1,729 research outputs found
Testing Theoretical Models for the Higher-Order Moments of Dark Halo Distribution
Using high--resolution N--body simulations, we test two theoretical models,
based either on spherical or on ellipsoidal collapse model, for the
higher--order moments of the dark matter halo distribution in CDM models. We
find that a theoretical model based on spherical collapse describes accurately
the simulated counts--in--cells moments for haloes of several mass ranges. It
appears that the model using ellipsoidal collapse instead of spherical collapse
in defining dark haloes is unable to improve the models for the higher--order
moments of halo distribution, for haloes much smaller than (the mass
scale on which the fluctuation of the density field has a rms about 1). Both
models are particularly accurate for the descendants of haloes selected at high
redshift, and so are quite useful in interpreting the high--order moments of
galaxies. As an application we use the theoretical model to predict the
higher--order moments of the Lyman break galaxies observed at and
their descendants at lower redshifts.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, MN2e LaTex class, Accepted for publication in
MNRAS, Major change
Detection of hydrodynamic stimuli by the postcranial body of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) A Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology
Manatees live in shallow, frequently turbid waters. The sensory means by which they navigate in these conditions are unknown. Poor visual acuity, lack of echo- location, and modest chemosensation suggest that other modalities play an important role. Rich innervation of sen- sory hairs that cover the entire body and enlarged soma- tosensory areas of the brain suggest that tactile senses are good candidates. Previous tests of detection of underwater vibratory stimuli indicated that they use passive movement of the hairs to detect particle displacements in the vicinity of a micron or less for frequencies from 10 to 150 Hz. In the current study, hydrodynamic stimuli were created by a sinusoidally oscillating sphere that generated a dipole field at frequencies from 5 to 150 Hz. Go/no-go tests of manatee postcranial mechanoreception of hydrodynamic stimuli indicated excellent sensitivity but about an order of magnitude less than the facial region. When the vibrissae were trimmed, detection thresholds were elevated, suggest- ing that the vibrissae were an important means by which detection occurred. Manatees were also highly accurate in two-choice directional discrimination: greater than 90% correct at all frequencies tested. We hypothesize that mana- tees utilize vibrissae as a three-dimensional array to detect and localize low-frequency hydrodynamic stimul
A new gene expression signature, the ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification, may improve prediction and prognostication of breast cancer at the time of diagnosis
Abstract
Introduction
When making treatment decisions, oncologists often stratify breast cancer (BC) into a low-risk group (low-grade estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)), an intermediate-risk group (high-grade ER+) and a high-risk group that includes Her2+ and triple-negative (TN) tumors (ER-/PR-/Her2-). None of the currently available gene signatures correlates to this clinical classification. In this study, we aimed to develop a test that is practical for oncologists and offers both molecular characterization of BC and improved prediction of prognosis and treatment response.
Methods
We investigated the molecular basis of such clinical practice by grouping Her2+ and TN BC together during clustering analyses of the genome-wide gene expression profiles of our training cohort, mostly derived from fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) of 149 consecutive evaluable BC. The analyses consistently divided these tumors into a three-cluster pattern, similarly to clinical risk stratification groups, that was reproducible in published microarray databases (n = 2,487) annotated with clinical outcomes. The clinicopathological parameters of each of these three molecular groups were also similar to clinical classification.
Results
The low-risk group had good outcomes and benefited from endocrine therapy. Both the intermediate- and high-risk groups had poor outcomes, and their BC was resistant to endocrine therapy. The latter group demonstrated the highest rate of complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy; the highest activities in Myc, E2F1, Ras, β-catenin and IFN-γ pathways; and poor prognosis predicted by 14 independent prognostic signatures. On the basis of multivariate analysis, we found that this new gene signature, termed the "ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification" (CMTC), predicted recurrence and treatment response better than all pathological parameters and other prognostic signatures.
Conclusions
CMTC correlates well with current clinical classifications of BC and has the potential to be easily integrated into routine clinical practice. Using FNABs, CMTC can be determined at the time of diagnostic needle biopsies for tumors of all sizes. On the basis of using public databases as the validation cohort in our analyses, CMTC appeared to enable accurate treatment guidance, could be made available in preoperative settings and was applicable to all BC types independently of tumor size and receptor and nodal status. The unique oncogenic signaling pathway pattern of each CMTC group may provide guidance in the development of new treatment strategies. Further validation of CMTC requires prospective, randomized, controlled trials
Electrodynamics with Lorentz-violating operators of arbitrary dimension
The behavior of photons in the presence of Lorentz and CPT violation is
studied. Allowing for operators of arbitrary mass dimension, we classify all
gauge-invariant Lorentz- and CPT-violating terms in the quadratic Lagrange
density associated with the effective photon propagator. The covariant
dispersion relation is obtained, and conditions for birefringence are
discussed. We provide a complete characterization of the coefficients for
Lorentz violation for all mass dimensions via a decomposition using
spin-weighted spherical harmonics. The resulting nine independent sets of
spherical coefficients control birefringence, dispersion, and anisotropy. We
discuss the restriction of the general theory to various special models,
including among others the minimal Standard-Model Extension, the isotropic
limit, the case of vacuum propagation, the nonbirefringent limit, and the
vacuum-orthogonal model. The transformation of the spherical coefficients for
Lorentz violation between the laboratory frame and the standard Sun-centered
frame is provided. We apply the results to various astrophysical observations
and laboratory experiments. Astrophysical searches of relevance include studies
of birefringence and of dispersion. We use polarimetric and dispersive data
from gamma-ray bursts to set constraints on coefficients for Lorentz violation
involving operators of dimensions four through nine, and we describe the mixing
of polarizations induced by Lorentz and CPT violation in the cosmic-microwave
background. Laboratory searches of interest include cavity experiments. We
present the theory for searches with cavities, derive the experiment-dependent
factors for coefficients in the vacuum-orthogonal model, and predict the
corresponding frequency shift for a circular-cylindrical cavity.Comment: 58 pages two-column REVTeX, accepted in Physical Review
On the Distribution of Haloes, Galaxies and Mass
The stochasticity in the distribution of dark haloes in the cosmic density
field is reflected in the distribution function which gives
the probability of finding haloes in a volume with mass density
contrast . We study the properties of this function using
high-resolution -body simulations, and find that is
significantly non-Poisson. The ratio between the variance and the mean goes
from (Poisson) at to (sub-Poisson) at
to (super-Poisson) at . The mean bias
relation is found to be well described by halo bias models based on the
Press-Schechter formalism. The sub-Poisson variance can be explained as a
result of halo-exclusion while the super-Poisson variance at high
may be explained as a result of halo clustering. A simple phenomenological
model is proposed to describe the behavior of the variance as a function of
. Galaxy distribution in the cosmic density field predicted by
semi-analytic models of galaxy formation shows similar stochastic behavior. We
discuss the implications of the stochasticity in halo bias to the modelling of
higher-order moments of dark haloes and of galaxies.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, Latex using MN2e style. Minor changes. Accepted
for publication in MNRA
Next to leading order spin-orbit effects in the motion of inspiralling compact binaries
Using effective field theory (EFT) techniques we calculate the
next-to-leading order (NLO) spin-orbit contributions to the gravitational
potential of inspiralling compact binaries. We use the covariant spin
supplementarity condition (SSC), and explicitly prove the equivalence with
previous results by Faye et al. in arXiv:gr-qc/0605139. We also show that the
direct application of the Newton-Wigner SSC at the level of the action leads to
the correct dynamics using a canonical (Dirac) algebra. This paper then
completes the calculation of the necessary spin dynamics within the EFT
formalism that will be used in a separate paper to compute the spin
contributions to the energy flux and phase evolution to NLO.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, revtex4. v2: minor changes, refs. added. To
appear in Class. Quant. Gra
The constitutive tensor of linear elasticity: its decompositions, Cauchy relations, null Lagrangians, and wave propagation
In linear anisotropic elasticity, the elastic properties of a medium are
described by the fourth rank elasticity tensor C. The decomposition of C into a
partially symmetric tensor M and a partially antisymmetric tensors N is often
used in the literature. An alternative, less well-known decomposition, into the
completely symmetric part S of C plus the reminder A, turns out to be
irreducible under the 3-dimensional general linear group. We show that the
SA-decomposition is unique, irreducible, and preserves the symmetries of the
elasticity tensor. The MN-decomposition fails to have these desirable
properties and is such inferior from a physical point of view. Various
applications of the SA-decomposition are discussed: the Cauchy relations
(vanishing of A), the non-existence of elastic null Lagrangians, the
decomposition of the elastic energy and of the acoustic wave propagation. The
acoustic or Christoffel tensor is split in a Cauchy and a non-Cauchy part. The
Cauchy part governs the longitudinal wave propagation. We provide explicit
examples of the effectiveness of the SA-decomposition. A complete class of
anisotropic media is proposed that allows pure polarizations in arbitrary
directions, similarly as in an isotropic medium.Comment: 1 figur
Prevalence of Small-scale Jets from the Networks of the Solar Transition Region and Chromosphere
As the interface between the Sun's photosphere and corona, the chromosphere
and transition region play a key role in the formation and acceleration of the
solar wind. Observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph reveal
the prevalence of intermittent small-scale jets with speeds of 80-250 km/s from
the narrow bright network lanes of this interface region. These jets have
lifetimes of 20-80 seconds and widths of 300 km or less. They originate from
small-scale bright regions, often preceded by footpoint brightenings and
accompanied by transverse waves with ~20 km/s amplitudes. Many jets reach
temperatures of at least ~100000 K and constitute an important element of the
transition region structures. They are likely an intermittent but persistent
source of mass and energy for the solar wind.Comment: Figs 1-4 & S1-S5; Movies S1-S8; published in Science, including the
main text and supplementary materials. Reference: H. Tian, E. E. DeLuca, S.
R. Cranmer, et al., Science 346, 1255711 (2014
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