54,466 research outputs found
Punishment in society: the improbable persistence of probation and other community sanctions and measures
The sialate O-acetylesterase EstA from gut Bacteroidetes species enables sialidase-mediated cross-species foraging of 9-O-acetylated sialoglycans
The star-formation history of the universe - an infrared perspective
A simple and versatile parameterized approach to the star formation history
allows a quantitative investigation of the constraints from far infrared and
submillimetre counts and background intensity measurements.
The models include four spectral components: infrared cirrus (emission from
interstellar dust), an M82-like starburst, an Arp220-like starburst and an AGN
dust torus. The 60 m luminosity function is determined for each chosen
rate of evolution using the PSCz redshift data for 15000 galaxies. The
proportions of each spectral type as a function of 60 m luminosity are
chosen for consistency with IRAS and SCUBA colour-luminosity relations, and
with the fraction of AGN as a function of luminosity found in 12 m
samples. The luminosity function for each component at any wavelength can then
be calculated from the assumed spectral energy distributions. With assumptions
about the optical seds corresponding to each component and, for the AGN
component, the optical and near infrared counts can be accurately modelled.
A good fit to the observed counts at 0.44, 2.2, 15, 60, 90, 175 and 850
m can be found with pure luminosity evolution in all 3 cosmological models
investigated: = 1, = 0.3 ( = 0), and
= 0.3, = 0.7.
All 3 models also give an acceptable fit to the integrated background
spectrum. Selected predictions of the models, for example redshift
distributions for each component at selected wavelengths and fluxes, are shown.
The total mass-density of stars generated is consistent with that observed,
in all 3 cosmological models.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Full details
of models can be found at http://astro.ic.ac.uk/~mrr/countmodel
Study of providing omnidirectional vibration isolation to entire space shuttle payload packages
Techniques to provide omnidirectional vibration isolation for a space shuttle payload package were investigated via a reduced-scale model. Development, design, fabrication, assembly and test evaluation of a 0.125-scale isolation model are described. Final drawings for fabricated mechanical components are identified, and prints of all drawings are included
Prognostic significance of short-term blood pressure variability in acute stroke
Background and Purposeâ
Blood pressure variability (BPV) may be an important prognostic factor acutely after stroke. This review investigated the existing evidence for the effect of BPV on outcome after stroke, also considering BPV measurement techniques and definitions.
Methodsâ
A literature search was performed according to a prespecified study protocol. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and quality. Where appropriate, meta-analyses were performed to assess the effect of BPV on poor functional outcome.
Resultsâ
Eighteen studies from 1359 identified citations were included. Seven studies were included in a meta-analysis for the effect of BPV on functional outcome (death or disability). Systolic BPV was significantly associated with poor functional outcome: pooled odds ratio per 10-mm Hg increment, 1.2; confidence interval (1.1â1.3). A descriptive review of included studies also supports these findings, and in addition, it suggests that systolic BPV may be associated with increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage in those treated with thrombolytic therapy.
Conclusionsâ
This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that greater systolic BPV, measured early from ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage onset, is associated with poor longer-term functional outcome. Future prospective studies should investigate how best to measure and define BPV in acute stroke, as well as to determine its prognostic significance.
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The Global Star Formation Rate from the 1.4 GHz Luminosity Function
The decimetric luminosity of many galaxies appears to be dominated by
synchrotron emission excited by supernova explosions. Simple models suggest
that the luminosity is directly proportional to the rate of supernova
explosions of massive stars averaged over the past 30 Myr. The proportionality
may be used together with models of the evolving 1.4 GHz luminosity function to
estimate the global star formation rate density in the era z < 1. The local
value is estimated to be 0.026 solar masses per year per cubic megaparsec, some
50% larger than the value inferred from the Halpha luminosity density. The
value at z ~ 1 is found to be 0.30 solar masses per year per cubic megaparsec.
The 10-fold increase in star formation rate density is consistent with the
increase inferred from mm-wave, far-infrared, ultra-violet and Halpha
observations.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters (in press); new PS
version has improved figure placemen
Identifying Very Metal-Rich Stars with Low-Resolution Spectra: Finding Planet-Search Targets
We present empirical calibrations that estimate stellar metallicity,
effective temperature and surface gravity as a function of Lick/IDS indices.
These calibrations have been derived from a training set of 261 stars for which
(1) high-precision measurements of [Fe/H], T_eff and log g have been made using
spectral-synthesis analysis of HIRES spectra, and (2) Lick indices have also
been measured. Our [Fe/H] calibration, which has precision 0.07 dex, has
identified a number of bright (V < 9) metal-rich stars which are now being
screened for hot Jupiter-type planets. Using the Yonsei-Yale stellar models, we
show that the calibrations provide distance estimates accurate to 20% for
nearby stars.
This paper outlines the second tier of the screening of planet-search targets
by the N2K Consortium, a project designed to identify the stars most likely to
harbor extrasolar planets. Discoveries by the N2K Consortium include the
transiting hot Saturn HD 149026 b (Sato et al. 2005, astro-ph/0507009) and HD
88133 b (Fischer et al. 2005). See Ammons et al. (2005, In Press) for a
description of the first tier of N2K metallicity screening, calibrations using
broadband photometry.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Orthogonal transform feasibility study
The application of various orthogonal transformations to communication was investigated, with particular emphasis placed on speech and visual signal processing. The fundamentals of the one- and two-dimensional orthogonal transforms and their application to speech and visual signals are treated in detail
On the structure of subsets of an orderable group with some small doubling properties
The aim of this paper is to present a complete description of the structure
of subsets S of an orderable group G satisfying |S^2| = 3|S|-2 and is
non-abelian
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