Approximation of Random Slow Manifolds and Settling of Inertial Particles under Uncertainty

A method is provided for approximating random slow manifolds of a class of slow-fast stochastic dynamical systems. Thus approximate, low dimensional, reduced slow systems are obtained analytically in the case of sufficiently large time scale separation. To illustrate this dimension reduction procedure, the impact of random environmental fluctuations on the settling motion of inertial particles in a cellular flow field is examined. It is found that noise delays settling for some particles but enhances settling for others. A deterministic stable manifold is an agent to facilitate this phenomenon. Overall, noise appears to delay the settling in an averaged sense.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Hydrogen content in doped and undoped BaPrO3 and BaCeO3 by cold neutron prompt-gamma activation analysis

Proton uptake in undoped and Y-doped BaPrO3 has been measured by cold neutron prompt-gamma activation analysis, and compared to the proton uptake in Gd-doped BaCeO3, as determined by the same technique. The conventional proton incorporation model of perovskites in which oxygen ion vacancies, generated by the introduction of the trivalent dopant onto the tetravalent perovskite site, are filled with hydroxyl groups upon exposure of the sample to H2O containing atmospheres, predicts that the proton concentration in such materials should be no greater than the dopant concentration. In contradiction to this model, the proton concentration in BaPr1–xYxO3 after humidification is as much as three times greater than the dopant concentration, and even undoped samples contain a high concentration of protons. Moreover, x-ray photoemission spectra suggest that the Pr oxidation state is lowered upon hydration. In contrast, BaCe0.9Y0.1O3 shows a typical hydrogen concentration, of close to 90% of the yttrium concentration. The results are interpreted in terms of the variable valence of Pr, which can become reduced from the 4+ to the 3+ oxidation state upon exposure to water, and effectively behaves as a self-dopant within the structure

Does Search Matter? Using Clickstream Data to Examine the Relationship between Online Search and Purchase Behavior

One of the most frequently used cues of the likelihood to purchase in a brick-and-mortar setting is the searching and browsing behavior of consumers. Retail sales employees are often trained to examine a consumer’s searching behavior in determining their likelihood to purchase. It would seem, therefore, that such a similar correlation should occur in the online setting. Namely, consumes’r search behavior should be related to their likelihood to purchase. However, does search behavior offer any information in the online setting? It is this question that we explore in this paper. In addition, we investigate how the relationship between search and purchase behavior differs at different levels of analysis, extended search, and session-level search. We find that in the aggregate, when taking extended search into account, search breadth and depth are both positively associated with purchase behavior, suggesting that the extended search process is positively associated with purchase behavior. When we drill down to the session level, separating the sessions by person, we find that search breadth is negatively associated with amount spent online, whereas search depth is positively associated with amount spent online. These results show that a relationship exists between search behavior and purchase behavior. In addition, the results suggest that firms should examine both extended search and session-level search when assessing their consumer base

Pharmacological Treatment of Postprandial Reductions in Blood Pressure : A Systematic Review

Funded by The Dunhill Medical Trust. Grant Number: RTF14/0110Peer reviewedPostprin

Tonic facilitation of glutamate release by presynaptic NR2B-containing NMDA receptors is increased in the entorhinal cortex of chronically epileptic rats

We have shown previously that when postsynaptic NMDA receptors are blocked, the frequency, but not amplitude, of spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) at synapses in the entorhinal cortex is reduced by NMDA receptor antagonists, demonstrating that glutamate release is tonically facilitated by presynaptic NMDA autoreceptors. In the present study, we recorded sEPSCs using whole-cell voltage clamp in neurons in layer V in slices of the rat entorhinal cortex. Using specific antagonists for NR2A [(R)-[(S)-1-(4-bromo-phenyl)-ethylamino]-(2,3- dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalin-5-yl)-methyl]-phosphonic acid] and NR2B [(αR,βS)-α-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-β-methyl-4-(phenylmethyl) -1-piperidinepropanol hydrochloride (Ro 25-6981)] subunit-containing receptors, we confirmed that in slices from juvenile rats (4-6 weeks of age), the autoreceptor is predominantly of the NR1-NR2B subtype. In older (4-6 months of age) control animals, the effect of the NR2B antagonist was less marked, suggesting a decline in autoreceptor function with development. In slices from rats (aged 4-6 months) exhibiting spontaneous recurrent seizures induced with a lithium-pilocarpine protocol, Ro 25-6981 again robustly reduced sEPSC frequency. The effect was equal to or greater than that seen in the juvenile slices and much more pronounced than that seen in the age-matched control animals. In all three groups, the NR2A antagonist was without effect on sEPSCs. These results suggest that there is a developmental decrease in NMDA autoreceptor function, which is reversed in a chronic epileptic condition. The enhanced autoreceptor function may contribute to seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis in temporal lobe structures

Student Self-Efficacy Levels for Performing Clinical Skills Learned Virtually During a Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to explore student self-efficacy for performance of clinical skills learned virtually, the effectiveness of teaching clinical skills online, the relationships between students’ feelings of self-efficacy and the performance of clinical skills, and the students’ perspectives of learning clinical skills virtually. This is a one-group mixed methods study that included twenty-one Master of Occupational Therapy students. Self-efficacy was measured using the Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (L-SES), performance was measured using an instructor-created rubric, and qualitative data was collected using open-ended questions. Students presented with higher levels of self-efficacy for range of motion (ROM) than manual muscle testing (MMT). For MMT, self-efficacy ratings in the Affective Domain were statistically significantly higher than those in the Cognitive and Psychomotor Domains. There were no relationships between L-SES scores and the physical competency exam score. Common themes identified were factors that increased self-efficacy and factors that decreased self-efficacy. This study provides foundational evidence supporting the use of multi-media resources to teach clinical skills virtually and supports online instruction as an effective method for teaching clinical skills and for promoting sufficient self-efficacy for performance of clinical skills

Verrucosispora fiedleri sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a fjord sediment which synthesizes proximicins

A novel filamentous actinobacterial organism, designated strain MG-37T, was isolated from a Norwegian fjord sediment and examined using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The organism was determined to have chemotaxonomic and morphological properties consistent with its classification in the genus Verrucosispora and formed a distinct phyletic line in the Verrucosispora 16S rRNA gene tree. It was most closely related to Verrucosispora maris DSM 45365T (99.5 % 16S rRNA gene similarity) and Verrucosispora gifhornensis DSM 44337T (99.4 % 16S rRNA gene similarity) but was distinguished from these strains based on low levels of DNA:DNA relatedness (~56 and ~50 %, respectively). It was readily delineated from all of the type strains of Verrucosispora species based on a combination of phenotypic properties. Isolate MG-37T (=NCIMB 14794T = NRRL-B-24892T) should therefore be classified as the type strain of a novel species of Verrucosispora for which the name Verrucosispora fiedleri is proposed

Direct Measurement of the HI-Halo Mass Relation through Stacking

We present accurate measurements of the total HI mass in dark matter halos of different masses at z ~ 0, by stacking the HI spectra of entire groups from the Arecibo Fast Legacy ALFA Survey. The halos are selected from the optical galaxy group catalog constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7 Main Galaxy sample, with reliable measurements of halo mass and halo membership. We find that the HI-halo mass relation is not a simple monotonic function, as assumed in several theoretical models. In addition to the dependence of halo mass, the total HI gas mass shows strong dependence on the halo richness, with larger HI masses in groups with more members at fixed halo masses. Moreover, halos with at least three member galaxies in the group catalog have a sharp decrease of the HI mass, potentially caused by the virial halo shock-heating and the AGN feedback. The dominant contribution of the HI gas comes from the central galaxies for halos of $M<10^{12.5}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$, while the satellite galaxies dominate over more massive halos. Our measurements are consistent with a three-phase formation scenario of the HI-rich galaxies. The smooth cold gas accretion is driving the HI mass growth in halos of $M<10^{11.8}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$, with late-forming halos having more HI accreted. The virial halo shock-heating and AGN feedback will take effect to reduce the HI supply in halos of $10^{11.8}h^{-1}M_{\odot}<M<10^{13}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$. The HI mass in halos more massive than $10^{13}h^{-1}M_{\odot}$ generally grows by mergers, with the dependence on halo richness becoming much weaker.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap