809 research outputs found
Relevance of pseudospin symmetry in proton-nucleus scattering
The manifestation of pseudospin-symmetry in proton-nucleus scattering is
discussed. Constraints on the pseudospin-symmetry violating scattering
amplitude are given which require as input cross section and polarization data,
but no measurements of the spin rotation function. Application of these
constraints to p-58Ni and p-208Pb scattering data in the laboratory energy
range of 200 MeV to 800 MeV, reveals a significant violation of the symmetry at
lower energies and a weak one at higher energies. Using a schematic model
within the Dirac phenomenology, the role of the Coulomb potential in
proton-nucleus scattering with regard to pseudospin symmetry is studied. Our
results indicate that the existence of pseudospin-symmetry in proton-nucleus
scattering is questionable in the whole energy region considered and that the
violation of this symmetry stems from the long range nature of the Coulomb
interaction.Comment: 22 pages including 9 figures, correction of 1 reference, revision of
abstract and major modification of chapter 4, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7; addition of
Fig. 8 and Fig.
Supervised wavelet method to predict patient survival from gene expression data.
In microarray studies, the number of samples is relatively small compared to the number of genes per sample. An important aspect of microarray studies is the prediction of patient survival based on their gene expression profile. This naturally calls for the use of a dimension reduction procedure together with the survival prediction model. In this study, a new method based on combining wavelet approximation coefficients and Cox regression was presented. The proposed method was compared with supervised principal component and supervised partial least squares methods. The different fitted Cox models based on supervised wavelet approximation coefficients, the top number of supervised principal components, and partial least squares components were applied to the data. The results showed that the prediction performance of the Cox model based on supervised wavelet feature extraction was superior to the supervised principal components and partial least squares components. The results suggested the possibility of developing new tools based on wavelets for the dimensionally reduction of microarray data sets in the context of survival analysis
Biologia de Opius bellus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) em larvas de Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae).
Specific heat and magnetic measurements in Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3, Nd0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and Ho0.5Ca0.5MnO3 samples
We studied the magnetization as a function of temperature and magnetic field
in the compounds Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3, Nd0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and Ho0.5Ca0.5MnO3. It allowed
us to identify the ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic and charge ordering phases
in each case. The intrinsic magnetic moments of Nd3+ and Ho3+ ions experienced
a short range order at low temperatures. We also did specific heat measurements
with applied magnetic fields between 0 and 9 T and temperatures between 2 and
300 K in all three samples. Close to the charge ordering and ferromagnetic
transition temperatures the specific heat curves showed peaks superposed to the
characteristic response of the lattice oscillations. Below 10 K the specific
heat measurements evidenced a Schottky-like anomaly for all samples. However,
we could not successfully fit the curves to either a two level nor a
distribution of two-level Schottky anomaly. Our results indicated that the peak
temperature of the Schottky anomaly was higher in the compounds with narrower
conduction band.Comment: submitted to PR
Unusual magnetic relaxation behavior in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3
We have carried out a systematic magnetic relaxation study, measured after
applying and switching off a 5 T magnetic field to polycrystalline samples of
La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3. The long time logarithmic relaxation rate
(LTLRR), decreased from 10 K to 150 K and increased from 150 K to 195 K in
La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. This change in behavior was found to be related to the complete
suppression of the antiferromagnetic phase above 150 K and in the presence of a
5 T magnetic field. At 195 K, the magnetization first decreased, and after a
few minutes increased slowly as a function of time. Moreover, between 200 K and
245 K, the magnetization increased throughout the measured time span. The
change in the slope of the curves, from negative to positive at about 200 K was
found to be related to the suppression of antiferromagnetic fluctuations in
small magnetic fields. A similar temperature dependence of the LTLRR was found
for the Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 sample. However, the temperature where the LTLRR reached
the minimum in Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 was lower than that of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. This
result agrees with the stronger ferromagnetic interactions that exist in
Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 in comparison to La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. The above measurements
suggested that the general temperature dependence of the LTLRR and the
underlying physics were mainly independent of the particular charge ordering
system considered. All relaxation curves could be fitted using a logarithmic
law at long times. This slow relaxation was attributed to the coexistence of
ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn ions, which
produced a distribution of energy barriers.Comment: Accepted to PRB as a regular article, 10 figures, Scheduled Issue: 01
June 200
Neutrophil to lymphocyte count ratio as an early indicator of blood stream infection in the emergency department
Objectives Early identification of patients with blood stream infection (BSI), especially bacteraemia, is important as prompt treatment improves outcome. The initial stages of severe infection may be characterised by increased numbers of neutrophils in the peripheral blood and depression of the lymphocyte count (LC). The neutrophil to LC ratio (NLCR) has previously been compared with conventional tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and white cell count (WCC), and has been proposed as a useful marker in the timely diagnosis of bacteraemia.
Methods Data on consecutive adult patients presenting to the emergency department with pyrexial illness during the study period, November 2009 to October 2010, were analysed. The main outcome measure was positive blood cultures (bacteraemia). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios were determined for NLCR, CRP, WCC, neutrophil count and LC.
Results 1954 patients met the inclusion criteria. Blood cultures were positive in 270 patients, hence the prevalence of bacteraemia was 13.8%. With the exception of WCC, there were significant differences in the mean value for each marker between bacteraemic and non-bacteraemic patients (p<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was highest for NLCR (0.72; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.75) and LC (0.71; 0.68 to 0.74) and lowest for WCC (0.54; 0.40 to 0.57). The sensitivity and specificity of NLCR for predicting bacteraemia were 70% (64% to 75%) and 57% (55% to 60%), respectively. Positive and negative predictive values for NLCR were 0.20 (0.18 to 0.23) and 0.92 (0.91 to 0.94), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 1.63 (1.48 to 1.79) and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.53 (0.44 to 0.64).
Conclusions Although NLCR outperforms conventional markers of infection, it is insufficient in itself to guide clinical management of patients with suspected BSI, and it offers no advantage over LC. However, it may offer some diagnostic utility when taken into account as part of the overall assessment
'Diverse mobilities': second-generation Greek-Germans engage with the homeland as children and as adults
This paper is about the children of Greek labour migrants in Germany. We focus on two life-stages of ‘return’ for this second generation: as young children brought to Greece on holidays or sent back for longer periods, and as young adults exercising an independent ‘return’ migration. We draw both on literature and on our own field interviews with 50 first- and second-generation Greek-Germans. We find the practise of sending young children back to Greece to have been surprisingly widespread yet little documented. Adult relocation to the parental homeland takes place for five reasons: (i) a ‘search for self’; (ii) attraction of the Greek way of life; (iii) the actualisation of the ‘family narrative of return’ by the second, rather than the first, generation; (iv) life-stage events such as going to university or marrying a Greek; (v) escape from a traumatic event or oppressive family situation. Yet the return often brings difficulties, disillusionment, identity reappraisal, and a re-evaluation of the German context
Floristic overview of the epiphytic bryophytes of terra firme forests across the Amazon basin
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