1,655 research outputs found
Observational Constraints on the Generalized Chaplygin Gas
In this paper we study a quintessence cosmological model in which the dark
energy component is considered to be the Generalized Chaplygin Gas and the
curvature of the three-geometry is taken into account. Two parameters
characterize this sort of fluid, the and the parameters. We use
different astronomical data for restricting these parameters. It is shown that
the constraint agrees enough well with the astronomical
observations.Comment: Accepted by IJMPD; 18 pages; 10 Figure
Expansion Thoracoplasty Affects Lung Growth and Morphology in a Rabbit Model: A Pilot Study
Background: Thoracic insufficiency syndrome represents a novel form of postnatal restrictive respiratory disease occurring in children with early-onset scoliosis and chest wall anomalies. Expansion thoracoplasty improves lung volumes in children with thoracic insufficiency syndrome; however, how it affects lung development is unknown. Questions/purposes: Using a rabbit model of thoracic insufficiency syndrome, we evaluated the effect of expansion thoracoplasty on the response of biologic mechanisms in the alveolar microstructure. Methods: Using archived material from a previous experiment, 10 4-week-old New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: normal (n = 3), disease (n = 3), and treated (n = 4). Left ribs four to eight were tethered in seven rabbits at age 5 weeks to induce hypoplasia of the left hemithorax (disease). At age 10 weeks, four of these rabbits were treated by expansion thoracoplasty (treated). At age 24 weeks, lungs were excised and processed. Alveolar density and parenchymal airspace were measured on histologic sections. Immunohistochemistry was performed for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (angiogenesis), KI-67 (cell proliferation), and RAM-11 (macrophages). Results: Alveolar walls were poorly perfused and airspace fraction was larger (emphysematous) in disease rabbits than normal or treated rabbits. Immunohistochemistry provided inconclusive evidence to support the concept that pulmonary hypoplasia is induced by thoracic insufficiency syndrome and controlled by expansion thoracoplasty. Conclusions: Treatment of thoracic insufficiency syndrome by expansion thoracoplasty may prevent emphysematous changes in the alveolar microstructure, thereby enhancing gas exchange
Uniting cosmological epochs through the twister solution in cosmology with non-minimal coupling
We investigate dynamics of a flat FRW cosmological model with a barotropic
matter and a non-minimally coupled scalar field (both canonical and phantom).
In our approach we do not assume any specific form of a potential function for
the scalar field and we are looking for generic scenarios of evolution. We show
that dynamics of universe can be reduced to a 3-dimensional dynamical system.
We have found the set of fixed points and established their character. These
critical points represent all important epochs in evolution of the universe :
(a) a finite scale factor singularity, (b) an inflation (rapid-roll and
slow-roll), (c) a radiation domination, (d) a matter domination and (e) a
quintessence era. We have shown that the inflation, the radiation and matter
domination epochs are transient ones and last for a finite amount of time. The
existence of the radiation domination epoch is purely the effect of a
non-minimal coupling constant. We show the existence of a twister type solution
wandering between all these critical points.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figs; (v2.) 27 pages, 12 figs, JCAP in pres
EVALUATION OF CONDITIONS CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM. INVESTIGATION INTO THE BASIN OF THE PARSĘTA RIVER
DOI: 10.2478/v10089-008-0021-7
Available on-line at:
http://www.bulletinofgeography.umk.pl
http://versita.com/bgssThe article presents the results of multidimensional evaluation of conditions concerning the development of tourism in rural areas of Parsęta basin. For the purpose the synthetic measure has been applied in reference to 27 variables divided into two groups: suitable for tourism or investing.
Having conducted the analysis of the selected variables, the investigated area was divided into three regions: the seaside at the North with very good conditions for the development of the touristic function as its core function, the central region, highly diversified with only moderate touristic capabilities, and finally the southern region, the lake district, with adequate features for the development of tourism
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Insights into Pathophysiology from Medication-induced Tremor
Background: Medication-induced tremor (MIT) is common in clinical practice and there are many medications/drugs that can cause or exacerbate tremors. MIT typically occurs by enhancement of physiological tremor (EPT), but not all drugs cause tremor in this way. In this manuscript, we review how some common examples of MIT have informed us about the pathophysiology of tremor.
Methods: We performed a PubMed literature search for published articles dealing with MIT and attempted to identify articles that especially dealt with the medication’s mechanism of inducing tremor.
Results: There is a paucity of literature that deals with the mechanisms of MIT, with most manuscripts only describing the frequency and clinical settings where MIT is observed. That being said, MIT emanates from multiple mechanisms depending on the drug and it often takes an individualized approach to manage MIT in a given patient.
Discussion: MIT has provided some insight into the mechanisms of tremors we see in clinical practice. The exact mechanism of MIT is unknown for most medications that cause tremor, but it is assumed that in most cases physiological tremor is influenced by these medications. Some medications (epinephrine) that cause EPT likely lead to tremor by peripheral mechanisms in the muscle (β-adrenergic agonists), but others may influence the central component (amitriptyline). Other drugs can cause tremor, presumably by blockade of dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia (dopamine-blocking agents), by secondary effects such as causing hyperthyroidism (amiodarone), or by other mechanisms. We will attempt to discuss what is known and unknown about the pathophysiology of the most common MITs
UHMWPE/SBA-15 nanocomposites synthesized by in situ polymerization
Different nanocomposites have been attained by in situ polymerization based on ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and mesoporous SBA-15, this silica being used for immobilization of the
FI catalyst bis [N-(3-tert-butylsalicylidene)-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoroanilinato] titanium (IV) dichloride and as
filler as well. Two distinct approaches have been selected for supporting the FI catalyst on the SBA-15
prior polymerization. A study on polymerization activity of this catalyst has been performed under
homogenous conditions and upon heterogenization. A study of the effect of presence of mesoporous
particles and of the immobilization method is also carried out. Moreover, the thermal characterization,
phase transitions and mechanical response of some pristine UHMWPEs and UHMWPE/SBA-15 materials
have been carried out. Relationships with variations on molar mass, impregnation method of catalyst and
final SBA-15 content have been established
Cosmological constraints combining H(z), CMB shift and SNIa observational data
Recently H(z) data obtained from differential ages of galaxies have been
proposed as a new geometrical probe of dark energy. In this paper we use those
data, combined with other background tests (CMB shift and SNIa data), to
constrain a set of general relativistic dark energy models together with some
other models motivated by extra dimensions. Our analysis rests mostly on
Bayesian statistics, and we conclude that LCDM is at least substantially
favoured, and that braneworld models are less favoured than general
relativistic ones.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures; improved discussion, new figures, updated to
match published versio
Testing the viability of the interacting holographic dark energy model by using combined observational constraints
Using the data coming from the new 182 Gold type Ia supernova samples, the
shift parameter of the Cosmic Microwave Background given by the three-year
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations, and the baryon acoustic
oscillation measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and lookback
time measurements, we have performed a statistical joint analysis of the
interacting holographic dark energy model. Consistent parameter estimations
show us that the interacting holographic dark energy model is a viable
candidate to explain the observed acceleration of our universe.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in JCA
Reconstructing the properties of dark energy from recent observations
We explore the properties of dark energy from recent observational data,
including the Gold Sne Ia, the baryonic acoustic oscillation peak from SDSS,
the CMB shift parameter from WMAP3, the X-ray gas mass fraction in cluster and
the Hubble parameter versus redshift. The model with curvature
and two parameterized dark energy models are studied. For the
model, we find that the flat universe is consistent with observations at the
confidence level and a closed universe is slightly favored by these
data. For two parameterized dark energy models, with the prior given on the
present matter density, , with ,
and , our result seems to suggest that the
trend of dependence for an evolving dark energy from a
combination of the observational data sets is model-dependent.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, To appear in JCA
Neural Network Parameterizations of Electromagnetic Nucleon Form Factors
The electromagnetic nucleon form-factors data are studied with artificial
feed forward neural networks. As a result the unbiased model-independent
form-factor parametrizations are evaluated together with uncertainties. The
Bayesian approach for the neural networks is adapted for chi2 error-like
function and applied to the data analysis. The sequence of the feed forward
neural networks with one hidden layer of units is considered. The given neural
network represents a particular form-factor parametrization. The so-called
evidence (the measure of how much the data favor given statistical model) is
computed with the Bayesian framework and it is used to determine the best form
factor parametrization.Comment: The revised version is divided into 4 sections. The discussion of the
prior assumptions is added. The manuscript contains 4 new figures and 2 new
tables (32 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables
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