Protoneutron Star Winds

Neutrino-driven winds are thought to accompany the Kelvin-Helmholtz cooling phase of nascent protoneutron stars in the first seconds after a core-collapse supernova. These outflows are a likely candidate as the astrophysical site for rapid neutron-capture nucleosynthesis (the r-process). In this chapter we review the physics of protoneutron star winds and assess their potential as a site for the production of the heavy r-process nuclides. We show that spherical transonic protoneutron star winds do not produce robust $r$-process nucleosynthesis for `canonical' neutron stars with gravitational masses of 1.4 M_sun and coordinate radii of 10 km. We further speculate on and review some aspects of neutrino-driven winds from protoneutron stars with strong magnetic fields.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures, in "Core Collapse of Massive Stars", Ed. C. L. Fryer, Kluwer Academic Publisher

Fail-safe numerical control

System provides duplicate set of control logic circuitry. Comparators insure that the same data is present in both circuits. If any discrepancy is found, the machine is automatically stopped, before damage can occur

Practices of Nurse Practitioners in Screening for Hepatitis C

Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCEThe purpose of this project was to determine both hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening rates and the percentage of cases diagnosed among adults born between 1945 and 1965 in a general practice clinic staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs). A descriptive study was conducted using a chart review of all patients born between 1945 and 1965 seen by NPs in a primary care clinic during a three month period of time. Data was collected on the total number of patients in the target group, those born between 1945 and 1965, as well as each patient’s gender, birth date, if screened for HCV, result of screening, and the reason for screening. Findings revealed that screening rates were suboptimal, with only six out of 178 patients in the target group having been screened for HCV. Age and gender did not appear to be a factor in whether or not a patient was screened

Testing of a dual-mode microwave care regimen for hydrogel lenses

Purpose. To test the design of a patient care regimen for soft lenses that aims to provide the highest standards of disinfecting through use of domestic microwave cookers, while also providing storage equipment and solution that enable patients to follow a conventional cold disinfecting regimen when traveling. The cleaning efficacy of surfactant agents during microwave treatment was also considered. Methods. The microbiologic performance of the regimen and its disinfecting apparatus was tested according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocols for contact lens heat disinfectors. Subsequently, a prospective pilot clinical trial of the regimen involving 15 subjects was carried out to the protocols of the FDA and International Standards Organization 11,980:1997. Results. Lenses inoculated with 107 colony-forming units (cfu) of Enterococcus faecalis were disinfected to 0 cfu by a 12-s irradiation of a compact disinfecting case that held the lenses suspended in 12 ml saline. A proof of operation indicator performed correctly for all 10 cases tested. No adverse reactions were found in the pilot patient trial, using Renu multipurpose (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY) as the test solution, and no statistically significant difference was found between test and control groups in respect of any sign. However, the greater incidence of edema, palpebral hyperemia, and lens front-surface deposition in the microwave test group may be clinically significant

Clinical trial of a patient-operated microwave care system for hydrogel contact lenses

The clinical effects of a patient-operated system of microwave disinfection for soft contact lenses were assessed in a prospective pilot trial involving 103 patients who were drawn from five optometric practices. Fifty-six subjects used the test system for 1 month, and 13 subjects continued use for a total of 3 months. Both test and control subjects were examined for clinical signs using slitlamp tests. After 1 month, the incidence of all signs reported in the microwave group was not significantly greater than in the control group (p = 0.267), and the same was true after 3 months (p = 0.214). There was a significantly greater incidence of edema in the 1-month test group and of staining in the control group. UV spectroscopic examination of worn lenses from test subjects exhibiting significant signs did not show a higher level of deposition than on lenses worn by control subjects (p = 0.397)

Activated γδ T cells inhibit osteoclast differentiation and resorptive activity in vitro

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Sound radiation from a perforated unbaffled plate

A model to calculate the sound radiation from an unbaffled perforated plate is proposed. This is achieved by modifying an existing model of an unbaffled plate to include the effect of perforation in terms of a continuously distributed surface impedance to represent the holes. Results are compared with those of an idealised situation, a perforated plate in an equally perforated baffle. At low perforation ratios, the radiation efficiency is lower for the unbaffled case but as the perforation ratio increases, the results for both conditions become similar. The effect of perforation increases as the perforation ratio increases and also as the hole diameter reduces. Comparison with existing measurement is also found to give a good agreement