A neural network version of the measure correlate predict algorithm for estimating wind energy yield.

A neural network version of the measure correlate predict algorithm for estimating wind energy yiel

RECRUITMENT OF WINTER TICKS (DERMACENTOR ALBIPICTUS) IN CONTRASTING FOREST HABITATS, ONTARIO, CANADA

Recruitment of winter tick larvae (Dermacentor albipictus) was studied in a forest opening and a closed canopy deciduous forest to evaluate their potential as sources of tick infestation to moose (Alces alces). Engorged female ticks were set out in early May at each site and monitored to measure the proportions of females producing larvae and the number of larvae recruited per g of surviving female. Recruitment was higher in the forest during the hotter, drier summer of 1983, primarily due to fewer engorged females producing larvae in the opening, and was much higher (>2 x) in the opening during the cooler, damper summer of 1984. Recruitment in the field was 20–40% of that under laboratory conditions. Desiccation of eggs and/or larvae was the probable cause for the annual variation in recruitment in the opening. Most larvae were recruited earlier in the opening than in the forest site. Neither weight nor date of detachment of engorged female ticks influenced when larvae first ascended vegetation. Weather, especially temperature, and site structure and composition affect abundance of the free-living stages of the winter tick and larvae available for transmission to moose. Open sites should support more winter tick larvae than densely forested sites except in years of particularly hot and dry weather

Carrier capture dynamics of single InGaAs/GaAs quantum-dot layers

Using 800nm, 25-fs pulses from a mode locked Ti:Al2O3 laser, we have measured the ultrafast optical reflectivity of MBE-grown, single-layer In0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) samples. The QDs are formed via two-stage Stranski-Krastanov growth: following initial InGaAs deposition at a relatively low temperature, self assembly of the QDs occurs during a subsequent higher temperature anneal. The capture times for free carriers excited in the surrounding GaAs (barrier layer) are as short as 140fs, indicating capture efficiencies for the InGaAs quantum layer approaching 1. The capture rates are positively correlated with initial InGaAs thickness and annealing temperature. With increasing excited carrier density, the capture rate decreases; this slowing of the dynamics is attributed to Pauli state blocking within the InGaAs quantum layer

Do ‘passive’ medical titanium surfaces deteriorate in service in the absence of wear?

Globally, more than 1000 tonnes of titanium (Ti) is implanted into patients in the form of biomedical devices on an annual basis. Ti is perceived to be ‘biocompatible’ owing to the presence of a robust passive oxide film (approx. 4 nm thick) at the metal surface. However, surface deterioration can lead to the release of Ti ions, and particles can arise as the result of wear and/or corrosion processes. This surface deterioration can result in peri-implant inflammation, leading to the premature loss of the implanted device or the requirement for surgical revision. Soft tissues surrounding commercially pure cranial anchorage devices (bone-anchored hearing aid) were investigated using synchrotron X-ray micro-fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near edge structure. Here, we present the first experimental evidence that minimal load-bearing Ti implants, which are not subjected to macroscopic wear processes, can release Ti debris into the surrounding soft tissue. As such debris has been shown to be pro-inflammatory, we propose that such distributions of Ti are likely to effect to the service life of the device

The NCAS mobile dual-polarisation Doppler X-band weather radar (NXPol)

In recent years, dual-polarisation Doppler X-band radars have become a widely used part of the atmospheric scientist's toolkit for examining cloud dynamics and microphysics and making quantitative precipitation estimates. This is especially true for research questions that require mobile radars. Here we describe the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) mobile X-band dual-polarisation Doppler weather radar (NXPol) and the infrastructure used to deploy the radar and provide an overview of the technical specifications. It is the first radar of its kind in the UK. The NXPol is a Meteor 50DX manufactured by Selex- Gematronik (Selex ES GmbH), modified to operate with a larger 2.4m diameter antenna that produces a 0.98 halfpower beam width and without a radome. We provide an overview of the technical specifications of the NXPol with emphasis given to the description of the aspects of the infrastructure developed to deploy the radar as an autonomous observing facility in remote locations. To demonstrate the radar's capabilities, we also present examples of its use in three recent field campaigns and its ongoing observations at the NERC Facility for Atmospheric Radio Research (NFARR)

Exploration of key stakeholders' preferences for pre-hospital physiologic monitoring by emergency rescue services

Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Minimum Wage Channels of Adjustment

Industrial Relations, forthcoming Abstract: The effects of minimum wage increases in 2007-2009 are analyzed using a sample of restaurants from Georgia/Alabama. Store-level payroll records provide precise measures of compliance costs. Examined are multiple adjustment channels. Exploiting variation in compliance costs across restaurants, we find employment and hours responses to be variable and in most cases statistically insignificant. Channels of adjustment to wage increases and to changes in non-labor costs include prices, profits, wage compression, turnover, and performance standards

Identification of plasma lipid biomarkers for prostate cancer by lipidomics and bioinformatics

Background: Lipids have critical functions in cellular energy storage, structure and signaling. Many individual lipid molecules have been associated with the evolution of prostate cancer; however, none of them has been approved to be used as a biomarker. The aim of this study is to identify lipid molecules from hundreds plasma apparent lipid species as biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using lipidomics, lipid profiling of 390 individual apparent lipid species was performed on 141 plasma samples from 105 patients with prostate cancer and 36 male controls. High throughput data generated from lipidomics were analyzed using bioinformatic and statistical methods. From 390 apparent lipid species, 35 species were demonstrated to have potential in differentiation of prostate cancer. Within the 35 species, 12 were identified as individual plasma lipid biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer with a sensitivity above 80%, specificity above 50% and accuracy above 80%. Using top 15 of 35 potential biomarkers together increased predictive power dramatically in diagnosis of prostate cancer with a sensitivity of 93.6%, specificity of 90.1% and accuracy of 97.3%. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) demonstrated that patient and control populations were visually separated by identified lipid biomarkers. RandomForest and 10-fold cross validation analyses demonstrated that the identified lipid biomarkers were able to predict unknown populations accurately, and this was not influenced by patient's age and race. Three out of 13 lipid classes, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), ether-linked phosphatidylethanolamine (ePE) and ether-linked phosphatidylcholine (ePC) could be considered as biomarkers in diagnosis of prostate cancer. Conclusions/Significance: Using lipidomics and bioinformatic and statistical methods, we have identified a few out of hundreds plasma apparent lipid molecular species as biomarkers for diagnosis of prostate cancer with a high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy