Designing a Solid Waste Infrastructure Management Model for Integration into a National Infrastructure System-of Systems

Solid waste management is arguably one of the most important municipal services provided by government1. Given the rapid socio-economic changes that are projected to take place in the UK2 it is important that we plan our future waste management capacity to ensure the continuance of this valuable service. The Solid Waste Infrastructure Management System (SWIMS) model was designed to model the current solid waste infrastructure requirements (from collection through treatment and disposal) for an area based on its solid waste arisings. SWIMS allows an area’s waste treatment capacity requirements to be forecast against future socio-economic change to help decision-makers choose the right solid waste infrastructure given their goals, constraints and ideas about future conditions. The modelling of solid waste management systems has been carried out since the 1970s3 and such modelling exercises have been undertaken for numerous different geographical areas around the world4. However, the SWIMS model is unique in that it was designed to also operate within a larger national infrastructure system-of-systems model, including interdependencies with other infrastructure sectors including energy, water and waste water. To achieve such flexibility the SWIMS model was carefully designed using object-oriented programming (OOP) principles. In documenting this model’s design methodology we hope to demonstrate how applying OOP principles enables such models to not only be more flexible and more easily integrated with other modelling efforts, but also more easily understood by system experts and end-users

V1647 Ori (IRAS 05436-0007) in Outburst: the First Three Months

We report on photometric (BVRIJHK) and low dispersion spectroscopic observations of V1647 Ori, the star that drives McNeil's Nebula, between 10 February and 7 May 2004. The star is photometrically variable atop a general decline in brightness of about 0.3-0.4 magnitudes during these 87 days. The spectra are featureless, aside from H-alpha and the Ca II infrared triplet in emission, and a Na I D absorption feature. The Ca II triplet line ratios are typical of young stellar objects. The H-alpha equivalent width may be modulated on a period of about 60 days. The post-outburst extinction appears to be less than 7 mag. The data are suggestive of an FU Orionis-like event, but further monitoring will be needed to definitively characterize the outburst.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

The Stony Brook / SMARTS Atlas of mostly Southern Novae

We introduce the Stony Brook / SMARTS Atlas of (mostly) Southern Novae. This atlas contains both spectra and photometry obtained since 2003. The data archived in this atlas will facilitate systematic studies of the nova phenomenon and correlative studies with other comprehensive data sets. It will also enable detailed investigations of individual objects. In making the data public we hope to engender more interest on the part of the community in the physics of novae. The atlas is on-line at \url{http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/fwalter/SMARTS/NovaAtlas/} .Comment: 11 figures; 5 table

Field Theory for a Deuteron Quantum Liquid

Based on general symmetry principles we study an effective Lagrangian for a neutral system of condensed spin-1 deuteron nuclei and electrons, at greater-than-atomic but less-than-nuclear densities. We expect such matter to be present in thin layers within certain low-mass brown dwarfs. It may also be produced in future shock-wave-compression experiments as an effective fuel for laser induced nuclear fusion. We find a background solution of the effective theory describing a net spin zero condensate of deuterons with their spins aligned and anti-aligned in a certain spontaneously emerged preferred direction. The spectrum of low energy collective excitations contains two spin waves with linear dispersions -- like in antiferromagnets -- as well as gapped longitudinal and transverse modes related to the Meissner effect -- like in superconductors. We show that counting of the Nambu-Goldstone modes of spontaneously broken internal and space-time symmetries obeys, in a nontrivial way, the rules of the Goldstone theorem for Lorentz non-invariant systems. We discuss thermodynamic properties of the condensate, and its potential manifestation in the low-mass brown dwarfs.Comment: 19 LaTeX pages; v2: 2 refs added, JHEP versio

Effects of anharmonic strain on phase stability of epitaxial films and superlattices: applications to noble metals

Epitaxial strain energies of epitaxial films and bulk superlattices are studied via first-principles total energy calculations using the local-density approximation. Anharmonic effects due to large lattice mismatch, beyond the reach of the harmonic elasticity theory, are found to be very important in Cu/Au (lattice mismatch 12%), Cu/Ag (12%) and Ni/Au (15%). We find that is the elastically soft direction for biaxial expansion of Cu and Ni, but it is for large biaxial compression of Cu, Ag, and Au. The stability of superlattices is discussed in terms of the coherency strain and interfacial energies. We find that in phase-separating systems such as Cu-Ag the superlattice formation energies decrease with superlattice period, and the interfacial energy is positive. Superlattices are formed easiest on (001) and hardest on (111) substrates. For ordering systems, such as Cu-Au and Ag-Au, the formation energy of superlattices increases with period, and interfacial energies are negative. These superlattices are formed easiest on (001) or (110) and hardest on (111) substrates. For Ni-Au we find a hybrid behavior: superlattices along and like in phase-separating systems, while for they behave like in ordering systems. Finally, recent experimental results on epitaxial stabilization of disordered Ni-Au and Cu-Ag alloys, immiscible in the bulk form, are explained in terms of destabilization of the phase separated state due to lattice mismatch between the substrate and constituents.Comment: RevTeX galley format, 16 pages, includes 9 EPS figures, to appear in Physical Review

Dynamical Properties and Plasmon Dispersion of a Weakly Degenerate Correlated One-Component Plasma

Classical Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations for a one-component plasma (OCP) are presented. Quantum effects are included in the form of the Kelbg potential. Results for the dynamical structure factor are compared with the Vlasov and RPA (random phase approximation) theories. The influence of the coupling parameter $\Gamma$, degeneracy parameter $\rho \Lambda^3$ and the form of the pair interaction on the optical plasmon dispersion is investigated. An improved analytical approximation for the dispersion of Langmuir waves is presented.Comment: 23 pages, includes 7 ps/eps-figures and 2 table

Low- and Medium-Dispersion Spectropolarimetry of Nova V475 Sct (Nova Scuti 2003): Discovery of an Asymmetric High-Velocity Wind in a Moderately Fast Nova

We present low-resolution ($R\sim 90$) and medium-resolution ($R\sim 2500$) spectropolarimetry of Nova V475 Sct with the HBS instrument, mounted on the 0.91-m telescope at the Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, and with FOCAS, mounted on the 8.2-m Subaru telescope. We estimated the interstellar polarization toward the nova from the steady continuum polarization components and H$\alpha$ line emission components. After subtracting the interstellar polarization component from the observations, we found that the H$\alpha$ emission seen on 2003 October 7 was clearly polarized. In the polarized flux spectrum, the H$\alpha$ emission had a distinct red wing extending to $\sim +4900$ km s$^{-1}$ and a shoulder around $+3500$ km s$^{-1}$, showing a constant position angle of linear polarization \theta_{\rm *}\simeq 155\arcdeg\pm 15\arcdeg. This suggests that the nova had an asymmetric outflow with a velocity of $v_{\rm wind}\simeq 3500$ km s$^{-1}$ or more, which is six times higher than the expansion velocity of the ionized shell at the same epoch. Such a high-velocity component has not previously been reported for a nova in the `moderately fast' speed class. Our observations suggest the occurrence of violent mass-loss activity in the nova binary system even during the common-envelope phase. The position angle of the polarization in the H$\alpha$ wing is in good agreement with that of the continuum polarization found on 2003 September 26 ($p_{\rm *}\simeq 0.4$--0.6 %), which disappeared within the following 2 d. The uniformity of the PA between the continuum polarization and the wing polarization on October 7 suggests that the axis of the circumstellar asymmetry remained nearly constant during the period of our observations.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A

Phases in Strongly Coupled Electronic Bilayer Liquids

The strongly correlated liquid state of a bilayer of charged particles has been studied via the HNC calculation of the two-body functions. We report the first time emergence of a series of structural phases, identified through the behavior of the two-body functions.Comment: 5 pages, RevTEX 3.0, 4 ps figures; Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Stability of the lattice formed in first-order phase transitions to matter containing strangeness in protoneutron stars

Well into the deleptonization phase of a core collapse supernova, a first-order phase transition to matter with macroscopic strangeness content is assumed to occur and lead to a structured lattice defined by negatively charged strange droplets. The lattice is shown to crystallize for expected droplet charges and separations at temperatures typically obtained during the protoneutronstar evolution. The melting curve of the lattice for small spherical droplets is presented. The one-component plasma model proves to be an adequate description for the lattice in its solid phase with deformation modes freezing out around the melting temperature. The mechanical stability against shear stresses is such that velocities predicted for convective phenomena and differential rotation during the Kelvin-Helmholtz cooling phase might prevent the crystallization of the phase transition lattice. A solid lattice might be fractured by transient convection, which could result in anisotropic neutrino transport. The melting curve of the lattice is relevant for the mechanical evolution of the protoneutronstar and therefore should be included in future hydrodynamics simulations.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review

A Single-Arm, Proof-Of-Concept Trial of Lopimune (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) as a Treatment for HPV-Related Pre-Invasive Cervical Disease

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common female malignancy in the developing nations and the third most common cancer in women globally. An effective, inexpensive and self-applied topical treatment would be an ideal solution for treatment of screen-detected, pre-invasive cervical disease in low resource settings. METHODS: Between 01/03/2013 and 01/08/2013, women attending Kenyatta National Hospital's Family Planning and Gynaecology Outpatients clinics were tested for HIV, HPV (Cervista®) and liquid based cervical cytology (LBC -ThinPrep®). HIV negative women diagnosed as high-risk HPV positive with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) were examined by colposcopy and given a 2 week course of 1 capsule of Lopimune (CIPLA) twice daily, to be self-applied as a vaginal pessary. Colposcopy, HPV testing and LBC were repeated at 4 and 12 weeks post-start of treatment with a final punch biopsy at 3 months for histology. Primary outcome measures were acceptability of treatment with efficacy as a secondary consideration. RESULTS: A total of 23 women with HSIL were treated with Lopimune during which time no adverse reactions were reported. A maximum concentration of 10 ng/ml of lopinavir was detected in patient plasma 1 week after starting treatment. HPV was no longer detected in 12/23 (52.2%, 95%CI: 30.6-73.2%). Post-treatment cytology at 12 weeks on women with HSIL, showed 14/22 (63.6%, 95%CI: 40.6-82.8%) had no dysplasia and 4/22 (18.2%, 95%CI: 9.9-65.1%) were now low grade demonstrating a combined positive response in 81.8% of women of which 77.8% was confirmed by histology. These data are supported by colposcopic images, which show regression of cervical lesions. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the potential of Lopimune as a self-applied therapy for HPV infection and related cervical lesions. Since there were no serious adverse events or detectable post-treatment morbidity, this study indicates that further trials are clearly justified to define optimal regimes and the overall benefit of this therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry 48776874