4,880 research outputs found
Use of breath hydrogen and methane as markers of colonic fermentation in epidemiologic studies: circadian patterns of excretion.
Fermentation in the large bowel has been postulated to play a protective role against colon cancer. Hydrogen and methane are end products of this fermentation process and are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via expired air in the breath. Breath levels of hydrogen and, to a lesser extent, methane correlate strongly with colonic fermentation and may serve as useful biomarkers for this process. In a preliminary study to assess the usefulness of these two markers in epidemiologic studies, we followed the hourly excretion of the two gases in expired alveolar air for 48 hr in 20 healthy subjects, using a Quintron gas chromatograph equipped with a solid-state detector specific for reducing gases. All subjects excreted hydrogen, but 71% did not excrete methane. Possible atmospheric contamination of the samples was corrected for on the basis of breath carbon dioxide levels. A clear circadian pattern of excretion was observed for breath hydrogen, with a decrease during the early morning followed by a progressive increase during the rest of the day. Methane excretion was constant throughout the day. This study shows that four samples collected at convenient times (0600, 1300, 1800, and 2200 hr) are optimal to characterize individuals by their breath excretions of hydrogen and methane during a 24-hr period
Quantized Roentgen Effect in Bose-Einstein Condensates
A classical dielectric moving in a charged capacitor can create a magnetic
field (Roentgen effect). A quantum dielectric, however, will not produce a
magnetization, except at vortices. The magnetic field outside the quantum
dielectric appears as the field of quantized monopoles
Physical Properties of a Set of Sandstones, III: the Effects Of Fine Grained Pore Filling Material on Compressional Wave Velocity
We have used aspect ratio modeling to explain the measured compressional
wave velocities of twenty different dry sandstone samples with varying clay
contents at a single confining pressure of 0.5 kbar. Velocities of the sandstones
range between 3.1 km/sec and 5.7 km/sec. Measured porosities are between 6%
and 33%, clay contents between 2% and 30%. Pores were described using three
simple type classifications. The pore type distributions of the samples were
quantified by point counting polished impregnated thin sections using a scanning
electron microscope. A representative aspect-ratio was assigned to each of the
three categories of pore type. Velocities were modeled using these aspect ratios
weighted by the observed distribution of the porosity types. Agreement between
theoretical and measured velocities is generally within 10%. The modeling suggests
that the effects of clays in sandstone pores is to reduce the sample porosity without
reducing the non-framework (void + clay) volume. Thus, for a given porosity, clay rich
samples contain greater non-framework volume, which in turn lowers velocity. The
model derived from the dry measurements can be used to successfully approximate
empirical relationships for saturated samples of velocity-porosity-clay content taken
from the literature.Schlumberger-Doll Research CenterSchlumberger Foundation. Post-Doctoral Fellowshi
Paleoenvironmental Changes at ODP Site 702 (South Atlantic): Anatomy of the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum
The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) was an unusual global warming event that interrupted the long-term Eocene cooling trend ca. 40 Ma. Here we present new high-resolution bulk and benthic isotope records from South Atlantic ODP Site 702 to characterize the MECO at a high latitude setting. The MECO event, including early and peak warming as well as recovery to background levels, had an estimated ~300 Kyr duration (~40.51 to ~40.21 Ma). Cross-plots (delta O-18 vs. delta C-13) suggest that the mechanisms driving coupled changes in O and C isotope values across the MECO were weaker or absent before the event. The paleoecological response has been evaluated by quantitative analysis of calcareous nannofossils and benthic foraminifera assemblages. We document a shift in the biogeographical distribution of warm and temperate calcareous nannoplankton taxa, which migrated toward higher latitudes due to increased temperatures during the MECO. Conversely, changes in the organic matter flux to the seafloor appear to have controlled benthic foraminifera dynamics at Site 702. Benthic phytodetritus exploiting taxa increased in abundance coinciding with a positive delta C-13 excursion, ~150 Kyr before the start of the delta O-18 negative excursion that marks the start of MECO warming. Our data suggest that paleoecological disturbance in the deep sea predates MECO delta O-18 excursion and that it was driven by changes in the type and/or amount of organic matter reaching the seafloor rather than by increased temperature
Laboratory Studies Of The Acoustic Properties Of Samples From The Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project And Their Relation To Microstructure And Field Measurements
Compressional and shear wave velocities were measured at confining pressures up to
200 MPa for twelve core samples from the depth interval of 600 to 2600 m in the California State 2-14 borehole. Samples were selected to represent the various lithologies, including clean, heavily cemented sandstones, altered, impermeable claystones, and several intermediate siltstones. Velocities measured at ultrasonic frequencies in the laboratory correspond closely with velocities determined from acoustic waveform logs and vertical seismic profiles. The samples exhibit P-wave velocities around 3.5 km/sec at depths above 1250 m, but increase to nearly 5.0 km/sec at 1300 m in depth. Further increases with depth result in compressional wave velocity increasing to nearly 6.0 km/sec. These increases in velocities are related to systematic variations in lithology, microstructure and hydrothermal alteration of originally clay-rich sediments. Scanning electron microscope observations of core samples confirm that local core velocities are determined by the combined effects of pore size distributions, and the proportion of clays and alteration minerals such as epidote present in the form of pore fillings and veins.United States. Dept. of the Interior. Geological Survey (Grant 14-08-001A-0328)Elf-Aquitaine (Postdoctoral Fellowship
Quantum Games and Quantum Strategies
We investigate the quantization of non-zero sum games. For the particular
case of the Prisoners' Dilemma we show that this game ceases to pose a dilemma
if quantum strategies are allowed for. We also construct a particular quantum
strategy which always gives reward if played against any classical strategy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, typographic sign error in the definition of the
operator J correcte
Conservazione e valorizzazione delle grotte sarde: biodiversit\ue0 e ruolo socio-economico-culturale
Stima del valore economico del bene grotta e individuazione del target di fruitore; studio dei percorsi turistici per ottimizzare il numero dei visitatori per la salvaguardia del bene ambientale grotta, Stima della Capacit\ue0 di Carico turistica. Modello di una ottima fruizione di una grotta modello. Modello complesso di integrazione tra beni culturali, enogastronomici, ambientali e demo-etno-antropologici. Studio e creazione di network degli interessi
Pseudorapidity Distribution of Charged Particles in PbarP Collisions at root(s)= 630GeV
Using a silicon vertex detector, we measure the charged particle
pseudorapidity distribution over the range 1.5 to 5.5 using data collected from
PbarP collisions at root s = 630 GeV. With a data sample of 3 million events,
we deduce a result with an overall normalization uncertainty of 5%, and typical
bin to bin errors of a few percent. We compare our result to the measurement of
UA5, and the distribution generated by the Lund Monte Carlo with default
settings. This is only the second measurement at this level of precision, and
only the second measurement for pseudorapidity greater than 3.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX format. For ps file see
http://hep1.physics.wayne.edu/harr/harr.html Submitted to Physics Letters
Moving Atom-Field Interaction: Correction to Casimir-Polder Effect from Coherent Back-action
The Casimir-Polder force is an attractive force between a polarizable atom
and a conducting or dielectric boundary. Its original computation was in terms
of the Lamb shift of the atomic ground state in an electromagnetic field (EMF)
modified by boundary conditions along the wall and assuming a stationary atom.
We calculate the corrections to this force due to a moving atom, demanding
maximal preservation of entanglement generated by the moving atom-conducting
wall system. We do this by using non-perturbative path integral techniques
which allow for coherent back-action and thus can treat non-Markovian
processes. We recompute the atom-wall force for a conducting boundary by
allowing the bare atom-EMF ground state to evolve (or self-dress) into the
interacting ground state. We find a clear distinction between the cases of
stationary and adiabatic motions. Our result for the retardation correction for
adiabatic motion is up to twice as much as that computed for stationary atoms.
We give physical interpretations of both the stationary and adiabatic atom-wall
forces in terms of alteration of the virtual photon cloud surrounding the atom
by the wall and the Doppler effect.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, clarified discussions; to appear in Phys. Rev.
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