2,060 research outputs found
Triton's surface age and impactor population revisited in light of Kuiper Belt fluxes: Evidence for small Kuiper Belt objects and recent geological activity
Neptune's largest satellite, Triton, is one of the most fascinating and
enigmatic bodies in the solar system. Among its numerous interesting traits,
Triton appears to have far fewer craters than would be expected if its surface
was primordial. Here we combine the best available crater count data for Triton
with improved estimates of impact rates by including the Kuiper Belt as a
source of impactors. We find that the population of impactors creating the
smallest observed craters on Triton must be sub-km in scale, and that this
small-impactor population can be best fit by a differential power-law size
index near -3. Such results provide interesting, indirect probes of the unseen
small body population of the Kuiper Belt. Based on the modern, Kuiper Belt and
Oort Cloud impactor flux estimates, we also recalculate estimated ages for
several regions of Triton's surface imaged by Voyager 2, and find that Triton
was probably active on a time scale no greater than 0.1-0.3 Gyr ago (indicating
Triton was still active after some 90% to 98% of the age of the solar system),
and perhaps even more recently. The time-averaged volumetric resurfacing rate
on Triton implied by these results, 0.01 km yr or more, is likely
second only to Io and Europa in the outer solar system, and is within an order
of magnitude of estimates for Venus and for the Earth's intraplate zones. This
finding indicates that Triton likely remains a highly geologically active world
at present, some 4.5 Gyr after its formation. We briefly speculate on how such
a situation might obtain.Comment: 14 pages (TeX), plus 2 postscript figures Stern & McKinnon, 2000, AJ,
in pres
Correlation between peroxisome proliferation and up-regulation of cytochrome P450 CYP4A and peroxisomal beta-Oxidation fatty acyl CoA oxidases (AOX) in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Peroxisomes are membrane bound cytoplasmic organelles that are involved in lipid metabolism and other biological functions. In rat and mouse, profound xenobiotic-induced peroxisome proliferation has been reported, with a marked increase in number and size of peroxisomes in liver parenchymal cells and induction of lipid metabolising enzymes, in particular cytochrome P450 CYP4A and peroxisomal -oxidation palmitoyl CoA oxidases (AOX1). The present study investigates whether the previously observed higher hepatic CYP4A and AOX1 expression in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a unique Australian marsupial, compared with rat and human is associated with peroxisome proliferation. Visualisation and quantification of peroxisomes were performed on liver samples from three koalas utilising transmission electron microscopy, with rat and bandicoot livers being used for comparative purposes. Numerous catalase positive peroxisomes, which clearly stand out by their black single membrane globular structures, were detected in all test ultra-thin sections from koala livers. A higher average number of peroxisomes per hepatocyte was observed for the koala, an obligate eucalyptus feeder, compared with non-eucalyptus feeders rat and bandicoot. No species differences in the average size of peroxisomes were detected. This is the first morphological study examining hepatic peroxisomes in an Australian marsupial. The results suggested that dietary eucalyptus constituents might possess peroxisome proliferating activities.SNT Ngo, I Stupans and RA McKinno
Machine Learned Particle Detector Simulations
The use of machine learning algorithms is an attractive way to produce very
fast detector simulations for scattering reactions that can otherwise be
computationally expensive. Here we develop a factorised approach where we deal
with each particle produced in a reaction individually: first determine if it
was detected (acceptance) and second determine its reconstructed variables such
as four momentum (reconstruction). For the acceptance we propose using a
probability classification density ratio technique to determine the probability
the particle was detected as a function of many variables. Neural Network and
Boosted Decision Tree classifiers were tested for this purpose and we found
using a combination of both, through a reweighting stage, provided the most
reliable results. For reconstruction a simple method of synthetic data
generation, based on nearest neighbour or decision trees was developed. Using a
toy parameterised detector we demonstrate that such a method can reliably and
accurately reproduce kinematic distributions from a physics reaction. The
relatively simple algorithms allow for small training overheads whilst
producing reliable results. Possible applications for such fast simulated data
include Toy-MC studies of parameter extraction, preprocessing expensive
simulations or generating templates for background distributions shapes
First-principles prediction of redox potentials in transition-metal compounds with LDA+U
First-principles calculations within the Local Density Approximation (LDA) or
Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA), though very successful, are known to
underestimate redox potentials, such as those at which lithium intercalates in
transition metal compounds. We argue that this inaccuracy is related to the
lack of cancellation of electron self-interaction errors in LDA/GGA and can be
improved by using the DFT+ method with a self-consistent evaluation of the
parameter. We show that, using this approach, the experimental lithium
intercalation voltages of a number of transition metal compounds, including the
olivine LiMPO (M=Mn, Fe Co, Ni), layered LiMO (Co,
Ni) and spinel-like LiMO (M=Mn, Co), can be reproduced
accurately.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, Phys. Rev. B 70, 235121 (2004
Altered hippocampal function in major depression despite intact structure and resting perfusion
Background: Hippocampal volume reductions in major depression have been frequently reported. However, evidence for functional abnormalities in the same region in depression has been less clear. We investigated hippocampal function in depression using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychological tasks tapping spatial memory function, with complementing measures of hippocampal volume and resting blood flow to aid interpretation. Method: A total of 20 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and a matched group of 20 healthy individuals participated. Participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): fMRI during a spatial memory task, and structural MRI and resting blood flow measurements of the hippocampal region using arterial spin labelling. An offline battery of neuropsychological tests, including several measures of spatial memory, was also completed. Results: The fMRI analysis showed significant group differences in bilateral anterior regions of the hippocampus. While control participants showed task-dependent differences in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal, depressed patients did not. No group differences were detected with regard to hippocampal volume or resting blood flow. Patients showed reduced performance in several offline neuropsychological measures. All group differences were independent of differences in hippocampal volume and hippocampal blood flow. Conclusions: Functional abnormalities of the hippocampus can be observed in patients with MDD even when the volume and resting perfusion in the same region appear normal. This suggests that changes in hippocampal function can be observed independently of structural abnormalities of the hippocampus in depression
Technical Design Report for the PANDA Micro Vertex Detector
This document illustrates the technical layout and the expected performance of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. The MVD will detect charged particles as close as possible to the interaction zone. Design criteria and the optimisation process as well as the technical solutions chosen are discussed and the results of this process are subjected to extensive Monte Carlo physics studies. The route towards realisation of the detector is
outlined
Technical Design Report for PANDA Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EMC)
This document presents the technical layout and the envisaged performance of the Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EMC) for the
PANDA target spectrometer. The EMC has been designed to meet the physics goals of the PANDA experiment. The performance figures are based on extensive prototype tests and radiation hardness studies. The document shows that the EMC is ready for construction up to the front-end electronics interface
Technical Design Report for the PANDA Solenoid and Dipole Spectrometer Magnets
This document is the Technical Design Report covering the two large spectrometer magnets of the PANDA detector set-up. It
shows the conceptual design of the magnets and their anticipated performance. It precedes the tender and procurement of the magnets and, hence, is subject to possible
modifications arising during this process
Physics Performance Report for PANDA Strong Interaction Studies with Antiprotons
To study fundamental questions of hadron and nuclear physics in interactions of antiprotons with nucleons and nuclei, the universal PANDA detector will be build. Gluonic excitations, the physics of strange and charm quarks and nucleon structure studies will be performed with unprecedented accuracy thereby allowing high-precision tests of the strong interaction. The proposed PANDA detector is a state-of-the-art internal target detector at the HESR at FAIR allowing the detection and identifcation of neutral and charged particles generated within the relevant angular and energy range. This report presents a summary of the physics accessible at PANDA and what performance can be expected
Co-designing drug alerts for health and community workers for an emerging early warning system in Victoria, Australia
Background: Alerts about changes in unregulated drug markets may be useful for supporting health and community workers to anticipate, prevent, and respond to unexpected adverse drug events. This study aimed to establish factors influencing the successful design and implementation of drug alerts for use in clinical and community service settings in Victoria, Australia. Methods: An iterative mixed methods design was used to co-produce drug alert prototypes with practitioners and managers working across various alcohol and other drug services and emergency medicine settings. A quantitative needs-analysis survey (n = 184) informed five qualitative co-design workshops (n = 31). Alert prototypes were drafted based on findings and tested for utility and acceptability. Applicable constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research helped to conceptualise factors that impact successful alert system design. Results: Timely and reliable alerts about unexpected drug market changes were important to nearly all workers (98%) yet many reported insufficient access to this kind of information (64%). Workers considered themselves âconduitsâ for information-sharing and valued alerts for increasing exposure to drug market intelligence; facilitating communication about potential threats and trends; and improving capacity for effective responding to drug-related harm. Alerts should be âshareableâ across a range of clinical and community settings and audiences. To maximise engagement and impact, alerts must command attention, be easily recognisable, be available on multiple platforms (electronic and printable formats) in varying levels of detail, and be disseminated via appropriate notification mechanisms to meet the needs of diverse stakeholder groups. Three drug alert prototypes (SMS prompt, summary flyer, and a detailed poster) were endorsed by workers as useful for supporting their work responding to unexpected drug-related harms. Discussion: Alerts informed by coordinated early warning networks that offer close to real-time detection of unexpected substances can provide rapid, evidence-based drug market intelligence to inform preventive and responsive action to drug-related harm. The success of alert systems requires adequate planning and resourcing to support design, implementation, and evaluation, which includes consultation with all relevant audiences to understand how to maximise engagement with information, recommendations, and advice. Our findings about factors impacting successful alert design have utility to inform the development of local early warning systems
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