1,560 research outputs found
Uncertainties in projecting climate-change impacts in marine ecosystems
Projections of the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems are a key prerequisite for the planning of adaptation strategies, yet theyare inevitablyassociated withuncertainty.Identifying,quantifying,andcommunicatingthisuncertaintyis keytobothevaluatingtherisk associated with a projection and building confidence in its robustness. Wereview howuncertainties in such projections are handled in marine science. We employan approach developedin climatemodelling by breaking uncertainty down into(i) structural (model) uncertainty,(ii) initialization and internalvariabilityuncertainty,(iii)parametricuncertainty,and(iv)scenariouncertainty.Foreachuncertaintytype,wethenexaminethecurrent state-of-the-art in assessing and quantifying its relative importance. We consider whether the marine scientific community has addressed these types of uncertainty sufficiently and highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with doing a better job. We find that even within a relatively small field such as marine science, there are substantial differences between subdisciplines in the degree of attention given to each type of uncertainty. We find that initialization uncertainty is rarely treated explicitly and reducing this type of uncertainty may deliver gainsontheseasonal-to-decadaltime-scale.Weconcludethatallpartsofmarinesciencecouldbenefitfromagreaterexchangeofideas,particularly concerningsuchauniversalproblemsuchasthetreatmentofuncertainty.Finally,marinescienceshouldstrivetoreachthepointwherescenario uncertainty is the dominant uncertainty in our projections
Using a whole-body 31P birdcage transmit coil and 16-element receive array for human cardiac metabolic imaging at 7T.
PURPOSE: Cardiac phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) provides unique insight into the mechanisms of heart failure. Yet, clinical applications have been hindered by the restricted sensitivity of the surface radiofrequency-coils normally used. These permit the analysis of spectra only from the interventricular septum, or large volumes of myocardium, which may not be meaningful in focal disease. Löring et al. recently presented a prototype whole-body (52 cm diameter) transmit/receive birdcage coil for 31P at 7T. We now present a new, easily-removable, whole-body 31P transmit radiofrequency-coil built into a patient-bed extension combined with a 16-element receive array for cardiac 31P-MRS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A fully-removable (55 cm diameter) birdcage transmit coil was combined with a 16-element receive array on a Magnetom 7T scanner (Siemens, Germany). Electro-magnetic field simulations and phantom tests of the setup were performed. In vivo maps of B1+, metabolite signals, and saturation-band efficiency were acquired across the torsos of eight volunteers. RESULTS: The combined (volume-transmit, local receive array) setup increased signal-to-noise ratio 2.6-fold 10 cm below the array (depth of the interventricular septum) compared to using the birdcage coil in transceiver mode. The simulated coefficient of variation for B1+ of the whole-body coil across the heart was 46.7% (surface coil 129.0%); and the in vivo measured value was 38.4%. Metabolite images of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate clearly resolved the ventricular blood pools, and muscle tissue was visible in phosphocreatine (PCr) maps. Amplitude-modulated saturation bands achieved 71±4% suppression of phosphocreatine PCr in chest-wall muscles. Subjects reported they were comfortable. CONCLUSION: This easy-to-assemble, volume-transmit, local receive array coil combination significantly improves the homogeneity and field-of-view for metabolic imaging of the human heart at 7T
First Neutrino Observations from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
The first neutrino observations from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are
presented from preliminary analyses. Based on energy, direction and location,
the data in the region of interest appear to be dominated by 8B solar
neutrinos, detected by the charged current reaction on deuterium and elastic
scattering from electrons, with very little background. Measurements of
radioactive backgrounds indicate that the measurement of all active neutrino
types via the neutral current reaction on deuterium will be possible with small
systematic uncertainties. Quantitative results for the fluxes observed with
these reactions will be provided when further calibrations have been completed.Comment: Latex, 7 pages, 10 figures, Invited paper at Neutrino 2000
Conference, Sudbury, Canada, June 16-21, 2000 to be published in the
Proceeding
Emergent Phenomena Induced by Spin-Orbit Coupling at Surfaces and Interfaces
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) describes the relativistic interaction between the
spin and momentum degrees of freedom of electrons, and is central to the rich
phenomena observed in condensed matter systems. In recent years, new phases of
matter have emerged from the interplay between SOC and low dimensionality, such
as chiral spin textures and spin-polarized surface and interface states. These
low-dimensional SOC-based realizations are typically robust and can be
exploited at room temperature. Here we discuss SOC as a means of producing such
fundamentally new physical phenomena in thin films and heterostructures. We put
into context the technological promise of these material classes for developing
spin-based device applications at room temperature
Constraints on Nucleon Decay via "Invisible" Modes from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
Data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been used to constrain the
lifetime for nucleon decay to ``invisible'' modes, such as n -> 3 nu. The
analysis was based on a search for gamma-rays from the de-excitation of the
residual nucleus that would result from the disappearance of either a proton or
neutron from O16. A limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years is obtained at 90%
confidence for either neutron or proton decay modes. This is about an order of
magnitude more stringent than previous constraints on invisible proton decay
modes and 400 times more stringent than similar neutron modes.Comment: Update includes missing efficiency factor (limits change by factor of
2) Submitted to Physical Review Letter
Feasibility and safety of high-dose adenosine perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Adenosine is the most widely used vasodilator stress agent for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) perfusion studies. With the standard dose of 140 mcg/kg/min some patients fail to demonstrate characteristic haemodynamic changes: a significant increase in heart rate (HR) and mild decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Whether an increase in the rate of adenosine infusion would improve peripheral and, likely, coronary vasodilatation in those patients is unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the tolerance and safety of a high-dose adenosine protocol in patients with inadequate haemodynamic response to the standard adenosine protocol when undergoing CMR perfusion imaging.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>98 consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent CMR perfusion imaging at 1.5 Tesla. Subjects were screened for contraindications to adenosine, and an electrocardiogram was performed prior to the scan. All patients initially received the standard adenosine protocol (140 mcg/kg/min for at least 3 minutes). If the haemodynamic response was inadequate (HR increase < 10 bpm or SBP decrease < 10 mmHg) then the infusion rate was increased up to a maximum of 210 mcg/kg/min (maximal infusion duration 7 minutes).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All patients successfully completed the CMR scan. Of a total of 98 patients, 18 (18%) did not demonstrate evidence of a significant increase in HR or decrease in SBP under the standard adenosine infusion rate. Following the increase in the rate of infusion, 16 out of those 18 patients showed an adequate haemodynamic response. One patient of the standard infusion group and two patients of the high-dose group developed transient advanced AV block. Significantly more patients complained of chest pain in the high-dose group (61% vs. 29%, p = 0.009). On multivariate analysis, age > 65 years and ejection fraction < 57% were the only independent predictors of blunted haemodynamic responsiveness to adenosine.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A substantial number of patients do not show adequate peripheral haemodynamic response to standard-dose adenosine stress during perfusion CMR imaging. Age and reduced ejection fraction are predictors of inadequate response to standard dose adenosine. A high-dose adenosine protocol (up to 210 mcg/kg/min) is well tolerated and results in adequate haemodynamic response in nearly all patients.</p
Studying the Underlying Event in Drell-Yan and High Transverse Momentum Jet Production at the Tevatron
We study the underlying event in proton-antiproton collisions by examining
the behavior of charged particles (transverse momentum pT > 0.5 GeV/c,
pseudorapidity |\eta| < 1) produced in association with large transverse
momentum jets (~2.2 fb-1) or with Drell-Yan lepton-pairs (~2.7 fb-1) in the
Z-boson mass region (70 < M(pair) < 110 GeV/c2) as measured by CDF at 1.96 TeV
center-of-mass energy. We use the direction of the lepton-pair (in Drell-Yan
production) or the leading jet (in high-pT jet production) in each event to
define three regions of \eta-\phi space; toward, away, and transverse, where
\phi is the azimuthal scattering angle. For Drell-Yan production (excluding the
leptons) both the toward and transverse regions are very sensitive to the
underlying event. In high-pT jet production the transverse region is very
sensitive to the underlying event and is separated into a MAX and MIN
transverse region, which helps separate the hard component (initial and
final-state radiation) from the beam-beam remnant and multiple parton
interaction components of the scattering. The data are corrected to the
particle level to remove detector effects and are then compared with several
QCD Monte-Carlo models. The goal of this analysis is to provide data that can
be used to test and improve the QCD Monte-Carlo models of the underlying event
that are used to simulate hadron-hadron collisions.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.
Search for Kaluza-Klein Graviton Emission in Collisions at TeV using the Missing Energy Signature
We report on a search for direct Kaluza-Klein graviton production in a data
sample of 84 of \ppb collisions at = 1.8 TeV, recorded
by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We investigate the final state of large
missing transverse energy and one or two high energy jets. We compare the data
with the predictions from a -dimensional Kaluza-Klein scenario in which
gravity becomes strong at the TeV scale. At 95% confidence level (C.L.) for
=2, 4, and 6 we exclude an effective Planck scale below 1.0, 0.77, and 0.71
TeV, respectively.Comment: Submitted to PRL, 7 pages 4 figures/Revision includes 5 figure
Measurement of the Production Cross Section and Search for Anomalous and Couplings in Collisions at TeV
This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the boson
pair production cross section and most sensitive test of anomalous
and couplings in collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96
TeV. The candidates are reconstructed from decays containing two charged
leptons and two neutrinos, where the charged leptons are either electrons or
muons. Using data collected by the CDF II detector from 3.6 fb of
integrated luminosity, a total of 654 candidate events are observed with an
expected background contribution of events. The measured total
cross section is pb, which is in good agreement
with the standard model prediction. The same data sample is used to place
constraints on anomalous and couplings.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Measurement of the average time-integrated mixing probability of b-flavored hadrons produced at the Tevatron
We have measured the number of like-sign (LS) and opposite-sign (OS) lepton
pairs arising from double semileptonic decays of and -hadrons,
pair-produced at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data samples were
collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) during the 1992-1995
collider run by triggering on the existence of and candidates
in an event. The observed ratio of LS to OS dileptons leads to a measurement of
the average time-integrated mixing probability of all produced -flavored
hadrons which decay weakly, (stat.)
(syst.), that is significantly larger than the world average .Comment: 47 pages, 10 figures, 15 tables Submitted to Phys. Rev.
- …