major role in the nucleon renormalization. The calculation is done self-consistently and the effective mass and pole strength determined as a function of the nuclear density and momentum. Particular emphasis is put on the non-static character of the interaction and its consequences. Finally a comparison is made with other calculations and with experimental results. The consequences of the nucleon renormalization in pion condensation are also examined with the result that the critical density is pushed up appreciably. (orig.)

  5. Near-resonant absorption in the time-dependent self-consistent field and multiconfigurational self-consistent field approximations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Norman, Patrick; Bishop, David M.; Jensen, Hans Jørgen Aa

    2001-01-01

    Computationally tractable expressions for the evaluation of the linear response function in the multiconfigurational self-consistent field approximation were derived and implemented. The finite lifetime of the electronically excited states was considered and the linear response function was shown...... to be convergent in the whole frequency region. This was achieved through the incorporation of phenomenological damping factors that lead to complex response function values....

  6. Self-consistent adjoint analysis for topology optimization of electromagnetic waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yongbo; Korvink, Jan G.

    2018-05-01

    In topology optimization of electromagnetic waves, the Gâteaux differentiability of the conjugate operator to the complex field variable results in the complexity of the adjoint sensitivity, which evolves the original real-valued design variable to be complex during the iterative solution procedure. Therefore, the self-inconsistency of the adjoint sensitivity is presented. To enforce the self-consistency, the real part operator has been used to extract the real part of the sensitivity to keep the real-value property of the design variable. However, this enforced self-consistency can cause the problem that the derived structural topology has unreasonable dependence on the phase of the incident wave. To solve this problem, this article focuses on the self-consistent adjoint analysis of the topology optimization problems for electromagnetic waves. This self-consistent adjoint analysis is implemented by splitting the complex variables of the wave equations into the corresponding real parts and imaginary parts, sequentially substituting the split complex variables into the wave equations with deriving the coupled equations equivalent to the original wave equations, where the infinite free space is truncated by the perfectly matched layers. Then, the topology optimization problems of electromagnetic waves are transformed into the forms defined on real functional spaces instead of complex functional spaces; the adjoint analysis of the topology optimization problems is implemented on real functional spaces with removing the variational of the conjugate operator; the self-consistent adjoint sensitivity is derived, and the phase-dependence problem is avoided for the derived structural topology. Several numerical examples are implemented to demonstrate the robustness of the derived self-consistent adjoint analysis.

  7. Self-consistent RPA based on a many-body vacuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jemaï, M.; Schuck, P.

    2011-01-01

    Self-Consistent RPA is extended in a way so that it is compatible with a variational ansatz for the ground-state wave function as a fermionic many-body vacuum. Employing the usual equation-of-motion technique, we arrive at extended RPA equations of the Self-Consistent RPA structure. In principle the Pauli principle is, therefore, fully respected. However, the correlation functions entering the RPA matrix can only be obtained from a systematic expansion in powers of some combinations of RPA amplitudes. We demonstrate for a model case that this expansion may converge rapidly.

  8. Self-consistent equilibria in the pulsar magnetosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endean, V.G.

    1976-01-01

    For a 'collisionless' pulsar magnetosphere the self-consistent equilibrium particle distribution functions are functions of the constants of the motion ony. Reasons are given for concluding that to a good approximation they will be functions of the rotating frame Hamiltonian only. This is shown to result in a rigid rotation of the plasma, which therefore becomes trapped inside the velocity of light cylinder. The self-consistent field equations are derived, and a method of solving them is illustrated. The axial component of the magnetic field decays to zero at the plasma boundary. In practice, some streaming of particles into the wind zone may occur as a second-order effect. Acceleration of such particles to very high energies is expected when they approach the velocity of light cylinder, but they cannot be accelerated to very high energies near the star. (author)

  9. Self-consistent Hartree-Fock RPA calculations in 208Pb

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taqi, Ali H.; Ali, Mohammed S.

    2018-01-01

    The nuclear structure of 208Pb is studied in the framework of the self-consistent random phase approximation (SCRPA). The Hartree-Fock mean field and single particle states are used to implement a completely SCRPA with Skyrme-type interactions. The Hamiltonian is diagonalised within a model space using five Skyrme parameter sets, namely LNS, SkI3, SkO, SkP and SLy4. In view of the huge number of the existing Skyrme-force parameterizations, the question remains which of them provide the best description of data. The approach attempts to accurately describe the structure of the spherical even-even nucleus 208Pb. To illustrate our approach, we compared the binding energy, charge density distribution, excitation energy levels scheme with the available experimental data. Moreover, we calculated isoscalar and isovector monopole, dipole, and quadrupole transition densities and strength functions.

  10. Overlap function and Regge cut in a self-consistent multi-Regge model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, H.; Mallik, S.

    1977-01-01

    A self-consistent multi-Regge model with unit intercept for the input trajectory is presented. Violation of unitarity is avoided in the model by assuming the vanishing of the pomeron-pomeron-hadron vertex, as the mass of either pomeron tends to zero. The model yields an output Regge pole in the inelastic overlap function which for t>0 lies on the r.h.s. of the moving branch point in the complex J-plane, but for t<0 moves to unphysical sheets. The leading Regge-cut contribution to the forward diffraction amplitude can be negative, so that the total cross section predicted by the model attains a limiting value from below

  11. Overlap function and Regge cut in a self-consistent multi-Regge model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Banerjee, H [Saha Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta (India); Mallik, S [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

    1977-04-21

    A self-consistent multi-Regge model with unit intercept for the input trajectory is presented. Violation of unitarity is avoided in the model by assuming the vanishing of the pomeron-pomeron-hadron vertex, as the mass of either pomeron tends to zero. The model yields an output Regge pole in the inelastic overlap function which for t>0 lies on the r.h.s. of the moving branch point in the complex J-plane, but for t<0 moves to unphysical sheets. The leading Regge-cut contribution to the forward diffraction amplitude can be negative, so that the total cross section predicted by the model attains a limiting value from below.

  12. Selfconsistent theory of Coulomb mixing in nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyatov, N.I.

    1978-01-01

    The theory of isobaric states is considered according to the Coulomb mixing in nuclei. For a given form of the isovestor potential the separable residual interactions are constructed by means of the isotopic invariance principle. The strength parameter of the force is found from a selfconsistency condition. The charge dependent force is represented by the Coulomb effective potential. The theory of the isobaric states is developed using the random phase approximation. The Coulomb mixing effects in the ground and isobaric 0 + states of even-mass nuclei are investigated

  13. Self-consistent approximations beyond the CPA: Part II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaplan, T.; Gray, L.J.

    1982-01-01

    This paper concentrates on a self-consistent approximation for random alloys developed by Kaplan, Leath, Gray, and Diehl. The construction of the augmented space formalism for a binary alloy is sketched, and the notation to be used derived. Using the operator methods of the augmented space, the self-consistent approximation is derived for the average Green's function, and for evaluating the self-energy, taking into account the scattering by clusters of excitations. The particular cluster approximation desired is derived by treating the scattering by the excitations with S /SUB T/ exactly. Fourier transforms on the disorder-space clustersite labels solve the self-consistent set of equations. Expansion to short range order in the alloy is also discussed. A method to reduce the problem to a computationally tractable form is described

  14. Self-consistent description of isobaric 0+ states taking the one-particle continuum into account exactly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyatov, N.I.; Salamov, D.I.; Fayans, S.A.

    1981-01-01

    The properties of discrete and resonance isobaric 0 + states of nuclei are studied within the framework of a self-consistent approach. The equations for the charge-exchange effective field are solved in the coordinate representation taking the one-particle continuum into account exactly. Microscopic estimates of the analog-state energies and the matrix elements, transition densities, and strength functions of the isospin-allowed and forbidden Fermi transitions are obtained together with the values of the isospin admixtures in the ground states of the parent nuclei and their analogs. The escape widths of the isobaric resonances are also discussed

  15. Evolution of the low-lying dipole strength in deformed nuclei with extreme neutron excess with the Relativistic QRPA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pena Arteaga, D.; Khan, E.; Ring, P.

    2009-01-01

    Covariant density functional theory, in the framework of self-consistent Relativistic Hartree Bogoliubov (HFB) and Relativistic Quasiparticle Random Phase approximation (RQRPA), is for the first time applied to axially deformed nuclei [1]. The fully self-consistent RHB+RQRPA equations are posed for the case of axial symmetry and different energy functionals, and solved with the help of a new parallel code. As a sample application, the El strength is systematically analyzed in very neutron-rich Sn nuclei, beyond 1 32S n until 1 66S n [2]. The great neutron excess favors the appearance of a deformed ground state for 1 42-162S n. The evolution of the low-lying strength in deformed nuclei is discussed, and in particular its dependence on the interplay of two major and competing factors, isospin asymmetry and deformation.(author)

  16. Self-consistent relativistic Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation for the Δ distribution function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao, G.; Li, Z.; Zhuo, Y.

    1996-01-01

    We derive the self-consistent relativistic Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (RBUU) equation for the delta distribution function within the framework which we have done for nucleon close-quote s. In our approach, the Δ isobars are treated in essentially the same way as nucleons. Both mean field and collision terms of Δ close-quote s RBUU equation are derived from the same effective Lagrangian and presented analytically. We calculate the in-medium NΔ elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections up to twice nuclear matter density and the results show that the in-medium cross sections deviate substantially from Cugnon close-quote s parametrization that is commonly used in the transport model. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  17. Self-consistent density functional calculation of the image potential at a metal surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, J; Alvarellos, J E; Chacon, E; GarcIa-Gonzalez, P

    2007-01-01

    It is well known that the exchange-correlation (XC) potential at a metal surface has an image-like asymptotic behaviour given by -1/4(z-z 0 ), where z is the coordinate perpendicular to the surface. Using a suitable fully non-local functional prescription, we evaluate self-consistently the XC potential with the correct image behaviour for simple jellium surfaces in the range of metallic densities. This allows a proper comparison between the corresponding image-plane position, z 0 , and other related quantities such as the centroid of an induced charge by an external perturbation. As a by-product, we assess the routinely used local density approximation when evaluating electron density profiles, work functions, and surface energies by focusing on the XC effects included in the fully non-local description

  18. Self-consistent density functional calculation of the image potential at a metal surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jung, J [Departamento de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Apartado 60141, 28080 Madrid (Spain); Alvarellos, J E [Departamento de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Apartado 60141, 28080 Madrid (Spain); Chacon, E [Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientIficas, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); GarcIa-Gonzalez, P [Departamento de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Apartado 60141, 28080 Madrid (Spain)

    2007-07-04

    It is well known that the exchange-correlation (XC) potential at a metal surface has an image-like asymptotic behaviour given by -1/4(z-z{sub 0}), where z is the coordinate perpendicular to the surface. Using a suitable fully non-local functional prescription, we evaluate self-consistently the XC potential with the correct image behaviour for simple jellium surfaces in the range of metallic densities. This allows a proper comparison between the corresponding image-plane position, z{sub 0}, and other related quantities such as the centroid of an induced charge by an external perturbation. As a by-product, we assess the routinely used local density approximation when evaluating electron density profiles, work functions, and surface energies by focusing on the XC effects included in the fully non-local description.

  19. Development of a self-consistent lightning NOx simulation in large-scale 3-D models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chao; Wang, Yuhang; Koshak, William J.

    2017-03-01

    We seek to develop a self-consistent representation of lightning NOx (LNOx) simulation in a large-scale 3-D model. Lightning flash rates are parameterized functions of meteorological variables related to convection. We examine a suite of such variables and find that convective available potential energy and cloud top height give the best estimates compared to July 2010 observations from ground-based lightning observation networks. Previous models often use lightning NOx vertical profiles derived from cloud-resolving model simulations. An implicit assumption of such an approach is that the postconvection lightning NOx vertical distribution is the same for all deep convection, regardless of geographic location, time of year, or meteorological environment. Detailed observations of the lightning channel segment altitude distribution derived from the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model can be used to obtain the LNOx emission profile. Coupling such a profile with model convective transport leads to a more self-consistent lightning distribution compared to using prescribed postconvection profiles. We find that convective redistribution appears to be a more important factor than preconvection LNOx profile selection, providing another reason for linking the strength of convective transport to LNOx distribution.

  20. Nuclear threshold effects and neutron strength function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hategan, Cornel; Comisel, Horia

    2003-01-01

    One proves that a Nuclear Threshold Effect is dependent, via Neutron Strength Function, on Spectroscopy of Ancestral Neutron Threshold State. The magnitude of the Nuclear Threshold Effect is proportional to the Neutron Strength Function. Evidence for relation of Nuclear Threshold Effects to Neutron Strength Functions is obtained from Isotopic Threshold Effect and Deuteron Stripping Threshold Anomaly. The empirical and computational analysis of the Isotopic Threshold Effect and of the Deuteron Stripping Threshold Anomaly demonstrate their close relationship to Neutron Strength Functions. It was established that the Nuclear Threshold Effects depend, in addition to genuine Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms, on Spectroscopy of (Ancestral) Neutron Threshold State. The magnitude of the effect is proportional to the Neutron Strength Function, in their dependence on mass number. This result constitutes also a proof that the origins of these threshold effects are Neutron Single Particle States at zero energy. (author)

  1. Predicting hand function in older adults: evaluations of grip strength, arm curl strength, and manual dexterity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chiung-Ju; Marie, Deana; Fredrick, Aaron; Bertram, Jessica; Utley, Kristen; Fess, Elaine Ewing

    2017-08-01

    Hand function is critical for independence in activities of daily living for older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine how grip strength, arm curl strength, and manual dexterous coordination contributed to time-based versus self-report assessment of hand function in community-dwelling older adults. Adults aged ≥60 years without low vision or neurological disorders were recruited. Purdue Pegboard Test, Jamar hand dynamometer, 30-second arm curl test, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, and the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument were administered to assess manual dexterous coordination, grip strength, arm curl strength, time-based hand function, and self-report of hand function, respectively. Eighty-four adults (mean age = 72 years) completed the study. Hierarchical multiple regressions show that older adults with better arm curl strength (β = -.25, p function test. In comparison, older adults with better grip strength (β = .40, p function. The relationship between grip strength and hand function may be test-specific. Grip strength becomes a significant factor when the test requires grip strength to successfully complete the test tasks. Arm curl strength independently contributed to hand function in both time-based and self-report assessments, indicating that strength of extrinsic muscles of the hand are essential for hand function.

  2. Self-consistent asset pricing models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malevergne, Y.; Sornette, D.

    2007-08-01

    We discuss the foundations of factor or regression models in the light of the self-consistency condition that the market portfolio (and more generally the risk factors) is (are) constituted of the assets whose returns it is (they are) supposed to explain. As already reported in several articles, self-consistency implies correlations between the return disturbances. As a consequence, the alphas and betas of the factor model are unobservable. Self-consistency leads to renormalized betas with zero effective alphas, which are observable with standard OLS regressions. When the conditions derived from internal consistency are not met, the model is necessarily incomplete, which means that some sources of risk cannot be replicated (or hedged) by a portfolio of stocks traded on the market, even for infinite economies. Analytical derivations and numerical simulations show that, for arbitrary choices of the proxy which are different from the true market portfolio, a modified linear regression holds with a non-zero value αi at the origin between an asset i's return and the proxy's return. Self-consistency also introduces “orthogonality” and “normality” conditions linking the betas, alphas (as well as the residuals) and the weights of the proxy portfolio. Two diagnostics based on these orthogonality and normality conditions are implemented on a basket of 323 assets which have been components of the S&P500 in the period from January 1990 to February 2005. These two diagnostics show interesting departures from dynamical self-consistency starting about 2 years before the end of the Internet bubble. Assuming that the CAPM holds with the self-consistency condition, the OLS method automatically obeys the resulting orthogonality and normality conditions and therefore provides a simple way to self-consistently assess the parameters of the model by using proxy portfolios made only of the assets which are used in the CAPM regressions. Finally, the factor decomposition with the

  3. Testosterone Replacement, Muscle Strength, and Physical Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    You-Seon Nam

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Muscle strength and physical function decrease in older men, as do testosterone levels. Nonetheless, the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on muscle strength and physical function remain inconclusive and equivocal. We conducted a rapid systematic review, the results of which showed that testosterone replacement does not affect muscle strength (measured by hand grip strength and leg muscle strength, although it may increase physical function (measured by the 6-minute walk test, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly score, and other physical performance tests. However, most of the studies were conducted in the United States or Europe and did not include participants from Asian or other ethnic backgrounds; therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of testosterone replacement in a broader population.

  4. Self-consistent description of the isospin mixing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabrakov, S.I.; Pyatov, N.I.; Baznat, M.I.; Salamov, D.I.

    1978-03-01

    The properties of collective 0 + states built of unlike particle-hole excitations in spherical nuclei have been investigated in a self-consistent microscopic approach. These states arise when the broken isospin symmetry of the nuclear shell model Hamiltonian is restored. The numerical calculations were performed with Woods-Saxon wave functions

  5. Traditional versus functional strength training: Effects on muscle strength and power in the elderly

    OpenAIRE

    Seiler, Hilde Lohne; Torstveit, Monica Klungland; Anderssen, Sigmund A.

    2013-01-01

    Published versiom of an article in the journal:Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. Also available from Human Kinetics: http://http://journals.humankinetics.com/japa-back-issues/japa-volume-21-issue-1-january/traditional-versus-functional-strength-training-effects-on-muscle-strength-and-power-in-the-elderly The aim was to determine whether strength training with machines vs. functional strength training at 80% of one-repetition maximum improves muscle strength and power among the elderl...

  6. Self-consistent cluster theory for systems with off-diagonal disorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaplan, T.; Leath, P.L.; Gray, L.J.; Diehl, H.W.

    1980-01-01

    A self-consistent cluster theory for elementary excitations in systems with diagonal, off-diagonal, and environmental disorder is presented. The theory is developed in augmented space where the configurational average over the disorder is replaced by a ground-state matrix element in a translationally invariant system. The analyticity of the resulting approximate Green's function is proved. Numerical results for the self-consistent single-site and pair approximations are presented for the vibrational and electronic properties of disordered linear chains with diagonal, off-diagonal, and environmental disorder

  7. Quasi-Particle Self-Consistent GW for Molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, F; Harding, M E; Seiler, C; Weigend, F; Evers, F; van Setten, M J

    2016-06-14

    We present the formalism and implementation of quasi-particle self-consistent GW (qsGW) and eigenvalue only quasi-particle self-consistent GW (evGW) adapted to standard quantum chemistry packages. Our implementation is benchmarked against high-level quantum chemistry computations (coupled-cluster theory) and experimental results using a representative set of molecules. Furthermore, we compare the qsGW approach for five molecules relevant for organic photovoltaics to self-consistent GW results (scGW) and analyze the effects of the self-consistency on the ground state density by comparing calculated dipole moments to their experimental values. We show that qsGW makes a significant improvement over conventional G0W0 and that partially self-consistent flavors (in particular evGW) can be excellent alternatives.

  8. Strength functions for fragmented doorway states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, W.M.

    1980-01-01

    Coupling a strongly excited ''doorway state'' to weak ''hallway states'' distributes its strength into micro-resonances seen in differential cross sections taken with very good energy resolution. The distribution of strength is shown to be revealed by reduced widths of the K-matrix rather than by the imaginary part of poles of the S-matrix. Different strength functions (SF) constructed by averaging the K-matrix widths are then investigated to determine their dependences on energy and on parameters related to averages of microscopic matrix elements. A new sum rule on the integrated strength of these SF is derived and used to show that different averaging procedures actually distribute the strength differently. Finally, it is shown that the discontinuous summed strength defines spreading parameters for the doorway state only in strong coupling, where it approximates the idefinite integral of the continuous SF of MacDonald-Mekjian-Kerman-De Toledo Piza. A new method of ''parametric continuation'' is used to relate a discontinuous sliding box-average, or a finite sum, of discrete terms to a continous function

  9. Self-consistent quark bags

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rafelski, J.

    1979-01-01

    After an introductory overview of the bag model the author uses the self-consistent solution of the coupled Dirac-meson fields to represent a bound state of strongly ineteracting fermions. In this framework he discusses the vivial approach to classical field equations. After a short description of the used numerical methods the properties of bound states of scalar self-consistent Fields and the solutions of a self-coupled Dirac field are considered. (HSI) [de

  10. Self-consistency and coherent effects in nonlinear resonances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, I.; Franchetti, G.; Qiang, J.; Ryne, R. D.

    2003-01-01

    The influence of space charge on emittance growth is studied in simulations of a coasting beam exposed to a strong octupolar perturbation in an otherwise linear lattice, and under stationary parameters. We explore the importance of self-consistency by comparing results with a non-self-consistent model, where the space charge electric field is kept 'frozen-in' to its initial values. For Gaussian distribution functions we find that the 'frozen-in' model results in a good approximation of the self-consistent model, hence coherent response is practically absent and the emittance growth is self-limiting due to space charge de-tuning. For KV or waterbag distributions, instead, strong coherent response is found, which we explain in terms of absence of Landau damping

  11. Self-consistent spectral function for non-degenerate Coulomb systems and analytic scaling behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortmann, Carsten

    2008-01-01

    Novel results for the self-consistent single-particle spectral function and self-energy are presented for non-degenerate one-component Coulomb systems at various densities and temperatures. The GW (0) -method for the dynamical self-energy is used to include many-particle correlations beyond the quasi-particle approximation. The self-energy is analysed over a broad range of densities and temperatures (n = 10 17 cm -3 -10 27 cm -3 , T = 10 2 eV/k B -10 4 eV/k B ). The spectral function shows a systematic behaviour, which is determined by collective plasma modes at small wavenumbers and converges towards a quasi-particle resonance at higher wavenumbers. In the low density limit, the numerical results comply with an analytic scaling law that is presented for the first time. It predicts a power-law behaviour of the imaginary part of the self-energy, ImΣ ∼ -n 1/4 . This resolves a long time problem of the quasi-particle approximation which yields a finite self-energy at vanishing density

  12. Self-consistent modelling of ICRH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellsten, T.; Hedin, J.; Johnson, T.; Laxaaback, M.; Tennfors, E.

    2001-01-01

    The performance of ICRH is often sensitive to the shape of the high energy part of the distribution functions of the resonating species. This requires self-consistent calculations of the distribution functions and the wave-field. In addition to the wave-particle interactions and Coulomb collisions the effects of the finite orbit width and the RF-induced spatial transport are found to be important. The inward drift dominates in general even for a symmetric toroidal wave spectrum in the centre of the plasma. An inward drift does not necessarily produce a more peaked heating profile. On the contrary, for low concentrations of hydrogen minority in deuterium plasmas it can even give rise to broader profiles. (author)

  13. RPA method based on the self-consistent cranking model for 168Er and 158Dy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kvasil, J.; Cwiok, S.; Chariev, M.M.; Choriev, B.

    1983-01-01

    The low-lying nuclear states in 168 Er and 158 Dy are analysed within the random phase approximation (RPA) method based on the self-consistent cranking model (SCCM). The moment of inertia, the value of chemical potential, and the strength constant k 1 have been obtained from the symmetry condition. The pairing strength constants Gsub(tau) have been determined from the experimental values of neutron and proton pairing energies for nonrotating nuclei. A quite good agreement with experimental energies of states with positive parity was obtained without introducing the two-phonon vibrational states

  14. Quantitative verification of ab initio self-consistent laser theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Li; Tandy, Robert J; Stone, A D; Türeci, Hakan E

    2008-10-13

    We generalize and test the recent "ab initio" self-consistent (AISC) time-independent semiclassical laser theory. This self-consistent formalism generates all the stationary lasing properties in the multimode regime (frequencies, thresholds, internal and external fields, output power and emission pattern) from simple inputs: the dielectric function of the passive cavity, the atomic transition frequency, and the transverse relaxation time of the lasing transition.We find that the theory gives excellent quantitative agreement with full time-dependent simulations of the Maxwell-Bloch equations after it has been generalized to drop the slowly-varying envelope approximation. The theory is infinite order in the non-linear hole-burning interaction; the widely used third order approximation is shown to fail badly.

  15. Renormalization in self-consistent approximation schemes at finite temperature I: theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hees, H. van; Knoll, J.

    2001-07-01

    Within finite temperature field theory, we show that truncated non-perturbative self-consistent Dyson resummation schemes can be renormalized with local counter-terms defined at the vacuum level. The requirements are that the underlying theory is renormalizable and that the self-consistent scheme follows Baym's Φ-derivable concept. The scheme generates both, the renormalized self-consistent equations of motion and the closed equations for the infinite set of counter terms. At the same time the corresponding 2PI-generating functional and the thermodynamic potential can be renormalized, in consistency with the equations of motion. This guarantees the standard Φ-derivable properties like thermodynamic consistency and exact conservation laws also for the renormalized approximation scheme to hold. The proof uses the techniques of BPHZ-renormalization to cope with the explicit and the hidden overlapping vacuum divergences. (orig.)

  16. Efficient self-consistency for magnetic tight binding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soin, Preetma; Horsfield, A. P.; Nguyen-Manh, D.

    2011-06-01

    Tight binding can be extended to magnetic systems by including an exchange interaction on an atomic site that favours net spin polarisation. We have used a published model, extended to include long-ranged Coulomb interactions, to study defects in iron. We have found that achieving self-consistency using conventional techniques was either unstable or very slow. By formulating the problem of achieving charge and spin self-consistency as a search for stationary points of a Harris-Foulkes functional, extended to include spin, we have derived a much more efficient scheme based on a Newton-Raphson procedure. We demonstrate the capabilities of our method by looking at vacancies and self-interstitials in iron. Self-consistency can indeed be achieved in a more efficient and stable manner, but care needs to be taken to manage this. The algorithm is implemented in the code PLATO. Program summaryProgram title:PLATO Catalogue identifier: AEFC_v2_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFC_v2_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 228 747 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 880 369 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C and PERL Computer: Apple Macintosh, PC, Unix machines Operating system: Unix, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows XP Has the code been vectorised or parallelised?: Yes. Up to 256 processors tested RAM: Up to 2 Gbytes per processor Classification: 7.3 External routines: LAPACK, BLAS and optionally ScaLAPACK, BLACS, PBLAS, FFTW Catalogue identifier of previous version: AEFC_v1_0 Journal reference of previous version: Comput. Phys. Comm. 180 (2009) 2616 Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes Nature of problem: Achieving charge and spin self-consistency in magnetic tight binding can be very

  17. Translationally invariant self-consistent field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shakin, C.M.; Weiss, M.S.

    1977-01-01

    We present a self-consistent field theory which is translationally invariant. The equations obtained go over to the usual Hartree-Fock equations in the limit of large particle number. In addition to deriving the dynamic equations for the self-consistent amplitudes we discuss the calculation of form factors and various other observables

  18. Self-consistent theory of finite Fermi systems and radii of nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saperstein, E. E.; Tolokonnikov, S. V.

    2011-01-01

    Present-day self-consistent approaches in nuclear theory were analyzed from the point of view of describing distributions of nuclear densities. The generalized method of the energy density functional due to Fayans and his coauthors (this is the most successful version of the self-consistent theory of finite Fermi systems) was the first among the approaches under comparison. The second was the most successful version of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock method with the HFB-17 functional due to Goriely and his coauthors. Charge radii of spherical nuclei were analyzed in detail. Several isotopic chains of deformed nuclei were also considered. Charge-density distributions ρ ch (r) were calculated for several spherical nuclei. They were compared with model-independent data extracted from an analysis of elastic electron scattering on nuclei.

  19. Structure of β-decay strength functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naumov, Y.V.; Bykov, A.A.; Izosimov, I.N.

    1983-01-01

    The experimental and theoretical studies on the structure of the Gamow--Teller β-decay strength functions are reviewed. Also considered are processes such as M1 γ decay of analog states, the emission of delayed protons, neutrons, and α particles, delayed fission, and the (p, n) reaction at proton energies 100--200 MeV. The results of measurements of the strength functions by γ-ray total absorption are analyzed. It is shown that the β + decay of nuclei far from the stability band exhibits a new type of collective charge-exchange excitation: Gamow--Teller resonance with μ/sub tau/ = +1

  20. A Combined Self-Consistent Method to Estimate the Effective Properties of Polypropylene/Calcium Carbonate Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongqiang Xiong

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, trying to avoid difficulty of application due to the irregular filler shapes in experiments, self-consistent and differential self-consistent methods were combined to obtain a decoupled equation. The combined method suggests a tenor γ independent of filler-contents being an important connection between high and low filler-contents. On one hand, the constant parameter can be calculated by Eshelby’s inclusion theory or the Mori–Tanaka method to predict effective properties of composites coinciding with its hypothesis. On the other hand, the parameter can be calculated with several experimental results to estimate the effective properties of prepared composites of other different contents. In addition, an evaluation index σ f ′ of the interactional strength between matrix and fillers is proposed based on experiments. In experiments, a hyper-dispersant was synthesized to prepare polypropylene/calcium carbonate (PP/CaCO3 composites up to 70 wt % of filler-content with dispersion, whose dosage was only 5 wt % of the CaCO3 contents. Based on several verifications, it is hoped that the combined self-consistent method is valid for other two-phase composites in experiments with the same application progress as in this work.

  1. Fully self-consistent GW calculations for molecules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rostgaard, Carsten; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

    2010-01-01

    We calculate single-particle excitation energies for a series of 34 molecules using fully self-consistent GW, one-shot G0W0, Hartree-Fock (HF), and hybrid density-functional theory (DFT). All calculations are performed within the projector-augmented wave method using a basis set of Wannier...... functions augmented by numerical atomic orbitals. The GW self-energy is calculated on the real frequency axis including its full frequency dependence and off-diagonal matrix elements. The mean absolute error of the ionization potential (IP) with respect to experiment is found to be 4.4, 2.6, 0.8, 0.4, and 0...

  2. Experimental data base for gamma-ray strength functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopecky, J.

    1999-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental knowledge of γ-ray strength functions is a very important ingredient for description and calculation of photon production data in all reaction channels. This study focusses on experimental γ-ray strength functions, collected over a period of about 40 years and based on measurements of partial radiative widths

  3. Hand Strength, Handwriting, and Functional Skills in Children With Autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alaniz, Michele L; Galit, Eleanor; Necesito, Corina Isabel; Rosario, Emily R

    2015-01-01

    To establish hand strength development trends in children with autism and to investigate correlations between grip and pinch strength, components of handwriting, and functional activities in children with and without autism. Fifty-one children were divided into two groups: typically developing children and children on the autism spectrum. Each child completed testing for pinch and grip strength, handwriting legibility, pencil control, and independence in functional activities. The children with autism followed the same strength development trends as the typically developing children. Grip strength correlated with pencil control in both groups and with handwriting legibility in the typically developing children but not in the children with autism. Grip and pinch strength correlated with independence with functional activities in both groups. This study provides evidence that grip and pinch strength are important components in developing pencil control, handwriting legibility, and independence with functional fine motor tasks. Copyright © 2015 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  4. The numerical multiconfiguration self-consistent field approach for atoms; Der numerische Multiconfiguration Self-Consistent Field-Ansatz fuer Atome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stiehler, Johannes

    1995-12-15

    The dissertation uses the Multiconfiguration Self-Consistent Field Approach to specify the electronic wave function of N electron atoms in a static electrical field. It presents numerical approaches to describe the wave functions and introduces new methods to compute the numerical Fock equations. Based on results computed with an implemented computer program the universal application, flexibility and high numerical precision of the presented approach is shown. RHF results and for the first time MCSCF results for polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of various states of the atoms He to Kr are discussed. In addition, an application to interpret a plasma spectrum of gallium is presented. (orig.)

  5. Strength Development: Using Functional Isometrics in an Isotonic Strength Training Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Allen; And Others

    1985-01-01

    A study was made to determine if a combination of functional isometrics and standard isotonic training would be superior to a standard isotonic program in an instructional setting. The results provide support for functional isometrics as an enhancement where achievement of maximum strength is the goal. (Author/MT)

  6. A self-consistent theory of the magnetic polaron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marvakov, D.I.; Kuzemsky, A.L.; Vlahov, J.P.

    1984-10-01

    A finite temperature self-consistent theory of magnetic polaron in the s-f model of ferromagnetic semiconductors is developed. The calculations are based on the novel approach of the thermodynamic two-time Green function methods. This approach consists in the introduction of the ''irreducible'' Green functions (IGF) and derivation of the exact Dyson equation and exact self-energy operator. It is shown that IGF method gives a unified and natural approach for a calculation of the magnetic polaron states by taking explicitly into account the damping effects and finite lifetime. (author)

  7. Relationship between muscle strength and motor function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milene F. Nunes

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Measuring muscle strength and motor function is part of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD assessment. However, the relationship between these variables is controversial. Objective To investigate the relationship between muscle strength and motor function and between these variables and age. Method Muscle strength was measured by Medical Research Council (MRC scale and motor function, by Motor Function Measure (MFM, in 40 non-ambulatory patients. Spearman tests investigated the relationships between muscle strength, motor function and age. Results Total MRC and MFM scores were strongly related to each other (r = 0.94; p 0.05. Strong and moderate relationships between partial muscle strength and motor function scores were found. Higher correlation coefficients were found between total scores and Dimensions 2 (axial/ proximal control and 3 (distal control of MFM. Conclusion Muscle strength and motor function are strongly correlated and seem to decrease proportionally in DMD.

  8. Justifying quasiparticle self-consistent schemes via gradient optimization in Baym-Kadanoff theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

    2017-09-27

    The question of which non-interacting Green's function 'best' describes an interacting many-body electronic system is both of fundamental interest as well as of practical importance in describing electronic properties of materials in a realistic manner. Here, we study this question within the framework of Baym-Kadanoff theory, an approach where one locates the stationary point of a total energy functional of the one-particle Green's function in order to find the total ground-state energy as well as all one-particle properties such as the density matrix, chemical potential, or the quasiparticle energy spectrum and quasiparticle wave functions. For the case of the Klein functional, our basic finding is that minimizing the length of the gradient of the total energy functional over non-interacting Green's functions yields a set of self-consistent equations for quasiparticles that is identical to those of the quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) (van Schilfgaarde et al 2006 Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 226402-4) approach, thereby providing an a priori justification for such an approach to electronic structure calculations. In fact, this result is general, applies to any self-energy operator, and is not restricted to any particular approximation, e.g., the GW approximation for the self-energy. The approach also shows that, when working in the basis of quasiparticle states, solving the diagonal part of the self-consistent Dyson equation is of primary importance while the off-diagonals are of secondary importance, a common observation in the electronic structure literature of self-energy calculations. Finally, numerical tests and analytical arguments show that when the Dyson equation produces multiple quasiparticle solutions corresponding to a single non-interacting state, minimizing the length of the gradient translates into choosing the solution with largest quasiparticle weight.

  9. Effects of strength training, detraining and retraining in muscle strength, hypertrophy and functional tasks in older female adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa, Cleiton S; Cunha, Giovani; Marques, Nise; Oliveira-Reischak, Ãlvaro; Pinto, Ronei

    2016-07-01

    Previous studies presented different results regarding the maintenance time of muscular adaptations after strength training and the ability to resume the gains on muscular performance after resumption of the training programme. This study aimed to verify the effect of strength training on knee extensors and elbow flexor muscle strength, rectus femoris muscle volume and functional performance in older female adults after 12 weeks of strength training, 1 year of detraining and followed by 12 weeks of retraining. Twelve sedentary older women performed 12 weeks of strength training, 1 year of detraining and 12 weeks of retraining. The strength training was performed twice a week, and the assessment was made four times: at the baseline, after the strength training, after the detraining and after the retraining. The knee extensor and elbow flexor strength, rectus femoris muscle volume and functional task were assessed. Strength of knee extensor and elbow flexor muscles, rectus femoris muscle volume and 30-s sit-to-stand increased from baseline to post-training (respectively, 40%, 70%, 38% and 46%), decreased after detraining (respectively, -36%, -64%, -35% and -43%) and increased again these parameters after retraining (35%, 68%, 36% and 42%). Strength training induces gains on strength and hypertrophy, also increased the performance on functional tasks after the strength training. The stoppage of the strength caused strength loss and reduction of functional performance. The resumption of the strength training promoted the same gains of muscular performance in older female adults. © 2015 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Self-consistent areas law in QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makeenko, Yu.M.; Migdal, A.A.

    1980-01-01

    The problem of obtaining the self-consistent areas law in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is considered from the point of view of the quark confinement. The exact equation for the loop average in multicolor QCD is reduced to a bootstrap form. Its iterations yield new manifestly gauge invariant perturbation theory in the loop space, reproducing asymptotic freedom. For large loops, the areas law apprears to be a self-consistent solution

  11. Self-consistent radial sheath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazeltine, R.D.

    1988-12-01

    The boundary layer arising in the radial vicinity of a tokamak limiter is examined, with special reference to the TEXT tokamak. It is shown that sheath structure depends upon the self-consistent effects of ion guiding-center orbit modification, as well as the radial variation of E /times/ B-induced toroidal rotation. Reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained from an idealized model which, however simplified, preserves such self-consistent effects. It is argued that the radial sheath, which occurs whenever confining magnetic field-lines lie in the plasma boundary surface, is an object of some intrinsic interest. It differs from the more familiar axial sheath because magnetized charges respond very differently to parallel and perpendicular electric fields. 11 refs., 1 fig

  12. Gate-controlled current and inelastic electron tunneling spectrum of benzene: a self-consistent study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Y Y; Chen, H; Mizuseki, H; Kawazoe, Y

    2011-04-14

    We use density functional theory based nonequilibrium Green's function to self-consistently study the current through the 1,4-benzenedithiol (BDT). The elastic and inelastic tunneling properties through this Au-BDT-Au molecular junction are simulated, respectively. For the elastic tunneling case, it is found that the current through the tilted molecule can be modulated effectively by the external gate field, which is perpendicular to the phenyl ring. The gate voltage amplification comes from the modulation of the interaction between the electrodes and the molecules in the junctions. For the inelastic case, the electron tunneling scattered by the molecular vibrational modes is considered within the self-consistent Born approximation scheme, and the inelastic electron tunneling spectrum is calculated.

  13. Multiconfigurational self-consistent reaction field theory for nonequilibrium solvation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Kurt V.; Cesar, Amary; Ågren, Hans

    1995-01-01

    electronic structure whereas the inertial polarization vector is not necessarily in equilibrium with the actual electronic structure. The electronic structure of the compound is described by a correlated electronic wave function - a multiconfigurational self-consistent field (MCSCF) wave function. This wave......, open-shell, excited, and transition states. We demonstrate the theory by computing solvatochromatic shifts in optical/UV spectra of some small molecules and electron ionization and electron detachment energies of the benzene molecule. It is shown that the dependency of the solvent induced affinity...

  14. Charged hard spheres in a uniform neutralizing background: The role of thermodynamics selfconsistence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badirkhan, Z.; Pastore, G.; Tosi, M.P.

    1991-06-01

    Calculations of the thermodynamic properties and pair distribution function of a one-component classical fluid of charged hard spheres in a uniform neutralizing background are reported and compared with Monte Carlo results of Hansen and Weis. Thermodynamic selfconsistence between the virial pressure and the fluctuations formula for the isothermal compressibility is enforced in the calculations by various alternative approaches. The role of thermodynamic selfconsistence is crucial to obtain a satisfactory quantitative description of this model fluid, in view of its applications in the theory of liquid metals and of dispersions of charged colloidal particles. (author). 23 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

  15. Selfconsistent calculations for hyperdeformed nuclei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molique, H.; Dobaczewski, J.; Dudek, J.; Luo, W.D. [Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg (France)

    1996-12-31

    Properties of the hyperdeformed nuclei in the A {approximately} 170 mass range are re-examined using the self-consistent Hartree-Fock method with the SOP parametrization. A comparison with the previous predictions that were based on a non-selfconsistent approach is made. The existence of the {open_quotes}hyper-deformed shell closures{close_quotes} at the proton and neutron numbers Z=70 and N=100 and their very weak dependence on the rotational frequency is suggested; the corresponding single-particle energy gaps are predicted to play a role similar to that of the Z=66 and N=86 gaps in the super-deformed nuclei of the A {approximately} 150 mass range. Selfconsistent calculations suggest also that the A {approximately} 170 hyperdeformed structures have neglegible mass asymmetry in their shapes. Very importantly for the experimental studies, both the fission barriers and the {open_quotes}inner{close_quotes} barriers (that separate the hyperdeformed structures from those with smaller deformations) are predicted to be relatively high, up to the factor of {approximately}2 higher than the corresponding ones in the {sup 152}Dy superdeformed nucleus used as a reference.

  16. Neutron strength functions: the link between resolved resonances and the optical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moldauer, P.A.

    1980-01-01

    Neutron strength functions and scattering radii are useful as energy and channel radius independent parameters that characterize neutron scattering resonances and provide a connection between R-matrix resonance analysis and the optical model. The choice of R-matrix channel radii is discussed, as are limitations on the accuracies of strength functions. New definitions of the p-wave strength function and scattering radius are proposed. For light nuclei, where strength functions display optical model energy variations over the resolved resonances, a doubly reduced partial neutron width is introduced for more meaningful statistical analyses of widths. The systematic behavior of strength functions and scattering radii is discussed

  17. General variational many-body theory with complete self-consistency for trapped bosonic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Streltsov, Alexej I.; Alon, Ofir E.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.

    2006-01-01

    In this work we develop a complete variational many-body theory for a system of N trapped bosons interacting via a general two-body potential. The many-body solution of this system is expanded over orthogonal many-body basis functions (configurations). In this theory both the many-body basis functions and the respective expansion coefficients are treated as variational parameters. The optimal variational parameters are obtained self-consistently by solving a coupled system of noneigenvalue--generally integro-differential--equations to get the one-particle functions and by diagonalizing the secular matrix problem to find the expansion coefficients. We call this theory multiconfigurational Hartree theory for bosons or MCHB(M), where M specifies explicitly the number of one-particle functions used to construct the configurations. General rules for evaluating the matrix elements of one- and two-particle operators are derived and applied to construct the secular Hamiltonian matrix. We discuss properties of the derived equations. We show that in the limiting cases of one configuration the theory boils down to the well-known Gross-Pitaevskii and the recently developed multi-orbital mean fields. The invariance of the complete solution with respect to unitary transformations of the one-particle functions is utilized to find the solution with the minimal number of contributing configurations. In the second part of our work we implement and apply the developed theory. It is demonstrated that for any practical computation where the configurational space is restricted, the description of trapped bosonic systems strongly depends on the choice of the many-body basis set used, i.e., self-consistency is of great relevance. As illustrative examples we consider bosonic systems trapped in one- and two-dimensional symmetric and asymmetric double well potentials. We demonstrate that self-consistency has great impact on the predicted physical properties of the ground and excited states

  18. Self-consistent studies of magnetic thin film Ni (001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.S.; Freeman, A.J.

    1979-01-01

    Advances in experimental methods for studying surface phenomena have provided the stimulus to develop theoretical methods capable of interpreting this wealth of new information. Of particular interest have been the relative roles of bulk and surface contributions since in several important cases agreement between experiment and bulk self-consistent (SC) calculations within the local spin density functional formalism (LSDF) is lacking. We discuss our recent extension of the (LSDF) approach to the study of thin films (slabs) and the role of surface effects on magnetic properties. Results are described for Ni (001) films using our new SC numerical basis set LCAO method. Self-consistency within the superposition of overlapping spherical atomic charge density model is obtained iteratively with the atomic configuration as the adjustable parameter. Results are presented for the electronic charge densities and local density of states. The origin and role of (magnetic) surface states is discussed by comparison with results of earlier bulk calculations

  19. A self-consistent mean field theory for diffusion in alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nastar, M.; Barbe, V.

    2007-01-01

    Starting from a microscopic model of the atomic transport via vacancies and interstitials in alloys, a self-consistent mean field (SCMF) kinetic theory yields the phenomenological coefficients L ij . In this theory, kinetic correlations are accounted for through a set of effective interactions within a non-equilibrium distribution function of the system. The introduction of a master equation describing the evolution with time of the distribution function and its moments leads to general self-consistent kinetic equations. The L ij of a face centered cubic alloy are calculated using the kinetic equations of Nastar (M. Nastar, Philos. Mag., 2005, 85, 3767, ref. 1) derived from a microscopic broken bond model of the vacancy jump frequency. A first approximation leads to an analytical expression of the L ij and a second approximation to a better agreement with the Monte Carlo simulations. A change of sign of the L ij is studied as a function of the microscopic parameters of the jump frequency. The L ij of a cubic centered alloy obtained for the complex diffusion mechanism of the dumbbell configuration of the interstitial are used to study the effect of an on-site rotation of the dumbbell on the transport. (authors)

  20. Self-consistent particle distribution of a bunched beam in RF field

    CERN Document Server

    Batygin, Y K

    2002-01-01

    An analytical solution for the self-consistent particle equilibrium distribution in an RF field with transverse focusing is found. The solution is attained in the approximation of a high brightness beam. The distribution function in phase space is determined as a stationary function of the energy integral. Equipartitioning of the beam distribution between degrees of freedom follows directly from the choice of the stationary distribution function. Analytical expressions for r-z equilibrium beam profile and maximum beam current in RF field are obtained.

  1. Self-consistent calculation of atomic structure for mixture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Xujun; Bai Yun; Sun Yongsheng; Zhang Jinglin; Zong Xiaoping

    2000-01-01

    Based on relativistic Hartree-Fock-Slater self-consistent average atomic model, atomic structure for mixture is studied by summing up component volumes in mixture. Algorithmic procedure for solving both the group of Thomas-Fermi equations and the self-consistent atomic structure is presented in detail, and, some numerical results are discussed

  2. Correlations and self-consistency in pion scattering. II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, M.B.; Keister, B.D.

    1978-01-01

    In an attempt to overcome certain difficulties of summing higher order processes in pion multiple scattering theories, a new, systematic expansion for the interaction of a pion in nuclear matter is derived within the context of the Foldy-Walecka theory, incorporating nucleon-nucleon correlations and an idea of self-consistency. The first two orders in the expansion are evaluated as a function of the nonlocality range; the expansion appears to be rapidly converging, in contrast to expansion schemes previously examined. (Auth.)

  3. Effects of hyperthyroidism on hand grip strength and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erkol İnal, Esra; Çarlı, Alparslan Bayram; Çanak, Sultan; Aksu, Oğuzhan; Köroğlu, Banu Kale; Savaş, Serpil

    2015-01-01

    Hyperthyroidism is a pathologic condition in which the body is exposed to excessive amounts of circulating thyroid hormones. Skeletal muscle is one of the major target organs of thyroid hormones. We evaluated hand grip strength and function in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Fifty-one patients newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and 44 healthy controls participated in this study. Age, height, weight, and dominant hand of all participants were recorded. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was confirmed by clinical examination and laboratory tests. Hand grip strength was tested at the dominant hand with a Jamar hand dynamometer. The grooved pegboard test (PGT) was used to evaluate hand dexterity. The Duruöz Hand Index (DHI) was used to assess hand function. No significant differences were found in terms of clinical and demographic findings between the patients with hyperthyroidism and healthy controls (p > 0.05). Significant differences were found between the patients with hyperthyroidism and healthy controls regarding PGT and DHI scores (p Hyperthyroidism seemed to affect hand dexterity and function more than hand grip strength and seemed to be associated with reduced physical function more than muscle strength. This may also indicate that patients with hyperthyroidism should be evaluated by multidisplinary modalities.

  4. Effect of strength training on muscle function in elderly hospitalized patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suetta, C; Magnusson, S P; Beyer, N

    2007-01-01

    Immobilization due to hospitalization and major surgery leads to an increased risk of morbidity, disability and a decline in muscle function especially in frail elderly individuals. In fact, many elderly patients fail to regain their level of function and self-care before admission to hospital....... Given that reduced lower limb muscle strength and loss of skeletal muscle mass (i.e. sarcopenia) have been associated with functional impairments and disability with aging, attempts to counteract this process seem highly relevant. In recent years, strength training has emerged as an effective method...... to induce muscle hypertrophy and increase muscle strength and functional performance in frail elderly individuals. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that strength training is an effective method to restore muscle function in post-operative patients and in patients with chronic diseases. Despite this...

  5. Level Densities and Radiative Strength Functions in 170,171Yb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agvaanluvsan, U.; Schiller, A.; Becker, J.A.; Berstein, L.A.; Guttormsen, M.; Mitchell, G.E.; Rekstad, J.; Siem, S.; Voinov, A.

    2003-01-01

    Level densities and radiative strength functions in 171 Yb and 170 Yb nuclei have been measured with the 171 Yb( 3 He, 3 He(prime) γ) 171 Yb and 171 Yb( 3 He, αγ) 170 Yb reactions. A simultaneous determination of the nuclear level density and the radiative strength function was made. The present data adds to and is consistent with previous results for several other rare earth nuclei. The method will be briefly reviewed and the result from the analysis will be presented. The radiative strength function for 171 Yb is compared to previously published work.

  6. Self-consistency corrections in effective-interaction calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Starkand, Y.; Kirson, M.W.

    1975-01-01

    Large-matrix extended-shell-model calculations are used to compute self-consistency corrections to the effective interaction and to the linked-cluster effective interaction. The corrections are found to be numerically significant and to affect the rate of convergence of the corresponding perturbation series. The influence of various partial corrections is tested. It is concluded that self-consistency is an important effect in determining the effective interaction and improving the rate of convergence. (author)

  7. Self-consistency in Capital Markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benbrahim, Hamid

    2013-03-01

    Capital Markets are considered, at least in theory, information engines whereby traders contribute to price formation with their diverse perspectives. Regardless whether one believes in efficient market theory on not, actions by individual traders influence prices of securities, which in turn influence actions by other traders. This influence is exerted through a number of mechanisms including portfolio balancing, margin maintenance, trend following, and sentiment. As a result market behaviors emerge from a number of mechanisms ranging from self-consistency due to wisdom of the crowds and self-fulfilling prophecies, to more chaotic behavior resulting from dynamics similar to the three body system, namely the interplay between equities, options, and futures. This talk will address questions and findings regarding the search for self-consistency in capital markets.

  8. Self-consistent hole motion and spin excitations in a quantum antiferromagnet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Z.B.; Yu, L.; Li, Y.M.; Lai, W.Y.

    1989-12-01

    A new quantum Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdeG) formalism is developed to study the self-consistent motion of holes and spin excitations in a quantum antiferromagnet within the generalized t-J model. On the one hand, the effects of local distortion of spin configurations and the renormalization of the hole motion due to virtual excitations of the distorted spin background are treated on an equal footing to obtain the hole wave function and its spectrum, as well as the effective mass for a propagating hole. On the other hand, the change of the spin excitation spectrum and the spin correlations due to the presence of dynamical holes are studied within the same adiabatic approximation. The stability of the hole states with respect to such changes justifies the self-consistency of the proposed formalism. (author). 25 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

  9. Updated Photonuclear Data Library and Database for Photon Strength Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitriou Paraskevi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Photonuclear cross sections and gamma-ray data used to extract Photon Strength Functions are important for a large range of applications including basic sciences. The recommendations of an IAEA Consultant’s Meeting to update the IAEA Photonuclear Data Library and create a Reference Database for Photon Strength Functions are presented.

  10. Aharonov-Casher effect and quantum transport in graphene based nano rings: A self-consistent Born approximation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaderzadeh, A.; Rahbari, S. H. Ebrahimnazhad; Phirouznia, A.

    2018-03-01

    In this study, Rashba coupling induced Aharonov-Casher effect in a graphene based nano ring is investigated theoretically. The graphene based nano ring is considered as a central device connected to semi-infinite graphene nano ribbons. In the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction, two armchair shaped edge nano ribbons are considered as semi-infinite leads. The non-equilibrium Green's function approach is utilized to obtain the quantum transport characteristics of the system. The relaxation and dephasing mechanisms within the self-consistent Born approximation is scrutinized. The Lopez-Sancho method is also applied to obtain the self-energy of the leads. We unveil that the non-equilibrium current of the system possesses measurable Aharonov-Casher oscillations with respect to the Rashba coupling strength. In addition, we have observed the same oscillations in dilute impurity regimes in which amplitude of the oscillations is shown to be suppressed as a result of the relaxations.

  11. Self-consistent normal ordering of gauge field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruehl, W.

    1987-01-01

    Mean-field theories with a real action of unconstrained fields can be self-consistently normal ordered. This leads to a considerable improvement over standard mean-field theory. This concept is applied to lattice gauge theories. First an appropriate real action mean-field theory is constructed. The equations determining the Gaussian kernel necessary for self-consistent normal ordering of this mean-field theory are derived. (author). 4 refs

  12. Changes in the Muscle strength and functional performance of healthy women with aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roghayeh Mousavikhatir

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Lower limbs antigravity muscles weakness and decreased functional ability have significant role in falling. The aim of this study was to find the effects of aging on muscle strength and functional ability, determining the range of decreasing strength and functional ability and relationship between them in healthy women. Methods: Across-section study was performed on 101 healthy women aged 21-80 years. The participants were divided into six age groups. The maximum isometric strength of four muscle groups was measured using a hand-held dynamometer bilaterally. The functional ability was measured with functional reach (FR, timed get up and go (TGUG, single leg stance (SLS, and stairs walking (SW tests. Results: Muscle strength changes were not significant between 21-40 years of age, but decreased significantly thereafter. Also, there was a significant relationship between muscle strength and functional ability in age groups. Conclusion: Both muscle strength and functional ability is reduced as a result of aging, but the decrease in functional ability can be detected earlier.

  13. A discrete stress-strength interference model based on universal generating function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An Zongwen; Huang Hongzhong; Liu Yu

    2008-01-01

    Continuous stress-strength interference (SSI) model regards stress and strength as continuous random variables with known probability density function. This, to some extent, results in a limitation of its application. In this paper, stress and strength are treated as discrete random variables, and a discrete SSI model is presented by using the universal generating function (UGF) method. Finally, case studies demonstrate the validity of the discrete model in a variety of circumstances, in which stress and strength can be represented by continuous random variables, discrete random variables, or two groups of experimental data

  14. Gate dielectric strength dependent performance of CNT MOSFET and CNT TFET: A tight binding study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Shamim Sarker

    Full Text Available This paper presents a comparative study between CNT MOSFET and CNT TFET taking into account of different dielectric strength of gate oxide materials. Here we have studied the transfer characteristics, on/off current (ION/IOFF ratio and subthreshold slope of the device using Non Equilibrium Greens Function (NEGF formalism in tight binding frameworks. The results are obtained by solving the NEGF and Poisson’s equation self-consistently in NanoTCADViDES environment and found that the ON state performance of CNT MOSFET and CNT TFET have significant dependency on the dielectric strength of the gate oxide materials. The figure of merits of the devices also demonstrates that the CNT TFET is promising for high-speed and low-power logic applications. Keywords: CNT TFET, Subthreshold slop, Barrier width, Conduction band (C.B and Valance band (V.B, Oxide dielectric strength, Tight binding approach

  15. Effects of different strength training frequencies on maximum strength, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turpela, Mari; Häkkinen, Keijo; Haff, Guy Gregory; Walker, Simon

    2017-11-01

    There is controversy in the literature regarding the dose-response relationship of strength training in healthy older participants. The present study determined training frequency effects on maximum strength, muscle mass and functional capacity over 6months following an initial 3-month preparatory strength training period. One-hundred and six 64-75year old volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups; performing strength training one (EX1), two (EX2), or three (EX3) times per week and a non-training control (CON) group. Whole-body strength training was performed using 2-5 sets and 4-12 repetitions per exercise and 7-9 exercises per session. Before and after the intervention, maximum dynamic leg press (1-RM) and isometric knee extensor and plantarflexor strength, body composition and quadriceps cross-sectional area, as well as functional capacity (maximum 7.5m forward and backward walking speed, timed-up-and-go test, loaded 10-stair climb test) were measured. All experimental groups increased leg press 1-RM more than CON (EX1: 3±8%, EX2: 6±6%, EX3: 10±8%, CON: -3±6%, Ptraining frequency would induce greater benefit to maximum walking speed (i.e. functional capacity) despite a clear dose-response in dynamic 1-RM strength, at least when predominantly using machine weight-training. It appears that beneficial functional capacity improvements can be achieved through low frequency training (i.e. 1-2 times per week) in previously untrained healthy older participants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The numerical multiconfiguration self-consistent field approach for atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiehler, Johannes

    1995-12-01

    The dissertation uses the Multiconfiguration Self-Consistent Field Approach to specify the electronic wave function of N electron atoms in a static electrical field. It presents numerical approaches to describe the wave functions and introduces new methods to compute the numerical Fock equations. Based on results computed with an implemented computer program the universal application, flexibility and high numerical precision of the presented approach is shown. RHF results and for the first time MCSCF results for polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of various states of the atoms He to Kr are discussed. In addition, an application to interpret a plasma spectrum of gallium is presented. (orig.)

  17. A Sparse Self-Consistent Field Algorithm and Its Parallel Implementation: Application to Density-Functional-Based Tight Binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scemama, Anthony; Renon, Nicolas; Rapacioli, Mathias

    2014-06-10

    We present an algorithm and its parallel implementation for solving a self-consistent problem as encountered in Hartree-Fock or density functional theory. The algorithm takes advantage of the sparsity of matrices through the use of local molecular orbitals. The implementation allows one to exploit efficiently modern symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) computer architectures. As a first application, the algorithm is used within the density-functional-based tight binding method, for which most of the computational time is spent in the linear algebra routines (diagonalization of the Fock/Kohn-Sham matrix). We show that with this algorithm (i) single point calculations on very large systems (millions of atoms) can be performed on large SMP machines, (ii) calculations involving intermediate size systems (1000-100 000 atoms) are also strongly accelerated and can run efficiently on standard servers, and (iii) the error on the total energy due to the use of a cutoff in the molecular orbital coefficients can be controlled such that it remains smaller than the SCF convergence criterion.

  18. Communication: A difference density picture for the self-consistent field ansatz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parrish, Robert M.; Liu, Fang; Martínez, Todd J., E-mail: toddjmartinez@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry and the PULSE Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States)

    2016-04-07

    We formulate self-consistent field (SCF) theory in terms of an interaction picture where the working variable is the difference density matrix between the true system and a corresponding superposition of atomic densities. As the difference density matrix directly represents the electronic deformations inherent in chemical bonding, this “difference self-consistent field (dSCF)” picture provides a number of significant conceptual and computational advantages. We show that this allows for a stable and efficient dSCF iterative procedure with wholly single-precision Coulomb and exchange matrix builds. We also show that the dSCF iterative procedure can be performed with aggressive screening of the pair space. These approximations are tested and found to be accurate for systems with up to 1860 atoms and >10 000 basis functions, providing for immediate overall speedups of up to 70% in the heavily optimized TERACHEM SCF implementation.

  19. Communication: A difference density picture for the self-consistent field ansatz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parrish, Robert M.; Liu, Fang; Martínez, Todd J.

    2016-01-01

    We formulate self-consistent field (SCF) theory in terms of an interaction picture where the working variable is the difference density matrix between the true system and a corresponding superposition of atomic densities. As the difference density matrix directly represents the electronic deformations inherent in chemical bonding, this “difference self-consistent field (dSCF)” picture provides a number of significant conceptual and computational advantages. We show that this allows for a stable and efficient dSCF iterative procedure with wholly single-precision Coulomb and exchange matrix builds. We also show that the dSCF iterative procedure can be performed with aggressive screening of the pair space. These approximations are tested and found to be accurate for systems with up to 1860 atoms and >10 000 basis functions, providing for immediate overall speedups of up to 70% in the heavily optimized TERACHEM SCF implementation.

  20. Communication: A difference density picture for the self-consistent field ansatz

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrish, Robert M.; Liu, Fang; Martínez, Todd J.

    2016-04-01

    We formulate self-consistent field (SCF) theory in terms of an interaction picture where the working variable is the difference density matrix between the true system and a corresponding superposition of atomic densities. As the difference density matrix directly represents the electronic deformations inherent in chemical bonding, this "difference self-consistent field (dSCF)" picture provides a number of significant conceptual and computational advantages. We show that this allows for a stable and efficient dSCF iterative procedure with wholly single-precision Coulomb and exchange matrix builds. We also show that the dSCF iterative procedure can be performed with aggressive screening of the pair space. These approximations are tested and found to be accurate for systems with up to 1860 atoms and >10 000 basis functions, providing for immediate overall speedups of up to 70% in the heavily optimized TeraChem SCF implementation.

  1. Self-consistent mean-field models for nuclear structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, Michael; Heenen, Paul-Henri; Reinhard, Paul-Gerhard

    2003-01-01

    The authors review the present status of self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) models for describing nuclear structure and low-energy dynamics. These models are presented as effective energy-density functionals. The three most widely used variants of SCMF's based on a Skyrme energy functional, a Gogny force, and a relativistic mean-field Lagrangian are considered side by side. The crucial role of the treatment of pairing correlations is pointed out in each case. The authors discuss other related nuclear structure models and present several extensions beyond the mean-field model which are currently used. Phenomenological adjustment of the model parameters is discussed in detail. The performance quality of the SCMF model is demonstrated for a broad range of typical applications

  2. Modeling self-consistent multi-class dynamic traffic flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Hsun-Jung; Lo, Shih-Ching

    2002-09-01

    In this study, we present a systematic self-consistent multiclass multilane traffic model derived from the vehicular Boltzmann equation and the traffic dispersion model. The multilane domain is considered as a two-dimensional space and the interaction among vehicles in the domain is described by a dispersion model. The reason we consider a multilane domain as a two-dimensional space is that the driving behavior of road users may not be restricted by lanes, especially motorcyclists. The dispersion model, which is a nonlinear Poisson equation, is derived from the car-following theory and the equilibrium assumption. Under the concept that all kinds of users share the finite section, the density is distributed on a road by the dispersion model. In addition, the dynamic evolution of the traffic flow is determined by the systematic gas-kinetic model derived from the Boltzmann equation. Multiplying Boltzmann equation by the zeroth, first- and second-order moment functions, integrating both side of the equation and using chain rules, we can derive continuity, motion and variance equation, respectively. However, the second-order moment function, which is the square of the individual velocity, is employed by previous researches does not have physical meaning in traffic flow. Although the second-order expansion results in the velocity variance equation, additional terms may be generated. The velocity variance equation we propose is derived from multiplying Boltzmann equation by the individual velocity variance. It modifies the previous model and presents a new gas-kinetic traffic flow model. By coupling the gas-kinetic model and the dispersion model, a self-consistent system is presented.

  3. Is the relationship between increased knee muscle strength and improved physical function following exercise dependent on baseline physical function status?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Michelle; Hinman, Rana S; van der Esch, Martin; van der Leeden, Marike; Kasza, Jessica; Wrigley, Tim V; Metcalf, Ben R; Dobson, Fiona; Bennell, Kim L

    2017-12-08

    Clinical guidelines recommend knee muscle strengthening exercises to improve physical function. However, the amount of knee muscle strength increase needed for clinically relevant improvements in physical function is unclear. Understanding how much increase in knee muscle strength is associated with improved physical function could assist clinicians in providing appropriate strength gain targets for their patients in order to optimise outcomes from exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an increase in knee muscle strength is associated with improved self-reported physical function following exercise; and whether the relationship differs according to physical function status at baseline. Data from 100 participants with medial knee osteoarthritis enrolled in a 12-week randomised controlled trial comparing neuromuscular exercise to quadriceps strengthening exercise were pooled. Participants were categorised as having mild, moderate or severe physical dysfunction at baseline using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Associations between 12-week changes in physical function (dependent variable) and peak isometric knee extensor and flexor strength (independent variables) were evaluated with and without accounting for baseline physical function status and covariates using linear regression models. In covariate-adjusted models without accounting for baseline physical function, every 1-unit (Nm/kg) increase in knee extensor strength was associated with physical function improvement of 17 WOMAC units (95% confidence interval (CI) -29 to -5). When accounting for baseline severity of physical function, every 1-unit increase in knee extensor strength was associated with physical function improvement of 24 WOMAC units (95% CI -42 to -7) in participants with severe physical dysfunction. There were no associations between change in strength and change in physical function in participants with mild or moderate physical

  4. Upper Extremity Muscle Volumes and Functional Strength After Resistance Training in Older Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Melissa; Vidt, Meghan E.; Eggebeen, Joel D.; Simpson, W. Greg; Miller, Michael E.; Marsh, Anthony P.; Saul, Katherine R.

    2014-01-01

    Aging leads to a decline in strength and an associated loss of independence. The authors examined changes in muscle volume, maximum isometric joint moment, functional strength, and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) after resistance training (RT) in the upper extremity of older adults. They evaluated isometric joint moment and muscle volume as predictors of functional strength. Sixteen healthy older adults (average age 75 ± 4.3 yr) were randomized to a 6-wk upper extremity RT program or control group. The RT group increased 1RM significantly (p strength (p = .003), isometric shoulder-adduction moment (p = .041), elbow-flexor volume (p = .017), and shoulder-adductor volume (p = .009). Shoulder-muscle volumes and isometric moments were good predictors of functional strength. The authors conclude that shoulder strength is an important factor for performing functional reaching and pulling tasks and a key target for upper extremity RT interventions. PMID:22952203

  5. Linear augmented plane wave method for self-consistent calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, T.; Kuebler, J.

    1979-01-01

    O.K. Andersen has recently introduced a linear augmented plane wave method (LAPW) for the calculation of electronic structure that was shown to be computationally fast. A more general formulation of an LAPW method is presented here. It makes use of a freely disposable number of eigenfunctions of the radial Schroedinger equation. These eigenfunctions can be selected in a self-consistent way. The present formulation also results in a computationally fast method. It is shown that Andersen's LAPW is obtained in a special limit from the present formulation. Self-consistent test calculations for copper show the present method to be remarkably accurate. As an application, scalar-relativistic self-consistent calculations are presented for the band structure of FCC lanthanum. (author)

  6. Effects of a low-intensity strength-training program on knee-extensor strength and functional ability of frail older people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Westhoff, M.H.; Stemmerik, L.; Boshuizen, H.C.

    2000-01-01

    This study's purpose was to investigate whether a 10-week low-intensity strength-training program could improve strength of the knee extensors and functional ability. Participants 65 years and older with low knee-extensor muscle strength were randomized into an exercise (n = 11) and a control group

  7. Effects of functional exercise training on performance and muscle strength after meniscectomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ericsson, Y B; Dahlberg, L E; Roos, E M

    2008-01-01

    Muscular deficits and functional limitations have been found years after meniscectomy of the knee. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the effect of functional exercise training on functional performance and isokinetic thigh muscle strength in middle-aged patients...... subsequent to meniscectomy for a degenerative tear. Four years after meniscectomy, 45 patients (29 men, 16 women) were randomized to functional exercise training, supervised by a physical therapist, three times weekly for 4 months or to no intervention. The exercise program comprised of postural stability...... training and functional strength and endurance exercises for leg and trunk muscles. Outcomes were three functional performance tests and isokinetic muscle strength. Thirty patients (16 exercisers/14 controls) completed the study. Compared with control patients, the exercise group showed significant...

  8. Start broadened profiles with self-consistent radiation transfer and atomic kinetics in plasmas produced by high intensity lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olson, G.L.; Comly, J.C.; La Gattuta, J.K.; Kilcrease, D.P.

    1993-01-01

    Spectral line shapes and line strengths have long been used to diagnose plasma temperatures and densities. In dense plasmas, the additional broadening due to Stark effects give additional information about the plasma density. We present calculations that are self-consistent in that the radiation fields of the line transitions and the atomic kinetics are iterated to convergence. Examples are given for simple plasmas with temperature gradients, density gradients, and velocity fields. Then a more complex example of a laser produced plasma is presented

  9. Electron confinement in quantum nanostructures: Self-consistent Poisson-Schroedinger theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luscombe, J.H.; Bouchard, A.M.; Luban, M.

    1992-01-01

    We compute the self-consistent electron states and confining potential, V(r,T), for laterally confined cylindrical quantum wires at a temperature T from a numerical solution of the coupled Poisson and Schroedinger (PS) equations. Finite-temperature effects are included in the electron density function, n(r,T), via the single-particle density matrix in the grand-canonical ensemble using the self-consistent bound states. We compare our results for a GaAs quantum wire with those obtained previously [J. H. Luscombe and M. Luban, Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 61 (1990)] from a finite-temperature Thomas-Fermi (TF) approximation. We find that the TF results agree well with those of the more realistic, but also more computationally intensive PS theory, except for low temperatures or for cases where the quantum wire is almost, but not totally, depleted due to a combination of either small geometry, surface boundary conditions, or low doping concentrations. In the latter situations, the number of subbands that are populated is relatively small, and both n(r,T) and V(r,T) exhibit Friedel-type oscillations. Otherwise the TF theory, which is based on free-particle states, is remarkably accurate. We also present results for the partial electron density functions associated with the angular momentum quantum numbers, and discuss their role in populating the quantum wire

  10. Self-consistent treatment of nuclear collective motion with an application to the giant-dipole resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liran, S.; Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa. Dept. of Physics)

    1977-01-01

    This paper extends the recent theory of Liran, Scheefer, Scheid and Greiner on non-adiabatic cranking and nuclear collective motion. In the present work we show the self-consistency conditions for the collective motion, which are indicated by appropriate time-dependent Lagrange multipliers, can be treated explicitly. The energy conservation and the self-consistency condition in the case of one collective degree of freedom are expressed in differential form. This leads to a set of coupled differential equations in time for the many-body wave function, for the collective variable and for the Lagrange multiplier. An iteration procedure similar to that of the previous work is also presented. As an illustrative example, we investigate Brink's single-particle description of the giant-dipole resonance. In this case, the important role played by non-adiabaticity and self-consistency in determining the collective motion is demonstrated and discussed. We also consider the fact that in this example of a fast collective motion, the adiabatic cranking model of Inglis gives the correct mass parameter. (orig.) [de

  11. Self-consistent theory of a harmonic gyroklystron with a minimum Q cavity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tran, T.M.; Kreischer, K.E.; Temkin, R.J.

    1986-01-01

    In this paper, the energy extraction stage of the gyroklystron [in Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics, edited by C. Marton (Academic, New York, 1979), Vol. 1, pp. 1--54], with a minimum Q cavity is investigated by using a self-consistent radio-frequency (rf) field model. In the low-field, low-current limit, expressions for the self-consistent field and the resulting energy extraction efficiency are derived analytically for an arbitrary cyclotron harmonic number. To our knowledge, these are the first analytic results for the self-consistent field structure and efficiency of a gyrotron device. The large signal regime analysis is carried out by numerically integrating the coupled self-consistent equations. Several examples in this regime are presented

  12. Exciton spectrum of surface-corrugated quantum wells: the adiabatic self-consistent approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atenco A, N.; Perez R, F.; Makarov, N.M.

    2005-01-01

    A theory for calculating the relaxation frequency ν and the shift δ ω of exciton resonances in quantum wells with finite potential barriers and adiabatic surface disorder is developed. The adiabaticity implies that the correlation length R C for the well width fluctuations is much larger than the exciton radius a 0 (R C >> a 0 ). Our theory is based on the self-consistent Green's function method, and therefore takes into account the inherent action of the exciton scattering on itself. The self-consistent approach is shown to describe quantitatively the sharp exciton resonance. It also gives the qualitatively correct resonance picture for the transition to the classical limit, as well as within the domain of the classical limit itself. We present and analyze results for h h-exciton in a GaAs quantum well with Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As barriers. It is established that the self-consistency and finite height of potential barriers significantly influence on the line-shape of exciton resonances, and make the values of ν and δ ω be quite realistic. In particular, the relaxation frequency ν for the ground-state resonance has a broad, almost symmetric maximum near the resonance frequency ω 0 , while the surface-induced resonance shift δ ω vanishes near ω 0 , and has different signs on the sides of the exciton resonance. (Author) 43 refs., 4 figs

  13. Self-consistent one-gluon exchange in soliton bag models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodd, L.R.; Adelaide Univ.; Williams, A.G.

    1988-01-01

    The treatment of soliton bag models as two-point boundary value problems is extended to include self-consistent one-gluon exchange interactions. The colour-magnetic contribution to the nucleon-delta mass splitting is calculated self-consistently in the mean-field, one-gluon-exchange approximation for the Friedberg-Lee and Nielsen-Patkos models. Small glueball mass parameters (m GB ∝ 500 MeV) are favoured. Comparisons with previous calculations are made. (orig.)

  14. Self-consistent Analysis of Three-dimensional Uniformly Charged Ellipsoid with Zero Emittance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batygin, Yuri K.

    2001-01-01

    A self-consistent treatment of a three-dimensional ellipsoid with negligible emittance in time-dependent external field is performed. Envelope equations describing the evolution of an ellipsoid boundary are discussed. For a complete model it is required that the initial particle momenta be a linear function of the coordinates. Numerical example and verification of the problem by a 3-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are given

  15. Strength function for the giant isovector monopole resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, W.M.; Birse, M.C.

    1984-01-01

    The theory of the strength function for giant resonances is extended to exhibit the explicit energy dependence of the width and shift functions for the giant isovector monopole. An integral sum rule on the width GAMMA/sub M/(E) relates its normalization to the second moment M 2 of the strength function and leads to a relation GAMMA/sub M/(E/sub M/)GAMMA/sub s//4 = M 2 between M 2 and the width at the maximum, which involves the width GAMMA/sub s/ of the distribution in energy of the spreading matrix elements. An estimate of GAMMA/sub M/(E/sub M/)approx. =8 MeV based on the absorptive part of the optical potential together with random-phase approximation calculations of M 2 leads to the result GAMMA/sub s//2approx. =2hω, supporting the intermediate coupling model of Lane, Thomas, and Wigner. Using the sum rule expressions of Lane and Mekjian to evaluate the Coulomb matrix element M/sub A/M between an isobaric analog state and its corresponding isovector monopole, we test this strength function for the isovector monopole by calculating the spreading widths for the ground state analogs of nuclei from 38 Cl to 208 Pb. The good agreement with the systematic dependence upon mass number and isospin resolves the long-standing discrepancy between the estimate GAMMA/sub M/(E/sub M/)approx.8--10 MeV and the value GAMMA/sub M/(E/sub A/)< or =2 MeV needed to account for the spreading widths of the isobaric analog state

  16. Soft structures of γ-ray strength functions studied with the Oslo method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Voinov A.

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available We present experimental γ-ray strength functions up to Eγ ∼ Sn measured at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory for several Sc, V, Mo, and Sn isotopes. For the lighter nuclei, an unexpected enhancement of the strength function at low γ-ray energies has been revealed. This enhancement could potentially have an impact on neutron-capture cross sections for unstable, neutron-rich nuclei. For the Sn isotopes, we observe increased strength around the neutron separation energy Sn.

  17. Self-consistent generalized Langevin-equation theory for liquids of nonspherically interacting particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elizondo-Aguilera, L. F.; Zubieta Rico, P. F.; Ruiz-Estrada, H.; Alarcón-Waess, O.

    2014-11-01

    A self-consistent generalized Langevin-equation theory is proposed to describe the self- and collective dynamics of a liquid of linear Brownian particles. The equations of motion for the spherical harmonics projections of the collective and self-intermediate-scattering functions, Fl m ,l m(k ,t ) and Flm ,l m S(k ,t ) , are derived as a contraction of the description involving the stochastic equations of the corresponding tensorial one-particle density nl m(k ,t ) and the translational (α =T ) and rotational (α =R ) current densities jlm α(k ,t ) . Similar to the spherical case, these dynamic equations require as an external input the equilibrium structural properties of the system contained in the projections of the static structure factor, denoted by Sl m ,l m(k ) . Complementing these exact equations with simple (Vineyard-like) approximate relations for the collective and the self-memory functions we propose a closed self-consistent set of equations for the dynamic properties involved. In the long-time asymptotic limit, these equations become the so-called bifurcation equations, whose solutions (the nonergodicity parameters) can be written, extending the spherical case, in terms of one translational and one orientational scalar dynamic order parameter, γT and γR, which characterize the possible dynamical arrest transitions of the system. As a concrete illustrative application of this theory we determine the dynamic arrest diagram of the dipolar hard-sphere fluid. In qualitative agreement with mode coupling theory, the present self-consistent equations also predict three different regions in the state space spanned by the macroscopic control parameters η (volume fraction) and T* (scaled temperature): a region of fully ergodic states, a region of mixed states, in which the translational degrees of freedom become arrested while the orientational degrees of freedom remain ergodic, and a region of fully nonergodic states.

  18. Self-consistent generalized Langevin-equation theory for liquids of nonspherically interacting particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elizondo-Aguilera, L F; Zubieta Rico, P F; Ruiz-Estrada, H; Alarcón-Waess, O

    2014-11-01

    A self-consistent generalized Langevin-equation theory is proposed to describe the self- and collective dynamics of a liquid of linear Brownian particles. The equations of motion for the spherical harmonics projections of the collective and self-intermediate-scattering functions, F_{lm,lm}(k,t) and F_{lm,lm}^{S}(k,t), are derived as a contraction of the description involving the stochastic equations of the corresponding tensorial one-particle density n_{lm}(k,t) and the translational (α=T) and rotational (α=R) current densities j_{lm}^{α}(k,t). Similar to the spherical case, these dynamic equations require as an external input the equilibrium structural properties of the system contained in the projections of the static structure factor, denoted by S_{lm,lm}(k). Complementing these exact equations with simple (Vineyard-like) approximate relations for the collective and the self-memory functions we propose a closed self-consistent set of equations for the dynamic properties involved. In the long-time asymptotic limit, these equations become the so-called bifurcation equations, whose solutions (the nonergodicity parameters) can be written, extending the spherical case, in terms of one translational and one orientational scalar dynamic order parameter, γ_{T} and γ_{R}, which characterize the possible dynamical arrest transitions of the system. As a concrete illustrative application of this theory we determine the dynamic arrest diagram of the dipolar hard-sphere fluid. In qualitative agreement with mode coupling theory, the present self-consistent equations also predict three different regions in the state space spanned by the macroscopic control parameters η (volume fraction) and T* (scaled temperature): a region of fully ergodic states, a region of mixed states, in which the translational degrees of freedom become arrested while the orientational degrees of freedom remain ergodic, and a region of fully nonergodic states.

  19. Self-consistent modelling of resonant tunnelling structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fiig, T.; Jauho, A.P.

    1992-01-01

    We report a comprehensive study of the effects of self-consistency on the I-V-characteristics of resonant tunnelling structures. The calculational method is based on a simultaneous solution of the effective-mass Schrödinger equation and the Poisson equation, and the current is evaluated...... applied voltages and carrier densities at the emitter-barrier interface. We include the two-dimensional accumulation layer charge and the quantum well charge in our self-consistent scheme. We discuss the evaluation of the current contribution originating from the two-dimensional accumulation layer charges......, and our qualitative estimates seem consistent with recent experimental studies. The intrinsic bistability of resonant tunnelling diodes is analyzed within several different approximation schemes....

  20. Nuclear level densities with pairing and self-consistent ground-state shell effects

    CERN Document Server

    Arnould, M

    1981-01-01

    Nuclear level density calculations are performed using a model of fermions interacting via the pairing force, and a realistic single particle potential. The pairing interaction is treated within the BCS approximation with different pairing strength values. The single particle potentials are derived in the framework of an energy-density formalism which describes self-consistently the ground states of spherical nuclei. These calculations are extended to statistically deformed nuclei, whose estimated level densities include rotational band contributions. The theoretical results are compared with various experimental data. In addition, the level densities for several nuclei far from stability are compared with the predictions of a back-shifted Fermi gas model. Such a comparison emphasizes the possible danger of extrapolating to unknown nuclei classical level density formulae whose parameter values are tailored for known nuclei. (41 refs).

  1. Self-consistent gravitational self-force

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pound, Adam

    2010-01-01

    I review the problem of motion for small bodies in general relativity, with an emphasis on developing a self-consistent treatment of the gravitational self-force. An analysis of the various derivations extant in the literature leads me to formulate an asymptotic expansion in which the metric is expanded while a representative worldline is held fixed. I discuss the utility of this expansion for both exact point particles and asymptotically small bodies, contrasting it with a regular expansion in which both the metric and the worldline are expanded. Based on these preliminary analyses, I present a general method of deriving self-consistent equations of motion for arbitrarily structured (sufficiently compact) small bodies. My method utilizes two expansions: an inner expansion that keeps the size of the body fixed, and an outer expansion that lets the body shrink while holding its worldline fixed. By imposing the Lorenz gauge, I express the global solution to the Einstein equation in the outer expansion in terms of an integral over a worldtube of small radius surrounding the body. Appropriate boundary data on the tube are determined from a local-in-space expansion in a buffer region where both the inner and outer expansions are valid. This buffer-region expansion also results in an expression for the self-force in terms of irreducible pieces of the metric perturbation on the worldline. Based on the global solution, these pieces of the perturbation can be written in terms of a tail integral over the body's past history. This approach can be applied at any order to obtain a self-consistent approximation that is valid on long time scales, both near and far from the small body. I conclude by discussing possible extensions of my method and comparing it to alternative approaches.

  2. Self-consistent model of confinement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swift, A.R.

    1988-01-01

    A model of the large-spatial-distance, zero--three-momentum, limit of QCD is developed from the hypothesis that there is an infrared singularity. Single quarks and gluons do not propagate because they have infinite energy after renormalization. The Hamiltonian formulation of the path integral is used to quantize QCD with physical, nonpropagating fields. Perturbation theory in the infrared limit is simplified by the absence of self-energy insertions and by the suppression of large classes of diagrams due to vanishing propagators. Remaining terms in the perturbation series are resummed to produce a set of nonlinear, renormalizable integral equations which fix both the confining interaction and the physical propagators. Solutions demonstrate the self-consistency of the concepts of an infrared singularity and nonpropagating fields. The Wilson loop is calculated to provide a general proof of confinement. Bethe-Salpeter equations for quark-antiquark pairs and for two gluons have finite-energy solutions in the color-singlet channel. The choice of gauge is addressed in detail. Large classes of corrections to the model are discussed and shown to support self-consistency

  3. Bosons system with finite repulsive interaction: self-consistent field method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renatino, M.M.B.

    1983-01-01

    Some static properties of a boson system (T = zero degree Kelvin), under the action of a repulsive potential are studied. For the repulsive potential, a model was adopted consisting of a region where it is constant (r c ), and a decay as 1/r (r > r c ). The self-consistent field approximation used takes into account short range correlations through a local field corrections, which leads to an effective field. The static structure factor S(q-vector) and the effective potential ψ(q-vector) are obtained through a self-consistent calculation. The pair-correlation function g(r-vector) and the energy of the collective excitations E(q-vector) are also obtained, from the structure factor. The density of the system and the parameters of the repulsive potential, that is, its height and the size of the constant region were used as variables for the problem. The results obtained for S(q-vector), g(r-vector) and E(q-vector) for a fixed ratio r o /r c and a variable λ, indicates the raising of a system structure, which is more noticeable when the potential became more repulsive. (author)

  4. Pressure variation of the valence band width in Ge: A self-consistent GW study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Modak, Paritosh; Svane, Axel; Christensen, Niels Egede

    2009-01-01

    . In the present work we report results of quasiparticle self-consistent GW  (QSGW) band calculations for diamond- as well as β-tin-type Ge under pressure. For both phases we find that the band width increases with pressure. For β-tin Ge this agrees with experiment and density-functional theory, but for diamond Ge...

  5. An approach to a self-consistent nuclear energy system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii-e, Yoichi; Arie, Kazuo; Endo, Hiroshi

    1992-01-01

    A nuclear energy system should provide a stable supply of energy without endangering the environment or humans. If there is fear about exhausting world energy resources, accumulating radionuclides, and nuclear reactor safety, tension is created in human society. Nuclear energy systems of the future should be able to eliminate fear from people's minds. In other words, the whole system, including the nuclear fuel cycle, should be self-consistent. This is the ultimate goal of nuclear energy. If it can be realized, public acceptance of nuclear energy will increase significantly. In a self-consistent nuclear energy system, misunderstandings between experts on nuclear energy and the public should be minimized. The way to achieve this goal is to explain using simple logic. This paper proposes specific targets for self-consistent nuclear energy systems and shows that the fast breeder reactor (FBR) lies on the route to attaining the final goal

  6. Effect of isokinetic training on strength, functionality and proprioception in athletes with functional ankle instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekir, Ufuk; Yildiz, Yavuz; Hazneci, Bulent; Ors, Fatih; Aydin, Taner

    2007-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of isokinetic exercise on strength, joint position sense and functionality in recreational athletes with functional ankle instability (FAI). Strength, proprioception and balance of 24 recreational athletes with unilateral FAI were evaluated by using isokinetic muscle strength measurement, ankle joint position sense and one leg standing test. The functional ability was evaluated using five different tests. These were; single limb hopping course (SLHC), one legged and triple legged hop for distance (OLHD-TLHD), and six and cross six meter hop for time (SMHT-CSMHT). Isokinetic peak torque of the ankle invertor and evertor muscles were assessed eccentrically and concentrically at test speeds of 120 degrees /s. Isokinetic exercise protocol was carried out at an angular velocity of 120 degrees /s. The exercise session was repeated three times a week and lasted after 6 weeks. At baseline, concentric invertor strength was found to be significantly lower in the functionally unstable ankles compared to the opposite healthy ankles (p 0.05). Ankle joint position sense in the injured ankles declined significantly from 2.35 +/- 1.16 to 1.33 +/- 0.62 degrees for 10 degrees of inversion angle (p isokinetic exercise. One leg standing test score decreased significantly from 15.17 +/- 8.50 to 11.79 +/- 7.81 in the injured ankles (p isokinetic exercise protocol, all of the worsened functional test scores in the injured ankles as compared to the opposite healthy ankles displayed a significant improvement (p isokinetic exercise program used in this study had a positive effect on these parameters.

  7. Dependence of the giant dipole strength function on excitation energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Draper, J.E.; Newton, J.O.; Sobotka, L.G.; Lindenberger, H.; Wozniak, G.J.; Moretto, L.G.; Stephens, F.S.; Diamond, R.M.; McDonald, R.J.

    1982-01-01

    Spectra of γ rays associated with deep-inelastic products from the 1150-MeV 136 Xe+ 181 Ta reaction have been measured. The yield of 10--20-MeV γ rays initially increases rapidly with the excitation energy of the products and then more slowly for excitation energies in excess of 120 MeV. Statistical-model calculations with ground-state values of the giant dipole strength function fail to reproduce the shape of the measured γ-ray spectra. This suggests a dependence of the giant dipole strength function on excitation energy

  8. MCSCF wave functions for excited states of polar molecules - Application to BeO. [Multi-Configuration Self-Consistent Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.; Yarkony, D. R.

    1980-01-01

    A previously reported multi-configuration self-consistent field (MCSCF) algorithm based on the generalized Brillouin theorem is extended in order to treat the excited states of polar molecules. In particular, the algorithm takes into account the proper treatment of nonorthogonality in the space of single excitations and invokes, when necessary, a constrained optimization procedure to prevent the variational collapse of excited states. In addition, a configuration selection scheme (suitable for use in conjunction with extended configuration interaction methods) is proposed for the MCSCF procedure. The algorithm is used to study the low-lying singlet states of BeO, a system which has not previously been studied using an MCSCF procedure. MCSCF wave functions are obtained for three 1 Sigma + and two 1 Pi states. The 1 Sigma + results are juxtaposed with comparable results for MgO in order to assess the generality of the description presented here.

  9. Resistance training improves muscle strength and functional capacity in multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalgas, U; Stenager, E; Jakobsen, J

    2009-01-01

    strength and functional capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis, the effects persisting after 12 weeks of self-guided physical activity. Level of evidence: The present study provides level III evidence supporting the hypothesis that lower extremity progressive resistance training can improve muscle......OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that lower extremity progressive resistance training (PRT) can improve muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to evaluate whether the improvements are maintained after the trial. METHODS: The present study was a 2-arm...... and was afterward encouraged to continue training. After the trial, the control group completed the PRT intervention. Both groups were tested before and after 12 weeks of the trial and at 24 weeks (follow-up), where isometric muscle strength of the knee extensors (KE MVC) and functional capacity (FS; combined score...

  10. Exciton spectrum of surface-corrugated quantum wells: the adiabatic self-consistent approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atenco A, N.; Perez R, F. [lnstituto de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, A.P. J-48, 72570 Puebla (Mexico); Makarov, N.M. [lnstituto de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Priv. 17 Norte No 3417, Col. San Miguel Hueyotlipan, 72050 Puebla (Mexico)

    2005-07-01

    A theory for calculating the relaxation frequency {nu} and the shift {delta} {omega} of exciton resonances in quantum wells with finite potential barriers and adiabatic surface disorder is developed. The adiabaticity implies that the correlation length R{sub C} for the well width fluctuations is much larger than the exciton radius a{sub 0} (R{sub C} >> a{sub 0}). Our theory is based on the self-consistent Green's function method, and therefore takes into account the inherent action of the exciton scattering on itself. The self-consistent approach is shown to describe quantitatively the sharp exciton resonance. It also gives the qualitatively correct resonance picture for the transition to the classical limit, as well as within the domain of the classical limit itself. We present and analyze results for h h-exciton in a GaAs quantum well with Al{sub 0.3} Ga{sub 0.7}As barriers. It is established that the self-consistency and finite height of potential barriers significantly influence on the line-shape of exciton resonances, and make the values of {nu} and {delta} {omega} be quite realistic. In particular, the relaxation frequency {nu} for the ground-state resonance has a broad, almost symmetric maximum near the resonance frequency {omega}{sub 0}, while the surface-induced resonance shift {delta} {omega} vanishes near {omega}{sub 0}, and has different signs on the sides of the exciton resonance. (Author) 43 refs., 4 figs.

  11. MultiSIMNRA: A computational tool for self-consistent ion beam analysis using SIMNRA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, T.F.; Rodrigues, C.L.; Mayer, M.; Moro, M.V.; Trindade, G.F.; Aguirre, F.R.; Added, N.; Rizzutto, M.A.; Tabacniks, M.H.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • MultiSIMNRA enables the self-consistent analysis of multiple ion beam techniques. • Self-consistent analysis enables unequivocal and reliable modeling of the sample. • Four different computational algorithms available for model optimizations. • Definition of constraints enables to include prior knowledge into the analysis. - Abstract: SIMNRA is widely adopted by the scientific community of ion beam analysis for the simulation and interpretation of nuclear scattering techniques for material characterization. Taking advantage of its recognized reliability and quality of the simulations, we developed a computer program that uses multiple parallel sessions of SIMNRA to perform self-consistent analysis of data obtained by different ion beam techniques or in different experimental conditions of a given sample. In this paper, we present a result using MultiSIMNRA for a self-consistent multi-elemental analysis of a thin film produced by magnetron sputtering. The results demonstrate the potentialities of the self-consistent analysis and its feasibility using MultiSIMNRA.

  12. Handgrip strength, functionality and plasma levels of IL-6 in elderly women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele S. Pereira

    Full Text Available AbstractIntroduction Aging is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammatory process characterized by an increased production of inflammatory mediators. These elevated levels are predictors for muscle function (sarcopenia and deterioration of physical performance in the elderly.Objective To investigate the correlation between sarcopenia, functional capacity, and interleukin-6 levels.Materials and methods This cross-sectional study assessed a convenience sample of elderly individuals (n = 130 using a handgrip dynamometer (JAMAR™, and the functional capacity test was performed by sitting and standing. Interleukin-6 levels were determined using high sensitivity ELISA kits. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between these variables, at a significance level (α of 0.05.Results There was significant inverse correlation between strength and function (rS = -0.273, p = 0.002 such that elderly individuals with lower peak force took longer to perform the sit-to-stand test, in contrast with the relationship between plasma interleukin-6 levels and strength (rS = -0.043, p = 0.624 or functionality (rS = -0.060, p = 0.501.Conclusion The outcome measures analyzed could predict the decline in muscle strength and functional capacity, and may be indicative of sarcopenia in elderly individuals. There was no correlation between the interleukin-6 levels and the grip strength and functional capacity of the sample investigated.

  13. Fast neutron capture in 197Au and the gamma-ray strength function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Earle, E.D.; Bergqvist, I.; Nilsson, L.

    1977-08-01

    Gamma-ray spectra from the reaction 197 Au(n,γ) 198 Au have been measured at several incident energies between 30 keV and 2.5 MeV. The γ-ray detector was a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and time-of-flight techniques were utilized to suppress background. A γ-ray strength function was deduced from the spectra by a spectrum fitting method. The strength function indicates a resonance-like structure at E(γ) approximately 5.5 MeV. Comparison is made with the γ-ray strength derived from photonuclear work.(author)

  14. Sensory and Motor Peripheral Nerve Function and Longitudinal Changes in Quadriceps Strength

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ward, R. E.; Boudreau, R. M.; Caserotti, P.

    2015-01-01

    Background. Poor peripheral nerve function is common in older adults and may be a risk factor for strength decline, although this has not been assessed longitudinally. Methods. We assessed whether sensorimotor peripheral nerve function predicts strength longitudinally in 1,830 participants (age...... was assessed with 10-g and 1.4-g monofilaments and average vibration detection threshold at the toe. Lower-extremity neuropathy symptoms were self-reported. Results. Worse vibration detection threshold predicted 2.4% lower strength in men and worse motor amplitude and two symptoms predicted 2.5% and 8.1% lower...

  15. Associations of knee extensor strength and standing balance with physical function in knee osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pua, Yong-Hao; Liang, Zhiqi; Ong, Peck-Hoon; Bryant, Adam L; Lo, Ngai-Nung; Clark, Ross A

    2011-12-01

    Knee extensor strength is an important correlate of physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis; however, it remains unclear whether standing balance is also a correlate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-sectional associations of knee extensor strength, standing balance, and their interaction with physical function. One hundred four older adults with end-stage knee osteoarthritis awaiting a total knee replacement (mean ± SD age 67 ± 8 years) participated. Isometric knee extensor strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Standing balance performance was measured by the center of pressure displacement during quiet standing on a balance board. Physical function was measured by the self-report Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and by the 10-meter fast-pace gait speed test. After adjustment for demographic and knee pain variables, we detected significant knee strength by standing balance interaction terms for both SF-36 physical function and fast-pace gait speed. Interrogation of the interaction revealed that standing balance in the anteroposterior plane was positively related to physical function among patients with lower knee extensor strength. Conversely, among patients with higher knee extensor strength, the standing balance-physical function associations were, or tended to be, negative. These findings suggest that although standing balance was related to physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, this relationship was complex and dependent on knee extensor strength level. These results are of importance in developing intervention strategies and refining theoretical models, but they call for further study. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

  16. Renormalization of the γ-ray strength functions of light nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canbula, B.; Ersan, S.; Babacan, H.

    2015-01-01

    γ-ray strength function is the key input for the photonuclear reactions, which have a special astrophysical importance, and should be renormalized by using the nuclear level density for calculating the theoretical average radiative capture width, but performing such renormalization is challenging for light nuclei. With this motivation, recently introduced level density parameter formula including collective effects is used to calculate the average radiative capture width of light nuclei, and therefore to renormalize their γ-ray strength functions. Obtained normalization factors are tested in (n, γ) reactions for the necessity of renormalization for light nuclei. (author)

  17. Quadriceps Strength and Executive Functions in Older Women

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scherder, E. J. A.; Eggermont, L. H. P.; Geuze, R. H.; Vis, J.; Verkerke, G. J.

    Objective: The aim of this study is to answer the question whether the strength of the knee extensor musculus quadriceps (m. quadriceps), in particular, is related to specific executive functions and whether this relationship is independent of aerobic fitness. The clinical relevance of this question

  18. A dependent stress-strength interference model based on mixed copula function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Jian Xiong; An, Zong Wen; Liu, Bo [School of Mechatronics Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou (China)

    2016-10-15

    In the traditional Stress-strength interference (SSI) model, stress and strength must satisfy the basic assumption of mutual independence. However, a complex dependence between stress and strength exists in practical engineering. To evaluate structural reliability under the case that stress and strength are dependent, a mixed copula function is introduced to a new dependent SSI model. This model can fully characterize the dependence between stress and strength. The residual square sum method and genetic algorithm are also used to estimate the unknown parameters of the model. Finally, the validity of the proposed model is demonstrated via a practical case. Results show that traditional SSI model ignoring the dependence between stress and strength more easily overestimates product reliability than the new dependent SSI model.

  19. Effects of core instability strength training on trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granacher, Urs; Lacroix, Andre; Muehlbauer, Thomas; Roettger, Katrin; Gollhofer, Albert

    2013-01-01

    Age-related postural misalignment, balance deficits and strength/power losses are associated with impaired functional mobility and an increased risk of falling in seniors. Core instability strength training (CIT) involves exercises that are challenging for both trunk muscles and postural control and may thus have the potential to induce benefits in trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility and balance performance. The objective was to investigate the effects of CIT on measures of trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility in seniors. Thirty-two older adults were randomly assigned to an intervention group (INT; n = 16, aged 70.8 ± 4.1 years) that conducted a 9-week progressive CIT or to a control group (n = 16, aged 70.2 ± 4.5 years). Maximal isometric strength of the trunk flexors/extensors/lateral flexors (right, left)/rotators (right, left) as well as of spinal mobility in the sagittal and the coronal plane was measured before and after the intervention program. Dynamic balance (i.e. walking 10 m on an optoelectric walkway, the Functional Reach test) and functional mobility (Timed Up and Go test) were additionally tested. Program compliance was excellent with participants of the INT group completing 92% of the training sessions. Significant group × test interactions were found for the maximal isometric strength of the trunk flexors (34%, p training-related improvements were found for spinal mobility in the sagittal (11%, p velocity (9%, p velocity (31%, p training regimen could be used as an adjunct or even alternative to traditional balance and/or resistance training. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. Thermodynamically self-consistent integral equations and the structure of liquid metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastore, G.; Kahl, G.

    1987-01-01

    We discuss the application of the new thermodynamically self-consistent integral equations for the determination of the structural properties of liquid metals. We present a detailed comparison of the structure (S(q) and g(r)) for models of liquid alkali metals as obtained from two thermodynamically self-consistent integral equations and some published exact computer simulation results; the range of states extends from the triple point to the expanded metal. The theories which only impose thermodynamic self-consistency without any fitting of external data show an excellent agreement with the simulation results, thus demonstrating that this new type of integral equation is definitely superior to the conventional ones (hypernetted chain, Percus-Yevick, mean spherical approximation, etc). (author)

  1. Nonstatic, self-consistent πN t matrix in nuclear matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Orden, J.W.

    1984-01-01

    In a recent paper, a calculation of the self-consistent πN t matrix in nuclear matter was presented. In this calculation the driving term of the self-consistent equation was chosen to be a static approximation to the free πN t matrix. In the present work, the earlier calculation is extended by using a nonstatic, fully-off-shell free πN t matrix as a starting point. Right-hand pole and cut contributions to the P-wave πN amplitudes are derived using a Low expansion and include effects due to recoil of the interacting πN system as well as the transformation from the πN c.m. frame to the nuclear rest frame. The self-consistent t-matrix equation is rewritten as two integral equations which modify the pole and cut contributions to the t matrix separately. The self-consistent πN t matrix is calculated in nuclear matter and a nonlocal optical potential is constructed from it. The resonant contribution to the optical potential is found to be broadened by 20% to 50% depending on pion momentum and is shifted upward in energy by approximately 10 MeV in comparison to the first-order optical potential. Modifications to the nucleon pole contribution are found to be negligible

  2. Self-consistent Bayesian analysis of space-time symmetry studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, E.D.

    1996-01-01

    We introduce a Bayesian method for the analysis of epithermal neutron transmission data on space-time symmetries in which unique assignment of the prior is achieved by maximisation of the cross entropy and the imposition of a self-consistency criterion. Unlike the maximum likelihood method used in previous analyses of parity-violation data, our method is freed of an ad hoc cutoff parameter. Monte Carlo studies indicate that our self-consistent Bayesian analysis is superior to the maximum likelihood method when applied to the small data samples typical of symmetry studies. (orig.)

  3. Positive effects of 1-year football and strength training on mechanical muscle function and functional capacity in elderly men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Andersen, Lars Louis; Andersen, Thomas Rostgaard; Randers, Morten Bredsgaard; Helge, Jørn Wulff; Suetta, Charlotte; Schmidt, Jakob Friis; Bangsbo, Jens; Krustrup, Peter; Aagaard, Per

    2016-06-01

    A decline in physical capacity takes place with increasing age that negatively affects overall physical function including work ability and the ability to perform typical activities of daily living (ADL). The overall aim of the present study was to determine the neuromuscular adaptations to long-term (1 year) football and strength training in older untrained adults, and to assess the concurrent effect on functional ADL capacity. Twenty-seven healthy elderly males (68.2 ± 3.2 years) were randomly assigned to 12 months of either recreational football training (FT: n = 10), strength training (ST: n = 9) or served as inactive controls (CON: n = 8). Recreational football training consisted of small-sided training sessions whereas strength training consisted of high intensity exercises targeting the lower extremity and upper body. Maximal thigh muscle strength and rate of force development (RFD) were assessed with isokinetic dynamometry, while postural balance and vertical jumping performance were evaluated using force plate analysis. Furthermore, functional ability was evaluated by stair-ascent and chair-rising testing. A total of nine, nine and seven participants from FT, ST and CON, respectively, were included in the analysis. Both exercise regimens led to substantial gains in functional ability, evidenced by 24 and 18 % reduced stair-ascent time, and 32 and 21 % increased chair-rising performance in FT and ST, respectively (all P football training mainly resulted in enhanced hamstring strength (18 %, P football training mainly included enhanced strength and rapid force capacity of the hamstring muscles. Gains in functional ability were observed in response to both training regimens, evidenced by reduced stair-ascent time and increased chair-rising performance. Long-term football exercise and strength training both appear to be effective interventional strategies to improve factors of importance for ADL by counteracting the age-related decline in lower

  4. Functional Capacity in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: Lower Limb Muscle Strength Matters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillett, Jarred G; Lichtwark, Glen A; Boyd, Roslyn N; Barber, Lee A

    2018-05-01

    To investigate the relation between lower limb muscle strength, passive muscle properties, and functional capacity outcomes in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Cross-sectional study. Tertiary institution biomechanics laboratory. Adults with spastic-type CP (N=33; mean age, 25y; range, 15-51y; mean body mass, 70.15±21.35kg) who were either Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I (n=20) or level II (n=13). Not applicable. Six-minute walk test (6MWT) distance (m), lateral step-up (LSU) test performance (total repetitions), timed up-stairs (TUS) performance (s), maximum voluntary isometric strength of plantar flexors (PF) and dorsiflexors (DF) (Nm.kg -1 ), and passive ankle joint and muscle stiffness. Maximum isometric PF strength independently explained 61% of variance in 6MWT performance, 57% of variance in LSU test performance, and 50% of variance in TUS test performance. GMFCS level was significantly and independently related to all 3 functional capacity outcomes, and age was retained as a significant independent predictor of LSU and TUS test performance. Passive medial gastrocnemius muscle fascicle stiffness and ankle joint stiffness were not significantly related to functional capacity measures in any of the multiple regression models. Low isometric PF strength was the most important independent variable related to distance walked on the 6MWT, fewer repetitions on the LSU test, and slower TUS test performance. These findings suggest lower isometric muscle strength contributes to the decline in functional capacity in adults with CP. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. General trend and local variations of neutron resonance cascade gamma-decay radiative strength functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sukhovoj, A.M.; Furman, W.I.; Khitrov, V.A.; Jovancevic, N.

    2012-01-01

    A new hypothesis on the dependence of the form of the radiative strength functions of electric and magnetic dipole gamma transitions in a heated nucleus on the excited level density was suggested and tested experimentally. For this purpose, the region of possible values of random values of the level density and radiative strength functions which precisely reproduced experimental intensity of two-step cascades for 41 nuclei from 40K to 200Hg was determined. It was obtained that the suggested hypothesis can provide the maximal increase of radiative strength functions values by order of magnitude in comparison with existing notations as a result of collective effects enhancement. This result points to the necessity to take into account this possibility in existing and future models of radiative strength functions

  6. Perturbation theory for arbitrary coupling strength?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahapatra, Bimal P.; Pradhan, Noubihary

    2018-03-01

    We present a new formulation of perturbation theory for quantum systems, designated here as: “mean field perturbation theory” (MFPT), which is free from power-series-expansion in any physical parameter, including the coupling strength. Its application is thereby extended to deal with interactions of arbitrary strength and to compute system-properties having non-analytic dependence on the coupling, thus overcoming the primary limitations of the “standard formulation of perturbation theory” (SFPT). MFPT is defined by developing perturbation about a chosen input Hamiltonian, which is exactly solvable but which acquires the nonlinearity and the analytic structure (in the coupling strength) of the original interaction through a self-consistent, feedback mechanism. We demonstrate Borel-summability of MFPT for the case of the quartic- and sextic-anharmonic oscillators and the quartic double-well oscillator (QDWO) by obtaining uniformly accurate results for the ground state of the above systems for arbitrary physical values of the coupling strength. The results obtained for the QDWO may be of particular significance since “renormalon”-free, unambiguous results are achieved for its spectrum in contrast to the well-known failure of SFPT in this case.

  7. Handgrip strength predicts functional decline at discharge in hospitalized male elderly: a hospital cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen García-Peña

    Full Text Available Functional decline after hospitalization is a common adverse outcome in elderly. An easy to use, reproducible and accurate tool to identify those at risk would aid focusing interventions in those at higher risk. Handgrip strength has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in other settings. The aim of this study was to determine if handgrip strength measured upon admission to an acute care facility would predict functional decline (either incident or worsening of preexisting at discharge among older Mexican, stratified by gender. In addition, cutoff points as a function of specificity would be determined. A cohort study was conducted in two hospitals in Mexico City. The primary endpoint was functional decline on discharge, defined as a 30-point reduction in the Barthel Index score from that of the baseline score. Handgrip strength along with other variables was measured at initial assessment, including: instrumental activities of daily living, cognition, depressive symptoms, delirium, hospitalization length and quality of life. All analyses were stratified by gender. Logistic regression to test independent association between handgrip strength and functional decline was performed, along with estimation of handgrip strength test values (specificity, sensitivity, area under the curve, etc.. A total of 223 patients admitted to an acute care facility between 2007 and 2009 were recruited. A total of 55 patients (24.7% had functional decline, 23.46% in male and 25.6% in women. Multivariate analysis showed that only males with low handgrip strength had an increased risk of functional decline at discharge (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p = 0.01, with a specificity of 91.3% and a cutoff point of 20.65 kg for handgrip strength. Females had not a significant association between handgrip strength and functional decline. Measurement of handgrip strength on admission to acute care facilities may identify male elderly patients at risk of having functional decline

  8. Handgrip Strength Predicts Functional Decline at Discharge in Hospitalized Male Elderly: A Hospital Cohort Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Peña, Carmen; García-Fabela, Luis C.; Gutiérrez-Robledo, Luis M.; García-González, Jose J.; Arango-Lopera, Victoria E.; Pérez-Zepeda, Mario U.

    2013-01-01

    Functional decline after hospitalization is a common adverse outcome in elderly. An easy to use, reproducible and accurate tool to identify those at risk would aid focusing interventions in those at higher risk. Handgrip strength has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in other settings. The aim of this study was to determine if handgrip strength measured upon admission to an acute care facility would predict functional decline (either incident or worsening of preexisting) at discharge among older Mexican, stratified by gender. In addition, cutoff points as a function of specificity would be determined. A cohort study was conducted in two hospitals in Mexico City. The primary endpoint was functional decline on discharge, defined as a 30-point reduction in the Barthel Index score from that of the baseline score. Handgrip strength along with other variables was measured at initial assessment, including: instrumental activities of daily living, cognition, depressive symptoms, delirium, hospitalization length and quality of life. All analyses were stratified by gender. Logistic regression to test independent association between handgrip strength and functional decline was performed, along with estimation of handgrip strength test values (specificity, sensitivity, area under the curve, etc.). A total of 223 patients admitted to an acute care facility between 2007 and 2009 were recruited. A total of 55 patients (24.7%) had functional decline, 23.46% in male and 25.6% in women. Multivariate analysis showed that only males with low handgrip strength had an increased risk of functional decline at discharge (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.98, p = 0.01), with a specificity of 91.3% and a cutoff point of 20.65 kg for handgrip strength. Females had not a significant association between handgrip strength and functional decline. Measurement of handgrip strength on admission to acute care facilities may identify male elderly patients at risk of having functional decline, and

  9. Self-consistent electronic structure of the contracted tungsten (001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Posternak, M.; Krakauer, H.; Freeman, A.J.

    1982-01-01

    Self-consistent linearized-augmented-plane-wave energy-band studies using the warped muffin-tin approximation for a seven-layer W(001) single slab with the surface-layer separation contracted by 6% of the bulk interlayer spacing are reported. Surface electronic structure, local densities of states, generalized susceptibility for the surface, work function, and core-level shifts are found to have insignificant differences with corresponding results for the unrelaxed surface. Several differences in surface states between theory and recent angle-resolved photoemission experiments are discussed in the light of new proposed models of the actual unreconstructed surface structure at high temperatures

  10. [Correlations Between Joint Proprioception, Muscle Strength, and Functional Ability in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yoa; Yu, Yong; He, Cheng-qi

    2015-11-01

    To establish correlations between joint proprioception, muscle flexion and extension peak torque, and functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Fifty-six patients with symptomatic knee OA were recruited in this study. Both proprioceptive acuity and muscle strength were measured using the isomed-2000 isokinetic dynamometer. Proprioceptive acuity was evaluated by establishing the joint motion detection threshold (JMDT). Muscle strength was evaluated by Max torque (Nm) and Max torque/weight (Nm/ kg). Functional ability was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function (WOMAC-PF) questionnaire. Correlational analyses were performed between proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability. A multiple stepwise regression model was established, with WOMAC-PF as dependent variable and patient age, body mass index (BMI), visual analogue scale (VAS)-score, mean grade for Kellgren-Lawrance of both knees, mean strength for quadriceps and hamstring muscles of both knees, and mean JMDT of both knees as independent variables. Poor proprioception (high JMDT) was negatively correlated with muscle strength (Pcoefficient (B) = 0.385, P<0.50 and high VAS-scale score (B=0.347, P<0.05) were significant predictors of WOMAC-PF score. Patients with poor proprioception is associated with poor muscle strength and limitation in functional ability. Patients with symptomatic OA of knees commonly endure with moderate to considerable dysfunction, which is associated with poor proprioception (high JMDT) and high VAS-scale score.

  11. Two new integrable couplings of the soliton hierarchies with self-consistent sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tie-Cheng, Xia

    2010-01-01

    A kind of integrable coupling of soliton equations hierarchy with self-consistent sources associated with s-tilde l(4) has been presented (Yu F J and Li L 2009 Appl. Math. Comput. 207 171; Yu F J 2008 Phys. Lett. A 372 6613). Based on this method, we construct two integrable couplings of the soliton hierarchy with self-consistent sources by using the loop algebra s-tilde l(4). In this paper, we also point out that there are some errors in these references and we have corrected these errors and set up new formula. The method can be generalized to other soliton hierarchy with self-consistent sources. (general)

  12. Vibrational multiconfiguration self-consistent field theory: implementation and test calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heislbetz, Sandra; Rauhut, Guntram

    2010-03-28

    A state-specific vibrational multiconfiguration self-consistent field (VMCSCF) approach based on a multimode expansion of the potential energy surface is presented for the accurate calculation of anharmonic vibrational spectra. As a special case of this general approach vibrational complete active space self-consistent field calculations will be discussed. The latter method shows better convergence than the general VMCSCF approach and must be considered the preferred choice within the multiconfigurational framework. Benchmark calculations are provided for a small set of test molecules.

  13. Joint proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Esch, M; Steultjens, M; Harlaar, J; Knol, D; Lems, W; Dekker, J

    2007-06-15

    To test the hypotheses that poor knee joint proprioception is related to limitations in functional ability, and poor proprioception aggravates the impact of muscle weakness on limitations in functional ability in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Sixty-three patients with symptomatic OA of the knee were tested. Proprioceptive acuity was assessed by establishing the joint motion detection threshold (JMDT) in the anteroposterior direction. Muscle strength was measured using a computer-driven isokinetic dynamometer. Functional ability was assessed by the 100-meter walking test, the Get Up and Go (GUG) test, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function (WOMAC-PF) questionnaire. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability. Regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of proprioception on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability. Poor proprioception (high JMDT) was related to more limitation in functional ability (walking time r = 0.30, P < 0.05; GUG time r = 0.30, P < 0.05; WOMAC-PF r = 0.26, P <0.05). In regression analyses, the interaction between proprioception and muscle strength was significantly related to functional ability (walking time, P < 0.001 and GUG time, P < 0.001) but not to WOMAC-PF score (P = 0.625). In patients with poor proprioception, reduction of muscle strength was associated with more severe deterioration of functional ability than in patients with accurate proprioception. Patients with poor proprioception show more limitation in functional ability, but this relationship is rather weak. In patients with poor proprioception, muscle weakness has a stronger impact on limitations in functional ability than in patients with accurate proprioception.

  14. Thermodynamically self-consistent theory for the Blume-Capel model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grollau, S; Kierlik, E; Rosinberg, M L; Tarjus, G

    2001-04-01

    We use a self-consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation to study the Blume-Capel ferromagnet on three-dimensional lattices. The correlation functions and the thermodynamics are obtained from the solution of two coupled partial differential equations. The theory provides a comprehensive and accurate description of the phase diagram in all regions, including the wing boundaries in a nonzero magnetic field. In particular, the coordinates of the tricritical point are in very good agreement with the best estimates from simulation or series expansion. Numerical and analytical analysis strongly suggest that the theory predicts a universal Ising-like critical behavior along the lambda line and the wing critical lines, and a tricritical behavior governed by mean-field exponents.

  15. Self-consistent calculation of steady-state creep and growth in textured zirconium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tome, C.N.; So, C.B.; Woo, C.H.

    1993-01-01

    Irradiation creep and growth in zirconium alloys result in anisotropic dimensional changes relative to the crystallographic axis in each individual grain. Several methods have been attempted to model such dimensional changes, taking into account the development of intergranular stresses. In this paper, we compare the predictions of several such models, namely the upper-bound, the lower-bound, the isotropic K* self-consistent (analytical) and the fully self-consistent (numerical) models. For given single-crystal creep compliances and growth factors, the polycrystal compliances predicted by the upper- and lower-bound models are unreliable. The predictions of the two self-consistent approaches are usually similar. The analytical isotropic K* approach is simple to implement and can be used to estimate the creep and growth rates of the polycrystal in many cases. The numerical fully self-consistent approach should be used when an accurate prediction of polycrystal creep is required, particularly for the important case of a closed-end internally pressurized tube. In most cases, the variations in grain shape introduce only minor corrections to the behaviour of polycrystalline materials. (author)

  16. Self-consistent modelling of X-ray photoelectron spectra from air-exposed polycrystalline TiN thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greczynski, G., E-mail: grzgr@ifm.liu.se; Hultman, L.

    2016-11-30

    large spread, but in order to increase reliability of the extracted chemical information the requirement for both qualitative and quantitative self-consistency between component peaks belonging to the same chemical species is imposed across all core-level spectra (including often neglected O 1s and C 1s signals). The relative ratios between contributions from different chemical species vary as a function of T{sub v} presenting a self-consistency check for our model. We propose that the cross-peak self-consistency should be a prerequisite for reliable XPS peak modelling as it enhances credibility of obtained chemical information, while relying entirely on reference binding energy values introduces large ambiguity.

  17. Methodological aspects of functional neuroimaging at high field strength: a critical review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheef, L.; Landsberg, M.W.; Boecker, H.

    2007-01-01

    The last few years have proven that high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior in nearly every way to conventional equipment up to 1.5 tesla (T). Following the global success of 3T-scanners in research institutes and medical practices, a new generation of MRI devices with field strengths of 7T and higher is now on the horizon. The introduction of ultra high fields has brought MRI technology closer to the physical limitations and increasingly greater costs are required to achieve this goal. This article provides a critical overview of the advantages and problems of functional neuroimaging using ultra high field strengths. This review is principally limited to T2*-based functional imaging techniques not dependent on contrast agents. The main issues include the significance of high field technology with respect to SNR, CNR, resolution, and sequences, as well as artifacts, noise exposure, and SAR. Of great relevance is the discussion of parallel imaging, which will presumably determine the further development of high and ultra high field strengths. Finally, the importance of high field strengths for functional neuroimaging is explained by selected publications. (orig.)

  18. Self-consistent perturbation expansion for Bose-Einstein condensates satisfying Goldstone's theorem and conservation laws

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kita, Takafumi

    2009-01-01

    Quantum-field-theoretic descriptions of interacting condensed bosons have suffered from the lack of self-consistent approximation schemes satisfying Goldstone's theorem and dynamical conservation laws simultaneously. We present a procedure to construct such approximations systematically by using either an exact relation for the interaction energy or the Hugenholtz-Pines relation to express the thermodynamic potential in a Luttinger-Ward form. Inspection of the self-consistent perturbation expansion up to the third order with respect to the interaction shows that the two relations yield a unique identical result at each order, reproducing the conserving-gapless mean-field theory [T. Kita, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 74, 1891 (2005)] as the lowest-order approximation. The uniqueness implies that the series becomes exact when infinite terms are retained. We also derive useful expressions for the entropy and superfluid density in terms of Green's function and a set of real-time dynamical equations to describe thermalization of the condensate.

  19. Level densities and γ-strength functions in 148,149Sm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siem, S.; Guttormsen, M.; Ingeberg, K.; Melby, E.; Rekstad, J.; Schiller, A.; Voinov, A.

    2002-01-01

    The level densities and γ-strength functions of the weakly deformed 148 Sm and 149 Sm nuclei have been extracted. The temperature versus excitation energy curve, derived within the framework of the microcanonical ensemble, shows structures, which we associate with the breakup of Cooper pairs. The nuclear heat capacity is deduced within the framework of both the microcanonical and canonical ensembles. We observe negative heat capacity in the microcanonical ensemble whereas the canonical heat capacity exhibits an S shape as a function of temperature, both signals of a phase transition. The structures in the γ-strength functions are discussed in terms of the pygmy resonance and the scissors mode built on excited states. The samarium results are compared with data for the well-deformed 161,162 Dy, 166,167 Er, and 171,172 Yb isotopes and with data from (n,γ) experiments and giant dipole resonance studies

  20. The Changes of Muscle Strength and Functional Activities During Aging in Male and Female Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shih-Jung Cheng

    2014-12-01

    Conclusion: We noted that the muscle strength and functional activities were decreased earlier in female than male individuals. The decrease of functional activities during the aging process seems to be earlier than the decrease of muscle strength. It is important to implement functional activities training in addition to strengthening exercise to maintain functional levels of the geriatric population.

  1. Self-consistency in the phonon space of the particle-phonon coupling model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tselyaev, V.; Lyutorovich, N.; Speth, J.; Reinhard, P.-G.

    2018-04-01

    In the paper the nonlinear generalization of the time blocking approximation (TBA) is presented. The TBA is one of the versions of the extended random-phase approximation (RPA) developed within the Green-function method and the particle-phonon coupling model. In the generalized version of the TBA the self-consistency principle is extended onto the phonon space of the model. The numerical examples show that this nonlinear version of the TBA leads to the convergence of results with respect to enlarging the phonon space of the model.

  2. Spectral characterization of plastic scintillation detector response as a function of magnetic field strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simiele, E.; Kapsch, R.-P.; Ankerhold, U.; Culberson, W.; DeWerd, L.

    2018-04-01

    The purpose of this work was to characterize intensity and spectral response changes in a plastic scintillation detector (PSD) as a function of magnetic field strength. Spectra measurements as a function of magnetic field strength were performed using an optical spectrometer. The response of both a PSD and PMMA fiber were investigated to isolate the changes in response from the scintillator and the noise signal as a function of magnetic field strength. All irradiations were performed in water at a photon beam energy of 6 MV. Magnetic field strengths of (0, ±0.35, ±0.70, ±1.05, and  ±1.40) T were investigated. Four noise subtraction techniques were investigated to evaluate the impact on the resulting noise-subtracted scintillator response with magnetic field strength. The noise subtraction methods included direct spectral subtraction, the spectral method, and variants thereof. The PMMA fiber exhibited changes in response of up to 50% with magnetic field strength due to the directional light emission from \\breve{C} erenkov radiation. The PSD showed increases in response of up to 10% when not corrected for the noise signal, which agrees with previous investigations of scintillator response in magnetic fields. Decreases in the \\breve{C} erenkov light ratio with negative field strength were observed with a maximum change at  ‑1.40 T of 3.2% compared to 0 T. The change in the noise-subtracted PSD response as a function of magnetic field strength varied with the noise subtraction technique used. Even after noise subtraction, the PSD exhibited changes in response of up to 5.5% over the four noise subtraction methods investigated.

  3. Self-consistent descriptions of vector mesons in hot matter reexamined

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riek, Felix; Knoll, Joern

    2010-01-01

    Technical concepts are presented that improve the self-consistent treatment of vector mesons in a hot and dense medium. First applications concern an interacting gas of pions and ρ mesons. As an extension of earlier studies, we thereby include random-phase-approximation-type vertex corrections and further use dispersion relations to calculate the real part of the vector-meson self-energy. An improved projection method preserves the four transversality of the vector-meson polarization tensor throughout the self-consistent calculations, thereby keeping the scheme void of kinematical singularities.

  4. A NEW CLINICAL MUSCLE FUNCTION TEST FOR ASSESSMENT OF HIP EXTERNAL ROTATION STRENGTH: AUGUSTSSON STRENGTH TEST.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augustsson, Jesper

    2016-08-01

    Dynamic clinical tests of hip strength applicable on patients, non-athletes and athletes alike, are lacking. The aim of this study was therefore to develop and evaluate the reliability of a dynamic muscle function test of hip external rotation strength, using a novel device. A second aim was to determine if gender differences exist in absolute and relative hip strength using the new test. Fifty-three healthy sport science students (34 women and 19 men) were tested for hip external rotation strength using a device that consisted of a strap connected in series with an elastic resistance band loop, and a measuring tape connected in parallel with the elastic resistance band. The test was carried out with the subject side lying, positioned in 45 ° of hip flexion and the knees flexed to 90 ° with the device firmly fastened proximally across the knees. The subject then exerted maximal concentric hip external rotation force against the device thereby extending the elastic resistance band. The displacement achieved by the subject was documented by the tape measure and the corresponding force production was calculated. Both right and left hip strength was measured. Fifteen of the subjects were tested on repeated occasions to evaluate test-retest reliability. No significant test-retest differences were observed. Intra-class correlation coefficients ranged 0.93-0.94 and coefficients of variation 2.76-4.60%. In absolute values, men were significantly stronger in hip external rotation than women (right side 13.2 vs 11.0 kg, p = 0.001, left side 13.2 vs 11.5 kg, p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in hip external rotation strength normalized for body weight (BW) between men and women (right side 0.17 kg/BW vs 0.17 kg/BW, p = 0.675, left side 0.17 kg/BW vs 0.18 kg/BW, p = 0.156). The new muscle function test showed high reliability and thus could be useful for measuring dynamic hip external rotation strength in patients, non-athletes and athletes

  5. The beta strength function structure in β+ decay of lutetium, thulium and cesium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alkhazov, G.D.; Bykov, A.A.; Vitman, V.D.; Naumov, Yu.V.; Orlov, S.Yu.

    1981-01-01

    The spectra of total γ-absorption in the decays of some Lutecium, Thulium and Cesium isotopes have been measured. The probabilities for level population in the decay of the isotopes have been determined. The deduced beta strength functions reveal pronounced structure. Calculations of the strength functions using the Saxon-Woods potential and the residual Gamow-Teller interaction are presented. It is shown that in β + decay of light Thulium and Cesium isotopes the strength function comprises more than 70% of the Gamow-Teller excitations with μsub(tau) = +1. This result is the first direct observation of the Gamow-Teller resonance in β + decay of nuclei with Tsub(z) > O. (orig.)

  6. Nuclear charge-exchange excitations in a self-consistent covariant approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Haozhao

    2010-01-01

    Nowadays, charge-exchange excitations in nuclei become one of the central topics in nuclear physics and astrophysics. Basically, a systematic pattern of the energy and collectivity of these excitations could provide direct information on the spin and isospin properties of the in-medium nuclear interaction, and the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter. Furthermore, a basic and critical quantity in nuclear structure, neutron skin thickness, can be determined indirectly by the sum rule of spin-dipole resonances (SDR) or the excitation energy spacing between the isobaric analog states (IAS) and Gamow-Teller resonances (GTR). More generally, charge-exchange excitations allow one to attack other kinds of problems outside the realm of nuclear structure, like the description of neutron star and supernova evolutions, the β-decay of nuclei which lie on the r-process path of stellar nucleosynthesis, and the neutrino-nucleus cross sections. They also play an essential role in extracting the value of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element V ud via the nuclear 0 + → 0 + superallowed Fermi β decays. For all these reasons, it is important to develop the microscopic theories of charge-exchange excitations and it is the main motivation of the present work. In this work, a fully self-consistent charge-exchange relativistic random phase approximation (RPA) based on the relativistic Hartree-Fock (RHF) approach is established. Its self-consistency is verified by the so-called IAS check. This approach is then applied to investigate the nuclear spin-isospin resonances, isospin symmetry-breaking corrections for the superallowed β decays, and the charged-current neutrino-nucleus cross sections. For two important spin-isospin resonances, GTR and SDR, it is shown that a very satisfactory agreement with the experimental data can be obtained without any readjustment of the energy functional. Furthermore, the isoscalar mesons are found to play an essential role in spin

  7. Self-consistent electron transport in collisional plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mason, R.J.

    1982-01-01

    A self-consistent scheme has been developed to model electron transport in evolving plasmas of arbitrary classical collisionality. The electrons and ions are treated as either multiple donor-cell fluids, or collisional particles-in-cell. Particle suprathermal electrons scatter off ions, and drag against fluid background thermal electrons. The background electrons undergo ion friction, thermal coupling, and bremsstrahlung. The components move in self-consistent advanced E-fields, obtained by the Implicit Moment Method, which permits Δt >> ω/sub p/ -1 and Δx >> lambda/sub D/ - offering a 10 2 - 10 3 -fold speed-up over older explicit techniques. The fluid description for the background plasma components permits the modeling of transport in systems spanning more than a 10 7 -fold change in density, and encompassing contiguous collisional and collisionless regions. Results are presented from application of the scheme to the modeling of CO 2 laser-generated suprathermal electron transport in expanding thin foils, and in multi-foil target configurations

  8. Self-Consistent Study of Conjugated Aromatic Molecular Transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jing, Wang; Yun-Ye, Liang; Hao, Chen; Peng, Wang; Note, R.; Mizuseki, H.; Kawazoe, Y.

    2010-01-01

    We study the current through conjugated aromatic molecular transistors modulated by a transverse field. The self-consistent calculation is realized with density function theory through the standard quantum chemistry software Gaussian03 and the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. The calculated I – V curves controlled by the transverse field present the characteristics of different organic molecular transistors, the transverse field effect of which is improved by the substitutions of nitrogen atoms or fluorine atoms. On the other hand, the asymmetry of molecular configurations to the axis connecting two sulfur atoms is in favor of realizing the transverse field modulation. Suitably designed conjugated aromatic molecular transistors possess different I – V characteristics, some of them are similar to those of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET). Some of the calculated molecular devices may work as elements in graphene electronics. Our results present the richness and flexibility of molecular transistors, which describe the colorful prospect of next generation devices. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  9. First principles molecular dynamics without self-consistent field optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souvatzis, Petros; Niklasson, Anders M. N.

    2014-01-01

    We present a first principles molecular dynamics approach that is based on time-reversible extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008)] in the limit of vanishing self-consistent field optimization. The optimization-free dynamics keeps the computational cost to a minimum and typically provides molecular trajectories that closely follow the exact Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface. Only one single diagonalization and Hamiltonian (or Fockian) construction are required in each integration time step. The proposed dynamics is derived for a general free-energy potential surface valid at finite electronic temperatures within hybrid density functional theory. Even in the event of irregular functional behavior that may cause a dynamical instability, the optimization-free limit represents a natural starting guess for force calculations that may require a more elaborate iterative electronic ground state optimization. Our optimization-free dynamics thus represents a flexible theoretical framework for a broad and general class of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

  10. Self-consistent Langmuir waves in resonantly driven thermal plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindberg, R. R.; Charman, A. E.; Wurtele, J. S.

    2007-12-01

    The longitudinal dynamics of a resonantly driven Langmuir wave are analyzed in the limit that the growth of the electrostatic wave is slow compared to the bounce frequency. Using simple physical arguments, the nonlinear distribution function is shown to be nearly invariant in the canonical particle action, provided both a spatially uniform term and higher-order spatial harmonics are included along with the fundamental in the longitudinal electric field. Requirements of self-consistency with the electrostatic potential yield the basic properties of the nonlinear distribution function, including a frequency shift that agrees closely with driven, electrostatic particle simulations over a range of temperatures. This extends earlier work on nonlinear Langmuir waves by Morales and O'Neil [G. J. Morales and T. M. O'Neil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 28, 417 (1972)] and Dewar [R. L. Dewar, Phys. Plasmas 15, 712 (1972)], and could form the basis of a reduced kinetic treatment of plasma dynamics for accelerator applications or Raman backscatter.

  11. Self-consistent Langmuir waves in resonantly driven thermal plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindberg, R. R.; Charman, A. E.; Wurtele, J. S.

    2007-01-01

    The longitudinal dynamics of a resonantly driven Langmuir wave are analyzed in the limit that the growth of the electrostatic wave is slow compared to the bounce frequency. Using simple physical arguments, the nonlinear distribution function is shown to be nearly invariant in the canonical particle action, provided both a spatially uniform term and higher-order spatial harmonics are included along with the fundamental in the longitudinal electric field. Requirements of self-consistency with the electrostatic potential yield the basic properties of the nonlinear distribution function, including a frequency shift that agrees closely with driven, electrostatic particle simulations over a range of temperatures. This extends earlier work on nonlinear Langmuir waves by Morales and O'Neil [G. J. Morales and T. M. O'Neil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 28, 417 (1972)] and Dewar [R. L. Dewar, Phys. Plasmas 15, 712 (1972)], and could form the basis of a reduced kinetic treatment of plasma dynamics for accelerator applications or Raman backscatter

  12. Multiplicative renormalizability and self-consistent treatments of the Schwinger-Dyson equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, N.; Dorey, N.

    1989-11-01

    Many approximations to the Schwinger-Dyson equations place constraints on the renormalization constants of a theory. The requirement that the solutions to the equations be multiplicatively renormalizable also places constraints on these constants. Demanding that these two sets of constraints be compatible is an important test of the self-consistency of the approximations made. We illustrate this idea by considering the equation for the fermion propagator in massless quenched quantum electrodynamics, (QED), checking the consistency of various approximations. In particular, we show that the much used 'ladder' approximation is self-consistent, provided that the coupling constant is renormalized in a particular way. We also propose another approximation which satisfies this self-consistency test, but requires that the coupling be unrenormalized, as should be the case in the full quenched approximation. This new approximation admits an exact solution, which also satisfies the renormalization group equation for the quenched approximation. (author)

  13. Self-consistent theory of charged current neutrino-nucleus reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paar, Nils; Marketin, Tomislav; Vretenar, Dario [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University Zagreb (Croatia); Ring, Peter [Physik-Department, Technischen Universitaet Muenchen, D-85748 Muenchen (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    A novel theoretical framework has been introduced for description of neutrino induced reactions with nuclei. The properties of target nuclei are determined in a self-consistent way using relativistic mean-field framework based on effective Lagrangians with density dependent meson-nucleon vertex functions. The weak lepton-hadron interaction is expressed in the standard current-current form, the nuclear ground state is described in the relativistic Hartree-Bogolyubov model, and the relevant transitions to excited nuclear states are calculated in the proton-neutron relativistic quasiparticle random phase approximation. This framework has been employed in studies of charged-current neutrino reactions involving nuclei of relevance for neutrino detectors, r-process nuclei, and neutrino-nucleus cross sections averaged over measured neutrino fluxes and supernova neutrino distributions.

  14. Multiconfigurational self-consistent field calculations of nuclear shieldings using London atomic orbitals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruud, Kenneth; Helgaker, Trygve; Kobayashi, Rika

    1994-01-01

    to corresponding individual gauges for localized orbitals (IGLO) results. The London results show better basis set convergence than IGLO, especially for heavier atoms. It is shown that the choice of active space is crucial for determination of accurate nuclear shielding constants.......Nuclear shielding calculations are presented for multiconfigurational self-consistent field wave functions using London atomic orbitals (gauge invariant atomic orbitals). Calculations of nuclear shieldings for eight molecules (H2O, H2S, CH4, N2, CO, HF, F2, and SO2) are presented and compared...

  15. Functional BOLD MRI: comparison of different field strengths in a motor task

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meindl, T.; Born, C.; Britsch, S.; Reiser, M.; Schoenberg, S.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose was to evaluate the benefit of an increased field strength for functional magnetic resonance imaging in a motor task. Six right-handed volunteers were scanned at 1.5 T and 3.0 T using a motor task. Each experiment consisted of two runs with four activation blocks, each with right- and left-hand tapping. Analysis was done using BrainVoyagerQX registered . Differences between both field strengths concerning signal to noise (SNR), blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal change, functional sensitivity and BOLD contrast to noise (CNR) were tested using a paired t test. Delineation of activations and artifacts were graded by two independent readers. Results were further validated by means of a phantom study. The sensorimotor and premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, subcortical and cerebellar structures were activated at each field strength. Additional activations of the right premotor cortex and right superior temporal gyrus were found at 3.0 T. Signal-to-noise, percentage of BOLD signal change, BOLD CNR and functional sensitivity improved at 3.0 T by a factor of up to 2.4. Functional imaging at 3.0 T results in detection of additional activated areas, increased SNR, BOLD signal change, functional sensitivity and BOLD CNR. (orig.)

  16. El strength function at high spin and excitation energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrette, J.

    1983-04-01

    Recently giant dipole resonance-like concentration of the dipole strength function in nuclei was observed at both high excitation energies and high spins. This observation raises the possibility of obtaining new information on the shape of rapidly rotating heated nuclei. Recent experimental results on this subject are reviewed

  17. Self-consistent field variational cellular method as applied to the band structure calculation of sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lino, A.T.; Takahashi, E.K.; Leite, J.R.; Ferraz, A.C.

    1988-01-01

    The band structure of metallic sodium is calculated, using for the first time the self-consistent field variational cellular method. In order to implement the self-consistency in the variational cellular theory, the crystal electronic charge density was calculated within the muffin-tin approximation. The comparison between our results and those derived from other calculations leads to the conclusion that the proposed self-consistent version of the variational cellular method is fast and accurate. (author) [pt

  18. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) coupled with reference interaction site model self-consistent field explicitly including spatial electron density distribution (RISM-SCF-SEDD)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yokogawa, D., E-mail: d.yokogawa@chem.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

    2016-09-07

    Theoretical approach to design bright bio-imaging molecules is one of the most progressing ones. However, because of the system size and computational accuracy, the number of theoretical studies is limited to our knowledge. To overcome the difficulties, we developed a new method based on reference interaction site model self-consistent field explicitly including spatial electron density distribution and time-dependent density functional theory. We applied it to the calculation of indole and 5-cyanoindole at ground and excited states in gas and solution phases. The changes in the optimized geometries were clearly explained with resonance structures and the Stokes shift was correctly reproduced.

  19. Positive effects of 1-year football and strength training on mechanical muscle function and functional capacity in elderly men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Andersen, Lars L.

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE: A decline in physical capacity takes place with increasing age that negatively affects overall physical function including work ability and the ability to perform typical activities of daily living (ADL). The overall aim of the present study was to determine the neuromuscular adaptations...... to long-term (1 year) football and strength training in older untrained adults, and to assess the concurrent effect on functional ADL capacity. METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy elderly males (68.2 ± 3.2 years) were randomly assigned to 12 months of either recreational football training (FT: n = 10), strength...... training (ST: n = 9) or served as inactive controls (CON: n = 8). Recreational football training consisted of small-sided training sessions whereas strength training consisted of high intensity exercises targeting the lower extremity and upper body. Maximal thigh muscle strength and rate of force...

  20. Knee extensor strength and risk of structural, symptomatic and functional decline in knee osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Culvenor, Adam G; Ruhdorfer, Anja; Juhl, Carsten

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between knee extensor strength and the risk of structural, symptomatic, or functional deterioration in individuals with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: We systematically identified and methodologically...... appraised all longitudinal studies (≥1-year follow-up) reporting an association between knee extensor strength and structural (tibiofemoral, patellofemoral), symptomatic (self-reported, knee replacement), or functional (subjective, objective) decline in individuals with or at risk of radiographic......-analysis revealed that lower knee extensor strength was associated with an increased risk of symptomatic (WOMAC-Pain: odds ratio [OR] 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10, 1.67) and functional decline (WOMAC-Function: OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.00, 1.89; chair-stand task: OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.03, 1.04), but not increased risk...

  1. Verification of experimental dynamic strength methods with atomistic ramp-release simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Alexander P.; Brown, Justin L.; Lim, Hojun; Lane, J. Matthew D.

    2018-05-01

    Material strength and moduli can be determined from dynamic high-pressure ramp-release experiments using an indirect method of Lagrangian wave profile analysis of surface velocities. This method, termed self-consistent Lagrangian analysis (SCLA), has been difficult to calibrate and corroborate with other experimental methods. Using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics, we validate the SCLA technique by demonstrating that it accurately predicts the same bulk modulus, shear modulus, and strength as those calculated from the full stress tensor data, especially where strain rate induced relaxation effects and wave attenuation are small. We show here that introducing a hold in the loading profile at peak pressure gives improved accuracy in the shear moduli and relaxation-adjusted strength by reducing the effect of wave attenuation. When rate-dependent effects coupled with wave attenuation are large, we find that Lagrangian analysis overpredicts the maximum unload wavespeed, leading to increased error in the measured dynamic shear modulus. These simulations provide insight into the definition of dynamic strength, as well as a plausible explanation for experimental disagreement in reported dynamic strength values.

  2. An eigenvalue approach to quantum plasmonics based on a self-consistent hydrodynamics method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Kun; Chan, C T

    2018-02-28

    Plasmonics has attracted much attention not only because it has useful properties such as strong field enhancement, but also because it reveals the quantum nature of matter. To handle quantum plasmonics effects, ab initio packages or empirical Feibelman d-parameters have been used to explore the quantum correction of plasmonic resonances. However, most of these methods are formulated within the quasi-static framework. The self-consistent hydrodynamics model offers a reliable approach to study quantum plasmonics because it can incorporate the quantum effect of the electron gas into classical electrodynamics in a consistent manner. Instead of the standard scattering method, we formulate the self-consistent hydrodynamics method as an eigenvalue problem to study quantum plasmonics with electrons and photons treated on the same footing. We find that the eigenvalue approach must involve a global operator, which originates from the energy functional of the electron gas. This manifests the intrinsic nonlocality of the response of quantum plasmonic resonances. Our model gives the analytical forms of quantum corrections to plasmonic modes, incorporating quantum electron spill-out effects and electrodynamical retardation. We apply our method to study the quantum surface plasmon polariton for a single flat interface.

  3. Multi-component nuclear energy system to meet requirement of self-consistency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Masaki; Artisyuk, Vladimir; Shmelev, Anotolii; Korovin, Yorii

    2000-01-01

    Environmental harmonization of nuclear energy technology is considered as an absolutely necessary condition in its future successful development for peaceful use. Establishment of Self-Consistent Nuclear Energy System, that simultaneously meets four requirements - energy production, fuel production, burning of radionuclides and safety, strongly relies on the neutron excess generation. Implementation of external non-fission based neutron sources into fission energy system would open the possibility of approaching Multicomponent Self-Consistent Nuclear Energy System with unlimited fuel resources, zero radioactivity release and high protection against uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear materials. (author)

  4. Reliability of a functional test battery evaluating functionality, proprioception, and strength in recreational athletes with functional ankle instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekir, U; Yildiz, Y; Hazneci, B; Ors, F; Saka, T; Aydin, T

    2008-12-01

    In contrast to the single evaluation methods used in the past, the combination of multiple tests allows one to obtain a global assessment of the ankle joint. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of the different tests in a functional test battery. Twenty-four male recreational athletes with unilateral functional ankle instability (FAI) were recruited for this study. One component of the test battery included five different functional ability tests. These tests included a single limb hopping course, single-legged and triple-legged hop for distance, and six and cross six meter hop for time. The ankle joint position sense and one leg standing test were used for evaluation of proprioception and sensorimotor control. The isokinetic strengths of the ankle invertor and evertor muscles were evaluated at a velocity of 120 degrees /s. The reliability of the test battery was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Each subject was tested two times, with an interval of 3-5 days between the test sessions. The ICCs for ankle functional and proprioceptive ability showed high reliability (ICCs ranging from 0.94 to 0.98). Additionally, isokinetic ankle joint inversion and eversion strength measurements represented good to high reliability (ICCs between 0.82 and 0.98). The functional test battery investigated in this study proved to be a reliable tool for the assessment of athletes with functional ankle instability. Therefore, clinicians may obtain reliable information from the functional test battery during the assessment of ankle joint performance in patients with functional ankle instability.

  5. Self-consistent field model for strong electrostatic correlations and inhomogeneous dielectric media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Manman; Xu, Zhenli

    2014-12-28

    Electrostatic correlations and variable permittivity of electrolytes are essential for exploring many chemical and physical properties of interfaces in aqueous solutions. We propose a continuum electrostatic model for the treatment of these effects in the framework of the self-consistent field theory. The model incorporates a space- or field-dependent dielectric permittivity and an excluded ion-size effect for the correlation energy. This results in a self-energy modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck or Poisson-Boltzmann equation together with state equations for the self energy and the dielectric function. We show that the ionic size is of significant importance in predicting a finite self energy for an ion in an inhomogeneous medium. Asymptotic approximation is proposed for the solution of a generalized Debye-Hückel equation, which has been shown to capture the ionic correlation and dielectric self energy. Through simulating ionic distribution surrounding a macroion, the modified self-consistent field model is shown to agree with particle-based Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical results for symmetric and asymmetric electrolytes demonstrate that the model is able to predict the charge inversion at high correlation regime in the presence of multivalent interfacial ions which is beyond the mean-field theory and also show strong effect to double layer structure due to the space- or field-dependent dielectric permittivity.

  6. Self-consistent field model for strong electrostatic correlations and inhomogeneous dielectric media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Manman, E-mail: mmm@sjtu.edu.cn; Xu, Zhenli, E-mail: xuzl@sjtu.edu.cn [Department of Mathematics, Institute of Natural Sciences, and MoE Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

    2014-12-28

    Electrostatic correlations and variable permittivity of electrolytes are essential for exploring many chemical and physical properties of interfaces in aqueous solutions. We propose a continuum electrostatic model for the treatment of these effects in the framework of the self-consistent field theory. The model incorporates a space- or field-dependent dielectric permittivity and an excluded ion-size effect for the correlation energy. This results in a self-energy modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck or Poisson-Boltzmann equation together with state equations for the self energy and the dielectric function. We show that the ionic size is of significant importance in predicting a finite self energy for an ion in an inhomogeneous medium. Asymptotic approximation is proposed for the solution of a generalized Debye-Hückel equation, which has been shown to capture the ionic correlation and dielectric self energy. Through simulating ionic distribution surrounding a macroion, the modified self-consistent field model is shown to agree with particle-based Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical results for symmetric and asymmetric electrolytes demonstrate that the model is able to predict the charge inversion at high correlation regime in the presence of multivalent interfacial ions which is beyond the mean-field theory and also show strong effect to double layer structure due to the space- or field-dependent dielectric permittivity.

  7. E1 and M1 strength functions at low energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwengner, Ronald; Massarczyk, Ralph; Bemmerer, Daniel; Beyer, Roland; Junghans, Arnd R.; Kögler, Toni; Rusev, Gencho; Tonchev, Anton P.; Tornow, Werner; Wagner, Andreas

    2017-09-01

    We report photon-scattering experiments using bremsstrahlung at the γELBE facility of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and using quasi-monoenergetic, polarized γ beams at the HIγS facility of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory in Durham. To deduce the photoabsorption cross sections at high excitation energy and high level density, unresolved strength in the quasicontinuum of nuclear states has been taken into account. In the analysis of the spectra measured by using bremsstrahlung at γELBE, we perform simulations of statistical γ-ray cascades using the code γDEX to estimate intensities of inelastic transitions to low-lying excited states. Simulated average branching ratios are compared with model-independent branching ratios obtained from spectra measured by using monoenergetic γ beams at HIγS. E1 strength in the energy region of the pygmy dipole resonance is discussed in nuclei around mass 90 and in xenon isotopes. M1 strength in the region of the spin-flip resonance is also considered for xenon isotopes. The dipole strength function of 74Ge deduced from γELBE experiments is compared with the one obtained from experiments at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. The low-energy upbend seen in the Oslo data is interpreted as M1 strength on the basis of shell-model calculations.

  8. E1 and M1 strength functions at low energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schwengner Ronald

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We report photon-scattering experiments using bremsstrahlung at the γELBE facility of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and using quasi-monoenergetic, polarized γ beams at the HIγS facility of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory in Durham. To deduce the photoabsorption cross sections at high excitation energy and high level density, unresolved strength in the quasicontinuum of nuclear states has been taken into account. In the analysis of the spectra measured by using bremsstrahlung at γELBE, we perform simulations of statistical γ-ray cascades using the code γDEX to estimate intensities of inelastic transitions to low-lying excited states. Simulated average branching ratios are compared with model-independent branching ratios obtained from spectra measured by using monoenergetic γ beams at HIγS. E1 strength in the energy region of the pygmy dipole resonance is discussed in nuclei around mass 90 and in xenon isotopes. M1 strength in the region of the spin-flip resonance is also considered for xenon isotopes. The dipole strength function of 74Ge deduced from γELBE experiments is compared with the one obtained from experiments at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. The low-energy upbend seen in the Oslo data is interpreted as M1 strength on the basis of shell-model calculations.

  9. Self-consistent Maxwell-Bloch model of quantum-dot photonic-crystal-cavity lasers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cartar, William; Mørk, Jesper; Hughes, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    -level emitters are solved numerically. Phenomenological pure dephasing and incoherent pumping is added to the optical Bloch equations to allow for a dynamical lasing regime, but the cavity-mediated radiative dynamics and gain coupling of each QD dipole (artificial atom) is contained self-consistently within......-mode to multimode lasing is also observed, depending on the spectral peak frequency of the QD ensemble. Using a statistical modal analysis of the average decay rates, we also show how the average radiative decay rate decreases as a function of cavity size. In addition, we investigate the role of structural disorder...

  10. Joint laxity and the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Esch, M; Steultjens, M; Knol, D L; Dinant, H; Dekker, J

    2006-12-15

    To establish the impact of knee joint laxity on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. A cross-sectional study of 86 patients with OA of the knee was conducted. Tests were performed to determine varus-valgus laxity, muscle strength, and functional ability. Laxity was assessed using a device that measures the angular deviation of the knee in the frontal plane. Muscle strength was measured using a computer-driven isokinetic dynamometer. Functional ability was assessed by observation (100-meter walking test) and self report (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]). Regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of joint laxity on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability. In regression analyses, the interaction between muscle strength and joint laxity contributed to the variance in both walking time (P = 0.002) and WOMAC score (P = 0.080). The slope of the regression lines indicated that the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability (walking time, WOMAC) was stronger in patients with high knee joint laxity. Patients with knee OA and high knee joint laxity show a stronger relationship between muscle strength and functional ability than patients with OA and low knee joint laxity. Patients with OA, high knee joint laxity, and low muscle strength are most at risk of being disabled.

  11. Doubly self-consistent field theory of grafted polymers under simple shear in steady state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suo, Tongchuan; Whitmore, Mark D.

    2014-01-01

    We present a generalization of the numerical self-consistent mean-field theory of polymers to the case of grafted polymers under simple shear. The general theoretical framework is presented, and then applied to three different chain models: rods, Gaussian chains, and finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) chains. The approach is self-consistent at two levels. First, for any flow field, the polymer density profile and effective potential are calculated self-consistently in a manner similar to the usual self-consistent field theory of polymers, except that the calculation is inherently two-dimensional even for a laterally homogeneous system. Second, through the use of a modified Brinkman equation, the flow field and the polymer profile are made self-consistent with respect to each other. For all chain models, we find that reasonable levels of shear cause the chains to tilt, but it has very little effect on the overall thickness of the polymer layer, causing a small decrease for rods, and an increase of no more than a few percent for the Gaussian and FENE chains. Using the FENE model, we also probe the individual bond lengths, bond correlations, and bond angles along the chains, the effects of the shear on them, and the solvent and bonded stress profiles. We find that the approximations needed within the theory for the Brinkman equation affect the bonded stress, but none of the other quantities

  12. A self-consistent semiclassical sum rule approach to the average properties of giant resonances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Guoqiang; Xu Gongou

    1990-01-01

    The average energies of isovector giant resonances and the widths of isoscalar giant resonances are evaluated with the help of a self-consistent semiclassical Sum rule approach. The comparison of the present results with the experimental ones justifies the self-consistent semiclassical sum rule approach to the average properties of giant resonances

  13. Effects of Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction on magnetism in nanodisks from a self-consistent approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Zhaosen, E-mail: liuzhsnj@yahoo.com [Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Department of Applied Physics (China); Ian, Hou, E-mail: houian@umac.mo [University of Macau, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, FST (China)

    2016-01-15

    We give a theoretical study on the magnetic properties of monolayer nanodisks with both Heisenberg exchange and Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya (DM) interactions. In particular, we survey the magnetic effects caused by anisotropy, external magnetic field, and disk size when DM interaction is present by means of a new quantum simulation method facilitated by a self-consistent algorithm based on mean field theory. This computational approach finds that uniaxial anisotropy and transversal magnetic field enhance the net magnetization as well as increase the transition temperature of the vortical phase while preserving the chiralities of the swirly magnetic structures, whereas when the strength of DM interaction is sufficiently strong for a given disk size, magnetic domains appear within the circularly bounded region, which vanish and give in to a single vortex when a transversal magnetic field is applied. The latter confirms the magnetic skyrmions induced by the magnetic field as observed in the experiments.

  14. Self-consistence equations for extended Feynman rules in quantum chromodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wielenberg, A.

    2005-01-01

    In this thesis improved solutions for Green's functions are obtained. First the for this thesis essential techniques and concepts of QCD as euclidean field theory are presented. After a discussion of the foundations of the extended approach for the Feynman rules of QCD with a systematic approach for the 4-gluon vertex a modified renormalization scheme for the extended approach is developed. Thereafter the resummation of the Dyson-Schwinger equations (DSE) by the appropriately modified Bethe-Salpeter equation is discussed. Then the leading divergences for the 1-loop graphs of the resummed DSE are determined. Thereafter the equation-of-motion condensate is defined as result of an operator-product expansion. Then the self-consistency equations for the extended approaches are defined and numerically solved. (HSI)

  15. Self-consistent T-matrix theory of superconductivity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šopík, B.; Lipavský, Pavel; Männel, M.; Morawetz, K.; Matlock, P.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 84, č. 9 (2011), 094529/1-094529/13 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/0212; GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/11/0015 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : superconductivity * T-matrix * superconducting gap * restricted self-consistency Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.691, year: 2011

  16. Relationship of Lower Extremity Muscle Strength with Balance and Lower Extremity Functions in Elderly Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferdi Başkurt

    2018-03-01

    Conclusions: Functional score, mobility and balance are related to lower extremity muscle strength in elderly women. Increasing muscle strength will reduce the risk of falls and increase independence.

  17. Generation of static solutions of self-consistent system of Einstein-Maxwell equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anchikov, A.M.; Daishev, R.A.

    1988-01-01

    The theorem, according to which the static solution of the self-consistent system of the Einstein-Maxwell equations is assigned to energy static solution of the Einstein equations with the arbitrary energy-momentum tensor in the right part, is proved. As a consequence of this theorem, the way of the generation of the static solutions of the self-consistent system of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with charged dust as a source of the vacuum solutions of the Einstein equations is shown

  18. The influence of thermodynamic self-consistency on the phase behaviour of symmetric binary mixtures

    CERN Document Server

    Scholl-Paschinger, E; Kahl, G

    2004-01-01

    We have investigated the phase behaviour of a symmetric binary mixture with particles interacting via hard-core Yukawa potentials. To calculate the thermodynamic properties we have used the mean spherical approximation (MSA), a conventional liquid state theory, and the closely related self-consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation which is defined via an MSA-type closure relation, requiring, in addition, thermodynamic self-consistency between the compressibility and the energy-route. We investigate on a quantitative level the effect of the self-consistency requirement on the phase diagram and on the critical behaviour and confirm the existence of three archetypes of phase diagram, which originate from the competition between the first order liquid/vapour transition and the second order demixing transition.

  19. A self-consistent first-principle based approach to model carrier mobility in organic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meded, Velimir; Friederich, Pascal; Symalla, Franz; Neumann, Tobias; Danilov, Denis; Wenzel, Wolfgang

    2015-01-01

    Transport through thin organic amorphous films, utilized in OLEDs and OPVs, has been a challenge to model by using ab-initio methods. Charge carrier mobility depends strongly on the disorder strength and reorganization energy, both of which are significantly affected by the details in environment of each molecule. Here we present a multi-scale approach to describe carrier mobility in which the materials morphology is generated using DEPOSIT, a Monte Carlo based atomistic simulation approach, or, alternatively by molecular dynamics calculations performed with GROMACS. From this morphology we extract the material specific hopping rates, as well as the on-site energies using a fully self-consistent embedding approach to compute the electronic structure parameters, which are then used in an analytic expression for the carrier mobility. We apply this strategy to compute the carrier mobility for a set of widely studied molecules and obtain good agreement between experiment and theory varying over several orders of magnitude in the mobility without any freely adjustable parameters. The work focuses on the quantum mechanical step of the multi-scale workflow, explains the concept along with the recently published workflow optimization, which combines density functional with semi-empirical tight binding approaches. This is followed by discussion on the analytic formula and its agreement with established percolation fits as well as kinetic Monte Carlo numerical approaches. Finally, we skatch an unified multi-disciplinary approach that integrates materials science simulation and high performance computing, developed within EU project MMM@HPC

  20. Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical performance used as anodes of structural lithium-ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Mengjie; Wang, Shubin; Yu, Yalin; Feng, Qihang; Yang, Jiping; Zhang, Boming

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Carboxyl functionalized CF is acquired by simple chemical oxidation method. • These CF have preserved the tensile strength, better electrochemical properties. • The presence of H_3PO_4 prevented the turbostratic carbon from over-oxidization. • There CF can be used as anodes of multifunctional structural battery. • The preservation and improvement is result from the hindered over-oxidization. - Abstract: Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical properties were acquired through a simple chemical oxidation method, and the proposed underlying mechanism was verified. The surface of carboxyl functionalizing carbon fibers is necessary in acquiring functional groups on the surface of carbon fibers to further improve the thermal, electrical or mechanical properties of the fibers. Functionalization should preserve the tensile strength and electrochemical properties of carbon fibers, because the anodes of structural batteries need to have high strength and electrochemical properties. Functionalized with mixed H_2SO_4/HNO_3 considerably reduced the tensile strength of carbon fibers. By contrast, the appearance of H_3PO_4 preserved the tensile strength of functionalized carbon fibers, reduced the dispersion level of tensile strength values, and effectively increased the concentration of functional acid groups on the surface of carbon fibers. The presence of phosphoric acid hindered the over-oxidation of turbostratic carbon, and consequently preserved the tensile strength of carbon fibers. The increased proportion of turbostratic carbon on the surface of carbon fibers concurrently enhanced the electrochemical properties of carbon fibers.

  1. [Effects of education and strength training on functional tests among older people with osteoarthritis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez S, Christian Edgardo; Fernández G, Rubén; Zurita O, Félix; Linares G, Daniel; Farías M, Ariel

    2014-04-01

    Hip and knee osteoarthritis are important causes of pain and disability among older people. Education and strength training can alleviate symptoms and avoid functional deterioration. To assess muscle strength, fall risk and quality of life of older people with osteoarthritis and the effects of physiotherapy education and strength training on these variables. Thirty participants aged 78 ± 5 years (63% women) were randomly assigned to receive physiotherapy (Controls), physiotherapy plus education (Group 1) and physiotherapy plus strength training (group 2). At baseline and after 16 weeks of intervention, patients were evaluated with the Senior Fitness Test, Timed Up and Go and Quality of Life score short form (SF-36). During the intervention period, Senior Fitness Test and Timed Up and Go scores improved in all groups and SF-36 did not change. The improvement in Senior Fitness Test and Timed Up and Go was more marked in Groups 1 and 2 than in the control group. Education and strength training improve functional tests among older people with osteoarthritis.

  2. Defining the role of sensation, strength, and prehension for upper limb function in cervical spinal cord injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalsi-Ryan, Sukhvinder; Beaton, Dorcas; Curt, Armin; Duff, Susan; Jiang, Depeng; Popovic, Milos R; Rudhe, Claudia; Fehlings, Michael G; Verrier, Mary C

    2014-01-01

    Upper limb function plays a significant role in enhancing independence for individuals with tetraplegia. However, there is limited knowledge about the specific input of sensorimotor deficits on upper limb function. Thus the theoretical framework designed to develop the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength Sensibility and Prehension (GRASSP) was used as a hypothetical model to analyze the impact of impairment on function. To define the association of impairment (sensation, strength, and prehension measured by the GRASSP) to upper limb function as defined by functional measures (Capabilities of Upper Extremity Questionnaire, Spinal Cord Independence Measure). A hypothetical model representing relationships by applying structural equation modeling was used to estimate the effect of the impairment domains in GRASSP on upper limb function. Data collected on 72 chronic individuals with tetraplegia was used to test the hypothetical model. Structural equation modeling confirmed strong associations between sensation, strength, and prehension with upper limb function, and determined 72% of the variance in "sensorimotor upper limb function" was explained by the model. Statistics of fit showed the data did fit the hypothesized model. Sensation and strength influence upper limb function directly and indirectly with prehension as the mediator. The GRASSP is a sensitive diagnostic tool in distinguishing the relative contribution of strength, sensation and prehension to function. Thus, the impact of interventions on specific domains of impairment and related contribution on clinical recovery of the upper limb can be detailed to optimize rehabilitation programs.

  3. Experimental nuclear level densities and γ-ray strength functions in Sc and V isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, A. C.; Guttormsen, M.; Ingebretsen, F.; Messelt, S.; Rekstad, J.; Siem, S.; Syed, N. U. H.; Chankova, R.; Loennroth, T.; Schiller, A.; Voinov, A.

    2008-01-01

    The nuclear physics group at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory has developed a method to extract nuclear level density and γ-ray strength function from first-generation γ-ray spectra. This method is applied on the nuclei 44,45 Sc and 50,51 V in this work. The experimental level densities of 44,45 Sc are compared to calculated level densities using a microscopic model based on BCS quasiparticles within the Nilsson level scheme. The γ-ray strength functions are also compared to theoretical expectations, showing an unexpected enhancement of the γ-ray strength for low γ energies (E γ ≤3 MeV) in all the isotopes studied here. The physical origin of this enhancement is not yet understood

  4. Longitudinal halo in beam bunches with self-consistent 6-D distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gluckstern, R. L.; Fedotov, A. V.; Kurennoy, S. S.; Ryne, R. D.

    1998-01-01

    We have explored the formation of longitudinal and transverse halos in 3-D axisymmetric beam bunches by starting with a self-consistent 6-D phase space distribution. Stationary distributions allow us to study the halo development mechanism without being obscured by beam redistribution and its effect on halo formation. The beam is then mismatched longitudinally and/or transversely, and we explore the rate, intensity and spatial extent of the halos which form, as a function of the beam charge and the mismatches. We find that the longitudinal halo forms first because the longitudinal tune depression is more severe than the transverse one for elongated bunches and conclude that it plays a major role in halo formation

  5. Consequences of fine structure of β-strength function in the nuclear physics and astrophysics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klapdor, H.V.; Wene, C.O.

    1980-01-01

    The consequences of structural effects in the β-strength function Ssub(β) in different fields of nuclear physics and astrophysics are considered. The given structure is shown to affect essentially the lifetimes relative to β-decay, emission of delayed particles, delayed fission and, consequently, all the calculations of synthesis of heavy and superheavy elements in astrophysical and thermonuclear processes. A table of experimental procedures applied for studying the β-strength function in different reactions is given

  6. Effect of muscle strength and pain on hand function in patients with trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantero-Téllez, Raquel; Martín-Valero, Rocío; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    To assess the relationship between muscle strength (Jama), and pain (VAS) levels with hand function (DASH) in patients with trapeziometarcapal osteoarthritis. Cross-sectional study. Sample of 72 patients with osteoarthritis stage 2-3 (Eaton) and trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. Patients were recruited when they came to the Hand Surgery Unit. Grip strength, pinch, pain and hand function were measured, and correlation and regression coefficients between them were obtained. For function, the most significant model (R(2)=0.83) included pain and strength. But it is tip to tip pinch force which has a stronger relationship with DASH (Standardized B: -57) questionnaire. Pain also influenced strength measured with the dynamometer but it was tip to tip pinch force that was the most affected. Findings confirm that there is a significant correlation between function referred by the patient and variables that can be measured in the clinic such as grip strength and pinch. The correlation between pain intensity and function was also significant, but tip to tip pinch strength had the greatest impact on the function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

  7. The q-deformed mKP hierarchy with self-consistent sources, Wronskian solutions and solitons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Runliang; Peng Hua; Manas, Manuel

    2010-01-01

    Based on the eigenfunction symmetry constraint of the q-deformed modified KP hierarchy, a q-deformed mKP hierarchy with self-consistent sources (q-mKPHSCSs) is constructed. The q-mKPHSCSs contain two types of q-deformed mKP equation with self-consistent sources. By the combination of the dressing method and the method of variation of constants, a generalized dressing approach is proposed to solve the q-deformed KP hierarchy with self-consistent sources (q-KPHSCSs). Using the gauge transformation between the q-KPHSCSs and the q-mKPHSCSs, the q-deformed Wronskian solutions for the q-KPHSCSs and the q-mKPHSCSs are obtained. The one-soliton solutions for the q-deformed KP (mKP) equation with a source are given explicitly.

  8. Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical performance used as anodes of structural lithium-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, Mengjie [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Wang, Shubin, E-mail: shubinwang@buaa.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Key Laboratory of Aerospace Materials and Performance (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Yu, Yalin; Feng, Qihang; Yang, Jiping; Zhang, Boming [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Carboxyl functionalized CF is acquired by simple chemical oxidation method. • These CF have preserved the tensile strength, better electrochemical properties. • The presence of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} prevented the turbostratic carbon from over-oxidization. • There CF can be used as anodes of multifunctional structural battery. • The preservation and improvement is result from the hindered over-oxidization. - Abstract: Carboxyl functionalized carbon fibers with preserved tensile strength and electrochemical properties were acquired through a simple chemical oxidation method, and the proposed underlying mechanism was verified. The surface of carboxyl functionalizing carbon fibers is necessary in acquiring functional groups on the surface of carbon fibers to further improve the thermal, electrical or mechanical properties of the fibers. Functionalization should preserve the tensile strength and electrochemical properties of carbon fibers, because the anodes of structural batteries need to have high strength and electrochemical properties. Functionalized with mixed H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/HNO{sub 3} considerably reduced the tensile strength of carbon fibers. By contrast, the appearance of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} preserved the tensile strength of functionalized carbon fibers, reduced the dispersion level of tensile strength values, and effectively increased the concentration of functional acid groups on the surface of carbon fibers. The presence of phosphoric acid hindered the over-oxidation of turbostratic carbon, and consequently preserved the tensile strength of carbon fibers. The increased proportion of turbostratic carbon on the surface of carbon fibers concurrently enhanced the electrochemical properties of carbon fibers.

  9. Relationship between muscle strength parameters and functional capacity in persons with mild to moderate degree multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjølhede, Tue; Vissing, Kristian; Langeskov-Christensen, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Maximal muscle strength has been shown to be an important predictor of functional capacity for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Another muscle strength parameter known to be important for functional capacity in other patient groups is rate of force development (RFD) in knee...... is the better predictor of walking performance in persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis. RFD, although also important for functional capacity, is a less strong predictor. Maximal strength of the knee extensors, rather than the knee flexors, predicted performance in the stairclimb and 5STS tests....

  10. Adiposity, muscle mass and muscle strength in relation to functional decline in older persons.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schaap, L.A.; Koster, A.; Visser, M.

    2013-01-01

    Aging is associated with changes in body composition and muscle strength. This review aimed to determine the relation between different body composition measures and muscle strength measures and functional decline in older men and women. By use of relevant databases (PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL) and

  11. Integrable motion of curves in self-consistent potentials: Relation to spin systems and soliton equations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Myrzakulov, R.; Mamyrbekova, G.K.; Nugmanova, G.N.; Yesmakhanova, K.R. [Eurasian International Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of General and Theoretical Physics, Eurasian National University, Astana 010008 (Kazakhstan); Lakshmanan, M., E-mail: lakshman@cnld.bdu.ac.in [Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli 620 024 (India)

    2014-06-13

    Motion of curves and surfaces in R{sup 3} lead to nonlinear evolution equations which are often integrable. They are also intimately connected to the dynamics of spin chains in the continuum limit and integrable soliton systems through geometric and gauge symmetric connections/equivalence. Here we point out the fact that a more general situation in which the curves evolve in the presence of additional self-consistent vector potentials can lead to interesting generalized spin systems with self-consistent potentials or soliton equations with self-consistent potentials. We obtain the general form of the evolution equations of underlying curves and report specific examples of generalized spin chains and soliton equations. These include principal chiral model and various Myrzakulov spin equations in (1+1) dimensions and their geometrically equivalent generalized nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) family of equations, including Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch equations, all in the presence of self-consistent potential fields. The associated gauge equivalent Lax pairs are also presented to confirm their integrability. - Highlights: • Geometry of continuum spin chain with self-consistent potentials explored. • Mapping on moving space curves in R{sup 3} in the presence of potential fields carried out. • Equivalent generalized nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) family of equations identified. • Integrability of identified nonlinear systems proved by deducing appropriate Lax pairs.

  12. Measures of Functional Performance and Their Association With Hip and Thigh Strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kollock, Roger; Van Lunen, Bonnie L.; Ringleb, Stacie I.; Oñate, James A.

    2015-01-01

    Context: Insufficient hip and thigh strength may increase an athlete's susceptibility to injury. However, screening for strength deficits using isometric and isokinetic instrumentation may not be practical in all clinical scenarios. Objective: To determine if functional performance tests are valid indicators of hip and thigh strength. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Sixty-two recreationally athletic men (n = 30, age = 21.07 years, height = 173.84 cm, mass = 81.47 kg) and women (n = 32, age = 21.03 years, height = 168.77 cm, mass = 68.22 kg) participants were recruited. Intervention(s): During session 1, we measured isometric peak force and rate of force development for 8 lower extremity muscle groups, followed by an isometric endurance test. During session 2, participants performed functional performance tests. Main Outcome Measure(s): Peak force, rate of force development, fatigue index, hop distance (or height), work (joules), and number of hops performed during the 30-second lateral-hop test were assessed. The r values were squared to calculate r 2. We used Pearson correlations to evaluate the associations between functional performance and strength. Results: In men, the strongest relationship was observed between triple-hop work and hip-adductor peak force (r2 = 50, P ≤ .001). Triple-hop work also was related to hip-adductor (r2 = 38, P ≤ .01) and hip-flexor (r2 = 37, P ≤ .01) rate of force development. For women, the strongest relationships were between single-legged vertical-jump work and knee-flexor peak force (r2 = 0.44, P ≤ .01) and single-legged vertical-jump height and knee-flexor peak force (r2 = 0.42, P ≤ .01). Single-legged vertical-jump height also was related to knee-flexor rate of force development (r2 = 0.49, P ≤ .001). The 30-second lateral-hop test did not account for a significant portion of the variance in strength endurance. Conclusions: Hop tests alone did not

  13. Self-consistent RPA and the time-dependent density matrix approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schuck, P. [Institut de Physique Nucleaire, Orsay (France); CNRS et Universite Joseph Fourier, Laboratoire de Physique et Modelisation des Milieux Condenses, Grenoble (France); Tohyama, M. [Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo (Japan)

    2016-10-15

    The time-dependent density matrix (TDDM) or BBGKY (Bogoliubov, Born, Green, Kirkwood, Yvon) approach is decoupled and closed at the three-body level in finding a natural representation of the latter in terms of a quadratic form of two-body correlation functions. In the small amplitude limit an extended RPA coupled to an also extended second RPA is obtained. Since including two-body correlations means that the ground state cannot be a Hartree-Fock state, naturally the corresponding RPA is upgraded to Self-Consistent RPA (SCRPA) which was introduced independently earlier and which is built on a correlated ground state. SCRPA conserves all the properties of standard RPA. Applications to the exactly solvable Lipkin and the 1D Hubbard models show good performances of SCRPA and TDDM. (orig.)

  14. Generation of static solutions of the self-consistent system of Einstein-Maxwell equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anchikov, A.M.; Daishev, R.A.

    1988-01-01

    A theorem is proved, according to which to each solution of the Einstein equations with an arbitrary momentum-energy tensor in the right hand side there corresponds a static solution of the self-consistent system of Einstein-Maxwell equations. As a consequence of this theorem, a method is established of generating static solutions of the self-consistent system of Einstein-Maxwell equations with a charged grain as a source of vacuum solutions of the Einstein equations

  15. Self-consistent gyrokinetic modeling of neoclassical and turbulent impurity transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estève, D.; Sarazin, Y.; Garbet, X.; Grandgirard, V.; Breton, S.; Donnel, P.; Asahi, Y.; Bourdelle, C.; Dif-Pradalier, G.; Ehrlacher, C.; Emeriau, C.; Ghendrih, Ph.; Gillot, C.; Latu, G.; Passeron, C.

    2018-03-01

    Trace impurity transport is studied with the flux-driven gyrokinetic GYSELA code (Grandgirard et al 2016 Comput. Phys. Commun. 207 35). A reduced and linearized multi-species collision operator has been recently implemented, so that both neoclassical and turbulent transport channels can be treated self-consistently on an equal footing. In the Pfirsch-Schlüter regime that is probably relevant for tungsten, the standard expression for the neoclassical impurity flux is shown to be recovered from gyrokinetics with the employed collision operator. Purely neoclassical simulations of deuterium plasma with trace impurities of helium, carbon and tungsten lead to impurity diffusion coefficients, inward pinch velocities due to density peaking, and thermo-diffusion terms which quantitatively agree with neoclassical predictions and NEO simulations (Belli et al 2012 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 54 015015). The thermal screening factor appears to be less than predicted analytically in the Pfirsch-Schlüter regime, which can be detrimental to fusion performance. Finally, self-consistent nonlinear simulations have revealed that the tungsten impurity flux is not the sum of turbulent and neoclassical fluxes computed separately, as is usually assumed. The synergy partly results from the turbulence-driven in-out poloidal asymmetry of tungsten density. This result suggests the need for self-consistent simulations of impurity transport, i.e. including both turbulence and neoclassical physics, in view of quantitative predictions for ITER.

  16. Simulations of Tokamak Edge Turbulence Including Self-Consistent Zonal Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Bruce; Umansky, Maxim

    2013-10-01

    Progress on simulations of electromagnetic drift-resistive ballooning turbulence in the tokamak edge is summarized in this mini-conference talk. A more detailed report on this work is presented in a poster at this conference. This work extends our previous work to include self-consistent zonal flows and their effects. The previous work addressed the simulation of L-mode tokamak edge turbulence using the turbulence code BOUT. The calculations used realistic single-null geometry and plasma parameters of the DIII-D tokamak and produced fluctuation amplitudes, fluctuation spectra, and particle and thermal fluxes that compare favorably to experimental data. In the effect of sheared ExB poloidal rotation is included with an imposed static radial electric field fitted to experimental data. In the new work here we include the radial electric field self-consistently driven by the microturbulence, which contributes to the sheared ExB poloidal rotation (zonal flow generation). We present simulations with/without zonal flows for both cylindrical geometry, as in the UCLA Large Plasma Device, and for the DIII-D tokamak L-mode cases in to quantify the influence of self-consistent zonal flows on the microturbulence and the concomitant transport. This work was performed under the auspices of the US Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

  17. Photon strength functions in Gd isotopes studied from radiative capture of resonance neutrons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kroll J.

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The experimental spectra of γ rays following radiative neutron capture on isolated resonances of stable 152,154–158Gd targets were measured by the DANCE calorimeter installed at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center in New Mexico, USA. These spectra were analyzed within the extreme statistical model to get new information on the photon strength functions. Special emphasis was put on study of the scissors vibrational mode present in these isotopes. Our data show that the scissors-mode resonances are built not only on the ground states but also on the excited levels of all studied Gd isotopes. The scissors mode strength observed in 157,159Gd products is significantly higher than in neighboring even-even nuclei 156,158Gd. Such a difference indicates the existence of an odd-even effect in the scissors mode strength. Moreover, there exists no universal parameter-free model of the electric dipole photon strength function describing the experimental data in all of the Gd isotopes studied. The results for the scissors mode are compared with the (γ, γ′ data for the ground-state transitions and with the results from 3He-induced reactions.

  18. Assessment of neuromuscular function after different strength training protocols using tensiomyography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Paula Simola, Rauno Á; Harms, Nico; Raeder, Christian; Kellmann, Michael; Meyer, Tim; Pfeiffer, Mark; Ferrauti, Alexander

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of the study was to analyze tensiomyography (TMG) sensitivity to changes in muscle force and neuromuscular function of the muscle rectus femoris (RF) using TMG muscle properties after 5 different lower-limb strength training protocols (multiple sets; DS = drop sets; eccentric overload; FW = flywheel; PL = plyometrics). After baseline measurements, 14 male strength trained athletes completed 1 squat training protocol per week over a 5-week period in a randomized controlled order. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), TMG measurements of maximal radial displacement of the muscle belly (Dm), contraction time between 10 and 90% of Dm (Tc), and mean muscle contraction velocities from the beginning until 10% (V10) and 90% of Dm (V90) were analyzed up to 0.5 (post-train), 24 (post-24), and 48 hours (post-48) after the training interventions. Significant analysis of variance main effects for measurement points were found for all TMG contractile properties and MVIC (p TMG muscle properties are sensitive to changes in muscle force, and different lower-limb strength training protocols lead to changes in neuromuscular function of RF. In addition, those protocols involving high and eccentric load and a high total time under tension may induce higher changes in TMG muscle properties.

  19. Self-consistent collisional-radiative model for hydrogen atoms: Atom–atom interaction and radiation transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colonna, G.; Pietanza, L.D.; D’Ammando, G.

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Self-consistent coupling between radiation, state-to-state kinetics, electron kinetics and fluid dynamics. Highlight: ► A CR model of shock-wave in hydrogen plasma has been presented. ► All equations have been coupled self-consistently. ► Non-equilibrium electron and level distributions are obtained. ► The results show non-local effects and non-equilibrium radiation. - Abstract: A collisional-radiative model for hydrogen atom, coupled self-consistently with the Boltzmann equation for free electrons, has been applied to model a shock tube. The kinetic model has been completed considering atom–atom collisions and the vibrational kinetics of the ground state of hydrogen molecules. The atomic level kinetics has been also coupled with a radiative transport equation to determine the effective adsorption and emission coefficients and non-local energy transfer.

  20. Silicone elastomers with high dielectric permittivity and high dielectric breakdown strength based on tunable functionalized copolymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Frederikke Bahrt; Yu, Liyun; Daugaard, Anders Egede

    2015-01-01

    system, with respect to functionalization, is achieved. It is investigated how the different functionalization variables affect essential DE properties, including dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss, elastic modulus and dielectric breakdown strength, and the optimal degree of chemical......%) was obtained without compromising other vital DE properties such as elastic modulus, gel fraction, dielectric and viscous loss and electrical breakdown strength....

  1. Effects of Nintendo Wii Fit Plus training on ankle strength with functional ankle instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ki-Jong; Jun, Hyun-Ju; Heo, Myoung

    2015-11-01

    [Purpose] The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a training program using the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus on the ankle muscle strengths of subjects with functional ankle instability. [Subjects and Methods] This study was conducted using subjects in their 20s who had functional ankle instability. They were randomized to a strengthening training group and a balance training group with 10 subjects in each, and they performed an exercise using Nintendo Wii Fit Plus for 20 minutes. In addition, every participant completed preparation and finishing exercises for 5 minutes, respectively. [Results] The muscle strengths after conducting plantar flexion and dorsiflexion significantly increased at the angular velocities of 60° and 120° in the strengthening training group. Furthermore, the muscle strengths after conducting plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, eversion, and inversion significantly increased at the angular velocities of 60° and 120° in the balance training group. [Conclusion] The balance training group using Nintendo Wii Fit Plus showed better results than the strengthening training group. Consequently, it is recommended to add the balance training program of the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus to conventional exercise programs to improve ankle muscle strength in functional ankle instability at a low cost.

  2. Study of photon strength functions via (γ→, γ', γ″) reactions at the γ3-setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaak, Johann; Savran, Deniz; Beck, Tobias; Gayer, Udo; Krishichayan; Löher, Bastian; Pietralla, Norbert; Scheck, Marcus; Tornow, Werner; Werner, Volker; Zilges, Andreas

    2018-05-01

    One of the basic ingredients for the modelling of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements are so-called photon strength functions and the assumption of the Brink-Axel hypothesis. This hypothesis has been studied for many years by numerous experiments using different and complementary reactions. The present manuscript aims to introduce a model-independent approach to study photon strength functions via γ-γ coincidence spectroscopy of photoexcited states in 128Te. The experimental results provide evidence that the photon strength function extracted from photoabsorption cross sections is not in an overall agreement with the one determined from direct transitions to low-lying excited states.

  3. Associations between aging-related changes in grip strength and cognitive function in older adults: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zammit, Andrea R; Robitaille, Annie; Piccinin, Andrea; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Hofer, Scott M

    2018-03-08

    Grip strength and cognitive function reflect upper body muscle strength and mental capacities. Cross-sectional research has suggested that in old age these two processes are moderately to highly associated, and that an underlying common cause drives this association. Our aim was to synthesize and evaluate longitudinal research addressing whether changes in grip strength are associated with changes in cognitive function in healthy older adults. We systematically reviewed English-language research investigating the longitudinal association between repeated measures of grip strength and of cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults to evaluate the extent to which the two indices decline concurrently. We used four search engines: Embase, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Of 459 unique citations, 6 met our full criteria: 4 studies reported a longitudinal association between rates of change in grip strength and cognitive function in older adults, 2 of which reported the magnitudes of these associations as ranging from low to moderate; 2 studies reported significant cross-sectional but not longitudinal associations among rates of change. All studies concluded that cognitive function and grip strength declined, on average, with increasing age, although with little to no evidence for longitudinal associations among rates of change. Future research is urged to expand the study of physical and cognitive associations in old age using a within-person and multi-study integrative approach to evaluate the reliability of longitudinal results with greater emphasis on the magnitude of this association.

  4. Calculation of Self-consistent Radial Electric Field in Presence of Convective Electron Transport in a Stellarator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kernbichler, W.; Heyn, M.F.; Kasilov, S.V.

    2003-01-01

    Convective transport of supra-thermal electrons can play a significant role in the energy balance of stellarators in case of high power electron cyclotron heating. Here, together with neoclassical thermal particle fluxes also the supra-thermal electron flux should be taken into account in the flux ambipolarity condition, which defines the self-consistent radial electric field. Since neoclassical particle fluxes are non-linear functions of the radial electric field, one needs an iterative procedure to solve the ambipolarity condition, where the supra-thermal electron flux has to be calculated for each iteration. A conventional Monte-Carlo method used earlier for evaluation of supra-thermal electron fluxes is rather slow for performing the iterations in reasonable computer time. In the present report, the Stochastic Mapping Technique (SMT), which is more effective than the conventional Monte Carlo method, is used instead. Here, the problem with a local monoenergetic supra-thermal particle source is considered and the effect of supra-thermal electron fluxes on both, the self-consistent radial electric field and the formation of different roots of the ambipolarity condition are studied

  5. The Gogny-HFB+QRPA dipole strength function and its application to radiative neutron capture cross section

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goriely Stephane

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Valuable theoretical predictions of nuclear dipole excitations in the whole chart are of great interest for different nuclear applications, including in particular nuclear astrophysics. Here we extend our large-scale calculations of the E1 and M1 absorption γ-ray strength function obtained in the framework of the axially-symmetric deformed quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA based on the finite-range D1M Gogny force to the determination of the de-excitation strength function. To do so, shell-model calculations of the de-excitation dipole strength function as well as experimental data are considered to provide insight in the low-energy limit and to complement the QRPA estimate phenomenologically. We compare our final prediction of the E1 and M1 strengths with available experimental data at low energies and show that a relatively good agreement can be obtained. Its impact on the average radiative width as well as radiative neutron capture cross section is discussed.

  6. Effects of hyperthyroidism on hand grip strength and function

    OpenAIRE

    Esra Erkol İnal, MD; Alparslan Bayram Çarlı, MD; Sultan Çanak, MD; Oğuzhan Aksu, MD; Banu Kale Köroğlu, MD; Serpil Savaş

    2015-01-01

    Hyperthyroidism is a pathologic condition in which the body is exposed to excessive amounts of circulating thyroid hormones. Skeletal muscle is one of the major target organs of thyroid hormones. We evaluated hand grip strength and function in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Fifty-one patients newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and 44 healthy controls participated in this study. Age, height, weight, and dominant hand of all participants were recorded. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism w...

  7. Relationships between Isometric Muscle Strength, Gait Parameters, and Gross Motor Function Measure in Patients with Cerebral Palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Hyung Ik; Sung, Ki Hyuk; Chung, Chin Youb; Lee, Kyoung Min; Lee, Seung Yeol; Lee, In Hyeok; Park, Moon Seok

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the correlation between isometric muscle strength, gross motor function, and gait parameters in patients with spastic cerebral palsy and to find which muscle groups play an important role for gait pattern in a flexed knee gait. Twenty-four ambulatory patients (mean age, 10.0 years) with spastic cerebral palsy who were scheduled for single event multilevel surgery, including distal hamstring lengthening, were included. Preoperatively, peak isometric muscle strength was measured for the hip flexor, hip extensor, knee flexor, and knee extensor muscle groups using a handheld dynamometer, and three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis and gross motor function measure (GMFM) scoring were also performed. Correlations between peak isometric strength and GMFM, gait kinematics, and gait kinetics were analyzed. Peak isometric muscle strength of all muscle groups was not related to the GMFM score and the gross motor function classification system level. Peak isometric strength of the hip extensor and knee extensor was significantly correlated with the mean pelvic tilt (r=-0.588, p=0.003 and r=-0.436, p=0.033) and maximum pelvic obliquity (r=-0.450, p=0.031 and r=-0.419, p=0.041). There were significant correlations between peak isometric strength of the knee extensor and peak knee extensor moment in early stance (r=0.467, p=0.021) and in terminal stance (r=0.416, p=0.043). There is no correlation between muscle strength and gross motor function. However, this study showed that muscle strength, especially of the extensor muscle group of the hip and knee joints, might play a critical role in gait by stabilizing pelvic motion and decreasing energy consumption in a flexed knee gait.

  8. Self-consistent study of local and nonlocal magnetoresistance in a YIG/Pt bilayer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xi-guang; Zhou, Zhen-wei; Nie, Yao-zhuang; Xia, Qing-lin; Guo, Guang-hua

    2018-03-01

    We present a self-consistent study of the local spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) and nonlocal magnon-mediated magnetoresistance (MMR) in a heavy-metal/magnetic-insulator heterostructure at finite temperature. We find that the thermal fluctuation of magnetization significantly affects the SMR. It appears unidirectional with respect to the direction of electrical current (or magnetization). The unidirectionality of SMR originates from the asymmetry of creation or annihilation of thermal magnons induced by the spin Hall torque. Also, a self-consistent model can well describe the features of MMR.

  9. Strong morphological and crystallographic texture and resulting yield strength anisotropy in selective laser melted tantalum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thijs, Lore; Montero Sistiaga, Maria Luz; Wauthle, Ruben; Xie, Qingge; Kruth, Jean-Pierre; Van Humbeeck, Jan

    2013-01-01

    Selective laser melting (SLM) makes use of a high energy density laser beam to melt successive layers of metallic powders in order to create functional parts. The energy density of the laser is high enough to melt refractory metals like Ta and produce mechanically sound parts. Furthermore, the localized heat input causes a strong directional cooling and solidification. Epitaxial growth due to partial remelting of the previous layer, competitive growth mechanism and a specific global direction of heat flow during SLM of Ta result in the formation of long columnar grains with a 〈1 1 1〉 preferential crystal orientation along the building direction. The microstructure was visualized using both optical and scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron backscattered diffraction and the global crystallographic texture was measured using X-ray diffraction. The thermal profile around the melt pool was modeled using a pragmatic model for SLM. Furthermore, rotation of the scanning direction between different layers was seen to promote the competitive growth. As a result, the texture strength increased to as large as 4.7 for rotating the scanning direction 90° every layer. By comparison of the yield strength measured by compression tests in different orientations and the averaged Taylor factor calculated using the viscoplastic self-consistent model, it was found that both the morphological and crystallographic texture observed in SLM Ta contribute to yield strength anisotropy

  10. Effects of strength and neuromuscular training on functional performance in athletes after partial medial meniscectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaohui; Hu, Min; Lou, Zhen; Liao, Bagen

    2017-02-01

    The aims of this study were to determine an effective knee function rehabilitation program for athletes undergoing partial medial meniscectomy. Participants were randomly assigned to neuromuscular training (NT) or strength training (ST) group and subjected to functional assessments before surgery and again at 4, and 8 weeks post hoc . Functional knee assessment, such as Lysholm knee scoring, star excursion balance, and BTE PrimusRS isokinetic performance tests were evaluated in each group. All postoperational symptoms were significantly improved after 4 and 8 weeks of NT and ST. Both NT and ST programs showed effective knee function recovery seen as an increase in muscular strength and endurance. However, the NT program showed the most significant functional improvement of dynamic balance and coordination.

  11. A new mixed self-consistent field procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez-Ibarra, A.; Köster, A. M.

    2015-10-01

    A new approach for the calculation of three-centre electronic repulsion integrals (ERIs) is developed, implemented and benchmarked in the framework of auxiliary density functional theory (ADFT). The so-called mixed self-consistent field (mixed SCF) divides the computationally costly ERIs in two sets: far-field and near-field. Far-field ERIs are calculated using the newly developed double asymptotic expansion as in the direct SCF scheme. Near-field ERIs are calculated only once prior to the SCF procedure and stored in memory, as in the conventional SCF scheme. Hence the name, mixed SCF. The implementation is particularly powerful when used in parallel architectures, since all RAM available are used for near-field ERI storage. In addition, the efficient distribution algorithm performs minimal intercommunication operations between processors, avoiding a potential bottleneck. One-, two- and three-dimensional systems are used for benchmarking, showing substantial time reduction in the ERI calculation for all of them. A Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics calculation for the Na+55 cluster is also shown in order to demonstrate the speed-up for small systems achievable with the mixed SCF. Dedicated to Sourav Pal on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

  12. GRACE L1b inversion through a self-consistent modified radial basis function approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Fan; Kusche, Juergen; Rietbroek, Roelof; Eicker, Annette

    2016-04-01

    Implementing a regional geopotential representation such as mascons or, more general, RBFs (radial basis functions) has been widely accepted as an efficient and flexible approach to recover the gravity field from GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), especially at higher latitude region like Greenland. This is since RBFs allow for regionally specific regularizations over areas which have sufficient and dense GRACE observations. Although existing RBF solutions show a better resolution than classical spherical harmonic solutions, the applied regularizations cause spatial leakage which should be carefully dealt with. It has been shown that leakage is a main error source which leads to an evident underestimation of yearly trend of ice-melting over Greenland. Unlike some popular post-processing techniques to mitigate leakage signals, this study, for the first time, attempts to reduce the leakage directly in the GRACE L1b inversion by constructing an innovative modified (MRBF) basis in place of the standard RBFs to retrieve a more realistic temporal gravity signal along the coastline. Our point of departure is that the surface mass loading associated with standard RBF is smooth but disregards physical consistency between continental mass and passive ocean response. In this contribution, based on earlier work by Clarke et al.(2007), a physically self-consistent MRBF representation is constructed from standard RBFs, with the help of the sea level equation: for a given standard RBF basis, the corresponding MRBF basis is first obtained by keeping the surface load over the continent unchanged, but imposing global mass conservation and equilibrium response of the oceans. Then, the updated set of MRBFs as well as standard RBFs are individually employed as the basis function to determine the temporal gravity field from GRACE L1b data. In this way, in the MRBF GRACE solution, the passive (e.g. ice melting and land hydrology response) sea level is automatically

  13. Grip strength in mice with joint inflammation: A rheumatology function test sensitive to pain and analgesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montilla-García, Ángeles; Tejada, Miguel Á; Perazzoli, Gloria; Entrena, José M; Portillo-Salido, Enrique; Fernández-Segura, Eduardo; Cañizares, Francisco J; Cobos, Enrique J

    2017-10-01

    Grip strength deficit is a measure of pain-induced functional disability in rheumatic disease. We tested whether this parameter and tactile allodynia, the standard pain measure in preclinical studies, show parallels in their response to analgesics and basic mechanisms. Mice with periarticular injections of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in the ankles showed periarticular immune infiltration and synovial membrane alterations, together with pronounced grip strength deficits and tactile allodynia measured with von Frey hairs. However, inflammation-induced tactile allodynia lasted longer than grip strength alterations, and therefore did not drive the functional deficits. Oral administration of the opioid drugs oxycodone (1-8 mg/kg) and tramadol (10-80 mg/kg) induced a better recovery of grip strength than acetaminophen (40-320 mg/kg) or the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs ibuprofen (10-80 mg/kg) or celecoxib (40-160 mg/kg); these results are consistent with their analgesic efficacy in humans. Functional impairment was generally a more sensitive indicator of drug-induced analgesia than tactile allodynia, as drug doses that attenuated grip strength deficits showed little or no effect on von Frey thresholds. Finally, ruthenium red (a nonselective TRP antagonist) or the in vivo ablation of TRPV1-expressing neurons with resiniferatoxin abolished tactile allodynia without altering grip strength deficits, indicating that the neurobiology of tactile allodynia and grip strength deficits differ. In conclusion, grip strength deficits are due to a distinct type of pain that reflects an important aspect of the human pain experience, and therefore merits further exploration in preclinical studies to improve the translation of new analgesics from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. Multifractality and quantum diffusion from self-consistent theory of localization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suslov, I. M., E-mail: suslov@kapitza.ras.ru [Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems (Russian Federation)

    2015-11-15

    Multifractal properties of wave functions in a disordered system can be derived from self-consistent theory of localization by Vollhardt and Wölfle. A diagrammatic interpretation of results allows to obtain all scaling relations used in numerical experiments. The arguments are given that the one-loop Wegner result for a space dimension d = 2 + ϵ is exact, so the multifractal spectrum is strictly parabolical. The σ-models are shown to be deficient at the four-loop level and the possible reasons of that are discussed. The extremely slow convergence to the thermodynamic limit is demonstrated. The open question on the relation between multifractality and a spatial dispersion of the diffusion coefficient D(ω, q) is resolved in the compromise manner due to ambiguity of the D(ω, q) definition. Comparison is made with the extensive numerical material.

  15. Neck/shoulder function in tension-type headache patients and the effect of strength training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Bjarne K; Søgaard, Karen; Andersen, Lars L.

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Muscle pain has been associated with reduced maximal muscle strength, and reduced rate of force development (RFD). Strength training (ST) has shown an effect in not only normalizing muscle function but also reducing neck muscle pain. Aim: The aims of this study were to compare muscle...... function in terms of strength, force steadiness in neck flexion, as well as extension, and rate of RFD of the shoulder in tension-type headache (TTH) patients and healthy controls and to examine the correlation to tenderness. Furthermore, the aim of the study was to examine the effect of ST on neck...... steadiness (ST: p=0.011 and EP: pfunction, indicated by a lower force steadiness and RFD, compared to the healthy controls. The effect of ST was not larger than EP as both groups of TTH patients showed some improvement in neck and shoulder...

  16. Measurements of proton strength functions and comparisons with theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, E.; Ozawa, Y.

    1986-01-01

    Using a high-resolution proton beam of the Tokyo Institute of Technology Van de Graaff, precise measurements of elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections have been performed in the past 15 years. By directly observing individual proton resonances, their spins, parities and proton decay widths were deduced. From these experiments we have evaluated (1) proton strength functions in terms of target mass number and of incident proton energy and (2) Coulomb matrix elements for split analogue resonances. (orig.)

  17. Electronic symmetry breaking in polyatomic molecules. Multiconfiguration self-consistent field study of the cyclopropenyl radical C3H3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffmann, M.R.; Laidig, W.D.; Kim, K.S.; Fox, D.J.; Schaefer, H.F. III

    1984-01-01

    For equilateral triangle geometries (point group D/sub 3h/), the C 3 H 3 radical has a degenerate 2 E'' electronic ground state. Although the 2 A 2 and 2 B 1 components separate in energy for C/sub 2v/ geometries, these two components should have identical energies for equilateral triangle structures. In fact, when approximate wave functions are used and the orbitals not required to transform according to the D/sub 3h/ irreducible representations, an energy separation between the 2 A 2 and 2 B 1 components is observed. At the single configuration self-consistent field (SCF) level of theory this separation is 2.8 kcal with a double-zeta basis set and 2.4 kcal with double-zeta plus polarization. It has been demonstrated that this spurious separation may be greatly reduced using multiconfiguration self-consistent field (up to 7474 variationally optimum configurations) and configuration interaction (up to 60 685 space and spin adapted configurations) techniques. Configurations differing by three and four electrons from the Hartree--Fock reference function are found necessary to reduce the 2 A 2 - 2 B 1 separation to below 0.5 kcal

  18. Balance, gait, functionality and strength: comparison between elderly fallers and non-fallers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elaine C. Cebolla

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Accidental falls are a major health problem related to aging and affect one in every three elderly individuals over the age of sixty. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the muscle strength, gait kinematics parameters, and performance in functional tests between elderly subjects with and without a prior history of falls. In addition, the association between the history of falls and the variables that demonstrated differences between groups were tested. METHOD: 62 elderly subjects participated in the study and were allocated to the group with falls history (FG; n=20; 68.0±6.9 years old or the group without falls history (CG; n=42; 65.5±4.1 years old. Maximal strength, gait kinematics parameters, and functional tests were tested. RESULTS: The FG showed lower muscle strength in the knee flexors (51.45±8.6 vs. 62.09±19 Kg, lower average toe clearance during the swing phase (0.04±0.006 vs. 0.043 ± 0.005 m, and lower performance in the "8-foot up-and-go" test (5.3±0.7 vs. 5.8±0.7 s (p<0.05. There were no associations between any variables and falls, but the increased time in the "8-foot up-and-go" test may double the likelihood of a fall occurring. CONCLUSION: Fallers have reduced lower limb strength, gait alterations, the worst performance in the dynamic balance test, and an increased risk of falls.

  19. Systematics of strength function sum rules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calvin W. Johnson

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Sum rules provide useful insights into transition strength functions and are often expressed as expectation values of an operator. In this letter I demonstrate that non-energy-weighted transition sum rules have strong secular dependences on the energy of the initial state. Such non-trivial systematics have consequences: the simplification suggested by the generalized Brink–Axel hypothesis, for example, does not hold for most cases, though it weakly holds in at least some cases for electric dipole transitions. Furthermore, I show the systematics can be understood through spectral distribution theory, calculated via traces of operators and of products of operators. Seen through this lens, violation of the generalized Brink–Axel hypothesis is unsurprising: one expects sum rules to evolve with excitation energy. Furthermore, to lowest order the slope of the secular evolution can be traced to a component of the Hamiltonian being positive (repulsive or negative (attractive.

  20. Self-Consistent Dynamical Model of the Broad Line Region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czerny, Bozena [Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Li, Yan-Rong [Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Sredzinska, Justyna; Hryniewicz, Krzysztof [Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Panda, Swayam [Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Wildy, Conor [Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Karas, Vladimir, E-mail: bcz@cft.edu.pl [Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague (Czech Republic)

    2017-06-22

    We develop a self-consistent description of the Broad Line Region based on the concept of a failed wind powered by radiation pressure acting on a dusty accretion disk atmosphere in Keplerian motion. The material raised high above the disk is illuminated, dust evaporates, and the matter falls back toward the disk. This material is the source of emission lines. The model predicts the inner and outer radius of the region, the cloud dynamics under the dust radiation pressure and, subsequently, the gravitational field of the central black hole, which results in asymmetry between the rise and fall. Knowledge of the dynamics allows us to predict the shapes of the emission lines as functions of the basic parameters of an active nucleus: black hole mass, accretion rate, black hole spin (or accretion efficiency) and the viewing angle with respect to the symmetry axis. Here we show preliminary results based on analytical approximations to the cloud motion.

  1. Self-Consistent Dynamical Model of the Broad Line Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bozena Czerny

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We develop a self-consistent description of the Broad Line Region based on the concept of a failed wind powered by radiation pressure acting on a dusty accretion disk atmosphere in Keplerian motion. The material raised high above the disk is illuminated, dust evaporates, and the matter falls back toward the disk. This material is the source of emission lines. The model predicts the inner and outer radius of the region, the cloud dynamics under the dust radiation pressure and, subsequently, the gravitational field of the central black hole, which results in asymmetry between the rise and fall. Knowledge of the dynamics allows us to predict the shapes of the emission lines as functions of the basic parameters of an active nucleus: black hole mass, accretion rate, black hole spin (or accretion efficiency and the viewing angle with respect to the symmetry axis. Here we show preliminary results based on analytical approximations to the cloud motion.

  2. Quasiparticle self-consistent GW method for the spectral properties of complex materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruneval, Fabien; Gatti, Matteo

    2014-01-01

    The GW approximation to the formally exact many-body perturbation theory has been applied successfully to materials for several decades. Since the practical calculations are extremely cumbersome, the GW self-energy is most commonly evaluated using a first-order perturbative approach: This is the so-called G 0 W 0 scheme. However, the G 0 W 0 approximation depends heavily on the mean-field theory that is employed as a basis for the perturbation theory. Recently, a procedure to reach a kind of self-consistency within the GW framework has been proposed. The quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) approximation retains some positive aspects of a self-consistent approach, but circumvents the intricacies of the complete GW theory, which is inconveniently based on a non-Hermitian and dynamical self-energy. This new scheme allows one to surmount most of the flaws of the usual G 0 W 0 at a moderate calculation cost and at a reasonable implementation burden. In particular, the issues of small band gap semiconductors, of large band gap insulators, and of some transition metal oxides are then cured. The QSGW method broadens the range of materials for which the spectral properties can be predicted with confidence.

  3. Self-consistent chaos in the beam-plasma instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tennyson, J.L.; Meiss, J.D.

    1993-01-01

    The effect of self-consistency on Hamiltonian systems with a large number of degrees-of-freedom is investigated for the beam-plasma instability using the single-wave model of O'Neil, Winfrey, and Malmberg.The single-wave model is reviewed and then rederived within the Hamiltonian context, which leads naturally to canonical action- angle variables. Simulations are performed with a large (10 4 ) number of beam particles interacting with the single wave. It is observed that the system relaxes into a time asymptotic periodic state where only a few collective degrees are active; namely, a clump of trapped particles oscillating in a modulated wave, within a uniform chaotic sea with oscillating phase space boundaries. Thus self-consistency is seen to effectively reduce the number of degrees- of-freedom. A simple low degree-of-freedom model is derived that treats the clump as a single macroparticle, interacting with the wave and chaotic sea. The uniform chaotic sea is modeled by a fluid waterbag, where the waterbag boundaries correspond approximately to invariant tori. This low degree-of-freedom model is seen to compare well with the simulation

  4. Carboxyl functionalization of carbon fibers via aryl diazonium reaction in molten urea to enhance interfacial shear strength

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yuwei [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Meng, Linghui [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Fan, Liquan [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006 (China); Wu, Guangshun; Ma, Lichun; Zhao, Min [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Huang, Yudong, E-mail: ydhuang.hit1@yahoo.com.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

    2016-01-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Carbon fibers are functionalized with benzoic acid groups via aryl diazonium reaction. • Interfacial shear strength of the carbon fibers increases by 66%. • Tensile strength of the carbon fibers is preserved after grafting reaction. • The treatment in molten urea can improve modification efficiency greatly. • Using molten urea as the reaction medium can avoid pollution from organic solvents. - Abstract: Using molten urea as the solvent, carbon fibers were functionalized with carboxylic acid groups via aryl diazonium reaction in 15 min to improve their interfacial bonding with epoxy resin. The surface functionalization was quantified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed that the relative surface coverage of carboxylic acid groups increased from an initial percentage of 3.17–10.41%. Mechanical property test results indicated that the aryl diazonium reaction in this paper could improve the interfacial shear strength by 66%. Meanwhile, the technique did not adopt any pre-oxidation step to produce functional groups prior to grafting and was shown to maintain the tensile strength of the fibers. This methodology provided a rapid, facile and economically viable route to produce covalently functionalized carbon fibers in large quantities with an eco-friendly method.

  5. Carboxyl functionalization of carbon fibers via aryl diazonium reaction in molten urea to enhance interfacial shear strength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yuwei; Meng, Linghui; Fan, Liquan; Wu, Guangshun; Ma, Lichun; Zhao, Min; Huang, Yudong

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Carbon fibers are functionalized with benzoic acid groups via aryl diazonium reaction. • Interfacial shear strength of the carbon fibers increases by 66%. • Tensile strength of the carbon fibers is preserved after grafting reaction. • The treatment in molten urea can improve modification efficiency greatly. • Using molten urea as the reaction medium can avoid pollution from organic solvents. - Abstract: Using molten urea as the solvent, carbon fibers were functionalized with carboxylic acid groups via aryl diazonium reaction in 15 min to improve their interfacial bonding with epoxy resin. The surface functionalization was quantified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed that the relative surface coverage of carboxylic acid groups increased from an initial percentage of 3.17–10.41%. Mechanical property test results indicated that the aryl diazonium reaction in this paper could improve the interfacial shear strength by 66%. Meanwhile, the technique did not adopt any pre-oxidation step to produce functional groups prior to grafting and was shown to maintain the tensile strength of the fibers. This methodology provided a rapid, facile and economically viable route to produce covalently functionalized carbon fibers in large quantities with an eco-friendly method.

  6. Self-consistent theory of hadron-nucleus scattering. Application to pion physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, M.B.

    1980-01-01

    The requirement of using self-consistent amplitudes to evaluate microscopically the scattering of strongly interacting particles from nuclei is developed. Application of the idea to a simple model of pion-nucleus scattering is made. Numerical results indicate that the expansion of the optical potential converges when evaluated in terms of fully self-consistent quantities. A comparison of the results to a recent determination of the spreading interaction in the phenomenological isobar-hole model shows that the theory accounts for the sign and magnitude of the real and imaginary part of the spreading interaction with no adjusted parameters. The self-consistnt theory has a strong density dependence, and the consequences of this for pion-nucleus scattering are discussed. 18 figures, 1 table

  7. High-intensity strength training improves function of chronically painful muscles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Lars L; Andersen, Christoffer H; Skotte, Jørgen H

    2014-01-01

    AIM: This study investigates consequences of chronic neck pain on muscle function and the rehabilitating effects of contrasting interventions. METHODS: Women with trapezius myalgia (MYA, n = 42) and healthy controls (CON, n = 20) participated in a case-control study. Subsequently MYA were...... randomized to 10 weeks of specific strength training (SST, n = 18), general fitness training (GFT, n = 16), or a reference group without physical training (REF, n = 8). Participants performed tests of 100 consecutive cycles of 2 s isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of shoulder elevation followed...... MYA and CON. In the intervention study, SST improved all force parameters significantly more than the two other groups, to levels comparable to that of CON. This was seen along with muscle fiber hypertrophy and increased capillarization. CONCLUSION: Women with trapezius myalgia have lower strength...

  8. Level Densities and Radiative Strength Functions in 56FE and 57FE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tavukcu, Emel [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

    2002-12-10

    Understanding nuclear level densities and radiative strength functions is important for pure and applied nuclear physics. Recently, the Oslo Cyclotron Group has developed an experimental method to extract level densities and radiative strength functions simultaneously from the primary γ rays after a light-ion reaction. A primary γ-ray spectrum represents the γ-decay probability distribution. The Oslo method is based on the Axel-Brink hypothesis, according to which the primary γ-ray spectrum is proportional to the product of the level density at the final energy and the radiative strength function. The level density and the radiative strength function are fit to the experimental primary γ-ray spectra, and then normalized to known data. The method works well for heavy nuclei. The present measurements extend the Oslo method to the lighter mass nuclei 56Fe and 57Fe. The experimental level densities in 56Fe and 57Fe reveal step structure. This step structure is a signature for nucleon pair breaking. The predicted pairing gap parameter is in good agreement with the step corresponding to the first pair breaking. Thermodynamic quantities for 56Fe and 57Fe are derived within the microcanonical and canonical ensembles using the experimental level densities. Energy-temperature relations are considered using caloric curves and probability density functions. The differences between the thermodynamics of small and large systems are emphasized. The experimental heat capacities are compared with the recent theoretical calculations obtained in the Shell Model Monte Carlo method. Radiative strength functions in 56Fe and 57Fe have surprisingly high values at low γ-ray energies. This behavior has not been observed for heavy nuclei, but has been observed in other light- and medium-mass nuclei. The origin of this low γ-ray energy effect remains unknown.

  9. Quadriceps Strength in Patients With Isolated Cartilage Defects of the Knee: Results of Isokinetic Strength Measurements and Their Correlation With Clinical and Functional Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirschmüller, Anja; Andres, Tasja; Schoch, Wolfgang; Baur, Heiner; Konstantinidis, Lukas; Südkamp, Norbert P; Niemeyer, Philipp

    2017-05-01

    Recent studies have found a significant deficit of maximum quadriceps strength after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) of the knee. However, it is unclear whether muscular strength deficits in patients with cartilage damage exist prior to operative treatment. To isokinetically test maximum quadriceps muscle strength and quantify the impact of possible strength deficits on functional and clinical test results. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. To identify clinically relevant muscular strength deficits, 24 patients (5 females, 19 males; mean age, 34.5 years; body mass index, 25.9 kg/m 2 ) with isolated cartilage defects (mean onset, 5.05 years; SD, 7.8 years) in the knee joint underwent isokinetic strength measurements. Maximal quadriceps strength was recorded in 3 different testing modes: pure concentric contraction (flexors and extensors alternating work; con1), concentric-eccentric (only the extensors work concentrically and eccentrically; con2), and eccentric contraction in the alternating mode (ecc). Results were compared for functional performance (single-leg hop test), pain scales (visual analog scale [VAS], numeric rating scale [NRS]), self-reported questionnaires (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC], Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale [KOOS]), and defect size (cm 2 ). Compared with the uninjured leg, significantly lower quadriceps strength was detected in the injured leg in all isokinetic working modes (con1 difference, 27.76 N·m [SD 17.47; P = .003]; con2 difference, 21.45 N·m [SD, 18.45; P =.025]; ecc difference, 29.48 N·m [SD, 21.51; P = .001]), with the largest deficits found for eccentric muscle performance. Moderate negative correlations were observed for the subjective pain scales NRS and VAS. The results of the IKDC and KOOS questionnaires showed low, nonsignificant correlations with findings in the isokinetic measurement. Moreover, defect sizes (mean, 3.13 cm 2 ) were of no importance regarding the

  10. The Relationship of Core Strength and Activation and Performance on Three Functional Movement Screens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Caleb D; Whitehead, Paul N; Pletcher, Erin R; Faherty, Mallory S; Lovalekar, Mita T; Eagle, Shawn R; Keenan, Karen A

    2018-04-01

    Johnson, CD, Whitehead, PN, Pletcher, ER, Faherty, MS, Lovalekar, MT, Eagle, SR, and Keenan, KA. The relationship of core strength and activation and performance on three functional movement screens. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1166-1173, 2018-Current measures of core stability used by clinicians and researchers suffer from several shortcomings. Three functional movement screens appear, at face-value, to be dependent on the ability to activate and control core musculature. These 3 screens may present a viable alternative to current measures of core stability. Thirty-nine subjects completed a deep squat, trunk stability push-up, and rotary stability screen. Scores on the 3 screens were summed to calculate a composite score (COMP). During the screens, muscle activity was collected to determine the length of time that the bilateral erector spinae, rectus abdominis, external oblique, and gluteus medius muscles were active. Strength was assessed for core muscles (trunk flexion and extension, trunk rotation, and hip abduction and adduction) and accessory muscles (knee flexion and extension and pectoralis major). Two ordinal logistic regression equations were calculated with COMP as the outcome variable, and: (a) core strength and accessory strength, (b) only core strength. The first model was significant in predicting COMP (p = 0.004) (Pearson's Chi-Square = 149.132, p = 0.435; Nagelkerke's R-Squared = 0.369). The second model was significant in predicting COMP (p = 0.001) (Pearson's Chi-Square = 148.837, p = 0.488; Nagelkerke's R-Squared = 0.362). The core muscles were found to be active for most screens, with percentages of "time active" for each muscle ranging from 54-86%. In conclusion, performance on the 3 screens is predicted by core strength, even when accounting for "accessory" strength variables. Furthermore, it seems the screens elicit wide-ranging activation of core muscles. Although more investigation is needed, these screens, collectively, seem to be a good

  11. Prediction of the residual strength of clay using functional networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.Z. Khan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Landslides are common natural hazards occurring in most parts of the world and have considerable adverse economic effects. Residual shear strength of clay is one of the most important factors in the determination of stability of slopes or landslides. This effect is more pronounced in sensitive clays which show large changes in shear strength from peak to residual states. This study analyses the prediction of the residual strength of clay based on a new prediction model, functional networks (FN using data available in the literature. The performance of FN was compared with support vector machine (SVM and artificial neural network (ANN based on statistical parameters like correlation coefficient (R, Nash--Sutcliff coefficient of efficiency (E, absolute average error (AAE, maximum average error (MAE and root mean square error (RMSE. Based on R and E parameters, FN is found to be a better prediction tool than ANN for the given data. However, the R and E values for FN are less than SVM. A prediction equation is presented that can be used by practicing geotechnical engineers. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to ascertain the importance of various inputs in the prediction of the output.

  12. Self-consistent atmosphere modeling with cloud formation for low-mass stars and exoplanets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juncher, Diana; Jørgensen, Uffe G.; Helling, Christiane

    2017-12-01

    Context. Low-mass stars and extrasolar planets have ultra-cool atmospheres where a rich chemistry occurs and clouds form. The increasing amount of spectroscopic observations for extrasolar planets requires self-consistent model atmosphere simulations to consistently include the formation processes that determine cloud formation and their feedback onto the atmosphere. Aims: Our aim is to complement the MARCS model atmosphere suit with simulations applicable to low-mass stars and exoplanets in preparation of E-ELT, JWST, PLATO and other upcoming facilities. Methods: The MARCS code calculates stellar atmosphere models, providing self-consistent solutions of the radiative transfer and the atmospheric structure and chemistry. We combine MARCS with a kinetic model that describes cloud formation in ultra-cool atmospheres (seed formation, growth/evaporation, gravitational settling, convective mixing, element depletion). Results: We present a small grid of self-consistently calculated atmosphere models for Teff = 2000-3000 K with solar initial abundances and log (g) = 4.5. Cloud formation in stellar and sub-stellar atmospheres appears for Teff day-night energy transport and no temperature inversion.

  13. Self-Consistent Model of Magnetospheric Electric Field, Ring Current, Plasmasphere, and Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: Initial Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamayunov, K. V.; Khazanov, G. V.; Liemohn, M. W.; Fok, M.-C.; Ridley, A. J.

    2009-01-01

    Further development of our self-consistent model of interacting ring current (RC) ions and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves is presented. This model incorporates large scale magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and treats self-consistently not only EMIC waves and RC ions, but also the magnetospheric electric field, RC, and plasmasphere. Initial simulations indicate that the region beyond geostationary orbit should be included in the simulation of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Additionally, a self-consistent description, based on first principles, of the ionospheric conductance is required. These initial simulations further show that in order to model the EMIC wave distribution and wave spectral properties accurately, the plasmasphere should also be simulated self-consistently, since its fine structure requires as much care as that of the RC. Finally, an effect of the finite time needed to reestablish a new potential pattern throughout the ionosphere and to communicate between the ionosphere and the equatorial magnetosphere cannot be ignored.

  14. Relationship between isometric thigh muscle strength and minimum clinically important differences in knee function in osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhdorfer, Anja; Wirth, Wolfgang; Eckstein, Felix

    2015-04-01

    To determine the relationship between thigh muscle strength and clinically relevant differences in self-assessed lower leg function. Isometric knee extensor and flexor strength of 4,553 Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (2,651 women and 1,902 men) was related to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function scores by linear regression. Further, groups of male and female participant strata with minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) in WOMAC function scores (6 of 68 units) were compared across the full range of observed values and to participants without functional deficits (WOMAC score 0). The effect of WOMAC knee pain and body mass index on the above relationships was explored using stepwise regression. Per regression equations, a 3.7% reduction in extensor strength and a 4.0% reduction in flexor strength were associated with an MCID in WOMAC function in women, and, respectively, a 3.6% and 4.8% reduction in men. For strength divided by body weight, reductions were 5.2% and 6.7%, respectively, in women and 5.8% and 6.7%, respectively, in men. Comparing MCID strata across the full observed range of WOMAC function confirmed the above estimates and did not suggest nonlinear relationships across the spectrum of observed values. WOMAC pain correlated strongly with WOMAC function, but extensor (and flexor) muscle strength contributed significant independent information. Reductions of approximately 4% in isometric muscle strength and of 6% in strength per body weight were related to a clinically relevant difference in WOMAC functional disability. Longitudinal studies will need to confirm these relationships within persons. Muscle extensor (and flexor) strength (per body weight) provided significant independent information in addition to pain in explaining variability in lower leg function. Copyright © 2015 by the American College of Rheumatology.

  15. Effects of functional training on pain, leg strength, and balance in women with fibromyalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latorre Román, Pedro Ángel; Santos E Campos, María Aparecida; García-Pinillos, Felipe

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of 18-week functional training (FT) program consisting in two sessions a week of in-water exercise and one of on-land exercise on pain, strength, and balance in women with fibromyalgia. A sample consisting of 36 fibromyalgia patients was included in the study. The patients were allocated randomly into the experimental group (EG, n = 20), and control group (CG, n = 16). Standardized field-based fitness tests were used to assess muscle strength (30-s chair stand and handgrip strength) and agility/dynamic balance and static balance. Fibromyalgia impact and pain were analyzed by Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), tender points (TPs), visual analog scale (VAS). We observed a significant reduction in the FIQ (p = 0.042), the algometer scale of TP (p = 0.008), TP (p < 0.001), and VAS (p < 0.001) in the EG. The EG shows better results in leg strength (p < 0.001), handgrip strength (p = 0.025), agility/dynamic balance (p = 0.032) and balance (p = 0.006). An 18-week intervention consisting in two sessions of in-water exercise and one session of on-land exercise of FT reduces pain and improves functional capacity in FM patients. These results suggested that FT could play an important role in maintaining an independent lifestyle in patients with FM.

  16. Macroscopic self-consistent model for external-reflection near-field microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berntsen, S.; Bozhevolnaya, E.; Bozhevolnyi, S.

    1993-01-01

    The self-consistent macroscopic approach based on the Maxwell equations in two-dimensional geometry is developed to describe tip-surface interaction in external-reflection near-field microscopy. The problem is reduced to a single one-dimensional integral equation in terms of the Fourier components of the field at the plane of the sample surface. This equation is extended to take into account a pointlike scatterer placed on the sample surface. The power of light propagating toward the detector as the fiber mode is expressed by using the self-consistent field at the tip surface. Numerical results for trapezium-shaped tips are presented. The authors show that the sharper tip and the more confined fiber mode result in better resolution of the near-field microscope. Moreover, it is found that the tip-surface distance should not be too small so that better resolution is ensured. 14 refs., 10 figs

  17. Renormalization of self-consistent approximation schemes at finite temperature. II. Applications to the sunset diagram

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hees, Hendrik van; Knoll, Joern

    2002-01-01

    The theoretical concepts for the renormalization of self-consistent Dyson resummations, devised in the first paper of this series, are applied to first example cases of φ 4 theory. In addition to the tadpole (Hartree) approximation, as a novel part the numerical solutions are presented, which include the sunset self-energy diagram into the self-consistent scheme based on the Φ-derivable approximation or the two-particle irreducible effective action concept

  18. Renormalization of self-consistent approximation schemes at finite temperature II: applications to the sunset diagram

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hees, H. van; Knoll, J.

    2001-01-01

    The theoretical concepts for the renormalization of self-consistent Dyson resummations, deviced in the first paper of this series, are applied to first example cases for the φ 4 -theory. Besides the tadpole (Hartree) approximation as a novel part the numerical solutions are presented which includes the sunset self-energy diagram into the self-consistent scheme based on the Φ-derivable approximation or 2PI effective action concept. (orig.)

  19. Self-consistent electronic structure of disordered Fe/sub 0.65/Ni/sub 0.35/

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D.D.; Pinski, F.J.; Stocks, G.M.

    1985-01-01

    We present the results of the first ab initio calculation of the electronic structure of the disordered alloy Fe/sub 0.65/Ni/sub 0.35/. The calculation is based on the multiple-scattering coherent-potential approach (KKR-CPA) and is fully self-consistent and spin polarized. Magnetic effects are included within local-spin-density functional theory using the exchange-correlation function of Vosko--Wilk--Nusair. The most striking feature of the calculation is that electrons of different spins experience different degrees of disorder. The minority spin electrons see a very large disorder, whereas the majority spin electrons see little disorder. Consequently, the minority spin density of states is smooth compared to the very structured majority spin density of states. This difference is due to a subtle balance between exchange splitting and charge neutrality

  20. Coincidence: Fortran code for calculation of (e, e'x) differential cross-sections, nuclear structure functions and polarization asymmetry in self-consistent random phase approximation with Skyrme interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavinato, M.; Marangoni, M.; Saruis, A.M.

    1990-10-01

    This report describes the COINCIDENCE code written for the IBM 3090/300E computer in Fortran 77 language. The output data of this code are the (e, e'x) threefold differential cross-sections, the nuclear structure functions, the polarization asymmetry and the angular correlation coefficients. In the real photon limit, the output data are the angular distributions for plane polarized incident photons. The code reads from tape the transition matrix elements previously calculated, by in continuum self-consistent RPA (random phase approximation) theory with Skyrme interactions. This code has been used to perform a numerical analysis of coincidence (e, e'x) reactions with polarized electrons on the /sup 16/O nucleous.

  1. SOCIAL COMPARISON, SELF-CONSISTENCY AND THE PRESENTATION OF SELF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MORSE, STANLEY J.; GERGEN, KENNETH J.

    TO DISCOVER HOW A PERSON'S (P) SELF-CONCEPT IS AFFECTED BY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANOTHER (O) WHO SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THE SAME SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, SEVERAL QUESTIONNAIRES, INCLUDING THE GERGEN-MORSE (1967) SELF-CONSISTENCY SCALE AND HALF THE COOPERSMITH SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY, WERE ADMINISTERED TO 78 UNDERGRADUATE MEN WHO HAD ANSWERED AN AD FOR WORK…

  2. Shoulder Strength Requirements for Upper Limb Functional Tasks: Do Age and Rotator Cuff Tear Status Matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santago, Anthony C; Vidt, Meghan E; Li, Xiaotong; Tuohy, Christopher J; Poehling, Gary G; Freehill, Michael T; Saul, Katherine R

    2017-12-01

    Understanding upper limb strength requirements for daily tasks is imperative for early detection of strength loss that may progress to disability due to age or rotator cuff tear. We quantified shoulder strength requirements for 5 upper limb tasks performed by 3 groups: uninjured young adults and older adults, and older adults with a degenerative supraspinatus tear prior to repair. Musculoskeletal models were developed for each group representing age, sex, and tear-related strength losses. Percentage of available strength used was quantified for the subset of tasks requiring the largest amount of shoulder strength. Significant differences in strength requirements existed across tasks: upward reach 105° required the largest average strength; axilla wash required the largest peak strength. However, there were limited differences across participant groups. Older adults with and without a tear used a larger percentage of their shoulder elevation (p functional tasks to effectively detect early strength loss, which may lead to disability.

  3. Pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function in women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinara Sacomori

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction : Pelvic floor (PF muscles react to sexual stimuli with increased local blood circulation and involuntary contractions during orgasm. The training of the PF musculature helps in the improvement of the female sexual function. Objective : To verify the association between PF muscle strength and sexual function in women, controlling age and parity. Method : Cross-sectional study based on associations. The study included women who attended a reference center in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, for a uterine cancer smear test. The Functional Evaluation of the Pelvic Floor and the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire were used. Statistical procedures included Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman correlation and Poisson Regression Analysis, with p < .05. Results : The mean age of the women (n = 177 was 39.05 years (SD = 13.3. Regarding PF function, 53.7% of participants presented weak or not palpable PF muscle function. Women with "good" muscle function (able to maintain contraction under examiner's resistance had significantly better indexes of sexual desire, excitement, lubrication and orgasm than women with weak/poor function. We identified that 52.5% of the women presented sexual dysfunction. Women with "poor" PF function and aged over 50 years had, respectively, 1.36 (CI95% 1.01 - 1.82 and 1.77 (CI95% 1.41 - 2.23 higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction than women with "good" PF function. Conclusions : Adult women with better PF muscle function also presented better sexual function.

  4. Isoscalar and isovector giant resonances in a self-consistent phonon coupling approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lyutorovich, N.; Tselyaev, V. [Physical Faculty, St. Petersburg State University, RU-198504 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Speth, J., E-mail: J.Speth@fz-juelich.de [Institut für Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Krewald, S.; Grümmer, F. [Institut für Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Reinhard, P.-G. [Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91058 Erlangen (Germany)

    2015-10-07

    We present fully self-consistent calculations of isoscalar giant monopole and quadrupole as well as isovector giant dipole resonances in heavy and light nuclei. The description is based on Skyrme energy-density functionals determining the static Hartree–Fock ground state and the excitation spectra within random-phase approximation (RPA) and RPA extended by including the quasiparticle-phonon coupling at the level of the time-blocking approximation (TBA). All matrix elements were derived consistently from the given energy-density functional and calculated without any approximation. As a new feature in these calculations, the single-particle continuum was included thus avoiding the artificial discretization usually implied in RPA and TBA. The step to include phonon coupling in TBA leads to small, but systematic, down shifts of the centroid energies of the giant resonances. These shifts are similar in size for all Skyrme parametrizations investigated here. After all, we demonstrate that one can find Skyrme parametrizations which deliver a good simultaneous reproduction of all three giant resonances within TBA.

  5. Self-consistent modeling of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girard, A.; Hitz, D.; Melin, G.; Serebrennikov, K.; Lecot, C.

    2004-01-01

    In order to predict the performances of electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS), it is necessary to perfectly model the different parts of these sources: (i) magnetic configuration; (ii) plasma characteristics; (iii) extraction system. The magnetic configuration is easily calculated via commercial codes; different codes also simulate the ion extraction, either in two dimension, or even in three dimension (to take into account the shape of the plasma at the extraction influenced by the hexapole). However the characteristics of the plasma are not always mastered. This article describes the self-consistent modeling of ECRIS: we have developed a code which takes into account the most important construction parameters: the size of the plasma (length, diameter), the mirror ratio and axial magnetic profile, whether a biased probe is installed or not. These input parameters are used to feed a self-consistent code, which calculates the characteristics of the plasma: electron density and energy, charge state distribution, plasma potential. The code is briefly described, and some of its most interesting results are presented. Comparisons are made between the calculations and the results obtained experimentally

  6. Self-consistent modeling of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, A.; Hitz, D.; Melin, G.; Serebrennikov, K.; Lécot, C.

    2004-05-01

    In order to predict the performances of electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS), it is necessary to perfectly model the different parts of these sources: (i) magnetic configuration; (ii) plasma characteristics; (iii) extraction system. The magnetic configuration is easily calculated via commercial codes; different codes also simulate the ion extraction, either in two dimension, or even in three dimension (to take into account the shape of the plasma at the extraction influenced by the hexapole). However the characteristics of the plasma are not always mastered. This article describes the self-consistent modeling of ECRIS: we have developed a code which takes into account the most important construction parameters: the size of the plasma (length, diameter), the mirror ratio and axial magnetic profile, whether a biased probe is installed or not. These input parameters are used to feed a self-consistent code, which calculates the characteristics of the plasma: electron density and energy, charge state distribution, plasma potential. The code is briefly described, and some of its most interesting results are presented. Comparisons are made between the calculations and the results obtained experimentally.

  7. Tuning the electronic properties of gated multilayer phosphorene: A self-consistent tight-binding study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, L. L.; Partoens, B.; Peeters, F. M.

    2018-04-01

    By taking account of the electric-field-induced charge screening, a self-consistent calculation within the framework of the tight-binding approach is employed to obtain the electronic band structure of gated multilayer phosphorene and the charge densities on the different phosphorene layers. We find charge density and screening anomalies in single-gated multilayer phosphorene and electron-hole bilayers in dual-gated multilayer phosphorene. Due to the unique puckered lattice structure, both intralayer and interlayer charge screenings are important in gated multilayer phosphorene. We find that the electric-field tuning of the band structure of multilayer phosphorene is distinctively different in the presence and absence of charge screening. For instance, it is shown that the unscreened band gap of multilayer phosphorene decreases dramatically with increasing electric-field strength. However, in the presence of charge screening, the magnitude of this band-gap decrease is significantly reduced and the reduction depends strongly on the number of phosphorene layers. Our theoretical results of the band-gap tuning are compared with recent experiments and good agreement is found.

  8. Renormalization of self-consistent Schwinger-Dyson equations at finite temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hees, H. van; Knoll, J.

    2002-01-01

    We show that Dyson resummation schemes based on Baym's Φ-derivable approximations can be renormalized with counter term structures solely defined on the vacuum level. First applications to the self-consistent solution of the sunset self-energy in φ 4 -theory are presented. (orig.)

  9. Study of photon strength functions via (γ→, γ′, γ″ reactions at the γ3-setup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isaak Johann

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the basic ingredients for the modelling of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements are so-called photon strength functions and the assumption of the Brink-Axel hypothesis. This hypothesis has been studied for many years by numerous experiments using different and complementary reactions. The present manuscript aims to introduce a model-independent approach to study photon strength functions via γ-γ coincidence spectroscopy of photoexcited states in 128Te. The experimental results provide evidence that the photon strength function extracted from photoabsorption cross sections is not in an overall agreement with the one determined from direct transitions to low-lying excited states.

  10. Effects of smartphone overuse on hand function, pinch strength, and the median nerve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    İnal, Esra Erkol; Demİrcİ, kadİr; Çetİntürk, Azİze; Akgönül, Mehmet; Savaş, Serpİl

    2015-08-01

    In this study we investigated the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon and median nerve in smartphone users by ultrasonography to assess the effects of smartphone addiction on the clinical and functional status of the hands. One hundred two students were divided into 3 groups: non-users, and high or low smartphone users. Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) scores and grip and pinch strengths were recorded. Pain in thumb movement and rest and hand function were evaluated on the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Duruöz Hand Index (DHI), respectively. The cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of the median nerve and the FPL tendon were calculated bilaterally using ultrasonography. Significantly higher median nerve CSAs were observed in the dominant hands of the high smartphone users than in the non-dominant hands (PSmartphone overuse enlarges the median nerve, causes pain in the thumb, and decreases pinch strength and hand functions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Wavelets in self-consistent electronic structure calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, S.; Chou, M.Y.

    1996-01-01

    We report the first implementation of orthonormal wavelet bases in self-consistent electronic structure calculations within the local-density approximation. These local bases of different scales efficiently describe localized orbitals of interest. As an example, we studied two molecules, H 2 and O 2 , using pseudopotentials and supercells. Considerably fewer bases are needed compared with conventional plane-wave approaches, yet calculated binding properties are similar. Our implementation employs fast wavelet and Fourier transforms, avoiding evaluating any three-dimensional integral numerically. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  12. The relationship between vickers microhardness and compressive strength of functional surface geopolymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subaer, Ekaputri, Januari Jaya; Fansuri, Hamzah; Abdullah, Mustafa Al Bakri

    2017-09-01

    An experimental study to investigate the relationship between Vickers microhardness and compressive strength of geopolymers made from metakaolin has been conducted. Samples were prepared by using metakaolin activated with a sodium silicate solution at a different ratio of Si to Al and Na to Al and cured at 70oC for one hour. The resulting geopolymers were stored in an open air for 28 days before conducting any measurement. Bulk density and apparent porosity of the samples were measured by using Archimedes's method. Vickers microhardness measurements were performed on a polished surface of geopolymers with a load ranging from 0.3 - 1.0 kg. The topographic of indented samples were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compressive strength of the resulting geopolymers was measured on the cylindrical samples with a ratio of height to the diameter was 2:1. The results showed that the molar ratios of geopolymers compositions play important roles in the magnitude of bulk density, porosity, Vickers's microhardness as well as the compressive strength. The porosity reduced exponentially the magnitude of the strength of geopolymers. It was found that the relationship between Vickers microhardness and compressive strength was linear. At the request of all authors and with the approval of the proceedings editor, article 020188 titled, "The relationship between vickers microhardness and compressive strength of functional surface geopolymers," is being retracted from the public record due to the fact that it is a duplication of article 020170 published in the same volume.

  13. Electronic structure of thin films by the self-consistent numerical-basis-set linear combination of atomic orbitals method: Ni(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.S.; Freeman, A.J.

    1979-01-01

    We present the self-consistent numerical-basis-set linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) discrete variational method for treating the electronic structure of thin films. As in the case of bulk solids, this method provides for thin films accurate solutions of the one-particle local density equations with a non-muffin-tin potential. Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements are evaluated accurately by means of a three-dimensional numerical Diophantine integration scheme. Application of this method is made to the self-consistent solution of one-, three-, and five-layer Ni(001) unsupported films. The LCAO Bloch basis set consists of valence orbitals (3d, 4s, and 4p states for transition metals) orthogonalized to the frozen-core wave functions. The self-consistent potential is obtained iteratively within the superposition of overlapping spherical atomic charge density model with the atomic configurations treated as adjustable parameters. Thus the crystal Coulomb potential is constructed as a superposition of overlapping spherically symmetric atomic potentials and, correspondingly, the local density Kohn-Sham (α = 2/3) potential is determined from a superposition of atomic charge densities. At each iteration in the self-consistency procedure, the crystal charge density is evaluated using a sampling of 15 independent k points in (1/8)th of the irreducible two-dimensional Brillouin zone. The total density of states (DOS) and projected local DOS (by layer plane) are calculated using an analytic linear energy triangle method (presented as an Appendix) generalized from the tetrahedron scheme for bulk systems. Distinct differences are obtained between the surface and central plane local DOS. The central plane DOS is found to converge rapidly to the DOS of bulk paramagnetic Ni obtained by Wang and Callaway. Only a very small surplus charge (0.03 electron/atom) is found on the surface planes, in agreement with jellium model calculations

  14. Assessment of a sixteen-week training program on strength, pain, and function in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flint-Wagner, Hilary G; Lisse, Jeffrey; Lohman, Timothy G; Going, Scott B; Guido, Terri; Cussler, Ellen; Gates, Donald; Yocum, David E

    2009-06-01

    To assess the effects of a 16-week progressive, individualized, high-intensity strength training program on muscle strength, pain, and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Twenty-four RA patients (men, n = 5; women, n = 19) receiving infliximab participated in a randomized controlled trial. The strength training (ST) group (n = 16) participated in a supervised program 3 times per week, and the control (C) group (n = 8) continued with standard of care as overseen by their rheumatologist. Assessments were completed at baseline and at weeks 8 and 16. Strength was measured by 3 repetition maximum (3RM), isometric hand dynamometer, and isokinetic dynamometer. A 100-mm visual analogue scale was used to assess pain. Functional performance was derived from a timed 50-foot walk and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index. The mean percent increase in strength (3RM) for the ST group from baseline to week 16 was 46.1% +/- 31.6% (P < 0.01) (mean of all three 3RM exercises: hammer curl, leg press, and incline dumbbell press), with mean gains in strength up to 4 times that of baseline values reported in all strength training exercises (upper and lower body) performed during exercise sessions. On average, right-hand grip strength increased by 2.9 +/- 4.0 kg in the ST group, in comparison with a loss of 1.2 +/- 3.0 kg in the C group over 16 weeks. The ST group had a 53% reduction in pain, in comparison with almost no change in the C group. The ST group had a significant improvement in 50-foot walk time, with a mean reduction of -1.2 +/- 1.6 seconds, in comparison with the C group (mean increase of 0.8 +/- 1.0 seconds; P = 0.01) over the 16 weeks. There was a clinically important difference (predefined as mean change +/-0.25) in the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index in the ST group (-0.4 +/- 0.4) but not in the C group (-0.1 +/- 0.4). High-intensity strength training in RA patients with varying levels of disease activity and joint damage

  15. Relationship between lung function and grip strength in older hospitalized patients: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holmes SJ

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Sarah J Holmes,1 Stephen C Allen,2,3 Helen C Roberts4,5 1Medicine and Elderly Care, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Winchester, 2Medicine and Geriatrics, The Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bournemouth, 3Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education, Bournemouth University, Poole, 4Academic Geriatric Medicine, University of Southampton, 5University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK Objective: Older people with reduced respiratory muscle strength may be misclassified as having COPD on the basis of spirometric results. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between lung function and grip strength in older hospitalized patients without known airways disease.Methods: Patients in acute medical wards were recruited who were aged ≥70 years; no history, symptoms, or signs of respiratory disease; Mini Mental State Examination ≥24; willing and able to consent to participate; and able to perform hand grip and forced spirometry. Data including lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR], and slow vital capacity [SVC], grip strength, age, weight, and height were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression unadjusted and adjusted (for age, height, and weight.Results: A total of 50 patients (20 men were recruited. Stronger grip strength in men was significantly associated with greater FEV1, but this was attenuated by adjustment for age, height, and weight. Significant positive associations were found in women between grip strength and both PEFR and SVC, both of which remained robust to adjustment.Conclusion: The association between grip strength and PEFR and SVC may reflect stronger patients generating higher intrathoracic pressure at the start of spirometry and pushing harder against thoracic cage recoil at end-expiration. Conversely, patients with

  16. A new self-consistent model for thermodynamics of binary solutions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Svoboda, Jiří; Shan, Y. V.; Fischer, F. D.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 108, NOV (2015), s. 27-30 ISSN 1359-6462 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-24252S Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Thermodynamics * Analytical methods * CALPHAD * Phase diagram * Self-consistent model Subject RIV: BJ - Thermodynamics Impact factor: 3.305, year: 2015

  17. Maximally localized Wannier functions in LaMnO3 within PBE + U, hybrid functionals and partially self-consistent GW: an efficient route to construct ab initio tight-binding parameters for eg perovskites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franchini, C; Kováčik, R; Marsman, M; Murthy, S Sathyanarayana; He, J; Ederer, C; Kresse, G

    2012-06-13

    Using the newly developed VASP2WANNIER90 interface we have constructed maximally localized Wannier functions (MLWFs) for the e(g) states of the prototypical Jahn-Teller magnetic perovskite LaMnO(3) at different levels of approximation for the exchange-correlation kernel. These include conventional density functional theory (DFT) with and without the additional on-site Hubbard U term, hybrid DFT and partially self-consistent GW. By suitably mapping the MLWFs onto an effective e(g) tight-binding (TB) Hamiltonian we have computed a complete set of TB parameters which should serve as guidance for more elaborate treatments of correlation effects in effective Hamiltonian-based approaches. The method-dependent changes of the calculated TB parameters and their interplay with the electron-electron (el-el) interaction term are discussed and interpreted. We discuss two alternative model parameterizations: one in which the effects of the el-el interaction are implicitly incorporated in the otherwise 'noninteracting' TB parameters and a second where we include an explicit mean-field el-el interaction term in the TB Hamiltonian. Both models yield a set of tabulated TB parameters which provide the band dispersion in excellent agreement with the underlying ab initio and MLWF bands.

  18. Strength and voluntary activation in relation to functioning in patients with osteoarthritis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dr. D.M. van Leeuwen

    2013-01-01

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by pain, and problems with activities of daily life, especially if the hip or knee joint is affected. The aim of this project was to study associations between strength, voluntary activation and physical functioning in elderly patients with OA. People with OA of

  19. Link between self-consistent pressure profiles and electron internal transport barriers in tokamaks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Razumova, K A [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Andreev, V F [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Donne, A J H [FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Association EURATOM-FOM, partner in the Trilateral Euregio Cluster, PO Box 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Hogeweij, G M D [FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Association EURATOM-FOM, partner in the Trilateral Euregio Cluster, PO Box 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Lysenko, S E [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Shelukhin, D A [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Spakman, G W [FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Association EURATOM-FOM, partner in the Trilateral Euregio Cluster, PO Box 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Vershkov, V A [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Zhuravlev, V A [Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC ' Kurchatov Institute' , 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2006-09-15

    Tokamak plasmas have a tendency to self-organization: the plasma pressure profiles obtained in different operational regimes and even in various tokamaks may be represented by a single typical curve, called the self-consistent pressure profile. About a decade ago local zones with enhanced confinement were discovered in tokamak plasmas. These zones are referred to as internal transport barriers (ITBs) and they can act on the electron and/or ion fluid. Here the pressure gradients can largely exceed the gradients dictated by profile consistency. So the existence of ITBs seems to be in contradiction with the self-consistent pressure profiles (this is also often referred to as profile resilience or profile stiffness). In this paper we will discuss the interplay between profile consistency and ITBs. A summary of the cumulative information obtained from T-10, RTP and TEXTOR is given, and a coherent explanation of the main features of the observed phenomena is suggested. Both phenomena, the self-consistent profile and ITB, are connected with the density of rational magnetic surfaces, where the turbulent cells are situated. The distance between these cells determines the level of their interaction, and therefore the level of the turbulent transport. This process regulates the plasma pressure profile. If the distance is wide, the turbulent flux may be diminished and the ITB may be formed. In regions with rarefied surfaces the steeper pressure gradients are possible without instantaneously inducing pressure driven instabilities, which force the profiles back to their self-consistent shapes. Also it can be expected that the ITB region is wider for lower dq/d{rho} (more rarefied surfaces)

  20. Applicability of self-consistent mean-field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Lu; Sakata, Fumihiko; Zhao Enguang

    2005-01-01

    Within the constrained Hartree-Fock (CHF) theory, an analytic condition is derived to estimate whether a concept of the self-consistent mean field is realized in the level repulsive region. The derived condition states that an iterative calculation of the CHF equation does not converge when the quantum fluctuations coming from two-body residual interaction and quadrupole deformation become larger than a single-particle energy difference between two avoided crossing orbits. By means of numerical calculation, it is shown that the analytic condition works well for a realistic case

  1. Self-consistent potential variations in magnetic wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kesner, J.; Knorr, G.; Nicholson, D.R.

    1981-01-01

    Self-consistent electrostatic potential variations are considered in a spatial region of weak magnetic field, as in the proposed tandem mirror thermal barriers (with no trapped ions). For some conditions, equivalent to ion distributions with a sufficiently high net drift speed along the magnetic field, the desired potential depressions are found. When the net drift speed is not high enough, potential depressions are found only in combination with strong electric fields on the boundaries of the system. These potential depressions are not directly related to the magnetic field depression. (author)

  2. Sink strengths of dislocations taking into account bulk recombination effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbach, E.

    1988-01-01

    The applicability of the rate theory to describe radiation damage processes is closely associated with the calculation of the various sink strengths. In this connection the effect of bulk recombination is usually neglected, because of the complexity of the problem. For this reason we present in this paper, for the first time, by means of the rigorous elastic-field model of a dislocation embedded in a lossy continuum, analytic expressions for the diffusion flux of irradiation-induced point defects into a dislocation, taking into account the elastic interaction, additional sinks and higher order bulk recombination effects. The resulting self-consistent formulae for the dislocation sink strengths clearly demonstrate the importance of the bulk recombination for the micro-structures of irradiated materials. In conjunction with the Harwell computer code VS5 it became clear that this new dislocation bias also leads to a change in the macrostructural observables. The order of magnitude of this effect emphasizes that neglecting bulk recombination as a general principle is not justified

  3. Self-consistent technique for estimating the dynamic yield strength of a shock-loaded material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asay, J.R.; Lipkin, J.

    1978-01-01

    A technique is described for estimating the dynamic yield stress in a shocked material. This method employs reloading and unloading data from a shocked state along with a general assumption of yield and hardening behavior to estimate the yield stress in the precompressed state. No other data are necessary for this evaluation, and, therefore, the method has general applicability at high shock pressures and in materials undergoing phase transitions. In some special cases, it is also possible to estimate the complete state of stress in a shocked state. Using this method, the dynamic yield strength of aluminum at 2.06 GPa has been estimated to be 0.26 GPa. This value agrees reasonably well with previous estimates

  4. Self-consistent field theory based molecular dynamics with linear system-size scaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richters, Dorothee [Institute of Mathematics and Center for Computational Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudinger Weg 9, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Kühne, Thomas D., E-mail: kuehne@uni-mainz.de [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Computational Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudinger Weg 7, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Paderborn, Warburger Str. 100, D-33098 Paderborn (Germany)

    2014-04-07

    We present an improved field-theoretic approach to the grand-canonical potential suitable for linear scaling molecular dynamics simulations using forces from self-consistent electronic structure calculations. It is based on an exact decomposition of the grand canonical potential for independent fermions and does neither rely on the ability to localize the orbitals nor that the Hamilton operator is well-conditioned. Hence, this scheme enables highly accurate all-electron linear scaling calculations even for metallic systems. The inherent energy drift of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations, arising from an incomplete convergence of the self-consistent field cycle, is circumvented by means of a properly modified Langevin equation. The predictive power of the present approach is illustrated using the example of liquid methane under extreme conditions.

  5. Current Density Functional Theory Using Meta-Generalized Gradient Exchange-Correlation Functionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furness, James W; Verbeke, Joachim; Tellgren, Erik I; Stopkowicz, Stella; Ekström, Ulf; Helgaker, Trygve; Teale, Andrew M

    2015-09-08

    We present the self-consistent implementation of current-dependent (hybrid) meta-generalized gradient approximation (mGGA) density functionals using London atomic orbitals. A previously proposed generalized kinetic energy density is utilized to implement mGGAs in the framework of Kohn-Sham current density functional theory (KS-CDFT). A unique feature of the nonperturbative implementation of these functionals is the ability to seamlessly explore a wide range of magnetic fields up to 1 au (∼235 kT) in strength. CDFT functionals based on the TPSS and B98 forms are investigated, and their performance is assessed by comparison with accurate coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples (CCSD(T)) data. In the weak field regime, magnetic properties such as magnetizabilities and nuclear magnetic resonance shielding constants show modest but systematic improvements over generalized gradient approximations (GGA). However, in the strong field regime, the mGGA-based forms lead to a significantly improved description of the recently proposed perpendicular paramagnetic bonding mechanism, comparing well with CCSD(T) data. In contrast to functionals based on the vorticity, these forms are found to be numerically stable, and their accuracy at high field suggests that the extension of mGGAs to CDFT via the generalized kinetic energy density should provide a useful starting point for further development of CDFT approximations.

  6. Extraction of level density and γ strength function from primary γ spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiller, A.; Bergholt, L.; Guttormsen, M.; Melby, E.; Rekstad, J.; Siem, S.

    2000-01-01

    We present a new iterative procedure to extract the level density and the γ strength function from primary γ spectra for energies close up to the neutron binding energy. The procedure is tested on simulated spectra and on data from the 173 Yb( 3 He,α) 172 Yb reaction

  7. Poor muscle strength and function in physically inactive childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus despite very mild disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Jéssica Pinto

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To compare muscle strength (i.e. lower- and upper-body strength and function between physically inactive childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients (C-SLE and healthy controls (CTRL. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and the sample consisted of 19 C-SLE (age between 9 and 18 years and 15 CTRL matched by age, sex, body mass index (BMI, and physical activity levels (assessed by accelerometry. Lower- and upper-body strength was assessed by the one-repetition-maximum (1-RM test. Isometric strength was assessed through a handgrip dynamometer. Muscle function was evaluated by the timed-stands test (TST and the timed-up-and-go test (TUG. Results: When compared with CTRL, C-SLE showed lower leg-press and bench-press 1-RM (p = 0.026 and p = 0.008, respectively, and a tendency toward lower handgrip strength (p = 0.052. C-SLE showed lower TST scores (p = 0.036 and a tendency toward higher TUG scores (p = 0.070 when compared with CTRL. Conclusion: Physically inactive C-SLE patients with very mild disease showed reduced muscle strength and functionality when compared with healthy controls matched by physical activity levels. These findings suggest C-SLE patients may greatly suffer from a physically inactive lifestyle than healthy controls do. Moreover, some sub-clinical “residual” effect of the disease or its pharmacological treatment seems to affect C-SLE patients even with a well-controlled disease.

  8. Relationship between lower limb muscle strength, self-reported pain and function, and frontal plane gait kinematics in knee osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sang-Kyoon; Kobsar, Dylan; Ferber, Reed

    2016-10-01

    The relationship between muscle strength, gait biomechanics, and self-reported physical function and pain for patients with knee osteoarthritis is not well known. The objective of this study was to investigate these relationships in this population. Twenty-four patients with knee osteoarthritis and 24 healthy controls were recruited. Self-reported pain and function, lower-limb maximum isometric force, and frontal plane gait kinematics during treadmill walking were collected on all patients. Between-group differences were assessed for 1) muscle strength and 2) gait biomechanics. Linear regressions were computed within the knee osteoarthritis group to examine the effect of muscle strength on 1) self-reported pain and function, and 2) gait kinematics. Patients with knee osteoarthritis exhibited reduced hip external rotator, knee extensor, and ankle inversion muscle force output compared with healthy controls, as well as increased peak knee adduction angles (effect size=0.770; p=0.013). Hip abductor strength was a significant predictor of function, but not after controlling for covariates. Ankle inversion, hip abduction, and knee flexion strength were significant predictors of peak pelvic drop angle after controlling for covariates (34.4% unique variance explained). Patients with knee osteoarthritis exhibit deficits in muscle strength and while they play an important role in the self-reported function of patients with knee osteoarthritis, the effect of covariates such as sex, age, mass, and height was more important in this relationship. Similar relationships were observed from gait variables, except for peak pelvic drop, where hip, knee, and ankle strength remained important predictors of this variable after controlling for covariates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Experimental knee joint pain during strength training and muscle strength gain in healthy subjects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, T J; Langberg, Henning; Hodges, P W

    2012-01-01

    Knee joint pain and reduced quadriceps strength are cardinal symptoms in many knee pathologies. In people with painful knee pathologies, quadriceps exercise reduces pain, improves physical function, and increases muscle strength. A general assumption is that pain compromises muscle function...... and thus may prevent effective rehabilitation. This study evaluated the effects of experimental knee joint pain during quadriceps strength training on muscle strength gain in healthy individuals....

  10. Effects of Elastic Resistance Exercise on Muscle Strength and Functional Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Poliana Alves; Blasczyk, Juscelino Castro; Souza Junior, Gerson; Lagoa, Karina Ferreira; Soares, Milene; de Oliveira, Ricardo Jacó; Filho, Paulo José Barbosa Gutierres; Carregaro, Rodrigo Luiz; Martins, Wagner Rodrigues

    2017-04-01

    Elastic Resistance Exercise (ERE) has already demonstrated its effectiveness in older adults and, when combined with the resistance generated by fixed loads, in adults. This review summarizes the effectiveness of ERE performed as isolated method on muscle strength and functional performance in healthy adults. A database search was performed (MEDLine, Cochrane Library, PEDro and Web of Knowledge) to identify controlled clinical trials in English language. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and overall effect size were calculated for all comparisons. The PEDro scale was used assess the methodological quality. From the 93 articles identified by the search strategy, 5 met the inclusion criteria, in which 3 presented high quality (PEDro > 6). Meta-analyses demonstrated that the effects of ERE were superior when compared with passive control on functional performance and muscle strength. When compared with active controls, the effect of ERE was inferior on function performance and with similar effect on muscle strength. ERE are effective to improve functional performance and muscle strength when compared with no intervention, in healthy adults. ERE are not superior to other methods of resistance training to improve functional performance and muscle strength in health adults.

  11. Spontaneous symmetry breaking and self-consistent equations for the free-energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovesey, S.W.

    1980-03-01

    A variational procedure for the free-energy is used to derive self-consistent equations that allow for spontaneous symmetry breaking. For an N-component phi 4 -model the equations are identical to those obtained by summing all loops to order 1/N. (author)

  12. Knee joint laxity does not moderate the relationship between quadriceps strength and physical function in knee osteoarthritis patients: A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altubasi, Ibrahim M

    2018-06-07

    Knee osteoarthritis is a common and a disabling musculoskeletal disorder. Patients with knee osteoarthritis have activity limitations which are linked to the strength of the quadriceps muscle. Previous research reported that the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function is moderated by the level of knee joint frontal plane laxity. The purpose of the current study is to reexamine the moderation effect of the knee joint laxity as measured by stress radiographs on the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function. One-hundred and sixty osteoarthritis patients participated in this cross-sectional study. Isometric quadriceps muscle strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Self-rated and performance-based physical function were measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function subscale and Get Up and Go test, respectively. Stress radiographs which were taken while applying varus and valgus loads to knee using the TELOS device. Knee joint laxity was determined by measuring the distance between joint surfaces on the medial and lateral sides. Hierarchical multiple regression models were constructed to study the moderation effect of laxity on the strength function relationship. Two regression models were constructed for self-rated and performance-based function. After controlling for demographics, strength contributed significantly in the models. The addition of laxity and laxity-strength interaction did not add significant contributions in the regression models. Frontal plane knee joint laxity measured by stress radiographs does not moderate the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function in patients with osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of traditional resistance and power training using rated perceived exertion for enhancement of muscle strength, power, and functional performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiggemann, Carlos Leandro; Dias, Caroline Pieta; Radaelli, Regis; Massa, Jéssica Cassales; Bortoluzzi, Rafael; Schoenell, Maira Cristina Wolf; Noll, Matias; Alberton, Cristine Lima; Kruel, Luiz Fernando Martins

    2016-04-01

    The present study compared the effects of 12 weeks of traditional resistance training and power training using rated perceived exertion (RPE) to determine training intensity on improvements in strength, muscle power, and ability to perform functional task in older women. Thirty healthy elderly women (60-75 years) were randomly assigned to traditional resistance training group (TRT; n = 15) or power training group (PT; n = 15). Participants trained twice a week for 12 weeks using six exercises. The training protocol was designed to ascertain that participants exercised at an RPE of 13-18 (on a 6-20 scale). Maximal dynamic strength, muscle power, and functional performance of lower limb muscles were assessed. Maximal dynamic strength muscle strength leg press (≈58 %) and knee extension (≈20 %) increased significantly (p training. Muscle power also increased with training (≈27 %; p functional performance after training period (≈13 %; p effective in improving maximal strength, muscle power, and functional performance of lower limbs in elderly women.

  14. Self-consistent velocity dependent effective interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, Takayuki; Sakamoto, Hideo; Kammuri, Tetsuo; Kishimoto, Teruo.

    1993-09-01

    The field coupling method is extended to a system with a velocity dependent mean potential. By means of this method, we can derive the effective interactions which are consistent with the mean potential. The self-consistent velocity dependent effective interactions are applied to the microscopic analysis of the structures of giant dipole resonances (GDR) of 148,154 Sm, of the first excited 2 + states of Sn isotopes and of the first excited 3 - states of Mo isotopes. It is clarified that the interactions play crucial roles in describing the splitting of the resonant structure of GDR peaks, in restoring the energy weighted sum rule values, and in reducing B (Eλ) values. (author)

  15. Strength of Structural and Functional Frontostriatal Connectivity Predicts Self-Control in the Healthy Elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hänggi, Jürgen; Lohrey, Corinna; Drobetz, Reinhard; Baetschmann, Hansruedi; Forstmeier, Simon; Maercker, Andreas; Jäncke, Lutz

    2016-01-01

    Self-regulation refers to the successful use of executive functions and initiation of top-down processes to control one's thoughts, behavior, and emotions, and it is crucial to perform self-control. Self-control is needed to overcome impulses and can be assessed by delay of gratification (DoG) and delay discounting (DD) paradigms. In children/adolescents, good DoG/DD ability depends on the maturity of frontostriatal connectivity, and its decline in strength with advancing age might adversely affect self-control because prefrontal brain regions are more prone to normal age-related atrophy than other regions. Here, we aimed at highlighting the relationship between frontostriatal connectivity strength and DoG performance in advanced age. We recruited 40 healthy elderly individuals (mean age 74.0 ± 7.7 years) and assessed the DoG ability using the German version of the DoG test for adults in addition to the delay discounting (DD) paradigm. Based on diffusion-weighted and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, respectively, the structural and functional whole-brain connectome were reconstructed based on 90 different brain regions of interest in addition to a 12-node frontostriatal DoG-specific network and the resulting connectivity matrices were subjected to network-based statistics. The 90-nodes whole-brain connectome analyses revealed subnetworks significantly associated with DoG and DD with a preponderance of frontostriatal nodes involved suggesting a high specificity of the findings. Structural and functional connectivity strengths between the putamen, caudate nucleus, and nucleus accumbens on the one hand and orbitofrontal, dorsal, and ventral lateral prefrontal cortices on the other hand showed strong positive correlations with DoG and negative correlations with DD corrected for age, sex, intracranial volume, and head motion parameters. These associations cannot be explained by differences in impulsivity and executive functioning. This pattern

  16. Can repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation increase muscle strength in functional neurological paresis? A proof-of-principle study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broersma, M; Koops, E A; Vroomen, P C; Van der Hoeven, J H; Aleman, A; Leenders, K L; Maurits, N M; van Beilen, M

    2015-05-01

    Therapeutic options are limited in functional neurological paresis disorder. Earlier intervention studies did not control for a placebo effect, hampering assessment of effectivity. A proof-of-principle investigation was conducted into the therapeutic potential of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), using a single-blind two-period placebo-controlled cross-over design. Eleven patients received active 15 Hz rTMS over the contralateral motor cortex (hand area), in two periods of 5 days, for 30 min once a day at 80% of resting motor threshold, with a train length of 2 s and an intertrain interval of 4 s. Eight of these eleven patients were also included in the placebo treatment condition. Primary outcome measure was change in muscle strength as measured by dynamometry after treatment. Secondary outcome measure was the subjective change in muscle strength after treatment. In patients who received both treatments, active rTMS induced a significantly larger median increase in objectively measured muscle strength (24%) compared to placebo rTMS (6%; P difference due to treatment, i.e. patients did not perceive these objectively measured motor improvements (P = 0.40). Our findings suggest that rTMS by itself can potentially improve muscle weakness in functional neurological paresis disorder. Whereas patients' muscle strength increased as measured with dynamometry, patients did not report increased functioning of the affected hand, subjectively. The results may indicate that decreased muscle strength is not the core symptom and that rTMS should be added to behavioral approaches in functional neurological paresis. © 2015 EAN.

  17. Self-consistent study of space-charge-dominated beams in a misaligned transport system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sing Babu, P.; Goswami, A.; Pandit, V.S.

    2013-01-01

    A self-consistent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation method is developed to investigate the dynamics of space-charge-dominated beams through a misaligned solenoid based transport system. Evolution of beam centroid, beam envelope and emittance is studied as a function of misalignment parameters for various types of beam distributions. Simulation results performed up to 40 mA of proton beam indicate that centroid oscillations induced by the displacement and rotational misalignments of solenoids do not depend of the beam distribution. It is shown that the beam envelope around the centroid is independent of the centroid motion for small centroid oscillation. In addition, we have estimated the loss of beam during the transport caused by the misalignment for various beam distributions

  18. Self-consistent viscous heating of rapidly compressed turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, Alejandro; Morgan, Brandon

    2017-11-01

    Given turbulence subjected to infinitely rapid deformations, linear terms representing interactions between the mean flow and the turbulence dictate the evolution of the flow, whereas non-linear terms corresponding to turbulence-turbulence interactions are safely ignored. For rapidly deformed flows where the turbulence Reynolds number is not sufficiently large, viscous effects can't be neglected and tend to play a prominent role, as shown in the study of Davidovits & Fisch (2016). For such a case, the rapid increase of viscosity in a plasma-as compared to the weaker scaling of viscosity in a fluid-leads to the sudden viscous dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. As shown in Davidovits & Fisch, increases in temperature caused by the direct compression of the plasma drive sufficiently large values of viscosity. We report on numerical simulations of turbulence where the increase in temperature is the result of both the direct compression (an inviscid mechanism) and the self-consistent viscous transfer of energy from the turbulent scales towards the thermal energy. A comparison between implicit large-eddy simulations against well-resolved direct numerical simulations is included to asses the effect of the numerical and subgrid-scale dissipation on the self-consistent viscous This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

  19. New parameterization of the E1 gamma-ray strength function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardner, D.G.; Dietrich, F.S.

    1979-01-01

    The giant dipole (GD) parameters of peak energy, width, and cross section were satisfactorily correlated for elements from V to Bi, assuming two overlapping peaks with a separation dependent on deformation. The energy dependence of the GD resonance is assumed to have a Breit-Wigner form, but with an energy-dependent width. The resulting gamma-ray strength function model is used to predict neutron capture cross sections and gamma-ray spectra for isotopes of Ta, Os, and Au. 23 references

  20. A self-consistency check for unitary propagation of Hawking quanta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Daniel; Kodwani, Darsh; Pen, Ue-Li; Yang, I.-Sheng

    2017-11-01

    The black hole information paradox presumes that quantum field theory in curved space-time can provide unitary propagation from a near-horizon mode to an asymptotic Hawking quantum. Instead of invoking conjectural quantum-gravity effects to modify such an assumption, we propose a self-consistency check. We establish an analogy to Feynman’s analysis of a double-slit experiment. Feynman showed that unitary propagation of the interfering particles, namely ignoring the entanglement with the double-slit, becomes an arbitrarily reliable assumption when the screen upon which the interference pattern is projected is infinitely far away. We argue for an analogous self-consistency check for quantum field theory in curved space-time. We apply it to the propagation of Hawking quanta and test whether ignoring the entanglement with the geometry also becomes arbitrarily reliable in the limit of a large black hole. We present curious results to suggest a negative answer, and we discuss how this loss of naive unitarity in QFT might be related to a solution of the paradox based on the soft-hair-memory effect.

  1. The self-consistent multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing. Motivations, state of the art and perspectives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pillet, N.; Dupuis, M.; Hupin, G.; Berger, J.F. [DAM, CEA, Arpajon (France); Robin, C. [Western Michigan University, Department of Physics, Kalamazoo, MI (United States)

    2017-03-15

    The main objective of this paper is to review the state of the art of the multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing approach which was proposed and implemented using the Gogny interaction ∝ 10 years ago. Various theoretical aspects are re-analyzed when a Hamiltonian description is chosen: the link with exact many-body theories, the impact of truncations in the multiconfigurational space, the importance of defining single-particle orbitals which are consistent with the correlations introduced in the many-body wave function, the role of the self-consistency, and more practically the numerical convergence algorithm. Several applications done with the phenomenological effective Gogny interaction are discussed. Finally, future directions to extend and generalize the method are discussed. (orig.)

  2. The self-consistent multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing. Motivations, state of the art and perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillet, N.; Robin, C.; Dupuis, M.; Hupin, G.; Berger, J.-F.

    2017-03-01

    The main objective of this paper is to review the state of the art of the multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing approach which was proposed and implemented using the Gogny interaction ˜ 10 years ago. Various theoretical aspects are re-analyzed when a Hamiltonian description is chosen: the link with exact many-body theories, the impact of truncations in the multiconfigurational space, the importance of defining single-particle orbitals which are consistent with the correlations introduced in the many-body wave function, the role of the self-consistency, and more practically the numerical convergence algorithm. Several applications done with the phenomenological effective Gogny interaction are discussed. Finally, future directions to extend and generalize the method are discussed.

  3. The self-consistent multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing. Motivations, state of the art and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pillet, N.; Dupuis, M.; Hupin, G.; Berger, J.F.; Robin, C.

    2017-01-01

    The main objective of this paper is to review the state of the art of the multiparticle-multihole configuration mixing approach which was proposed and implemented using the Gogny interaction ∝ 10 years ago. Various theoretical aspects are re-analyzed when a Hamiltonian description is chosen: the link with exact many-body theories, the impact of truncations in the multiconfigurational space, the importance of defining single-particle orbitals which are consistent with the correlations introduced in the many-body wave function, the role of the self-consistency, and more practically the numerical convergence algorithm. Several applications done with the phenomenological effective Gogny interaction are discussed. Finally, future directions to extend and generalize the method are discussed. (orig.)

  4. Simulations of Turbulence in Tokamak Edge and Effects of Self-Consistent Zonal Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Bruce; Umansky, Maxim

    2013-10-01

    Progress is reported on simulations of electromagnetic drift-resistive ballooning turbulence in the tokamak edge. This extends previous work to include self-consistent zonal flows and their effects. The previous work addressed simulation of L-mode tokamak edge turbulence using the turbulence code BOUT that solves Braginskii-based plasma fluid equations in tokamak edge domain. The calculations use realistic single-null geometry and plasma parameters of the DIII-D tokamak and produce fluctuation amplitudes, fluctuation spectra, and particle and thermal fluxes that compare favorably to experimental data. In the effect of sheared ExB poloidal rotation is included with an imposed static radial electric field fitted to experimental data. In the new work here we include the radial electric field self-consistently driven by the microturbulence, which contributes to the sheared ExB poloidal rotation (zonal flow generation). We present simulations with/without zonal flows for both cylindrical geometry, as in the UCLA Large Plasma Device, and for the DIII-D tokamak L-mode cases in to quantify the influence of self-consistent zonal flows on the microturbulence and the concomitant transport. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

  5. Mean-field theory and self-consistent dynamo modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshizawa, Akira; Yokoi, Nobumitsu

    2001-12-01

    Mean-field theory of dynamo is discussed with emphasis on the statistical formulation of turbulence effects on the magnetohydrodynamic equations and the construction of a self-consistent dynamo model. The dynamo mechanism is sought in the combination of the turbulent residual-helicity and cross-helicity effects. On the basis of this mechanism, discussions are made on the generation of planetary magnetic fields such as geomagnetic field and sunspots and on the occurrence of flow by magnetic fields in planetary and fusion phenomena. (author)

  6. Self-consistent calculation of 208Pb spectrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal'chik, V.V.; Pyatov, N.I.; Fayans, S.A.

    1981-01-01

    The self-consistent model with exact accounting for one-particle continuum is applied to calculate all discrete particle-hole natural parity states with 2 208 Pb nucleus (up to the neutron emission threshold, 7.4 MeV). Contributions to the energy-weighted sum rules S(EL) of the first collective levels and total contributions of all discrete levels are evaluated. Most strongly the collectivization is manifested for octupole states. With multipolarity growth L contributions of discrete levels are sharply reduced. The results are compared with other models and the experimental data obtained in (e, e'), (p, p') reactions and other data [ru

  7. Isoscalar and isovector giant resonances in a self-consistent phonon coupling approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Lyutorovich

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available We present fully self-consistent calculations of isoscalar giant monopole and quadrupole as well as isovector giant dipole resonances in heavy and light nuclei. The description is based on Skyrme energy-density functionals determining the static Hartree–Fock ground state and the excitation spectra within random-phase approximation (RPA and RPA extended by including the quasiparticle-phonon coupling at the level of the time-blocking approximation (TBA. All matrix elements were derived consistently from the given energy-density functional and calculated without any approximation. As a new feature in these calculations, the single-particle continuum was included thus avoiding the artificial discretization usually implied in RPA and TBA. The step to include phonon coupling in TBA leads to small, but systematic, down shifts of the centroid energies of the giant resonances. These shifts are similar in size for all Skyrme parametrizations investigated here. After all, we demonstrate that one can find Skyrme parametrizations which deliver a good simultaneous reproduction of all three giant resonances within TBA.

  8. Solving Non-Isospectral mKdV Equation and Sine-Gordon Equation Hierarchies with Self-Consistent Sources via Inverse Scattering Transform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Qi; Zhang Dajun; Chen Dengyuan

    2010-01-01

    N-soliton solutions of the hierarchy of non-isospectral mKdV equation with self-consistent sources and the hierarchy of non-isospectral sine-Gordon equation with self-consistent sources are obtained via the inverse scattering transform. (general)

  9. Gamow-Teller strength in deformed nuclei within self-consistent pnQRPA with the Gogny force

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martini M.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years fully consistent quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA calculations using finite range Gogny force have been performed to study electromagnetic excitations of several axially-symmetric deformed nuclei up to the 238U. Here we present the extension of this approach to the charge-exchange nuclear excitations (pn-QRPA. In particular we focus on the Gamow-Teller (GT excitations. A comparison of the predicted GT strength distribution with existing experimental data is presented The role of nuclear deformation is shown. Special attention is paid to β-decay half-lives calculations for which experimental data exist.

  10. Self-consistent Ginzburg-Landau theory for transport currents in superconductors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ögren, Magnus; Sørensen, Mads Peter; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

    2012-01-01

    We elaborate on boundary conditions for Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory in the case of external currents. We implement a self-consistent theory within the finite element method (FEM) and present numerical results for a two-dimensional rectangular geometry. We emphasize that our approach can in princi...... in principle also be used for general geometries in three-dimensional superconductors....

  11. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISOMETRIC THIGH MUSCLE STRENGTH AND MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES (MCIDS) IN KNEE FUNCTION IN OSTEOARTHRITIS – DATA FROM THE OSTEOARTHRITIS INITIATIVE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhdorfer, Anja; Wirth, Wolfgang; Eckstein, Felix

    2014-01-01

    Objective To determine the relationship between thigh muscle strength and clinically relevant differences in self-assessed lower limb function. Methods Isometric knee extensor and flexor strength of 4553 Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (2651 women/1902 men) was related to Western Ontario McMasters Universities (WOMAC) physical function scores by linear regression. Further, groups of Male and female participant strata with minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) in WOMAC function scores (6/68) were compared across the full range of observed values, and to participants without functional deficits (WOMAC=0). The effect of WOMAC knee pain and body mass index on the above relationships was explored using stepwise regression. Results Per regression equations, a 3.7% reduction in extensor and a 4.0% reduction in flexor strength were associated with an MCID in WOMAC function in women, and a 3.6%/4.8% reduction in men. For strength divided by body weight, reductions were 5.2%/6.7% in women and 5.8%/6.7% in men. Comparing MCID strata across the full observed range of WOMAC function confirmed the above estimates and did not suggest non-linear relationships across the spectrum of observed values. WOMAC pain correlated strongly with WOMAC function, but extensor (and flexor) muscle strength contributed significant independent information. Conclusion Reductions of approximately 4% in isometric muscle strength and of 6% in strength/weight were related to a clinically relevant difference in WOMAC functional disability. Longitudinal studies will need to confirm these relationships within persons. Muscle extensor (and flexor) strength (per body weight) provided significant independent information in addition to pain in explaining variability in lower limb function. PMID:25303012

  12. Bounds and self-consistent estimates for elastic constants of polycrystals composed of orthorhombics or crystals with higher symmetries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, James G

    2011-04-01

    Methods for computing Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and related self-consistent estimates of elastic constants for polycrystals composed of crystals having orthorhombic symmetry have been known for about three decades. However, these methods are underutilized, perhaps because of some perceived difficulties with implementing the necessary computational procedures. Several simplifications of these techniques are introduced, thereby reducing the overall computational burden, as well as the complications inherent in mapping out the Hashin-Shtrikman bounding curves. The self-consistent estimates of the effective elastic constants are very robust, involving a quickly converging iteration procedure. Once these self-consistent values are known, they may then be used to speed up the computations of the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds themselves. It is shown furthermore that the resulting orthorhombic polycrystal code can be used as well to compute both bounds and self-consistent estimates for polycrystals of higher-symmetry tetragonal, hexagonal, and cubic (but not trigonal) materials. The self-consistent results found this way are shown to be the same as those obtained using the earlier methods, specifically those methods designed specially for each individual symmetry type. But the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds found using the orthorhombic code are either the same or (more typically) tighter than those found previously for these special cases (i.e., tetragonal, hexagonal, and cubic). The improvement in the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds is presumably due to the additional degrees of freedom introduced into the available search space.

  13. Self-consistent theory of hadron-nucleus scattering. Application to pion physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, M.B.

    1981-01-01

    The first part of this set of two seminars will consist of a review of several of the important accomplishments made in the last few years in the field of pion-nucleus physics. Next I discuss some questions raised by these accomplishments and show that for some very natural reasons the commonly employed theoretical methods cannot be applied to answer these questions. This situation leads to the idea of self-consistency, which is first explained in a general context. The remainder of the seminars are devoted to illustrating the idea within a simple multiple-scattering model for the case of pion scattering. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the self-consistent requirment to produce a solution to the model is made, and a few of the questions raised by recent accomplishments in the field of pion physics are addressed in the model. Finally, the results of the model calculation are compared to experimental data and implications of the results discussed. (orig./HSI)

  14. Self-consistent simulation studies of periodically focused intense charged-particle beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, C.; Jameson, R.A.

    1995-01-01

    A self-consistent two-dimensional model is used to investigate intense charged-particle beam propagation through a periodic solenoidal focusing channel, particularly in the regime in which there is a mismatch between the beam and the focusing channel. The present self-consistent studies confirm that mismatched beams exhibit nonlinear resonances and chaotic behavior in the envelope evolution, as predicted by an earlier envelope analysis [C. Chen and R. C. Davidson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2195 (1994)]. Transient effects due to emittance growth are studied, and halo formation is investigated. The halo size is estimated. The halo characteristics for a periodic focusing channel are found to be qualitatively the same as those for a uniform focusing channel. A threshold condition is obtained numerically for halo formation in mismatched beams in a uniform focusing channel, which indicates that relative envelope mismatch must be kept well below 20% to prevent space-charge-dominated beams from developing halos

  15. Effect of Electromyographic Biofeedback Training on Pain, Quadriceps Muscle Strength, and Functional Ability in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eid, Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud; Aly, Sobhy M; El-Shamy, Shamekh M

    2016-12-01

    To investigate the effects of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training on pain, quadriceps strength, and functional ability in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). This is a randomized controlled study; 36 children (11 boys and 25 girls) with polyarticular JRA, with ages ranging from 8 to 13 years, were selected and assigned randomly, using computer-generated random numbers, into 2 groups. The control group (n = 18) received the conventional physical therapy program, whereas the study group (n = 18) received the same program as the control group in addition to EMG biofeedback-guided isometric exercises for 3 days a week for 12 weeks. Pain, peak torque of quadriceps strength, and functional ability were evaluated before, after 6 weeks, and at the end of 12 weeks of the treatment program. By 6 weeks, significant differences were observed in the study group (P biofeedback may be a useful intervention modality to reduce pain, improve quadriceps strength, and functional performance in JRA.

  16. Effect of football or strength training on functional ability and physical performance in untrained old men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rostgaard Andersen, Thomas; Schmidt, Jakob Friis; Nielsen, Jens Jung

    2014-01-01

    The effects of 16 weeks of football or strength training on performance and functional ability were investigated in 26 (68.2 ± 3.2 years) untrained men randomized into a football (FG; n = 9), a strength training (ST; n = 9), or a control group (CO; n = 8). FG and ST trained 1.6 ± 0.1 and 1.5 ± 0......% lower (P training for old men improves functional ability and physiological response to submaximal exercise, while football...... additionally elevates maximal aerobic fitness and exhaustive exercise performance....

  17. Effects of resistance training, detraining, and retraining on strength and functional capacity in elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakugawa, Raphael Luiz; Moura, Bruno Monteiro; Orssatto, Lucas Bet da Rosa; Bezerra, Ewertton de Souza; Cadore, Eduardo Lusa; Diefenthaeler, Fernando

    2018-05-17

    The interruption of training (detraining) results in loss of the gains acquired. Partial retention could occur after detraining, and variation in training stimuli may optimize retraining adaptations. To evaluate the effect of a resistance-retraining program on strength and functional capacity performance after a detraining period. Ten elderly men and women (63-68 years) completed 12 weeks of training, 16 weeks of detraining, and 8 weeks of retraining. One-repetition maximum (1-RM) at 45° leg press, maximum isometric knee extension torque, rate of torque development (RTD), 30-s sit-to-stand, timed up and go, and stair ascent and descent tests were assessed. The 1-RM increased after training (p training (p training period (p > 0.05). For RTD and 30-s sit-to-stand, there was an increase after retraining when compared to pre-training values (p training and post-training periods (p functional capacity at the same level obtained after a detraining period. The inclusion of an explosive strength session in retraining period improves RTD and 30-s sit-to-stand performance and can accelerate the recovery of strength after a detraining period.

  18. Self-consistent EXAFS PDF Projection Method by Matched Correction of Fourier Filter Signal Distortion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jay Min; Yang, Dong-Seok

    2007-01-01

    Inverse problem solving computation was performed for solving PDF (pair distribution function) from simulated data EXAFS based on data FEFF. For a realistic comparison with experimental data, we chose a model of the first sub-shell Mn-0 pair showing the Jahn Teller distortion in crystalline LaMnO3. To restore the Fourier filtering signal distortion, involved in the first sub-shell information isolated from higher shell contents, relevant distortion matching function was computed initially from the proximity model, and iteratively from the prior-guess during consecutive regularization computation. Adaptive computation of EXAFS background correction is an issue of algorithm development, but our preliminary test was performed under the simulated background correction perfectly excluding the higher shell interference. In our numerical result, efficient convergence of iterative solution indicates a self-consistent tendency that a true PDF solution is convinced as a counterpart of genuine chi-data, provided that a background correction function is iteratively solved using an extended algorithm of MEPP (Matched EXAFS PDF Projection) under development

  19. Strength, body composition, and functional outcomes in the squat versus leg press exercises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Fabrício E; Schoenfeld, Brad J; Ocetnik, Skyler; Young, Jonathan; Vigotsky, Andrew; Contreras, Bret; Krieger, James W; Miller, Michael G; Cholewa, Jason

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare strength, body composition, and functional outcome measures following performance of the back squat, leg press, or a combination of the two exercises. Subjects were pair-matched based on initial strength levels and then randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: a squat-only group (SQ) that solely performed squats for the lower body; a leg press-only group (LP) that solely performed leg presses for the lower body, or a combined squat and leg press group (SQ-LP) that performed both squats and leg presses for the lower body. All other RT variables were held constant. The study period lasted 10 weeks with subjects performing 2 lower body workouts per week comprising 6 sets per session at loads corresponding to 8-12 RM with 90- to 120-second rest intervals. Results showed that SQ had greater transfer to maximal squat strength compared to the leg press. Effect sizes favored SQ and SQ-LP versus LP with respect to countermovement jump while greater effect sizes for dynamic balance were noted for SQ-LP and LP compared to SQ, although no statistical differences were noted between conditions. These findings suggest that both free weights and machines can improve functional outcomes, and that the extent of transfer may be specific to the given task.

  20. Integrating the Toda Lattice with Self-Consistent Source via Inverse Scattering Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urazboev, Gayrat

    2012-01-01

    In this work, there is shown that the solutions of Toda lattice with self-consistent source can be found by the inverse scattering method for the discrete Sturm-Liuville operator. For the considered problem the one-soliton solution is obtained.

  1. Self-Consistent Scheme for Spike-Train Power Spectra in Heterogeneous Sparse Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pena, Rodrigo F O; Vellmer, Sebastian; Bernardi, Davide; Roque, Antonio C; Lindner, Benjamin

    2018-01-01

    Recurrent networks of spiking neurons can be in an asynchronous state characterized by low or absent cross-correlations and spike statistics which resemble those of cortical neurons. Although spatial correlations are negligible in this state, neurons can show pronounced temporal correlations in their spike trains that can be quantified by the autocorrelation function or the spike-train power spectrum. Depending on cellular and network parameters, correlations display diverse patterns (ranging from simple refractory-period effects and stochastic oscillations to slow fluctuations) and it is generally not well-understood how these dependencies come about. Previous work has explored how the single-cell correlations in a homogeneous network (excitatory and inhibitory integrate-and-fire neurons with nearly balanced mean recurrent input) can be determined numerically from an iterative single-neuron simulation. Such a scheme is based on the fact that every neuron is driven by the network noise (i.e., the input currents from all its presynaptic partners) but also contributes to the network noise, leading to a self-consistency condition for the input and output spectra. Here we first extend this scheme to homogeneous networks with strong recurrent inhibition and a synaptic filter, in which instabilities of the previous scheme are avoided by an averaging procedure. We then extend the scheme to heterogeneous networks in which (i) different neural subpopulations (e.g., excitatory and inhibitory neurons) have different cellular or connectivity parameters; (ii) the number and strength of the input connections are random (Erdős-Rényi topology) and thus different among neurons. In all heterogeneous cases, neurons are lumped in different classes each of which is represented by a single neuron in the iterative scheme; in addition, we make a Gaussian approximation of the input current to the neuron. These approximations seem to be justified over a broad range of parameters as

  2. Self-Consistent Scheme for Spike-Train Power Spectra in Heterogeneous Sparse Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo F. O. Pena

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Recurrent networks of spiking neurons can be in an asynchronous state characterized by low or absent cross-correlations and spike statistics which resemble those of cortical neurons. Although spatial correlations are negligible in this state, neurons can show pronounced temporal correlations in their spike trains that can be quantified by the autocorrelation function or the spike-train power spectrum. Depending on cellular and network parameters, correlations display diverse patterns (ranging from simple refractory-period effects and stochastic oscillations to slow fluctuations and it is generally not well-understood how these dependencies come about. Previous work has explored how the single-cell correlations in a homogeneous network (excitatory and inhibitory integrate-and-fire neurons with nearly balanced mean recurrent input can be determined numerically from an iterative single-neuron simulation. Such a scheme is based on the fact that every neuron is driven by the network noise (i.e., the input currents from all its presynaptic partners but also contributes to the network noise, leading to a self-consistency condition for the input and output spectra. Here we first extend this scheme to homogeneous networks with strong recurrent inhibition and a synaptic filter, in which instabilities of the previous scheme are avoided by an averaging procedure. We then extend the scheme to heterogeneous networks in which (i different neural subpopulations (e.g., excitatory and inhibitory neurons have different cellular or connectivity parameters; (ii the number and strength of the input connections are random (Erdős-Rényi topology and thus different among neurons. In all heterogeneous cases, neurons are lumped in different classes each of which is represented by a single neuron in the iterative scheme; in addition, we make a Gaussian approximation of the input current to the neuron. These approximations seem to be justified over a broad range of

  3. Physical function, grip strength and frailty in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard, Charlotte; Dabis, François; de Rekeneire, Nathalie

    2017-05-01

    To present the current knowledge on physical function, grip strength and frailty in HIV-infected patients living in sub-Saharan Africa, where the phenomenon is largely underestimated. A systematic search was conducted on MEDLINE, Scopus and African Index Medicus. We reviewed articles on sub-Saharan African people living with HIV (PLHIV) >18 years old, published until November 2016. Of 537 articles, 12 were conducted in six African countries and included in this review. Five articles reported information on functional limitation and one on disability. Two of these five articles reported functional limitation (low gait speed) in PLHIV. Disability was observed in 27% and 3% of PLHIV living in rural and urban places, respectively. Two of three studies reporting grip strength reported lower grip strength (nearly 4 kg) in PLHIV in comparison with uninfected patients. One study reported that PLHIV were more likely to be frail than HIV-uninfected individuals (19.4% vs. 13.3%), whereas another reported no statistical difference. Decline in physical function, grip strength and frailty are now part of the burden of PLHIV living in SSA countries, but current data are insufficient to characterise the real public health dimension of these impairments. Further studies are needed to depict this major public health challenge. As this is likely to contribute to a significant burden on the African healthcare systems and human resources in the near future, a holistic care approach should be developed to inform guidelines. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Gamow-Teller strength function for 90Zr: Effects of spin and isospin exchange forces, and ground-state correlations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathews, G.J.; Bloom, S.D.; Hausman, R.F. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    Shell-model calculations of the Gamow-Teller strength function for 90 Zr have been performed utilizing a realistic finite-range two-body interaction in a model space consisting of the 2p and 1g shells. The effects of admixtures of two-particle two-hole excitations in 90 Nb, mostly due to the spin and isospin exchange components of the nucleon-nucleon force, are discussed. Ground state correlations in 90 Zr are also added via seniority-zero two-proton excitations from the 2p shell into the 1g/sub 9/2/ shell. With the correlations the Gamow-Teller strength function is in good agreement with the experimental results and accounts for essentially all of the observed dispersion of strength. The inclusion of these correlations does not, however, produce either a displacement of Gamow-Teller strength to higher excitation energies, or a significant change in the total strength. Thus, they cannot account for the observed Gamow-Teller quenching. The quenching factor derived by a comparison of our calculated results with experiment is 0.52

  5. Functional trade-off between strength and thermal capacity of dermal armor: Insights from girdled lizards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broeckhoven, Chris; du Plessis, Anton; Hui, Cang

    2017-10-01

    The presence of dermal armor is often unambiguously considered the result of an evolutionary predator-prey arms-race. Recent studies focusing predominantly on osteoderms - mineralized elements embedded in the dermis layer of various extant and extinct vertebrates - have instead proposed that dermal armor might exhibit additional functionalities besides protection. Multiple divergent functionalities could impose conflicting demands on a phenotype, yet, functional trade-offs in dermal armor have rarely been investigated. Here, we use high-resolution micro-computed tomography and voxel-based simulations to test for a trade-off between the strength and thermal capacity of osteoderms using two armored cordylid lizards as model organisms. We demonstrate that high vascularization, associated with improved thermal capacity might limit the strength of osteoderms. These results call for a holistic, cautionary future approach to studies investigating dermal armor, especially those aiming to inspire artificial protective materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Application of ANFIS for analytical modeling of tensile strength of functionally graded steels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Nazari

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, the tensile strength of ferritic and austenitic functionally graded steels produced by electroslag remelting has been modeled. To produce functionally graded steels, two slices of plain carbon steel and austenitic stainless steels were spot welded and used as electroslag remelting electrode. Functionally graded steel containing graded layers of ferrite and austenite may be fabricated via diffusion of alloying elements during remelting stage. Vickers microhardness profile of the specimen has been obtained experimentally and modeled with adaptive network-based fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS. To build the model for graded ferritic and austenitic steels, training, testing and validation using respectively 174 and 120 experimental data were conducted. According to the input parameters, in the ANFIS model, the Vickers microhardness of each layer was predicted. A good fit equation which correlates the Vickers microhardness of each layer to its corresponding chemical composition was achieved by the optimized network for both ferritic and austenitic graded steels. Afterwards; the Vickers microhardness of each layer in functionally graded steels was related to the yield stress of the corresponding layer and by assuming Holloman relation for stress-strain curve of each layer, they were acquired. Finally, by applying the rule of mixtures, tensile strength of functionally graded steels configuration was found through a numerical method. The obtained results from the proposed model are in good agreement with those acquired from the experiments.

  7. Tongue-to-palate resistance training improves tongue strength and oropharyngeal swallowing function in subacute stroke survivors with dysphagia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H D; Choi, J B; Yoo, S J; Chang, M Y; Lee, S W; Park, J S

    2017-01-01

    Tongue function can affect both the oral and pharyngeal stages of the swallowing process, and proper tongue strength is vital for safe oropharyngeal swallowing. This trial investigated the effect of tongue-to-palate resistance training (TPRT) on tongue strength and oropharyngeal swallowing function in stroke with dysphagia patients. This trial was performed using a 4-week, two-group, pre-post-design. Participants were allocated to the experimental group (n = 18) or the control group (n = 17). The experimental group performed TPRT for 4 weeks (5 days per week) and traditional dysphagia therapy, whereas the control group performed traditional dysphagia therapy on the same schedule. Tongue strength was measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. Swallowing function was measured using the videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) and penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) based on a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. Experimental group showed more improved in the tongue strength (both anterior and posterior regions, P = 0·009, 0·015). In addition, the experimental group showed more improved scores on the oral and pharyngeal phase of VDS (P = 0·029, 0·007), but not on the PAS (P = 0·471), compared with the control group. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of TPRT in increasing tongue muscle strength and improving swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. Therefore, we recommend TPRT as an easy and simple rehabilitation strategy for improving swallowing in patients with dysphagia. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Branch-based model for the diameters of the pulmonary airways: accounting for departures from self-consistency and registration errors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neradilek, Moni B; Polissar, Nayak L; Einstein, Daniel R; Glenny, Robb W; Minard, Kevin R; Carson, James P; Jiao, Xiangmin; Jacob, Richard E; Cox, Timothy C; Postlethwait, Edward M; Corley, Richard A

    2012-06-01

    We examine a previously published branch-based approach for modeling airway diameters that is predicated on the assumption of self-consistency across all levels of the tree. We mathematically formulate this assumption, propose a method to test it and develop a more general model to be used when the assumption is violated. We discuss the effect of measurement error on the estimated models and propose methods that take account of error. The methods are illustrated on data from MRI and CT images of silicone casts of two rats, two normal monkeys, and one ozone-exposed monkey. Our results showed substantial departures from self-consistency in all five subjects. When departures from self-consistency exist, we do not recommend using the self-consistency model, even as an approximation, as we have shown that it may likely lead to an incorrect representation of the diameter geometry. The new variance model can be used instead. Measurement error has an important impact on the estimated morphometry models and needs to be addressed in the analysis. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Selfconsistent diabatic approach to dissipative collective nuclear motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niita, K.; Wang, S.J.; Noerenberg, W.; Technische Hochschule Darmstadt

    1986-09-01

    Within a selfconsistent description for the one- and two-body density matrices collective variables are introduced via scaling diabatic states. Equations of collective motion coupled to a collision integral for the single-particle occupation probabilities are derived from the randomness of the two-body interaction matrix elements and from an additional time smoothing procedure. For a linear approximation to the time-dependence of the single-particle energies the collision term conserves energy all by itself, i.e. the time-smoothed time derivative of the correlation energy vanishes. (orig.)

  10. Tunneling in a self-consistent dynamic image potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudberg, B.G.R.; Jonson, M.

    1991-01-01

    We have calculated the self-consistent effective potential for an electron tunneling through a square barrier while interacting with surface plasmons. This potential reduces to the classical image potential in the static limit. In the opposite limit, when the ''velocity'' of the tunneling electron is large, it reduces to the unperturbed square-barrier potential. For a wide variety of parameters the dynamic effects on the transmission coefficient T=|t 2 | can, for instance, be related to the Buettiker-Landauer traversal time for tunneling, given by τ BL =ℎ|d lnt/dV|

  11. Landau Damping and Anomalous Skin Effect in Low-pressure Gas Discharges: Self-consistent Treatment of Collisionless Heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaganovich, Igor D.; Polomarov, Oleg V.; Theodosiou, Constantine E.

    2004-01-01

    In low-pressure discharges, where the electron mean free path is larger or comparable with the discharge length, the electron dynamics is essentially nonlocal. Moreover, the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) deviates considerably from a Maxwellian. Therefore, an accurate kinetic description of the low-pressure discharges requires knowledge of the nonlocal conductivity operator and calculation of the non-Maxwellian EEDF. The previous treatments made use of simplifying assumptions: a uniform density profile and a Maxwellian EEDF. In the present study a self-consistent system of equations for the kinetic description of nonlocal, nonuniform, nearly collisionless plasmas of low-pressure discharges is reported. It consists of the nonlocal conductivity operator and the averaged kinetic equation for calculation of the non-Maxwellian EEDF. This system was applied to the calculation of collisionless heating in capacitively and inductively coupled plasmas. In particular, the importance of accounting for the nonuniform plasma density profile for computing the current density profile and the EEDF is demonstrated. The enhancement of collisionless heating due to the bounce resonance between the electron motion in the potential well and the external radio-frequency electric field is investigated. It is shown that a nonlinear and self-consistent treatment is necessary for the correct description of collisionless heating

  12. Self-consistency of a heterogeneous continuum porous medium representation of a fractured medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoch, A.R.; Jackson, C.P.; Todman, S.

    1998-01-01

    For many of the rocks that are, or have been, under investigation as potential host rocks for a radioactive waste repository, groundwater flow is considered to take place predominantly through discontinuities such as fractures. Although models of networks of discrete features (DFN models) would be the most realistic models for such rocks, calculations on large length scales would not be computationally practicable. A possible approach would be to use heterogeneous continuum porous-medium (CPM) models in which each block has an effective permeability appropriate to represent the network of features within the block. In order to build confidence in this approach, it is necessary to demonstrate that the approach is self-consistent, in the sense that if the effective permeability on a large length scale is derived using the CPM model, the result is close to the value derived directly from the underlying network model. It is also desirable to demonstrate self-consistency for the use of stochastic heterogeneous CPM models that are built as follows. The correlation structure of the effective permeability on the scale of the blocks is inferred by analysis of the effective permeabilities obtained from the underlying DFN model. Then realizations of the effective permeability within the domain of interest are generated on the basis of the correlation structure, rather than being obtained directly from the underlying DFN model. A study of self-consistency is presented for two very different underlying DFN models: one based on the properties of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group at Sellafield, and one based on the properties of the granite at Aespoe in Sweden. It is shown that, in both cases, the use of heterogeneous CPM models based directly on the DFN model is self-consistent, provided that care is taken in the evaluation of the effective permeability for the DFN models. It is also shown that the use of stochastic heterogeneous CPM models based on the correlation structure of the

  13. Intra-rater reliability and agreement of muscle strength, power and functional performance measures in patients with hip osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bieler, Theresa; Magnusson, S Peter; Kjær, Michael

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reliability and agreement of measures of lower extremity muscle strength, power and functional performance in patients with hip osteoarthritis at different time intervals, and to compare these with the same measures in healthy peers. DESIGN: Intra-rater test...... extensor power, and functional performance (8-foot Up & Go, stair climbing, chair stand and 6-min walk) were measured in patients, and quadriceps strength, leg extensor power and functional performance were measured in healthy peers. Systematic error, reliability and agreement were calculated. RESULTS......-retest separated by 1, 2, or 2.5 weeks in patients, and 1 week in healthy peers. SUBJECTS: Patients with hip osteoarthritis (age range 61-83 years) with 1 (n = 37), 2 (n = 35), or 2.5 weeks (n = 15) between tests, and 35 healthy peers (age range 63-82 years). METHODS: Maximal isometric hip and thigh strength, leg...

  14. Effect of isometric quadriceps exercise on muscle strength, pain, and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anwer, Shahnawaz; Alghadir, Ahmad

    2014-05-01

    [Purpose] The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of isometric quadriceps exercise on muscle strength, pain, and function in knee osteoarthritis. [Subjects and Methods] Outpatients (N=42, 21 per group; age range 40-65 years; 13 men and 29 women) with osteoarthritis of the knee participated in the study. The experimental group performed isometric exercises including isometric quadriceps, straight leg raising, and isometric hip adduction exercise 5 days a week for 5 weeks, whereas the control group did not performed any exercise program. The outcome measures or dependent variables selected for this study were pain intensity, isometric quadriceps strength, and knee function. These variables were measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), strength gauge device, and reduced WOMAC index, respectively. All the measurements were taken at baseline (week 0) and at the end of the trial at week 5. [Results] In between-group comparisons, the maximum isometric quadriceps strength, reduction in pain intensity, and improvement in function in the isometric exercise group at the end of the 5th week were significantly greater than those of the control group (pisometric quadriceps exercise program showed beneficial effects on quadriceps muscle strength, pain, and functional disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

  15. Self-consistent perturbed equilibrium with neoclassical toroidal torque in tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jong-Kyu; Logan, Nikolas C.

    2017-01-01

    Toroidal torque is one of the most important consequences of non-axisymmetric fields in tokamaks. The well-known neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) is due to the second-order toroidal force from anisotropic pressure tensor in the presence of these asymmetries. This work shows that the first-order toroidal force originating from the same anisotropic pressure tensor, despite having no flux surface average, can significantly modify the local perturbed force balance and thus must be included in perturbed equilibrium self-consistent with NTV. The force operator with an anisotropic pressure tensor is not self-adjoint when the NTV torque is finite and thus is solved directly for each component. This approach yields a modified, non-self-adjoint Euler-Lagrange equation that can be solved using a variety of common drift-kinetic models in generalized tokamak geometry. The resulting energy and torque integral provides a unique way to construct a torque response matrix, which contains all the information of self-consistent NTV torque profiles obtainable by applying non-axisymmetric fields to the plasma. This torque response matrix can then be used to systematically optimize non-axisymmetric field distributions for desired NTV profiles. Published by AIP Publishing.

  16. Self-Consistent Sources Extensions of Modified Differential-Difference KP Equation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gegenhasi; Li, Ya-Qian; Zhang, Duo-Duo

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we investigate a modified differential-difference KP equation which is shown to have a continuum limit into the mKP equation. It is also shown that the solution of the modified differential-difference KP equation is related to the solution of the differential-difference KP equation through a Miura transformation. We first present the Grammian solution to the modified differential-difference KP equation, and then produce a coupled modified differential-difference KP system by applying the source generation procedure. The explicit N-soliton solution of the resulting coupled modified differential-difference system is expressed in compact forms by using the Grammian determinant and Casorati determinant. We also construct and solve another form of the self-consistent sources extension of the modified differential-difference KP equation, which constitutes a Bäcklund transformation for the differential-difference KP equation with self-consistent sources. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11601247 and 11605096, the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region under Grant Nos. 2016MS0115 and 2015MS0116 and the Innovation Fund Programme of Inner Mongolia University No. 20161115

  17. Self-consistent cluster theories for alloys with diagonal and off-diagonal disorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonis, A.; Garland, J.W.

    1978-01-01

    The molecular coherent-potential approximation (MCPA) and other, simpler cluster approximations for disordered alloys are studied both analytically and numerically for alloys with diagonal and off-diagonal disorder (ODD). First, the MCPA for alloys with only diagonal disorder is rederived within the interactor formalism of Blackman, Esterling, and Berk. This formalism, which simplifies the numerical implementation of the MCPA, is then used to generalize the MCPA so as to take account of ODD. It is shown that the analytic properties of the MCPA are preserved under this generalization. Also, two computationally simple cluster approximations, the self-consistent central-site approximation (SCCSA) and the self-consistent boundary-site approximation (SCBSA), are generalized to include the effects of ODD. It is shown that for one-dimensional systems with only nearest-neighbor hopping the SCBSA yields Green's functions which are identical to those given by the MCPA and thus are analytic, even in the presence of ODD. Finally, the results of numerical calculations are reported for one-dimensional systems with only nearest-neighbor hopping but with both diagonal and off-diagonal disorder. These calculations were performed using the single-site approximation of Blackman, Esterling, and Berk and three different cluster approximations: the multishell method previously proposed by the authors, the SCCSA, and the SCBSA. The results of these calculations are compared with exact results and with previous results obtained using the truncated t-matix approximation and the recent method of Kaplan and Gray. These comparisons suggest that the multishell method and the generalization of the SCBSA given in this paper are more efficient and accurate for the calculation of densities of states for systems with ODD. On the other hand, as expected, the SCCSA was found to yield severely nonanalytic results for the values of band parameters used

  18. Carboxyl functionalization of carbon fibers via aryl diazonium reaction in molten urea to enhance interfacial shear strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuwei; Meng, Linghui; Fan, Liquan; Wu, Guangshun; Ma, Lichun; Zhao, Min; Huang, Yudong

    2016-01-01

    Using molten urea as the solvent, carbon fibers were functionalized with carboxylic acid groups via aryl diazonium reaction in 15 min to improve their interfacial bonding with epoxy resin. The surface functionalization was quantified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed that the relative surface coverage of carboxylic acid groups increased from an initial percentage of 3.17-10.41%. Mechanical property test results indicated that the aryl diazonium reaction in this paper could improve the interfacial shear strength by 66%. Meanwhile, the technique did not adopt any pre-oxidation step to produce functional groups prior to grafting and was shown to maintain the tensile strength of the fibers. This methodology provided a rapid, facile and economically viable route to produce covalently functionalized carbon fibers in large quantities with an eco-friendly method.

  19. Effect of EMIC Wave Normal Angle Distribution on Relativistic Electron Scattering Based on the Newly Developed Self-consistent RC/EMIC Waves Model by Khazanov et al. [2006

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khazanov, G. V.; Gallagher, D. L.; Gamayunov, K.

    2007-01-01

    It is well known that the effects of EMIC waves on RC ion and RB electron dynamics strongly depend on such particle/wave characteristics as the phase-space distribution function, frequency, wave-normal angle, wave energy, and the form of wave spectral energy density. Therefore, realistic characteristics of EMIC waves should be properly determined by modeling the RC-EMIC waves evolution self-consistently. Such a selfconsistent model progressively has been developing by Khaznnov et al. [2002-2006]. It solves a system of two coupled kinetic equations: one equation describes the RC ion dynamics and another equation describes the energy density evolution of EMIC waves. Using this model, we present the effectiveness of relativistic electron scattering and compare our results with previous work in this area of research.

  20. Self-consistent electronic structure of the refractory metal ZrB2, a pseudographite intercalation compound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D.L.; Harmon, B.N.; Liu, S.H.

    1980-01-01

    The self-consistent band structure of ZrB 2 has been evaluated using the KKR method. It is noted that a large charge transfer is not necessary to explain many of the experimental results which can be understood in terms of the band structure and the bonding nature of the wave functions. X-ray photoemission spectra and optical reflectance measurements are compared with the calculated density of states and joint density of states, respectively. The calculations are also discussed with reference to nuclear quadrupole experiments, Hall effect measurements, and the electronic specific heat. The similarities to intercalated graphite and related compounds are discussed and the strong bonding as reflected in the hardness and high melting point is considered

  1. Thigh and knee circumference, knee-extension strength, and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Bente; Kristensen, Morten Tange; Husted, Henrik

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To (1) quantify changes in knee-extension strength and functional-performance at discharge after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA) and (2) investigate whether these changes correlate to changes in thigh and knee circumference (ie, swelling) or pain. DESIGN: A prospective, descrip......OBJECTIVE: To (1) quantify changes in knee-extension strength and functional-performance at discharge after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA) and (2) investigate whether these changes correlate to changes in thigh and knee circumference (ie, swelling) or pain. DESIGN: A prospective......, descriptive, hypothesis-generating study. SETTING: A special unit for fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty operations at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four patients (20 women and 4 men; ages 69 ± 6.1 years) scheduled for primary unilateral THA. METHODS: All patients were evaluated before surgery......, except for hip pain. The average loss in knee-extension strength after surgery (32%, P = .01) did not correlate with increased thigh circumference (6%, P

  2. Solubilization of myofibrillar proteins in water or low ionic strength media: Classical techniques, basic principles, and novel functionalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xing; Tume, Ron K; Xu, Xinglian; Zhou, Guanghong

    2017-10-13

    The qualitative characteristics of meat products are closely related to the functionality of muscle proteins. Myofibrillar proteins (MPs), comprising approximately 50% of total muscle proteins, are generally considered to be insoluble in solutions of low ionic strength ( 0.3 M) for solubilization. These soluble proteins are the ones which determine many functional properties of meat products, including emulsification and thermal gelation. In order to increase the utilization of meat and meat products, many studies have investigated the solubilization of MPs in water or low ionic strength media and determining their functionality. However, there still remains a lack of systematic information on the functional properties of MPs solubilized in this manner. Hence, this review will explore some typical techniques that have been used. The main procedures used for their solubilization, the fundamental principles and their functionalities in water (low ionic strength medium) are comprehensively discussed. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of each technique are summarized. Finally, future considerations are presented to facilitate progress in this new area and to enable water soluble muscle MPs to be utilized as novel meat ingredients in the food industry.

  3. Functional-derivative study of the Hubbard model. III. Fully renormalized Green's function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, T.; Cohen, M.H.

    1980-01-01

    The functional-derivative method of calculating the Green's function developed earlier for the Hubbard model is generalized and used to obtain a fully renormalized solution. Higher-order functional derivatives operating on the basic Green's functions, G and GAMMA, are all evaluated explicitly, thus making the solution applicable to the narrow-band region as well as the wide-band region. Correction terms Phi generated from functional derivatives of equal-time Green's functions of the type delta/sup n/ /deltaepsilon/sup n/, etc., with n > or = 2. It is found that the Phi's are, in fact, renormalization factors involved in the self-energy Σ and that the structure of the Phi's resembles that of Σ and contains the same renormalization factors Phi. The renormalization factors Phi are shown to satisfy a set of equations and can be evaluated self-consistently. In the presence of the Phi's, all difficulties found in the previous results (papers I and II) are removed, and the energy spectrum ω can now be evaluated for all occupations n. The Schwinger relation is the only basic relation used in generating this fully self-consistent Green's function, and the Baym-Kadanoff continuity condition is automatically satisfied

  4. Bounds and self-consistent estimates for elastic constants of granular polycrystals composed of orthorhombics or crystal with higher symmetries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berryman, J. G.

    2011-02-01

    Methods for computing Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and related self-consistent estimates of elastic constants for polycrystals composed of crystals having orthorhombic symmetry have been known for about three decades. However, these methods are underutilized, perhaps because of some perceived difficulties with implementing the necessary computational procedures. Several simplifications of these techniques are introduced, thereby reducing the overall computational burden, as well as the complications inherent in mapping out the Hashin-Shtrikman bounding curves. The self-consistent estimates of the effective elastic constants are very robust, involving a quickly converging iteration procedure. Once these self-consistent values are known, they may then be used to speed up the computations of the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds themselves. It is shown furthermore that the resulting orthorhombic polycrystal code can be used as well to compute both bounds and self-consistent estimates for polycrystals of higher-symmetry tetragonal, hexagonal, and cubic (but not trigonal) materials. The self-consistent results found this way are shown to be the same as those obtained using the earlier methods, specifically those methods designed specially for each individual symmetry type. But the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds found using the orthorhombic code are either the same or (more typically) tighter than those found previously for these special cases (i.e., tetragonal, hexagonal, and cubic). The improvement in the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds is presumably due to the additional degrees of freedom introduced into the available search space.

  5. Direct detection of WIMPs: implications of a self-consistent truncated isothermal model of the Milky Way's dark matter halo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhury, Soumini; Bhattacharjee, Pijushpani; Cowsik, Ramanath

    2010-09-01

    Direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) candidates of Dark Matter (DM) is studied within the context of a self-consistent truncated isothermal model of the finite-size dark halo of the Galaxy. The halo model, based on the ``King model'' of the phase space distribution function of collisionless DM particles, takes into account the modifications of the phase-space structure of the halo due to the gravitational influence of the observed visible matter in a self-consistent manner. The parameters of the halo model are determined by a fit to a recently determined circular rotation curve of the Galaxy that extends up to ~ 60 kpc. Unlike in the Standard Halo Model (SHM) customarily used in the analysis of the results of WIMP direct detection experiments, the velocity distribution of the WIMPs in our model is non-Maxwellian with a cut-off at a maximum velocity that is self-consistently determined by the model itself. For our halo model that provides the best fit to the rotation curve data, the 90% C.L. upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section from the recent results of the CDMS-II experiment, for example, is ~ 5.3 × 10-8 pb at a WIMP mass of ~ 71 GeV. We also find, using the original 2-bin annual modulation amplitude data on the nuclear recoil event rate seen in the DAMA experiment, that there exists a range of small WIMP masses, typically ~ 2-16 GeV, within which DAMA collaboration's claimed annual modulation signal purportedly due to WIMPs is compatible with the null results of other experiments. These results, based as they are on a self-consistent model of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy, strengthen the possibility of low-mass (lsim10 GeV) WIMPs as a candidate for dark matter as indicated by several earlier studies performed within the context of the SHM. A more rigorous analysis using DAMA bins over smaller intervals should be able to better constrain the ``DAMA regions'' in the WIMP parameter space within the context of

  6. Second-order perturbation theory with a density matrix renormalization group self-consistent field reference function: theory and application to the study of chromium dimer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurashige, Yuki; Yanai, Takeshi

    2011-09-07

    We present a second-order perturbation theory based on a density matrix renormalization group self-consistent field (DMRG-SCF) reference function. The method reproduces the solution of the complete active space with second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) when the DMRG reference function is represented by a sufficiently large number of renormalized many-body basis, thereby being named DMRG-CASPT2 method. The DMRG-SCF is able to describe non-dynamical correlation with large active space that is insurmountable to the conventional CASSCF method, while the second-order perturbation theory provides an efficient description of dynamical correlation effects. The capability of our implementation is demonstrated for an application to the potential energy curve of the chromium dimer, which is one of the most demanding multireference systems that require best electronic structure treatment for non-dynamical and dynamical correlation as well as large basis sets. The DMRG-CASPT2/cc-pwCV5Z calculations were performed with a large (3d double-shell) active space consisting of 28 orbitals. Our approach using large-size DMRG reference addressed the problems of why the dissociation energy is largely overestimated by CASPT2 with the small active space consisting of 12 orbitals (3d4s), and also is oversensitive to the choice of the zeroth-order Hamiltonian. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  7. The influence of lung function and muscular strength on the functional capacity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sérgio Leite Rodrigues

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To determine which variable (forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2, nocturnal hypoxaemia and muscular strength of femoral quadriceps can predict the distance walked in the six-minute walk test (6MWT by COPD patients. Methods: A cross-sectional and observational study of thirty patients referred to a pulmonary rehabilita tion programme at a university hospital. Lung function was evaluated by spirometry, arterial blood gas analysis and nocturnal oximetry. Muscle function was evaluated by quadriceps strength and functional capacity by the 6MWT. Results: Bivariate regression analysis showed that quadriceps strength, was the only variable to correlate significantly with the distance walked in the 6MWT (p = 0.002, accounting for 38% of the 6MWT variance. The statistical relationship established for these variables was 1 kg of quadriceps strength equalled 5.9 metres walked in the 6MWT. Conclusions: Our results showed the importance of lower limb muscle strength in submaximal exercise testing. We conclude that femoral quadriceps muscle strength is the only one of the variables studied which can predict the distance COPD patients walk in the 6MWT. Resumo: Objectivo: Determinar que variável entre o volume expirado forçado no primeiro segundo (VEF1, a pressão parcial do oxigénio no sangue arterial (PaO2, a hipoxemia nocturna e a força muscular do quadricípite femoral pode predizer a distância percorrida no teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6 em doentes com DPOC. Doentes e métodos: Um estudo observacional do tipo transversal, envolvendo trinta doentes encaminhados a um programa de reabilitação pulmonar de um hospital universitário. A função pulmonar foi avaliada por espirometria, gasometria arterial e oximetria nocturna. A função muscular pela força muscular do quadricípite femoral e a avaliação da capacidade funcional pelo TC6

  8. Odd-even mass differences from self-consistent mean field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertsch, G. F.; Bertulani, C. A.; Nazarewicz, W.; Schunck, N.; Stoitsov, M. V.

    2009-01-01

    We survey odd-even nuclear binding energy staggering using density functional theory with several treatments of the pairing interaction including the BCS, Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov, and the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov with the Lipkin-Nogami approximation. We calculate the second difference of binding energies and compare the results with 443 measured neutron energy differences in isotope chains and 418 measured proton energy differences in isotone chains. The particle-hole part of the energy functional is taken as the SLy4 Skyrme parametrization, and the pairing part of the functional is based on a contact interaction with possible density dependence. An important feature of the data, reproduced by the theory, is the sharp gap quenching at magic numbers. With the strength of the interaction as a free parameter, the theory can reproduce the data to an rms accuracy of about 0.25 MeV. This is slightly better than a single-parameter phenomenological description but slightly poorer than the usual two-parameter phenomenological form c/A α . The following conclusions can be made about the performance of common parametrization of the pairing interaction: (i) there is a weak preference for a surface-peaked neutron-neutron pairing, which might be attributable to many-body effects, (ii) a larger strength is required in the proton pairing channel than in the neutron pairing channel, and (iii) pairing strengths adjusted to the well-known spherical isotope chains are too weak to give a good overall fit to the mass differences

  9. Boundary conditions for quasiclassical Green's function for superfluid Fermi systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagai, K.; Hara, J.

    1988-01-01

    The authors show that the quasiclassical Green's Function for Fermi liquids can be constructed from the solutions of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation within the Andreev approximation and derive self-consistent relations to be satisfied by the quasiclassical Green's function at the surfaces. The so-called normalization condition for the quasiclassical Green's function is obtained from this self-consistent relation. They consider a specularly reflecting wall, a randomly rippled wall, and a proximity boundary as model surfaces. Their boundary condition for the randomly rippled wall is different from that derived by Buchholtz and Rainer and Buchholtz

  10. A self-consistent model of rich clusters of galaxies. I. The galactic component of a cluster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konyukov, M.V.

    1985-01-01

    It is shown that to obtain the distribution function for the galactic component of a cluster reduces in the last analysis to solving the boundary-value problem for the gravitational potential of a self-consistent field. The distribution function is determined by two main parameters. An algorithm is constructed for the solution of the problem, and a program is set up to solve it. It is used to establish the region of values of the parameters in the problem for which solutions exist. The scheme proposed is extended to the case where there exists in the cluster a separate central body with a known density distribution (for example, a cD galaxy). A method is indicated for the estimation of the parameters of the model from the results of observations of clusters of galaxies in the optical range

  11. Strengths-based Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ledertoug, Mette Marie

    -being. The Ph.D.-project in Strength-based learning took place in a Danish school with 750 pupils age 6-16 and a similar school was functioning as a control group. The presentation will focus on both the aware-explore-apply processes and the practical implications for the schools involved, and on measurable......Strength-based learning - Children͛s Character Strengths as Means to their Learning Potential͛ is a Ph.D.-project aiming to create a strength-based mindset in school settings and at the same time introducing strength-based interventions as specific tools to improve both learning and well...

  12. Poor physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care is related to muscle strength rather than to measures of sarcopenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woods, Julie L; Iuliano-Burns, Sandra; King, Susannah J; Strauss, Boyd J; Walker, Karen Z

    2011-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and investigate relationships among body composition, muscle strength, and physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care. Sixty-three ambulatory women (mean age 86 years) participated in this cross-sectional study where body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); ankle, knee, and hip strength by the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester; and physical function by 'timed up and go' (TUG) and walking speed (WS) over 6 meters. Body composition data from a female reference group (n = 62, mean age 29 years) provided cut-off values for defining sarcopenia. Elderly women had higher body mass index (P sarcopenia (defined by appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height squared) whereas 37% had relative sarcopenia class II (defined by percentage skeletal muscle mass). Scores for TUG and WS indicated relatively poor physical function, yet these measures were not associated with muscle mass or indices of sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, only hip abductor strength predicted both TUG and WS (both P = 0.01). Hip strength is a more important indicator of physical functioning than lean mass. Measurement of hip strength may therefore be a useful screening tool to detect those at risk of functional decline and requirement for additional care. Further longitudinal studies with a range of other strength measures are warranted.

  13. p and d wave neutron strength functions for rare earth nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kononov, V.N.; Yurlov, B.D.

    1978-01-01

    The authors obtained p and d wave neutron strength functions by analysis of average fast neutron radiative capture cross-sections for the isotopes sup(142, 144, 146, 148, 150)Nd, sup(144, 147, 148, 149, 150, 152, 154)Sm, sup(151, 153)Eu, sup(156, 158, 160)Gd and sup(166, 168, 170)Er. The data are compared with results obtained by other authors, with calculations based on the optical model and with computations based on the semi-microscopic approach. (author)

  14. Higher order alchemical derivatives from coupled perturbed self-consistent field theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lesiuk, Michał; Balawender, Robert; Zachara, Janusz

    2012-01-21

    We present an analytical approach to treat higher order derivatives of Hartree-Fock (HF) and Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory energy in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation with respect to the nuclear charge distribution (so-called alchemical derivatives). Modified coupled perturbed self-consistent field theory is used to calculate molecular systems response to the applied perturbation. Working equations for the second and the third derivatives of HF/KS energy are derived. Similarly, analytical forms of the first and second derivatives of orbital energies are reported. The second derivative of Kohn-Sham energy and up to the third derivative of Hartree-Fock energy with respect to the nuclear charge distribution were calculated. Some issues of practical calculations, in particular the dependence of the basis set and Becke weighting functions on the perturbation, are considered. For selected series of isoelectronic molecules values of available alchemical derivatives were computed and Taylor series expansion was used to predict energies of the "surrounding" molecules. Predicted values of energies are in unexpectedly good agreement with the ones computed using HF/KS methods. Presented method allows one to predict orbital energies with the error less than 1% or even smaller for valence orbitals. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

  15. Self-consistent field theory of polymer-ionic molecule complexation

    OpenAIRE

    Nakamura, Issei; Shi, An-Chang

    2010-01-01

    A self-consistent field theory is developed for polymers that are capable of binding small ionic molecules (adsorbates). The polymer-ionic molecule association is described by Ising-like binding variables, C_(i)^(a)(kΔ)(= 0 or 1), whose average determines the number of adsorbed molecules, nBI. Polymer gelation can occur through polymer-ionic molecule complexation in our model. For polymer-polymer cross-links through the ionic molecules, three types of solutions for nBI are obtained, depending...

  16. Bicontinuous Phases in Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends: Simulation and Self-Consistent Field Theory

    KAUST Repository

    Martínez-Veracoechea, Francisco J.; Escobedo, Fernando A.

    2009-01-01

    A combination of particle-based simulations and self-consistent field theory (SCFT) is used to study the stabilization of multiple ordered bicontinuous phases in blends of a diblock copolymer (DBC) and a homopolymer. The double-diamond phase (DD

  17. Muscle activity during functional coordination training: implications for strength gain and rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Marie Birk; Andersen, Lars Louis; Kirk, Niels

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate if different types, body positions, and levels of progression of functional coordination exercises can provide sufficiently high levels of muscle activity to improve strength of the neck, shoulder, and trunk muscles. Nine untrained women were familiarized...... to the maximal EMG activity during maximal voluntary contractions, and a p value 60% of maximal EMG activity). Type of exercise played a significant role...

  18. Effects of eccentric-focused and conventional resistance training on strength and functional capacity of older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Caroline Pieta; Toscan, Rafael; de Camargo, Mainara; Pereira, Evelyn Possobom; Griebler, Nathália; Baroni, Bruno Manfredini; Tiggemann, Carlos Leandro

    2015-10-01

    The aim of the study was to assess the effect of eccentric training using a constant load with longer exposure time at the eccentric phase on knee extensor muscle strength and functional capacity of elderly subjects in comparison with a conventional resistance training program. Twenty-six healthy elderly women (age = 67 ± 6 years) were randomly assigned to an eccentric-focused training group (ETG; n = 13) or a conventional training group (CTG; n = 13). Subjects underwent 12 weeks of resistance training twice a week. For the ETG, concentric and eccentric phases were performed using 1.5 and 4.5 s, respectively, while for CTG, each phase lasted 1.5 s. Maximum dynamic strength was assessed by the one-repetition maximum (1RM) test in the leg press and knee extension exercises, and for functional capacity, subjects performed specific tests (6-m walk test, timed up-and-go test, stair-climbing test, and chair-rising test). Both groups improved knee extension 1RM (24-26 %; p = 0.021), timed up-and-go test (11-16 %; p training volume and intensity does not promote different adaptations in strength or functional capacity compared to conventional resistance training in elderly woman.

  19. Two-particle self-consistent approach to unconventional superconductivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Otsuki, Junya [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); Theoretische Physik III, Zentrum fuer Elektronische Korrelationen und Magnetismus, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany)

    2013-07-01

    A non-perturbative approach to unconventional superconductivity is developed based on the idea of the two-particle self-consistent (TPSC) theory. An exact sum-rule which the momentum-dependent pairing susceptibility satisfies is derived. Effective pairing interactions between quasiparticles are determined so that an approximate susceptibility should fulfill this sum-rule, in which fluctuations belonging to different symmetries mix at finite momentum. The mixing leads to a suppression of the d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}} pairing close to the half-filling, resulting in a maximum of T{sub c} away from half-filling.

  20. Poisson solvers for self-consistent multi-particle simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiang, J; Paret, S

    2014-01-01

    Self-consistent multi-particle simulation plays an important role in studying beam-beam effects and space charge effects in high-intensity beams. The Poisson equation has to be solved at each time-step based on the particle density distribution in the multi-particle simulation. In this paper, we review a number of numerical methods that can be used to solve the Poisson equation efficiently. The computational complexity of those numerical methods will be O(N log(N)) or O(N) instead of O(N2), where N is the total number of grid points used to solve the Poisson equation

  1. Knee Extensor Strength and Risk of Structural, Symptomatic, and Functional Decline in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Culvenor, Adam G; Ruhdorfer, Anja; Juhl, Carsten; Eckstein, Felix; Øiestad, Britt Elin

    2017-05-01

    To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between knee extensor strength and the risk of structural, symptomatic, or functional deterioration in individuals with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). We systematically identified and methodologically appraised all longitudinal studies (≥1-year followup) reporting an association between knee extensor strength and structural (tibiofemoral, patellofemoral), symptomatic (self-reported, knee replacement), or functional (subjective, objective) decline in individuals with or at risk of radiographic or symptomatic KOA. Results were pooled for each of the above associations using meta-analysis, or if necessary, summarized according to a best-evidence synthesis. Fifteen studies were included, evaluating >8,000 participants (51% female), with a followup time between 1.5 and 8 years. Meta-analysis revealed that lower knee extensor strength was associated with an increased risk of symptomatic (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC] pain: odds ratio [OR] 1.35, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-1.67) and functional decline (WOMAC function: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.00-1.89, and chair-stand task: OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.03-1.04), but not increased risk of radiographic tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (JSN) (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.84-1.56). No trend in risk was observed for KOA status (present versus absent). Best-evidence synthesis showed inconclusive evidence for lower knee extensor strength being associated with increased risk of patellofemoral deterioration. Meta-analysis showed that lower knee extensor strength is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic and functional deterioration, but not tibiofemoral JSN. The risk of patellofemoral deterioration in the presence of knee extensor strength deficits is inconclusive. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

  2. Carbonate adsorption onto goethite as a function of pH and ionic strength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rundberg, R.S.; Albinsson, Y.

    1991-01-01

    The adsorption of carbonate onto geothite was studied as a function of both pH and ionic strength (NaClO 4 electrolyte) using 14 C tracer. The pH ranged from 2.5 to 11.6. The ionic strength was controlled by varying the NaClO 4 concentration and ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 molar. The results indicate that carbonate is adsorbed on goethite as primarily an inner-sphere complex at pH values above the point of zero charge. This is inferred from the lack of dependence on ionic strength in the adsorption of carbonate. Below the point of zero charge carbonate is adsorbed by an additional outer-sphere mechanism. An adsorption isotherm was measured at pH 7.0 with an electrolyte concentration of 0.01M. Deconvolution of the isotherm proved that at least two sorption mechanisms exist. These mechanisms lead to large distribution coefficients at low pH. Thereby making the complete removal and exclusion of carbonate from an aqueous goethite system difficult, for the purpose of characterizing a ''clean'' goethite surface

  3. Analysis of pain, functional capacity, muscular strength and balance in young women with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camile Ludovico Zamboti

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS is associated with anterior knee pain, changes in functional capacity, balance and muscle strength disorders. Objective: To quantify pain, functional capacity, strength in quadriceps (Q, gluteus medium (GM, hip external rotator (ER muscles and balance in sedentary women with PFPS. Methods: Twenty sedentary women, aged 18 to 25 years, were divided into two groups: PFPS (N=10 and control group (N=10. All the volunteers answered the items of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, the Lysholm Knee Score Scale, the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS, and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS. The participants performed the following tests: maximal voluntary isometric contraction measured by dynamometry; postural balance using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT and a force platform. Statistical analyses were performed using the Shapiro Wilk test, the Mann Whitney U test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Data were submitted to SPSS 20 software. Results: The PFPS group presented greater pain, balance impairment and higher average velocity of oscillation; however, no differences were observed in Q, GM and RE muscle strength and in balance analyzed by SEBT. Conclusion: Women with PFPS exhibited greater pain, worse functional capacity and body balance. Moderate correlation between both balance tests suggests the use of SEBT when the force platform is not available, which could facilitate and highlight the importance of clinical diagnosis with regard to postural balance.

  4. Vascular Function and Handgrip Strength in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud A. Alomari

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To examine the relationship of handgrip strength with forearm blood flow (BF and vascular resistance (VR in rheumatoid arthritis (RA patients. Methods. Forearm BF at rest (RBF and after upper arm occlusion (RHBF, and handgrip strength were examined in 78 individuals (RA=42 and controls (CT=36. Subsequently, VR at rest (RVR and after occlusion (RHVR were calculated. Results. The patients’ RBF (P=0.02 and RHBF (P=0.0001 were less, whereas RVR (P=0.002 and RHVR (P=0.0001 were greater as compared to the CTs. Similarly, handgrip strength was lower in the RAs (P=0.0001. Finally, handgrip strength was directly associated with RBF (r=0.43; P=0.0001, and RHBF (r=0.5; P=0.0001, and inversely related to RVR (r=-0.3; P=0.009 and RHVR (r=-0.3; P=0.007. Conclusion. The present study uniquely identifies an association between regional measures of forearm blood flow and handgrip strength in patients and healthy control. In addition, this study confirms the presence of vascular and muscle dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as evidenced by lower forearm blood flow indices, at rest and following occlusion, and lower handgrip strength as compared to healthy individuals.

  5. Improved Strength and Toughness of Carbon Woven Fabric Composites with Functionalized MWCNTs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eslam Soliman

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This investigation examines the role of carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWCNTs in the on- and off-axis flexure and the shear responses of thin carbon woven fabric composite plates. The chemically functionalized COOH-MWCNTs were used to fabricate epoxy nanocomposites and, subsequently, carbon woven fabric plates to be tested on flexure and shear. In addition to the neat epoxy, three loadings of COOH-MWCNTs were examined: 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt% and 1.5 wt% of epoxy. While no significant statistical difference in the flexure response of the on-axis specimens was observed, significant increases in the flexure strength, modulus and toughness of the off-axis specimens were observed. The average increase in flexure strength and flexure modulus with the addition of 1.5 wt% COOH-MWCNTs improved by 28% and 19%, respectively. Finite element modeling is used to demonstrate fiber domination in on-axis flexure behavior and matrix domination in off-axis flexure behavior. Furthermore, the 1.5 wt% COOH-MWCNTs increased the toughness of carbon woven composites tested on shear by 33%. Microstructural investigation using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR proves the existence of chemical bonds between the COOH-MWCNTs and the epoxy matrix.

  6. Dual task multimodal physical training in Alzheimer’s disease: effect on cognitive functions and muscle strength

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Naves Ferreira

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dual task multimodal physical training (MPT on the cognitive functions and muscle strength in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were 19 subjects with AD in the mild and moderate stages, divided into training group (TG and control group (CG. The TG performed dual task MPT for 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated at the pre- and post-intervention moments. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, Clock Drawing Test (CDT and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB were used to assess cognition. For muscle strength, the Chair Lift and Sit Test (CLST and Manual Grasp Force (MGF were used. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze pre and post intragroup moments. The TG showed a significant improvement in FAB and CLST (p≤0.05 and a tendency to improve the MMSE score (p≤0.08. The CG showed significant improvement in CLST (p≤0.05. Dual task MPT improves the frontal cognitive functions and lower limb muscle strength of older adults with AD.

  7. Low- and High-Volume Water-Based Resistance Training Induces Similar Strength and Functional Capacity Improvements in Older Women: A Randomized Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichert, Thaís; Delevatti, Rodrigo Sudatti; Prado, Alexandre Konig Garcia; Bagatini, Natália Carvalho; Simmer, Nicole Monticelli; Meinerz, Andressa Pellegrini; Barroso, Bruna Machado; Costa, Rochelle Rocha; Kanitz, Ana Carolina; Kruel, Luiz Fernando Martins

    2018-03-27

    Water-based resistance training (WRT) has been indicated to promote strength gains in elderly population. However, no study has compared different training strategies to identify the most efficient one. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 3 WRT strategies on the strength and functional capacity of older women. In total, 36 women were randomly allocated to training groups: simple set of 30 seconds [1 × 30s; 66.41 (1.36) y; n = 12], multiple sets of 10 seconds [3 × 10s; 66.50 (1.43) y; n = 11], and simple set of 10 seconds [1 × 10s; 65.23 (1.09) y; n = 13]. Training lasted for 12 weeks. The maximal dynamic strength (in kilograms) and muscular endurance (number of repetitions) of knee extension, knee flexion, elbow flexion, and bench press, as well as functional capacity (number of repetitions), were evaluated. All types of training promoted similar gains in maximal dynamic strength of knee extension and flexion as well as elbow flexion. Only the 1 × 30s and 1 × 10s groups presented increments in bench press maximal strength. All 3 groups showed increases in muscular endurance in all exercises and functional capacity. WRT using long- or short-duration simple sets promotes the same gains in strength and functional capacity in older women as does WRT using multiple sets.

  8. LIDT-DD: A New Self-Consistent Debris Disc Model Including Radiation Pressure and Coupling Dynamical and Collisional Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kral, Q.; Thebault, P.; Charnoz, S.

    2014-01-01

    The first attempt at developing a fully self-consistent code coupling dynamics and collisions to study debris discs (Kral et al. 2013) is presented. So far, these two crucial mechanisms were studied separately, with N-body and statistical collisional codes respectively, because of stringent computational constraints. We present a new model named LIDT-DD which is able to follow over long timescales the coupled evolution of dynamics (including radiation forces) and collisions in a self-consistent way.

  9. On the hydrodynamic limit of self-consistent field equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pauli, H.C.

    1980-01-01

    As an approximation to the nuclear many-body problem, the hydrodynamical limit of self-consistent field equations is worked out and applied to the treatment of vibrational and rotational motion. Its validity is coupled to the value of a smallness parameter, behaving as 20Asup(-2/3) with the number of nucleons. For finite nuclei, this number is not small enough as compared to 1, and indeed one observes a discrepancy of roughly a factor of 5 between the hydrodynamic frequencies and the relevant experimental numbers. (orig.)

  10. Performance on the Functional Movement Screen Is Related to Hop Performance But Not to Hip and Knee Strength in Collegiate Football Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willigenburg, Nienke; Hewett, Timothy E

    2017-03-01

    To define the relationship between Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores and hop performance, hip strength, and knee strength in collegiate football players. Cross-sectional cohort. Freshmen of a Division I collegiate American football team (n = 59). The athletes performed the FMS, and also a variety of hop tests, isokinetic knee strength, and isometric hip strength tasks. We recorded total FMS score, peak strength, and hop performance, and we calculated asymmetries between legs on the different tasks. Spearman correlation coefficients quantified the relationships between these measures, and χ analyses compared the number of athletes with asymmetries on the different tasks. We observed significant correlations (r = 0.38-0.56, P ≤ 0.02) between FMS scores and hop distance but not between FMS scores and hip or knee strength (all P ≥ 0.21). The amount of asymmetry on the FMS test was significantly correlated to the amount of asymmetry on the timed 6-m hop (r = 0.44, P hip or knee strength asymmetries between limbs (all P ≥ 0.34). Functional Movement Screen score was positively correlated to hop distance, and limb asymmetry in FMS tasks was correlated to limb asymmetry in 6-m hop time in football players. No significant correlations were observed between FMS score and hip and knee strength or between FMS asymmetry and asymmetries in hip and knee strength between limbs. These results indicate that a simple hop for distance test may be a time-efficient and cost-efficient alternative to FMS testing in athletes and that functional asymmetries between limbs do not coincide with strength asymmetries.

  11. The validity and reliability of the Functional Strength Measurement (FSM) in children with intellectual disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aertssen, W F M; Steenbergen, B; Smits-Engelsman, B C M

    2018-06-07

    There is lack of valid and reliable field-based tests for assessing functional strength in young children with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs). The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Functional Strength Measurement in children with ID (FSM-ID). Fifty-two children with mild ID (40 boys and 12 girls, mean age 8.48 years, SD = 1.48) were tested with the FSM. Test-retest reliability (n = 32) was examined by a two-way interclass correlation coefficient for agreement (ICC 2.1A). Standard error of measurement and smallest detectable change were calculated. Construct validity was determined by calculating correlations between the FSM-ID and handheld dynamometry (HHD) (convergent validity), FSM-ID, FSM-ID and subtest strength of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency - second edition (BOT-2) (convergent validity) and the FSM-ID and balance subtest of the BOT-2 (discriminant validity). Test-retest reliability ICC ranged 0.89-0.98. Correlation between the items of the FSM-ID and HHD ranged 0.39-0.79 and between FSM-ID and BOT-2 (strength items) 0.41-0.80. Correlation between items of the FSM-ID and BOT-2 (balance items) ranged 0.41-0.70. The FSM-ID showed good test-retest reliability and good convergent validity with the HHD and BOT-2 subtest strength. The correlations assessing discriminant validity were higher than expected. Poor levels of postural control and core stability in children with mild IDs may be the underlying factor of those higher correlations. © 2018 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Self-consistent calculation of the coupling constant in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherny, A.Yu.; Brand, J.

    2004-01-01

    A method is proposed for a self-consistent evaluation of the coupling constant in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation without involving a pseudopotential replacement. A renormalization of the coupling constant occurs due to medium effects and the trapping potential, e.g., in quasi-1D or quasi-2D systems. It is shown that a simplified version of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approximation leads to a variational problem for both the condensate and a two-body wave function describing the behavior of a pair of bosons in the Bose-Einstein condensate. The resulting coupled equations are free of unphysical divergences. Particular cases of this scheme that admit analytical estimations are considered and compared to the literature. In addition to the well-known cases of low-dimensional trapping, crossover regimes can be studied. The values of the kinetic, interaction, external, and release energies in low dimensions are also evaluated and contributions due to short-range correlations are found to be substantial

  13. Self-consistent RPA calculations with Skyrme-type interactions: The skyrme_rpa program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colò, Gianluca; Cao, Ligang; Van Giai, Nguyen; Capelli, Luigi

    2013-01-01

    the Random Phase Approximation (RPA). This work provides a tool where one starts from an assumed form of nuclear effective interaction (the Skyrme forces) and builds the self-consistent Hartree-Fock mean field of a given nucleus, and then the RPA multipole excitations of that nucleus. Solution method: The Hartree-Fock (HF) equations are solved in a radial mesh, using a Numerov algorithm. The solutions are iterated until self-consistency is achieved (in practice, when the energy eigenvalues are stable within a desired accuracy). In the obtained mean field, unoccupied states necessary for the RPA calculations are found. For all single-particle states, box boundary conditions are assumed. To solve the RPA problem for a given value of total angular momentum and parity Jπ a coupled basis is constructed and the RPA matrix is diagonalized (protons and neutrons are treated explicitly, and no approximation related to the use of isospin formalism is introduced). The transition amplitudes and transition strengths associated to given external operators are calculated. The HF densities and RPA transition densities are also evaluated. Restrictions: The main restrictions are related to the assumed spherical symmetry and absence of pairing correlations. Running time: The typical running time depends strongly on the nucleus, on the multipolarity, on the choice of the model space and of course on the computer. It can vary from a few minutes to several hours.

  14. Total energy calculation of perovskite, BaTiO3, by self-consistent

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    rgy, lattice constant, density of states, band structure etc using self-consistent tight binding method. ... share the paraelectric simple-cubic perovskite structure .... of neighbouring ions. In order to find the ground state, we solve the variation problem, minimizing Etot with respect to the coefficients, .*,λµ ic. The final equation is.

  15. Self-consistent gyrokinetic modeling of neoclassical and turbulent impurity transport

    OpenAIRE

    Estève , D. ,; Sarazin , Y.; Garbet , X.; Grandgirard , V.; Breton , S. ,; Donnel , P. ,; Asahi , Y. ,; Bourdelle , C.; Dif-Pradalier , G; Ehrlacher , C.; Emeriau , C.; Ghendrih , Ph; Gillot , C.; Latu , G.; Passeron , C.

    2018-01-01

    International audience; Trace impurity transport is studied with the flux-driven gyrokinetic GYSELA code [V. Grandgirard et al., Comp. Phys. Commun. 207, 35 (2016)]. A reduced and linearized multi-species collision operator has been recently implemented, so that both neoclassical and turbulent transport channels can be treated self-consistently on an equal footing. In the Pfirsch-Schlüter regime likely relevant for tungsten, the standard expression of the neoclassical impurity flux is shown t...

  16. Modified forelimb grip strength test detects aging-associated physiological decline in skeletal muscle function in male mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeshita, Hikari; Yamamoto, Koichi; Nozato, Satoko; Inagaki, Tadakatsu; Tsuchimochi, Hirotsugu; Shirai, Mikiyasu; Yamamoto, Ryohei; Imaizumi, Yuki; Hongyo, Kazuhiro; Yokoyama, Serina; Takeda, Masao; Oguro, Ryosuke; Takami, Yoichi; Itoh, Norihisa; Takeya, Yasushi; Sugimoto, Ken; Fukada, So-Ichiro; Rakugi, Hiromi

    2017-02-08

    The conventional forelimb grip strength test is a widely used method to assess skeletal muscle function in rodents; in this study, we modified this method to improve its variability and consistency. The modified test had lower variability among trials and days than the conventional test in young C57BL6 mice, especially by improving the variabilities in male. The modified test was more sensitive than the conventional test to detect a difference in motor function between female and male mice, or between young and old male mice. When the modified test was performed on male mice during the aging process, reduction of grip strength manifested between 18 and 24 months of age at the group level and at the individual level. The modified test was similar to the conventional test in detecting skeletal muscle dysfunction in young male dystrophic mice. Thus, the modified forelimb grip strength test, with its improved validity and reliability may be an ideal substitute for the conventional method.

  17. Self-consistent field theory of protein adsorption in a non-Gaussian polyelectrolyte brush

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biesheuvel, P.M.; Leermakers, F.A.M.; Stuart, M.A.C.

    2006-01-01

    To describe adsorption of globular protein molecules in a polyelectrolyte brush we use the strong-stretching approximation of the Edwards self-consistent field equation, combined with corrections for a non-Gaussian brush. To describe chemical potentials in this mixture of (globular) species of

  18. Self-consistency condition and high-density virial theorem in relativistic many-particle systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalman, G.; Canuto, V.; Datta, B.

    1976-01-01

    In order for the thermodynamic and kinetic definitions of the chemical potential and the pressure to lead to identical results a nontrivial self-consistency criterion has to be satisfied. This, in turn, leads to a virial-like theorem in the high-density limit

  19. Self-consistent model calculations of the ordered S-matrix and the cylinder correction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millan, J.

    1977-11-01

    The multiperipheral ordered bootstrap of Rosenzweig and Veneziano is studied by using dual triple Regge couplings exhibiting the required threshold behavior. In the interval -0.5 less than or equal to t less than or equal to 0.8 GeV 2 self-consistent reggeon couplings and propagators are obtained for values of Regge slopes and intercepts consistent with the physical values for the leading natural-parity Regge trajectories. Cylinder effects on planar pole positions and couplings are calculated. By use of an unsymmetrical planar π--rho reggeon loop model, self-consistent solutions are obtained for the unnatural-parity mesons in the interval -0.5 less than or equal to t less than or equal to 0.6 GeV 2 . The effects of other Regge poles being neglected, the model gives a value of the π--eta splitting consistent with experiment. 24 figures, 1 table, 25 references

  20. Measures of static postural control moderate the association of strength and power with functional dynamic balance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forte, Roberta; Boreham, Colin A G; De Vito, Giuseppe; Ditroilo, Massimiliano; Pesce, Caterina

    2014-12-01

    Age-related reductions in strength and power are considered to negatively impact balance control, but the existence of a direct association is still an issue of debate. This is possibly due to the fact that balance assessment is complex, reflects different underlying physiologic mechanisms and involves quantitative measurements of postural sway or timing of performance during balance tasks. The present study evaluated the moderator effect of static postural control on the association of power and strength with dynamic balance tasks. Fifty-seven healthy 65-75 year old individuals performed tests of dynamic functional balance (walking speed under different conditions) and of strength, power and static postural control. Dynamic balance performance (walking speed) was associated with lower limb strength and power, as well as postural control under conditions requiring postural adjustments (narrow surface walking r(2) = 0.31, p balance tasks. Practical implications for assessment and training are discussed.

  1. Self-consistent modeling of amorphous silicon devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hack, M.

    1987-01-01

    The authors developed a computer model to describe the steady-state behaviour of a range of amorphous silicon devices. It is based on the complete set of transport equations and takes into account the important role played by the continuous distribution of localized states in the mobility gap of amorphous silicon. Using one set of parameters they have been able to self-consistently simulate the current-voltage characteristics of p-i-n (or n-i-p) solar cells under illumination, the dark behaviour of field-effect transistors, p-i-n diodes and n-i-n diodes in both the ohmic and space charge limited regimes. This model also describes the steady-state photoconductivity of amorphous silicon, in particular, its dependence on temperature, doping and illumination intensity

  2. Self-consistent simulation of the CSR effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, R.; Bohn, C.L.; Bisogano, J.J.

    1998-01-01

    When a microbunch with high charge traverses a curved trajectory, the curvature-induced bunch self-interaction, by way of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) and space-charge forces, may cause serious emittance degradation. In this paper, the authors present a self-consistent simulation for the study of the impact of CSR on beam optics. The dynamics of the bunch under the influence of the CSR forces is simulated using macroparticles, where the CSR force in turn depends on the history of bunch dynamics in accordance with causality. The simulation is benchmarked with analytical results obtained for a rigid-line bunch. Here they present the algorithm used in the simulation, along with the simulation results obtained for bending systems in the Jefferson Lab (JLab) free-electron-laser (FEL) lattice

  3. Knee function and knee muscle strength in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tears eligible for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stensrud, Silje; Risberg, May Arna; Roos, Ewa M.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Functional limitations exist postmeniscectomy, but preoperative data are scarce. PURPOSE: To examine knee function, knee muscle strength and performance in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tears, eligible for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Cross......-sectional study. METHODS: Eighty-two participants with MRI verified degenerative meniscal tear (35% women, mean age 49 years) answered the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and were tested for isokinetic knee muscle strength and lower extremity performance (one-leg hop for distance, 6 m timed...

  4. Elastic constants of the hard disc system in the self-consistent free volume approximation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wojciechowski, K.W.

    1990-09-01

    Elastic moduli of the two dimensional hard disc crystal are determined exactly within the Kirkwood self-consistent free volume approximation and compared with the Monte Carlo simulation results. (author). 22 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

  5. Self-consistent equilibria in cylindrical reversed-field pinch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lo Surdo, C.; Paccagnella, R.; Guo, S.

    1995-03-01

    The object of this work is to study the self-consistent magnetofluidstatic equilibria of a 2-region (plasma + gas) reversed-field pinch (RFP) in cylindrical approximation (namely, with vanishing inverse aspect ratio). Differently from what happens in a tokamak, in a RFP a significant part of the plasma current is driven by a dynamo electric field (DEF), in its turn mainly due to plasma turbulence. So, it is worked out a reasonable mathematical model of the above self-consistent equilibria under the following main points it has been: a) to the lowest order, and according to a standard ansatz, the turbulent DEF say ε t , is expressed as a homogeneous transform of the magnetic field B of degree 1, ε t =(α) (B), with α≡a given 2-nd rank tensor, homogeneous of degree 0 in B and generally depending on the plasma state; b) ε t does not explicitly appear in the plasma energy balance, as it were produced by a Maxwell demon able of extract the corresponding Joule power from the plasma. In particular, it is showed that, if both α and the resistivity tensor η are isotropic and constant, the magnetic field is force-free with abnormality equal to αη 0 /η, in the limit of vanishing β; that is, the well-known J.B. Taylor'result is recovered, in this particular conditions, starting from ideas quite different from the usual ones (minimization of total magnetic energy under constrained total elicity). Finally, the general problem is solved numerically under circular (besides cylindrical) symmetry, for simplicity neglecting the existence of gas region (i.e., assuming the plasma in direct contact with the external wall)

  6. Do light nuclei display a universal γ-ray strength function-

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttormsen, M.; Larsen, A.C.; Buerger, A.

    2012-01-01

    Particle-γ coincidences from the bombardment of 15 MeV and 32 MeV protons on a 46 Ti target are utilized to obtain γ-ray spectra as a function of excitation energy for 44,45,46 Ti. The Oslo method has been used to extract simultaneously level density and γ-ray strength functions (γ-SFs). The rich 46 Ti data set of 110 million events allows analysis of the coincidence data for many independent data sets. As expected, the results are consistent with one common level density. A method to study the evolution of the deduced γ-SFs as a function of excitation energy will be described. The γ-SFs are found to display strong variations for different initial and final excitation energies if transitions to the lowest states are involved. The differences in the γ-SFs can be explained as a consequence of Porter-Thomas fluctuations of individual intensities, and shows that this energy region cannot be used for determination of the universal γ-RSF. Even though, the deduced γ-SFs based on transitions within the quasi-continuum still indicate that the decay is governed by a universal γ-SF

  7. A Simulation Model for Drift Resistive Ballooning Turbulence Examining the Influence of Self-consistent Zonal Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Bruce; Umansky, Maxim; Joseph, Ilon

    2015-11-01

    Progress is reported on including self-consistent zonal flows in simulations of drift-resistive ballooning turbulence using the BOUT + + framework. Previous published work addressed the simulation of L-mode edge turbulence in realistic single-null tokamak geometry using the BOUT three-dimensional fluid code that solves Braginskii-based fluid equations. The effects of imposed sheared ExB poloidal rotation were included, with a static radial electric field fitted to experimental data. In new work our goal is to include the self-consistent effects on the radial electric field driven by the microturbulence, which contributes to the sheared ExB poloidal rotation (zonal flow generation). We describe a model for including self-consistent zonal flows and an algorithm for maintaining underlying plasma profiles to enable the simulation of steady-state turbulence. We examine the role of Braginskii viscous forces in providing necessary dissipation when including axisymmetric perturbations. We also report on some of the numerical difficulties associated with including the axisymmetric component of the fluctuating fields. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL-ABS-674950).

  8. Nonlinear and self-consistent treatment of ECRH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsironis, C.; Vlahos, L.

    2005-07-01

    A self-consistent formulation for the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves with relativistic magnetized electrons is applied for the description of the ECRH. In general, electron-cyclotron absorption is the result of resonances between the cyclotron harmonics and the Doppler-shifted waver frequency. The resonant interaction results to an intense wave-particle energy exchange and an electron acceleration, and for that reason it is widely applied in fusion experiments for plasma heating and current drive. The linear theory, for the wave absorption, as well as the quasilinear theory for the electron distribution function, are the most frequently-used tools for the study of wave-particle interactions. However, in many cases the validity of these theories is violated, namely cases where nonlinear effects, like, e. g. particle trapping in the wave field, are dominant in the particle phase-space. Our model consists of electrons streaming and gyrating in a tokamak plasma slab, which is finite in the directions perpendicular to the main magnetic field. The particles interact with an electromagnetic electron-cyclotron wave of the ordinary (O-) or the extraordinary (X-) mode. A set of nonlinear and relativistic equations is derived, which take into account the effects of the charged particle motions on the wave. These consist of the equations of motion for the plasma electrons in the slab, as well as the wave equation in terms of the vector potential. The effect of the electron motions on the temporal evolution of the wave is reflected in the current density source term. (Author)

  9. Nonlinear and self-consistent treatment of ECRH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsironis, C.; Vlahos, L.

    2005-01-01

    A self-consistent formulation for the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves with relativistic magnetized electrons is applied for the description of the ECRH. In general, electron-cyclotron absorption is the result of resonances between the cyclotron harmonics and the Doppler-shifted waver frequency. The resonant interaction results to an intense wave-particle energy exchange and an electron acceleration, and for that reason it is widely applied in fusion experiments for plasma heating and current drive. The linear theory, for the wave absorption, as well as the quasilinear theory for the electron distribution function, are the most frequently-used tools for the study of wave-particle interactions. However, in many cases the validity of these theories is violated, namely cases where nonlinear effects, like, e. g. particle trapping in the wave field, are dominant in the particle phase-space. Our model consists of electrons streaming and gyrating in a tokamak plasma slab, which is finite in the directions perpendicular to the main magnetic field. The particles interact with an electromagnetic electron-cyclotron wave of the ordinary (O-) or the extraordinary (X-) mode. A set of nonlinear and relativistic equations is derived, which take into account the effects of the charged particle motions on the wave. These consist of the equations of motion for the plasma electrons in the slab, as well as the wave equation in terms of the vector potential. The effect of the electron motions on the temporal evolution of the wave is reflected in the current density source term. (Author)

  10. A self-consistent model of an isothermal tokamak

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Steven; Lilley, Matthew

    2014-10-01

    Continued progress in liquid lithium coating technologies have made the development of a beam driven tokamak with minimal edge recycling a feasibly possibility. Such devices are characterised by improved confinement due to their inherent stability and the suppression of thermal conduction. Particle and energy confinement become intrinsically linked and the plasma thermal energy content is governed by the injected beam. A self-consistent model of a purely beam fuelled isothermal tokamak is presented, including calculations of the density profile, bulk species temperature ratios and the fusion output. Stability considerations constrain the operating parameters and regions of stable operation are identified and their suitability to potential reactor applications discussed.

  11. Self-consistent electronic-structure calculations for interface geometries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sowa, E.C.; Gonis, A.; MacLaren, J.M.; Zhang, X.G.

    1992-01-01

    This paper describes a technique for computing self-consistent electronic structures and total energies of planar defects, such as interfaces, which are embedded in an otherwise perfect crystal. As in the Layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker approach, the solid is treated as a set of coupled layers of atoms, using Bloch's theorem to take advantage of the two-dimensional periodicity of the individual layers. The layers are coupled using the techniques of the Real-Space Multiple-Scattering Theory, avoiding artificial slab or supercell boundary conditions. A total-energy calculation on a Cu crystal, which has been split apart at a (111) plane, is used to illustrate the method

  12. In-season monitoring of hip and groin strength, health and function in elite youth soccer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wollin, Martin; Thorborg, Kristian; Welvaert, Marijke

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose of this study was to describe an early detection and management strategy when monitoring in-season hip and groin strength, health and function in soccer. Secondly to compare pre-season to in-season test results. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. METHODS: Twenty......-seven elite male youth soccer players (age: 15.07±0.73years) volunteered to participate in the study. Monitoring tests included: adductor strength, adductor/abductor strength ratio and hip and groin outcome scores (HAGOS). Data were recorded at pre-season and at 22 monthly intervals in-season. Thresholds.......09, CI95%: 0.04, 0.13 respectively). HAGOS subscale scores were lowest at baseline with all, except Physical Activity, showing significant improvements at time-point one (ptime-loss were classified minimal or mild. CONCLUSIONS: In-season monitoring aimed at early detection...

  13. Level densities of iron isotopes and lower-energy enhancement of y-strength function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voinov, A V; Grimes, S M; Agvaanluvsan, U; Algin, E; Belgya, T; Brune, C R; Guttormsen, M; Hornish, M J; Massey, T N; Mitchell, G; Rekstad, J; Schiller, A; Siem, S

    2005-01-01

    The neutron spectrum from the 55 Mn(d,n) 56 Fe reaction has been measured at E d = 7 MeV. The level density of 56 Fe obtained from neutron evaporation spectrum has been compared to the level density from Oslo-type 57 Fe( 3 He, aγ) 56 Fe experiment [1]. The good agreement supports the recent results [1, 8] including an availability of a low-energy enhancement in the γ-strength function for iron isotopes. The new level density function allowed us to investigate an excitation energy dependence of this enhancement, which is shown to increase with increasing excitation energy

  14. Poor physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care is related to muscle strength rather than to measures of sarcopenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie L Woods

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Julie L Woods1, Sandra Iuliano-Burns2, Susannah J King1, Boyd J Strauss1, Karen Z Walker11Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; 2Endocrine Centre of Excellence, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, West Heidelberg, AustraliaPurpose: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and investigate relationships among body composition, muscle strength, and physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care.Subjects and methods: Sixty-three ambulatory women (mean age 86 years participated in this cross-sectional study where body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; ankle, knee, and hip strength by the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester; and physical function by ‘timed up and go’ (TUG and walking speed (WS over 6 meters. Body composition data from a female reference group (n = 62, mean age 29 years provided cut-off values for defining sarcopenia.Results: Elderly women had higher body mass index (P < 0.001, lower lean mass (P < 0.001, and higher fat mass (P < 0.01 than the young reference group. Only a small proportion (3.2% had absolute sarcopenia (defined by appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height squared whereas 37% had relative sarcopenia class II (defined by percentage skeletal muscle mass. Scores for TUG and WS indicated relatively poor physical function, yet these measures were not associated with muscle mass or indices of sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, only hip abductor strength predicted both TUG and WS (both P = 0.01.Conclusion: Hip strength is a more important indicator of physical functioning than lean mass. Measurement of hip strength may therefore be a useful screening tool to detect those at risk of functional decline and requirement for additional care. Further longitudinal studies with a range of other strength measures are warranted.Keywords: aged care, body composition, muscle strength, sarcopenia 

  15. The Relationship between Intramuscular Adipose Tissue, Functional Mobility, and Strength in Postmenopausal Women with and without Type 2 Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet M. Pritchard

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To determine (1 whether intramuscular adipose tissue (IntraMAT differs between women with and without type 2 diabetes and (2 the association between IntraMAT and mobility and strength. Methods. 59 women ≥ 65 years with and without type 2 diabetes were included. A 1-Tesla MRI was used to acquire images of the leg. Timed-up-and-go (TUG and grip strength were measured. Regression was used to determine associations between the following: (1 type 2 diabetes and IntraMAT (covariates: age, ethnicity, BMI, waist : hip ratio, and energy expenditure, (2 IntraMAT and TUG (covariates: diabetes, age, BMI, and energy expenditure, and (3 IntraMAT and grip strength (covariates: diabetes, age, height, and lean mass. Results. Women with diabetes had more IntraMAT. After adjustment, IntraMAT was similar between groups (diabetes mean [SD] = 13.2 [1.4]%, controls 11.8 [1.3]%, P=0.515. IntraMAT was related to TUG and grip strength, but the relationships became nonsignificant after adjustment for covariates (difference/percent IntraMAT [95% CI]: TUG = 0.041 seconds [−0.079–0.161], P=0.498, grip strength = −0.144 kg [−0.335–0.066], P=0.175. Conclusions. IntraMAT alone may not be a clinically important predictor of functional mobility and strength; however, whether losses in functional mobility and strength are promoted by IntraMAT accumulation should be explored.

  16. Immediate effect of manual therapy on respiratory functions and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with COPD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yilmaz Yelvar GD

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Gul Deniz Yilmaz Yelvar,1 Yasemin Çirak,2 Yasemin Parlak Demir,3 Murat Dalkilinç,1 Bülent Bozkurt4 1Department of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, 2Department of Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy, 3Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, School of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Özal University, Ankara, Turkey Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of manual therapy (MT on respiratory functions and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with COPD.Participants and methods: Thirty patients with severe COPD (eight females and 22 males; mean age 62.4±6.8 years referred to pulmonary physiotherapy were included in this study. The patients participated in a single session of MT to measure the short-term effects. The lung function was measured using a portable spirometer. An electronic pressure transducer was used to measure respiratory muscle strength. Heart rate, breathing frequency, and oxygen saturation were measured with a pulse oximeter. For fatigue and dyspnea perception, the modified Borg rating of perceived exertion scale was used. All measurements were taken before and immediately after the first MT session. The ease-of-breathing visual analog scale was used for rating patients’ symptoms subjectively during the MT session.Results: There was a significant improvement in the forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, and vital capacity values (P<0.05. The maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure values increased significantly after MT, compared to the pre-MT session (P<0.05. There was a significant decrease in heart rate, respiratory rate (P<0.05, and dyspnea and fatigue perception (P<0.05.Conclusion: A single MT session immediately improved pulmonary function, inspiratory muscle strength, and oxygen saturation and reduced dyspnea, fatigue, and heart and respiratory rates in patients with

  17. Is handgrip strength normalized to body weight a useful tool to identify dynapenia and functional incapacity in post-menopausal women?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulac, Maude; Boutros, Guy El Hajj; Pion, Charlotte; Barbat-Artigas, Sébastien; Gouspillou, Gilles; Aubertin-Leheudre, Mylène

    2016-01-01

    To investigate whether handgrip strength normalized to body weight could be a useful clinical tool to identify dynapenia and assess functional capacity in post-menopausal women. A total of 136 postmenopausal women were recruited. Body composition (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry [DEXA], Bio-electrical Impedence Analysis [BIA]), grip strength (dynamometer) and functional capacity (senior fitness tests) were evaluated. Dynapenia was established according to a handgrip strength index (handgrip strength divided by body weight (BW) in Kg/KgBW) obtained from a reference population of young women: Type I dynapenic (<0.44 kg/KgBW) and type II dynapenic (<0.35 kg/KgBW). The results show a positive correlation between handgrip strength index (in kg/KgBW) and alternate-step test (r=0.30, p<0.001), chair-stand test (r=0.25, p<0.005) and one-leg stance test (r=0.335, p<0.001). The results also showed a significant difference in non-dynapenic compared to type I dynapenic and type II dynapenic for the chair-stand test (Non-dynapenic: 12.0±3.0; Type I: 11.7±2.5; Type II: 10.3±3.0) (p=0.037 and p=0.005, respectively) and the one-leg stance test (Non-dynapenic: 54.2±14.2; Type I: 43.8±21.4; Type II: 35.0±21.8) (p=0.030 and p=0.004, respectively). Finally, a significant difference was observed between type II dynapenic and non-dynapenic for the chair-stand test (p=0.032), but not with type I dynapenic. The results showed that handgrip strength was positively correlated with functional capacity. In addition, non-dynapenic women displayed a better functional status when compared to type I and type II dynapenic women. Thus, the determination of the handgrip strength thresholds could be an accessible and affordable clinical tool to identify people at risk of autonomy loss.

  18. Is handgrip strength normalized to body weight a useful tool to identify dynapenia and functional incapacity in post-menopausal women?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maude Dulac

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To investigate whether handgrip strength normalized to body weight could be a useful clinical tool to identify dynapenia and assess functional capacity in post-menopausal women. Method A total of 136 postmenopausal women were recruited. Body composition (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry [DEXA], Bio-electrical Impedence Analysis [BIA], grip strength (dynamometer and functional capacity (senior fitness tests were evaluated. Dynapenia was established according to a handgrip strength index (handgrip strength divided by body weight (BW in Kg/KgBW obtained from a reference population of young women: Type I dynapenic (<0.44 kg/KgBW and type II dynapenic (<0.35 kg/KgBW. Results The results show a positive correlation between handgrip strength index (in kg/KgBW and alternate-step test (r=0.30, p<0.001, chair-stand test (r=0.25, p<0.005 and one-leg stance test (r=0.335, p<0.001. The results also showed a significant difference in non-dynapenic compared to type I dynapenic and type II dynapenic for the chair-stand test (Non-dynapenic: 12.0±3.0; Type I: 11.7±2.5; Type II: 10.3±3.0 (p=0.037 and p=0.005, respectively and the one-leg stance test (Non-dynapenic: 54.2±14.2; Type I: 43.8±21.4; Type II: 35.0±21.8 (p=0.030 and p=0.004, respectively. Finally, a significant difference was observed between type II dynapenic and non-dynapenic for the chair-stand test (p=0.032, but not with type I dynapenic. Conclusion The results showed that handgrip strength was positively correlated with functional capacity. In addition, non-dynapenic women displayed a better functional status when compared to type I and type II dynapenic women. Thus, the determination of the handgrip strength thresholds could be an accessible and affordable clinical tool to identify people at risk of autonomy loss.

  19. Effects of bioDensity Training and Power Plate Whole-Body Vibration on Strength, Balance, and Functional Independence in Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Derek T; Judge, Stacey; Malone, Ashley; Moynes, Rebecca C; Conviser, Jason; Skinner, James S

    2016-01-01

    Reduced strength, balance, and functional independence diminish quality of life and increase health care costs. Sixty adults (82.2 ± 4.9 years) were randomized to a control or three 12-week intervention groups: bioDensity (bD); Power Plate (PP) whole-body vibration (WBV); or bD+PP. bD involved one weekly 5-s maximal contraction of four muscle groups. PP involved two 5-min WBV sessions. Primary outcomes were strength, balance, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). No groups differed initially. Strength significantly increased 22-51% for three muscle groups in bD and bD+PP (P Balance significantly improved in PP and bD+PP but not in control or bD. bD, PP, and bD+PP differentially improved FIM self-care and mobility. Strength improvements from weekly 5-min sessions of bD may impart health/clinical benefits. Balance and leg strength improvements suggest WBV beneficially impacts fall risk and incidence. Improved FIM scores are encouraging and justify larger controlled trials on bD and bD+PP efficacy.

  20. Conservation laws and self-consistent sources for a super-CKdV equation hierarchy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Li

    2011-01-01

    From the super-matrix Lie algebras, we consider a super-extension of the CKdV equation hierarchy in the present Letter, and propose the super-CKdV hierarchy with self-consistent sources. Furthermore, we establish the infinitely many conservation laws for the integrable super-CKdV hierarchy.

  1. Conservation laws and self-consistent sources for a super-CKdV equation hierarchy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Li, E-mail: li07099@163.co [College of Maths and Systematic Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034 (China)

    2011-03-14

    From the super-matrix Lie algebras, we consider a super-extension of the CKdV equation hierarchy in the present Letter, and propose the super-CKdV hierarchy with self-consistent sources. Furthermore, we establish the infinitely many conservation laws for the integrable super-CKdV hierarchy.

  2. Self-consistency constraints on turbulent magnetic transport and relaxation in collisionless plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terry, P.W.; Diamond, P.H.; Hahm, T.S.

    1985-10-01

    Novel constraints on collisionless relaxation and transport in drift-Alfven turbulence are reported. These constraints arise due to the consideration of mode coupling and incoherent fluctuations and the proper application of self-consistency conditions. The result that electrostatic fluctuations alone regulate transport in drift-Alfven turbulence follows directly. Quasilinear transport predictions are discussed in light of these constraints

  3. Self-consistent collective coordinate method for large amplitude collective motions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakata, F.; Hashimoto, Y.; Marumori, T.; Une, T.

    1982-01-01

    A recent development of the self-consistent collective coordinate method is described. The self-consistent collective coordinate method was proposed on the basis of the fundamental principle called the invariance principle of the Schroedinger equation. If this is formulated within a framework of the time dependent Hartree Fock (TDHF) theory, a classical version of the theory is obtained. A quantum version of the theory is deduced by formulating it within a framework of the unitary transformation method with auxiliary bosons. In this report, the discussion is concentrated on a relation between the classical theory and the quantum theory, and an applicability of the classical theory. The aim of the classical theory is to extract a maximally decoupled collective subspace out of a huge dimensional 1p - 1h parameter space introduced by the TDHF theory. An intimate similarity between the classical theory and a full quantum boson expansion method (BEM) was clarified. Discussion was concentrated to a simple Lipkin model. Then a relation between the BEM and the unitary transformation method with auxiliary bosons was discussed. It became clear that the quantum version of the theory had a strong relation to the BEM, and that the BEM was nothing but a quantum analogue of the present classical theory. The present theory was compared with the full TDHF calculation by using a simple model. (Kato, T.)

  4. Performance on Functional Strength Measurement and Muscle Power Sprint Test confirm poor anaerobic capacity in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aertssen, Wendy F M; Ferguson, Gillian D; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C M

    2016-12-01

    There is little and conflicting information about anaerobic performance and functional strength in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). To investigate anaerobic capacity and functional strength in children with a clinical diagnosis of DCD (clin-DCD) and if differences were larger in older (age 7-10 years) compared to younger children (age 4-6 years). Furthermore to determine the percentage of children with clin-DCD that scored Strength Measurement. A clin-DCD group (36 boys, 11 girls, mean age: 7y 1mo, SD=2y 1mo) and a typically developing group (TD) (57 boys, 53 girls, mean age: 7y 5mo, SD=1y 10mo) were compared on Muscle Power Sprint Test (MPST) and Functional Strength Measurement (FSM). Children with clin-DCD performed poorer on the MPST and FSM, especially on the muscle endurance items of the FSM. The differences were larger in the older children compared to the younger on the cluster muscle endurance and the FSM total score. Over 50% of clin-DCD group scored tested on items requiring fast repetitive movements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Semiempirical self-consistent polarization description of bulk water, the liquid-vapor interface, and cubic ice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdachaew, Garold; Mundy, Christopher J; Schenter, Gregory K; Laino, Teodoro; Hutter, Jürg

    2011-06-16

    We have applied an efficient electronic structure approach, the semiempirical self-consistent polarization neglect of diatomic differential overlap (SCP-NDDO) method, previously parametrized to reproduce properties of water clusters by Chang, Schenter, and Garrett [ J. Chem. Phys. 2008 , 128 , 164111 ] and now implemented in the CP2K package, to model ambient liquid water at 300 K (both the bulk and the liquid-vapor interface) and cubic ice at 15 and 250 K. The SCP-NDDO potential retains its transferability and good performance across the full range of conditions encountered in the clusters and the bulk phases of water. In particular, we obtain good results for the density, radial distribution functions, enthalpy of vaporization, self-diffusion coefficient, molecular dipole moment distribution, and hydrogen bond populations, in comparison to experimental measurements. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  6. Constraining the electric dipole photon strength function in {sup 130}Te

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isaak, J.; Loeher, B.; Savran, D.; Silva, J. [ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Research Division, Darmstadt (Germany); FIAS, Frankfurt (Germany); Ahmed, M.W.; Kelley, J.H.; Tornow, W.; Weller, H.R. [Department of Physics, Duke University, TUNL (United States); Beller, J.; Pietralla, N.; Romig, C.; Zweidinger, M. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt (Germany); Glorius, J.; Sonnabend, K. [Institut fuer Angewandte Physik, Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt (Germany); Krticka, M. [Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic); Rusev, G. [Chemistry Division, LANL (United States); Scheck, M. [School of Engineering, University of the West of Scotland (United Kingdom); Tonchev, A.P. [Physics Division, LLNL (United States)

    2014-07-01

    The decay properties of photo-excited states in {sup 130}Te have been investigated by means of Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence experiments at the Darmstadt High Intensity Photon Setup (DHIPS) and the High Intensity γ-ray Source (HIγS). The combination of continuous-energy bremsstrahlung on the one hand and the quasi-monoenergetic and linearly polarized photon beam on the other enables a detailed insight into the photoabsorption cross section and the decay behavior of spin-1 states. Comparing these results to simulations within the statistical model allow for constraining the electric dipole photon strength function (E1-PSF). Results are presented and discussed.

  7. Photon strength function in the Hf-181 nucleus by method of two-step cascade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Hong Khiem

    2003-01-01

    The applicability of sum-coincidence measurements of two-step cascade gamma ray spectra determining Photon Strength Function (PSF) of Hf-181 induced from Hf-180 (n,2γ) Hf-181 reaction is presented. Up to 80% intensity of the primary gamma ray transitions in a wide energy range have been deduced and compared to model calculation. (author)

  8. Self-consistent Study of Fast Particle Redistribution by Alfven Eigenmodes During Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergkvist, T.; Hellsten, T.; Johnson, T.

    2006-01-01

    Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) excited by fusion born α particles can degrade the heating efficiency of a burning plasma and throw out αs. To experimentally study the effects of excitation of AEs and the redistribution of the fast ions, ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) is often used. The distribution function of thermonuclear αs in a reactor is expected to be isotropic and constantly renewed through DT reactions. The distribution function of cyclotron heated ions is strongly anisotropic, and the ICRH do not only renew the distribution function but also provide a strong decorrelation mechanism between the fast ions and the AE. Because of the sensitivity of the AE dynamics on the details of the distribution function, the location of the resonance surfaces in phase space and the extent of the overlapping resonant regions for different AEs, a self-consistent treatment of the AE excitation and the ICRH is necessary. Interactions of fast ions with AEs during ICRH has been implemented in the SELFO code. Simulations are in good agreement with the experimentally observer pitch-fork splitting and rapid damping of the AE as ICRH is turned off. The redistribution of fast ions have been studied in the presence of several driven AEs. (author)

  9. Self-consistent nonlinearly polarizable shell-model dynamics for ferroelectric materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mkam Tchouobiap, S.E.; Kofane, T.C.; Ngabireng, C.M.

    2002-11-01

    We investigate the dynamical properties of the polarizable shellmodel with a symmetric double Morse-type electron-ion interaction in one ionic species. A variational calculation based on the Self-Consistent Einstein Model (SCEM) shows that a theoretical ferroelectric (FE) transition temperature can be derive which demonstrates the presence of a first-order phase transition for the potassium selenate (K 2 SeO 4 ) crystal around Tc 91.5 K. Comparison of the model calculation with the experimental critical temperature yields satisfactory agreement. (author)

  10. Strength, functionality and beauty of university buildings in earthquake-prone countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    WADA, Akira

    2018-01-01

    Strength, functionality and beauty are the three qualities identifying well-designed architecture. For buildings in earthquake-prone countries such as Japan, emphasis on seismic safety frequently leads to the sacrifice of functionality and beauty. Therefore, it is important to develop new structural technologies that can ensure the seismic performance of a building without hampering the pursuit of functionality and beauty. The moment-resisting frame structures widely used for buildings in Japan are likely to experience weak-story collapse. Pin-supported walls, which can effectively enhance the structural story-by-story integrity of a building, were introduced to prevent such an unfavorable failure pattern in the seismic retrofit of an eleven-story building on a university campus in Tokyo, while also greatly aesthetically enhancing the façade of the building. The slight damage observed and monitoring records of the retrofitted building during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan demonstrate that the pin-supported walls worked as intended, protecting the building and guaranteeing the safety of its occupants during the earthquake. PMID:29434079

  11. Selfconsistent RF driven and bootstrap currents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peysson, Y.

    2002-01-01

    This important problem selfconsistent calculations of the bootstrap current with RF, taking into account possible synergistic effects, is addressed for the case of lower hybrid (LH) and electron cyclotron (EC) current drive by numerically solving the electron drift kinetic equation. Calculations are performed using a new, fast, and fully implicit code which solves the 3-D relativistic Fokker-Planck equation with quasilinear diffusion. These calculations take into account the perturbations to the electron distribution due to radial drifts induced by magnetic field gradient and curvature. While the synergism between bootstrap and LH-driven current does not seem to exceed 15%, it can reach 30-40% with the EC-driven current for some plasma parameters. In addition, considerable current can be generated by judiciously using ECCD with the Okhawa effect. This is in contrast to the usual ECCD which tries to avoid it. A detailed analysis of the numerical results is presented using a simplified analytical model which incorporates the underlying physical processes. (author)

  12. Strength and Functional Improvement Using Pneumatic Brace with Extension Assist for End-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective, Randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherian, Jeffrey J; Bhave, Anil; Kapadia, Bhaveen H; Starr, Roland; McElroy, Mark J; Mont, Michael A

    2015-05-01

    Pneumatic unloader bracing with extension assists have been proposed as a non-operative modality that may delay the need for knee surgery by reducing pain and improving function. This prospective, randomized trial evaluated 52 patients who had knee osteoarthritis for changes in: (1) muscle strength; (2) objective functional improvements; (3); subjective functional improvements; (4) pain; (5) quality of life; and (6) conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to standard of care. Patient outcomes were evaluated at a minimum 3 months. Braced patient's demonstrated significant improvements in muscle strength, several functional tests, and patient reported outcomes when compared to the matched cohort. These results are encouraging and suggest that this device may represent a promising alternative to standard treatment methods for knee osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Pulling it all together: the self-consistent distribution of neutral tori in Saturn's Magnetosphere based on all Cassini observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, H. T.; Richardson, J. D.

    2017-12-01

    Saturn's magnetosphere is unique in that the plumes from the small icy moon, Enceladus, serve at the primary source for heavy particles in Saturn's magnetosphere. The resulting co-orbiting neutral particles interact with ions, electrons, photons and other neutral particles to generate separate H2O, OH and O tori. Characterization of these toroidal distributions is essential for understanding Saturn magnetospheric sources, composition and dynamics. Unfortunately, limited direct observations of these features are available so modeling is required. A significant modeling challenge involves ensuring that either the plasma and neutral particle populations are not simply input conditions but can provide feedback to each population (i.e. are self-consistent). Jurac and Richardson (2005) executed such a self-consistent model however this research was performed prior to the return of Cassini data. In a similar fashion, we have coupled a 3-D neutral particle model (Smith et al. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010) with a plasma transport model (Richardson 1998; Richardson & Jurac 2004) to develop a self-consistent model which is constrained by all available Cassini observations and current findings on Saturn's magnetosphere and the Enceladus plume source resulting in much more accurate neutral particle distributions. We present a new self-consistent model of the distribution of the Enceladus-generated neutral tori that is validated by all available observations. We also discuss the implications for source rate and variability.

  14. A statistical calculation of the β- strength function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arvieu, R.; Haq, R.U.; Touchard, J.

    1976-01-01

    A microscopic calculation of the Gamow-Teller strength between the 0 + ground state of 208 Pb and the 1 + particle-hole states of 208 Bi assuming the particle-hole matrix elements as random numbers with some specified distribution, is described. Under certain conditions for the two-body matrix elements, a G.T. resonance occurs. The stability of this collective state along with the accompanying low energy β - -strength tail is studied for various samples of p-h matrix elements [fr

  15. A fully kinetic, self-consistent particle simulation model of the collisionless plasma--sheath region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Procassini, R.J.; Birdsall, C.K.; Morse, E.C.

    1990-01-01

    A fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) model is used to self-consistently determine the steady-state potential profile in a collisionless plasma that contacts a floating, absorbing boundary. To balance the flow of particles to the wall, a distributed source region is used to inject particles into the one-dimensional system. The effect of the particle source distribution function on the source region and collector sheath potential drops, and particle velocity distributions is investigated. The ion source functions proposed by Emmert et al. [Phys. Fluids 23, 803 (1980)] and Bissell and Johnson [Phys. Fluids 30, 779 (1987)] (and various combinations of these) are used for the injection of both ions and electrons. The values of the potential drops obtained from the PIC simulations are compared to those from the theories of Emmert et al., Bissell and Johnson, and Scheuer and Emmert [Phys. Fluids 31, 3645 (1988)], all of which assume that the electron density is related to the plasma potential via the Boltzmann relation. The values of the source region and total potential drop are found to depend on the choice of the electron source function, as well as the ion source function. The question of an infinite electric field at the plasma--sheath interface, which arises in the analyses of Bissell and Johnson and Scheuer and Emmert, is also addressed

  16. Deformation properties of even-even Os, Pt, Hg nuclei and spectroscopic properties of odd Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg nuclei from self-consistent calculations

    CERN Document Server

    Desthuilliers-Porquet, M G; Quentin, P; Sauvage-Letessier, J

    1981-01-01

    Static properties of even-even Os, Pt, Hg nuclei have been obtained from HF+BCS calculations. Single-particle wave functions which come from these self-consistent calculations have been used to calculate some spectroscopic properties of odd Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, and Hg nuclei, within the rotor-quasiparticle coupling model. The authors' calculations are able to give a good description of most of available experimental data. (12 refs).

  17. Gamow-Teller strength functions and neutrino problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haxton, W.C.

    1982-01-01

    A quantitative understanding of spin strengths in nuclei is of vital importance in studies of nuclear double beta decay and in solar neutrino spectroscopy. The current status of these problems is outlined

  18. Gamow-Teller strength functions from (→p,→p') scattering experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hausser, O.

    1987-01-01

    We present here recent (→p, →'p) results from TRIUMF that are relevant to the determination of spin-flip isovector strength functions in nuclei. Distortion factors needed for the extraction of nuclear-structure information have been deduced from cross sections and analyzing powers in elastic scattering for several energies and targets. Nonrelativistic optical potentials obtained by folding effective nucleon (N)-nucleus interactions with nuclear densities are found to overpredict both elastic and reaction cross sections, whereas Dirac calculations that include Pauli blocking are in good agreement with the data. Spin observables (S nn and A y ) for the quasi-elastic region in 54 Fe(→p, →p) at 290 MeV provide some evidence for the reduction of the effective proton mass predicted in relativistic mean-field theories as a consequence of the attractive scalar field in the nuclear medium. The energy dependence of the effective N-nucleus interaction at small momentum transfers has been investigated using isoscalar and isovector 1 + states in 28 Si as probe states. We find that the cross sections for the isovector transitions are in good agreement with predictions for the dominant Vστ part of the Franey-Love interaction. Gamow-Teller (GT) strength functions have been obtained in 24 Mg and 54 Fe from measurements of both cross sections and spin-flip probabilities S nn . The spin-flip cross sections σS nn are particularly useful in heavier nuclei to discriminate against a continuous background of ΔS = 0 excitations. In the (s, d) shell where full shell-model wave functions are available, the GT quenching factors (g A eff / g A free ) 2 ≅ 0.7 are in good agreement with those from recent (p, n) and (n, p) experiments. We show that a state-by-state comparison of (p, p') and (e, e') results has the potential of identifying pionic current contributions in (e, e'). The GT quenching factors in 54 Fe are smaller than in the (s, d) shell probably because of severely

  19. Statistical properties of warm nuclei: Investigating the low-energy enhancement in the $\\gamma$- strength function of neutron-rich nuclei

    CERN Multimedia

    We propose to start a program to study the $\\gamma$-ray strength function of neutron rich nuclei in inverse kinematics with radioactive beams at HIE-ISOLDE. An unexpected increase in the $\\gamma$-strength function at low energy has been observed in several stable nuclei using the Oslo method. This year these results were confirmed with a different experimental technique and model independent analysis developed by iThemba/Livermore. If this enhancement of the $\\gamma$-strength function is also present in neutron-rich nuclei, it will strongly affect the neutron capture cross sections, which are important input in stellar models of synthesis of heavier elements in stars. We propose to start with an experiment using a $^{66}$Ni beam of 5.5 MeV /u, where the data will be analyzed using both methods independently, and we are sure to get enough statistics, before moving to more neutron-rich nuclei. When/if neutron-rich Ti, Fe or Mo beams will be available at ISOLDE, we will submit additional proposals.

  20. The self-consistent dynamic pole tide in global oceans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickman, S. R.

    1985-01-01

    The dynamic pole tide is characterized in a self-consistent manner by means of introducing a single nondifferential matrix equation compatible with the Liouville equation, modelling the ocean as global and of uniform depth. The deviations of the theory from the realistic ocean, associated with the nonglobality of the latter, are also given consideration, with an inference that in realistic oceans long-period modes of resonances would be increasingly likely to exist. The analysis of the nature of the pole tide and its effects on the Chandler wobble indicate that departures of the pole tide from the equilibrium may indeed be minimal.

  1. Complex Estimation of Strength Properties of Functional Materials on the Basis of the Analysis of Grain-Phase Structure Parameters

    OpenAIRE

    Gitman, M.B.; Klyuev, A.V.; Stolbov, V.Y.; Gitman, I.M.

    2017-01-01

    The technique allows analysis using grain-phase structure of the functional material to evaluate its performance, particularly strength properties. The technique is based on the use of linguistic variable in the process of comprehensive evaluation. An example of estimating the strength properties of steel reinforcement, subject to special heat treatment to obtain the desired grain-phase structure.

  2. Effects of endurance and endurance-strength exercise on biochemical parameters of liver function in women with abdominal obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skrypnik, Damian; Ratajczak, Marzena; Karolkiewicz, Joanna; Mądry, Edyta; Pupek-Musialik, Danuta; Hansdorfer-Korzon, Rita; Walkowiak, Jarosław; Jakubowski, Hieronim; Bogdański, Paweł

    2016-05-01

    Obesity is a risk factor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Although the standard therapy for obesity involves physical exercise, well-planned studies of the changes in liver function in response to different exercise intensities in obese subjects are scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine a question of how does exercise mode affect the liver function. 44 women with abdominal obesity were randomized into two exercise groups: endurance (group A) and endurance-strength (group B). Women in each group exercised for 60min 3 times/week for a 3-month period. Markers of liver function: serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and bilirubin levels were quantified. We found significant differences in ALT (pexercise. Blood ALT and AST tended to decrease in group B, increase in group A. Significant reduction in serum GGT level after exercise in both groups was observed (pexercise led to changes in serum ALP activity and total or direct bilirubin level. However, endurance-strength training resulted in significant decreases in serum indirect bilirubin (pexercise (group B). The mode of exercise does matter: endurance-strength exercise led to a greater improvement, compared to endurance exercise, in the liver function in women with abdominal obesity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Ab initio work function of elemental metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skriver, Hans Lomholt; Rosengaard, N. M.

    1992-01-01

    We have used a recently developed self-consistent Green’s-function technique based on tight-binding linear-muffin-tin-orbital theory to calculate the work function for the close-packed surfaces of 37 elemental metals. The results agree with the limited experimental data obtained from single cryst...

  4. Body composition of 80-years old men and women and its relation to muscle strength, physical activity and functional ability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Agnes Nadelmann; Ovesen, L.; Schroll, M.

    2002-01-01

    , and physical activity and functional ability. BMI was related to body fat mass, and FFM was related to muscle strength. Muscle strength was related to mobility and PPT. Mobility and PPT were mutually related and were related to physical activity. CONCLUSION: Our cross sectional study did not support newly...

  5. Use of gamma ray strength functions for predicting the neutron capture cross section of 88Y

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardner, D.G.; Gardner, M.A.

    1977-01-01

    The present study indicates that the estimation of the gamma-ray strength function is the approach least subject to error when unmeasured capture cross sections are to be computed. An estimate is given for the 88 γ(n,γ) cross section

  6. Hand grip strength

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Henrik; Gaist, David; Petersen, Hans Christian

    2002-01-01

    in life is a major problem in terms of prevalence, morbidity, functional limitations, and quality of life. It is therefore of interest to find a phenotype reflecting physical functioning which has a relatively high heritability and which can be measured in large samples. Hand grip strength is known......-55%). A powerful design to detect genes associated with a phenotype is obtained using the extreme discordant and concordant sib pairs, of whom 28 and 77 dizygotic twin pairs, respectively, were found in this study. Hence grip strength is a suitable phenotype for identifying genetic variants of importance to mid...

  7. Strength and Power Training Effects on Lower Limb Force, Functional Capacity, and Static and Dynamic Balance in Older Female Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Paula Born; Pereira, Gleber; Lodovico, Angélica; Bento, Paulo C B; Rodacki, André L F

    2016-03-03

    It has been proposed that muscle power is more effective to prevent falls than muscle force production capacity, as rapid reactions are required to allow the postural control. This study aimed to compare the effects of strength and power training on lower limb force, functional capacity, and static and dynamic balance in older female adults. Thirty-seven volunteered healthy women had been allocated into the strength-training group (n = 14; 69 ± 7.3 years, 155 ± 5.6 cm, 72 ± 9.7 kg), the power-training group (n = 12; 67 ± 7.4 years, 153 ± 5.5 cm, 67.2 ± 7 kg), and control group (n = 11; 65 ± 3.1 years, 154 ± 5.6 cm, 70.9 ± 3 kg). After 12 weeks of training, the strength-training and power-training groups increased significantly maximum dynamic strength (29% and 27%), isometric strength (26% and 37%), and step total time (13% and 14%, dynamic balance), respectively. However, only the power-training group increased the rate of torque development (55%) and the functional capacity in 30-second chair stand (22%) and in time up and go tests (-10%). Empirically, power training may reduce the risk of injuries due to lower loads compared to strength training, and consequently, the physical effort demand during the training session is lower. Therefore, power training should be recommended as attractive training stimuli to improve lower limb force, functional capacity, and postural control of older female adults.

  8. Self-Consistent Theory of Shot Noise Suppression in Ballistic Conductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulashenko, O. M.; Rubí, J. M.; Kochelap, V. A.

    Shot-noise measurements become a fundamental tool to probe carrier interactions in mesoscopic systems [1]. A matter of particular interest is the significance of Coulomb interaction which may keep nearby electrons more regularly spaced rather than strictly at random and lead to the noise reduction. That effect occurs in different physical situations. Among them are charge-limited ballistic transport, resonant tunneling, single-electron tunneling, etc. In this communication we address the problem of Coulomb correlations in ballistic conductors under the space-charge-limited transport conditions, and present for the first time a semiclassical self-consistent theory of shot noise in these conductors by solving analytically the kinetic equation coupled self-consistently with a Poisson equation. Basing upon this theory, exact results for current noise in a two-terminal ballistic conductor under the action of long-range Coulomb correlations has been derived. The noise reduction factor (in respect to the uncorrelated value) is obtained in a closed analytical form for a full range of biases ranging from thermal to shot-noise limits which describe perfectly the results of the Monte Carlo simulations for a nondegenerate electron gas [2]. The magnitude of the noise reduction exceeds 0.01, which is of interest from the point of view of possible applications. Using these analytical results one may estimate a relative contribution to the noise from different groups of carriers (in energy space and/or real space) and to investigate in great detail the correlations between different groups of carriers. This leads us to suggest an electron energy spectroscopy experiment to probe the Coulomb correlations in ballistic conductors. Indeed, while the injected carriers are uncorrelated, those in the volume of the conductor are strongly correlated, as follows from the derived formulas for the fluctuation of the distribution function. Those correlations may be observed experimentally by

  9. Self-consistent electric field effect on electron transport of ECH plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, V.S.; Murakami, S.

    1999-02-01

    An algorithm is proposed which treats the ECH generated potential in a self-consistent way, by extending the Monte-Carlo Fokker-Planck method used by Murakami [S. Murakami et al., Proc. 17th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, Yokohama, 1998 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, in press), paper CN-69/TH2/1]. The additional physics is expected to influence the transport of both thermal and suprathermal electrons in a helical toroidal system. (author)

  10. Rotator cuff injury in patients over the age of 65 years: evaluation of function, integrity and strength

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Antonio de Castro Veado

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the results from patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment for rotator cuff injuries, among those aged over 65 years, observing integrity, function and strength.METHODS: Thirty-five shoulders were operated between July 2005 and July 2010, and 28 shoulders were re-evaluated regarding elevation strength and external rotation, using a digital dynamometer. Integrity was evaluated by means of ultrasound examinations. The patients, whose mean age was 70.54 years (ranging from 65 to 82 years, were followed up for a minimum of 26 months and mean of 51.18 months (ranging from 26 to 82 months. To evaluate function, the UCLA score, the Simple Shoulder Test (SST and a visual analog scale (VAS for pain were used.RESULTS: In analyzing the ultrasound scans, it was observed that the integrity of the rotator cuff was maintained in 75% of the cases at the end of the follow-up, along with the improvement in the UCLA score, which evolved from 17.46 to 32.39, i.e. excellent and good results in 89.28%. The mean SST and VAS indices were 9.86 and 1.5 respectively.CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic surgery to repair rotator cuff injuries in patients over the age of 65 years leads to improved function and pain relief, with maintenance of the integrity of the repair. The data on muscle strength were inconclusive.

  11. Linking lipid architecture to bilayer structure and mechanics using self-consistent field modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pera, H.; Kleijn, J. M.; Leermakers, F. A. M.

    2014-01-01

    To understand how lipid architecture determines the lipid bilayer structure and its mechanics, we implement a molecularly detailed model that uses the self-consistent field theory. This numerical model accurately predicts parameters such as Helfrichs mean and Gaussian bending modulus k c and k ¯ and the preferred monolayer curvature J 0 m , and also delivers structural membrane properties like the core thickness, and head group position and orientation. We studied how these mechanical parameters vary with system variations, such as lipid tail length, membrane composition, and those parameters that control the lipid tail and head group solvent quality. For the membrane composition, negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol (PG) or zwitterionic, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and -ethanolamine (PE) lipids were used. In line with experimental findings, we find that the values of k c and the area compression modulus k A are always positive. They respond similarly to parameters that affect the core thickness, but differently to parameters that affect the head group properties. We found that the trends for k ¯ and J 0 m can be rationalised by the concept of Israelachivili's surfactant packing parameter, and that both k ¯ and J 0 m change sign with relevant parameter changes. Although typically k ¯ 0 m ≫0, especially at low ionic strengths. We anticipate that these changes lead to unstable membranes as these become vulnerable to pore formation or disintegration into lipid disks

  12. Thermodynamics of a Compressible Maier-Saupe Model Based on the Self-Consistent Field Theory of Wormlike Polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Jiang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a theoretical formalism for describing systems of semiflexible polymers, which can have density variations due to finite compressibility and exhibit an isotropic-nematic transition. The molecular architecture of the semiflexible polymers is described by a continuum wormlike-chain model. The non-bonded interactions are described through a functional of two collective variables, the local density and local segmental orientation tensor. In particular, the functional depends quadratically on local density-variations and includes a Maier–Saupe-type term to deal with the orientational ordering. The specified density-dependence stems from a free energy expansion, where the free energy of an isotropic and homogeneous homopolymer melt at some fixed density serves as a reference state. Using this framework, a self-consistent field theory is developed, which produces a Helmholtz free energy that can be used for the calculation of the thermodynamics of the system. The thermodynamic properties are analysed as functions of the compressibility of the model, for values of the compressibility realizable in mesoscopic simulations with soft interactions and in actual polymeric materials.

  13. Self-consistent electronic structure of spin-polarized dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, S. P.; Yi, K. S.; Quinn, J. J.

    2000-01-01

    The electronic properties of spin-symmetry-broken dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum wells are investigated self-consistently at zero temperature. The spin-split subband structure and carrier concentration of modulation-doped quantum wells are examined in the presence of a strong magnetic field. The effects of exchange and correlations of electrons are included in a local-spin-density-functional approximation. We demonstrate that exchange correlation of electrons decreases the spin-split subband energy but enhances the carrier density in a spin-polarized quantum well. We also observe that as the magnetic field increases, the concentration of spin-down (majority) electrons increases but that of spin-up (minority) electrons decreases. The effect of orbital quantization on the in-plane motion of electrons is also examined and shows a sawtoothlike variation in subband electron concentrations as the magnetic-field intensity increases. The latter variation is attributed to the presence of ionized donors acting as the electron reservoir, which is partially responsible for the formation of the integer quantum Hall plateaus. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  14. Enriching Elementary Quantum Mechanics with the Computer: Self-Consistent Field Problems in One Dimension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolemon, Jay S.; Etzold, David J.

    1974-01-01

    Discusses the use of a small computer to solve self-consistent field problems of one-dimensional systems of two or more interacting particles in an elementary quantum mechanics course. Indicates that the calculation can serve as a useful introduction to the iterative technique. (CC)

  15. Chronic effects of strength training vs. Hydro aerobics on functional and cardiorespiratory ability in postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novaes, Giovanni S; Novaes, Jefferson S; Vilaça-Alves, José; Silva, Gabriel Costa E; Garrido, Nuno D; Furtado, Hélio; Reis, Victor M

    2014-09-29

    The current study aimed to compare the effects of two exercise programs (Strength Training and Hydro Gymnastics) on the functional and cardiorespiratory abilities of Portuguese postmenopausal women. The study population consisted of 38 volunteers (age: 66.9 ± 6.1 years, body mass: 73.70 ± 10.38 kg, and body height: 1.55 ± 0.10 m). Subjects were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group: one group performed 24 weeks of strength training (GST; n = 14), another performed 24 weeks of hydro gymnastics (GH; n = 17) and a control group (CG; n = 7), where the subjects continued with their regular daily activities without involvement in any physical exercise program. Three assessments were performed: before the beginning of the program, 12 weeks after the start of the training program and 24 weeks after the start of the program. To assess the functional ability of the participants, several tests proposed by Jones and Rikli (2002) were performed. To evaluate the cardiorespiratory ability of the participants, a modified treadmill Bruce test was applied. Significant differences (ptraining methods in the tests, which primarily demanded muscular strength. Body mass and the body mass index showed significant differences during the three stages of assessment in the GST group (pfunctional and cardiorespiratory abilities of Portuguese postmenopausal women.

  16. Study of the photon strength function in Te-128

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isaak, Johann; Silva, Joel [EMMI, Darmstadt (Germany); FIAS, Frankfurt (Germany); Beck, Tobias; Gayer, Udo; Pietralla, Norbert; Romig, Christopher; Zweidinger, Markus [IKP, TU Darmstadt (Germany); Derya, Vera; Zilges, Andreas [IKP, University of Cologne (Germany); Loeher, Bastian; Savran, Deniz [GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Tamkas, Makbule [EMMI, Darmstadt (Germany); Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey); Tornow, Werner; Weller, Henry R. [TUNL, Duke University, Durham (United States)

    2016-07-01

    The Photon Strength Function (PSF) is a crucial input parameter for statistical model calculations such as Hauser-Feshbach calculations to study the nucleosynthesis of the elements in the universe. In practice, it is a challenging task to determine the PSF experimentally. Therefore, photon-scattering experiments were performed at the High Intensity γ-ray Source (HIγS) at Duke University, Durham, USA. Due to the monochromatic photon beam that is provided at HIγS, the excitation energy is well known as well as the ensemble of states that are populated, i.e. mainly J=1 states. The emitted photons from the subsequent deexcitation are measured with the γ-γ coincidence setup γ{sup 3}. With this experimental approach it is possible to determine the PSF for dipole transitions on top of the ground state and the PSF build on low-lying excited states. Recent results on Te-128 are presented and discussed.

  17. A self-consistent nuclear energy supply system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii-e, Y.; Morita, T.; Kawakami, H.; Arie, K.; Suzuki, M.; Iida, M.; Yamazaki, H.

    1992-01-01

    A self-consistent nuclear energy supply system (SCNESS) is investigated for a Fast Reactor. SCNESS is proposed as a future stable energy supplier with no harmful influence on humans or environment for the ultimate goal of nuclear energy development. SCNESS should be inherently safe, be able to breed fissionable material, and transmute long-lived radioactive nuclides (i.e., minor actinides and long-lived fission products). The relationship between these characteristics and the spatial assignment of excess neutrons (v-1) for each characteristic are analyzed. The analysis shows that excess neutrons play an intrinsic role in realizing SCNESS. The reactor concept of SCNESS is investigated by considering utilization of excess neutrons. Results show that a small-size axially double-layered annular core with metal fuel is a choice candidate for SCNESS. SCNESS is concluded feasible. (author). 4 refs., 9 figs

  18. Surgery-induced changes and early recovery of hip-muscle strength, leg-press power, and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Bente; Thorborg, Kristian; Husted, Henrik

    2013-01-01

    By measuring very early changes in muscle strength and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA), post-operative rehabilitation, introduced soon after surgery, can be designed to specifically target identified deficits.......By measuring very early changes in muscle strength and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA), post-operative rehabilitation, introduced soon after surgery, can be designed to specifically target identified deficits....

  19. Regional impairment of intrinsic functional connectivity strength in patients with chronic primary insomnia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang S

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Suhua Huang,1 Fuqing Zhou,2,3 Jian Jiang,2,3 Muhua Huang,2,3 Xianjun Zeng,2,3 Shan Ding,1 Honghan Gong2,3 1Department of Radiology, Jiangxi Province Children’s Hospital, 2Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, 3Jiangxi Province Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Several neuroimaging studies have suggested that brain impairment and plasticity occur in patients with chronic primary insomnia (CPI; however, the effects of insomnia on the intrinsic organization of the brain remain largely unknown. In this study, a voxel-based functional connectivity strength (FCS assessment, a data-driven method based on a theoretical approach, was applied to investigate the effects of insomnia on the intrinsic organization of the whole brain in 27 treatment-naïve CPI patients and 26 well-matched healthy controls (HCs. Compared with HCs, CPI patients exhibited decreased FCS primarily in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the right medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC, the left basal ganglia/insula, and the right cerebellum anterior lobe (CAL due to decreased functional connectivity patterns. These results suggest that poor sleep quality could impair FCS within the brain, including the MPFC and the CAL, which are important for cognitive control and modulating motor and limbic functions. Additionally, a receiver operator characteristic analysis revealed that altered FCS has moderate sensitivity (76.9%–88.5% and specificity (59.3%–70.4% as a reference indicator to discriminate CPI patients from HCs. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for abnormal intrinsic brain activity in CPI patients and might improve our understanding of the pathophysiological processes that occur in insomnia patients. Keywords: functional connectivity strength, disconnection, chronic primary insomnia, sleep disorders, resting-state fMRI

  20. Moderate-Load Muscular Endurance Strength Training Did Not Improve Peak Power or Functional Capacity in Older Men and Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Walker

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The present study determined the effects of muscular endurance strength training on maximum strength and power, functional capacity, muscle activation and hypertrophy in older men and women. Eighty-one men and women acted as an intervention group while 22 acted as non-training controls (age range 64–75 y. Intervention training included super-sets (i.e., paired exercises, immediately performing the second exercises following completion of the first with short rest intervals (30–60 s between sets at an intensity of 50–60% one-repetition maximum (1-RM for 15–20 repetitions. Concentric leg press actions measured maximum strength (1-RM and concentric peak power. Functional capacity was assessed by maximum speed walking tests (i.e., forward walk, backward walk, timed-up-and-go, and stair climb tests. Quadriceps muscle activation was assessed by surface electromyogram and twitch interpolation technique. Vastus lateralis cross-sectional area was measured by panoramic ultrasound. Compared to control, the intervention groups increased maximum strength (1-RM; men: 10 ± 7% vs. 2 ± 3%, women: 14 ± 9% vs. 1 ± 6% both P < 0.01 and vastus lateralis cross-sectional area (men: 6 ± 7% vs. −3 ± 6%, women: 10 ± 10% vs. 0 ± 4% both P < 0.05. But there were no between-group differences in peak power, muscle activation or functional capacity (e.g., stair climb; men: −5 ± 7% vs. −4 ± 3%, women: −5 ± 6% vs. −2 ± 5% both P > 0.05. While benefits occurred during muscular endurance strength training, specific stimuli are probably needed to target all aspects of age-related health.

  1. Social supports and mental health: a cross-sectional study on the correlation of self-consistency and congruence in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, YanMei; Hu, Jie; Hu, YaPing; Wang, JianRong

    2016-06-28

    Psychosocial job characteristics require nursing staff with high self-consistency and good mental health. However, the attention and effort of such study remained very limited in China. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the bedside nurses in an affiliated hospital of Hebei Medical University, China. Of 218 registered bedside nurses eligible to participate in the survey anonymously, the data producing sample of 172 subjects resulted in a 79 % of effective response rate.. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to measure social support, and the Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale were used to measure mental health. Compared with the normal referenced group of college students, higher self-flexibility scores, lower self-conflict and self-stethoscope scores from the sample group were obtained with statistical significance in self-conflict scores. The close correlations were observed between participants' social support and Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale score. The difference of Social Support Rating Scale score was significant in demographic features including years of work, marital status, only child family, and levels of cooperation with other health worker. Bedside nurses in this study show a better inner harmony, and their Self-Consistency and Congruence closely correlates with the levels of social support. Thus, it is substantial to improve inner perception of support and external factors, such as the workplace support, and offer beneficial social environment to improve the bedside nurse's sub-health symptoms and decrease the high turnover rate.

  2. Study of Photon Strength Functions of Actinides: the case of U-235, Np-238 and Pu-241

    CERN Document Server

    Guerrero, C; Cano-Ott, D; Martinez, T; Mendoza, E; Villamarin, D; Colonna, N; Meaze, M H; Marrone, S; Tagliente, G; Terlizzi, R; Belloni, F; Abbondanno, U; Fujii, K; Milazzo, P M; Moreau, C; Aerts, G; Berthoumieux, E; Dridi, W; Gunsing, F; Pancin, J; Perrot, L; Plukis, A; Alvarez, H; Duran, I; Paradela, C; Andriamonje, S; Calviani, M; Chiaveri, E; Gonzalez-Romero, E; Kadi, Y; Vicente, M C; Vlachoudis, V; Andrzejewski, J; Marganiec, J; Assimakopoulos, P; Karadimos, D; Karamanis, D; Papachristodoulou, C; Patronis, N; Audouin, L; David, S; Ferrant, L; Isaev, S; Stephan, C; Tassan-Got, L; Badurek, G; Jericha, E; Leeb, H; Oberhummer, H; Pigni, M T; Baumann, P; Kerveno, M; Lukic, S; Rudolf, G; Becvar, F; Krticka, M; Calvino, F; Capote, R; Carrillo De Albornoz, A; Marques, L; Salgado, J; Tavora, L; Vaz, P; Cennini, P; Dahlfors, M; Ferrari, A; Gramegna, F; Herrera-Martinez, A; Mastinu, P; Praena, J; Sarchiapone, L; Wendler, H; Chepel, V; Ferreira-Marques, R; Goncalves, I; Lindote, A; Lopes, I; Neves, F; Cortes, G; Poch, A; Pretel, C; Couture, A; Cox, J; O'brien, S; Wiescher, M; Dillman, I; Kappeler, F; Mosconi, M; Plag, R; Voss, F; Walter, S; Wisshak, K; Dolfini, R; Rubbia, C; Domingo-Pardo, C; Tain, J L; Eleftheriadis, C; Savvidis, I; Frais-Koelbl, H; Griesmayer, E; Furman, W; Konovalov, V; Goverdovski, A; Ketlerov, V; Haas, B; Haight, R; Reifarth, R; Heil, M; Igashira, M; Koehler, P; Kossionides, E; Lampoudis, C; Lozano, M; Quesada, J; Massimi, C; Vannini, G; Mengoni, A; Oshima, M; Papadopoulos, C; Vlastou, R; Pavlik, A; Pavlopoulos, P; Plompen, A; Rullhusen, P; Rauscher, T; Rosetti, M; Ventura, A

    2011-01-01

    The decay from excited levels in medium and heavy nuclei can be described in a statistical approach by means of Photon Strength Functions and Level Density distributions combined with the theory of the compound. The study of electromagnetic cascades following neutron capture by means of high efficiency detectors has been shown to be well suited for probing the properties of the Photon Strength Function of heavy (high level density) and/or radioactive (high background) nuclei. In this work we have investigated for the first time the validity of the recommended PSF for actinides, in particular 235U, 238Np and 241Pu. Our study includes the search for resonance structures in the PSF below Sn and draws conclusions regarding their existence and their characteristics in terms of energy, width and electromagnetic nature.

  3. Lopsidedness of Self-consistent Galaxies Caused by the External Field Effect of Clusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Xufen [CAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026 (China); Wang, Yougang [Key Laboratory of Computational Astrophysics, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012 (China); Feix, Martin [CNRS, UMR 7095 and UPMC, Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris (France); Zhao, HongSheng, E-mail: xufenwu@ustc.edu.cn [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, Fife, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

    2017-08-01

    Adopting Schwarzschild’s orbit-superposition technique, we construct a series of self-consistent galaxy models, embedded in the external field of galaxy clusters in the framework of Milgrom’s MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). These models represent relatively massive ellipticals with a Hernquist radial profile at various distances from the cluster center. Using N -body simulations, we perform a first analysis of these models and their evolution. We find that self-gravitating axisymmetric density models, even under a weak external field, lose their symmetry by instability and generally evolve to triaxial configurations. A kinematic analysis suggests that the instability originates from both box and nonclassified orbits with low angular momentum. We also consider a self-consistent isolated system that is then placed in a strong external field and allowed to evolve freely. This model, just like the corresponding equilibrium model in the same external field, eventually settles to a triaxial equilibrium as well, but has a higher velocity radial anisotropy and is rounder. The presence of an external field in the MOND universe generically predicts some lopsidedness of galaxy shapes.

  4. Lopsidedness of Self-consistent Galaxies Caused by the External Field Effect of Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xufen; Wang, Yougang; Feix, Martin; Zhao, HongSheng

    2017-08-01

    Adopting Schwarzschild’s orbit-superposition technique, we construct a series of self-consistent galaxy models, embedded in the external field of galaxy clusters in the framework of Milgrom’s MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). These models represent relatively massive ellipticals with a Hernquist radial profile at various distances from the cluster center. Using N-body simulations, we perform a first analysis of these models and their evolution. We find that self-gravitating axisymmetric density models, even under a weak external field, lose their symmetry by instability and generally evolve to triaxial configurations. A kinematic analysis suggests that the instability originates from both box and nonclassified orbits with low angular momentum. We also consider a self-consistent isolated system that is then placed in a strong external field and allowed to evolve freely. This model, just like the corresponding equilibrium model in the same external field, eventually settles to a triaxial equilibrium as well, but has a higher velocity radial anisotropy and is rounder. The presence of an external field in the MOND universe generically predicts some lopsidedness of galaxy shapes.

  5. Self-consistent analysis of radial electric field and fast ion losses in CHS Torsatron/Heliotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanuki, H.; Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.

    1992-09-01

    A self-consistent analysis is developed to determine the radial electric field and loss cone boundary in Torsatron/Heliotron plasmas under the influence of non-classical ion losses such as the loss cone loss ans charge exchange loss of fast ions with neutrals. Analysis is applied to the NBI heated plasmas in the Compact Helical System (CHS) device. Comparison is made between theoretical results and experimental observations. The increased ion particle losses caused by the orbit loss and charge exchange loss with neutrals make the radial electric field more negative than the value of purely neoclassical calculation. The partition of the injection energy among the shine through, direct orbit loss, change exchange loss and bulk heating is evaluated by using the self-consistent electric field profile. On-going experiments in the CHS device are briefly introduced. (author)

  6. Concurrent assessments of lower limb loading patterns, mechanical muscle strength and functional performance in ACL-patients - A cross-sectional study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holsgaard-Larsen, Anders; Jensen, C; Mortensen, N H M

    2014-01-01

    Full recovery in muscle strength and functional performance may not be achieved after ACL-injury. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate loading patterns during jumping, muscle function and functional performance in ACL-reconstructed patients and to investigate the origin of between...

  7. THERMODYNAMIC DEPRESSION OF IONIZATION POTENTIALS IN NONIDEAL PLASMAS: GENERALIZED SELF-CONSISTENCY CRITERION AND A BACKWARD SCHEME FOR DERIVING THE EXCESS FREE ENERGY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaghloul, Mofreh R.

    2009-01-01

    Accurate and consistent prediction of thermodynamic properties is of great importance in high-energy density physics and in modeling stellar atmospheres and interiors as well. Modern descriptions of thermodynamic properties of such nonideal plasma systems are sophisticated and/or full of pitfalls that make it difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce. The use of the Saha equation modified at high densities by incorporating simple expressions for depression of ionization potentials is very convenient in that context. However, as it is commonly known, the incorporation of ad hoc or empirical expressions for the depression of ionization potentials in the Saha equation leads to thermodynamic inconsistencies. The problem of thermodynamic consistency of ionization potentials depression in nonideal plasmas is investigated and a criterion is derived, which shows immediately, whether a particular model for the ionization potential depression is self-consistent, that is, whether it can be directly related to a modification of the free-energy function, or not. A backward scheme is introduced which can be utilized to derive nonideality corrections to the free-energy function from formulas of ionization potentials depression derived from plasma microfields or in ad hoc or empirical fashion provided that the aforementioned self-consistency criterion is satisfied. The value and usefulness of such a backward method are pointed out and discussed. The above-mentioned criterion is applied to investigate the thermodynamic consistency of some historic models in the literature and an optional routine is introduced to recover their thermodynamic consistencies while maintaining the same functional dependence on the species densities as in the original models. Sample computational problems showing the effect of the proposed modifications on the computed plasma composition are worked out and presented.

  8. In-season monitoring of hip and groin strength, health and function in elite youth soccer: Implementing an early detection and management strategy over two consecutive seasons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wollin, Martin; Thorborg, Kristian; Welvaert, Marijke; Pizzari, Tania

    2018-03-14

    The primary purpose of this study was to describe an early detection and management strategy when monitoring in-season hip and groin strength, health and function in soccer. Secondly to compare pre-season to in-season test results. Longitudinal cohort study. Twenty-seven elite male youth soccer players (age: 15.07±0.73years) volunteered to participate in the study. Monitoring tests included: adductor strength, adductor/abductor strength ratio and hip and groin outcome scores (HAGOS). Data were recorded at pre-season and at 22 monthly intervals in-season. Thresholds for alerts to initiate further investigations were defined as any of the following: adductor strength reductions >15%, adductor/abductor strength ratio time-point one (ptime-loss were classified minimal or mild. In-season monitoring aimed at early detection and management of hip and groin strength, health and function appears promising. Hip and groin strength, health and function improved quickly from pre-season to in-season in a high-risk population for ongoing hip and groin problems. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. All rights reserved.

  9. TCR stimulation strength is inversely associated with establishment of functional brain-resident memory CD8 T cells during persistent viral infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maru, Saumya; Jin, Ge; Schell, Todd D; Lukacher, Aron E

    2017-04-01

    Establishing functional tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells at sites of infection is a newfound objective of T cell vaccine design. To directly assess the impact of antigen stimulation strength on memory CD8 T cell formation and function during a persistent viral infection, we created a library of mouse polyomavirus (MuPyV) variants with substitutions in a subdominant CD8 T cell epitope that exhibit a broad range of efficiency in stimulating TCR transgenic CD8 T cells. By altering a subdominant epitope in a nonstructural viral protein and monitoring memory differentiation of donor monoclonal CD8 T cells in immunocompetent mice, we circumvented potentially confounding changes in viral infection levels, virus-associated inflammation, size of the immunodominant virus-specific CD8 T cell response, and shifts in TCR affinity that may accompany temporal recruitment of endogenous polyclonal cells. Using this strategy, we found that antigen stimulation strength was inversely associated with the function of memory CD8 T cells during a persistent viral infection. We further show that CD8 TRM cells recruited to the brain following systemic infection with viruses expressing epitopes with suboptimal stimulation strength respond more efficiently to challenge CNS infection with virus expressing cognate antigen. These data demonstrate that the strength of antigenic stimulation during recruitment of CD8 T cells influences the functional integrity of TRM cells in a persistent viral infection.

  10. Screen-based sedentary behavior and associations with functional strength in 6-15 year-old children in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edelson, Lisa R; Mathias, Kevin C; Fulgoni, Victor L; Karagounis, Leonidas G

    2016-02-04

    Physical strength is associated with improved health outcomes in children. Heavier children tend to have lower functional strength and mobility. Physical activity can increase children's strength, but it is unknown how different types of electronic media use impact physical strength. Data from the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) from children ages 6-15 were analyzed in this study. Regression models were conducted to determine if screen-based sedentary behaviors (television viewing time, computer/video game time) were associated with strength measures (grip, leg extensions, modified pull-ups, plank) while controlling for potential confounders including child age, sex, BMI z-score, and days per week with 60+ minutes of physical activity. Grip strength and leg extensions divided by body weight were analyzed to provide measures of relative strength together with pull-ups and plank, which require lifting the body. The results from the regression models showed the hypothesized inverse association between TV time and all strength measures. Computer time was only significantly inversely associated with the ability to do one or more pull-ups. This study shows that television viewing, but not computer/videogames, is inversely associated with measures of child strength while controlling for child characteristics and physical activity. These findings suggest that "screen time" may not be a unified construct with respect to strength outcomes and that further exploration of the potential benefits of reducing television time on children's strength and related mobility is needed.

  11. Nuclear level density and gamma strength function in 64Fe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, M. K.; Spyrou, A.; Ahn, T.; Dombos, A. C.; Liddick, S. N.; Montes, F.; Naqvi, F.; Richman, D.; Schatz, H.; Brown, J.; Childers, K.; Crider, B. P.; Prokop, C. J.; Deleeuw, E.; Deyoung, P. A.; Langer, C.; Lewis, R.; Meisel, Z.; Pereira, J.; Quinn, S. J.; Schmidt, K.; Larsen, A. C.; Guttormsen, M.

    2017-09-01

    The Fe-Cd mass region exhibits enhanced collectivity and an unexpected increased in gamma-decay probability at low energies. These effects could be significant for r-process nucleosynthesis, where masses, beta-decay probabilities, and neutron capture cross sections are among the most important inputs. Neutron capture is notoriously difficult to measure; so the recent development of an indirect technique to constrain neutron-captures far from stability is especially valuable. This is the beta-Oslo method, which allows the extraction of the nuclear level density and gamma-ray strength function to compute neutron-capture cross sections. This work reports on 64Fe, populated via beta-decay of 64Mn at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and measured with the 4pi Summing NaI (SuN) total gamma-ray spectrometer.

  12. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY FOR ASTROPHYSICISTS: A SELF-CONSISTENT FORMALISM AND ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ARBITRARY C/O

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heng, Kevin; Tsai, Shang-Min; Lyons, James R.

    2016-01-01

    We present a self-consistent formalism for computing and understanding the atmospheric chemistry of exoplanets from the viewpoint of an astrophysicist. Starting from the first law of thermodynamics, we demonstrate that the van’t Hoff equation (which describes the equilibrium constant), Arrhenius equation (which describes the rate coefficients), and procedures associated with the Gibbs free energy (minimization, rescaling) have a common physical and mathematical origin. We address an ambiguity associated with the equilibrium constant, which is used to relate the forward and reverse rate coefficients, and restate its two definitions. By necessity, one of the equilibrium constants must be dimensionless and equate to an exponential function involving the Gibbs free energy, while the other is a ratio of rate coefficients and must therefore possess physical units. We demonstrate that the Arrhenius equation takes on a functional form that is more general than previously stated without recourse to tagging on ad hoc functional forms. Finally, we derive analytical models of chemical systems, in equilibrium, with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. We include acetylene and are able to reproduce several key trends, versus temperature and carbon-to-oxygen ratio, published in the literature. The rich variety of behavior that mixing ratios exhibit as a function of the carbon-to-oxygen ratio is merely the outcome of stoichiometric book-keeping and not the direct consequence of temperature or pressure variations

  13. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY FOR ASTROPHYSICISTS: A SELF-CONSISTENT FORMALISM AND ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ARBITRARY C/O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heng, Kevin; Tsai, Shang-Min [University of Bern, Center for Space and Habitability, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012, Bern (Switzerland); Lyons, James R., E-mail: kevin.heng@csh.unibe.ch [Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Bateman Physical Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 (United States)

    2016-01-10

    We present a self-consistent formalism for computing and understanding the atmospheric chemistry of exoplanets from the viewpoint of an astrophysicist. Starting from the first law of thermodynamics, we demonstrate that the van’t Hoff equation (which describes the equilibrium constant), Arrhenius equation (which describes the rate coefficients), and procedures associated with the Gibbs free energy (minimization, rescaling) have a common physical and mathematical origin. We address an ambiguity associated with the equilibrium constant, which is used to relate the forward and reverse rate coefficients, and restate its two definitions. By necessity, one of the equilibrium constants must be dimensionless and equate to an exponential function involving the Gibbs free energy, while the other is a ratio of rate coefficients and must therefore possess physical units. We demonstrate that the Arrhenius equation takes on a functional form that is more general than previously stated without recourse to tagging on ad hoc functional forms. Finally, we derive analytical models of chemical systems, in equilibrium, with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. We include acetylene and are able to reproduce several key trends, versus temperature and carbon-to-oxygen ratio, published in the literature. The rich variety of behavior that mixing ratios exhibit as a function of the carbon-to-oxygen ratio is merely the outcome of stoichiometric book-keeping and not the direct consequence of temperature or pressure variations.

  14. Determining Criteria to Predict Repeatability of Performance in Older Adults: Using Coefficients of Variation for Strength and Functional Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raj, Isaac Selva; Bird, Stephen R; Westfold, Ben A; Shield, Anthony J

    2017-01-01

    Reliable measures of muscle strength and functional capacity in older adults are essential. The aim of this study was to determine whether coefficients of variation (CVs) of individuals obtained at the first session can infer repeatability of performance in a subsequent session. Forty-eight healthy older adults (mean age 68.6 ± 6.1 years; age range 60-80 years) completed two assessment sessions, and on each occasion undertook: dynamometry for isometric and isokinetic quadriceps strength, 6 meter fast walk (6MFWT), timed up and go (TUG), stair climb and descent, and vertical jump. Significant linear relationships were observed between CVs in session 1 and the percentage difference between sessions 1 and 2 for torque at 60, 120, 240 and 360°/s, 6MFWT, TUG, stair climb, and stair descent. The results of this study could be used to establish criteria for determining an acceptably reliable performance in strength and functional tests.

  15. Mechanical muscle function and lean body mass during supervised strength training and testosterone therapy in aging men with low-normal testosterone levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kvorning, Thue; Christensen, Louise L; Madsen, Klavs

    2013-01-01

    To examine the effect of strength training and testosterone therapy on mechanical muscle function and lean body mass (LBM) in aging men with low-normal testosterone levels in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 24-week study.......To examine the effect of strength training and testosterone therapy on mechanical muscle function and lean body mass (LBM) in aging men with low-normal testosterone levels in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 24-week study....

  16. Calculating beta decay in the deformed self-consistent quasiparticle random phase approximation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engel, Jonathan, E-mail: engelj@physics.unc.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 (United States); Mustonen, M. T., E-mail: mika.mustonen@yale.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 (United States); Center for Theoretical Physics, Sloane Physics Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06052 (United States)

    2016-06-21

    We discuss a recent global calculation of beta-decay rates in the self-consistent Skyrme quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA), with axially symmetric nuclear deformation treated explicitly. The calculation makes makes use of the finite-amplitude method, first proposed by Nakatsukasa and collaborators, to reduce computation time. The results are comparable in quality to those of several other global QRPA calculations. The QRPA may have reached the limit of its accuracy.

  17. A modified KdV equation with self-consistent sources in non-uniform media and soliton dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Dajun; Bi Jinbo; Hao Honghai

    2006-01-01

    Two non-isospectral modified KdV equations with self-consistent sources are derived, which correspond to the time-dependent spectral parameter λ satisfying λ t = λ and λ t = λ 3 , respectively. Gauge transformation between the first non-isospectral equation (corresponding to λ t = λ) and its isospectral counterpart is given, from which exact solutions and conservation laws for the non-isospectral one are easily listed. Besides, solutions to the two non-isospectral modified KdV equations with self-consistent sources are derived by means of the Hirota method and the Wronskian technique, respectively. Non-isospectral dynamics and source effects, including one-soliton characteristics in non-uniform media, two-solitons scattering and special behaviours related to sources (for example, the 'ghost' solitons in the degenerate two-soliton case), are investigated analytically

  18. The Plumber’s Nightmare Phase in Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends. A Self-Consistent Field Theory Study.

    KAUST Repository

    Martinez-Veracoechea, Francisco J.

    2009-11-24

    Using self-consistent field theory, the Plumber\\'s Nightmare and the double diamond phases are predicted to be stable in a finite region of phase diagrams for blends of AB diblock copolymer (DBC) and A-component homopolymer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the P phase has been predicted to be stable using self-consistent field theory. The stabilization is achieved by tuning the composition or conformational asymmetry of the DBC chain, and the architecture or length of the homopolymer. The basic features of the phase diagrams are the same in all cases studied, suggesting a general type of behavior for these systems. Finally, it is noted that the homopolymer length should be a convenient variable to stabilize bicontinuous phases in experiments. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  19. A 9-Week Aerobic and Strength Training Program Improves Cognitive and Motor Function in Patients with Dementia : A Randomized, Controlled Trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bossers, Willem J. R.; van der Woude, Lucas H. V.; Boersma, Froukje; Hortobagyi, Tibor; Scherder, Erik J. A.; van Heuvelen, Marieke J. G.

    Objective: To compare training and follow-up effects of combined aerobic and strength training versus aerobic-only training on cognitive and motor function in institutionalized patients with dementia and to explore whether improved motor function mediates improved cognitive function. Methods: Using

  20. Convergence of quasiparticle self-consistent GW calculations of transition metal monoxides

    OpenAIRE

    Das, Suvadip; Coulter, John E.; Manousakis, Efstratios

    2014-01-01

    Finding an accurate ab initio approach for calculating the electronic properties of transition metal oxides has been a problem for several decades. In this paper, we investigate the electronic structure of the transition metal monoxides MnO, CoO, and NiO in their undistorted rock-salt structure within a fully iterated quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QPscGW) scheme. We study the convergence of the QPscGW method, i.e., how the quasiparticle energy eigenvalues and wavefunctions converge as a f...

  1. Handgrip Strength, Positive Affect, and Perceived Health Are Prospectively Associated with Fewer Functional Limitations among Centenarians

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franke, Warren D.; Margrett, Jennifer A.; Heinz, Melinda; Martin, Peter

    2012-01-01

    This study assessed the association between perceived health, fatigue, positive and negative affect, handgrip strength, objectively measured physical activity, body mass index, and self-reported functional limitations, assessed 6 months later, among 11 centenarians (age = 102 plus or minus 1). Activities of daily living, assessed 6 months prior to…

  2. Comparisons of low-intensity versus moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance training on body composition, muscle strength, and functional performance in older women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiotsu, Yoko; Yanagita, Masahiko

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise order of combined aerobic and low- or moderate-intensity resistance training into the same session on body composition, functional performance, and muscle strength in healthy older women. Furthermore, this study compared the effects of different (low- vs moderate-) intensity combined training. A total of 60 healthy older women (age 61-81 y) were randomly assigned to five groups that performed aerobic exercise before low-intensity resistance training (AR-L, n = 12) or after resistance training (RA-L, n = 12), performed aerobic exercise before moderate-intensity resistance training (AR-M, n = 12) or after resistance training (RA-M, n = 12), or nonintervention control conditions (CON, n = 12). Body composition, functional performance, and muscle strength were evaluated before and after the 10-week training. No effects of exercise order of combined aerobic and low- or moderate-intensity resistance training (AR-L vs RA-L, AR-M vs RA-M) were observed in body composition, functional performance, or muscle strength, whereas the effects of training intensity of combined training (AR-L vs AR-M, RA-L vs RA-M) were observed on functional performance. All combined trainings significantly increased muscle strength and gait ability (P Functional reach test significantly increased in the AR-M and RA-M groups (P training increases muscle strength and improves gait ability, regardless of the exercise order. Also, greater improvement in dynamic balance capacity, a risk factor associated with falling, is observed in moderate-intensity combined training.

  3. Self-consistent field theory of collisions: Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hahn, Y.K., E-mail: ykhahn22@verizon.net

    2014-12-15

    The self-consistent field theory of collisions is formulated, incorporating the unique dynamics generated by the self-averaged potentials. The bound state Hartree–Fock approach is extended for the first time to scattering states, by properly resolving the principal difficulties of non-integrable continuum orbitals and imposing complex asymptotic conditions. The recently developed asymptotic source theory provides the natural theoretical basis, as the asymptotic conditions are completely transferred to the source terms and the new scattering function is made fullyintegrable. The scattering solutions can then be directly expressed in terms of bound state HF configurations, establishing the relationship between the bound and scattering state solutions. Alternatively, the integrable spin orbitals are generated by constructing the individual orbital equations that contain asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials. However, the orbital energies are not determined by the equations, and a special channel energy fixing procedure is developed to secure the solutions. It is also shown that the variational construction of the orbital equations has intrinsic ambiguities that are generally associated with the self-consistent approach. On the other hand, when a small subset of open channels is included in the source term, the solutions are only partiallyintegrable, but the individual open channels can then be treated more simply by properly selecting the orbital energies. The configuration mixing and channel coupling are then necessary to complete the solution. The new theory improves the earlier continuum HF model. - Highlights: • First extension of HF to scattering states, with proper asymptotic conditions. • Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and integrable orbital solutions. • Construction of self-averaged potentials, and orbital energy fixing. • Channel coupling and configuration mixing, involving the new orbitals. • Critical evaluation of the

  4. Self-consistent beam halo studies ampersand halo diagnostic development in a continuous linear focusing channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jameson, R.A.

    1994-01-01

    Beam halos are formed via self-consistent motion of the beam particles. Interactions of single particles with time-varying density distributions of other particles are a major source of halo. Aspects of these interactions are studied for an initially equilibrium distribution in a radial, linear, continuous focusing system. When there is a mismatch, it is shown that in the self-consistent system, there is a threshold in space-charge and mismatch, above which a halo is formed that extends to ∼1.5 times the initial maximum mismatch radius. Tools are sought for characterizing the halo dynamics. Testing the particles against the width of the mismatch driving resonance is useful for finding a conservative estimate of the threshold. The exit, entering and transition times, and the time evolution of the halo, are also explored using this technique. Extension to higher dimensions is briefly discussed

  5. Inpatient rehabilitation improves functional capacity, peripheral muscle strength and quality of life in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a randomised trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anderson José

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Question: Among people who are hospitalised for community-acquired pneumonia, does an inpatient exercise-based rehabilitation program improve functional outcomes, symptoms, quality of life and length of hospital stay more than a respiratory physiotherapy regimen? Design: Randomised trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinding of some outcomes. Participants: Forty-nine adults hospitalised for community-acquired pneumonia. Intervention: The experimental group (n = 32 underwent a physical training program that included warm-up, stretching, peripheral muscle strength training and walking at a controlled speed for 15 minutes. The control group (n = 17 underwent a respiratory physiotherapy regimen that included percussion, vibrocompression, respiratory exercises and free walking. The intervention regimens lasted 8 days. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was the Glittre Activities of Daily Living test, which assesses the time taken to complete a series of functional tasks (eg, rising from a chair, walking, stairs, lifting and bending. Secondary outcomes were distance walked in the incremental shuttle walk test, peripheral muscle strength, quality of life, dyspnoea, lung function, C-reactive protein and length of hospital stay. Measures were taken 1 day before and 1 day after the intervention period. Results: There was greater improvement in the experimental group than in the control group on the Glittre Activities of Daily Living test (mean between-group difference 39 seconds, 95% CI 20 to 59 and the incremental shuttle walk test (mean between-group difference 130 m, 95% CI 77 to 182. There were also significantly greater improvements in quality of life, dyspnoea and peripheral muscle strength in the experimental group than in the control group. There were no between-group differences in lung function, C-reactive protein or length of hospital stay. Conclusion: The improvement in functional outcomes after an

  6. Partition function as a Laplace transform of a positive measure in the strength parameter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bessis, D.

    1980-01-01

    We shall consider the partition function Z(lambda), of an N-body system whose Hamiltonian reads: H = H/sub O/ + lambdaH/sub I/. H/sub O/ is an exactly solvable Hamiltonian, one for which, for example all thermodynamical quantities can be calculated. H/sub I/ is the perturbation. We are interested in the analytic properties in the strength parameter lambda of the partition function Z(lambda) = Tr e/sup -ν[H 0 + lambdaH/sub I/]/ where for convenience the volume V and inverse temperature ν dependence has been suppressed on the left hand side. The representation for Z(lambda) is given and discussed, and applications are described

  7. The effect of the 238U neutron strength function uncertainty on resonance structure calculations in unresolved regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koshcheev, V.N.; Manturov, G.N.; Sinitsa, V.V.

    1991-01-01

    The effects of the neutron strength function uncertainties on the calculated values of the self-shielding factors and energy dependence of the total and capture 238 U cross-sections in the unresolved resonance region are investigated. (author). 26 refs, 5 figs

  8. Recovery of lower extremity muscle strength and functional performance in middle-aged patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ganderup, Tina; Jensen, Carsten; Holsgaard-Larsen, Anders

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE: To investigate lower extremity muscle strength and functional performance before and after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tears. We hypothesized that patients would experience deficiencies in the affected leg at 3 months post-surgery,...

  9. Strength and power of knee extensor muscles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knežević Olivera

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the studies of human neuromuscular function, the function of leg muscles has been most often measured, particularly the function of the knee extensors. Therefore, this review will be focused on knee extensors, methods for assessment of its function, the interdependence of strength and power, relations that describe these two abilities and the influence of various factors on their production (resistance training, stretching, movement tasks, age, etc.. Given that it consists of four separate muscles, the variability of their anatomical characteristics affects their participation in strength and power production, depending on the type of movement and motion that is performed. Since KE is active in a variety of activities it must be able to generate great strength in a large and diverse range of muscle lengths and high shortening velocities, in respect to different patterns of strength production, and thus different generation capacities within the muscle (Blazevich et al., 2006. It has been speculated that KE exerts its Pmax at workloads close to subject's own body weight or lower (Rahmani et al., 2001, which is very close to the maximum dynamic output hypothesis (MDI of Jaric and Markovic (2009. Changes under the influence of resistance training or biological age are variously manifested in muscle's morphological, physiological and neural characteristics, and thus in strength and power. Understanding the issues related to strength and power as abilities of great importance for daily activities, is also important for sports and rehabilitation. Performances improvement in sports in which leg muscles strength and power are crucial, as well as recovery after the injuries, are largely dependent on the research results regarding KE function. Also, the appropriate strength balance between knee flexors and extensors is important for the knee joint stability, so that the presence of imbalance between these two muscle groups might be a risk factor for

  10. Managing Knee Osteoarthritis: The Effects of Body Weight Supported Physical Activity on Joint Pain, Function, and Thigh Muscle Strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peeler, Jason; Christian, Mathew; Cooper, Juliette; Leiter, Jeffrey; MacDonald, Peter

    2015-11-01

    To determine the effect of a 12-week lower body positive pressure (LBPP)-supported low-load treadmill walking program on knee joint pain, function, and thigh muscle strength in overweight patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Prospective, observational, repeated measures investigation. Community-based, multidisciplinary sports medicine clinic. Thirty-one patients aged between 55 and 75 years, with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m and mild-to-moderate knee OA. Twelve-week LBPP-supported low-load treadmill walking regimen. Acute knee joint pain (visual analog scale) during full weight bearing treadmill walking, chronic knee pain, and joint function [Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire] during normal activities of daily living, and thigh muscle strength (isokinetic testing). Appropriate methods of statistical analysis were used to compare data from baseline and follow-up evaluation. Participants reported significant improvements in knee joint pain and function and demonstrated significant increases in thigh muscle strength about the degenerative knee. Participants also experienced significant reductions in acute knee pain during full weight bearing treadmill walking and required dramatically less LBPP support to walk pain free on the treadmill. Data suggest that an LBPP-supported low-load exercise regimen can be used to significantly diminish knee pain, enhance joint function, and increase thigh muscle strength, while safely promoting pain-free walking exercise in overweight patients with knee OA. These findings have important implications for the development of nonoperative treatment strategies that can be used in the management of joint symptoms associated with progressive knee OA in at-risk patient populations. This research suggests that LBPP-supported low-load walking is a safe user-friendly mode of exercise that can be successfully used in the management of day-to-day joint symptoms associated with knee OA, helping to improve the

  11. TCR stimulation strength is inversely associated with establishment of functional brain-resident memory CD8 T cells during persistent viral infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saumya Maru

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Establishing functional tissue-resident memory (TRM cells at sites of infection is a newfound objective of T cell vaccine design. To directly assess the impact of antigen stimulation strength on memory CD8 T cell formation and function during a persistent viral infection, we created a library of mouse polyomavirus (MuPyV variants with substitutions in a subdominant CD8 T cell epitope that exhibit a broad range of efficiency in stimulating TCR transgenic CD8 T cells. By altering a subdominant epitope in a nonstructural viral protein and monitoring memory differentiation of donor monoclonal CD8 T cells in immunocompetent mice, we circumvented potentially confounding changes in viral infection levels, virus-associated inflammation, size of the immunodominant virus-specific CD8 T cell response, and shifts in TCR affinity that may accompany temporal recruitment of endogenous polyclonal cells. Using this strategy, we found that antigen stimulation strength was inversely associated with the function of memory CD8 T cells during a persistent viral infection. We further show that CD8 TRM cells recruited to the brain following systemic infection with viruses expressing epitopes with suboptimal stimulation strength respond more efficiently to challenge CNS infection with virus expressing cognate antigen. These data demonstrate that the strength of antigenic stimulation during recruitment of CD8 T cells influences the functional integrity of TRM cells in a persistent viral infection.

  12. A self-consistent spin-diffusion model for micromagnetics

    KAUST Repository

    Abert, Claas; Ruggeri, Michele; Bruckner, Florian; Vogler, Christoph; Manchon, Aurelien; Praetorius, Dirk; Suess, Dieter

    2016-01-01

    We propose a three-dimensional micromagnetic model that dynamically solves the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation coupled to the full spin-diffusion equation. In contrast to previous methods, we solve for the magnetization dynamics and the electric potential in a self-consistent fashion. This treatment allows for an accurate description of magnetization dependent resistance changes. Moreover, the presented algorithm describes both spin accumulation due to smooth magnetization transitions and due to material interfaces as in multilayer structures. The model and its finite-element implementation are validated by current driven motion of a magnetic vortex structure. In a second experiment, the resistivity of a magnetic multilayer structure in dependence of the tilting angle of the magnetization in the different layers is investigated. Both examples show good agreement with reference simulations and experiments respectively.

  13. A self-consistent spin-diffusion model for micromagnetics

    KAUST Repository

    Abert, Claas

    2016-12-17

    We propose a three-dimensional micromagnetic model that dynamically solves the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation coupled to the full spin-diffusion equation. In contrast to previous methods, we solve for the magnetization dynamics and the electric potential in a self-consistent fashion. This treatment allows for an accurate description of magnetization dependent resistance changes. Moreover, the presented algorithm describes both spin accumulation due to smooth magnetization transitions and due to material interfaces as in multilayer structures. The model and its finite-element implementation are validated by current driven motion of a magnetic vortex structure. In a second experiment, the resistivity of a magnetic multilayer structure in dependence of the tilting angle of the magnetization in the different layers is investigated. Both examples show good agreement with reference simulations and experiments respectively.

  14. The effect of protein supplementation on quality of life, physical function, and muscle strength in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahnfeldt-Mollerup, Peder; Hey, Henrik; Johansen, Camilla

    2015-01-01

    of protein supplementation for non--sarcopenic patients with COPD has yet not previously been examined. AIM: The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effect of protein supplementation on quality of life, physical function, muscle strength and biochemical blood markers in patients diagnosed with COPD......, mental state was measured by means of St George Respiratory Questionnaire, physical performance was evaluated by shuttle walking test and maximal muscle strength test, and fasting blood samples were analysed. RESULTS: Supplementing exercise with protein had no additional effect on any of the outcome...... measures. However, shuttle walk time, St George total score and subscore for impact improved as effect of time. CONCLUSION: This trial was unable to provide evidence for the effect of protein supplementation on quality of life, physical function, and muscle strength in non--sarcopenic patients...

  15. Strength of precast concrete shear joints reinforced with high-strength wire ropes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Joergensen, Henrik B.; Hoang, Linh Cao; Hagsten, Lars German

    2017-01-01

    This paper concerns the in-plane shear strength of connections between precast concrete wall elements reinforced with looped high-strength wire ropes. The looped wire ropes are pre-installed in so-called ‘wire boxes’ which function as shear keys. Although only a small amount of research...... on the shear strength of such connections can be found in the literature, this type of connection is increasingly being used because wire ropes are much more construction-friendly than traditional U-bars. A rigid plastic upper bound model for the shear strength of wall connections reinforced with looped wire...... ropes that are pre-installed in wire boxes is presented along with test results on the shear strength of connections with double-wire boxes. It is shown that the plastic solution agrees well with both the obtained test results and results from previously conducted tests....

  16. A self-consistent model for thermodynamics of multicomponent solid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svoboda, J.; Fischer, F.D.

    2016-01-01

    The self-consistent concept recently published in this journal (108, 27–30, 2015) is extended from a binary to a multicomponent system. This is possible by exploiting the trapping concept as basis for including the interaction of atoms in terms of pairs (e.g. A–A, B–B, C–C…) and couples (e.g. A–B, B–C, …) in a multicomponent system with A as solvent and B, C, … as dilute solutes. The model results in a formulation of Gibbs-energy, which can be minimized. Examples show that the couple and pair formation may influence the equilibrium Gibbs energy markedly.

  17. Self-consistent assessment of Englert-Schwinger model on atomic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehtomäki, Jouko; Lopez-Acevedo, Olga

    2017-12-01

    Our manuscript investigates a self-consistent solution of the statistical atom model proposed by Berthold-Georg Englert and Julian Schwinger (the ES model) and benchmarks it against atomic Kohn-Sham and two orbital-free models of the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac (TFD)-λvW family. Results show that the ES model generally offers the same accuracy as the well-known TFD-1/5 vW model; however, the ES model corrects the failure in the Pauli potential near-nucleus region. We also point to the inability of describing low-Z atoms as the foremost concern in improving the present model.

  18. Trajectory of self-reported pain and function and knee extensor muscle strength in young patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery for meniscal tears

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorlund, Jonas Bloch; Østengaard, Lasse; Cardy, Nathan

    2017-01-01

    . PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: People aged 30 years or younger undergoing surgery for a meniscal tear. OUTCOMES: and comparator: (1) Self-reported pain and function in patients undergoing meniscal surgery compared to a non-operative control group (2). Knee extensor strength in the leg undergoing surgery...... the trajectory of self-reported pain and function in patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery compared with non-operative treatments for young patients with meniscal tears. Knee extensor strength seemed to be impaired up to 12 months after surgery in young patients undergoing surgery for meniscal tears...

  19. Self-consistent electronic structure of a model stage-1 graphite acceptor intercalate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campagnoli, G.; Tosatti, E.

    1981-04-01

    A simple but self-consistent LCAO scheme is used to study the π-electronic structure of an idealized stage-1 ordered graphite acceptor intercalate, modeled approximately on C 8 AsF 5 . The resulting non-uniform charge population within the carbon plane, band structure, optical and energy loss properties are discussed and compared with available spectroscopic evidence. The calculated total energy is used to estimate migration energy barriers, and the intercalate vibration mode frequency. (author)

  20. Self-consistent nonlocal feedback theory for electrocatalytic swimmers with heterogeneous surface chemical kinetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nourhani, Amir; Crespi, Vincent H.; Lammert, Paul E.

    2015-06-01

    We present a self-consistent nonlocal feedback theory for the phoretic propulsion mechanisms of electrocatalytic micromotors or nanomotors. These swimmers, such as bimetallic platinum and gold rods catalyzing decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution, have received considerable theoretical attention. In contrast, the heterogeneous electrochemical processes with nonlocal feedback that are the actual "engines" of such motors are relatively neglected. We present a flexible approach to these processes using bias potential as a control parameter field and a locally-open-circuit reference state, carried through in detail for a spherical motor. While the phenomenological flavor makes meaningful contact with experiment easier, required inputs can also conceivably come from, e.g., Frumkin-Butler-Volmer kinetics. Previously obtained results are recovered in the weak-heterogeneity limit and improved small-basis approximations tailored to structural heterogeneity are presented. Under the assumption of weak inhomogeneity, a scaling form is deduced for motor speed as a function of fuel concentration and swimmer size. We argue that this form should be robust and demonstrate a good fit to experimental data.

  1. Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear: a randomised trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davide G de Sousa

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Question: Does 4 weeks of active functional electrical stimulation (FES cycling in addition to usual care improve mobility and strength more than usual care alone in people with a sub-acute acquired brain injury caused by stroke or trauma? Design: Multi centre, randomised, controlled trial. Participants: Forty patients from three Sydney hospitals with recently acquired brain injury and a mean composite strength score in the affected lower limb of 7 (SD 5 out of 20 points. Intervention: Participants in the experimental group received an incremental, progressive, FES cycling program five times a week over a 4-week period. All participants received usual care. Outcome measures: Outcome measures were taken at baseline and at 4 weeks. Primary outcomes were mobility and strength of the knee extensors of the affected lower limb. Mobility was measured with three mobility items of the Functional Independence Measure and strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Secondary outcomes were strength of the knee extensors of the unaffected lower limb, strength of key muscles of the affected lower limb and spasticity of the affected plantar flexors. Results: All but one participant completed the study. The mean between-group differences for mobility and strength of the knee extensors of the affected lower limb were –0.3/21 points (95% CI –3.2 to 2.7 and 7.5 Nm (95% CI –5.1 to 20.2, where positive values favoured the experimental group. The only secondary outcome that suggested a possible treatment effect was strength of key muscles of the affected lower limb with a mean between-group difference of 3.0/20 points (95% CI 1.3 to 4.8. Conclusion: Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear. Trial registration: ACTRN12612001163897. [de Sousa DG, Harvey LA, Dorsch S, Leung J, Harris W (2016 Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve

  2. BAYESZ, S-Wave, P-Wave Resonance Level Spacing and Strength Functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, M.S.

    1982-01-01

    A - Description of problem or function: BAYESZ calculates average s- and p-wave level spacings, strength functions, and average radiation widths of a mixed sequence of s- and p-wave resonances whose parameters are supplied as input. The code is based on two physical assumptions: 1) The neutron reduced width distribution for each open channel is a chi-squared distribution with one degree of freedom, i.e. Porter-Thomas. 2) The spacing distribution follows the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. This property is used, however, only to fix the s- to p-wave level density ratio as proportional to (2J+1) with a spin cut-off correction. B - Method of solution: The method used is an extension of that described by Moore et al. in reference (1), and is based on the method of moments of a truncated Porter-Thomas distribution. C - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Parameters for a maximum of 500 individual resonances can be specified. This restriction can be relaxed by increasing array dimensions

  3. Application of a general self-consistency scheme in the linear combination of atomic orbitals formalism to the electronic and structural properties of Si and W

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, C.T.; Vanderbilt, D.; Louie, S.G.; Materials and Molecular Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720)

    1986-01-01

    We present a general self-consistency procedure formulated in momentum space for electronic structure and total-energy calculations of crystalline solids. It is shown that both the charge density and the change in the Hamiltonian matrix elements in each iteration can be calculated in a straight-forward fashion once a set of overlap matrices is computed. The present formulation has the merit of bringing the self-consistency problem for different basis sets to the same footing. The scheme is used to extend a first-principles pseudopotential linear combination of Gaussian orbitals method to full point-by-point self-consistency, without refitting of potentials. It is shown that the set of overlap matrices can be calculated very efficiently if we exploit the translational and space-group symmetries of the system under consideration. This scheme has been applied to study the structural and electronic properties of Si and W, prototypical systems of very different bonding properties. The results agree well with experiment and other calculations. The fully self-consistent results are compared with those obtained by a variational procedure [J. R. Chelikowsky and S. G. Louie, Phys. Rev. B 29, 3470 (1984)]. We find that the structural properties for bulk Si and W (both systems have no interatomic charge transfer) can be treated accurately by the variational procedure. However, full self-consistency is needed for an accurate description of the band energies

  4. Extended Lagrangian Density Functional Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Molecules and Solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aradi, Balint; Frauenheim, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    A computationally fast quantum mechanical molecular dynamics scheme using an extended Lagrangian density functional tight-binding formulation has been developed and implemented in the DFTB+ electronic structure program package for simulations of solids and molecular systems. The scheme combines the computational speed of self-consistent density functional tight-binding theory with the efficiency and long-term accuracy of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. Furthermore, for systems without self-consistent charge instabilities, only a single diagonalization or construction of the single-particle density matrix is required in each time step. The molecular dynamics simulation scheme can also be applied to a broad range of problems in materials science, chemistry, and biology

  5. Extended Lagrangian Density Functional Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Molecules and Solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aradi, Bálint; Niklasson, Anders M N; Frauenheim, Thomas

    2015-07-14

    A computationally fast quantum mechanical molecular dynamics scheme using an extended Lagrangian density functional tight-binding formulation has been developed and implemented in the DFTB+ electronic structure program package for simulations of solids and molecular systems. The scheme combines the computational speed of self-consistent density functional tight-binding theory with the efficiency and long-term accuracy of extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. For systems without self-consistent charge instabilities, only a single diagonalization or construction of the single-particle density matrix is required in each time step. The molecular dynamics simulation scheme can be applied to a broad range of problems in materials science, chemistry, and biology.

  6. Investigation of the thermo-mechanical behavior of neutron-irradiated Fe-Cr alloys by self-consistent plasticity theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Xiazi [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex System, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); CAPT, HEDPS and IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center of MoE, BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Terentyev, Dmitry [Structural Material Group, Institute of Nuclear Materials Science, SCK CEN, Mol (Belgium); Yu, Long [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex System, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Bakaev, A. [Structural Material Group, Institute of Nuclear Materials Science, SCK CEN, Mol (Belgium); Jin, Zhaohui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Duan, Huiling, E-mail: hlduan@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex System, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); CAPT, HEDPS and IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center of MoE, BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2016-08-15

    The thermo-mechanical behavior of non-irradiated (at 223 K, 302 K and 573 K) and neutron irradiated (at 573 K) Fe-2.5Cr, Fe-5Cr and Fe-9Cr alloys is studied by a self-consistent plasticity theory, which consists of constitutive equations describing the contribution of radiation defects at grain level, and the elastic-viscoplastic self-consistent method to obtain polycrystalline behaviors. Attention is paid to two types of radiation-induced defects: interstitial dislocation loops and solute rich clusters, which are believed to be the main sources of hardening in Fe-Cr alloys at medium irradiation doses. Both the hardening mechanism and microstructural evolution are investigated by using available experimental data on microstructures, and implementing hardening rules derived from atomistic data. Good agreement with experimental data is achieved for both the yield stress and strain hardening of non-irradiated and irradiated Fe-Cr alloys by treating dislocation loops as strong thermally activated obstacles and solute rich clusters as weak shearable ones. - Highlights: • A self-consistent plasticity theory is proposed for irradiated Fe-Cr alloys. • Both the irradiation-induced hardening and plastic flow evolution are studied. • Dislocation loops and solute rich clusters are considered as the main defects. • Numerical results of the proposed model match with corresponding experimental data.

  7. Alkyl chitosan film-high strength, functional biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Li; Xing, Cao; Xin, Shen; Shitao, Yu; Feng, Su; Shiwei, Liu; Fusheng, Liu; Congxia, Xie

    2017-11-01

    Biofilm with strong tensile strength is a topic item in the area of tissue engineering, medicine engineering, and so forth. Here we introduced an alkyl chitosan film with strong tensile strength and its possibility for an absorbable anticoagulation material in vivo was tested in the series of blood test, such as dynamic coagulation time, plasma recalcification time and hemolysis. Alkyl chitosan film was a better biomaterial than traditional chitosan film in the anticoagulation, tissue compatibility and cell compatibility. The unique trait of alkyl chitosan film may be for its greater contact angle and hydrophobicity ability to reduce the adsorption capacity for the blood component and the activity of fibrinolytic enzymes, enhance the antibacterial capacity than chitosan film. Moreover, none of chitosan film or butyl chitosan film exhibited quick inflammation or other disadvantage and degraded quickly by implanted test. Therefore, Alkyl chitosan film is of prospective properties as an implantable, absorbable agent for tissue heals, and this material need further research. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3034-3041, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Fast, kinetically self-consistent simulation of RF modulated plasma boundary sheaths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shihab, Mohammed; Ziegler, Dennis; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter

    2012-01-01

    A mathematical model is presented which enables the efficient, kinetically self-consistent simulation of RF modulated plasma boundary sheaths in all technically relevant discharge regimes. It is defined on a one-dimensional geometry where a Cartesian x-axis points from the electrode or wall at x E ≡ 0 towards the plasma bulk. An arbitrary endpoint x B is chosen ‘deep in the bulk’. The model consists of a set of kinetic equations for the ions, Boltzmann's relation for the electrons and Poisson's equation for the electrical field. Boundary conditions specify the ion flux at x B and a periodically—not necessarily harmonically—modulated sheath voltage V(t) or sheath charge Q(t). The equations are solved in a statistical sense. However, it is not the well-known particle-in-cell (PIC) scheme that is employed, but an alternative iterative algorithm termed ensemble-in-spacetime (EST). The basis of the scheme is a discretization of the spacetime, the product of the domain [x E , x B ] and the RF period [0, T]. Three modules are called in a sequence. A Monte Carlo module calculates the trajectories of a large set of ions from their start at x B until they reach the electrode at x E , utilizing the potential values on the nodes of the spatio-temporal grid. A harmonic analysis module reconstructs the Fourier modes n im (x) of the ion density n i (x, t) from the calculated trajectories. A field module finally solves the Boltzmann-Poisson equation with the calculated ion densities to generate an updated set of potential values for the spatio-temporal grid. The iteration is started with the potential values of a self-consistent fluid model and terminates when the updates become sufficiently small, i.e. when self-consistency is achieved. A subsequent post-processing determines important quantities, in particular the phase-resolved and phase-averaged values of the ion energy and angular distributions and the total energy flux at the electrode. A drastic reduction of the

  9. Strength Testing in Motor Neuron Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shefner, Jeremy M

    2017-01-01

    Loss of muscle strength is a cardinal feature of all motor neuron diseases. Functional loss over time, including respiratory dysfunction, inability to ambulate, loss of ability to perform activities of daily living, and others are due, in large part, to decline in strength. Thus, the accurate measurement of limb muscle strength is essential in therapeutic trials to best understand the impact of therapy on vital function. While qualitative strength measurements show declines over time, the lack of reproducibility and linearity of measurement make qualitative techniques inadequate. A variety of quantitative measures have been developed; all have both positive attributes and limitations. However, with careful training and reliability testing, quantitative measures have proven to be reliable and sensitive indicators of both disease progression and the impact of experimental therapy. Quantitative strength measurements have demonstrated potentially important therapeutic effects in both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinobulbar muscular atrophy, and have been shown feasible in children with spinal muscular atrophy. The spectrum of both qualitative and quantitative strength measurements are reviewed and their utility examined in this review.

  10. Surgery-induced changes and early recovery of hip-muscle strength, leg-press power, and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bente Holm

    Full Text Available By measuring very early changes in muscle strength and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA, post-operative rehabilitation, introduced soon after surgery, can be designed to specifically target identified deficits.Firstly, to quantify changes (compared to pre-operative values in hip muscle strength, leg-press power, and functional performance in the first week after THA, and secondly, to explore relationships between the muscle strength changes, and changes in hip pain, systemic inflammation, and thigh swelling.Prospective, cohort study.Convenience sample of patients receiving a THA at Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark, between March and December 2011.Thirty-five patients (65.9 ± 7.2 years undergoing THA.Hip muscle strength, leg-press power, performance-based function, and self-reported disability were determined prior to, and 2 and 8 days after, THA (Day 2 and 8, respectively. Hip pain, thigh swelling, and C-Reactive Protein were also determined.Five patients were lost to follow-up. Hip muscle strength and leg press power were substantially reduced at Day 2 (range of reductions: 41-58%, P<0.001, but less pronounced at Day 8 (range of reductions: 23-31%, P<0.017. Self-reported symptoms and function (HOOS: Pain, Symptoms, and ADL improved at Day 8 (P<0.014. Changes in hip pain, C-Reactive Protein, and thigh swelling were not related to the muscle strength and power losses.Hip muscle strength and leg-press power decreased substantially in the first week after THA - especially at Day 2 - with some recovery at Day 8. The muscle strength loss and power loss were not related to changes in hip pain, systemic inflammation, or thigh swelling. In contrast, self-reported symptoms and function improved. These data on surgery-induced changes in muscle strength may help design impairment-directed, post-operative rehabilitation to be introduced soon after surgery.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01246674.

  11. Silver oxide-containing hydroxyapatite coating supports osteoblast function and enhances implant anchorage strength in rat femur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eto, Shuichi; Miyamoto, Hiroshi; Shobuike, Takeo; Noda, Iwao; Akiyama, Takayuki; Tsukamoto, Masatsugu; Ueno, Masaya; Someya, Shinsuke; Kawano, Shunsuke; Sonohata, Motoki; Mawatari, Masaaki

    2015-09-01

    Antibacterial silver with hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) is a promising coating material for imparting antibacterial properties to implants. We previously reported that 3% (w/w) silver with HA (3% Ag-HA) has both antibacterial activity and osteoconductivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ag-HA on the in vitro osteoblast function and the in vivo anchorage strength and osteoconductivity of implants. Production of the osteoblast marker alkaline phosphatase, but not cytotoxicity, was observed in cells of the osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 cultured on the 3% Ag-HA-coated surface. These results were similar to those observed with silver-free HA coating. In contrast, a significant high level of cytotoxicity was observed when the cells were cultured on a 50% Ag-HA-coated surface. The anchorage strength of implants inserted into the femur of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was enhanced by coating the implants with 3% Ag-HA. On the 3% Ag-HA-coated surface, both metaphyseal and diaphyseal areas were largely covered with new bone and had adequate osteoconductivity. These results suggest that 3% Ag-HA, like conventional HA, promotes osteogenesis by supporting osteoblast viability and function and thereby contributes to sufficient anchorage strength of implants. Application of 3% Ag-HA, which combines the osteoconductivity of HA and the antibacterial activity of silver, to prosthetic joints will help prevent postoperative infections. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. On self-consistent ray-tracing and Fokker-Planck modeling of the hard X-ray emission during lower-hybrid current driven in Tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bizarro, J.P.; Peysson, Y.; Bonoli, P.T.; Carrasco, J.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Fuchs, V.; Hoang, G.T.; Litaudon, X.; Moreau, D.; Pocheau, C.; Shkarofsky, I.P.

    1993-04-01

    A detailed investigation is presented on the ability of combined ray-tracing and Fokker-Planck calculations to predict the hard x-ray (HXR) emission during lower-hybrid (LH) current drive in tokamaks when toroidally induced-ray-stochasticity is important. A large number of rays is used and the electron distribution function is obtained by self-consistently iterating the appropriate LH power deposition and Fokker-Planck calculations. Most of the experimentally observed features of the HXR emission are correctly predicted. It is found that corrections due to radial diffusion of suprathermal electrons and to radiation scattering by the inner wall can be significant

  13. The Plumber’s Nightmare Phase in Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends. A Self-Consistent Field Theory Study.

    KAUST Repository

    Martinez-Veracoechea, Francisco J.; Escobedo, Fernando A.

    2009-01-01

    Using self-consistent field theory, the Plumber's Nightmare and the double diamond phases are predicted to be stable in a finite region of phase diagrams for blends of AB diblock copolymer (DBC) and A-component homopolymer. To the best of our

  14. High-Intensity Progressive Resistance Training Increases Strength With No Change in Cardiovascular Function and Autonomic Neural Regulation in Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanegusuku, Hélcio; Queiroz, Andréia C; Silva, Valdo J; de Mello, Marco T; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Forjaz, Cláudia L

    2015-07-01

    The effects of high-intensity progressive resistance training (HIPRT) on cardiovascular function and autonomic neural regulation in older adults are unclear. To investigate this issue, 25 older adults were randomly divided into two groups: control (CON, N = 13, 63 ± 4 years; no training) and HIPRT (N = 12, 64 ± 4 years; 2 sessions/week, 7 exercises, 2–4 sets, 10–4 RM). Before and after four months, maximal strength, quadriceps cross-sectional area (QCSA), clinic and ambulatory blood pressures (BP), systemic hemodynamics, and cardiovascular autonomic modulation were measured. Maximal strength and QCSA increased in the HIPRT group and did not change in the CON group. Clinic and ambulatory BP, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, stroke volume, heart rate, and cardiac sympathovagal balance did not change in the HIPRT group or the CON group. In conclusion, HIPRT was effective at increasing muscle mass and strength without promoting changes in cardiovascular function or autonomic neural regulation.

  15. An alternative approach for modeling strength differential effect in sheet metals with symmetric yield functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurukuri, Srihari; Worswick, Michael J.

    2013-12-01

    An alternative approach is proposed to utilize symmetric yield functions for modeling the tension-compression asymmetry commonly observed in hcp materials. In this work, the strength differential (SD) effect is modeled by choosing separate symmetric plane stress yield functions (for example, Barlat Yld 2000-2d) for the tension i.e., in the first quadrant of principal stress space, and compression i.e., third quadrant of principal stress space. In the second and fourth quadrants, the yield locus is constructed by adopting interpolating functions between uniaxial tensile and compressive stress states. In this work, different interpolating functions are chosen and the predictive capability of each approach is discussed. The main advantage of this proposed approach is that the yield locus parameters are deterministic and relatively easy to identify when compared to the Cazacu family of yield functions commonly used for modeling SD effect observed in hcp materials.

  16. Self-consistent approximation for muffin-tin models of random substitutional alloys with environmental disorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaplan, T.; Gray, L.J.

    1984-01-01

    The self-consistent approximation of Kaplan, Leath, Gray, and Diehl is applied to models for substitutional random alloys with muffin-tin potentials. The particular advantage of this approximation is that, in addition to including cluster scattering, the muffin-tin potentials in the alloy can depend on the occupation of the surrounding sites (i.e., environmental disorder is included)

  17. Structure of disordered alloys - II: self-consistent CCPA calculations for III-V semiconducting alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mookerjee, A.; Chaudhry, V.

    1980-09-01

    Using the chemical pseudopotential approach of Anderson and Bullett we have generated from first principles pseudo-Hamiltonians for heteropolar alloys. The one-electron density of states has been generated for Gasub(x)Insub(1-x)As using a self-consistent cluster CPA introduced earlier by one of us. Off-diagonal disorder has also been incorporated. (author)

  18. Compressive Strength of Compacted Clay-Sand Mixes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faseel Suleman Khan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of sand to improve the strength of natural clays provides a viable alternative for civil infrastructure construction involving earthwork. The main objective of this note was to investigate the compressive strength of compacted clay-sand mixes. A natural clay of high plasticity was mixed with 20% and 40% sand (SP and their compaction and strength properties were determined. Results indicated that the investigated materials exhibited a brittle behaviour on the dry side of optimum and a ductile behaviour on the wet side of optimum. For each material, the compressive strength increased with an increase in density following a power law function. Conversely, the compressive strength increased with decreasing water content of the material following a similar function. Finally, the compressive strength decreased with an increase in sand content because of increased material heterogeneity and loss of sand grains from the sides during shearing.

  19. The exact solution of self-consistent equations in the scanning near-field optic microscopy problem

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lozovski, Valeri; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

    1999-01-01

    The macroscopic approach that allows one to obtain an exact solution of the self-consistent equation of the Lippmann-Schwinger type is developed. The main idea of our method consist in usage of diagram technque for exact summation of the infinite series corresponding to the iteration procedure fo...

  20. The effects of water-based exercise in combination with blood flow restriction on strength and functional capacity in post-menopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Joamira P; Neto, Gabriel R; Loenneke, Jeremy P; Bemben, Michael G; Laurentino, Gilberto C; Batista, Gilmário; Silva, Júlio C G; Freitas, Eduardo D S; Sousa, Maria S C

    2015-12-01

    Water-based exercise and low-intensity exercise in combination with blood flow restriction (BFR) are two methods that have independently been shown to improve muscle strength in those of advancing age. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term effect of water-based exercise in combination with BFR on maximum dynamic strength and functional capacity in post-menopausal women. Twenty-eight women underwent an 8-week water-based exercise program. The participants were randomly allocated to one of the three groups: (a) water exercise only, (b) water exercise + BFR, or (c) a non-exercise control group. Functional capacity (chair stand test, timed up and go test, gait speed, and dynamic balance) and strength testing were tested before and after the 8-week aquatic exercise program. The main findings were as follows: (1) water-based exercise in combination with BFR significantly increased the lower limb maximum strength which was not observed with water-based exercise alone and (2) water-based exercise, regardless of the application of BFR, increased functional performance measured by the timed up and go test over a control group. Although we used a healthy population in the current study, these findings may have important implications for those who may be contraindicated to using traditional resistance exercise. Future research should explore this promising modality in these clinical populations.