1,308 research outputs found
Advanced waveform analysis of diaphragm surface EMG allows for continuous non-invasive assessment of respiratory effort in critically ill patients at different PEEP levels
Background: Respiratory effort should be closely monitored in mechanically ventilated ICU patients to avoid both overassistance and underassistance. Surface electromyography of the diaphragm (sEMGdi) offers a continuous and non-invasive modality to assess respiratory effort based on neuromuscular coupling (NMCdi). The sEMGdi derived electrical activity of the diaphragm (sEAdi) is prone to distortion by crosstalk from other muscles including the heart, hindering its widespread use in clinical practice. We developed an advanced analysis as well as quality criteria for sEAdi waveforms and investigated the effects of clinically relevant levels of PEEP on non-invasive NMCdi. Methods: NMCdi was derived by dividing end-expiratory occlusion pressure (Pocc) by sEAdi, based on three consecutive Pocc manoeuvres at four incremental (+ 2 cmH2O/step) PEEP levels in stable ICU patients on pressure support ventilation. Pocc and sEAdi quality was assessed by applying a novel, automated advanced signal analysis, based on tolerant and strict cut-off criteria, and excluding inadequate waveforms. The coefficient of variations (CoV) of NMCdi after basic manual and automated advanced quality assessment were evaluated, as well as the effect of an incremental PEEP trial on NMCdi. Results: 593 manoeuvres were obtained from 42 PEEP trials in 17 ICU patients. Waveform exclusion was primarily based on low sEAdi signal-to-noise ratio (Ntolerant = 155, 37%, Nstrict = 241, 51% waveforms excluded), irregular or abrupt cessation of Pocc (Ntolerant = 145, 35%, Nstrict = 145, 31%), and high sEAdi area under the baseline (Ntolerant = 94, 23%, Nstrict = 79, 17%). Strict automated assessment allowed to reduce CoV of NMCdi to 15% from 37% for basic quality assessment. As PEEP was increased, NMCdi decreased significantly by 4.9 percentage point per cmH2O. Conclusion: Advanced signal analysis of both Pocc and sEAdi greatly facilitates automated and well-defined identification of high-quality waveforms. In the critically ill, this approach allowed to demonstrate a dynamic NMCdi (Pocc/sEAdi) decrease upon PEEP increments, emphasising that sEAdi-based assessment of respiratory effort should be related to PEEP dependent diaphragm function. This novel, non-invasive methodology forms an important methodological foundation for more robust, continuous, and comprehensive assessment of respiratory effort at the bedside.</p
Can invasions occur without change? A comparison of G-matrices and selection in the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae
Most evolutionary research on biological invasions has focused on changes seen between the native and invaded range for a particular species. However, it is likely that species that live in human-modified habitats in their native range might have evolved specific adaptations to those environments, which increase the likelihood of establishment and spread in similar human-altered environments. From a quantitative genetic perspective, this hypothesis suggests that both native and introduced populations should reside at or near the same adaptive peak. Therefore, we should observe no overall changes in the G (genetic variance–covariance) matrices between native and introduced ranges, and stabilizing selection on fitness-related traits in all populations. We tested these predictions comparing three populations of the worldwide pest Myzus persicae from the Middle East (native range) and the UK and Chile (separately introduced ranges). In general, our results provide mixed support for this idea, but further comparisons of other species are needed. In particular, we found that there has been some limited evolution in the studied traits, with the Middle East population differing from the UK and Chilean populations. This was reflected in the structure of the G-matrices, in which Chile differed from both UK and Middle East populations. Furthermore, the amount of genetic variation was massively reduced in Chile in comparison with UK and Middle East populations. Finally, we found no detectable selection on any trait in the three populations, but clones from the introduced ranges started to reproduce later, were smaller, had smaller offspring, and had lower reproductive fitness than clones from the native range
The burden of stomach cancer in indigenous populations: A systematic review and global assessment
A Pinned Polymer Model of Posture Control
A phenomenological model of human posture control is posited. The dynamics
are modelled as an elastically pinned polymer under the influence of noise. The
model accurately reproduces the two-point correlation functions of experimental
posture data and makes predictions for the response function of the postural
control system. The physiological and clinical significance of the model is
discussed.Comment: uuencoded post script file, 17 pages with 3 figure
A progressive refinement approach for the visualisation of implicit surfaces
Visualising implicit surfaces with the ray casting method is a slow procedure. The design cycle of a new implicit surface is, therefore, fraught with long latency times as a user must wait for the surface to be rendered before being able to decide what changes should be introduced in the next iteration. In this paper, we present an attempt at reducing the design cycle of an implicit surface modeler by introducing a progressive refinement rendering approach to the visualisation of implicit surfaces. This progressive refinement renderer provides a quick previewing facility. It first displays a low quality estimate of what the final rendering is going to be and, as the computation progresses, increases the quality of this estimate at a steady rate. The progressive refinement algorithm is based on the adaptive subdivision of the viewing frustrum into smaller cells. An estimate for the variation of the implicit function inside each cell is obtained with an affine arithmetic range estimation technique. Overall, we show that our progressive refinement approach not only provides the user with visual feedback as the rendering advances but is also capable of completing the image faster than a conventional implicit surface rendering algorithm based on ray casting
Universality of a double scaling limit near singular edge points in random matrix models
We consider unitary random matrix ensembles Z_{n,s,t}^{-1}e^{-n tr
V_{s,t}(M)}dM on the space of Hermitian n x n matrices M, where the confining
potential V_{s,t} is such that the limiting mean density of eigenvalues (as
n\to\infty and s,t\to 0) vanishes like a power 5/2 at a (singular) endpoint of
its support. The main purpose of this paper is to prove universality of the
eigenvalue correlation kernel in a double scaling limit. The limiting kernel is
built out of functions associated with a special solution of the P_I^2
equation, which is a fourth order analogue of the Painleve I equation. In order
to prove our result, we use the well-known connection between the eigenvalue
correlation kernel and the Riemann-Hilbert (RH) problem for orthogonal
polynomials, together with the Deift/Zhou steepest descent method to analyze
the RH problem asymptotically. The key step in the asymptotic analysis will be
the construction of a parametrix near the singular endpoint, for which we use
the model RH problem for the special solution of the P_I^2 equation.
In addition, the RH method allows us to determine the asymptotics (in a
double scaling limit) of the recurrence coefficients of the orthogonal
polynomials with respect to the varying weights e^{-nV_{s,t}} on \mathbb{R}.
The special solution of the P_I^2 equation pops up in the n^{-2/7}-term of the
asymptotics.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figure
Thomson and Compton scattering with an intense laser pulse
Our paper concerns the scattering of intense laser radiation on free
electrons and it is focused on the relation between nonlinear Compton and
nonlinear Thomson scattering. The analysis is performed for a laser field
modeled by an ideal pulse with a finite duration, a fixed direction of
propagation and indefinitely extended in the plane perpendicular to it. We
derive the classical limit of the quantum spectral and angular distribution of
the emitted radiation, for an arbitrary polarization of the laser pulse. We
also rederive our result directly, in the framework of classical
electrodynamics, obtaining, at the same time, the distribution for the emitted
radiation with a well defined polarization. The results reduce to those
established by Krafft et al. [Phys. Rev. E 72, 056502 (2005)] in the particular
case of linear polarization of the pulse, orthogonal to the initial electron
momentum. Conditions in which the differences between classical and quantum
results are visible are discussed and illustrated by graphs
Glassy Vortex State in a Two-Dimensional Disordered XY-Model
The two-dimensional XY-model with random phase-shifts on bonds is studied.
The analysis is based on a renormalization group for the replicated system. The
model is shown to have an ordered phase with quasi long-range order. This
ordered phase consists of a glass-like region at lower temperatures and of a
non-glassy region at higher temperatures. The transition from the disordered
phase into the ordered phase is not reentrant and is of a new universality
class at zero temperature. In contrast to previous approaches the disorder
strength is found to be renormalized to larger values. Several correlation
functions are calculated for the ordered phase. They allow to identify not only
the transition into the glassy phase but also an additional crossover line,
where the disconnected vortex correlation changes its behavior on large scales
non-analytically. The renormalization group approach yields the glassy features
without a breaking of replica symmetry.Comment: latex 12 pages with 3 figures, using epsf.sty and multicol.st
Braided Matrix Structure of the Sklyanin Algebra and of the Quantum Lorentz Group
Braided groups and braided matrices are novel algebraic structures living in
braided or quasitensor categories. As such they are a generalization of
super-groups and super-matrices to the case of braid statistics. Here we
construct braided group versions of the standard quantum groups . They
have the same FRT generators but a matrix braided-coproduct \und\Delta
L=L\und\tens L where , and are self-dual. As an application, the
degenerate Sklyanin algebra is shown to be isomorphic to the braided matrices
; it is a braided-commutative bialgebra in a braided category. As a
second application, we show that the quantum double D(\usl) (also known as
the `quantum Lorentz group') is the semidirect product as an algebra of two
copies of \usl, and also a semidirect product as a coalgebra if we use braid
statistics. We find various results of this type for the doubles of general
quantum groups and their semi-classical limits as doubles of the Lie algebras
of Poisson Lie groups.Comment: 45 pages. Revised (= much expanded introduction
- …