606 research outputs found
Relating Spatial Patterns of Stream Metabolism to Distributions of Juveniles Salmonids at the River Network Scale
Understanding the factors that drive spatial patterns in stream ecosystem processes and the distribution of aquatic biota is important to effective management of these systems and the conservation of biota at the network scale. In this study, we conducted field surveys throughout an extensive river network in NE Oregon that supports diminishing populations of wild salmonids. We collected data on physical habitat, nutrient concentrations, biofilm standing stocks, stream metabolism (gross primary production [GPP] and ecosystem respiration [ER]), and ESAâlisted juvenile salmonid density from approximately 50 sites across two subâbasins. Our goals were to (1) to evaluate network patterns in these metrics, and (2) determine networkâscale linkages among these metrics, thus providing inference of processes driving observed patterns. Ambient nitrateâN and phosphateâP concentrations were low across both subâbasins (\u3c40 Îźg/L). NitrateâN decreased with watershed area in both subâbasins, but phosphateâP only decreased in one subâbasin. These spatial patterns suggest coâlimitation in one subâbasin but N limitation in the other; experimental results using nutrient diffusing substrates across both subâbasins supported these predictions. Solar exposure, temperature, GPP, ER, and GPP:ER increased with watershed area, but biofilm Chl a and ashâfree dry mass (AFDM) did not. Spatial statistical network (SSN) models explained between 70% and 75% of the total variation in biofilm Chl a, AFDM, and GPP, but only 21% of the variation in ER. Temperature and nutrient concentrations were the most supported predictors of Chl aand AFDM standing stocks, but these variables explained little of the total variation compared to spatial autocorrelation. In contrast, solar exposure and temperature were the most supported variables explaining GPP, and these variables explained far more variation than autocorrelation. Solar exposure, temperature, and nutrient concentrations explained almost none of the variation in ER. Juvenile salmonidsâa key management focus in these subâbasinsâwere most abundant in cool stream sections where rates of GPP were low, suggesting temperature constraints on these species restrict their distribution to oligotrophic areas where energy production at the base of the food web may be limited
Strict inequalities of critical values in continuum percolation
We consider the supercritical finite-range random connection model where the
points of a homogeneous planar Poisson process are connected with
probability for a given . Performing percolation on the resulting
graph, we show that the critical probabilities for site and bond percolation
satisfy the strict inequality . We also show
that reducing the connection function strictly increases the critical
Poisson intensity. Finally, we deduce that performing a spreading
transformation on (thereby allowing connections over greater distances but
with lower probabilities, leaving average degrees unchanged) {\em strictly}
reduces the critical Poisson intensity. This is of practical relevance,
indicating that in many real networks it is in principle possible to exploit
the presence of spread-out, long range connections, to achieve connectivity at
a strictly lower density value.Comment: 38 pages, 8 figure
Immunogenetic studies of juvenile dermatomyositis
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66141/1/j.1399-0039.1983.tb00371.x.pd
Brain connectivity using geodesics in HARDI
International audienceWe develop an algorithm for brain connectivity assessment using geodesics in HARDI (high angular resolution diffusion imaging). We propose to recast the problem of finding fibers bundles and connectivity maps to the calculation of shortest paths on a Riemannian manifold defined from fiber ODFs computed from HARDI measurements. Several experiments on real data show that out method is able to segment fibers bundles that are not easily recovered by other existing methods
The repulsive lattice gas, the independent-set polynomial, and the Lov\'asz local lemma
We elucidate the close connection between the repulsive lattice gas in
equilibrium statistical mechanics and the Lovasz local lemma in probabilistic
combinatorics. We show that the conclusion of the Lovasz local lemma holds for
dependency graph G and probabilities {p_x} if and only if the independent-set
polynomial for G is nonvanishing in the polydisc of radii {p_x}. Furthermore,
we show that the usual proof of the Lovasz local lemma -- which provides a
sufficient condition for this to occur -- corresponds to a simple inductive
argument for the nonvanishing of the independent-set polynomial in a polydisc,
which was discovered implicitly by Shearer and explicitly by Dobrushin. We also
present some refinements and extensions of both arguments, including a
generalization of the Lovasz local lemma that allows for "soft" dependencies.
In addition, we prove some general properties of the partition function of a
repulsive lattice gas, most of which are consequences of the alternating-sign
property for the Mayer coefficients. We conclude with a brief discussion of the
repulsive lattice gas on countably infinite graphs.Comment: LaTex2e, 97 pages. Version 2 makes slight changes to improve clarity.
To be published in J. Stat. Phy
Blood concentrations of the cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma during experimentally induced swine dysentery
Segmentation of corpus callosum using diffusion tensor imaging: validation in patients with glioblastoma
Abstract
Background
This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) method for segmenting corpus callosum in normal subjects and brain cancer patients with glioblastoma.
Methods
Nineteen patients with histologically confirmed treatment naĂŻve glioblastoma and eleven normal control subjects underwent DTI on a 3T scanner. Based on the information inherent in diffusion tensors, a similarity measure was proposed and used in the proposed algorithm. In this algorithm, diffusion pattern of corpus callosum was used as prior information. Subsequently, corpus callosum was automatically divided into Witelson subdivisions. We simulated the potential rotation of corpus callosum under tumor pressure and studied the reproducibility of the proposed segmentation method in such cases.
Results
Dice coefficients, estimated to compare automatic and manual segmentation results for Witelson subdivisions, ranged from 94% to 98% for control subjects and from 81% to 95% for tumor patients, illustrating closeness of automatic and manual segmentations. Studying the effect of corpus callosum rotation by different Euler angles showed that although segmentation results were more sensitive to azimuth and elevation than skew, rotations caused by brain tumors do not have major effects on the segmentation results.
Conclusions
The proposed method and similarity measure segment corpus callosum by propagating a hyper-surface inside the structure (resulting in high sensitivity), without penetrating into neighboring fiber bundles (resulting in high specificity)
Corroborating indicates nursesâ ethical values in a geriatric ward
The aim of the study was to identify nursesâ ethical values, which become apparent through their behaviour in the interactions with older patients in caring encounters at a geriatric clinic
Gas exchange and leaf specific mass of different foliar cohorts of the wintergreen shrub Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) stuntz (Eleocarpaceae) fifteen days before the flowering and the fall of the old cohort
Treatment challenges in and outside a network setting: Head and neck cancers
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a rare disease that can affect different sites and is characterized by variable incidence and 5-year survival rates across Europe. Multiple factors need to be considered when choosing the most appropriate treatment for HNC patients, such as age, comorbidities, social issues, and especially whether to prefer surgery or radiation-based protocols. Given the complexity of this scenario, the creation of a highly specialized multidisciplinary team is recommended to guarantee the best oncological outcome and prevent or adequately treat any adverse effect. Data from literature suggest that the multidisciplinary team-based approach is beneficial for HNC patients and lead to improved survival rates. This result is likely due to improved diagnostic and staging accuracy, a more efficacious therapeutic approach and enhanced communication across disciplines. Despite the benefit of MTD, it must be noted that this approach requires considerable time, effort and financial resources and is usually more frequent in highly organized and high-volume centers. Literature data on clinical research suggest that patients treated in high-accrual centers report better treatment outcomes compared to patients treated in low-volume centers, where a lower radiotherapy-compliance and worst overall survival have been reported. There is general agreement that treatment of rare cancers such as HNC should be concentrated in high volume, specialized and multidisciplinary centers. In order to achieve this goal, the creation of international collaboration network is fundamental. The European Reference Networks for example aim to create an international virtual advisory board, whose objectives are the exchange of expertise, training, clinical collaboration and the reduction of disparities and enhancement of rationalize migration across Europe. The purpose of our work is to review all aspects and challenges in and outside this network setting planned for the management of HNC patients
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