706 research outputs found
Comparison of different exoplanet mass detection limit methods using a sample of main-sequence intermediate-type stars
The radial velocity (RV) technique is a powerful tool for detecting
extrasolar planets and deriving mass detection limits that are useful for
constraining planet pulsations and formation models. Detection limit methods
must take into account the temporal distribution of power of various origins in
the stellar signal. These methods must also be able to be applied to large
samples of stellar RV time series We describe new methods for providing
detection limits. We compute the detection limits for a sample of ten main
sequence stars, which are of G-F-A type, in general active, and/or with
detected planets, and various properties. We use them to compare the
performances of these methods with those of two other methods used in the
litterature. We obtained detection limits in the 2-1000 day period range for
ten stars. Two of the proposed methods, based on the correlation between
periodograms and the power in the periodogram of the RV time series in specific
period ranges, are robust and represent a significant improvement compared to a
method based on the root mean square of the RV signal. We conclude that two of
the new methods (correlation-based method and local power analysis, i.e. LPA,
method) provide robust detection limits, which are better than those provided
by methods that do not take into account the temporal sampling.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic
A nutritional protocol and personalized support reduce the cumulative caloric deficit of cardiac surgery patients
Ice core evidence for a 20th century increase in surface mass balance in coastal Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica
Ice cores provide temporal records of surface mass balance (SMB). Coastal areas of Antarctica have relatively high and variable SMB, but are under-represented in records spanning more than 100 years. Here we present SMB reconstruction from a 120 m-long ice core drilled in 2012 on the Derwael Ice Rise, coastal Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Water stable isotope (δ18O and δD) stratigraphy is supplemented by discontinuous major ion profiles and continuous electrical conductivity measurements. The base of the ice core is dated to AD 1759 ± 16, providing a climate proxy for the past  ∼ 250 years. The core's annual layer thickness history is combined with its gravimetric density profile to reconstruct the site's SMB history, corrected for the influence of ice deformation. The mean SMB for the core's entire history is 0.47 ± 0.02 m water equivalent (w.e.) a−1. The time series of reconstructed annual SMB shows high variability, but a general increase beginning in the 20th century. This increase is particularly marked during the last 50 years (1962–2011), which yields mean SMB of 0.61 ± 0.01 m w.e. a−1. This trend is compared with other reported SMB data in Antarctica, generally showing a high spatial variability. Output of the fully coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM) suggests that, although atmospheric circulation is the main factor influencing SMB, variability in sea surface temperatures and sea ice cover in the precipitation source region also explain part of the variability in SMB. Local snow redistribution can also influence interannual variability but is unlikely to influence long-term trends significantly. This is the first record from a coastal ice core in East Antarctica to show an increase in SMB beginning in the early 20th century and particularly marked during the last 50 years
The structure of mouse tumour-necrosis factor at 1.4 Å resolution: towards modulation of its selectivity and trimerization
Guidance on the Selection of Appropriate Indicators for Quantification of Antimicrobial Usage in Humans and Animals
An increasing variety of indicators of antimicrobial usage has become available in human and veterinary medicine, with no consensus on the most appropriate indicators to be used. The objective of this review is therefore to provide guidance on the selection of indicators, intended for those aiming to quantify antimicrobial usage based on sales, deliveries or reimbursement data. Depending on the study objective, different requirements apply to antimicrobial usage quantification in terms of resolution, comprehensiveness, stability over time, ability to assess exposure and comparability. If the aim is to monitor antimicrobial usage trends, it is crucial to use a robust quantification system that allows stability over time in terms of required data and provided output; to compare usage between different species or countries, comparability must be ensured between the different populations. If data are used for benchmarking, the system comprehensiveness is particularly crucial, while data collected to study the association between usage and resistance should express the exposure level and duration as a measurement of the exerted selection pressure. Antimicrobial usage is generally described as the number of technical units consumed normalized by the population at risk of being treated in a defined period. The technical units vary from number of packages to number of individuals treated daily by adding different levels of complexity such as daily dose or weight at treatment. These technical units are then related to a description of the population at risk, based either on biomass or number of individuals. Conventions and assumptions are needed for all of these calculation steps. However, there is a clear lack of standardization, resulting in poor transparency and comparability. By combining study requirements with available approaches to quantify antimicrobial usage, we provide suggestions on the most appropriate indicators and data sources to be used for a given study objective
A fast Monte Carlo algorithm for site or bond percolation
We describe in detail a new and highly efficient algorithm for studying site
or bond percolation on any lattice. The algorithm can measure an observable
quantity in a percolation system for all values of the site or bond occupation
probability from zero to one in an amount of time which scales linearly with
the size of the system. We demonstrate our algorithm by using it to investigate
a number of issues in percolation theory, including the position of the
percolation transition for site percolation on the square lattice, the
stretched exponential behavior of spanning probabilities away from the critical
point, and the size of the giant component for site percolation on random
graphs.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Corrections and some additional material in
this version. Accompanying material can be found on the web at
http://www.santafe.edu/~mark/percolation
Constrains on planets around beta Pic with Harps radial velocity data
Context. The {\beta} Pictoris system with its debris disk and a massive giant
planet orbiting at \simeq 9 AU represents an ideal laboratory to study giant
planet formation and evolution as well as planet-disk interactions. {\beta} Pic
b can also help testing brightness-mass relations at young ages. Other planets,
yet undetected, may of course be present in the system. Aims. We aim at putting
direct constrains on the mass of {\beta} Pic b and at searching for additional
jovian planets on orbits closer than typically 2 AU. Methods. We use high
precision Harps data collected over 8 years since 2003 to measure and analyse
{\beta} Pic radial velocities. Results. We show that the true mass of {\beta}
Pic b is less than 10, 12, 15.5, 20 and 25 MJup if orbiting respectively at 8,
9, 10, 11 and 12 AU. This is the first direct constraint on the mass of an
imaged planet. The upper mass found is well in the range predicted by
brightness-mass relations provided by current "hot start" models. We also
exclude the presence of giant planets more massive than 2.5 MJup with periods
less than 100 days (hot Jupiters), more massive than 9 MJup for periods in the
range 100-500 days. In the 500-1000 day range, the detection limit is in the
brown dwarf domain. Beyond the intrinsic interest for {\beta} Pic, these
results show the possibilities of precise RV measurements of early type,
rapidly rotating stars.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Determinants of Knowledge and Technology Transfer Activities Between Firms and Science Institutions in Switzerland: An Analysis Based on Firm Data
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