Performance of IMPACT, CRASH and Nijmegen models in predicting six month outcome of patients with severe or moderate TBI: An external validation study

Background: External validation on different TBI populations is important in order to assess the generalizability of prognostic models to different settings. We aimed to externally validate recently developed models for prediction of six month unfavourable outcome and six month mortality. Methods: The International Neurotrauma Research Organization - Prehospital dataset (INRO-PH) was collected within an observational study between 2009-2012 in Austria and includes 778 patients with TBI of GCS < = 12. Three sets of prognostic models were externally validated: the IMPACT core and extended models, CRASH basic models and the Nijmegen models developed by Jacobs et al - all for prediction of six month unfavourable outcome and six month mortality. The external validity of the models was assessed by discrimination (Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve, AUC) and calibration (calibration statistics and plots). Results: Median age in the validation cohort was 50 years and 44% had an admission GSC motor score of 1-3. Six-month mortality was 27%. Mortality could better be predicted (AUCs around 0.85) than unfavourable outcome (AUCs around 0.80). Calibration plots showed that the o

X-ray Evidence of the Common Envelope Phase of V471 Tauri

Chandra Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrograph observations of the pre-cataclysmic binary V471 Tau have been used to estimate the C/N abundance ratio of the K dwarf component for the first time. While the white dwarf component dominates the spectrum longward of 50 AA, at shorter wavelengths the observed X-ray emission is entirely due to coronal emission from the K dwarf. The H-like resonance lines of C and N yield an estimate of their logarithmic abundance ratio relative to the Sun of [C/N]=-0.38+/-0.15 - half of the currently accepted solar value. We interpret this result as the first clear observational evidence for the presumed common envelope phase of this system, during which the surface of the K dwarf was contaminated by CN-cycle processed material dredged up into the red giant envelope. We use the measured C/N ratio to deduce that 0.015-0.04 Msun was accreted by the K dwarf while engulfed, and show that this is consistent with a recent tentative detection of 13C in the K dwarf photosphere, and with the measured Li abundance in the scenario where the red giant companion was Li-rich during the common envelope phase.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, ApJL accepte

Renormalization group parameter evolution of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with R-parity violation

A comparison of spectra obtained using the 1-loop MSSM and 2-loop R-parity violating MSSM renormalization group equations is presented. Influence of higher loop corrections and R-parity violating terms is discussed. Some numerical constraints on the R-parity violating parameters are also given.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, using RevTE

The bulk correlation length and the range of thermodynamic Casimir forces at Bose-Einstein condensation

The relation between the bulk correlation length and the decay length of thermodynamic Casimir forces is investigated microscopically in two three-dimensional systems undergoing Bose-Einstein condensation: the perfect Bose gas and the imperfect mean-field Bose gas. For each of these systems, both lengths diverge upon approaching the corresponding condensation point from the one-phase side, and are proportional to each other. We determine the proportionality factors and discuss their dependence on the boundary conditions. The values of the corresponding critical exponents for the decay length and the correlation length are the same, equal to 1/2 for the perfect gas, and 1 for the imperfect gas

Meixner class of non-commutative generalized stochastic processes with freely independent values I. A characterization

Let $T$ be an underlying space with a non-atomic measure $\sigma$ on it (e.g. $T=\mathbb R^d$ and $\sigma$ is the Lebesgue measure). We introduce and study a class of non-commutative generalized stochastic processes, indexed by points of $T$, with freely independent values. Such a process (field), $\omega=\omega(t)$, $t\in T$, is given a rigorous meaning through smearing out with test functions on $T$, with $\int_T \sigma(dt)f(t)\omega(t)$ being a (bounded) linear operator in a full Fock space. We define a set $\mathbf{CP}$ of all continuous polynomials of $\omega$, and then define a con-commutative $L^2$-space $L^2(\tau)$ by taking the closure of $\mathbf{CP}$ in the norm $\|P\|_{L^2(\tau)}:=\|P\Omega\|$, where $\Omega$ is the vacuum in the Fock space. Through procedure of orthogonalization of polynomials, we construct a unitary isomorphism between $L^2(\tau)$ and a (Fock-space-type) Hilbert space $\mathbb F=\mathbb R\oplus\bigoplus_{n=1}^\infty L^2(T^n,\gamma_n)$, with explicitly given measures $\gamma_n$. We identify the Meixner class as those processes for which the procedure of orthogonalization leaves the set $\mathbf {CP}$ invariant. (Note that, in the general case, the projection of a continuous monomial of oder $n$ onto the $n$-th chaos need not remain a continuous polynomial.) Each element of the Meixner class is characterized by two continuous functions $\lambda$ and $\eta\ge0$ on $T$, such that, in the $\mathbb F$ space, $\omega$ has representation \omega(t)=\di_t^\dag+\lambda(t)\di_t^\dag\di_t+\di_t+\eta(t)\di_t^\dag\di^2_t, where \di_t^\dag and \di_t are the usual creation and annihilation operators at point $t$

Improved Laboratory Transition Probabilities for Neutral Chromium and Re-determination of the Chromium Abundance for the Sun and Three Stars

Branching fraction measurements from Fourier transform spectra in conjunction with published radiative lifetimes are used to determine transition probabilities for 263 lines of neutral chromium. These laboratory values are employed to derive a new photospheric abundance for the Sun: log $\epsilon$(Cr I)$_{\odot}$ = 5.64$\pm$0.01 ($\sigma = 0.07$). These Cr I solar abundances do not exhibit any trends with line strength nor with excitation energy and there were no obvious indications of departures from LTE. In addition, oscillator strengths for singly-ionized chromium recently reported by the FERRUM Project are used to determine: log $\epsilon$(Cr II)$_{\odot}$ = 5.77$\pm$0.03 ($\sigma = 0.13$). Transition probability data are also applied to the spectra of three stars: HD 75732 (metal-rich dwarf), HD 140283 (metal-poor subgiant), and CS 22892-052 (metal-poor giant). In all of the selected stars, Cr I is found to be underabundant with respect to Cr II. The possible causes for this abundance discrepancy and apparent ionization imbalance are discussed.Comment: 44 pages, 6 figure

Energy metabolism in anaerobic eukaryotes and Earth's late oxygenation

Eukaryotes arose about 1.6 billion years ago, at a time when oxygen levels were still very low on Earth, both in the atmosphere and in the ocean. According to newer geochemical data, oxygen rose to approximately its present atmospheric levels very late in evolution, perhaps as late as the origin of land plants (only about 450 million years ago). It is therefore natural that many lineages of eukaryotes harbor, and use, enzymes for oxygen-independent energy metabolism. This paper provides a concise overview of anaerobic energy metabolism in eukaryotes with a focus on anaerobic energy metabolism in mitochondria. We also address the widespread assumption that oxygen improves the overall energetic state of a cell. While it is true that ATP yield from glucose or amino acids is increased in the presence of oxygen, it is also true that the synthesis of biomass costs thirteen times more energy per cell in the presence of oxygen than in anoxic conditions. This is because in the reaction of cellular biomass with O2, the equilibrium lies very far on the side of CO2. The absence of oxygen offers energetic benefits of the same magnitude as the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic and low oxygen environments are ancient. During evolution, some eukaryotes have specialized to life in permanently oxic environments (life on land), other eukaryotes have remained specialized to low oxygen habitats. We suggest that the Km of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase of 0.1–10 μM for O2, which corresponds to about 0.04%–4% (avg. 0.4%) of present atmospheric O2 levels, reflects environmental O2 concentrations that existed at the time that the eukaryotes arose

Yukawa unification in SO(10) with light sparticle spectrum

We investigate supersymmetric SO(10) GUT model with \mu<0. The requirements of top-bottom-tau Yukawa unification, correct radiative electroweak symmetry breaking and agreement with the present experimental data may be met when the soft masses of scalars and gauginos are non-universal. We show how appropriate non-universalities can easily be obtained in the SO(10) GUT broken to the Standard Model. We discuss how values of BR(b-->s \gamma) and (g-2)_\mu simultaneously in a good agreement with the experimental data can be achieved in SO(10) model with \mu<0. In the region of the parameter space preferred by our analysis there are two main mechanisms leading to the LSP relic abundance consistent with the WMAP results. One is the co-annihilation with the stau and the second is the resonant annihilation via exchange of the Z boson or the light Higgs scalar. A very interesting feature of SO(10) models with negative \mu is that they predict relatively light sparticle spectra. Even the heaviest superpartners may easily have masses below 1.5 TeV in contrast to multi-TeV particles typical for models with positive \mu.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

Characterization of Dobsons instruments within EMRP ATMOZ Project

Presentación realizada en: ATMOZ workshop at 11th RBCC-E, celebrado en El Arenosillo, Huelva, el 1 de junio de 2017