5,338 research outputs found
Predation Rates on Real and Artificial Nests of Grassland Birds
We estimated nesting success at real and artificial nests of grassland birds to test the influence of nest type, nest position, and egg size on predation rates. We distributed wicker nests and realistic woven-grass nests baited with a clay egg and either a Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) egg or a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) egg in four grasslands that were part of the Conservation Reserve Program in east-central Illinois. Nesting success averaged 86.5% for 12 days of exposure for artificial nests. For real nests, nesting success was markedly lower, averaging 39% over the entire nesting cycle and 59% during approximately 12 days of incubation. Wicker nests were depredated more often than wovengrass artificial nests (18% vs. 8%), and nests baited with House Sparrow eggs were depredated more often than nests baited with Northern Bobwhite eggs (22% vs. 9% ). Elevated and ground nests were depredated at the same rate. Patterns of nest predation on wicker nests were markedly different from depredation patterns on real nests over time and among fields. In contrast, patterns of nest predation on realistic woven-grass nests corresponded much more closely with predation rates of real nests over time and among fields. We suggest that future artificial nest studies use nests and eggs that mimic as closely as possible the real nests and eggs of target species. Use of unrealistic artificial nests and eggs, at least in grasslands, may result in patterns of predation that do not accurately reflect those of real nests. Artificial nests of any type appear to underestimate predation rates on nests of grassland birds, possibly because of a lack of snake predation on artificial nests
Probability Models for Degree Distributions of Protein Interaction Networks
The degree distribution of many biological and technological networks has
been described as a power-law distribution. While the degree distribution does
not capture all aspects of a network, it has often been suggested that its
functional form contains important clues as to underlying evolutionary
processes that have shaped the network. Generally, the functional form for the
degree distribution has been determined in an ad-hoc fashion, with clear
power-law like behaviour often only extending over a limited range of
connectivities. Here we apply formal model selection techniques to decide which
probability distribution best describes the degree distributions of protein
interaction networks. Contrary to previous studies this well defined approach
suggests that the degree distribution of many molecular networks is often
better described by distributions other than the popular power-law
distribution. This, in turn, suggests that simple, if elegant, models may not
necessarily help in the quantitative understanding of complex biological
processes.
A study of the gravitational wave form from pulsars II
We present analytical and numerical studies of the Fourier transform (FT) of
the gravitational wave (GW) signal from a pulsar, taking into account the
rotation and orbital motion of the Earth. We also briefly discuss the
Zak-Gelfand Integral Transform. The Zak-Gelfand Integral Transform that arises
in our analytic approach has also been useful for Schrodinger operators in
periodic potentials in condensed matter physics (Bloch wave functions).Comment: 6 pages, Sparkler talk given at the Amaldi Conference on
Gravitational waves, July 10th, 2001. Submitted to Classical and Quantum
Gravit
Identification of factors that may influence the selection of first-line biologic therapy for people with psoriasis:a prospective, multi-centre cohort study
Background:
The Psoriasis Stratification to Optimise Relevant Therapy (PSORT) consortium has a collective aim to develop a prescribing algorithm to help stratify eligible patients with psoriasis to the most appropriate biological treatment. To facilitate the adoption of a stratified approach, it is necessary to first understand the factors driving the choice of first-line biological therapy.
Objectives:
To identify and quantify factors that influence the selection of the first-line biological therapy for people with psoriasis.
Methods:
Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the factors that influenced the probability of treatment selection, using data from the British Association of Dermatologists Biologic Interventions Register from January 2012 to December 2015. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings to key assumptions.
Results:
The main analysis was based on a dataset comprising 3040 people with psoriasis. The identified factors affecting first-line biological selection within the available therapies were: presence of psoriatic arthritis; patient weight; employment status; country of registration; and baseline disease severity. Importantly, the analysis showed a general shift in prescribing behaviour over time. These results were robust to sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions:
This study offers important insights into the factors influencing current prescribing practice for first-line biological therapies for people with psoriasis. It provides baseline data to inform the evaluation of future potential changes that may affect prescribing behaviour, such as stratified medicine
Deterministic Partial Differential Equation Model for Dose Calculation in Electron Radiotherapy
Treatment with high energy ionizing radiation is one of the main methods in
modern cancer therapy that is in clinical use. During the last decades, two
main approaches to dose calculation were used, Monte Carlo simulations and
semi-empirical models based on Fermi-Eyges theory. A third way to dose
calculation has only recently attracted attention in the medical physics
community. This approach is based on the deterministic kinetic equations of
radiative transfer. Starting from these, we derive a macroscopic partial
differential equation model for electron transport in tissue. This model
involves an angular closure in the phase space. It is exact for the
free-streaming and the isotropic regime. We solve it numerically by a newly
developed HLLC scheme based on [BerCharDub], that exactly preserves key
properties of the analytical solution on the discrete level. Several numerical
results for test cases from the medical physics literature are presented.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure
Supersymmetric field theory of local light diffusion in semi-infinite media
A supersymmetric field theory of light diffusion in semi-infinite disordered
media is presented. With the help of this technique we justify--at the
perturbative level--the local light diffusion proposed by Tiggelen, Lagendijk,
and Wiersma [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{84}, 4333 (2000)], and show that the
coherent backscattering line shape of medium bar displays a crossover from
two-dimensional weak to quasi-one-dimensional strong localization.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure. accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Lattice Green's function approach to the solution of the spectrum of an array of quantum dots and its linear conductance
In this paper we derive general relations for the band-structure of an array
of quantum dots and compute its transport properties when connected to two
perfect leads. The exact lattice Green's functions for the perfect array and
with an attached adatom are derived. The expressions for the linear conductance
for the perfect array as well as for the array with a defect are presented. The
calculations are illustrated for a dot made of three atoms. The results derived
here are also the starting point to include the effect of electron-electron and
electron-phonon interactions on the transport properties of quantum dot arrays.
Different derivations of the exact lattice Green's functions are discussed
Momentum relaxation from the fluid/gravity correspondence
We provide a hydrodynamical description of a holographic theory with broken
translation invariance. We use the fluid/gravity correspondence to
systematically obtain both the constitutive relations for the currents and the
Ward identity for momentum relaxation in a derivative expansion. Beyond leading
order in the strength of momentum relaxation, our results differ from a model
previously proposed by Hartnoll et al. As an application of these techniques we
consider charge and heat transport in the boundary theory. We derive the low
frequency thermoelectric transport coefficients of the holographic theory from
the linearised hydrodynamics.Comment: 19 pages + appendix, v2: references added, typos corrected, v3:
version published in JHE
RXTE Observations of 1A 1744-361: Correlated Spectral and Timing Behavior
We analyze Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array
(PCA) data of the transient low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) system 1A 1744-361. We
explore the X-ray intensity and spectral evolution of the source, perform
timing analysis, and find that 1A 1744-361 shows `atoll' behavior during the
outbursts. The color-color diagram indicates that this LMXB was observed in a
low intensity spectrally hard (low-hard) state and in a high intensity `banana'
state. The low-hard state shows a horizontal pattern in the color-color
diagram, and the previously reported `dipper QPO' appears only during this
state. We also perform energy spectral analyses, and report the first detection
of broad iron emission line and iron absorption edge from 1A 1744-361.Comment: 20 pages, 4 tables, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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