646 research outputs found
Wetland-based passive treatment systems for gold ore processing effluents containing residual cyanide, metals and nitrogen species
Gold extraction operations generate a variety of wastes requiring responsible disposal in compliance with current environmental regulations. During recent decades, increased emphasis has been placed on effluent control and treatment, in order to avoid the threat to the environment posed by toxic constituents. In many modern gold mining and ore processing operations, cyanide species are of most immediate concern. Given that natural degradation processes are known to reduce the toxicity of cyanide over time, trials have been made at laboratory and field scales into the feasibility of using wetland-based passive systems as low-cost and environmentally friendly methods for long-term treatment of leachates from closed gold mine tailing disposal facilities. Laboratory experiments on discrete aerobic and anaerobic treatment units supported the development of design parameters for the construction of a field-scale passive system at a gold mine site in northern Spain. An in situ pilot-scale wetland treatment system was designed, constructed and monitored over a nine-month period. Overall, the results suggest that compost-based constructed wetlands are capable of detoxifying cyanidation effluents, removing about 21.6% of dissolved cyanide and 98% of Cu, as well as nitrite and nitrate. Wetland-based passive systems can therefore be considered as a viable technology for removal of residual concentrations of cyanide from leachates emanating from closed gold mine tailing disposal facilities
A family of higher-order single layer plate models meeting -- requirements for arbitrary laminates
In the framework of displacement-based equivalent single layer (ESL) plate
theories for laminates, this paper presents a generic and automatic method to
extend a basis higher-order shear deformation theory (polynomial,
trigonometric, hyperbolic, ...) to a multilayer higher-order shear
deformation theory. The key idea is to enhance the description of the
cross-sectional warping: the odd high-order function of the basis model
is replaced by one odd and one even high-order function and including the
characteristic zig-zag behaviour by means of piecewise linear functions. In
order to account for arbitrary lamination schemes, four such piecewise
continuous functions are considered. The coefficients of these four warping
functions are determined in such a manner that the interlaminar continuity as
well as the homogeneity conditions at the plate's top and bottom surfaces are
{\em a priori} exactly verified by the transverse shear stress field. These
ESL models all have the same number of DOF as the original basis HSDT.
Numerical assessments are presented by referring to a strong-form Navier-type
solution for laminates with arbitrary stacking sequences as well for a sandwich
plate. In all practically relevant configurations for which laminated plate
models are usually applied, the results obtained in terms of deflection,
fundamental frequency and local stress response show that the proposed zig-zag
models give better results than the basis models they are issued from
Bayesian Methods for Analysis and Adaptive Scheduling of Exoplanet Observations
We describe work in progress by a collaboration of astronomers and
statisticians developing a suite of Bayesian data analysis tools for extrasolar
planet (exoplanet) detection, planetary orbit estimation, and adaptive
scheduling of observations. Our work addresses analysis of stellar reflex
motion data, where a planet is detected by observing the "wobble" of its host
star as it responds to the gravitational tug of the orbiting planet. Newtonian
mechanics specifies an analytical model for the resulting time series, but it
is strongly nonlinear, yielding complex, multimodal likelihood functions; it is
even more complex when multiple planets are present. The parameter spaces range
in size from few-dimensional to dozens of dimensions, depending on the number
of planets in the system, and the type of motion measured (line-of-sight
velocity, or position on the sky). Since orbits are periodic, Bayesian
generalizations of periodogram methods facilitate the analysis. This relies on
the model being linearly separable, enabling partial analytical
marginalization, reducing the dimension of the parameter space. Subsequent
analysis uses adaptive Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and adaptive importance
sampling to perform the integrals required for both inference (planet detection
and orbit measurement), and information-maximizing sequential design (for
adaptive scheduling of observations). We present an overview of our current
techniques and highlight directions being explored by ongoing research.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures. An abridged version is accepted for publication
in Statistical Methodology for a special issue on astrostatistics, with
selected (refereed) papers presented at the Astronomical Data Analysis
Conference (ADA VI) held in Monastir, Tunisia, in May 2010. Update corrects
equation (3
Bayesian astrostatistics: a backward look to the future
This perspective chapter briefly surveys: (1) past growth in the use of
Bayesian methods in astrophysics; (2) current misconceptions about both
frequentist and Bayesian statistical inference that hinder wider adoption of
Bayesian methods by astronomers; and (3) multilevel (hierarchical) Bayesian
modeling as a major future direction for research in Bayesian astrostatistics,
exemplified in part by presentations at the first ISI invited session on
astrostatistics, commemorated in this volume. It closes with an intentionally
provocative recommendation for astronomical survey data reporting, motivated by
the multilevel Bayesian perspective on modeling cosmic populations: that
astronomers cease producing catalogs of estimated fluxes and other source
properties from surveys. Instead, summaries of likelihood functions (or
marginal likelihood functions) for source properties should be reported (not
posterior probability density functions), including nontrivial summaries (not
simply upper limits) for candidate objects that do not pass traditional
detection thresholds.Comment: 27 pp, 4 figures. A lightly revised version of a chapter in
"Astrostatistical Challenges for the New Astronomy" (Joseph M. Hilbe, ed.,
Springer, New York, forthcoming in 2012), the inaugural volume for the
Springer Series in Astrostatistics. Version 2 has minor clarifications and an
additional referenc
Observation of Entanglement-Dependent Two-Particle Holonomic Phase
Holonomic phases---geometric and topological---have long been an intriguing
aspect of physics. They are ubiquitous, ranging from observations in particle
physics to applications in fault tolerant quantum computing. However, their
exploration in particles sharing genuine quantum correlations lack in
observations. Here we experimentally demonstrate the holonomic phase of two
entangled-photons evolving locally, which nevertheless gives rise to an
entanglement-dependent phase. We observe its transition from geometric to
topological as the entanglement between the particles is tuned from zero to
maximal, and find this phase to behave more resilient to evolution changes with
increasing entanglement. Furthermore, we theoretically show that holonomic
phases can directly quantify the amount of quantum correlations between the two
particles. Our results open up a new avenue for observations of holonomic
phenomena in multi-particle entangled quantum systems.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Pencil-Beam Surveys for Faint Trans-Neptunian Objects
We have conducted pencil-beam searches for outer solar system objects to a
limiting magnitude of R ~ 26. Five new trans-neptunian objects were detected in
these searches. Our combined data set provides an estimate of ~90
trans-neptunian objects per square degree brighter than ~ 25.9. This estimate
is a factor of 3 above the expected number of objects based on an extrapolation
of previous surveys with brighter limits, and appears consistent with the
hypothesis of a single power-law luminosity function for the entire
trans-neptunian region. Maximum likelihood fits to all self-consistent
published surveys with published efficiency functions predicts a cumulative sky
density Sigma(<R) obeying log10(Sigma) = 0.76(R-23.4) objects per square degree
brighter than a given magnitude R.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 18 pages, including 6 figure
A Bayesian Periodogram Finds Evidence for Three Planets in 47 Ursae Majoris
A Bayesian analysis of 47 Ursae Majoris (47 UMa) radial velocity data
confirms and refines the properties of two previously reported planets with
periods of 1079 and 2325 days and finds evidence for an additional long period
planet with a period of approximately 10000 days. The three planet model is
found to be 10^5 times more probable than the next most probable model which is
a two planet model. The nonlinear model fitting is accomplished with a new
hybrid Markov chain Monte Carlo (HMCMC) algorithm which incorporates parallel
tempering, simulated annealing and genetic crossover operations. Each of these
features facilitate the detection of a global minimum in chi-squared. By
combining all three, the HMCMC greatly increases the probability of realizing
this goal. When applied to the Kepler problem it acts as a powerful
multi-planet Kepler periodogram. The measured periods are 1078 \pm 2,
2391{+100}{-87}, and 14002{+4018}{-5095}d, and the corresponding eccentricities
are 0.032 \pm 0.014, 0.098{+.047}{-.096}, and 0.16{+.09}{-.16}. The results
favor low eccentricity orbits for all three. Assuming the three signals (each
one consistent with a Keplerian orbit) are caused by planets, the corresponding
limits on planetary mass (M sin i) and semi-major axis are (2.53{+.07}{-.06}MJ,
2.10\pm0.02au), (0.54\pm0.07MJ, 3.6\pm0.1au), and (1.6{+0.3}{-0.5}MJ,
11.6{+2.1}{-2.9}au), respectively. We have also characterized a noise induced
eccentricity bias and designed a correction filter that can be used as an
alternate prior for eccentricity, to enhance the detection of planetary orbits
of low or moderate eccentricity
Validity of BMI-based Equations for Estimating Body Fat Percentage in Collegiate Male Soccer Players: A Three-Compartment Model Comparison
The ease of calculating body mass index (BMI)-based body fat percentage (BF%) is appealing in collegiate male soccer player who have limited time availability and strict training regimens. However, research has yet to evaluate whether BMI-based BF% equations are valid when compared to a criterion multi-compartment model. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare BMI-based BF% equations with a three-compartment (3C) model in collegiate male soccer players. METHODS: Sixteen NCAA Division II male soccer players (age = 21 ± 2 years; ht = 179.0 ± 8.2 cm; wt = 78.0 ± 8.5 kg) participated in this study. BMI was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2). BF% was predicted with the BMI-based equations of Jackson et al. (BMIJA), Deurenberg et al. (BMIDE) Gallagher et al. (BMIGA), and Womersley and Durnin (BMIWO). The criterion 3C model BF% was determined using air displacement plethysmography (BOD PODŸ) for body volume and bioimpedance spectroscopy for total body water. RESULTS: The BMI-based BF% equations significantly overestimated mean group BF% for all equations when compared to the 3C model (2.78 to 5.18%; all p \u3c 0.05). The standard error of estimate ranged from 4.18 (BMIDE) to 4.29% (BMIWO). Furthermore, the 95% limits of agreement were similar for all comparisons and ranged from ±7.96 (BMIGA) to 8.18% (BMIJA). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that the selected BMI-based BF% equations produce fairly small SEEs and 95% limits of agreement. However, the equations also revealed systematic error and a tendency to overestimate mean group BF% when compared to the 3C model. BMI-based equations can be used as an alternative for the individual estimation of BF% in collegiate male soccer players when a more advanced 3C model is not available, but practitioners should consider adjusting for the systematic error (e.g., decrease BMIDE by 2.78%)
Getting the Measure of the Flatness Problem
The problem of estimating cosmological parameters such as from noisy
or incomplete data is an example of an inverse problem and, as such, generally
requires a probablistic approach. We adopt the Bayesian interpretation of
probability for such problems and stress the connection between probability and
information which this approach makes explicit.
This connection is important even when information is ``minimal'' or, in
other words, when we need to argue from a state of maximum ignorance. We use
the transformation group method of Jaynes to assign minimally--informative
prior probability measure for cosmological parameters in the simple example of
a dust Friedman model, showing that the usual statements of the cosmological
flatness problem are based on an inappropriate choice of prior. We further
demonstrate that, in the framework of a classical cosmological model, there is
no flatness problem.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravity, Tex source
file, no figur
Avoiding selection bias in gravitational wave astronomy
When searching for gravitational waves in the data from ground-based
gravitational wave detectors it is common to use a detection threshold to
reduce the number of background events which are unlikely to be the signals of
interest. However, imposing such a threshold will also discard some real
signals with low amplitude, which can potentially bias any inferences drawn
from the population of detected signals. We show how this selection bias is
naturally avoided by using the full information from the search, considering
both the selected data and our ignorance of the data that are thrown away, and
considering all relevant signal and noise models. This approach produces
unbiased estimates of parameters even in the presence of false alarms and
incomplete data. This can be seen as an extension of previous methods into the
high false rate regime where we are able to show that the quality of parameter
inference can be optimised by lowering thresholds and increasing the false
alarm rate.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
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