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Using an empirical pseudopotential description of electron states and an adiabatic bond charge model for phonon states in bulk silicon, we theoretically investigate two-photon indirect optical injection of carriers and spins and two-color coherent control of the motion of the injected carriers and spins. For two-photon indirect carrier and spin injection, we identify the selection rules of band edge transitions, the injection in each conduction band valley, and the injection from each phonon branch at 4 K and 300 K. At 4 K, the TA phonon-assisted transitions dominate the injection at low photon energies, and the TO phonon-assisted at high photon energies. At 300 K, the former dominates at all photon energies of interest. The carrier injection shows anisotropy and linear-circular dichroism with respect to light propagation direction. For light propagating along the $<001>$ direction, the carrier injection exhibits valley anisotropy, and the injection into the $Z$ conduction band valley is larger than that into the $X/Y$ valleys. For $��^-$ light propagating along the $<001>$ ($<111>$) direction, the degree of spin polarization gives a maximum value about 20% (6%) at 4 K and -10% (20%) at 300 K, and at both temperature shows abundant structure near the injection edges due to contributions from different phonon branches. Forthe two-color coherent current injection with an incident optical field composed of a fundamental frequency and its second harmonic, the response tensors of the electron (hole) charge and spin currents are calculated at 4 K and 300 K. We show the current control for three different polarization scenarios. The spectral dependence of the maximum swarm velocity shows that the direction of charge current reverses under increase in photon energy. 15 pages and 14 figures

Aerosolised drugs are prescribed for use in a range of inhaler devices and systems. Delivering drugs by inhalation requires a formulation that can be successfully aerosolised and a delivery system that produces a useful aerosol of the drug; the particles or droplets need to be of sufficient size and mass to be carried to the distal lung or deposited on proximal airways to give rise to a therapeutic effect. Patients and caregivers must use and maintain these aerosol drug delivery devices correctly. In recent years, several technical innovations have led to aerosol drug delivery devices with efficient drug delivery and with novel features that take into account factors such as dose tracking, portability, materials of manufacture, breath actuation, the interface with the patient, combination therapies, and systemic delivery. These changes have improved performance in all four categories of devices: metered dose inhalers, spacers and holding chambers, dry powder inhalers, and nebulisers. Additionally, several therapies usually given by injection are now prescribed as aerosols for use in a range of drug delivery devices. In this Review, we discuss recent developments in the design and clinical use of aerosol devices over the past 10-15 years with an emphasis on the treatment of respiratory disorders.

This Paper Contains Supplemental Material to Hnatkovska, Marmer, and Tang (2009) 'Comparison of Misspecified Calibrated Models: The Minimum Distance Approach'.

Evaluation culture runs the risk of over rationalisation. In order to evaluate programs, educational systems as well as the reforms themselves, experts require these to show objectives that are explicit, clear and stable and to hold fast to these objectives. On the other hand, the sociological approach favored by the organisations and the school systems suggests that the goals should remain vague enough to be acceptable in a pluralistic society, that the decisions leading to reforms should integrate the contradictions of the systems and of it's limited rational and finally that the final evaluation of reforms usually occurs when these are almost forgotten. The only avenue relative to programs, pioneered by Scriven, is to do a formative observation of these school reforms, by first focusing most of the attention to teaching practices and to learning conditions rather than to measurable contents acquired by the learners. La culture de l’évaluation court le risque d’un excès de rationalisme. Pour évaluer les programmes, les systèmes éducatifs, les réformes, les experts les somment d’afficher des objectifs explicites, univoques et stables et de s’y tenir. Or, l’approche sociologique des organisations et des systèmes d’enseignement suggère que leurs finalités doivent rester assez vagues pour être acceptables dans une société pluraliste, que les décisions qui conduisent aux réformes participent des contradictions du système et de sa rationalité limitées, et enfin que l’évaluation finale des réformes survient, en général, lorsqu’elles sont presque oubliées. La seule voie, ouverte par Scriven à propos des programmes, est de pratiquer une observation formative des réformes scolaires, en accordant dans l’immédiat davantage d’attention aux pratiques d’enseignement et aux conditions d’apprentissage qu’aux acquis mesurables des élèves.

Abstract Discrete time-translational symmetry in a periodically driven many-body system can be spontaneously broken to form a discrete time crystal, an exotic new phase of matter. We present observations characteristic of discrete time crystalline order in a driven system of paramagnetic P-donor impurities in isotopically enriched 28Si cooled below 10 K. The observations exhibit a stable subharmonic peak at half the drive frequency which remains pinned even in the presence of pulse error, a signature of discrete time crystalline order. This signal has a finite lifetime of ∼100 Floquet periods, but this effect is long-lived relative to coherent spin–spin interaction timescales, lasting ∼104 times longer. We present simulations of the system based on the paradigmatic central spin model and show good agreement with experiment. We investigate the role of dissipation and interactions within this model, and show that both are capable of giving rise to discrete time crystal-like behaviour.

We present preliminary results on a study of the 2--850 micron SEDs of a sample of 30 FIRBACK galaxies selected at 170 micron. These sources are representative of the brightest ~10% of the Cosmic Infrared Background. They are a mixture of mostly local (z<~0.3) starforming galaxies, and a tail of ULIGs that extend up to z~1, and are likely to be a similar population to faint SCUBA sources. We use archival Spitzer IRAC and MIPS data to extend the spectral coverage to the mid-IR regime, resulting in an unprecended (for this redshift range) census of their infrared SEDs. This allows us to study in far greater detail this important population linking the near-IR stellar emission with PAH and thermal dust emission. We do this using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, which easily allows for the inclusion of ~6 free parameters, as well as an estimate of parameter uncertainties and correlations. Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Proceeding for the conference "Starbursts: From 30 Doradus to Lyman Break Galaxies", held in Cambridge (UK) in September, 2004

Aims Treatment of patients with heart failure (HF) relies on measurement of LVEF. However, the extent to which EF is recorded varies markedly. We sought to characterize the patient group that is missing a measure of EF, and to explore the association between missing EF and outcome. Methods and results Individual data on 30 445 patients from 28 observational studies in the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) project were used to compare the prevalence of co-morbidities and outcome across three groups of HF patients: those with missing EF (HF-mEF), reduced EF (HF-REF), and preserved EF (HF-PEF). A total of 29% had HF-mEF, 52% HF-REF, and 19% HF-PEF. Compared with patients in whom EF was known, patients with HF-mEF were older, had a greater prevalence of COPD and previous stroke, and were smokers. Patients with HF-mEF were less likely to receive evidence-based treatment than those with HF-REF. Adjusted mortality in HF-mEF was similar to that in HF-REF and greater than that in HF-PEF at 3 years [HF-REF, hazard ratio (HR) 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95–1.12); HF-PEF, HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71–0.86]. Conclusion Missing EF is common. The short- and long-term outcome of patients with HF-mEF is poor and they exhibit different co-morbidity profiles and treatment patterns compared with patients with known EF. HF patients with missing EF represent a high risk group.

The dorsal skins of 6-8 week old female SENCAR mice were initiated with a single application of 10 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and subsequently promoted twice/week with topical applications of vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol, 80 mumol/treatment). Vitamin E from two separate commercial suppliers was tested. For comparison, a group of similar mice, also initiated with DMBA, was promoted twice/week with the known tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13- acetate (TPA, 2 micrograms/treatment). Papillomas appeared 39 and 50 days respectively after promotion began with vitamin E from the two different sources, as compared with 32 days in the group receiving TPA promoted. Hundred per cent of TPA-promoted animals and 92-96% of the vitamin E-promoted mice developed tumors. A maximum of 15 papillomas/animal appeared in the TPA-promoted mice. The two vitamin E preparations were somewhat less effective than TPA and showed different relative potencies, producing about seven and 12 papillomas per animal respectively. Unlike TPA, vitamin E showed very little ability to produce an inflammatory response in skin. To test whether initiated cells that did not appear as papillomas after vitamin E promotion were still viable, and had proceeded past stage I of promotion (conversion), the group that developed 12 papillomas/animal from vitamin E promotion was further promoted with mezerein, a stage II promoter. In this group, the papilloma frequency then increased to approximately 17/animal. The animals were followed over the course of their lifespan and monitored for skin carcinomas. In the TPA-promoted group 64% of the mice developed carcinomas, while the two vitamin E-promoted groups showed 48 and 60% incidence respectively. These results indicate that topically applied vitamin E acts as a complete tumor promoter in DMBA-initiated mouse skin, with an efficiency approaching that of TPA. Since vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, they also suggest that reduction of cellular oxidant levels may trigger the tumor promotional process, and it may therefore be prudent to avoid repetitive or prolonged topical exposure of human skin to antioxidants like vitamin E.