Filamentation Instability of Interacting Current Sheets in Striped Relativistic Winds: The Origin of Low Sigma?

I outline a mechanism, akin to Weibel instabilities of interpenetrating beams, in which the neighboring current sheets in a striped wind from an oblique rotator interact through a two stream-like mechanism (a Weibel instability in flatland), to create an anomalous resistivity that heats the sheets and causes the magnetic field to diffusively annihilate in the wind upstream of the termination shock. The heating has consequences for observable unpulsed emission from pulsars.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures. To be published in the proceedings of ``40 Years of Pulsars'

Bayes Linear Emulation of Simulated Crop Yield

The analysis of the output from a large-scale computer simulation experiment can pose a challenging problem in terms of size and computation. We consider output in the form of simulated crop yields from the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model, which requires a large number of inputs—such as fertilizer levels, weather conditions, and crop rotations—inducing a high dimensional input space. In this paper, we adopt a Bayes linear approach to efficiently emulate crop yield as a function of the simulator fertilizer inputs. We explore emulator diagnostics and present the results from emulation of a subset of the simulated EPIC data output

Estimating Exposure Fraction from Radiation Biomarkers: A Comparison of Frequentist and Bayesian Approaches

If individuals are exposed to ionising radiation, due to some radiation accident, for medical reasons, or during spaceflight, there is often a need to estimate the contracted radiation dose. The field of biodosimetry is concerned with estimating the dose retrospectively, using certain biomarkers, which are typically based on counts of some cytogenetic or biomolecular features of the cell arising after radiation-induced double-strand-breaks. Such techniques face particular challenges when the exposure is only partial rather than whole-body, which, when unaccounted for, may lead to grossly inaccurate dose estimates. For biomarkers which are overdispersed, there are currently no procedures available for the detection of partial-body exposures. We consider the question of estimating the exposure fraction as well as quantifying its uncertainty, using Bayesian and frequentist methods, by means of simulation scenarios which are motivated by overdispersed count data (nuclear foci) as arising for the γ −H2AX protein biomarker

Soil and Tree Nutrient Status of High Elevation Mixed Red Spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and Broadleaf Deciduous Forests

Abstract: Anthropogenic and industrial emissions have resulted in historically high levels of acidic deposition into central Appalachian forests. Despite the reduction in acidic inputs due to legislation curbing industrial emissions in the United States, continued N deposition may impact forest ecosystems. Soil and foliar samples were collected from four high elevation red spruce sites along a modeled gradient of historic N deposition. The three most abundant tree species at all sites, Acer rubrum L., Betula alleghaniensis Britt., and Picea rubens Sarg., were sampled. Bulk soil beneath the canopies of individual trees were collected from the top 15-cm and separated into organic and mineral fractions for analysis. Mehlich-III soil extracts of soil fractions and foliar digests from these trees were subjected to elemental analysis. Soil N concentrations supported the presence of a N deposition gradient: in organic horizon soil fractions, N concentrations were driven by precipitation volume and elevation; whereas in mineral soil fractions, N concentration was explained by modeled N deposition rate and elevation. In organic fractions, significant reductions in Ca, K, and P were evident as N deposition increased, whereas the Ca:Sr ratio increased. Foliar Ca, K, and Sr declined in foliage with increasing N deposition, with concomitant increases in foliar Ca:Sr ratios. Although the three species were sympatric in mixed stands at all four sites, the foliar–soil nutrient associations differed among them across the gradient, indicating differential uptake and cycling of nutrients/metals by these forest tree species

Statistical Approach to Raman Analysis of Graphene-Related Materials: Implications for Quality Control

A statistical method to determine the number of measurements required from nanomaterials to ensure reliable and robust analysis is described. Commercial products utilizing graphene are in their infancy and recent investigations of commercial graphene manufacture have attributed this to the lack of robust metrology and standards by which graphene and related carbon materials can be measured and compared. Raman spectroscopy is known to be a useful tool in carbon nanomaterial characterization, but to provide meaningful information, in particular for quality control or management, multiple spectra are needed. Herein we present a statistical method to quantify the number of different spectra or other microscale measurements that should be taken to reliably characterize a graphene material. We have recorded a large number of Raman measurements and studied the statistical convergence of these data sets. We use a graphical approach to monitor the change in summary statistics and a Monte Carlo based bootstrapping method of data analysis to computationally resample the data demonstrating the effects of underanalyzing a material; for example, graphene nanoplatelets may require over 500 spectra before information about the exfoliation efficiency, particle size, layer number, and chemical functionalization is accurately obtained

An X-ray View of Radio Millisecond Pulsars

In recent years, X-ray observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton have significantly increased our understanding of rotation-powered (radio) millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Deep Chandra studies of several globular clusters have detected X-ray counterparts to a host of MSPs, including 19 in 47 Tuc alone. These surveys have revealed that most MSPs exhibit thermal emission from their heated magnetic polar caps. Realistic models of this thermal X-ray emission have provided important insight into the basic physics of pulsars and neutron stars. In addition, intrabinary shock X-ray radiation observed in ``black-widow'' and peculiar globular cluster ``exchanged'' binary MSPs give interesting insight into MSP winds and relativistic shock. Thus, the X-ray band contains valuable information regarding the basic properties of MSPs that are not accesible by radio timing observations.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, To appear in the proceedings of "40 Years of Pulsars: Millisecond Pulsars, Magnetars, and More", August 12-17, 2007, McGill University, Montreal, Canad

Bridging the Gap between Micro and Nanotechnology: Using Lab-on-a-Chip to enable Nanosensors for Genomics, Proteomics and Diagnostic Screening

Abstract. The growing need for accurate and fast methods of DNA and protein determination in the post human genome era has generated considerable interest in the development of new microfluidic analytical platforms, fabricated using methods adapted from the semi-conductor industry. These methods have resulted in the development of the Lab-on-a-Chip concept, a technology which often involves having a miniaturised biochip (as an analytical device), with rather larger instrumentation associated with the control of the associated sensors and of fluidics. This talk will explore the development of new Lab-ona-Chip platforms for DNA, protein and cell screening, using microfluidics as a packaging technology in order to enable advances in nanoscale science to be implemented in a Lab-on-a-Chip format. The talk will also show how system on a chip methods can be integrated with Lab-on-a-Chip devices to create remote and distributed intelligent sensors, which can be used in a variety of diagnostic applications, including for example chemical sensing within the GI tract

Estimating somatic maturity in adolescent soccer players: Methodological comparisons

Purpose: Monitoring maturation facilitates effective talent development. Various methods of maturity estimation exist with limited knowledge of concordance between methods. This study aims to establish agreement between methods of varied constructs to predict maturity status and compare concordance of methods to categorise players using established thresholds. Methods: This study compared four maturity equations using anthropometrical data from 113 male adolescent soccer players (mean SD; age, 14.3 1 years) from two academies. Conservative (±1 year) and less conservative (±0.5 years) circa-PHV thresholds were employed. Results: Analysis indicates tight (±0.3 year) agreement between maturity offset methods (MO), but broader agreement between MO and predicted adult height methods (-1.5 to 1 year). However, Kappa Cohen k suggests moderate to substantial (44-67%) and fair to moderate (31-60%) concordance between methods when using the conservative and less conservative circa-PHV thresholds respectively. Conclusion: Despite MO equation iterations claiming to reduce systematic error, they provide very similar estimations. Additionally, practitioners should not use maturity offset and predicted adult height methods interchangeably and are encouraged to apply either method consistently when looking to estimate maturity status or biologically calssify players