431 research outputs found
Lehrer, Mahner und Verteidiger : Der geistige Vaterbegriff in lateinischen Heiligenviten der Spätantike
CLASH-VLT: Is there a dependence in metallicity evolution on galaxy structures?
We investigate the environmental dependence of the mass-metallicty (MZ)
relation and it's connection to galaxy stellar structures and morphologies. In
our studies, we analyze galaxies in massive clusters at z~0.4 from the CLASH
(HST) and CLASH-VLT surveys and measure their gas metallicities, star-formation
rates, stellar structures and morphologies. We establish the MZ relation for 90
cluster and 40 field galaxies finding a shift of ~-0.3 dex in comparison to the
local trends seen in SDSS for the majority of galaxies with logM<10.5. We do
not find significant differences of the distribution of 4 distinct
morphological types that we introduce by our classification scheme (smooth,
disc-like, peculiar, compact). Some variations between cluster and field
galaxies in the MZ relation are visible at the high mass end. However, obvious
trends for cluster specific interactions (enhancements or quenching of SFRs)
are missing. In particular, galaxies with peculiar stellar structures that hold
signs for galaxy interactions, are distributed in a similar way as disc-like
galaxies - in SFRs, masses and O/H abundances. We further show that our sample
falls around an extrapolation of the star-forming main sequence (the SFR-M*
relation) at this redshift, indicating that emission-line selected samples do
not have preferentially high star-formation rates (SFRs). However, we find that
half of the high mass cluster members (M*>10^10Msun) lie below the main
sequence which corresponds to the higher mass objects that reach solar
abundances in the MZ diagram.Comment: Proceedings of IAU Symposium 309, Vienna, ed. B.L. Ziegler, F.
Combes, H. Dannerbauer, M. Verdug
A Hierarchical Diffusion Model Analysis of Age Effects on Visual Word Recognition
Reading is one of the most popular leisure activities and it is routinely
performed by most individuals even in old age. Successful reading enables
older people to master and actively participate in everyday life and maintain
functional independence. Yet, reading comprises a multitude of subprocesses
and it is undoubtedly one of the most complex accomplishments of the human
brain. Not surprisingly, findings of age-related effects on word recognition
and reading have been partly contradictory and are often confined to only one
of four central reading subprocesses, i.e., sublexical, orthographic,
phonological and lexico-semantic processing. The aim of the present study was
therefore to systematically investigate the impact of age on each of these
subprocesses. A total of 1,807 participants (young, N = 384; old, N = 1,423)
performed four decision tasks specifically designed to tap one of the
subprocesses. To account for the behavioral heterogeneity in older adults,
this subsample was split into high and low performing readers. Data were
analyzed using a hierarchical diffusion modeling approach, which provides more
information than standard response time/accuracy analyses. Taking into account
incorrect and correct response times, their distributions and accuracy data,
hierarchical diffusion modeling allowed us to differentiate between age-
related changes in decision threshold, non-decision time and the speed of
information uptake. We observed longer non-decision times for older adults and
a more conservative decision threshold. More importantly, high-performing
older readers outperformed younger adults at the speed of information uptake
in orthographic and lexico-semantic processing, whereas a general age-
disadvantage was observed at the sublexical and phonological levels. Low-
performing older readers were slowest in information uptake in all four
subprocesses. Discussing these results in terms of computational models of
word recognition, we propose age-related disadvantages for older readers to be
caused by inefficiencies in temporal sampling and activation and/or inhibition
processes
West Nile virus antibody prevalence in horses of Ukraine
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus of global importance. Over the
last two decades, it has been responsible for significant numbers of cases of
illness in humans and animals in many parts of the world. In Ukraine, WNV
infections in humans and birds were first reported more than 25 years ago, yet
the current epidemiological status is quite unclear. In this study, serum
samples from over 300 equines were collected and screened in order to detect
current WNV activity in Ukraine with the goal to estimate the risk of
infection for humans and horses. Sera were tested by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and virus neutralization assay (NT) to detect WNV-
specific antibodies. The results clearly revealed that WNV circulates in most
of the regions from which samples were obtained, shown by a WNV seroprevalence
rate of 13.5% of examined horses. This is the first topical report indicating
the presence of WNV infections in horses in Ukraine, and the results of this
study provide evidence of a widespread WNV circulation in this country
an observational study
Background Currently there is no ARDS definition or classification system that
allows optimal prediction of mortality in ARDS patients. This study aimed to
examine the predictive values of the AECC and Berlin definitions, as well as
clinical and respiratory parameters obtained at onset of ARDS and in the
course of the first seven consecutive days. Methods The observational study
was conducted at a 14-bed intensive care unit specialized on treatment of
ARDS. Predictive validity of the AECC and Berlin definitions as well as
PaO2/FiO2 and FiO2/PaO2*Pmean (oxygenation index) on mortality of ARDS
patients was assessed and statistically compared. Results Four hundred forty
two critically-ill patients admitted for ARDS were analysed. Multivariate Cox
regression indicated that the oxygenation index was the most accurate
parameter for mortality prediction. The third day after ARDS criteria were met
at our hospital was found to represent the best compromise between earliness
and accuracy of prognosis of mortality regarding the time of assessment. An
oxygenation index of 15 or greater was associated with higher mortality,
longer length of stay in ICU and hospital and longer duration of mechanical
ventilation. In addition, non-survivors had a significantly longer length of
stay and duration of mechanical ventilation in referring hospitals before
admitted to the national reference centre than survivors. Conclusions The
oxygenation index is suggested to be the most suitable parameter to predict
mortality in ARDS, preferably assessed on day 3 after admission to a
specialized centre. Patients might benefit when transferred to specialized ICU
centres as soon as possible for further treatment
Structural gray matter features and behavioral preliterate skills predict future literacy – A machine learning approach
When children learn to read, their neural system undergoes major changes to become responsive to print. There seem to be nuanced interindividual differences in the neurostructural anatomy of regions that later become integral parts of the reading network. These differences might affect literacy acquisition and, in some cases, might result in developmental disorders like dyslexia. Consequently, the main objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate those interindividual differences in gray matter morphology that might facilitate or hamper future reading acquisition. We used a machine learning approach to examine to what extent gray matter macrostructural features and cognitive-linguistic skills measured before formal literacy teaching could predict literacy 2 years later. Forty-two native German-speaking children underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and psychometric testing at the end of kindergarten. They were tested again 2 years later to assess their literacy skills. A leave-one-out cross-validated machine-learning regression approach was applied to identify the best predictors of future literacy based on cognitive-linguistic preliterate behavioral skills and cortical measures in a priori selected areas of the future reading network. With surprisingly high accuracy, future literacy was predicted, predominantly based on gray matter volume in the left occipito-temporal cortex and local gyrification in the left insular, inferior frontal, and supramarginal gyri. Furthermore, phonological awareness significantly predicted future literacy. In sum, the results indicate that the brain morphology of the large-scale reading network at a preliterate age can predict how well children learn to read
Predictors of survival in critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): an observational study
Number of patients receiving extracorporeal lung assist devices (ELAD) on each day. (DOC 26 kb
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Wafer-level uniformity of atomic-layer-deposited niobium nitride thin films for quantum devices
Superconducting niobium nitride thin films are used for a variety of photon detectors, quantum devices, and superconducting electronics. Most of these applications require highly uniform films, for instance, when moving from single-pixel detectors to arrays with a large active area. Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) of superconducting niobium nitride is a feasible option to produce high-quality, conformal thin films and has been demonstrated as a film deposition method to fabricate superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors before. Here, we explore the property spread of ALD-NbN across a 6-in. wafer area. Over the equivalent area of a 2-in. wafer, we measure a maximum deviation of 1% in critical temperature and 12% in switching current. Toward larger areas, structural characterizations indicate that changes in the crystal structure seem to be the limiting factor rather than film composition or impurities. The results show that ALD is suited to fabricate NbN thin films as a material for large-area detector arrays and for new detector designs and devices requiring uniform superconducting thin films with precise thickness control
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