2,771 research outputs found

    A framework for power analysis using a structural equation modelling procedure

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    BACKGROUND: This paper demonstrates how structural equation modelling (SEM) can be used as a tool to aid in carrying out power analyses. For many complex multivariate designs that are increasingly being employed, power analyses can be difficult to carry out, because the software available lacks sufficient flexibility. Satorra and Saris developed a method for estimating the power of the likelihood ratio test for structural equation models. Whilst the Satorra and Saris approach is familiar to researchers who use the structural equation modelling approach, it is less well known amongst other researchers. The SEM approach can be equivalent to other multivariate statistical tests, and therefore the Satorra and Saris approach to power analysis can be used. METHODS: The covariance matrix, along with a vector of means, relating to the alternative hypothesis is generated. This represents the hypothesised population effects. A model (representing the null hypothesis) is then tested in a structural equation model, using the population parameters as input. An analysis based on the chi-square of this model can provide estimates of the sample size required for different levels of power to reject the null hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS: The SEM based power analysis approach may prove useful for researchers designing research in the health and medical spheres

    Influence of Gamma-Ray Emission on the Isotopic Composition of Clouds in the Interstellar Medium

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    We investigate one mechanism of the change in the isotopic composition of cosmologically distant clouds of interstellar gas whose matter was subjected only slightly to star formation processes. According to the standard cosmological model, the isotopic composition of the gas in such clouds was formed at the epoch of Big Bang nucleosynthesis and is determined only by the baryon density in the Universe. The dispersion in the available cloud composition observations exceeds the errors of individual measurements. This may indicate that there are mechanisms of the change in the composition of matter in the Universe after the completion of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. We have calculated the destruction and production rates of light isotopes (D, 3He, 4He) under the influence of photonuclear reactions triggered by the gamma-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We investigate the destruction and production of light elements depending on the spectral characteristics of the gamma-ray emission. We show that in comparison with previous works, taking into account the influence of spectral hardness on the photonuclear reaction rates can increase the characteristic radii of influence of the gamma-ray emission from AGNs by a factor of 2-8. The high gamma-ray luminosities of AGNs observed in recent years increase the previous estimates of the characteristic radii by two orders of magnitude. This may suggest that the influence of the emission from AGNs on the change in the composition of the medium in the immediate neighborhood (the host galaxy) has been underestimated.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 3 table

    Triton photodisintegration in three-dimensional approach

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    Two- and three- particles photodisintegration of the triton is investigated in a three-dimensional (3D) Faddeev approach. For this purpose the Jacobi momentum vectors for three particles system and spin-isospin quantum numbers of the individual nucleons are considered. Based on this picture the three-nucleon Faddeev integral equations with the two-nucleon interaction are formulated without employing the partial wave decomposition. The single nucleon current as well as π\pi- and ρ\rho- like exchange currents are used in an appropriate form to be employed in 3D approach. The exchange currents are derived from AV18 NN force. The two-body t-matrix, Deuteron and Triton wave functions are calculated in the 3D approach by using AV18 potential. Benchmarks are presented to compare the total cross section for the two- and three- particles photodisintegration in the range of Eγ<30MeVE_{\gamma}<30 MeV. The 3D Faddeev approach shows promising results

    Photodisintegration of the triton with realistic potentials

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    The process γ+tn+d\gamma + t \to n + d is treated by means of three-body integral equations employing in their kernel the W-Matrix representation of the subsystem amplitudes. As compared to the plane wave (Born) approximation the full solution of the integral equations, which takes into account the final state interaction, shows at low energies a 24% enhancement. The calculations are based on the semirealistic Malfliet-Tjon and the realistic Paris and Bonn B potentials. For comparison with earlier calculations we also present results for the Yamaguchi potential. In the low-energy region a remarkable potential dependence is observed, which vanishes at higher energies.Comment: 16 pages REVTeX, 8 postscript figures included, uses epsfig.st

    Radiative decay of a massive particle and the non-thermal process in primordial nucleosynthesis

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    We consider the effects on big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) of the radiative decay of a long-lived massive particle. If high-energy photons are emitted after the BBN epoch (t1103t \sim 1 - 10^3 sec), they may change the abundances of the light elements through photodissociation processes, which may result in a significant discrepancy between standard BBN and observation. Taking into account recent observational and theoretical developments in this field, we revise our previous study constraining the abundance of the radiatively-decaying particles. In particular, on the theoretical side, it was recently claimed that the non-thermal production of 6^6Li, which is caused by the photodissociation of \hefour, most severely constrains the abundance of the radiatively-decaying particle. We will see, however, it is premature to emphasize the importance of the non-thermal production of 6^6Li because (i) the theoretical computation of the 6^6Li abundance has large uncertainty due to the lack of the precise understanding of the 6^6Li production cross section, and (ii) the observational data of 6^6Li abundance has large errors.Comment: 15 pages, using REVTeX and 3 postscript figure

    Geochemical analysis of bulk marine sediment by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Atomic Emission Spectroscopy on board the JOIDES Resolution

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    Geochemical analyses on board the JOIDES Resolution have been enhanced with the addition of a Jobin-Yvon Ultrace inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) as an upgrade from the previous X-ray fluorescence facility. During Leg 199, we sought to both challenge and utilize the capabilities of the ICP-AES in order to provide an extensive bulk-sediment geochemical database during the cruise. These near real-time analyses were then used to help characterize the recovered sedimentary sequences, calculate mass accumulation rates of the different sedimentary components, and assist with cruise and postcruise sampling requests. The general procedures, sample preparation techniques, and basic protocol for ICP-AES analyses on board ship are outlined by Murray et al. (2000) in Ocean Drilling Program Tech Note, 29. We expand on those concepts and offer suggestions for ICP-AES methodology, calibration by standard reference materials, data reduction procedures, and challenges that are specific to the analysis of bulk-sediment samples. During Leg 199, we employed an extensive bulk-sediment analytical program of ~600 samples of varying lithologies, thereby providing several opportunities for refinement of techniques. We also discuss some difficulties and challenges that were faced and suggest how to alleviate such occurrences for sedimentary chemical analyses during future legs

    Quality science from quality measurement: The role of measurement type with respect to replication and effect size magnitude in psychological research

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    Copyright: © 2018 Kornbrot et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The quality of psychological studies is currently a major concern. The Many Labs Project (MLP) and the Open-Science-Collaboration (OSC) have collected key data on replicability and statistical effect sizes. We build on this work by investigating the role played by three measurement types: ratings, proportions and unbounded (measures without conceptual upper limits, e.g. time). Both replicability and effect sizes are dependent on the amount of variability due to extraneous factors. We predicted that the role of such extraneous factors might depend on measurement type, and would be greatest for ratings, intermediate for proportions and least for unbounded. Our results support this conjecture. OSC replication rates for unbounded, 43% and proportion 40% combined are reliably higher than those for ratings at 20% (effect size, w = .20). MLP replication rates for the original studies are: pro- portion = .74, ratings = .40 (effect size w = .33). Original effect sizes (Cohen’s d) are highest for: unbounded OSC cognitive = 1.45, OSC social = .90); next for proportions (OSC cogni- tive = 1.01, OSC social = .84, MLP = .82); and lowest for ratings (OSC social = .64, MLP = .31). These findings are of key importance to scientific methodology and design, even if the reasons for their occurrence are still at the level of conjecture.Peer reviewe

    Photonuclear Reactions of Three-Nucleon Systems

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    We discuss the available data for the differential and the total cross section for the photodisintegration of 3^3He and 3^3H and the corresponding inverse reactions below Eγ=100E_\gamma = 100 MeV by comparing with our calculations using realistic NNNN interactions. The theoretical results agree within the errorbars with the data for the total cross sections. Excellent agreement is achieved for the angular distribution in case of 3^3He, whereas for 3^3H a discrepancy between theory and experiment is found.Comment: 11 pages (twocolumn), 12 postscript figures included, uses psfig, RevTe

    Electromagnetic response functions of few-nucleon systems

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    Inclusive electromagnetic reactions in few-nucleon systems are studied basing on accurate three- and four-body calculations. The longitudinal 4He(e,e') response function obtained at q\le 600 MeV/c completely agrees with experiment. The exact 4He spectral function obtained in a semirealistic potential model is presented, and the accuracy of the quasielastic response calculated with its help is assessed, as well as the accuracy of some simpler approximations for the response. The photodisintegration cross section of 3He obtained with the realistic AV14 NN force plus UrbanaVIII NNN force agrees with experiment. It is shown that this cross section is very sensitive to underlying nuclear dynamics in the E_\gamma\simeq 70-100 MeV region. In particular, the NNN nuclear force clearly manifests itself in this region.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, style file is included, 7 ps figures, to appear in Proc. of the 2nd Int. Conf. on Perspectives in Hadronic Physics, ITCP, Triest, May 1999, World Sci., Singapor
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