22,807 research outputs found
The orientation-preserving diffeomorphism group of S^2 deforms to SO(3) smoothly
Smale proved that the orientation-preserving diffeomorphism group of S^2 has
a continuous strong deformation retraction to SO(3). In this paper, we
construct such a strong deformation retraction which is diffeologically smooth.Comment: 16 page
From Molecular Cores to Planet-forming Disks with SIRTF
The SIRTF mission and the Legacy programs will provide coherent data bases
for extra-galactic and Galactic science that will rapidly become available to
researchers through a public archive. The capabilities of SIRTF and the six
legacy programs are described briefly. Then the cores to disks (c2d) program is
described in more detail. The c2d program will use all three SIRTF instruments
(IRAC, MIPS, and IRS) to observe sources from molecular cores to protoplanetary
disks, with a wide range of cloud masses, stellar masses, and star-forming
environments. The SIRTF data will stimulate many follow-up studies, both with
SIRTF and with other instruments.Comment: 6 pages, from Fourth Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt-Symposium, The Dense
Interstellar Matter in Galaxie
Effects of SARS on consultations in primary care in Hong Kong
Objective: To study the infection control measures and concerns in primary care practices, and the effects of SARS on primary care consultation using the Leicester Assessment Package (LAP) criteria during the SARS episode in Hong Kong. Design: A postal survey using a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts on the demographic data, infection control precautions taken and concerns of the respondents, and the effect of SARS on consultations. Subjects: Full members and fellows of the HKCFP. Main outcome measures: Infection control precautions including performance of initial screening/triage, by whom and how these were carried out, actions for the triaged patients, use of personal protection equipments (PPE), organisation and format of infection control training of staff and decontamination practice; perceptions of adequacy of protection and areas of concern; and proportion and degree to which consultation skills were affected using the LAP criteria. Results: The response rate was 60%. 71.4% respondents triaged their patients. 85.9% took temperatures of their patients. All respondents wore a mask during consultations. 69.8% organised training for their staff and clinic. Most respondents regularly decontaminated their clinic. 56% felt adequately protected by their infection control precautions and use of PPE but 44% did not. The major concerns were the variable clinical presentations of SARS, the practicability of wearing full protection, and the lack of early and reliable diagnostic tests. The type of practice was found to be a factor affecting the choice of infection control precautions. Consultation skills were found to be affected in ≤ 25% of consultations. History taking, physical examination, management and problem solving were found to be more difficult but relationship with patients and anticipatory care became easier. Conclusion: Choice of infection control precautions was related to the type of practice. The major concerns of primary care physicians were the variable clinical presentations of SARS and the lack of early and reliable diagnostic tests. Consultation skills were affected in ≤ 25% of consultations but patients were found to be more receptive to anticipatory care.published_or_final_versio
Computational algebraic methods in efficient estimation
A strong link between information geometry and algebraic statistics is made
by investigating statistical manifolds which are algebraic varieties. In
particular it it shown how first and second order efficient estimators can be
constructed, such as bias corrected Maximum Likelihood and more general
estimators, and for which the estimating equations are purely algebraic. In
addition it is shown how Gr\"obner basis technology, which is at the heart of
algebraic statistics, can be used to reduce the degrees of the terms in the
estimating equations. This points the way to the feasible use, to find the
estimators, of special methods for solving polynomial equations, such as
homotopy continuation methods. Simple examples are given showing both equations
and computations. *** The proof of Theorem 2 was corrected by the latest
version. Some minor errors were also corrected.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figure
Share Cannabidiol Exposure During Gestation Leads to Adverse Cardiac Outcomes Early in Postnatal Life in Male Rat Offspring.
Introduction: Studies indicate that *7% of pregnant individuals in North America consume cannabis in pregnancy. Pre-clinical studies have established that maternal exposure to D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; major psychoactive component in cannabis) leads to fetal growth restriction and impaired cardiac function in offspring. However, the effects of maternal exposure to cannabidiol (CBD; major non-euphoric constituent) on cardiac outcomes in offspring remain unknown. Therefore, our objective is to investigate the functional and underlying molecular impacts in the hearts of offspring exposed to CBD in pregnancy. Methods: Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to either 3 or 30mg/kg CBD or vehicle control i.p. daily from gestational day 6 to term. Echocardiography was used to assess cardiac function in male and female offspring at postnatal day (PND) 21. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), immunoblotting, and bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) were performed on PND21 offspring hearts. Results: Despite no differences in the heart-to-body weight ratio, both doses of CBD led to reduced cardiac function exclusively inmale offspring at 3 weeks of age. Underlying this, significant alterations in the expression of the endocannabinoid system (ECS; e.g., decreased cannabinoid receptor 2) were observed. In addition, bulk RNA-seq data demonstrated transcriptional pathways significantly enriched in mitochondrial function/metabolism as well as development. Conclusion: Collectively, we demonstrated for the first time that gestational exposure to CBD, a constituent perceived as safe, leads to early sex-specific postnatal cardiac deficits and alterations in the cardiac ECS in offspring
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The connection between galaxy environment and the luminosity function slopes of star-forming regions
We present the first study of GALEX far ultra-violet (FUV) luminosity
functions of individual star-forming regions within a sample of 258 nearby
galaxies spanning a large range in total stellar mass and star formation
properties. We identify ~65,000 star-forming regions (i.e., FUV sources),
measure each galaxy's luminosity function, and characterize the relationships
between the luminosity function slope (alpha) and several global galaxy
properties. A final sample of 82 galaxies with reliable luminosity functions
are used to define these relationships and represent the largest sample of
galaxies with the largest range of galaxy properties used to study the
connection between luminosity function properties and galaxy environment. We
find that alpha correlates with global star formation properties, where
galaxies with higher star formation rates and star formation rate densities
(Sigma_SFR) tend to have flatter luminosity function slopes. In addition, we
find that neither stochastic sampling of the luminosity function in galaxies
with low-number statistics nor the effects of blending due to distance can
fully account for these trends. We hypothesize that the flatter slopes in high
Sigma_SFR galaxies is due to higher gas densities and higher star formation
efficiencies which result in proportionally greater numbers of bright
star-forming regions. Finally, we create a composite luminosity function
composed of star-forming regions from many galaxies and find a break in the
luminosity function at brighter luminosities. However, we find that this break
is an artifact of varying detection limits for galaxies at different distances.Science and Technology Facilities CouncilThis is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw169
Anti-NMDA-R encephalitis: an encephalitis lerthargica-like illness
Posters: no. P14A girl of 3 years and 9 months with a 3-day history of fever and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) was admitted with a generalised tonic-clonic convulsion, and delirium with screaming, non-sense talking, and agitation. For the first week after admission, she was lethargic with fluctuating awareness and mutism during the day but poor sleep at night. Workup for acute encephalopathy including autoimmune, infective, toxicology, metabolic and vasculitic screening showed negative findings. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was markedly elevated and ...published_or_final_versionThe 1st Hong Kong Neurological Congress cum 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Hong Kong Neurological Society, Hong Kong, 6-8 November 2009. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2009, v. 15 n. 6, suppl. 7, p. 47, abstract P1
Thermal burn of palate caused by microwave heated cheese-pie: A case report
A female patient, 36-years-old, complained of bilateral palatal pain on the anatomical area of upper second molars. The painful condition of palatal mucosa erosion was observed. Palatal erosions or ulcerations may be caused by heated food cooked in microwave ovens. We present a case of a bilateral palatal burn caused by cheese-pie. Concluding, any food containing cheese, when heated in microwave oven, may cause palatal burn if eaten immediately
Regulatory assessment of the consultation competence of Family Physicians in Hong Kong
Objective: To evaluate the Consultation Skills Assessment (CSA) component of the Exit Assessment of the Higher Vocational Training Programme of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians with particular reference to content validity and reliability. Design: An observational study in which candidates were directly observed and independently assessed by three assessors in the candidates' own practice setting during which they were expected to consult with six unselected and consecutive patients within two hours of consulting time. Subjects: Eighty-one candidates, 476 patients and 26 assessors (one external). Main outcome measures: Content validity and reliability (contributions to variance and generalisability) of the overall process. Results: Between 1997 and 2003, 81 clinical assessments were carried out. Internal assessors conducted a range of 1-19 assessments and the external assessor was present at 59 assessments (78.7%). The pass rate per CSA diet varied from 25-100%.published_or_final_versio
Odderon in baryon-baryon scattering from the AdS/CFT correspondence
Based on the AdS/CFT correspondence, we present a holographic description of
various C-odd exchanges in high energy baryon-baryon and baryon-antibaryon
scattering, and calculate their respective contributions to the difference in
the total cross sections. We predict that, due to the warp factor of AdS_5, the
total cross section in pp collisions is larger than in p\bar{p} collisions at
asymptotically high energies.Comment: 23 pages, v2: minor changes, to be published in JHE
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