The new arbitration law

published_or_final_versio

Multipurpose High Frequency Electron Spin Resonance Spectrometer for Condensed Matter Research

We describe a quasi-optical multifrequency ESR spectrometer operating in the 75-225 GHz range and optimized at 210 GHz for general use in condensed matter physics, chemistry and biology. The quasi-optical bridge detects the change of mm wave polarization at the ESR. A controllable reference arm maintains a mm wave bias at the detector. The attained sensitivity of 2x10^10 spin/G/(Hz)1/2, measured on a dilute Mn:MgO sample in a non-resonant probe head at 222.4 GHz and 300 K, is comparable to commercial high sensitive X band spectrometers. The spectrometer has a Fabry-Perot resonator based probe head to measure aqueous solutions, and a probe head to measure magnetic field angular dependence of single crystals. The spectrometer is robust and easy to use and may be operated by undergraduate students. Its performance is demonstrated by examples from various fields of condensed matter physics.Comment: submitted to Journal of Magnetic Resonanc

Identification and correction of previously unreported spatial phenomena using raw Illumina BeadArray data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A key stage for all microarray analyses is the extraction of feature-intensities from an image. If this step goes wrong, then subsequent preprocessing and processing stages will stand little chance of rectifying the matter. Illumina employ random construction of their BeadArrays, making feature-intensity extraction even more important for the Illumina platform than for other technologies. In this paper we show that using raw Illumina data it is possible to identify, control, and perhaps correct for a range of spatial-related phenomena that affect feature-intensity extraction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We note that feature intensities can be unnaturally high when in the proximity of a number of phenomena relating either to the images themselves or to the layout of the beads on an array. Additionally we note that beads neighbour beads of the same type more often than one might expect, which may cause concern in some models of hybridization. We highlight issues in the identification of a bead's location, and in particular how this both affects and is affected by its intensity. Finally we show that beads can be wrongly identified in the image on either a local or array-wide scale, with obvious implications for data quality.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The image processing issues identified will often pass unnoticed by an analysis of the standard data returned from an experiment. We detail some simple diagnostics that can be implemented to identify problems of this nature, and outline approaches to correcting for such problems. These approaches require access to the raw data from the arrays, not just the summarized data usually returned, making the acquisition of such raw data highly desirable.</p

Pre-pregnancy predictors of hypertension in pregnancy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in north Queensland, Australia; a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Compared to other Australian women, Indigenous women are frequently at greater risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We examined pre-pregnancy factors that may predict hypertension in pregnancy in a cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in north Queensland. METHODS Data on a cohort of 1009 Indigenous women of childbearing age (15–44 years) who participated in a 1998–2000 health screening program in north Queensland were combined with 1998–2008 Queensland hospitalisations data using probabilistic data linkage. Data on the women in the cohort who were hospitalised for birth (n = 220) were further combined with Queensland perinatal data which identified those diagnosed with hypertension in pregnancy. RESULTS Of 220 women who gave birth, 22 had hypertension in the pregnancy after their health check. The mean age of women with and without hypertension was similar (23.7 years and 23.9 years respectively) however Aboriginal women were more affected compared to Torres Strait Islanders. Pre-pregnancy adiposity and elevated blood pressure at the health screening program were predictors of a pregnancy affected by hypertension. After adjusting for age and ethnicity, each 1 cm increase in waist circumference showed a 4% increased risk for hypertension in pregnancy (PR 1.04; 95% CI; 1.02-1.06); each 1 point increase in BMI showed a 9% adjusted increase in risk (1.09; 1.04-1.14). For each 1 mmHg increase in baseline systolic blood pressure there was an age and ethnicity adjusted 6% increase in risk and each 1 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure showed a 7% increase in risk (1.06; 1.03-1.09 and 1.07; 1.03-1.11 respectively). Among those free of diabetes at baseline, the presence of the metabolic syndrome (International Diabetes Federation criteria) predicted over a three-fold increase in age-ethnicity-adjusted risk (3.5; 1.50-8.17). CONCLUSIONS Pre-pregnancy adiposity and features of the metabolic syndrome among these young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women track strongly to increased risk of hypertension in pregnancy with associated risks to the health of babies.Sandra K Campbell, John Lynch, Adrian Esterman and Robyn McDermot

Effect of vegetation cover and sediment type on 3D subsurface structure and shear strength in saltmarshes

Funder: Queen Mary; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100009148Abstract: The vulnerability of saltmarshes to lateral erosion at their margin depends on the local biogeomorphological properties of the substrate. In particular, the 3D architecture of pore and root systems is expected to influence shear strength, with repercussions for the wider‐scale stability of saltmarshes. We apply X‐ray computed microtomography (μCT) to visualize and quantify subsurface structures in two UK saltmarshes at Tillingham Farm, Essex (silt/clay rich substrate) and Warton Sands (sand‐rich substrate), with four types of ground cover: bare ground, Spartina spp, Salicornia spp and Puccinellia spp. We extracted μCT structural parameters that characterize pore and root morphologies at each station, and compared them with field measurements of shear strength using a principal component analysis and correlation tests. The 3D volumes show that species‐dependent variations in root structures, plant colonization events and bioturbation activity control the morphology of macropores, while sediment cohesivity determines the structural stability and persistence of these pore structures over time, even after the vegetation has died. Areas of high porosity and high mean pore thickness were correlated to lower values of shear strength, especially at Tillingham Farm, where well‐connected vertical systems of macropores were associated with current or previous colonization by Spartina spp. However, while well‐connected systems of macropores may lower the local deformation threshold of the sediment, they also encourage drainage, promote vegetation growth and reduce the marsh vulnerability to hydrodynamic forces. The highest values of shear strength at both sites were found under Puccinellia spp, and were associated with a high density of mesh‐like root structures that bind the sediment and resist deformation. Future studies of marsh stability should ideally consider time series of vegetation cover, especially in silt/clay‐dominated saltmarshes, in order to consider the potential effect of preserved buried networks of macropores on water circulation, marsh functioning and cliff‐face erosion

Mock juror perceptions of child witnesses on the autism spectrum: the impact of providing diagnostic labels and information about autism

Research suggests that autistic children can provide accurate and forensically useful eyewitness evidence. However, members of a jury also rely on non-verbal behaviours when judging the credibility of a witness, and this could determine the verdict of a case. We presented mock jurors with videos (from an experimental study) of one of two child witnesses on the autism spectrum being interviewed about a mock minor crime. Results demonstrated that providing jurors with generic information about autism and/or informing them of the child’s diagnostic label differentially affected credibility ratings, but not for both children. Implications for how to present information about child witnesses with autism to a jury – highlighting the need for approaches tailored to individual children – are discussed

Effect of floor type on the performance, physiological and behavioural responses of finishing beef steers

peer-reviewedBackground:The study objective was to investigate the effect of bare concrete slats (Control), two types of mats [(Easyfix mats (mat 1) and Irish Custom Extruder mats (mat 2)] fitted on top of concrete slats, and wood-chip to simulate deep bedding (wood-chip placed on top of a plastic membrane overlying the concrete slats) on performance, physiological and behavioral responses of finishing beef steers. One-hundred and forty-four finishing steers (503 kg; standard deviation 51.8 kg) were randomly assigned according to their breed (124 Continental cross and 20 Holstein–Friesian) and body weight to one of four treatments for 148 days. All steers were subjected to the same weighing, blood sampling (jugular venipuncture), dirt and hoof scoring pre study (day 0) and on days 23, 45, 65, 86, 107, 128 and 148 of the study. Cameras were fitted over each pen for 72 h recording over five periods and subsequent 10 min sampling scans were analysed. Results: Live weight gain and carcass characteristics were similar among treatments. The number of lesions on the hooves of the animals was greater (P < 0.05) on mats 1 and 2 and wood-chip treatments compared with the animals on the slats. Dirt scores were similar for the mat and slat treatments while the wood-chip treatment had greater dirt scores. Animals housed on either slats or wood-chip had similar lying times. The percent of animals lying was greater for animals housed on mat 1 and mat 2 compared with those housed on concrete slats and wood chips. Physiological variables showed no significant difference among treatments. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, the performance or welfare of steers was not adversely affected by slats, differing mat types or wood-chip as underfoot material

Assurance of Distributed Algorithms and Systems: Runtime Checking of Safety and Liveness

This paper presents a general framework and methods for complete programming and checking of distributed algorithms at a high-level, as in pseudocode languages, but precisely specified and directly executable, as in formal specification languages and practical programming languages, respectively. The checking framework, as well as the writing of distributed algorithms and specification of their safety and liveness properties, use DistAlgo, a high-level language for distributed algorithms. We give a complete executable specification of the checking framework, with a complete example algorithm and example safety and liveness properties.Comment: Small fixes to improve property specifications, including improvements not in the RV 2020 final versio

Breed-Specific Hematological Phenotypes in the Dog: A Natural Resource for the Genetic Dissection of Hematological Parameters in a Mammalian Species

Remarkably little has been published on hematological phenotypes of the domestic dog, the most polymorphic species on the planet. Information on the signalment and complete blood cell count of all dogs with normal red and white blood cell parameters judged by existing reference intervals was extracted from a veterinary database. Normal hematological profiles were available for 6046 dogs, 5447 of which also had machine platelet concentrations within the reference interval. Seventy-five pure breeds plus a mixed breed control group were represented by 10 or more dogs. All measured parameters except mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) varied with age. Concentrations of white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils and platelets, but not red blood cell parameters, all varied with sex. Neutering status had an impact on hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), MCHC, and concentrations of WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. Principal component analysis of hematological data revealed 37 pure breeds with distinctive phenotypes. Furthermore, all hematological parameters except MCHC showed significant differences between specific individual breeds and the mixed breed group. Twenty-nine breeds had distinctive phenotypes when assessed in this way, of which 19 had already been identified by principal component analysis. Tentative breed-specific reference intervals were generated for breeds with a distinctive phenotype identified by comparative analysis. This study represents the first large-scale analysis of hematological phenotypes in the dog and underlines the important potential of this species in the elucidation of genetic determinants of hematological traits, triangulating phenotype, breed and genetic predisposition

Molecular Analysis of Precursor Lesions in Familial Pancreatic Cancer

PMCID: PMC3553106This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited