56,249 research outputs found
The role of nonthermal electrons in the optical continuum of stellar flares
We explore the possibility that the continuum emission in stellar flares is
powered by nonthermal electrons accelerated during the flares. We compute the
continuum spectra from an atmospheric model for a dMe star, AD Leo, at its
quiescent state, when considering the nonthermal excitation and ionisation
effects by precipitating electron beams. The results show that if the electron
beam has an energy flux large enough, the U band brightening and, in
particular, the U-B colour are roughly comparable with observed values for a
typical large flare. Moreover, for electron beams with a moderate energy flux,
a decrease of the emission at the Paschen continuum appears. This can explain
at least partly the continuum dimming observed in some stellar flares. Adopting
an atmospheric model for the flaring state can further raise the continuum flux
but it yields a spectral colour incomparable with observations. This implies
that the nonthermal effects may play the chief role in powering the continuum
emission in some stellar flares.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX (psfigs.sty), to appear in MNRA
Increasing the Analytical Accessibility of Multishell and Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Data Using Generalized Q-Sampling Conversion
Many diffusion MRI researchers, including the Human Connectome Project (HCP),
acquire data using multishell (e.g., WU-Minn consortium) and diffusion spectrum
imaging (DSI) schemes (e.g., USC-Harvard consortium). However, these data sets
are not readily accessible to high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI)
analysis methods that are popular in connectomics analysis. Here we introduce a
scheme conversion approach that transforms multishell and DSI data into their
corresponding HARDI representations, thereby empowering HARDI-based analytical
methods to make use of data acquired using non-HARDI approaches. This method
was evaluated on both phantom and in-vivo human data sets by acquiring
multishell, DSI, and HARDI data simultaneously, and comparing the converted
HARDI, from non-HARDI methods, with the original HARDI data. Analysis on the
phantom shows that the converted HARDI from DSI and multishell data strongly
predicts the original HARDI (correlation coefficient > 0.9). Our in-vivo study
shows that the converted HARDI can be reconstructed by constrained spherical
deconvolution, and the fiber orientation distributions are consistent with
those from the original HARDI. We further illustrate that our scheme conversion
method can be applied to HCP data, and the converted HARDI do not appear to
sacrifice angular resolution. Thus this novel approach can benefit all
HARDI-based analysis approaches, allowing greater analytical accessibility to
non-HARDI data, including data from the HCP
A Pilot Stability Study of Dehydroepiandrosterone Rapid-dissolving Tablets Prepared by Extemporaneous Compounding
Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation is used to treat a variety of conditions. Rapid-dissolving tablets are a relatively novel choice for compounded dehydroepiandrosterone dosage forms. While rapid-dissolving tablets offer ease of administration, there are uncertainties about the physical and chemical stability of the drug and dosage form during preparation and over long-term storage. This study was designed to evaluate the stability of dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets just after preparation and over six months of storage. The Professional Compounding Centers of America rapid-dissolving tablet mold and base formula were used to prepare 10-mg strength dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets. The formulation was heated at 100°C to 110°C for 30 minutes, released from the mold, and cooled at room temperature for 30 minutes. The resulting rapid-dissolving tablets were individually packaged in amber blister packs and stored in a stability chamber maintained at 25°C and 60% relative humidity. The stability samples were pulled at pre-determined time points for evaluation, which included visual inspection, tablet weight check, United States Pharmacopeia disintegration test, and stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography. The freshly prepared dehydroepiandrosterone rapiddissolving tablets exhibited satisfactory chemical and physical stability. Time 0 samples disintegrated within 40 seconds in water kept at 37°C. The highperformance liquid chromatographic results confirmed that the initial potency was 101.9% of label claim and that there was no chemical degradation from the heating procedure. Over six months of storage, there were no significant changes in visual appearance, physical integrity, or disintegration time for any of the stability samples. The high-performance liquid chromatographic results also indicated that dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets retained \u3e95% label claim with no detectable degradation products. The dehydroepiandrosterone rapid-dissolving tablets investigated in this pilot study were physically and chemically stable during preparation and over six months of storage at 25°C and 60% relative humidity
Optimal Control of Brucellosis in Bison in the Yellowstone National Park Area
Brucellosis is a highly infectious bacterial disease that causes infected females to abort their calves. It has caused devastating losses to U.S. farmers over the last century. The only known focus of Brucellosis left in the nation is wildlife such as bison and elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Vaccination and test-and-slaughter have been applied to brucellosis management in bison, and there has been discussion that a combination of both could potentially eradicate the disease in the Yellowstone National Park. However, there is no study on how to allocate resources between the two actions. This paper investigates the optimal allocation of these two selective management options, in a bioeconomic framework, when there are both existence and recreational values for the wildlife host (bison) and when the host puts the livestock sector at risk.Bioeconomics, brucellosis, disease ecology, epidemiology, optimal control, susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Constraining Dark Energy by Combining Cluster Counts and Shear-Shear Correlations in a Weak Lensing Survey
We study the potential of a large future weak-lensing survey to constrain
dark energy properties by using both the number counts of detected galaxy
clusters (sensitive primarily to density fluctuations on small scales) and
tomographic shear-shear correlations (restricted to large scales). We use the
Fisher matrix formalism, assume a flat universe and parameterize the equation
of state of dark energy by w(a)=w_0+w_a(1-a), to forecast the expected
statistical errors from either observable, and from their combination. We show
that the covariance between these two observables is small, and argue that
therefore they can be regarded as independent constraints. We find that when
the number counts and the shear-shear correlations (on angular scales l < 1000)
are combined, an LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope)-like survey can yield
statistical errors on (Omega_DE, w_0, w_a) as tight as (0.003, 0.03, 0.1).
These values are a factor of 2-25 better than using either observable alone.
The results are also about a factor of two better than those from combining
number counts of galaxy clusters and their power spectrum.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, 10 tables, submitted to PR
ALTKAL: An optimum linear filter for GEOS-3 altimeter data
ALTKAL is a computer program designed to smooth sea surface height data obtained from the GEOS 3 altimeter, and to produce minimum variance estimates of sea surface height and sea surface slopes, along with their standard derivations. The program operates by processing the data through a Kalman filter in both the forward and backward directions, and optimally combining the results. The sea surface height signal is considered to have a geoid signal, modeled by a third order Gauss-Markov process, corrupted by additive white noise. The governing parameters for the signal and noise processes are the signal correlation length and the signal-to-noise ratio. Mathematical derivations of the filtering and smoothing algorithms are presented. The smoother characteristics are illustrated by giving the frequency response, the data weighting sequence and the transfer function of a realistic steady-state smoother example. Based on nominal estimates for geoidal undulation amplitude and correlation length, standard deviations for the estimated sea surface height and slope are 12 cm and 3 arc seconds, respectively
- …