Generalized Mittag-Leffler functions in the theory of finite-size scaling for systems with strong anisotropy and/or long-range interaction

The difficulties arising in the investigation of finite-size scaling in $d$--dimensional O(n) systems with strong anisotropy and/or long-range interaction, decaying with the interparticle distance $r$ as $r^{-d-\sigma}$ ($0<\sigma\leq2$), are discussed. Some integral representations aiming at the simplification of the investigations are presented for the classical and quantum lattice sums that take place in the theory. Special attention is paid to a more general form allowing to treat both cases on an equal footing and in addition cases with strong anisotropic interactions and different geometries. The analysis is simplified further by expressing this general form in terms of a generalization of the Mittag-Leffler special functions. This turned out to be very useful for the extraction of asymptotic finite-size behaviours of the thermodynamic functions.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Phys. A: Math. and Gen.; 14 pages. The manuscript has been improved to help reader

Scaling properties of step bunches induced by sublimation and related mechanisms: A unified perspective

This work provides a ground for a quantitative interpretation of experiments on step bunching during sublimation of crystals with a pronounced Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) barrier in the regime of weak desorption. A strong step bunching instability takes place when the kinetic length is larger than the average distance between the steps on the vicinal surface. In the opposite limit the instability is weak and step bunching can occur only when the magnitude of step-step repulsion is small. The central result are power law relations of the between the width, the height, and the minimum interstep distance of a bunch. These relations are obtained from a continuum evolution equation for the surface profile, which is derived from the discrete step dynamical equations for. The analysis of the continuum equation reveals the existence of two types of stationary bunch profiles with different scaling properties. Through a mathematical equivalence on the level of the discrete step equations as well as on the continuum level, our results carry over to the problems of step bunching induced by growth with a strong inverse ES effect, and by electromigration in the attachment/detachment limited regime. Thus our work provides support for the existence of universality classes of step bunching instabilities [A. Pimpinelli et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 206103 (2002)], but some aspects of the universality scenario need to be revised.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure

Efficiency of antenatal care and childbirth services in selected primary health care facilities in rural Tanzania : a cross-sectional study

Background: Cost studies are paramount for demonstrating how resources have been spent and identifying opportunities for more efficient use of resources. The main objective of this study was to assess the actual dimension and distribution of the costs of providing antenatal care (ANC) and childbirth services in selected rural primary health care facilities in Tanzania. In addition, the study analyzed determining factors of service provision efficiency in order to inform health policy and planning. Methods: This was a retrospective quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in 11 health centers and dispensaries in Lindi and Mtwara rural districts. Cost analysis was carried out using step down cost accounting technique. Unit costs reflected efficiency of service provision. Multivariate regression analysis on the drivers of observed relative efficiency in service provision between the study facilities was conducted. Reported personnel workload was also described. Results: The health facilities spent on average 7 USD per capita in 2009. As expected, fewer resources were spent for service provision at dispensaries than at health centers. Personnel costs contributed a high approximate 44% to total costs. ANC and childbirth consumed approximately 11% and 12% of total costs; and 8% and 10% of reported service provision time respectively. On average, unit costs were rather high, 16 USD per ANC visit and 79.4 USD per childbirth. The unit costs showed variation in relative efficiency in providing the services between the health facilities. The results showed that efficiency in ANC depended on the number of staff, structural quality of care, process quality of care and perceived quality of care. Population-staff ratio and structural quality of basic emergency obstetric care services highly influenced childbirth efficiency. Conclusions: Differences in the efficiency of service provision present an opportunity for efficiency improvement. Taking into consideration client heterogeneity, quality improvements are possible and necessary. This will stimulate utilization of ANC and childbirth services in resource-constrained health facilities. Efficiency analyses through simple techniques such as measurement of unit costs should be made standard in health care provision, health managers can then use the performance results to gauge progress and reward efficiency through performance based incentives

Entanglement-assisted quantum low-density parity-check codes

This paper develops a general method for constructing entanglement-assisted quantum low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, which is based on combinatorial design theory. Explicit constructions are given for entanglement-assisted quantum error-correcting codes (EAQECCs) with many desirable properties. These properties include the requirement of only one initial entanglement bit, high error correction performance, high rates, and low decoding complexity. The proposed method produces infinitely many new codes with a wide variety of parameters and entanglement requirements. Our framework encompasses various codes including the previously known entanglement-assisted quantum LDPC codes having the best error correction performance and many new codes with better block error rates in simulations over the depolarizing channel. We also determine important parameters of several well-known classes of quantum and classical LDPC codes for previously unsettled cases.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. Final version appearing in Physical Review

Population of isomers in decay of the giant dipole resonance

The value of an isomeric ratio (IR) in N=81 isotones ($^{137}$Ba, $^{139}$Ce, $^{141}$Nd and $^{143}$Sm) is studied by means of the ($\gamma, n)$ reaction. This quantity measures a probability to populate the isomeric state in respect to the ground state population. In ($\gamma, n)$ reactions, the giant dipole resonance (GDR) is excited and after its decay by a neutron emission, the nucleus has an excitation energy of a few MeV. The forthcoming $\gamma$ decay by direct or cascade transitions deexcites the nucleus into an isomeric or ground state. It has been observed experimentally that the IR for $^{137}$Ba and $^{139}$Ce equals about 0.13 while in two heavier isotones it is even less than half the size. To explain this effect, the structure of the excited states in the energy region up to 6.5 MeV has been calculated within the Quasiparticle Phonon Model. Many states are found connected to the ground and isomeric states by $E1$, $E2$ and $M1$ transitions. The single-particle component of the wave function is responsible for the large values of the transitions. The calculated value of the isomeric ratio is in very good agreement with the experimental data for all isotones. A slightly different value of maximum energy with which the nuclei rest after neutron decay of the GDR is responsible for the reported effect of the A-dependence of the IR.Comment: 16 pages, 4 Fig

Relationships between Haematological Parameters, Biochemical Markers of Iron Metabolism, and Trace Elements in Paediatric Patients under 3 Years with Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Дефіцит заліза викликає дисбаланс інших мікро- і макроелементів, що призводить до порушення обміну більшості мікроелементів і розвитку характерних клінічних симптомів. Взаємодія і кореляція між мікроелементами та гематологічними параметрами досі не ясна. Мета. Вивчити взаємозв'язки між гематологічними параметрами, біохімічними маркерами метаболізму заліза і мікроелементами у дітей віком до 3 років із залізодефіцитною анемією (ЗДА). Матеріали і методи. Дослідження включало 86 пацієнтів від 0 до 3 років з клінічними і лабораторними ознаками ЗДА. 38 дітей були з університетської лікарні медичного університету м.Плевен, Болгарія - І-ша група, і 48 були пацієнтами Сумської обласної дитячої клінічної лікарні, м.Суми, Україна - група II. Група порівняння включала 25 здорових дітей того ж віку. Гематологічні показники і еритроцитарні індекси визначалися на аналізаторі MICROS - 18 (ABX). Сироватковий еритропоетин (сЕПО) і феритин (sFR) визначали імуноферментним аналізом. Сироватковий вміст мікроелементів визначали спектрофотометрично (I група) або за допомогою атомно- абсорбційної спектрофотометрії (II група). Для оцінки взаємозв'язку між маркерами метаболізму заліза та гематологічними параметрами використовували коефіцієнт кореляції Спірмена. Результати. Розвиток ЗДА обумовлений не лише порушенням метаболізму заліза, але й інших мікроелементів, які прямо чи опосередковано можуть впливати як обмін заліза, так і на регуляцію еритропоезу через продукцію еритропоетину. Ми знайшли достовірну кореляцію між рівнем хрому і насиченням трансферину (r = -0,382, р = 0,018), цинку і сEПO (r = 0,543, р = 0,036), міді і sFR (r = -0,561, р = 0,029), і cЕПО (r = -0,739, р = 0,0016), кобальтa і сEPO (r = 0,769, р = 0,0021), що вказує на роль мікроелементів в патогенезі ЗДА. Таким чином, якщо звичайна терапія ЗДА є неефективною, необхідно виключати супутнє порушення мікроелементного балансу з оцінкою рівня мікроелементів, а за необхідності повинна проводитися корекція. При цитуванні документа, використовуйте посилання http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/36824Дефицит железа вызывает дисбаланс других микро- и макроэлементов, что приводит к нарушению обмена большинства микроэлементов и развитию характерных клинических симптомов. Взаимодействие и корреляция между микроэлементами и гематологическими параметрами до сих пор не ясна. Цель. Изучить взаимосвязи между гематологическими параметрами, биохимическими маркерами метаболизма железа и микроэлементами у детей в возрасте до 3 лет с железодефицитной анемией (ЖДА). Материалы и методы. Исследование включало 86 пациентов от 0 до 3 лет с клиническими и лабораторными признаками ЖДА. 38 детей были из университетской больницы медицинского университета г.Плевен, Болгария - І-я группа, и 48 были пациентами Сумской областной детской клинической больницы, г.Сумы, Украина - группа II. Группа сравнения включала 25 здоровых детей того же возраста. Гематологические показатели и эритроцитарные индексы определялись на анализаторе MICROS - 18 (ABX). Сыворочный эритропоэтин (сЭПО) и ферритин (sFR) определялись иммуноферментным анализом. Сывороточное содержание микроэлементов определяли спектрофотометрически (I группа) или с помощью атомно- абсорбционной спектрофотометрии (II группа). Для оценки взаимосвязи между маркерами метаболизма железа и гематологическими параметрами использовали коэффициент корреляции Спирмена. Результаты. Развитие ЖДА обусловлено не только нарушением метаболизма железа, но и других микроэлементов, которые прямо или косвенно могут влиять как обмен железа, так и на регуляцию эритропоэза через продукцию эритропоэтина. Мы нашли значимые корреляцию между уровнем хрома и насыщением трансферрина (r = -0,382, р = 0,018), цинка - и сЭПO (r = 0,543, р = 0,036), меди и sFR (r = -0,561, р = 0,029), и cЭПО (r= -0,739, р = 0,0016), кобальтa и сЭПO (r = 0,769, р = 0,0021), что указывает на роль микроэлементов в патогенезе ЖДА. Таким образом, если обычная терапия ЖДА является неэффективной, необходимо исключать сопутствующее нарушение микроэлементного балланса с оценкой уровня микроэлементов, а при необходимости должна проводиться коррекция. При цитировании документа, используйте ссылку http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/36824Iron deficiency causes disbalance of other micro- and macroelements that leads to disruption of the exchange of most micronutrients and development of characteristic clinical symptoms. Interaction and correlation between trace elements and haematological parameters is still not clear. Aim. To investigate the relationship between haematological parameters, biochemical markers of iron metabolism and trace elements in children under 3 years with Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA). Materials and Methods. Investigation comprises 86 patients from 0 to 3 years of age with clinical and laboratory signs of IDA. 38 children-patients are of the University Hospital, Medical University – Pleven, Bulgaria – I group, and 48 are patients of the Sumy Regional Child’s Clinical Hospital, Sumy, Ukraine – II group. Comparison group includes 25 healthy children at the same age. Haematological parameters and the red cell indices were examined by analyzer MICROS – 18 (ABX). The serum erythropoietin (sEPO) and ferritin (sFR) levels were determined by ELISA. Serum content of trace elements was determined spectrophotometrically (I group) or by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (II group). To evaluate a relationship between markers of iron metabolism and haematological parameters we have used Spearman's correlation coefficients. Results. Formation of IDA is caused not only by violation of iron metabolism, but also other trace elements that directly or indirectly may affect both iron exchange and erythropoiesis regulation through the erythropoietin production. We found significant correlations between the level of chromium and transferrin saturation (r = -0.382, p = 0.018), zinc – with sEPO (r = 0.543, p = 0.036), copper – with sFR (r = -0.561, p = 0.029), and sEPO (r = -0.739, p = 0.0016), and cobalt – with sEPO (r = 0.769, p = 0.0021), that indicate the role of trace elements in the pathogenesis of IDA. Thus, if the routine therapy of IDA is ineffective, a concomitant micronutrient disorder should be considered, with an evaluation of trace elements level, and, if necessary, a correction should be carried out. 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Nuclear deformation and neutron excess as competing effects for pygmy dipole strength

The electromagnetic dipole strength below the neutron-separation energy has been studied for the xenon isotopes with mass numbers A = 124, 128, 132, and 134 in nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments using the ELBE bremsstrahlung facility at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the HIgS facility at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory Durham. The systematic study gained new information about the influence of the neutron excess as well as of nuclear deformation on the strength in the region of the pygmy dipole resonance. The results are compared with those obtained for the chain of molybdenum isotopes and with predictions of a random-phase approximation in a deformed basis. It turned out that the effect of nuclear deformation plays a minor role compared with the one caused by neutron excess. A global parametrization of the strength in terms of neutron and proton numbers allowed us to derive a formula capable of predicting the summed E1 strengths in the pygmy region for a wide mass range of nuclides.Comment: 5 pages, subimtted to Physical Review Letter

Maxillofacial surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring

The present survey systematizes the modern foreign literature devoted to the recent advances in the surgical management of the patients with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. The results from the application of a variety of contemporaty methods are briefly described. A special attention is paid to the maxillomandibular advancement that represents the most common maxillofacial surgical technique in this interdisciplinary field. The promising perspectives of multi-level surgery of the upper airway for obstructive sleep apnea are mentioned, too