NLTE 1.5D Modeling of Red Giant Stars

Spectra for 2D stars in the 1.5D approximation are created from synthetic spectra of 1D non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) spherical model atmospheres produced by the PHOENIX code. The 1.5D stars have the spatially averaged Rayleigh-Jeans flux of a K3-4 III star, while varying the temperature difference between the two 1D component models ($\Delta T_{\mathrm{1.5D}}$), and the relative surface area covered. Synthetic observable quantities from the 1.5D stars are fitted with quantities from NLTE and local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) 1D models to assess the errors in inferred $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ values from assuming horizontal homogeneity and LTE. Five different quantities are fit to determine the $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ of the 1.5D stars: UBVRI photometric colors, absolute surface flux SEDs, relative SEDs, continuum normalized spectra, and TiO band profiles. In all cases except the TiO band profiles, the inferred $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ value increases with increasing $\Delta T_{\mathrm{1.5D}}$. In all cases, the inferred $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ value from fitting 1D LTE quantities is higher than from fitting 1D NLTE quantities and is approximately constant as a function of $\Delta T_{\mathrm{1.5D}}$ within each case. The difference between LTE and NLTE for the TiO bands is caused indirectly by the NLTE temperature structure of the upper atmosphere, as the bands are computed in LTE. We conclude that the difference between $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ values derived from NLTE and LTE modelling is relatively insensitive to the degree of the horizontal inhomogeneity of the star being modeled, and largely depends on the observable quantity being fit.Comment: 46 pages, 14 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ on April 5, 201

NLTE and LTE Lick indices for red giants from [M/H] 0.0 to -6.0 at SDSS and IDS spectral resolution

We investigate the dependence of the complete system of 22 Lick indices on overall metallicity scaled from solar abundances, [M/H], from the solar value, 0.0, down to the extremely-metal-poor (XMP) value of -6.0, for late-type giant stars (MK luminosity class III, log(g)=2.0) of MK spectral class late-K to late-F (3750 < Teff < 6500 K) of the type that are detected as "fossils" of early galaxy formation in the Galactic halo and in extra-galactic structures. Our investigation is based on synthetic index values, I, derived from atmospheric models and synthetic spectra computed with PHOENIX in LTE and Non-LTE (NLTE), where the synthetic spectra have been convolved to the spectral resolution, R, of both IDS and SDSS (and LAMOST) spectroscopy. We identify nine indices, that we designate "Lick-XMP", that remain both detectable and significantly [M/H]-dependent down to [M/H] values of at least ~-5.0, and down to [M/H] ~ -6.0 in five cases, while also remaining well-behaved . For these nine, we study the dependence of I on NLTE effects, and on spectral resolution. For our LTE I values for spectra of SDSS resolution, we present the fitted polynomial coefficients, C_n, from multi-variate linear regression for I with terms up to third order in the independent variable pairs (Teff, [M/H]), and (V-K, [M/H]), and compare them to the fitted C_n values of Worthey et al. (1994) at IDS spectral resolution.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Tables 6 and 7 available electronically from the autho

Applying Non-Energy Impacts from Other Jurisdictions in Cost-Benefit Analyses of Energy Efficiency Programs: Resources for States for Utility Customer-Funded Programs

Avoided energy and capacity costs are the primary yardstick utilities use to determine which energy efficiency programs are cost-effective for their customers. But sometimes "non-energy impacts" — not commonly recognized as directly associated with energy generation, transmission and distribution — represent substantial benefits, such as improving comfort, air quality and public health.Considering whether and how to include non-energy impacts is an important part of cost-benefit analyses for these programs. This report offers practical considerations for deciding which non-energy impacts to include and how to apply values or methods from other jurisdictions.Researchers reviewed studies quantifying non-energy impacts used in 30 states and applied a five-point system to indicate transferability of a value or method from each study for 16 categories of non-energy impacts:Water resource costs and benefitsOther fuels costs and benefitsAvoided environmental compliance costsEnvironmental impactsProductivityHealth and safety&nbsp;Asset valueEnergy and/or capacity price suppression effectsAvoided costs of compliance with Renewable Portfolio Standard requirementsAvoided credit and collection costsAvoided ancillary servicesComfortEconomic development and job impactsPublic health impactsEnergy security impactsIncreased reliabilityThe U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office supported this work

The rectus sling to prevent loop colostomy retraction: a case series

Diverting stomas are being used increasingly in the management of rectal cancer, particularly with low anterior resection following neoadjuvant therapy. We describe a simple anchorage method for loop colostomy using a rectus fascial sling. This has been used successfully in fifteen patients with no complications or evidence of significant spill over of faecal contents into the efferent loop

A Computational Investigation of Cardiac Caveolae as a Source of Persistent Sodium Current

Recent studies of cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains, called caveolae, reveal that caveolae are reservoirs of “recruitable” sodium ion channels. Caveolar channels constitute a substantial and previously unrecognized source of sodium current in cardiac cells. In this paper we model for the first time caveolar sodium currents and their contributions to cardiac action potential morphology. We show that the β-agonist-induced opening of caveolae may have substantial impacts on peak overshoot, maximum upstroke velocity, and ultimately conduction velocity. Additionally, we show that prolonged action potentials and the formation of potentially arrhythmogenic afterdepolarizations, can arise if caveolae open intermittently throughout the action potential. Our simulations suggest that caveolar sodium current may constitute a route, which is independent of channelopathies, to delayed repolarization and the arrhythmias associated with such delays

La influencia del tiempo de sueño total autorreportado y la calidad del sueño en el desempeño físico de jugadores júnior de tenis

Studies have shown the importance of sleep on tennis skill execution; however, its influence on physical performance metrics is unclear. This study aimed to examine the extent to which sleep duration and sleep quality metrics influence physical performance metrics in junior tennis players. Thirty-six junior tennis players from Australia and Germany completed the Consensus Sleep Diary over seven nights. A novel total sleep score based on current National Sleep Foundation recommendations was generated (calculated as the percentage of the average standardised sleep metrics), for each player. Players’ physical performance was measured using a comprehensive tennis-specific testing battery. This included sit and reach test for flexibility, counter movement jump and overhead medicine ball throw for power, 5-, 10- and 20-metre sprints for speed, tennis agility test for agility and reaction time, grip strength for strength, repeat sprint ability for anaerobic capacity and the Hit and Turn Tennis Test for aerobic capacity. Teenage (14 to 17 years of age) players reported significantly lower sleep duration (471 ± 116 min versus 543 ± 72 min; p <0.001, d = 0.83) and sleep efficiency (90% ± 11% versus 94 % ± 5%; p = 0.011, d = 0.49) metrics than school-aged players. Players with higher self-reported sleep quality had slower reaction times during a tennis agility test (r = 0.604, p = 0.011). However, players who reported feeling more rested and refreshed had faster reaction times during a tennis agility test (r = -0.579, p = 0.020). No other significant associations were present between self-reported sleep metrics and physical performance metrics. Nevertheless, feeling well-rested and refreshed, one of the primary outcomes of sleep, improves reaction time during a tennis-specific agility test. However, physical performance metrics are not significantly influenced by small variations in recommended sleep duration and sleep quality ranges.Diversos estudios demuestran la importancia del sueño en la ejecución de las habilidades en el tenis, sin embargo, su influencia en las métricas del desempeño físico no es clara. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar hasta qué punto las métricas de la duración y calidad del sueño influencian las métricas del desempeño físico en jugadores júnior de tenis. Treinta y seis jugadores júnior de tenis de Australia y Alemania completaron el Diario de Sueño Consensuado durante siete noches. Para cada jugador se creó una nueva puntuación del sueño total basada en las recomendaciones actuales de la Fundación Nacional del Sueño (calculada como el porcentaje de la media de las métricas de sueño estandarizadas). El desempeño físico de los jugadores fue medido con una batería integral de pruebas específicas para el tenis. Las pruebas incluidas fueron la prueba de sentarse y alcanzar para flexibilidad, el salto en contramovimiento y el lanzamiento de balón medicinal sobre la cabeza para la potencia, sprints de 5, 10 y 20 metros para la velocidad, la prueba de agilidad en tenis para la agilidad y el tiempo de reacción, fuerza de agarre para la fuerza, capacidad de repetir sprint para la capacidad anaeróbica y la prueba de golpear y girar en tenis para la capacidad aeróbica. Los jugadores adolescentes (de 14 a 17 años) reportaron métricas significativamente menores en la duración del sueño (471 ± 116 min frente a 543 ± 72 min; p <0,001, d = 0,83) y la eficiencia del sueño (90% ± 11% versus 94 % ± 5%; p = 0,011, d = 0,49) comparadas con las de jugadores en edad escolar. Los jugadores con mayor calidad de sueño autorreportada tuvieron tiempos de reacción más lentos durante la prueba de agilidad en tenis (r = 0,604, p = 0,011). Sin embargo, los jugadores que reportaron sentirse más descansados y renovados tuvieron tiempos de reacción más rápidos durante la prueba de agilidad en tenis (r = -0,579, p = 0,020). No se encontraron otras asociaciones significativas entre las métricas de sueño autorreportadas y las del desempeño físico. No obstante, sentirse descansado y renovado, uno de los resultados principales del sueño, mejora el tiempo de reacción en la prueba de agilidad específica para tenis. Por otra parte, las métricas del desempeño físico no están influenciadas significativamente por las pequeñas variaciones en la duración del sueño y los rangos de calidad del sueño recomendados

Non-LTE Stellar Population Synthesis of Globular Clusters Using Synthetic Integrated Light Spectra. I. Constructing the IL Spectra

Published version.We present an investigation of the globular cluster population synthesis method of McWilliam & Bernstein, focusing on the impact of non-LTE (NLTE) modeling effects and color-magnitude diagram (CMD) discretization. Johnson-Cousins-Bessel U - B, , , and colors are produced for 96 synthetic integrated light (IL) spectra with two different discretization prescriptions and three degrees of NLTE treatment. These color values are used to compare NLTE- and LTE-derived population ages. Relative contributions of different spectral types to the IL spectra for different wavebands are measured. IL NLTE spectra are shown to be more luminous in the UV and optical than LTE spectra, but show stronger absorption features in the IR. The main features showing discrepancies between NLTE and LTE IL spectra may be attributed to light metals, primarily Fe i, Ca i, and Ti i, as well as TiO molecular bands. Main-sequence stars are shown to have negligible NLTE effects at IR wavelengths compared to more evolved stars. Photometric color values are shown to vary at the millimagnitude level as a function of CMD discretization. Finer CMD sampling for the upper main sequence and turnoff, base of the red giant branch, and the horizontal branch minimizes this variation. Differences in ages derived from LTE and NLTE IL spectra are found to range from 0.55 to 2.54 Gyr, comparable to the uncertainty in GC ages derived from color indices with observational uncertainties of 0.01 mag, the limiting precision of the Harris catalog

Morphological and organic spectroscopic studies of a 44-million-year-old leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in amber with endogenous remains of chitin

This study details the quality of preservation of amber deposits in the Eocene. Through Baltic amber crack-out studies using Synchrotron Micro-Computed Tomography and Scanning Electron Microscopy it was found that the cuticle of a specimen of leaf beetle (Crepidodera tertiotertiaria (Alticini: Galerucinae: Chrysomelidae)) is exceptionally well preserved. Spectroscopic analysis using Synchrotron Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy suggests presence of degraded α -chitin in multiple areas of the cuticle, and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy supports the presence of organic preservation. This remarkable preservation is likely the result of several factors such as the favourable antimicrobial and physical shielding properties of Baltic amber as compared to other depositional media, coupled to rapid dehydration of the beetle early in its taphonomic process. We provide evidence that crack-out studies of amber inclusions, although inherently destructive of fossils, are an underutilised method for probing exceptional preservation in deep time

The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Statistically Corrected Operative Risk Evaluation (AAA SCORE) for predicting mortality after open and endovascular interventions

BackgroundAccurate adjustment of surgical outcome data for risk is vital in an era of surgeon-level reporting. Current risk prediction models for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair are suboptimal. We aimed to develop a reliable risk model for in-hospital mortality after intervention for AAA, using rigorous contemporary statistical techniques to handle missing data.MethodsUsing data collected during a 15-month period in the United Kingdom National Vascular Database, we applied multiple imputation methodology together with stepwise model selection to generate preoperative and perioperative models of in-hospital mortality after AAA repair, using two thirds of the available data. Model performance was then assessed on the remaining third of the data by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and compared with existing risk prediction models. Model calibration was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow analysis.ResultsA total of 8088 AAA repair operations were recorded in the National Vascular Database during the study period, of which 5870 (72.6%) were elective procedures. Both preoperative and perioperative models showed excellent discrimination, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of .89 and .92, respectively. This was significantly better than any of the existing models (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for best comparator model, .84 and .88; P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). Discrimination remained excellent when only elective procedures were considered. There was no evidence of miscalibration by Hosmer-Lemeshow analysis.ConclusionsWe have developed accurate models to assess risk of in-hospital mortality after AAA repair. These models were carefully developed with rigorous statistical methodology and significantly outperform existing methods for both elective cases and overall AAA mortality. These models will be invaluable for both preoperative patient counseling and accurate risk adjustment of published outcome data