784 research outputs found
Nonminimal Couplings in the Early Universe: Multifield Models of Inflation and the Latest Observations
Models of cosmic inflation suggest that our universe underwent an early phase
of accelerated expansion, driven by the dynamics of one or more scalar fields.
Inflationary models make specific, quantitative predictions for several
observable quantities, including particular patterns of temperature anistropies
in the cosmic microwave background radiation. Realistic models of high-energy
physics include many scalar fields at high energies. Moreover, we may expect
these fields to have nonminimal couplings to the spacetime curvature. Such
couplings are quite generic, arising as renormalization counterterms when
quantizing scalar fields in curved spacetime. In this chapter I review recent
research on a general class of multifield inflationary models with nonminimal
couplings. Models in this class exhibit a strong attractor behavior: across a
wide range of couplings and initial conditions, the fields evolve along a
single-field trajectory for most of inflation. Across large regions of phase
space and parameter space, therefore, models in this general class yield robust
predictions for observable quantities that fall squarely within the "sweet
spot" of recent observations.Comment: 17pp, 2 figs. References added to match the published version.
Published in {\it At the Frontier of Spacetime: Scalar-Tensor Theory, Bell's
Inequality, Mach's Principle, Exotic Smoothness}, ed. T. Asselmeyer-Maluga
(Springer, 2016), pp. 41-57, in honor of Carl Brans's 80th birthda
Pleiotropic contribution of rbfox1 to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental phenotypes in two zebrafish models
RBFOX1 is a highly pleiotropic gene that contributes to several psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Both rare and common variants in RBFOX1 have been associated with several psychiatric conditions, but the mechanisms underlying the pleiotropic effects of RBFOX1 are not yet understood. Here we found that, in zebrafish, rbfox1 is expressed in spinal cord, mid- and hindbrain during developmental stages. In adults, expression is restricted to specific areas of the brain, including telencephalic and diencephalic regions with an important role in receiving and processing sensory information and in directing behaviour. To investigate the contribution of rbfox1 to behaviour, we used rbfox1sa15940, a zebrafish mutant line with TL background. We found that rbfox1sa15940 mutants present hyperactivity, thigmotaxis, decreased freezing behaviour and altered social behaviour. We repeated these behavioural tests in a second rbfox1 mutant line with a different genetic background (TU), rbfox1del19, and found that rbfox1 deficiency affects behaviour similarly in this line, although there were some differences. rbfox1del19 mutants present similar thigmotaxis, but stronger alterations in social behaviour and lower levels of hyperactivity than rbfox1sa15940 fish. Taken together, these results suggest that mutations in rbfox1 lead to multiple behavioural changes in zebrafish that might be modulated by environmental, epigenetic and genetic background effects, and that resemble phenotypic alterations present in Rbfox1-deficient mice and in patients with different psychiatric conditions. Our study, thus, highlights the evolutionary conservation of rbfox1 function in behaviour and paves the way to further investigate the mechanisms underlying rbfox1 pleiotropy on the onset of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders
Identification of Tree Species in Japanese Forests based on Aerial Photography and Deep Learning
Natural forests are complex ecosystems whose tree species distribution and
their ecosystem functions are still not well understood. Sustainable management
of these forests is of high importance because of their significant role in
climate regulation, biodiversity, soil erosion and disaster prevention among
many other ecosystem services they provide. In Japan particularly, natural
forests are mainly located in steep mountains, hence the use of aerial imagery
in combination with computer vision are important modern tools that can be
applied to forest research. Thus, this study constitutes a preliminary research
in this field, aiming at classifying tree species in Japanese mixed forests
using UAV images and deep learning in two different mixed forest types: a black
pine (Pinus thunbergii)-black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and a larch (Larix
kaempferi)-oak (Quercus mongolica) mixed forest. Our results indicate that it
is possible to identify black locust trees with 62.6 % True Positives (TP) and
98.1% True Negatives (TN), while lower precision was reached for larch trees
(37.4% TP and 97.7% TN).Comment: Proc. of EnviroInfo 2020, Nicosia, Cyprus, September 202
Temperature and Frequency Dependence of Complex Conductance of Ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-x Films: A Study of Vortex-Antivortex Pair Unbinding
We have studied the temperature dependencies of the complex sheet conductance
of 1-3 unit cell (UC) thick YBa2Cu3O7-x films sandwiched between semiconducting
Pr0.6Y0.4Ba2Cu3O7-x layers at high frequencies. Experiments have been carried
out in a frequency range between: 2 - 30 MHz with one-spiral coil technique,
100 MHz - 1 GHz frequency range with a new technique using the spiral coil
cavity and at 30 GHz by aid of a resonant cavity technique. The real and
imaginary parts of the mutual-inductance between a coil and a film were
measured and converted to complex conductivity by aid of the inversion
procedure. We have found a quadratic temperature dependence of the kinetic
inductance, L_k^-1(T), at low temperatures independent of frequency, with a
break in slope at T^dc_BKT, the maximum of real part of conductance and a large
shift of the break temperature and the maximum position to higher temperatures
with increasing frequency. We obtain from these data the universal ratio
T^dc_BKT/L_k^-1(T^dc_BKT) = 25, 25, and 17 nHK for 1-, 2- and 3UC films,
respectively in close agreement with theoretical prediction of 12 nHK for
vortex-antivortex unbinding transition. The activated temperature dependence of
the vortex diffusion constant was observed and discussed in the framework of
vortex-antivortex pair pinning.
PACS numbers: 74.80.Dm, 74.25.Nf, 74.72.Bk, 74.76.BzComment: PDF file, 10 pages, 6 figures, to be published in J. Low Temp. Phys.;
Proc. of NATO ARW: VORTEX 200
Habit training versus habit training with direct visual biofeedback in adults with chronic constipation: A randomized controlled trial
Aim: The aim was to determine whether specialist-led habit training using Habit Training with Biofeedback (HTBF) is more effective than specialist-led habit training alone (HT) for chronic constipation and whether outcomes of interventions are improved by stratification to HTBF or HT based on diagnosis (functional defaecation disorder vs. no functional defaecation disorder) by radio-physiological investigations (INVEST). Method: This was a parallel three-arm randomized single-blinded controlled trial, permitting two randomized comparisons: HTBF versus HT alone; INVEST- versus no-INVEST-guided intervention. The inclusion criteria were age 18–70 years; attending specialist hospitals in England; self-reported constipation for >6 months; refractory to basic treatment. The main exclusions were secondary constipation and previous experience of the trial interventions. The primary outcome was the mean change in Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life score at 6 months on intention to treat. The secondary outcomes were validated disease-specific and psychological questionnaires and cost-effectiveness (based on EQ-5D-5L). Results: In all, 182 patients were randomized 3:3:2 (target 384): HT n = 68; HTBF n = 68; INVEST-guided treatment n = 46. All interventions had similar reductions (improvement) in the primary outcome at 6 months (approximately −0.8 points of a 4-point scale) with no statistically significant difference between HT and HTBF (−0.03 points; 95% CI −0.33 to 0.27; P = 0.85) or INVEST versus no-INVEST (0.22; −0.11 to 0.55; P = 0.19). Secondary outcomes showed a benefit for all interventions with no evidence of greater cost-effectiveness of HTBF or INVEST compared with HT. Conclusion: The results of the study at 6 months were inconclusive. However, with the caveat of under-recruitment and further attrition at 6 months, a simple, cheaper approach to intervention may be as clinically effective and more cost-effective than more complex and invasive approaches
Trial of Optimal Personalised Care After Treatment for Gynaecological cancer (TOPCAT-G): a study protocol for a randomised feasibility trial
Background: Gynaecological cancers are diagnosed in over 1000 women in Wales every year. We estimate that this is
costing the National Health Service (NHS) in excess of £1 million per annum for routine follow-up appointments alone.
Follow-up care is not evidence-based, and there are no definitive guidelines from The National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence (NICE) for the type of follow-up that should be delivered. Standard care is to provide a regular medical
review of the patient in a hospital-based outpatient clinic for a minimum of 5 years. This study is to evaluate the
feasibility of a proposed alternative where the patients are delivered a specialist nurse-led telephone intervention
known as Optimal Personalised Care After Treatment for Gynaecological cancer (OPCAT-G), which comprised of a
protocol-based patient education, patient empowerment and structured needs assessment.
Methods: The study will recruit female patients who have completed treatment for cervical, endometrial,
epithelial ovarian or vulval cancer within the previous 3 months in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
(BCUHB) in North Wales. Following recruitment, participants will be randomised to one of two arms in the trial
(standard care or OPCAT-G intervention). The primary outcomes for the trial are patient recruitment and attrition
rates, and the secondary outcomes are quality of life, health status and capability, using the EORTC QLQ-C30, EQ-
5D-3L and ICECAP-A measures. Additionally, a client service receipt inventory (CSRI) will be collected in order to
pilot an economic evaluation.
Discussion: The results from this feasibility study will be used to inform a fully powered randomised controlled
trial to evaluate the difference between standard care and the OPCAT-G intervention.
Trial registration: ISRCTN45565436
Impacts of climate change on plant diseases – opinions and trends
There has been a remarkable scientific output on the topic of how climate change is likely to affect plant diseases in the coming decades. This review addresses the need for review of this burgeoning literature by summarizing opinions of previous reviews and trends in recent studies on the impacts of climate change on plant health. Sudden Oak Death is used as an introductory case study: Californian forests could become even more susceptible to this emerging plant disease, if spring precipitations will be accompanied by warmer temperatures, although climate shifts may also affect the current synchronicity between host cambium activity and pathogen colonization rate. A summary of observed and predicted climate changes, as well as of direct effects of climate change on pathosystems, is provided. Prediction and management of climate change effects on plant health are complicated by indirect effects and the interactions with global change drivers. Uncertainty in models of plant disease development under climate change calls for a diversity of management strategies, from more participatory approaches to interdisciplinary science. Involvement of stakeholders and scientists from outside plant pathology shows the importance of trade-offs, for example in the land-sharing vs. sparing debate. Further research is needed on climate change and plant health in mountain, boreal, Mediterranean and tropical regions, with multiple climate change factors and scenarios (including our responses to it, e.g. the assisted migration of plants), in relation to endophytes, viruses and mycorrhiza, using long-term and large-scale datasets and considering various plant disease control methods
Proximal adductor avulsions are rarely isolated but usually involve injury to the PLAC and pectineus: Descriptive MRI findings in 145 athletes
Purpose The purpose of the study is to review the MRI findings in a cohort of athletes who sustained acute traumatic avulsions of the adductor longus fibrocartilaginous entheses, and to investigate related injuries namely the pyramidalis- anterior pubic ligament - adductor longus complex (PLAC). Associated muscle and soft tissue injuries were also assessed. Methods The MRIs were reviewed for a partial or complete avulsion of the adductor longus fibrocartilage, as well as continuity or separation of the adductor longus from the pyramidalis. The presence of a concurrent partial pectineus tear was noted. Demographic data was analysed. Linear and logistic regression was used to examine associations between injuries. Results The mean age was 32.5 (SD 10.9). The pyramidalis was absent in 3 of 145 patients. 85 of 145 athletes were professional and 52 competed in the football Premier League. 132 had complete avulsions and 13 partial. The adductor longus was in continuity with pyramidalis in 55 athletes, partially separated in seven and completely in 81 athletes. 48 athletes with a PLAC injury had a partial pectineus avulsion. Six types of PLAC injuries patterns were identified. Associated rectus abdominis injuries were rare and only occurred in five patients (3.5%). Conclusion The proximal adductor longus forms part of the PLAC and is rarely an isolated injury. The term PLAC injury is more appropriate term. MRI imaging should assess all the anatomical components of the PLAC post-injury, allowing recognition of the differentpatterns of injury
Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV
The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
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