262 research outputs found
Development and Implementation of a Computer-Generated Reminder System for Diabetes Preventive Care
Conference PaperBiomedical Informatic
Coccolithophores and the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey
Samples historically collected and analysed by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey were used to describe the distribution of coccolithophores (class Prymnesiophyceae) in the north-east Atlantic and the North Sea. In the routine CPR analysis, members of this group are simply identified as ‘coccolithophores’ and not to any further taxonomic level. From this analysis, the 200-m depth contour marked a point of distinct transition between high coccolithophore occurrence (off the shelf) and low coccolithophore occurrence (on the shelf). Thirty-three CPR samples that had been collected between 1979–1992, were re-examined and the coccolithophores identified to a more detailed taxonomic level. Among the species identified was the bloom-forming coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. Thus archived CPR samples could potentially be re-analysed to assess regional, seasonal and decadal changes in the occurrence of this species
ASCA X-ray observations of the disk wind in the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis
We present ASCA observations of the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis during
outburst and during a transition from quiescence to another outburst.
At the beginning of the transition the X-ray count rate was an order of
magnitude higher and the spectrum much harder than during the outburst. As the
transition progressed, the spectrum remained hard as the X-ray flux decreased
by a factor of 3, with no spectral softening. Spectral modelling reveals an
optically-thin, high-temperature component (kT10 keV) which dominates
the transition observation and is also observed during outburst. This is
expected from material accreting onto the white dwarf surface. The outburst
spectra require additional emission at lower temperatures, either through an
additional discrete temperature component, or a combination of a cooling flow
model and an ionised absorber.
Fits to both observations show large amounts of absorption
(cm), two orders of magnitude greater than the
measured interstellar value, and consistent with UV measurements of the
outburst. This suggests that a disk wind is present even in the earliest stages
of outburst, possibly before the outburst heating wave has reached the boundary
layer.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, MNRAS Accepte
Properties of a random attachment growing network
In this study we introduce and analyze the statistical structural properties
of a model of growing networks which may be relevant to social networks. At
each step a new node is added which selects 'k' possible partners from the
existing network and joins them with probability delta by undirected edges. The
'activity' of the node ends here; it will get new partners only if it is
selected by a newcomer. The model produces an infinite-order phase transition
when a giant component appears at a specific value of delta, which depends on
k. The average component size is discontinuous at the transition. In contrast,
the network behaves significantly different for k=1. There is no giant
component formed for any delta and thus in this sense there is no phase
transition. However, the average component size diverges for delta greater or
equal than one half.Comment: LaTeX, 19 pages, 6 figures. Discussion section, comments, a new
figure and a new reference are added. Equations simplifie
The model for self-dual chiral bosons as a Hodge theory
We consider (1+1) dimensional theory for a single self-dual chiral boson as
classical model for gauge theory. Using Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky (BFV)
technique the nilpotent BRST and anti BRST symmetry transformations for this
theory have been studied. In this model other forms of nilpotent symmetry
transformations like co-BRST and anti co-BRST which leave the gauge-fixing part
of the action invariant, are also explored. We show that the nilpotent charges
for these symmetry transformations satisfy the algebra of de Rham cohomological
operators in differential geometry. The Hodge decomposition theorem on compact
manifold is also studied in the context of conserved charges.Comment: 19 pages, No figures, Revtex, Final version to appear in EPJ
Genetic drivers of kidney defects in the digeorge syndrome
BACKGROUND The DiGeorge syndrome, the most common of the microdeletion syndromes, affects multiple organs, including the heart, the nervous system, and the kidney. It is caused by deletions on chromosome 22q11.2; the genetic driver of the kidney defects is unknown. METHODS We conducted a genomewide search for structural variants in two cohorts: 2080 patients with congenital kidney and urinary tract anomalies and 22,094 controls. We performed exome and targeted resequencing in samples obtained from 586 additional patients with congenital kidney anomalies. We also carried out functional studies using zebrafish and mice. RESULTS We identified heterozygous deletions of 22q11.2 in 1.1% of the patients with congenital kidney anomalies and in 0.01% of population controls (odds ratio, 81.5; P = 4.5Ă1014). We localized the main drivers of renal disease in the DiGeorge syndrome to a 370-kb region containing nine genes. In zebrafish embryos, an induced loss of function in snap29, aifm3, and crkl resulted in renal defects; the loss of crkl alone was sufficient to induce defects. Five of 586 patients with congenital urinary anomalies had newly identified, heterozygous protein-Altering variants, including a premature termination codon, in CRKL. The inactivation of Crkl in the mouse model induced developmental defects similar to those observed in patients with congenital urinary anomalies. CONCLUSIONS We identified a recurrent 370-kb deletion at the 22q11.2 locus as a driver of kidney defects in the DiGeorge syndrome and in sporadic congenital kidney and urinary tract anomalies. Of the nine genes at this locus, SNAP29, AIFM3, and CRKL appear to be critical to the phenotype, with haploinsufficiency of CRKL emerging as the main genetic driver
A Pre-Landing Assessment of Regolith Properties at the InSight Landing Site
This article discusses relevant physical properties of the regolith at the Mars InSight landing site as understood prior to landing of the spacecraft. InSight will land in the northern lowland plains of Mars, close to the equator, where the regolith is estimated to be â„3--5 m thick. These investigations of physical properties have relied on data collected from Mars orbital measurements, previously collected lander and rover data, results of studies of data and samples from Apollo lunar missions, laboratory measurements on regolith simulants, and theoretical studies. The investigations include changes in properties with depth and temperature. Mechanical properties investigated include density, grain-size distribution, cohesion, and angle of internal friction. Thermophysical properties include thermal inertia, surface emissivity and albedo, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and specific heat. Regolith elastic properties not only include parameters that control seismic wave velocities in the immediate vicinity of the Insight lander but also coupling of the lander and other potential noise sources to the InSight broadband seismometer. The related properties include Poissonâs ratio, P- and S-wave velocities, Youngâs modulus, and seismic attenuation. Finally, mass diffusivity was investigated to estimate gas movements in the regolith driven by atmospheric pressure changes. Physical properties presented here are all to some degree speculative. However, they form a basis for interpretation of the early data to be returned from the InSight mission.Additional co-authors: Nick Teanby and Sharon Keda
Characterizing the genetic basis of methylome diversity in histologically normal human lung tissue
The genetic regulation of the human epigenome is not fully appreciated. Here we describe the effects of genetic variants on the DNA methylome in human lung based on methylation-quantitative trait loci (meQTL) analyses. We report 34,304 cis- and 585 trans-meQTLs, a genetic-epigenetic interaction of surprising magnitude, including a regulatory hotspot. These findings are replicated in both breast and kidney tissues and show distinct patterns: cis-meQTLs mostly localize to CpG sites outside of genes, promoters and CpG islands (CGIs), while trans-meQTLs are over-represented in promoter CGIs. meQTL SNPs are enriched in CTCF-binding sites, DNaseI hypersensitivity regions and histone marks. Importantly, four of the five established lung cancer risk loci in European ancestry are cis-meQTLs and, in aggregate, cis-meQTLs are enriched for lung cancer risk in a genome-wide analysis of 11,587 subjects. Thus, inherited genetic variation may affect lung carcinogenesis by regulating the human methylome
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