7,560 research outputs found
Conflation of short identity-by-descent segments bias their inferred length distribution
Identity-by-descent (IBD) is a fundamental concept in genetics with many
applications. In a common definition, two haplotypes are said to contain an IBD
segment if they share a segment that is inherited from a recent shared common
ancestor without intervening recombination. Long IBD segments (> 1cM) can be
efficiently detected by a number of algorithms using high-density SNP array
data from a population sample. However, these approaches detect IBD based on
contiguous segments of identity-by-state, and such segments may exist due to
the conflation of smaller, nearby IBD segments. We quantified this effect using
coalescent simulations, finding that nearly 40% of inferred segments 1-2cM long
are results of conflations of two or more shorter segments, under demographic
scenarios typical for modern humans. This biases the inferred IBD segment
length distribution, and so can affect downstream inferences. We observed this
conflation effect universally across different IBD detection programs and human
demographic histories, and found inference of segments longer than 2cM to be
much more reliable (less than 5% conflation rate). As an example of how this
can negatively affect downstream analyses, we present and analyze a novel
estimator of the de novo mutation rate using IBD segments, and demonstrate that
the biased length distribution of the IBD segments due to conflation can lead
to inflated estimates if the conflation is not modeled. Understanding the
conflation effect in detail will make its correction in future methods more
tractable
Zero differential resistance in two-dimensional electron systems at large filling factors
We report on a state characterized by a zero differential resistance observed
in very high Landau levels of a high-mobility two-dimensional electron system.
Emerging from a minimum of Hall field-induced resistance oscillations at low
temperatures, this state exists over a continuous range of magnetic fields
extending well below the onset of the Shubnikov-de Haas effect. The minimum
current required to support this state is largely independent on the magnetic
field, while the maximum current increases with the magnetic field tracing the
onset of inter-Landau level scattering
Our Parents, Ourselves: Health Care for an Aging Population; A Report of the Dartmouth Atlas Project
The new Dartmouth Atlas, funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, is a report card that analyzes Medicare data to show us where the United States is making progress in patient-centered, evidence-based care for Medicare beneficiaries and where improvement is still needed. It also offers insight into regional variations in care.Filling in the gaps in our knowledge about the state of care across the country will help health care providers, health systems, and patients and families work together to improve care for all older adults.This Dartmouth Atlas report looks at a number of measures from Medicare data, including:The number of days older adults spend in contact with the health care system;Use of high-risk medications;Cancer screening rates (and how they compare with recommendations);30-day hospital readmission rates;Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) rates;Late hospice referral; andThe number of days spent in intensive care.The report also offers a historical look at key practices, comparing data from 2003-05 and 2012
Fluctuations of Entropy Production in Partially Masked Electric Circuits: Theoretical Analysis
In this work we perform theoretical analysis about a coupled RC circuit with
constant driven currents. Starting from stochastic differential equations,
where voltages are subject to thermal noises, we derive time-correlation
functions, steady-state distributions and transition probabilities of the
system. The validity of the fluctuation theorem (FT) is examined for scenarios
with complete and incomplete descriptions.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Unique gap structure and symmetry of the charge density wave in single-layer VSe
Single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are excellent
candidates for electronic applications beyond the graphene platform; many of
them exhibit novel properties including charge density waves (CDWs) and
magnetic ordering. CDWs in these single layers are generally a planar
projection of the corresponding bulk CDWs because of the quasi-two-dimensional
nature of TMDCs; a different CDW symmetry is unexpected. We report herein the
successful creation of pristine single-layer VSe, which shows a () CDW in contrast to the (4 4) CDW for the layers in
bulk VSe. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) from the single
layer shows a sizable () CDW gap of 100 meV at the
zone boundary, a 220 K CDW transition temperature twice the bulk value, and no
ferromagnetic exchange splitting as predicted by theory. This robust CDW with
an exotic broken symmetry as the ground state is explained via a
first-principles analysis. The results illustrate a unique CDW phenomenon in
the two-dimensional limit
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