108 research outputs found
Discovering the psychological building blocks underlying climate action—a longitudinal study of real-world activism
FORTE satellite constraints on ultra-high energy cosmic particle fluxes
The FORTE (Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events) satellite records
bursts of electromagnetic waves arising from near the Earth's surface in the
radio frequency (RF) range of 30 to 300 MHz with a dual polarization antenna.
We investigate the possible RF signature of ultra-high energy cosmic-ray
particles in the form of coherent Cherenkov radiation from cascades in ice. We
calculate the sensitivity of the FORTE satellite to ultra-high energy (UHE)
neutrino fluxes at different energies beyond the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK)
cutoff. Some constraints on supersymmetry model parameters are also estimated
due to the limits that FORTE sets on the UHE neutralino flux. The FORTE
database consists of over 4 million recorded events to date, including in
principle some events associated with UHE neutrinos. We search for candidate
FORTE events in the period from September 1997 to December 1999. The candidate
production mechanism is via coherent VHF radiation from a UHE neutrino shower
in the Greenland ice sheet. We demonstrate a high efficiency for selection
against lightning and anthropogenic backgrounds. A single candidate out of
several thousand raw triggers survives all cuts, and we set limits on the
corresponding particle fluxes assuming this event represents our background
level.Comment: added a table, updated references and Figure 8, this version is
submitted to Phys. Rev.
Quintessence arising from exponential potentials
We demonstrate how exponential potentials that could arise in the early
Universe as a result of Kaluza-Klein type compactifications of string theory,
can lead to cosmological solutions which correspond to the currently observed
accelerating Universe. The idea is simple, relying solely on the known scaling
properties associated with exponential potentials. In particular we show that
the existence of stable attractor solutions implies that the results hold for a
wide range of coupling constants and initial conditions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, published versio
Evaluation of delayed timing of artificial insemination with sex-sorted sperm on pregnancy per artificial insemination in seasonal-calving, pasture-based lactating dairy cows
peer-reviewedThe objective was to use ovulation synchronization with timed artificial insemination (TAI) to evaluate the effect of timing of artificial insemination (AI) with frozen sex-sorted sperm on fertility performance in pasture-based compact calving herds. Ejaculates from 3 Holstein-Friesian bulls were split and processed to provide frozen sex-sorted sperm (SS) at 4 × 106 sperm per straw, and frozen conventional sperm at 15 × 106 sperm per straw (CONV). A modified Progesterone-Ovsynch protocol was used for estrous synchronization, with TAI occurring 16 h after the second GnRH injection for cows assigned to CONV, and either 16 h (SS-16) or 22 h (SS-22) for cows assigned to SS. Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted by transrectal ultrasound scanning of the uterus 35 to 40 d after TAI (n = 2,175 records available for analysis). Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine the effects of treatment on pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI). Fixed effects included treatment (n = 3), bull (n = 3), treatment by bull interaction, parity (n = 4), days-in-milk category (n = 3), and treatment by days-in-milk category, with herd (n = 24) included as a random effect. Pregnancy per AI was greater for CONV compared with both SS-16 and SS-22 (61.1%, 49.0%, and 51.3%, respectively), and the SS treatments did not differ from each other (relative P/AI for SS-16 and SS-22 vs. CONV were 80.2% and 84.0%, respectively). There were significant bull and treatment by bull interaction effects. Additional analysis was undertaken using a model that included herd as a fixed effect. This analysis identified marked herd-to-herd variation (within-herd relative P/AI for the combined SS treatments vs. CONV ranged from 48–121%). The tertile of herds with the best performance achieved a mean relative P/AI of 100% (range = 91–121%), indicating that P/AI equivalent to CONV is achievable with SS. Conversely, the tertile of herds with the poorest performance achieved a mean relative P/AI of 67% (range = 48–77%). We found that SS resulted in poorer overall P/AI compared with CONV sperm regardless of timing of AI. Marked variation existed between herds; however, one-third of herds achieved P/AI results equal to CONV. Identification of factors responsible for the large herd-to-herd variation in P/AI with SS, and development of strategies to reduce this variation, warrant further research
Observational Consequences of Evolution of Primordial Fluctuations in Scalar-Tensor Cosmology
Evolution of primordial fluctuations in a Brans-Dicke type scalar-tensor
gravity theory is comprehensively investigated. The harmonic attractor model,
in which the scalar field has its harmonic effective potential in the Einstein
conformal frame and the theory relaxes toward Einstein gravity with time, is
considered. The evolution of adiabatic initial perturbations in flat SCDM
models is examined from the radiation-dominated epoch up to the present. We
discuss how the scalar-tensor gravity affects the evolution of metric and
matter perturbations, mainly focusing on the observational consequences, i.e.,
the matter power spectrum and the power spectrum of cosmic microwave background
temperature. We find that the early time deviation is characterized only by the
large static gravitational constant while the late time behavior is
qualitatively different from that in Einstein gravity because the time
variation of the gravitational constant and its fluctuation have non-negligible
effects. The attracting scalar-tensor gravity affects only small scale modes
due to its attracting nature, the degree of which is far beyond the
post-Newtonian deviation at the present epoch.Comment: 18 page
Multidimensional Conservation Laws: Overview, Problems, and Perspective
Some of recent important developments are overviewed, several longstanding
open problems are discussed, and a perspective is presented for the
mathematical theory of multidimensional conservation laws. Some basic features
and phenomena of multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws are revealed,
and some samples of multidimensional systems/models and related important
problems are presented and analyzed with emphasis on the prototypes that have
been solved or may be expected to be solved rigorously at least for some cases.
In particular, multidimensional steady supersonic problems and transonic
problems, shock reflection-diffraction problems, and related effective
nonlinear approaches are analyzed. A theory of divergence-measure vector fields
and related analytical frameworks for the analysis of entropy solutions are
discussed.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figure
Antipsychotic drugs versus cognitive behavioural therapy versus a combination of both in people with psychosis:a randomised controlled pilot and feasibility study
Summary Background Little evidence is available for head-to-head comparisons of psychosocial interventions and pharmacological interventions in psychosis. We aimed to establish whether a randomised controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) versus antipsychotic drugs versus a combination of both would be feasible in people with psychosis. Methods We did a single-site, single-blind pilot randomised controlled trial in people with psychosis who used services in National Health Service trusts across Greater Manchester, UK. Eligible participants were aged 16 years or older; met ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or delusional disorder, or met the entry criteria for an early intervention for psychosis service; were in contact with mental health services, under the care of a consultant psychiatrist; scored at least 4 on delusions or hallucinations items, or at least 5 on suspiciousness, persecution, or grandiosity items on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS); had capacity to consent; and were help-seeking. Participants were assigned (1:1:1) to antipsychotics, CBT, or antipsychotics plus CBT. Randomisation was done via a secure web-based randomisation system (Sealed Envelope), with randomised permuted blocks of 4 and 6, stratified by gender and first episode status. CBT incorporated up to 26 sessions over 6 months plus up to four booster sessions. Choice and dose of antipsychotic were at the discretion of the treating consultant. Participants were followed up for 1 year. The primary outcome was feasibility (ie, data about recruitment, retention, and acceptability), and the primary efficacy outcome was the PANSS total score (assessed at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 52 weeks). Non-neurological side-effects were assessed systemically with the Antipsychotic Non-neurological Side Effects Rating Scale. Primary analyses were done by intention to treat; safety analyses were done on an as-treated basis. The study was prospectively registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN06022197. Findings Of 138 patients referred to the study, 75 were recruited and randomly assigned—26 to CBT, 24 to antipsychotics, and 25 to antipsychotics plus CBT. Attrition was low, and retention high, with only four withdrawals across all groups. 40 (78%) of 51 participants allocated to CBT attended six or more sessions. Of the 49 participants randomised to antipsychotics, 11 (22%) were not prescribed a regular antipsychotic. Median duration of total antipsychotic treatment was 44·5 weeks (IQR 26–51). PANSS total score was significantly reduced in the combined intervention group compared with the CBT group (–5·65 [95% CI −10·37 to −0·93]; p=0·019). PANSS total scores did not differ significantly between the combined group and the antipsychotics group (–4·52 [95% CI −9·30 to 0·26]; p=0·064) or between the antipsychotics and CBT groups (–1·13 [95% CI −5·81 to 3·55]; p=0·637). Significantly fewer side-effects, as measured with the Antipsychotic Non-neurological Side Effects Rating Scale, were noted in the CBT group than in the antipsychotics (3·22 [95% CI 0·58 to 5·87]; p=0·017) or antipsychotics plus CBT (3·99 [95% CI 1·36 to 6·64]; p=0·003) groups. Only one serious adverse event was thought to be related to the trial (an overdose of three paracetamol tablets in the CBT group). Interpretation A head-to-head clinical trial of CBT versus antipsychotics versus the combination of the two is feasible and safe in people with first-episode psychosis
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