2,329 research outputs found
Stellar intensity interferometry: Experimental steps toward long-baseline observations
Experiments are in progress to prepare for intensity interferometry with
arrays of air Cherenkov telescopes. At the Bonneville Seabase site, near Salt
Lake City, a testbed observatory has been set up with two 3-m air Cherenkov
telescopes on a 23-m baseline. Cameras are being constructed, with control
electronics for either off- or online analysis of the data. At the Lund
Observatory (Sweden), in Technion (Israel) and at the University of Utah (USA),
laboratory intensity interferometers simulating stellar observations have been
set up and experiments are in progress, using various analog and digital
correlators, reaching 1.4 ns time resolution, to analyze signals from pairs of
laboratory telescopes.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figur
Sustaining The Saco Estuary: Final Report 2015
This study focuses on the Saco estuary, the tidal portion of the Saco River, which drains the largest watershed in southern Maine. With headwaters in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the watershed encompasses more than 4,400 km2, and provides clean healthy drinking water to over 100,000 people living and working in communities in southern Maine.
When the study began in 2009, very little was known about the ecology of the Saco estuary. Researchers at the University of New England and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve employed the process of collaborative learning to bring together people who care about the estuary in order to identify their concerns. A Stewardship Network composed of people employed by municipal, state and federal governments, water supply organizations and businesses, volunteers from municipal boards making land use decisions, land trusts, property owners and representatives from other organizations that are uniquely focused on the region was formed. The Stewardship Network helped to define the project goals and objectives, and provided input and guidance over the five-year project.
This report explains what the researchers discovered about the ecology of the estuary, along with what they learned about its social and economic components. This baseline assessment contributes to the long-term goal of restoring and sustaining the structure and function of the estuary, and supports the efforts of government, businesses and local organizations that value the estuary and depend upon the natural services it provides
A ballistic motion disrupted by quantum reflections
I study a Lindblad dynamics modeling a quantum test particle in a Dirac comb
that collides with particles from a background gas. The main result is a
homogenization theorem in an adiabatic limiting regime involving large initial
momentum for the test particle. Over the time interval considered, the particle
would exhibit essentially ballistic motion if either the singular periodic
potential or the kicks from the gas were removed. However, the particle behaves
diffusively when both sources of forcing are present. The conversion of the
motion from ballistic to diffusive is generated by occasional quantum
reflections that result when the test particle's momentum is driven through a
collision near to an element of the half-spaced reciprocal lattice of the Dirac
comb.Comment: 54 pages. I rewrote the introduction and simplified some of the
presentatio
(Twisted) Toroidal Compactification of pp-Waves
The maximally supersymmetric type IIB pp-wave is compactified on spatial
circles, with and without an auxiliary rotational twist. All spatial circles of
constant radius are identified. Without the twist, an S compactification
can preserve 24, 20 or 16 supercharges. compactifications can preserve
20, 18 or 16 supercharges; compactifications can preserve 18 or 16
supercharges and higher compactifications preserve 16 supercharges. The
worldsheet theory of this background is discussed. The T-dual and
decompactified type IIA and M-theoretic solutions which preserve 24
supercharges are given. Some comments are made regarding the AdS parent and the
CFT description.Comment: 22 pages REVTeX 4 and AMSLaTeX. v3: References and a paragraph on
nine dimensional Killing spinors were added. v4: A few typos corrected and a
footnote was modifie
Systematic review of communication technologies to promote access and engagement of young people with diabetes into healthcare
Background: Research has investigated whether communication technologies (e.g. mobile telephony, forums,
email) can be used to transfer digital information between healthcare professionals and young people who live
with diabetes. The systematic review evaluates the effectiveness and impact of these technologies on
communication.
Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched. Technologies were described and a narrative synthesis of all
studies was undertaken.
Results: Of 20,925 publications identified, 19 met the inclusion criteria, with 18 technologies assessed. Five
categories of communication technologies were identified: video-and tele-conferencing (n = 2); mobile telephony
(n = 3); telephone support (n = 3); novel electronic communication devices for transferring clinical information (n =
10); and web-based discussion boards (n = 1). Ten studies showed a positive improvement in HbA1c following the
intervention with four studies reporting detrimental increases in HbA1c levels. In fifteen studies communication
technologies increased the frequency of contact between patient and healthcare professional. Findings were
inconsistent of an association between improvements in HbA1c and increased contact. Limited evidence was
available concerning behavioural and care coordination outcomes, although improvement in quality of life, patientcaregiver
interaction, self-care and metabolic transmission were reported for some communication technologies.
Conclusions: The breadth of study design and types of technologies reported make the magnitude of benefit and
their effects on health difficult to determine. While communication technologies may increase the frequency of
contact between patient and health care professional, it remains unclear whether this results in improved
outcomes and is often the basis of the intervention itself. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness
and cost effectiveness of increasing the use of communication technologies between young people and
healthcare professionals
Electrophysiological network alterations in adults with copy number variants associated with high neurodevelopmental risk
Rare copy number variants associated with increased risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders (referred to as ND-CNVs) are characterized by heterogeneous phenotypes thought to share a considerable degree of overlap. Altered neural integration has often been linked to psychopathology and is a candidate marker for potential convergent mechanisms through which ND-CNVs modify risk; however, the rarity of ND-CNVs means that few studies have assessed their neural correlates. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate resting-state oscillatory connectivity in a cohort of 42 adults with ND-CNVs, including deletions or duplications at 22q11.2, 15q11.2, 15q13.3, 16p11.2, 17q12, 1q21.1, 3q29, and 2p16.3, and 42 controls. We observed decreased connectivity between occipital, temporal and parietal areas in participants with ND-CNVs. This pattern was common across genotypes and not exclusively characteristic of 22q11.2 deletions, which were present in a third of our cohort. Furthermore, a data-driven graph theory framework enabled us to successfully distinguish participants with ND-CNVs from unaffected controls using differences in node centrality and network segregation. Together, our results point to alterations in electrophysiological connectivity as a putative common mechanism through which genetic factors confer increased risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders
Psychopathology in adults with copy number variants
Background
Copy number variants (CNVs) have been associated with the risk of schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disability. However, little is known about their spectrum of psychopathology in adulthood.
Methods
We investigated the psychiatric phenotypes of adult CNV carriers and compared probands, who were ascertained through clinical genetics services, with carriers who were not. One hundred twenty-four adult participants (age 18–76), each bearing one of 15 rare CNVs, were recruited through a variety of sources including clinical genetics services, charities for carriers of genetic variants, and online advertising. A battery of psychiatric assessments was used to determine psychopathology.
Results
The frequencies of psychopathology were consistently higher for the CNV group compared to general population rates. We found particularly high rates of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) (48%), mood disorders (42%), anxiety disorders (47%) and personality disorders (73%) as well as high rates of psychiatric multimorbidity (median number of diagnoses: 2 in non-probands, 3 in probands). NDDs [odds ratio (OR) = 4.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32–16.51; p = 0.017) and psychotic disorders (OR = 6.8, 95% CI 1.3–36.3; p = 0.025) occurred significantly more frequently in probands (N = 45; NDD: 39[87%]; psychosis: 8[18%]) than non-probands (N = 79; NDD: 20 [25%]; psychosis: 3[4%]). Participants also had somatic diagnoses pertaining to all organ systems, particularly conotruncal cardiac malformations (in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome specifically), musculoskeletal, immunological, and endocrine diseases.
Conclusions
Adult CNV carriers had a markedly increased rate of anxiety and personality disorders not previously reported and high rates of psychiatric multimorbidity. Our findings support in-depth psychiatric and medical assessments of carriers of CNVs and the establishment of multidisciplinary clinical services
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