Correlations between Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays and Infrared-Luminous Galaxies

We confirm the UHECR horizon established by the Pierre Auger Observatory using the heterogeneous Veron-Cetty Veron (VCV) catalog of AGNs, by performing a redshift-angle-IR luminosity scan using PSCz galaxies having infrared luminosity greater than 10^{10}L_sun. The strongest correlation -- for z < 0.016, psi = 2.1 deg, and L_ir > 10^{10.5}L_sun -- arises in fewer than 0.3% of scans with isotropic source directions. When we apply a penalty for using the UHECR energy threshold that was tuned to maximize the correlation with VCV, the significance degrades to 1.1%. Since the PSCz catalog is complete and volume-limited for these parameters, this suggests that the UHECR horizon discovered by the Pierre Auger Observatory is not an artifact of the incompleteness and other idiosyncrasies of the VCV catalog. The strength of the correlation between UHECRs and the nearby highest-IR-luminosity PSCz galaxies is stronger than in about 90% percent of trials with scrambled luminosity assignments for the PSCz galaxies. If confirmed by future data, this result would indicate that the sources of UHECRs are more strongly associated with luminous IR galaxies than with ordinary, lower IR luminosity galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Replaced with accepted versio

Effects of parameters of Helmholtz resonator on transmission loss of hybrid muffler

Expansion chamber and Helmholtz resonators are widely used in noise control. In this paper, they are combined to use as a hybrid muffler. The analysis is done to investigate the influence of the parameters of Helmholtz resonator on transmission loss. The transfer matrix method is used in the analysis. The result of transmission loss from the transfer matrix method is validated with the result from experimental two-load method using four microphones impedance tube. After had the transmission loss of the hybrid muffler been validated, the study was proceeded to investigate the effects of parameters of Helmholtz resonator on the transmission loss. The root mean square value of transmission loss were also calculated to compare the transmission losses clearly. In this paper, we investigated the effect of length of the neck of Helmholtz resonator, the effect of diameter of the neck of Helmholtz resonator, the effect of the length of the Helmholtz resonator cavity and the effect of the diameter of the Helmholtz resonator cavity for stationary medium. It is found that the transmission loss is increased when the diameter of the neck of Helmholtz resonator is increased. When the length of the neck is reduced, the transmission loss is increased. The transmission loss can also be increased by reducing the diameter of resonator cavity. It is better to increase the transmission loss at low frequencies by increasing the length of the resonator cavity

Bacteria isolated from Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis) anal sac secretions produce volatile compounds potentially associated with animal signaling.

In social animals, scent secretions and marking behaviors play critical roles in communication, including intraspecific signals, such as identifying individuals and group membership, as well as interspecific signaling. Anal sacs are an important odor producing organ found across the carnivorans (species in the mammalian Order Carnivora). Secretions from the anal sac may be used as chemical signals by animals for behaviors ranging from defense to species recognition to signaling reproductive status. In addition, a recent study suggests that domestic cats utilize short-chain free fatty acids in anal sac secretions for individual recognition. The fermentation hypothesis is the idea that symbiotic microorganisms living in association with animals contribute to odor profiles used in chemical communication and that variation in these chemical signals reflects variation in the microbial community. Here we examine the fermentation hypothesis by characterizing volatile organic compounds (VOC) and bacteria isolated from anal sac secretions collected from a male Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis), a cross between the domestic cat and the leopard cat. Both left and right anal sacs of a male Bengal cat were manually expressed (emptied) and collected. Half of the material was used to culture bacteria or to extract bacterial DNA and the other half was used for VOC analysis. DNA was extracted from the anal sac secretions and used for a 16S rRNA gene PCR amplification and sequencing based characterization of the microbial community. Additionally, some of the material was plated out in order to isolate bacterial colonies. Three taxa (Bacteroides fragilis, Tessaracoccus, and Finegoldia magna) were relatively abundant in the 16S rRNA gene sequence data and also isolated by culturing. Using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we tentatively identified 52 compounds from the Bengal cat anal sac secretions and 67 compounds from cultures of the three bacterial isolates chosen for further analysis. Among 67 compounds tentatively identified from bacterial isolates, 51 were also found in the anal sac secretion. We show that the bacterial community in the anal sac consists primarily of only a few abundant taxa and that isolates of these taxa produce numerous volatiles that are found in the combined anal sac volatile profile. Several of these volatiles are found in anal sac secretions from other carnivorans, and are also associated with known bacterial biosynthesis pathways. This is consistent with the fermentation hypothesis and the possibility that the anal sac is maintained at least in part to house bacteria that produce volatiles for the host

Quality of Life and mortality in the general population:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is multi-dimensional concept of an individual’ general well-being status in relation to their value, environment, cultural and social context in which they live. This study aimed to quantitatively synthesise available evidence on the association between QoL and mortality in the general population. Methods: An electronic search was conducted using three bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were studies that assessed QoL using standardized tools and examined mortality risk in a non-patient population. Qualitative data synthesis and meta-analyses using a random-effects model were performed. Results: Of 4184 articles identified, 47 were eligible for inclusion, involving approximately 1,200,000 participants. Studies were highly heterogeneous in terms of QoL measures, population characteristics and data analysis. In total, 43 studies (91.5%) reported that better QoL was associated with lower mortality risk. The results of four metaanalyses indicated that higher health-r

CANCER RECOGNITION FROM DNA MICROARRAY GENE EXPRESSION DATA USING AVERAGED ONE- DEPENDENCE ESTIMATORS

ABSTRAC

The Megamaser Cosmology Project. III. Accurate Masses of Seven Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galaxies with Circumnuclear Megamaser Disks

Observations of H$_2$O masers from circumnuclear disks in active galaxies for the Megamaser Cosmology Project allow accurate measurement of the mass of supermassive black holes (BH) in these galaxies. We present the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) images and kinematics of water maser emission in six active galaxies: NGC~1194, NGC~2273, NGC~2960 (Mrk~1419), NGC~4388, NGC~6264 and NGC~6323. We use the Keplerian rotation curves of these six megamaser galaxies, plus a seventh previously published, to determine accurate enclosed masses within the central $\sim0.3$ pc of these galaxies, smaller than the radius of the sphere of influence of the central mass in all cases. We also set lower limits to the central mass densities of between 0.12 and 60 $\times 10^{10} M_{\odot}$~pc$^{-3}$. For six of the seven disks, the high central densities rule out clusters of stars or stellar remnants as the central objects, and this result further supports our assumption that the enclosed mass can be attributed predominantly to a supermassive black hole. The seven BHs have masses ranging between 0.76 and 6.5$\times$10$^7 M_{\odot}$. The BH mass errors are $\approx11$\%, dominated by the uncertainty of the Hubble constant. We compare the megamaser BH mass determination with other BH mass measurement techniques. The BH mass based on virial estimation in four galaxies is consistent with the megamaser BH mass given the latest empirical value of $\langle f \rangle$, but the virial mass uncertainty is much greater. MCP observations continue and we expect to obtain more maser BH masses in the future.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. This paper has been submitted to ApJ. An updated version of this paper will be posted when it gets accepte

Characteristics of Livestock Husbandry and Management Practice in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar

The central dry zone of Myanmar is the area with the highest density of small-scale livestock farmers under harsh environmental condition. In this study, we describe and quantify ownership patterns for various livestock species and characterised management and husbandry practices of small-scale farmers. In addition, we identify the husbandry factors associated with selected outcome indicators, ‘herd or flock size’ and ‘purpose of rearing’. A total of 613 livestock farmers in 40 villages were interviewed. Multispecies rearing was common with 51.7% of farmers rearing more than one livestock species. Rearing animals to be sold as adults for slaughter (meat production) was more common for small ruminants (98.1%) and chickens (99.8%) compared to cattle (69.8%). Larger cattle herds were more likely to practice grazing (p < 0.001) and to employ labour from outside the household to manage cattle than medium or small herds (p = 0.03). Patterns of grazing differed significantly between seasons (p < 0.01) for cattle, but not for small ruminants and village chicken. Overall, multispecies rearing and species-specific husbandry practices are used to raise livestock under harsh environmental conditions. Our results reveal that herd/flock size and purpose of rearing across different livestock species were significantly associated with feeding and housing practices and experience of farmers