5,549 research outputs found
Betaine, organic acids and inulin do not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibility or microbial fermentation in piglets
The study was conducted to investigate the effects of betaine alone or combined with organic acids and inulin on ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and intestinal microbial fermentation characteristics in piglets. In total, 24 four-week-old barrows with an average initial body weight of 6.7 kg were used in two consecutive experiments with 12 piglets each. Betaine, organic acids and inulin at a level of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.2%, respectively, or combinations of these supplements were added to the basal diet. The supplementation of betaine, organic acids and inulin or any of their combinations did not affect ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities. The microbial fermentation products both at the ileal and faecal level were not affected by any of the treatments. In conclusion, combining betaine with organic acids and inulin did not have any associated effects on the variables that were measured
Future monitoring of charged particle energy deposition into the upper atmosphere and comments on possible relationships between atmospheric phenomena and solar and/or geomagnetic activity
Monitoring of earth's atmosphere was conducted for several years utilizing the ITOS series of low-altitude, polar-orbiting weather satellites. A space environment monitoring package was included in these satellites to perform measurements of a portion of earth's charged particle environment. The charged particle observations proposed for the low-altitude weather satellite TIROS N, are described which will provide the capability of routine monitoring of the instantaneous total energy deposition into the upper atmosphere by the precipitation of charged particles from higher altitudes. Such observations may be of use in future studies of the relationships between geomagnetic activity and atmospheric weather pattern developments. Estimates are given to assess the potential importance of this type of energy deposition. Discussion and examples are presented illustrating the importance of distinguishing between solar and geomagnetic activity as possible causative sources. Such differentiation is necessary because of the widely different spatial and time scales involved in the atmospheric energy input resulting from these various sources of activity
Pulsed beams as field probes for precision measurement
We describe a technique for mapping the spatial variation of static electric,
static magnetic, and rf magnetic fields using a pulsed atomic or molecular
beam. The method is demonstrated using a beam designed to measure the electric
dipole moment of the electron. We present maps of the interaction region,
showing sensitivity to (i) electric field variation of 1.5 V/cm at 3.3 kV/cm
with a spatial resolution of 15 mm; (ii) magnetic field variation of 5 nT with
25 mm resolution; (iii) radio-frequency magnetic field amplitude with 15 mm
resolution. This new diagnostic technique is very powerful in the context of
high-precision atomic and molecular physics experiments, where pulsed beams
have not hitherto found widespread application.Comment: 6 pages, 12 figures. Figures heavily compressed to comply with
arxiv's antediluvian file-size polic
Functional Relaxation and Guided Imagery as Complementary Therapy in Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Background: Asthma is a frequently disabling and almost invariably distressing disease that has a high overall prevalence. Although relaxation techniques and hypnotherapeutic interventions have proven their effectiveness in numerous trials, relaxation therapies are still not recommended in treatment guidelines due to a lack of methodological quality in many of the trials. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of the brief relaxation technique of functional relaxation (FR) and guided imagery (GI) in adult asthmatics in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: 64 patients with extrinsic bronchial asthma were treated over a 4-week period and assessed at baseline, after treatment and after 4 months, for follow-up. 16 patients completed FR, 14 GI, 15 both FR and GI (FR/GI) and 13 received a placebo relaxation technique as the control intervention (CI). The forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) as well as the specific airway resistance (sR(aw)) were employed as primary outcome measures. Results: Participation in FR, GI and FR/GI led to increases in FEV 1 (% predicted) of 7.6 +/- 13.2, 3.3 +/- 9.8, and 8.3 +/- 21.0, respectively, as compared to -1.8 +/- 11.1 in the CI group at the end of the therapy. After follow-up, the increases in FEV 1 were 6.9 +/- 10.3 in the FR group, 4.4 +/- 7.3 in the GI and 4.5 +/- 8.1 in the FR/GI, compared to -2.8 +/- 9.2 in the CI. Improvements in sR(aw) (% predicted) were in keeping with the changes in FEV 1 in all groups. Conclusions: Our study confirms a positive effect of FR on respiratory parameters and suggests a clinically relevant long-term benefit from FR as a nonpharmacological and complementary therapy treatment option. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
Autonomy in Weapons Systems. The Military Application of Artificial Intelligence as a Litmus Test for Germany’s New Foreign and Security Policy
The future international security landscape will be critically impacted by the military use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. With the advent of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) and a currently unfolding transformation of warfare, we have reached a turning point
and are facing a number of grave new legal, ethical and political concerns.
In light of this, the Task Force on Disruptive Technologies and 21st Century Warfare, deployed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, argues that meaningful human control over weapon systems and the use of force must be retained. In their report, the task force authors offer recommendations to the German government and the German armed forces to that effect
Antipersistent binary time series
Completely antipersistent binary time series are sequences in which every
time that an -bit string appears, the sequence is continued with a
different bit than at the last occurrence of . This dynamics is phrased in
terms of a walk on a DeBruijn graph, and properties of transients and cycles
are studied. The predictability of the generated time series for an observer
who sees a longer or shorter time window is investigated also for sequences
that are not completely antipersistent.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Non-LTE models for synthetic spectra of type Ia supernovae. IV. A modified Feautrier scheme for opacity-sampled pseudo-continua at high expansion velocities and application to synthetic SN Ia spectra
Context. Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) have become an invaluable cosmological
tool as their exceptional brightness makes them observable even at very large
distances (up to redshifts around z~1). To investigate possible systematic
differences between local and distant SN Ia requires detailed models whose
synthetic spectra can be compared to observations, and in which the solution of
the radiative transfer is a key ingredient. One commonly employed method is the
Feautrier scheme, which is generally very robust, but which can yield wrong
results under certain conditions that frequently occur in the modelling of
supernova ejecta or even in the radiatively driven expanding atmospheres of hot
stars.
Methods. We use a sophisticated model atmosphere code which takes into
account the non-LTE effects and high velocity gradients that strongly affect
the physics of SN Ia atmospheres at all wavelengths to simulate the formation
of SN Ia spectra by the thousands of strong spectral lines which intricately
interact with the "pseudo-continuum" formed entirely by these Doppler-shifted
lines themselves. We focus to an investigation of the behavior of the Feautrier
scheme under these conditions.
Results. Synthetic spectra of SN Ia, a complex product of computer models
replicating numerous physical processes that determine the conditions of matter
and radiation in the ejecta, are affected by large spatial jumps of the
line-dominated opacities and source functions for which the application of even
well-established methods may harbor certain pitfalls. We analyze the conditions
that can lead to a breakdown of conventional procedures and we derive for the
Feautrier radiative transfer solver a modified description which yields more
accurate results in the given circumstances.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to A&
Observability and Controllability of Nonlinear Networks: The Role of Symmetry
Observability and controllability are essential concepts to the design of
predictive observer models and feedback controllers of networked systems. For
example, noncontrollable mathematical models of real systems have subspaces
that influence model behavior, but cannot be controlled by an input. Such
subspaces can be difficult to determine in complex nonlinear networks. Since
almost all of the present theory was developed for linear networks without
symmetries, here we present a numerical and group representational framework,
to quantify the observability and controllability of nonlinear networks with
explicit symmetries that shows the connection between symmetries and nonlinear
measures of observability and controllability. We numerically observe and
theoretically predict that not all symmetries have the same effect on network
observation and control. Our analysis shows that the presence of symmetry in a
network may decrease observability and controllability, although networks
containing only rotational symmetries remain controllable and observable. These
results alter our view of the nature of observability and controllability in
complex networks, change our understanding of structural controllability, and
affect the design of mathematical models to observe and control such networks.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure
Measurement of the electron electric dipole moment using YbF molecules
The most sensitive measurements of the electron electric dipole moment d_e
have previously been made using heavy atoms. Heavy polar molecules offer a
greater sensitivity to d_e because the interaction energy to be measured is
typically 10^3 times larger than in a heavy atom. We report the first
measurement of this kind, for which we have used the molecule YbF. Together,
the large interaction energy and the strong tensor polarizability of the
molecule make our experiment essentially free of the systematic errors that
currently limit d_e measurements in atoms. Our first result d_e = (- 0.2 \pm
3.2) x 10^-26 e.cm is less sensitive than the best atom measurement, but is
limited only by counting statistics and demonstrates the power of the method.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. v2. Minor corrections and clarifications made in
response to referee comment
Study on Doping Prevention: A map of Legal, Regulatory and Prevention Practice Provisions in EU 28
Historically, anti-doping efforts have focused on the detection and deterrence of doping in elite and competitive sport. There is, however, a growing concern that doping is occurring outside the organised sporting system; giving rise to the belief that the misuse of doping agents in recreational sport has become a societal problem and a public health issue that must be addressed. The EU Commission awarded a contract (EAC/2013/0617) to a Consortium to undertake this Study with the aim of developing the evidence-base for policies designed to combat doping in recreational sport. Fourteen internationally recognised experts shaped the Study which comprised (i) the collection of primary data through a structured survey, and (ii) secondary data through literature searches and website analysis. All 28 Member States participated in the information-gathering process. Specifically, this involved a systematic study of the ethical considerations, legal position, prevention research landscape, and current practise in relation to the prevention of doping in recreational sport. The Study provides a comprehensive overview of current practice and legislation as it applies to the prevention of doping and promotes and supports the sharing of best practices in the EU regarding the fight against doping in recreational sport. It concludes with seven recommendations for future action that focus on the need for a coordinated response in relation to the problems arising from doping in recreational sport
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