265 research outputs found
Effect of spatial distribution of daily rainfall on interior catchment response of a distributed hydrological model
International audienceWe investigate the effect of spatial variability of daily rainfall on soil moisture, groundwater level and discharge using a physically-based, fully-distributed hydrological model. This model is currently in use with the district water board and is considered to represent reality. We focus on the effect of rainfall spatial variability on day-to-day variability of the interior catchment response, as well as on its effect on the general hydrological behaviour of the catchment. The study is performed in a flat rural catchment (135 km2) in the Netherlands, where the climate is semi-humid (average precipitation 800 mm/year, evapotranspiration 550 mm/year) and rainfall is predominantly stratiform (i.e. large scale). Both range-corrected radar data (resolution 2.5×2.5 km2) as well as data from a dense network of 30 raingauges are used, observed for the period March?October 2004. Eight different rainfall scenarios, either spatially distributed or spatially uniform, are used as input for the hydrological model. The main conclusions from this study are: (i) using a single raingauge as rainfall input carries a great risk for the prediction of discharge, groundwater level and soil moisture, especially if the raingauge is situated outside the catchment; (ii) taking into account the spatial variability of rainfall instead of using areal average rainfall as input for the model is needed to get insight into the day-to-day spatial variability of discharge, groundwater level and soil moisture content; (iii) to get insight into the general behaviour of the hydrological system it is sufficient to use correct predictions of areal average rainfall over the catchment
The BeppoSAX WFC X-ray source catalogue
We present the catalogue of X-ray sources detected by the two Wide Field
Cameras (WFCs) in complete observations on board BeppoSAX during its 6 years of
operational lifetime, between April 1996 and April 2002. The BeppoSAX WFCs were
coded mask instruments sensitive in the 2-28 keV energy band with a 40x40
square degree fields of view, pointing in opposite directions and
perpendicularly to the BeppoSAX Narrow Field Instruments (NFI). The WFCs were
usually operated simultaneously to NFI observations, each lasting up to several
days. WFCs observed thus the entire sky several times with a typical
sensitivity of 2 to 10 mCrab. A systematic analysis of all WFC observations in
the BeppoSAX archive has been carried out using the latest post-mission release
of the WFC analysis software and calibrations. The catalogue includes 253
distinct sources, obtained from a total sample of 8253 WFC detections. We
describe the basic statistical properties of the sample and present a six-year
history of two celestial calibration X-ray sources.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, Catalogue, Accepted for publication on A&
Monitoring, management, and outcome of hypotension in Intensive Care Unit patients, an international survey of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine
INTRODUCTION: Hypotension in the ICU is common, yet management is challenging and variable. Insight in management by ICU physicians and nurses may improve patient care and guide future hypotension treatment trials and guidelines. METHODS: We conducted an international survey among ICU personnel to provide insight in monitoring, management, and perceived consequences of hypotension. RESULTS: Out of 1464 respondents, 1197 (81.7%) were included (928 physicians (77.5%) and 269 nurses (22.5%)). The majority indicated that hypotension is underdiagnosed (55.4%) and largely preventable (58.8%). Nurses are primarily in charge of monitoring changes in blood pressure, physicians are in charge of hypotension treatment. Balanced crystalloids, dobutamine, norepinephrine, and Trendelenburg position were the most frequently reported fluid, inotrope, vasopressor, and positional maneuver used to treat hypotension. Reported complications believed to be related to hypotension were AKI and myocardial injury. Most ICUs do not have a specific hypotension treatment guideline or protocol (70.6%), but the majority would like to have one in the future (58.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Both physicians and nurses report that hypotension in ICU patients is underdiagnosed, preventable, and believe that hypotension influences morbidity. Hypotension management is generally not protocolized, but the majority of respondents would like to have a specific hypotension management protocol
Definition and incidence of hypotension in intensive care unit patients, an international survey of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine
Introduction: Although hypotension in ICU patients is associated with adverse outcome, currently used definitions are unknown and no universally accepted definition exists. Methods: We conducted an international, peer-reviewed survey among ICU physicians and nurses to provide insight in currently used definitions, estimations of incidence, and duration of hypotension. Results: Out of 1394 respondents (1055 physicians (76%) and 339 nurses (24%)), 1207 (82%) completed the questionnaire. In all patient categories, hypotension definitions were predominantly based on an absolute MAP of 65 mmHg, except for the neuro(trauma) category (75 mmHg, p < 0.001), without differences between answers from physicians and nurses. Hypotension incidence was estimated at 55%, and time per day spent in hypotension at 15%, both with nurses reporting higher percentages than physicians (estimated mean difference 5%, p = 0.01; and 4%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: An absolute MAP threshold of 65 mmHg is most frequently used to define hypotension in ICU patients. In neuro(trauma) patients a higher threshold was reported. The majority of ICU patients are estimated to endure hypotension during their ICU admission for a considerable amount of time, with nurses reporting a higher estimated incidence and time spent in hypotension than physicians.</p
Photon Localization in Resonant Media
We report measurements of microwave transmission over the first five Mie
resonances of alumina spheres randomly positioned in a waveguide. Though
precipitous drops in transmission and sharp peaks in the photon transit time
are found near all resonances, measurements of transmission fluctuations show
that localization occurs only in a narrow frequency window above the first
resonance. There the drop in the photon density of states is found to be more
pronounced than the fall in the photon transit time, leading to a minimum in
the Thouless number.Comment: To appear in PRL; 5 pages, including 5 figure
Relating reflex gain modulation in posture control to underlying neural network properties using a neuromusculoskeletal model
During posture control, reflexive feedback allows humans to efficiently compensate for unpredictable mechanical disturbances. Although reflexes are involuntary, humans can adapt their reflexive settings to the characteristics of the disturbances. Reflex modulation is commonly studied by determining reflex gains: a set of parameters that quantify the contributions of Ia, Ib and II afferents to mechanical joint behavior. Many mechanisms, like presynaptic inhibition and fusimotor drive, can account for reflex gain modulations. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of underlying neural and sensory mechanisms on mechanical joint behavior. A neuromusculoskeletal model was built, in which a pair of muscles actuated a limb, while being controlled by a model of 2,298 spiking neurons in six pairs of spinal populations. Identical to experiments, the endpoint of the limb was disturbed with force perturbations. System identification was used to quantify the control behavior with reflex gains. A sensitivity analysis was then performed on the neuromusculoskeletal model, determining the influence of the neural, sensory and synaptic parameters on the joint dynamics. The results showed that the lumped reflex gains positively correlate to their most direct neural substrates: the velocity gain with Ia afferent velocity feedback, the positional gain with muscle stretch over II afferents and the force feedback gain with Ib afferent feedback. However, position feedback and force feedback gains show strong interactions with other neural and sensory properties. These results give important insights in the effects of neural properties on joint dynamics and in the identifiability of reflex gains in experiments
Random Resonators and Prelocalized Modes in Disordered Dielectric Films
Areal density of disorder-induced resonators with a high quality factor,
, in a film with fluctuating refraction index is calculated
theoretically. We demonstrate that for a given , where is the light
wave vector, and is the transport mean free path, when {\em on average} the
light propagation is diffusive, the likelihood for finding a random resonator
increases dramatically with increasing the correlation radius of the disorder.
Parameters of {\em most probable} resonators as functions of and are
found.Comment: 6 pages including 2 figure
Resonant nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atoms
In this article, we review the history, current status, physical mechanisms,
experimental methods, and applications of nonlinear magneto-optical effects in
atomic vapors. We begin by describing the pioneering work of Macaluso and
Corbino over a century ago on linear magneto-optical effects (in which the
properties of the medium do not depend on the light power) in the vicinity of
atomic resonances, and contrast these effects with various nonlinear
magneto-optical phenomena that have been studied both theoretically and
experimentally since the late 1960s. In recent years, the field of nonlinear
magneto-optics has experienced a revival of interest that has led to a number
of developments, including the observation of ultra-narrow (1-Hz)
magneto-optical resonances, applications in sensitive magnetometry, nonlinear
magneto-optical tomography, and the possibility of a search for parity- and
time-reversal-invariance violation in atoms.Comment: 51 pages, 23 figures, to appear in Rev. Mod. Phys. in Oct. 2002,
Figure added, typos corrected, text edited for clarit
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