Search

Background: Modern day otolaryngology has expanded beyond the ear, nose and throat to include head and neck surgery and aesthetic facial procedures. Photographic documentation is important within this expanded horizon. The spectrum of clinical photography includes photomicrographs, endoscopic photographs, peri-operative photography and medical social photography. Method: This article aimed to review the standard guidelines essential to obtain, store and disseminate photographs and looked at setting up a small clinic with minimal gadgets to suit clinical photography requirements. Elaboration of basic photography techniques in otolaryngology was reviewed, with examples of photographs taken in a clinic by a clinician. Advances and innovation in clinical photography, in the form of smartphone photography, artificial intelligence, device editing and newer hardware and software in otorhinolaryngology was reviewed. Conclusion: Having a professional photographer to aid a clinician is a luxury. Simple knowledge and regular practice of basic photography guidelines by a clinician is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the electron emission angular distributions for single ionization of helium atoms in their ground states induced by fast proton impact in coplanar geometry. We have employed the four-body formalism of distorted wave (DW-4B) approximation to calculate the fully differential cross sections (FDCS) of the ejected electron for several values of the momentum transfer and energies of the electrons ejected in the scattering plane. In this formalism, distortion in the exit channel related to the Coulomb continuum states of the scattered proton and the ejected electron in the field of residual target ion are included. In the entrance channel, the initial bound state wavefunction is distorted by the incoming proton and the corresponding wavefunction is related to the Coulomb continuum state of the active electron and the proton. The transition amplitude contains nine-dimensional integrals, and it is analytically reduced to two-dimensional integrals. These two-dimensional integrals can be calculated numerically. The influence of the target wavefunctions on the FDCS is also investigated using various bound-state wavefunctions for the helium atom. The obtained results using the DW-4B approximation have been compared with the recent measurements of Schulz et al. (Phys Rev A 73:062704, 2006), Gassert et al. (Phys Rev Lett 116:073201, 2016) and Chuluunbaatar et al. (Phys Rev A 99:062711, 2019) and with the other theoretical calculations. It is found that in the whole angular range clear discrepancies are found between the experimental data and the theoretical predictions at large momentum transfer and intermediate impact energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State-selective total and projectile angular-differential cross sections for single-electron transfer to the ground state from atoms in collisions with hydrogen-like projectiles are calculated by means of the four-body distorted wave approximation in the energy range from 25 to 2500 keV amu−1. In the initial channel, the effect of the dynamic electron–electron correlation is explicitly taken into account through the complete perturbation potentials. Distortion in the initial channel due to the Coulomb continuum states of the target and the active electron in the field of the residual projectile ion is included. The quantum-mechanical prior and post transition amplitudes for single-electron capture for symmetric and asymmetric collisions are then derived in terms of three-dimensional real integrals. The role of dynamic inter-electron correlation on the cross sections as a function of the impact energy is examined. Only for He+–He collisions, the projectile angular-differential cross sections for ground state capture are calculated at different impact energies. We investigate the effect of the total cross section as well as the projectile angular-differential cross sections to the choice of different ground state wavefunction of the projectile in the final state. It is observed that although the shape of the differential cross section does not change significantly for these functions, there is a significant change of the differential cross sections due to the choice of the target description. The differential cross section reveals pronounced minima and maxima in the projectile scattering angles as the projectile energy decreases. The observed structure demonstrates the analogy of atomic de Broglie's matter-wave scattering and Fraunhofer-type diffraction. Finally the validity of our results is assessed by comparison with available experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-body formalism of the modified target continuum distorted wave (MTCDW-4B) with incorrect boundary conditions and boundary corrected continuum intermediate state (BCCIS-4B) approximation have been employed to calculate the differential cross sections (DCS) and total cross sections (TCS) for double-electron capture (DC) in collision of fast bare ions with helium atoms in their ground states. In both these formalisms, the intermediate continuum state of each of the active electrons with the target has been taken into account. The influence of the static-electron-correlations on cross sections has also been taken into account by choosing the proper wave functions of the initial states of the bound electrons. Moreover, we have computed the cross sections using the asymptotic Coulomb logarithmic phase for the relative motion of two colliding nuclei in BCCIS-4B theory. The present computed results are compared with the available experimental and other existing theoretical results. TCS are found to be in good agreement with the measurements. In addition, we have also analyzed DCS for DC in the collision of α -particles with helium atoms at intermediate and high projectile energies. We have investigated the significance of the contributions to TCS and DCS from excited states (both single and double) of He and 𝐿𝑖 + especially in comparison between theories and measurements. For symmetric collision, the ground state capture dominates over the excited states whereas for asymmetric collision, the excited states including singly and doubly excited states dominate over the ground state capture. It is also clear that the ground state contribution dominates at very high impact energies for asymmetric collision. The obtained results for DCS into the ground state and excited states are compared with the experimental data and overall satisfactory agreements have been found at different impact energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated the behavior of the energy density in the Fresnel region of a conducting circular disk excited by single-cycle sinusoids. General formulation; Details of the behavior of field and energy density in the Fresnel region; Numerical results.

Bupirimate 25% Emulsifiable concentrate (EC) was evaluated for efficacy on Sphaerotheca pannosa, the causal agent of rose powdery mildew in vivo. In this experiment Bupirimate 25% EC 6 ml/L and 4 ml/L effectively reduced the powdery mildew infection over rest of the treatments and improved the flower yield. Moreover, application of Bupirimate 25% EC at the doses of 2, 4 and 6 ml/L and even at higher dose 8 ml/L did not show any phytotoxic symptoms on rose plant. Thus, Bupirimate 25% EC may be considered as compared to other fungicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of an equation of state (EoS) constructed from a momentum and density-dependent finite-range two-body effective interaction, the quantitative magnitudes of the different symmetry elements of infinite nuclear matter are explored. The parameters of this interaction are determined from well-accepted characteristic constants associated with homogeneous nuclear matter. The symmetry energy coefficient , its density slope , the symmetry incompressibility as well as the density-dependent incompressibility evaluated with this EoS are seen to be in good harmony with those obtained from other diverse perspectives. The higher order symmetry energy coefficients , etc., are seen to be not very significant in the domain of densities relevant to finite nuclei, but gradually build up at supra-normal densities. The analysis carried out with a Skyrme-inspired energy density functional (EDF) obtained with the same input values for the empirical bulk data associated with nuclear matter yields nearly the same results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental giant monopole resonance energies are now known to constrain nuclear incompressibility of symmetric nuclear matter K and its density slope M at a particular value of subsaturation density, the crossing density ρc. Consistent with these constraints, we propose a reasonable way to construct a plausible equation of state of symmetric nuclear matter in a broad density region around the saturation density ρ0. Help of two additional empirical inputs, the value of ρ0 and that of the energy per nucleon e(ρ0) are needed. The value of K(ρ0) comes out to be 211.9±24.5 MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the coexistence of charge puddles and topographic ripples in graphene decoupled from the Ir( 111) substrate it was grown on. We show the topographic and the charge disorder to be locally correlated as a result of the intercalation of molecular species. From the analysis of quasiparticle scattering interferences, we find a linear dispersion relation, demonstrating that graphene on a metal can recover its intrinsic electronic properties. The measured Fermi velocity VF = 0.9 ± 0.04×106 m/s is lower than in graphene on dielectric substrates, pointing to a strong screening of electron-electron interactions in graphene by the nearby metallic substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the general analysis of the grand canonical partition function in the S-matrix framework, a method is presented to calculate the equation of state of dilute warm nuclear matter. The result is a model-independent virial series for the pressure and density that systematically includes contributions from all the ground and excited states of all the stable nuclear species and their scattering channels. The multiplicity distribution of these species to keep the matter in statistical equilibrium is found out and then the pressure, incompressibility and the symmetry energy of the system are evaluated. The calculated symmetry energy coefficients are found to be in fair agreement with the recent experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a novel method for the fabrication of superconducting nano-devices based on niobium. The well-known difficulties of lithographic patterning of high-quality niobium are overcome by replacing the usual organic resist mask by a metallic one. The quality of the fabrication procedure is demonstrated by the realization and characterization of long and narrow superconducting lines and niobium-gold-niobium proximity SQUIDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multifragmentation of hot nuclear matter, properties of fragments embedded in a soup of nucleonic gas and other fragments should be modified as compared with isolated nuclei. Such modifications are studied within a simple model where only nucleons and one kind of heavy nuclei are considered. The interaction between different species is described with a momentum-dependent two-body potential whose parameters are fitted to reproduce properties of cold isolated nuclei. The internal energy of heavy fragments is parametrized according to a liquid-drop model with density- and temperature-dependent parameters. Calculations are carried out for several subnuclear densities and moderate temperatures, for isospin-symmetric and asymmetric systems. We find that the fragments get stretched due to interactions with the medium and their binding energies decrease with increasing temperature and density of nuclear matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature dependence of the symmetry energy and the symmetry free energy coefficients of atomic nuclei is investigated in a finite temperature Thomas-Fermi framework employing the subtraction procedure. A substantial decrement in the symmetry energy coefficient is obtained for finite systems, contrary to those seen for infinite nuclear matter at normal and somewhat subnormal densities. The effect of the coupling of the surface phonons to the nucleonic motion is also considered; this is found to decrease the symmetry energies somewhat at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of warm dilute α-nucleon matter are studied in a variational approach in the Thomas-Fermi approximation starting from an effective two-body nucleon-nucleon interaction. The equation of state, symmetry energy, incompressibility of the said matter, and α fraction are in consonance with those evaluated from the virial approach, which sets the benchmark for such calculations at low densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge carrier density in graphene on a dielectric substrate such as SiO2 displays inhomogeneities, the so-called charge puddles. Because of the linear dispersion relation in monolayer graphene, the puddles are predicted to grow near charge neutrality, a markedly distinct property from conventional two-dimensional electron gases. By performing scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy on a mesoscopic graphene device, we directly observe the puddles' growth, both in spatial extent and in amplitude, as the Fermi level approaches the Dirac point. Self-consistent screening theory provides a unified description of both the macroscopic transport properties and the microscopically observed charge disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-active agents represent a promising alternative to overcome antibiotic resistance. Here, we report cationic-amphiphilic polymers with variations in the side chain architecture such as cyclization, isomerization and unsaturation that resulted in potent antibacterial activity and low mammalian cell toxicity with a membrane-active mode of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of equation of state for the neutron star matter is crucially governed by the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy. We attempt to probe the behaviour of the nuclear symmetry energy around the saturation density by exploiting the empirical values for volume and surface symmetry energy coefficients extracted from the precise data on the nuclear masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The four-body distorted-wave approximation (DW-4B) is used to investigate the electron removal from water molecules by the impact of hydrogen-like projectiles. The incident energy is considered in a range of 20 to 2000 keV/amu. Our goal is to establish the relative importance of the intermediate ionization continua of the active electron and the electron–electron correlations. The calculations are based on the independent electron model. The description of initial ground state molecular orbitals of water are described by a complete-neglect-of-differential-overlap method based on the linear combination of atomic orbitals. Numerical results for the total cross sections are compared with other results and found to be in good agreement with the available experimental findings. Differentiation between the reactions of single-electron ionization and single-electron capture in electron removal process as a function of impact energies is also analyzed. Finally, the dependence of cross sections regarding electron removal on different descriptions of molecular orbitals as well as the simplest additivity rule are discussed. • Four body distorted-wave model is used to study the electron removal process. • Theoretical cross sections data about the ionization and capture are needed in fundamental studies of charged particle interaction in biological matter. • Dressed projectile effects the cross sections of electron ionization and electron capture. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirically determined values of the nuclear volume and surface symmetry energy coefficients from nuclear masses are expressed in terms of density distributions of nucléons in heavy nuclei in the local density approximation. This is then used to extract the value of the symmetry energy slope parameter L. The density distributions in both spherical and well deformed nuclei calculated within microscopic framework with different energy density functionals give L = 59.0 ± 13.0 MeV. Application of the method also helps in a precision determination of the neutron skin thickness of nuclei that are difficult to measure accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy remains poorly constrained. Starting from precise empirical values of the nuclear volume and surface symmetry energy coefficients and the nuclear saturation density, we show how in the ambit of microscopic calculations with different energy density functionals, the value of the symmetry energy slope parameter L along with that for neutron skin can be put in tighter bounds. The value of L is found to be L = 64 ± 5 MeV. For 208Pb, the neutron skin thickness comes out to be 0.188 ± 0.014 fm. Knowing L, the method can be applied to predict neutron skin thicknesses of other nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Recent foodborne disease outbreaks have caused farmers to re‐evaluate their practices. In particular, concern that soil amendments could introduce foodborne pathogens onto farms and promote their survival in soils has led farmers to reduce or eliminate the application of animal‐based composts. However, organic amendments (such as composts and cover crops) could bolster food safety by increasing soil microbial diversity and activity, which can act as competitors or antagonists and reduce pathogen survival. Methods and Results: Leveraging a study of a 27‐year experiment comparing organic and conventional soil management, we evaluate the impacts of composted poultry litter and cover crops on soil chemistry, bacterial communities and survival of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. We found that bacterial community composition strongly affected pathogen survival in soils. Specifically, organic soils managed with cover crops and composts hosted more macronutrients and bacterial communities that were better able to suppress Salmonella and Listeria. For example, after incubating soils for 10 days at 20°C, soils without composts retained fourfold to fivefold more Salmonella compared to compost‐amended soils. However, treatment effects dissipated as bacterial communities converged over the growing season. Conclusions: Our results suggest that composts and cover crops may be used to build healthy soils without increasing foodborne pathogen survival. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our work suggests that animal‐based composts do not promote pathogen survival and may even promote bacterial communities that suppress pathogens. Critically, proper composting techniques are known to reduce pathogen populations in biological soil amendments of animal origin, which can reduce the risks of introducing pathogens to farm fields in soil amendments. Thus, animal‐based composts and cover crops may be a safe alternative to conventional fertilizers, both because of the known benefits of composts for soil health and because it may be possible to apply amendments in such a way that food‐safety risks are mitigated rather than exacerbated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear matter parameters define the nuclear equation of state (EoS), they appear as coefficients of expansion around the saturation density of symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter. We review their correlations with several properties of finite nuclei and of neutron stars within mean-field frameworks. The lower order nuclear matter parameters such as the binding energy per nucleon, incompressibility and the symmetry energy coefficients are found to be constrained in narrow limits through their strong ties with selective properties of finite nuclei. From the correlations of nuclear matter parameters with neutron star observables, we further review how precision knowledge of the radii and tidal deformability of neutron stars in the mass range 1 - 2 M ⊙ may help cast them in narrower bounds. The higher order parameters such as the density slope and the curvature of the symmetry energy or the skewness of the symmetric nuclear matter EoS are, however, plagued with larger uncertainty. From inter-correlation of these higher order nuclear matter parameters with lower order ones, we explore how they can be brought to more harmonious bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the interrelationships found between the various symmetry energy elements of the energy density functionals (EDF) based on the Skyrme forces, possible correlations among them are explored. A total of 237 Skyrme EDFs are used for this purpose. As some of these EDFs yield values of a few nuclear observables far off from the present acceptable range, studies are done also with a subset of 162 EDFs that comply with a conservative set of constraints on the values of nuclear matter incompressibility coefficient, effective mass of the nucleon and the isovector splitting of effective nucleon masses to see the enhancement of the correlation strength, if any. The curvature parameter K sym 0 and the skewness parameter Q sym 0 of the symmetry energy are found to be very well correlated with the linear combination of the symmetry energy coefficient and its density derivative L 0 . The isovector splitting of the effective nucleon mass, however, displays a somewhat meaningful correlation with a linear combination of the symmetry energy, its slope and its curvature parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From empirically determined values of some of the characteristic constants associated with homogeneous nuclear matter at saturation and subsaturation densities, within the framework of a Skyrme-inspired energy density functional, we construct an equation of state (EoS) of nuclear matter. This EoS is then used to predict values of density slope parameters of symmetry energy L(ρ), isoscalar incompressibility K(ρ), and a few related quantities. The close consonance of our predicted values with the currently available ones for the density dependence of symmetry energy and incompressibility gleaned from diverse approaches offers the possibility that our method may help in settling their values in tighter bounds. Extrapolation of our EoS at supranormal densities shows that it is in good harmony with the one extracted from experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal evolution of a few thermodynamic properties of the nuclear surface like its thermodynamic potential energy, entropy, and the symmetry free energy are examined for both semi-infinite nuclear matter and finite nuclei. The Thomas-Fermi model is employed. Three Skyrme interactions, namely, SkM*, SLy4, and SK255, are used for the calculations to gauge the dependence of the nuclear surface properties on the energy density functionals. For finite nuclei, the surface observables are computed from a global liquid-drop-inspired fit of the energies and free energies of a host of nuclei covering the entire periodic table. The hot nuclear system is modeled in a subtracted Thomas-Fermi framework. Compared to semi-infinite nuclear matter, substantial changes in the surface symmetry energy of finite nuclei are indicated; surface thermodynamic potential energies for the two systems are, however, not too different. Analytic expressions to fit the temperature and asymmetry dependence of the surface thermodynamic potential of semi-infinite nuclear matter and the temperature dependence of the surface free energy of finite nuclei are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agreement of the nuclear equation of state (EOS) deduced from the GW170817-based tidal deformability with the one obtained from empirical data on microscopic nuclei is examined. It is found that suitably chosen experimental data on isoscalar and isovector modes of nuclear excitations together with the observed maximum neutron star mass constrain the EOS which displays a very good congruence with the GW170817 inspired one. The giant resonances in nuclei are found to be instrumental in limiting the tidal deformability parameter and the radius of a neutron star in somewhat narrower bounds. At the 1σ level, the values of the canonical tidal deformability Λ1.4 and the neutron star radius R1.4 come out to be 267±144 and 11.6±1.0 km, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an energy density functional (EDF) based on the thermodynamic Gibbs-Duhem relation, found equivalent to the standard Skyrme EDF for infinite nuclear matter, it is demonstrated that the parameters of this EDF are not uniquely determined from the fit of the empirical and theoretical data related to nuclear matter. This prevents an unambiguous determination of the nucleon effective mass (m*0/m) and its isovector splitting (Δm*0). Complementary information from dipole polarizability of atomic nuclei helps in removing this ambiguity and plausible values of m*0/m and Δm*0 can be arrived at. Presently considered fit data on infinite nuclear matter and dipole polarizability of finite nuclei yield m*0/m=0.68±0.04 and Δm*0=(-0.20±0.09)δ. This EDF is consistent with the constraint on the maximum mass of the neutron star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relations between the nuclear symmetry energy coefficient and its density derivatives are derived. The relations hold for a class of interactions with quadratic momentum dependence and a power-law density dependence. The structural connection between the different symmetry energy elements as obtained seems to be followed by almost all reasonable nuclear energy density functionals, both relativistic and nonrelativistic, suggesting a universality in the correlation structure. This, coupled with known values of some well-accepted constants related to nuclear matter, helps in constraining values of different density derivatives of the nuclear symmetry energy, shedding light on the isovector part of the nuclear interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensitivity of nuclear symmetry energy elements at the saturation density to the binding energies of ultra-neutron-rich nuclei (neutron-to-proton ratio ~2) and the maximum mass of a neutron star is explored within a relativistic mean field model. Values of the interaction parameters governing the isovector strengths and the symmetry elements are determined in tighter bounds. Assessments based on the sensitivity matrix reveal that the properties of extreme neutron-rich systems play a predominant role in narrowing down the uncertainties in the various symmetry energy parameters. The calculations are extended over a wide range of nuclear matter density, and the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]