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The original estimate of the fissility of very heavy nuclei made by Meitner and Frisch can be derived without resorting to Rayleigh's theory of vibrating liquid drops and Legendre polynomials. A simple expression, familiar from the theory of the Wilson cloud chamber, suffices.

A very slight change in some nuclear properties would have been enough to make the fission chain reaction impossible. If the alpha-decay energy of 235U, the only naturally occurring fissile nuclide, were just 0.1 MeV higher than it actually is so little would remain in the Earth that extracting a critical mass would be close to impossible. Moreover, even with a sufficient abundance of 235U, if its scission point were shifted inwards by at most 2 fm not enough secondary neutrons would be emitted for a chain reaction to be possible. Speculating within the framework of the multiverse concept, we ask whether there could be a universe similar to ours in which intelligent life can emerge but in which the fission chain reaction is impossible.

The accretion of matter onto the surface of a neutron star in a low-mass X-ray binary triggers X-ray bursts, whose ashes are buried and further processed thus altering the composition and the properties of the stellar crust. In this second paper of a series, the impact of accretion on the equation of state and on the global properties of neutron stars is studied in the framework of the nuclear energy-density functional theory. Considering ashes made of $^{56}$Fe, we calculated the equations of state using the same Brussels-Montreal nuclear energy-density functionals BSk19, BSk20, and BSk21, as those already employed for determining the crustal heating in our previous study for the same ashes. All regions of accreting neutron stars were treated in a unified and thermodynamically consistent way. With these equations of state, we determined the mass, radius, moment of inertia, and tidal deformability of accreted neutron stars and compared with catalyzed neutron stars for which unified equations of state based on the same functionals are available. The equation of state of accreted neutron stars is found to be significantly stiffer than that of catalyzed matter, with an adiabatic index $\Gamma \approx 4/3$ throughout the crust. For this reason, accreting neutron stars have larger radii. However, their crustal moment of inertia and their tidal deformability are hardly changed provided density discontinuities at the interface between adjacent crustal layers are properly taken into account. The enhancement of the stiffness of the equation of state of accreting neutron stars is mainly a consequence of nuclear shell effects, thus confirming the importance of a quantum treatment as stressed in our first study. With our previous calculations of crustal heating using the same functionals, we have thus obtained consistent microscopic inputs for simulations of accreting neutron stars., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. The tables of the equations of state are available at the CDS

It is shown that the excessive squeezing characteristic of the leptodermous droplet model can be eliminated by taking into account the finite thickness of the nuclear surface. The same objective was achieved in the finite-range droplet model by the introduction of an exponential correction term, but this model breaks down at the large deformations encountered in fission barriers. With this term now being seen to be superfluous, a unified droplet-model treatment of masses and fission barriers becomes possible.

Fatigue is a recognized symptom of blood cancers, including leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and is a common side effect of their treatment. Often it is the sy...

Purpose: Cancer fatigue guidelines recommend routine fatigue screening, with further assessment for people reporting moderate to severe fatigue. There is neither a gold-standard, nor a broadly accepted screening method, and knowledge about the impact of screening on care processes is limited. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of 2 fatigue screening methods and current clinical practice in cancer outpatient clinics. Methods: Hospital outpatients attending cancer clinics during 1 week completed a five-item survey: a numeric scale for current tiredness, 2 categorical pictorial scales rating tiredness last week and the impact of fatigue (Fatigue Pictogram), screening tool preference and help needed for survey completion. Participant demographics and fatigue documentation by clinical staff for that appointment were extracted from medical records. Analyses used descriptive statistics. Groups were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Over 75% of participants rated their fatigue consistently as mild or significant on both screening tools. Of 1709 eligible outpatients, 533 (31%) completed the survey. Records were audited for 430 (81%) identifiable participants. Over half of the participants reported moderate or severe tiredness either “now” (237, 57%) and/or “last week” (226, 53%). Clinician documentation of fatigue seldom matched self-reports. Fatigue was rated as severe by 103 participants (24%), yet was noted in only 21 (20%) of these individuals’ clinical notes. Both screening tools were equally preferred. Conclusion: The numeric rating scale and Fatigue Pictogram are equally applicable for screening fatigue in cancer outpatient care. There is a high prevalence of clinically significant fatigue in a hospital outpatient setting that is not documented. Adequate care pathways for further management should be established alongside fatigue screening.

Context. In the cooling process of a non-accreting neutron star, the composition and properties of the crust are thought to be fixed at the finite temperature where nuclear reactions fall out of equilibrium. A lower estimation for this temperature is given by the crystallization temperature, which can be as high as $\approx 7\times 10^9$ K in the inner crust, potentially leading to sizeable differences with respect to the simplifying cold-catalyzed matter hypothesis. Aims. We extend the recent work by Fantina et al. (2019) on the outer crust, to the study of the crystallization of the inner crust and the associated composition in the one-component plasma approximation. Methods. The finite temperature variational equations for non-uniform matter in both the liquid and the solid phases are solved using a compressible liquid-drop approach with parameters optimized on four different microscopic models which cover the present uncertainties in nuclear modeling. Results. We consider separately the effect of the different nuclear ingredients with their associated uncertainties, namely the nuclear equation of state, the surface properties in the presence of a uniform gas of dripped neutrons, and the proton shell effects arising from the ion single-particle structure. Our results suggest that the highest source of model dependence comes from the smooth part of the nuclear functional. Conclusions. We show that shell effects play an important role at the lowest densities close to the outer crust, but the most important physical ingredient to be settled for a quantitative prediction of the inner crust properties is the surface tension at extreme isospin values., 9 pages, 9 figures

We generalize our earlier work on neutron stars, which assumed spherical Wigner-Seitz cells in the inner crust, to admit the possibility of pasta phases, i.e. nonspherical cell shapes. Full fourth-order extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) calculations using the density functional BSk24 are performed for cylindrical and platelike cells. Unlike in our spherical-cell calculations we do not include shell and pairing corrections, but there are grounds for expecting these corrections for pasta to be significantly smaller. It is therefore meaningful to compare the ETF pasta results with the full spherical-cell results, i.e. with shell and pairing corrections included. However, in view of the many previous studies in which shell and pairing corrections were omitted entirely, it is of interest to compare our pasta results with the ETF part of the corresponding spherical calculations. Making this latter comparison, we find that as the density increases the cell shapes pass through the usual sequence sphere → cylinder → plate before the transition to the homogeneous core. The filling fractions found at the phase transitions are in close agreement with expectations based on the liquid-drop model. On the other hand, when we compare with the full spherical-cell results, we find the sequence to be sphere → cylinder → sphere → cylinder → plate. In neither case do any “inverted,” i.e. bubblelike, configurations appear. The analytic fitting formulas for the equation of state and composition that we derived in our earlier work, with the assumption of spherical cell shapes for the entire density range from the outer crust to the core of a neutron star, are found to remain essentially unchanged for pasta shapes. Here, however, we provide more accurate fitting formulas to all our essential numerical results for each of the three phases, designed especially for the density range where the nonspherical shapes are expected, which enable one to capture not only the general behavior of the fitted functions but also the differences between them in different phases., info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Magnetic fields of order 10^15 G have been measured at the surface of some neutron stars, and much stronger magnetic fields are expected to be present in the solid region beneath the surface. The effects of the magnetic field on the equation of state and on the composition of the crust due to Landau-Rabi quantization of electron motion are studied. Both the outer and inner crustal regions are described in a unified and consistent way within the nuclear-energy density functional theory., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The theory of the nuclear energy-density functional is used to provide a unified and thermodynamically consistent treatment of all regions of cold non-accreting neutron stars. In order to assess the impact of our lack of complete knowledge of the density dependence of the symmetry energy on the constitution and the global structure of neutron stars, we employ four different functionals. All of them were precision fitted to essentially all the nuclear-mass data with the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method and two different neutron-matter equations of state based on realistic nuclear forces. For each functional, we calculate the composition, the pressure-density relation, and the chemical potentials throughout the star. We show that uncertainties in the symmetry energy can significantly affect the theoretical results for the composition and global structure of neutron stars. To facilitate astrophysical applications, we construct analytic fits to our numerical results., 36 pages, 31 figures, 29 tables; corrected according to an erratum (2019, accepted)

Current automated aviation turbulence forecast algorithms diagnose turbulence from numerical weather prediction (NWP) model output by identifying large values in computed horizontal or vertical spatial gradients of various atmospheric state variables (velocity; temperature) and thresholding these gradients empirically to indicate expected areas of “light,” “moderate,” and “severe” levels of aviation turbulence. This approach is obviously aircraft dependent and cannot accommodate the many different aircraft types that may be in the airspace. Therefore, it is proposed to provide forecasts of an atmospheric turbulence metric: the energy dissipation rate to the one-third power (EDR). A strategy is developed to statistically map automated turbulence forecast diagnostics or groups of diagnostics to EDR. The method assumes a lognormal distribution of EDR and uses climatological peak EDR data from in situ equipped aircraft in conjunction with the distribution of computed diagnostic values. These remapped values can then be combined to provide an ensemble mean EDR that is the final forecast. New mountain-wave-turbulence algorithms are presented, and the lognormal mapping is applied to them as well. The EDR forecasts are compared with aircraft in situ EDR observations and verbal pilot reports (converted to EDR) to obtain statistical performance metrics of the individual diagnostics and the ensemble mean. It is shown by one common performance metric, the area under the relative operating characteristics curve, that the ensemble mean provides better performance than forecasts from individual model diagnostics at all altitudes (low, mid-, and upper levels) and for two input NWP models.

In addition to turbulence forecasts, which can be used for strategic planning for turbulence avoidance, short-term nowcasts can augment longer-term forecasts by providing much more timely and accurate turbulence locations for real-time tactical avoidance of turbulence hazards, especially those related to short-lived convection. This paper describes a turbulence-nowcasting algorithm that combines recent short-term turbulence forecasts with all currently available direct turbulence observations and inferences of turbulence from other sources. Building upon the need to provide forecasts that are aircraft independent, the nowcasts provide estimates of an atmospheric metric of turbulence, namely, the energy dissipation rate to the one-third power (EDR). Some observations directly provide EDR, such as in situ observations from select commercial aircraft and ground-based radar algorithm output, whereas others must be translated to EDR. A strategy is provided for mapping turbulence observations, such as pilot reports (PIREPs), and inferences from other relevant observational data sources, such as observed surface wind gusts, into EDR. These remapped observation values can then be combined with short-term turbulence forecasts and other convective diagnostics of turbulence to provide a turbulence nowcast of EDR in the national airspace. Case studies are provided to illustrate the algorithm procedure and benefits. The EDR nowcasts are compared with aircraft in situ EDR observations and PIREPs converted to EDR to obtain metrics of statistical performance. It is shown by one common performance metric, the area under the relative operating characteristic curve, that the turbulence nowcasts with assimilated observations considerably outperform the corresponding turbulence forecasts.

The properties of the crust of a neutron star can be significantly altered by the presence of a high magnetic field. The effects of Rabi quantization of electron motion on the equation of state and on the composition of the crust are studied. Both the outer and inner regions are described in a unified and consistent way by extending the neutron-star crust models developed by the Brussels-Montreal collaboration. The first numerical results obtained for different magnetic field strengths are presented., info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Magnetars form a subclass of neutron stars characterized by magnetic fields of order 1014-1015 G at their surface. According to numerical simulations, the magnetic fields in their interior could potentially be even stronger. Such magnetic fields are so extreme that the internal constitution of neutron stars may be altered. The effects of Landau-Rabi quantisation of electron motion on the equation of state and on the equilibrium composition of the crust of a neutron star are investigated for a wide range of magnetic field strengths. Both the outer and inner parts of the crust are treated in a unified and consistent way within the nuclear-energy density functional theory., SCOPUS: cp.p, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The role of the symmetry energy on the internal constitution and the global structure of a cold nonaccreted neutron star is studied using a set of unified equations of state. Based on the nuclear energy-density functional theory, these equations of state provide a thermodynamically consistent treatment of all regions of the star and were calculated using the four different Brussels-Montreal functionals BSk22, BSk24, BSk25 and BSk26. Our predictions are compared to various constraints inferred from astrophysical observations including the recent detection of the gravitational wave signal GW170817 from a binary neutron-star merger., SCOPUS: cp.p, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the intrauterine administration use of 200 mL of 50% dextrose solution as a treatment against clinical endometritis (CE); CE cure rate and reproductive performance were evaluated. Additionally, the association of several relevant risk factors, such as retained placenta (RP), metritis, CE, anovulation, hyperketonemia, and body condition score with reproductive performance, early embryonic mortality, and CE were evaluated. A total of 1,313 Holstein cows housed on 4 commercial dairy farms were enrolled in the study. At 7±3 DIM cows were examined for metritis and had blood collected to determine serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentration. To determine if cows had ovulated at least once before 44±3 DIM, the presence of a corpus luteum was evaluated by ovarian ultrasonography at 30±3 DIM and at 44±3 DIM. At 30±3 DIM, CE was diagnosed using the Metricheck device (SimcroTech, Hamilton, New Zealand); cows with purulent or mucopurulent vaginal discharge were diagnosed as having CE. Cows diagnosed with CE (n=175) were randomly allocated into 2 treatment groups: treatment (intrauterine infusion of 200 mL of 50% dextrose) or control (no infusion). Clinical endometritis cows were re-evaluated as described above at 44±3 DIM, and cows that were free of purulent or mucopurulent vaginal discharge were considered cured. Intrauterine infusion of dextrose tended to have a detrimental effect on CE cure rate, and treatment did not have an effect on first-service conception rate and early embryonic mortality. A multivariable Cox's proportional hazard model was performed to evaluate the effect of several variables on reproductive performance; the variables RP, CE, parity, anovulation, and the interaction term between parity and anovulation were associated with hazard of pregnancy. Cows that did not have RP or CE were more likely to conceive than cows that were diagnosed with RP or CE. Cows that had RP were at 3.36 times higher odds of losing their pregnancy than cows that did not have RP. In addition, cows diagnosed with CE were at 2.16 higher odds of losing their pregnancy than cows without CE. In conclusion, intrauterine infusion of 200 mL of 50% dextrose solution as a treatment for CE had a strong statistical tendency to decrease CE cure rate, did not improve first-service conception rate and early embryonic mortality, and did not decrease calving-to-conception interval.

Introduction The prevalence of cancer is increasing and, with enhanced early detection and treatment, survival rates have also improved. During cancer treatment and survivorship, occupational participation is significantly impacted, with leisure affected. This field has attracted limited research interest however, particularly involving men with colorectal cancer. Symptoms including cancer-related fatigue and pain may reduce ability to engage in usual leisure occupations. Method A qualitative narrative study was conducted to enhance understanding of leisure participation during and following cancer treatment. In-depth interviews were undertaken with four men with colorectal cancer attending for review at a specialist cancer centre. Audio-recorded interview data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results All men interviewed reported significant disruption to their usual leisure occupations. Participants described participating in passive leisure occupations during treatment over more active or community-based occupations due to challenges such as having a colostomy bag and fatigue. The men described generally returning to their chosen leisure occupations and the significance this held for their wellbeing. Conclusion Given the impact of colorectal cancer on participation in leisure occupations for men, occupational therapists can assist these men to either resume previous leisure occupations or commence alternative leisure occupations to improve their quality of life.

This study aims to identify the current practices of health professionals in the assessment and treatment of cancer-related fatigue (CRF).Health professionals working with oncology clients participated in an electronic survey distributed via professional associations and oncology societies.One hundred twenty-nine professionals from nursing, medical, and allied health disciplines participated in an electronic survey. Overall, there was a perception that CRF was inadequately managed at some facilities. Routine fatigue screening processes in the workplace were reported by more than half of participants; however, less than one quarter used a clinical guideline or conducted in-depth CRF assessments. Awareness of interventions for CRF varied amongst participants with one quarter able to list five appropriate interventions for cancer-related fatigue. Access to services for managing fatigue was inconsistent across service types, with post-treatment triage a high priority for CRF in some organisations yet not others. Participants identified a need for improved guidelines, enhanced expertise and better access to services for people with CRF.There is a need for further education in CRF management for a range of health disciplines in oncology and additional resources to facilitate translation of CRF guidelines into clinical practice.

Context. X-ray observations of soft X-ray transients in quiescence suggest the existence of heat sources in the crust of accreted neutron stars. Heat is thought to be released by electroweak and nuclear processes triggered by the burying of ashes of X-ray bursts. Aims. The heating in the crust of accreting neutron stars is studied using a fully quantum approach taking consistently into account nuclear shell effects. Methods. To this end, we have followed the evolution of ashes made of 56 Fe employing the nuclear energy-density functional theory. Both the outer and inner crusts are described using the same functional, thus ensuring a unified and thermodynamically consistent treatment. To assess the role of accretion on the structure of the crust, we have employed the set of accurately calibrated Brussels-Montreal functionals BSk19, BSk20, and BSk21, for which the equations of state of nonaccreted neutron stars have been already calculated. These energy-density functionals were fitted to the same set of nuclear masses but were simultaneously adjusted to realistic neutron-matter equations of state with different degrees of stiffness at suprasaturation densities. For comparison, we have also considered the SLy4 functional. Results. Due to nuclear shell effects, the interior of fully accreted crust is found to be much less stratified than in previous studies. In particular, large regions of the inner crust contain clusters with the magic number Z = 14. The heat deposited in the outer crust is tightly constrained by experimental atomic mass data. The shallow heating we obtain does not exceed 0.2 MeV per accreted nucleon and is therefore not enough to explain the cooling of some soft X-ray transients. The total heat released in the crust is very sensitive to details of the nuclear structure and is predicted to lie in the range from 1.5 MeV to 1.7 MeV per accreted nucleon. Conclusions. The evolution of an accreted matter element and therefore the location of heat sources are governed to a large extent by the existence of nuclear shell closures. Ignoring these effects in the inner crust, the total heat falls to ∼0.6 MeV per accreted nucleon., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a key concern for people living with cancer and can impair physical functioning and activities of daily living. Evidence-based guidelines for CRF are available, yet inconsistently implemented globally. This study aimed to identify barriers and enablers to applying a cancer fatigue guideline and to derive implementation strategies. Methods A mixed-method study explored the feasibility of implementing the CRF guideline developed by the Canadian Association for Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO). Health professionals, managers and consumers from different practice settings participated in a modified Delphi study with two survey rounds. A reference group informed the design of the study including the surveys. The first round focused on guideline characteristics, compatibility with current practice and experience, and behaviour change. The second survey built upon and triangulated the first round. Results Forty-five health practitioners and managers, and 68 cancer survivors completed the surveys. More than 75% of participants endorsed the CAPO cancer related fatigue guidelines. Some respondents perceived a lack of resources for accessible and expert fatigue management services. Further barriers to guideline implementation included complexity, limited practical details for some elements, and lack of clinical tools such as assessment tools or patient education materials. Recommendations to enhance guideline applicability centred around four main themes: (1) balancing the level of detail in the CAPO guideline with ease of use, (2) defining roles of different professional disciplines in CRF management, (3) how best to integrate CRF management into policy and practice, (4) how best to ensure a consumer-focused approach to CRF management. Conclusions Translating current knowledge on optimal management of CRF into clinical practice can be enhanced by the adoption of valid guidelines. This study indicates that it is feasible to adopt the CAPO guidelines. Clinical application may be further enhanced with guideline adaptation, professional education and integration with existing practices. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2415-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

IntroductionThere is increasing evidence demonstrating the benefits of exercise in counteracting cancer treatment-related fatigue. Immunotherapy is an established treatment for advanced melanoma, and is associated with fatigue in a third of patients. The safety and efficacy of exercise in counteracting treatment-related fatigue in patients with advanced melanoma receiving immunotherapy are yet to be determined. This study aims to assess the safety, adherence to and acceptability of a mixed-methods parallel-group, pilot randomised controlled trial of a personalised, 12-week semi-supervised exercise programme prescribed by an exercise physiologist (iMove) in 30 patients with stage IV melanoma scheduled to commence immunotherapy: single agent ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab, or combination ipilimumab and nivolumab. The trial will be used to provide preliminary evidence of the potential efficacy of exercise for managing fatigue.Methods and analysisThirty participants will be recruited from a specialist cancer centre between May and September, 2019. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to receive iMove, or usual care (an information booklet about exercise for people with cancer). Feasibility data comprise: eligibility; recruitment and retention rates; adherence to and acceptability of exercise consultations, personalised exercise programme and study measures; and exercise-related adverse events. Patient-reported outcome measures assess potential impact of the exercise intervention on: fatigue, role functioning, symptoms and quality of life. Follow-up will comprise five time points over 24 weeks. Physical assessments measure physical fitness and functioning.Ethics and disseminationThis study was reviewed and approved by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/48927/PMCC-2019). The findings from this trial will be disseminated via conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals, and by engagement with clinicians, media, government and consumers. In particular, we will promote the outcomes of this work among the oncology community should this pilot indicate benefit for patients.Trial registration numberACTRN12619000952145; Pre-results.

The statistical properties of turbulence at upper levels in the atmosphere [upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS)] are still not well known, partly because of the lack of adequate routine observations. This is despite the obvious benefit that such observations would have for alerting aircraft of potentially hazardous conditions, either in real time or for route planning. To address this deficiency, a research project sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration has developed a software package that automatically estimates and reports atmospheric turbulence intensity levels (as EDR ≡ ε1/3, where ε is the energy or eddy dissipation rate). The package has been tested and evaluated on commercial aircraft. The amount of turbulence data gathered from these in situ reports is unprecedented. As of January 2014, there are ~200 aircraft outfitted with this system, contributing to over 137 million archived records of EDR values through 2013, most of which were taken at cruise levels of commercial aircraft, that is, in the UTLS. In this paper, techniques used for estimating EDR are outlined and comparisons with pilot reports from the same or nearby aircraft are presented. These reports allow calibration of EDR in terms of traditionally reported intensity categories (“light,” “moderate,” or “severe”). The results of some statistical analyses of EDR values are also presented. These analyses are restricted to the United States for now, but, as this program is expanded to international carriers, such data will begin to become available over other areas of the globe.

We review the various microscopic mass models based on effective interactions that have been developed in recent years, primarily with a view to extrapolation from the mass data to the highly neutron-rich environments that are encountered in various astrophysical contexts but that are experimentally inaccessible. All these models are based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method, and use either Skyrme-type or Gogny-type effective interactions; they are likewise all constrained by many-body calculations on neutron matter with realistic nucleonic interactions. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

This paper introduces a theoretical framework that recognises the rehabilitation needs of people who have cancer and offers a multi-tiered model to meet these needs. Various models for providing survivorship care have been previously proposed, giving rise to multiple possible delivery systems. Existing cancer rehabilitation frameworks recognise different phases of illness, goals of care and the need for services at all stages of illness. The 'Stained Glass Cancer Rehabilitation Framework' incorporates survivor needs and rehabilitation modalities, arranged in a practical hierarchy and builds on earlier models. A broad view of rehabilitation services considers complexity, temporal and geographic factors. Recognition that needs emerge over time demands a routine long-term approach to screening for physical, functional and psychosocial rehabilitation needs by medical and other health professionals. New methods of care delivery and coordination from specialist to primary care settings are needed, long after treatment is completed. Service delivery infrastructure supported by funding reform and training of rehabilitation professionals in delivering appropriate interventions for cancer survivors is essential, together with more research into cancer rehabilitation interventions, functional outcomes and their delivery.

Giant pulsar frequency glitches as detected in the emblematic Vela pulsar have long been thought to be the manifestation of a neutron superfluid permeating the inner crust of a neutron star. However, this superfluid has been recently found to be entrained by the crust, and as a consequence it does not carry enough angular momentum to explain giant glitches. The extent to which pulsar-timing observations can be reconciled with the standard vortex-mediated glitch theory is studied considering the current uncertainties on dense-matter properties. To this end, the crustal moment of inertia of glitching pulsars is calculated employing a series of different unified dense-matter equations of state., 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PRD

Extending our earlier work, a new family of three Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) mass models, labeled HFB-30, HFB-31, and HFB-32, is presented, along with their underlying interactions, BSk30, BSk31, and BSk32, respectively. The principle new feature is a purely phenomenological pairing term that depends on the density gradient. This enables us to have a bulk pairing term that is fitted to realistic nuclear-matter calculations in which for the first time the self-energy corrections are included, while the behavior of the nucleon effective masses in asymmetric homogeneous nuclear matter is significantly improved. Furthermore, in the particle-hole channel all the highly realistic constraints of our earlier work are retained. In particular, the unconventional Skyrme forces containing ${t}_{4}$ and ${t}_{5}$ terms are still constrained to fit realistic equations of state of neutron matter stiff enough to support the massive neutron stars PSR J1614--2230 and PSR J0348+0432. All unphysical long-wavelength spin and spin-isospin instabilities of nuclear matter, including the unphysical transition to a polarized state in neutron-star matter, are eliminated. Our three interactions are characterized by values of the symmetry coefficient $J$ of 30, 31, and 32 MeV, respectively. The best fit to the database of 2353 nuclear masses is found for model HFB-31 $(J=31\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV})$ with a model error of 0.561 MeV. This model also fits the charge-radius data with an root-mean-square error of 0.027 fm.

A simple dose-guided intervention technique for prostate radiotherapy using an isodose overlay method combined with soft-tissue-based corrective couch shifts has been proposed previously. This planning study assesses the potential clinical impact of such a correction strategy.10 patients, each with 8-11 on-treatment CT studies (n=97), were assessed using this technique and compared with no intervention, bony anatomy intervention and soft-tissue intervention methods. Each assessment technique used a 4-mm action level for intervention. Outcomes were evaluated using measures of sensitivity, specificity and dosimetric effect, and compared across intervention techniques. Dosimetric effect was defined as the change in dosimetric coverage by the 95% isodose from the no intervention case of an evaluation construct called the verification target volume.Bony anatomy, soft tissue and dosimetric overlay-based interventions demonstrated sensitivity of 0.56, 0.73 and 1.00 and specificity of 0.64, 0.20 and 0.66, respectively. A detrimental dosimetric effect was shown in 7% of interventions for each technique, with benefit in 30%, 35% and 55% for bony anatomy, soft tissue and dosimetric overlay techniques, respectively.Used in conjunction with soft-tissue-based corrective couch shifts, the dosimetric overlay technique allows effective filtering out of dosimetrically unnecessary interventions, making it more likely that any intervention made will result in improved target volume coverage.

The latest developments made in deriving microscopic mass models are presented. Mass models play a fundamental role by providing a large part of the nuclear structure properties required for a proper description of reaction and β-decay rates in nuclear astrophysics. Some recent progress made in estimating the nuclear structure properties, and most of allnuclear masses, in the framework of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB) mean field model is detailed. The rms deviation obtained with our latest Skyrme forces with respect to essentially all the available mass data falls to 0.58 MeV, the best value ever found within the mean-field framework. Since our Skyrme forces are also constrained by the properties of pure neutron matter, including its stabilityagainst ferro-magnetic instabilities, our new models are particularly well-suited for application to astrophysical problems involving a neutron-rich environment, such as the elucidation of the r-process of nucleosynthesis, and the description of supernova cores and neutron-star crusts. The impact of the mass predictions on the reaction rates for exotic neutron-rich nuclei is highlighted and the influence on nucleosynthesis calculations illustrated.

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has one of the world's most enduring staff Christmas choirs. Commencing in 1956, the choir performs in a cafeteria, patient wards, and outpatient waiting areas before each Christmas. With recent emphasis on oncology staff support needs the choir's relevance warranted investigation. This constructivist research examined what effect the staff Christmas choir had on the choir members and staff bystanders in 2008.Sampling was convenience and purposive. Staff choir members were invited to participate during rehearsals, and staff bystanders were invited at seven choir performances in the hospital. Respondents completed anonymous and semistructured questionnaires and the conductor (of 29 years) was interviewed. The inductive, comparative, and cyclic data analyses were informed by grounded theory and qualitative interrater reliability was performed.Questionnaires from 64 staff were returned. The choir elicited positive emotions, memories, Christmas spirit, hospital community and/or work-life effects for many staff, in a cancer context described as sometimes "overwhelming" and "stressful." Choir members' reactions included stress relief, friendship and feeling rewarded. Bystanders' reactions included feeling uplifted, inspired and moved. Suggestions for future performances were offered, including musical acknowledgement of other religious festivals. Two respondents were concerned about intrusive effects on patients and work practices.A staff Christmas choir supported most choir member and staff bystander respondents in an oncology hospital and is recommended in comparable contexts. Further investigation is warranted to extend understanding about Christmas music's effects in palliative care settings.

OBJECTIVE To examine how performances by the Staff Christmas Choir of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre ("Peter Mac") affected inpatients, outpatients and visitors in 2008. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS During the Christmas season 2008, the Peter Mac Staff Christmas Choir gave seven performances at the Centre. Locations included inpatient wards, outpatient waiting areas and a cafeteria. To assess their response to the choir, oncology inpatients, outpatients and visitors (including early-departing bystanders) were given anonymous, semi-structured questionnaires during and after performances. To analyse the responses, we used a constructivist research approach informed by grounded theory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Participants' descriptions of the choir's effects on them. RESULTS Questionnaires were returned by 111 people. The performances were received favourably by 93.7% of respondents, including nine from Jewish, Hindu or atheist backgrounds. Many said the music aroused positive emotions and memories. Several described transformative thoughts and physical reactions, felt affirmed by the Christmas spirit or message, and/or appreciated the peaceful or enlivened and social atmosphere. The choir also elicited personal perspectives about Christmas and Judaism, and the importance of "enjoying the moment". Only three respondents (2.7%) reported adverse effects, relating to emotional and audible intrusiveness. CONCLUSIONS The Staff Christmas Choir created a supportive and uplifting atmosphere for many oncology patients and their visitors. However, responses from people from non-Christian backgrounds were limited, and further investigation is warranted to extend our understanding of the effect of Christmas music in Australian public health settings.

We have performed a spectroscopic study of ErxY1-x[(p-CF3-C6F4)2PO2]3 aimed at understanding nonradiative de-excitation mechanisms. These fluorinated compounds have a long lifetime for the erbium 4I13/2--4I15/2 emission at lambda approximately 1540 nm, but the lifetime increases with decreasing x. We have studied the lifetime as a function of morphology, temperature, and high hydrostatic pressure. We have demonstrated the occurrence of energy migration and calculated the corresponding activation energy. Moreover, using high pressure techniques, we provide evidence that cross-relaxation involving energy transfer from an excited erbium in the 4I13/2 promoting a neighbor in the same state to 4I9/2 is the dominant mechanism at ambient conditions for short erbium-erbium distances. The model explains the observed dynamics of excited states in the series and is tested against the Yb[(p-CF3-C6F4)2PO2]3 compound.

In this latest of our series of Skyrme-HFB mass models, HFB-16, we introduce the new feature of requiring that the contact pairing force reproduce at each density the $^1S_0$ pairing gap of neutron matter as determined in microscopic calculations with realistic nucleon-nucleon forces. We retain the earlier constraints on the Skyrme force of reproducing the energy-density curve of neutron matter, and of having an isoscalar effective mass of $0.8M$ in symmetric infinite nuclear matter at the saturation density; we also keep the recently adopted device of dropping Coulomb exchange. Furthermore, the correction term for the spurious energy of collective motion has a form that is known to favour fission barriers that are in good agreement with experiment. Despite the extra constraints on the effective force, we have achieved a better fit to the mass data than any other mean field model, the rms error on the 2149 measured masses of nuclei with $N$ and $Z \ge$ 8 having been reduced to 0.632 MeV; the improvement is particularly striking for the most neutron-rich nuclei. Moreover, it turns out that even with no flexibility at all remaining for the pairing force, the spectral pairing gaps that we find suggest that level densities in good agreement with experiment should be obtained. This new force is thus particularly well-suited for astrophysical applications, such as stellar nucleosynthesis and neutron-star crusts., Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics A

Bis(pentafluorophenyl)phosphinic acid, (C6F5)2PO2H, forms thermally stable, anhydrous salts with rare earth ions such as Er3+ and Y3+; these materials adopt polymeric structures. The erbium(III) salt displays photoinduced luminescence at 1,545 nm, decay of which is mediated by erbium–erbium energy migration. The average luminescence lifetime, \( {\left\langle \tau \right\rangle } = 0.44\,{\text{ms}} \), is remarkably long for a solid erbium complex with organic ligands. This is attributed to the exclusion of solvents by the bulky ligands and the absence of any C–H bonds or other high frequency oscillators that could cause vibrational quenching.

Occupational therapists at a specialist cancer centre found home assessments to be the most time-consuming intervention. To evaluate the breakdown of time and total time use for this intervention, 15 occupational therapists working in the area of oncology and palliative care participated in an audit. A total of 107 home assessments was audited. The results indicated that the total time for an average home assessment in the audit ranged between 3.31 hours and 5.59 hours. They also highlighted that the time spent in preparation and follow-up was similar to the time spent in travel and the visit itself.

There is inconsistent management of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) by health professionals worldwide. This research aims to identify the most appropriate guidelines for the management of cancer-related fatigue. A systematic search of international literature identified evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for CRF. Four reviewers independently appraised the highest quality guidelines using the AGREE-II instrument and National Heath and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guideline standards. Five guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Of these, the 2015 Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) CRF guidelines and the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) fatigue guidelines for cancer survivors were selected for in-depth appraisal. The CAPO guideline scored higher than the ASCO for five domains of the AGREE-II. For one domain, the differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The CAPO guideline met 37 of 47 NHMRC mandatory guideline standards and the ASCO guideline met 20. The difference in the proportion of standards met was statistically significant for one domain (p ≤ 0.05). Both guidelines had low scores for applicability and implementation. Currently, the CAPO guideline for cancer-related fatigue has the strongest evidence for use. To enhance implementation, further strategies for guideline dissemination and application are needed.

The latest developments made in deriving accurate mass predictions within the microscopic Skyrme Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB) approach are described. Using the HFB method, we have refitted our BSk20 and BSk21 models, on which were based the HFB-20 and HFB-21 mass tables, to the 2353 measured masses of nuclei with N and Z ≥ 8 given in the newly available 2012 Atomic Mass Evaluation. In addition, we have now investigated the sensitivity to the symmetry coefficient J and the stiffness of the neutron matter equation of state. We present here in all 5 new Skyrme interactions, along with their corresponding mass tables. The root-mean square deviation obtained with our preferred model (HFB-24) with respect to essentially all the 2353 available mass data falls to 0.549 MeV, the best value ever found within the mean-field framework. Since our Skyrme force is also constrained by the properties of pure neutron matter this new model is particularly well-suited for application to astrophysical problems involving a neutron-rich environment, such as the elucidation of the r-process of nucleosynthesis, and the description of supernova cores and neutron-star crusts., SCOPUS: cp.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

We study the constraints imposed by nuclear mass measurements and neutron-star observations on the symmetry energy. For this purpose, we use a family of unified equations of state of neutron-star interiors, based on generalised Skyrme functionals that were fitted to essentially all the experimental nuclear mass data while ensuring a realistic neutron-matter equation of state., SCOPUS: cp.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the key determinants of the adoption of internet banking in Jordan. The paper also attempts to validate the appropriateness of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) within the context of internet banking.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was developed based on previous work in the areas of technology acceptance and internet banking. The questionnaire was distributed through three banks in Jordan to customers as they enter each bank's main office. Multiple regressions were utilized to evaluate the collected data.FindingsThe results of this study indicate that UTAUT provides a good foundation for future technology acceptance research. The three main predictors relevant to this study (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence) were significant and explained a significant amount of the variance in predicting a customer's intention to adopt internet banking. The results also indicate that gender moderated the relationships between the three independent variables and the dependent variable (behavioral intention).Research limitations/implicationsThis study did not follow‐up with respondents to determine if they actually adopted internet banking. Therefore, the results do not measure actual adoption.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to utilize the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to the technology acceptance domain. It also provides a broader view of the technology acceptance decision in that the study took place in a non‐English speaking culture (Arabic – Jordan).

River ecosystems are influenced by contaminants in the water column, in the pore water and adsorbed to sediment particles. When exchange across the sediment‐water interface (hyporheic exchange) is included in modeling, the mixing coefficient is often assumed to be constant with depth below the interface. Novel fiber‐optic fluorometers have been developed and combined with a modified EROSIMESS system to quantify the vertical variation in mixing coefficient with depth below the sediment‐water interface. The study considered a range of particle diameters and bed shear velocities, with the permeability Péclet number, PeK between 1000 and 77,000 and the shear Reynolds number, Re*, between 5 and 600. Different parameterization of both an interface exchange coefficient and a spatially variable in‐sediment mixing coefficient are explored. The variation of in‐sediment mixing is described by an exponential function applicable over the full range of parameter combinations tested. The empirical relationship enables estimates of the depth to which concentrations of pollutants will penetrate into the bed sediment, allowing the region where exchange will occur faster than molecular diffusion to be determined., Key Point: Sediment‐water exchange, laboratory study, mixing coefficients

International audience; We have recently developed a series of accurately calibrated nuclear energy density functionals, fitted to essentially all atomic masses with amodel root mean square deviation now reduced to 0.5 MeV for our functional BSk27*. At the same time, these functionals were adjusted to realisticequations of state of neutron matter and were constrained to reproduce various properties of nuclear matter. Using BSk27, we have calculated theinternal constitution and the equation of state of the crust of non-accreting neutron stars.

We review the Hartree–Fock–Bogolyubov mass models of the Brussels–Montreal group and compare their suitability for astrophysical purposes with three other modern mass formulas: the FRDM of Moller et al., the KUTY model of Koura et al., and the Duflo–Zuker 1995 model. In addition to considering the quality of their respective fits to the data of the atomic mass evaluation of December 2003, we also compare their extrapolations out towards the neutron drip line. The implications for fission barriers and the role of the equation of state of neutron matter are both discussed.

All our previous mass models suffered from the defect of excessively strong pairing, as a result of the pairing parameters being fitted freely to the mass data. Starting from model HFB-9, and maintaining the condition that neutron matter be fitted, we construct four new models in which the pairing is constrained in such a way as to bring down the spectral pairing gap to be close to the experimental even–odd differences. These models differ in the treatment of the pairing, with two making use of Bulgac–Yu regularization. Our best new model, HFB-13, outperforms HFB-9.

Background In 1987 Jass described a modified staging system for colorectal cancer using two anatomical criteria in common with the Dukes system; extent of spread through the bowel wall and the presence or absence of lymph node involvement. Additionally it used two ‘biological’ criteria; the nature of the expanding margin of the tumour (pushing or infiltrating), and the presence or absence of lymphocytic infiltration within the tumour. This study aims to determine whether a combination of the Dukes and Jass staging systems provides a better predictor of five year survival in patients with colorectal cancer than Dukes stage alone. Method The Dukes and Jass stages along with vital status at five years were recorded for all 612 patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer at the Royal Bolton Hospital and the Beaumont (BMI) Hospital, Bolton between 1991 and 1998. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log rank test were used to show how survival correlated with Jass group stratified by Dukes stage. Results Both the Dukes B and the Dukes C tumours could be divided into groups with significantly different five year survival rates when stratified by Jass group. Five year survival for Dukes stage B, Jass group II tumours was 73.74% compared to Dukes B Jass III tumours whose survival was 51.38% (P = 0.0018). Five year survival for Dukes C Jass III tumours was 43.18% and for Dukes C Jass IV survival was 24.39% (P = 0.0029). Conclusion By combining the biological criteria of the Jass staging system with the anatomically based Dukes system, both Dukes B and C tumours can be divided into groups with significantly different five year survival figures.

We have modified our best previous HFB mass model, HFB-8, to conform with the Friedman-Pandharipande calculation of neutron matter, achieving this simply by requiring that it be consistent with a nuclear-matter symmetry coefficient of J = 30 MeV. The rms deviation of the data fit rises from 0.635 to 0.748 MeV, but there is no essential change in the extrapolated neutron-separation and beta-decay energies of neutron-rich nuclei, the mass-related quantities that are relevant for the r-process. However, some significant changes arise in neutron-star calculations.

PTH; We review the latest efforts devoted to the global prediction of atomic masses. Special attention is paid to the new developments made within the Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov framework. So far, 9 HFB mass tables based on different parametrizations of the effective interactions in the Hartree-Fock and pairing channels have been published. We analyze their ability to reproduce experimental masses as well as nuclear-matter and giant-resonance properties. The possibility to derive within the HFB framework a universal effective interaction that can describe all known properties of the nuclei (including their masses) and of asymmetric nuclear matter is critically discussed.