2,260 research outputs found
The point of maximum curvature as a marker for physiological time series
We present a geometric analysis of the model of Stirling. In particular we analyze the curvature of a heart rate time series in response to a step like increment in the exercise intensity. We present solutions for the point of maximum curvature which can be used as a marker of physiological interest. This marker defines the point after which the heart rate no longer continues to rapidly rise and instead follows either a steady state or slow rise. These methods are then applied to find analytic solutions for a mono exponential model which is commonly used in the literature to model the response to a moderate exercise intensity. Numerical solutions are then found for the full model and parameter values presented in Stirling
Iron Opacity and the Pulsar of Supernova 1987A
Neutron stars formed in Type II supernovae are likely to be initially
obscured by late-time fallback. Although much of the late-time fallback is
quickly accreted via neutrino cooling, some material remains on the neutron
star, forming an atmosphere which slowly accretes through photon emission. In
this paper, we derive structure equations of the fallback atmosphere and
present results of one-dimensional simulations of that fallback. The atmosphere
remaining after neutrino cooling becomes unimportant (less than the Compton
Eddington limit) is only a fraction of the total mass accreted (10^-8 of the
accreted mass or 10^-9 solar masses.) Recombined iron dominates the opacity in
the outer regions leading to an opacity 1000-10,000 times higher than that of
electron scattering alone. The resultant photon emission of the remnant
atmosphere is limited to 1/1000th the Compton Eddington Luminosity. The
late-time evolution of this system leads to the formation of a photon-driven
wind from the accretion of the inner portion of the atmosphere, leaving, for
most cases, a bare neutron star on timescales shorter than a year. The
degenerate remnant of 1987a may not be a black hole. Instead, the fallback
material may have already accreted or blown off in the accretion-driven wind.
If the neutron star has either a low magnetic field or a low rotational spin
frequency, we would not expect to see the neutron star remnant of 1987a.Comment: 15 pages text + 8 figures, accepted by Ap
Growth and yield responses to amending the sugarcane monoculture: interactions between break history and nitrogen fertiliser
Experiments were established in the Burdekin Irrigation Area in North Queensland, Australia, to measure whether yield improvements from breaking the sugarcane monoculture or fumigating the soil could be modified by the application of different rates of nitrogen (N) fertiliser. Experiments were conducted in consecutive crop cycles (phase 1, planted 1998; phase 2, planted 2001) using the variety Q117, with the interaction between N applications and rotation histories discussed for the two plant crops. Histories consisted of alternate crop, bare fallow or mixed grass-legume pastures for periods of 42-66 months, compared with continuous cane as plough-out replant without (PORP) or with (PORP-F) soil fumigation. The N strategies involved combinations of N rates (0-180kgN/ha) and application times (at planting, 90 days after planting (DAP) or split between these times) in phase 1 and N rates (0-300kgN/ha) in phase 2. Histories had differing effects on N available to the cane crop and hence on response to N fertiliser. Some combinations of history and N rate were N-limited and strong linear relationships between biomass production or cane yield and crop N content could be developed. Critical N contents for biomass production (R2≤0.93) and fresh-weight cane yield (R2≤0.88) were 1.42 and 0.57kgN/t, respectively. Application of N fertiliser was shown to have significant impacts on both tiller addition and the retention of tillers to produce harvestable stalks. However, the application of fertiliser N had limited (phase 1) or no (phase 2) capacity to provide the quantum of yield response in soil health benefits associated with breaking the sugarcane monoculture. Increasing N application rates above that required to optimise crop yield resulted in significant decreases in sugar content of cane and thus lower sugar yields. Yield increases solely from improved soil health (i.e. exclusive of N response) constituted advantages averaging 15% (phase 1) to 20% (phase 2) compared with PORP. These effects were manifest early in the establishment of primary shoots in the plant crops, although the longevity of these benefits was limited. Replanting cane after a 3-year crop cycle (plant, 1st and 2nd ratoon) on land that had been under pasture, crop, bare fallow or PORP-F histories (phase 2, cycle 2) showed carryover effects of histories on N availability and fertiliser N responsiveness, but limited yield impacts attributable to residual soil health benefits. These results reinforce the importance of crop rotation during breaks between sugarcane cycles to maintain soil health and improve crop productivity
Neuropathic pain develops normally in mice lacking both Na(v)1.7 and Na(v)1.8
Two voltage gated sodium channel α-subunits, Na(v)1.7 and Na(v)1.8, are expressed at high levels in nociceptor terminals and have been implicated in the development of inflammatory pain. Mis-expression of voltage-gated sodium channels by damaged sensory neurons has also been implicated in the development of neuropathic pain, but the role of Na(v)1.7 and Na(v)1.8 is uncertain. Here we show that deleting Na(v)1.7 has no effect on the development of neuropathic pain. Double knockouts of both Na(v)1.7 and Na(v)1.8 also develop normal levels of neuropathic pain, despite a lack of inflammatory pain symptoms and altered mechanical and thermal acute pain thresholds. These studies demonstrate that, in contrast to the highly significant role for Na(v)1.7 in determining inflammatory pain thresholds, the development of neuropathic pain does not require the presence of either Na(v)1.7 or Na(v)1.8 alone or in combination
Gravitational Clustering from Chi^2 Initial Conditions
We consider gravitational clustering from primoridal non-Gaussian
fluctuations provided by a model, as motivated by some models of
inflation. The emphasis is in signatures that can be used to constrain this
type of models from large-scale structure galaxy surveys. Non-Gaussian initial
conditions provide additional non-linear couplings otherwise forbidden by
symmetry that cause non-linear gravitational corrections to become important at
larger scales than in the Gaussian case. In fact, the lack of hierarchical
scaling in the initial conditions is partially restored by gravitational
evolution at scales h/Mpc. However, the bispectrum shows much larger
amplitude and residual scale dependence not present in evolution from Gaussian
initial conditions that can be used to test this model against observations. We
include the effects of biasing and redshift distortions essential to compare
this model with galaxy redshift surveys. We also discuss the effects of
primordial non-Gaussianity on the redshift-space power spectrum and show that
it changes the shape of the quadrupole to monopole ratio through non-linear
corrections to infall velocities.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure
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