1,974 research outputs found
Superconduction thin films
Superconduction thin films, and properties and applications of Josephson effect at radio frequencie
On sets of irreducible polynomials closed by composition
Let be a set of monic degree polynomials over a finite field
and let be the compositional semigroup generated by . In this
paper we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for to be
consisting entirely of irreducible polynomials. The condition we deduce depends
on the finite data encoded in a certain graph uniquely determined by the
generating set . Using this machinery we are able both to show
examples of semigroups of irreducible polynomials generated by two degree
polynomials and to give some non-existence results for some of these sets in
infinitely many prime fields satisfying certain arithmetic conditions
Selection of Forages for the Tropics (SoFT) - A Database and Selection Tool for Identifying Forages Adapted to Local Conditions in the Tropics and Subtropics
Rising populations and incomes in developing countries are likely to double demand for livestock products by 2020 (Delgado et al. 1999). This strong demand has potential to improve profitability for farmers but will require improved animal feeding in both semi-intensive crop-livestock and more extensive livestock systems. Forages usually are the most cost-effective option to supply feed demands, particularly for ruminant-, but also for pig- and poultry- production. It is critical to select the most suitable forages for the local system and conditions. Small- and even larger-scale farmers depend heavily on advice from extension and development agencies, and from seed companies, but this advice often is limited by inexperience and the difficulty in accessing reliable information. Expert information on an extensive range of tropical forages is now readily available through the SoFT database
Neural network radiative transfer for imaging spectroscopy
Visible–shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy provides valuable remote
measurements of Earth's surface and atmospheric properties. These
measurements generally rely on inversions of computationally intensive
radiative transfer models (RTMs). RTMs' computational expense makes them
difficult to use with high-volume imaging spectrometers, and forces
approximations such as lookup table interpolation and surface–atmosphere
decoupling. These compromises limit the accuracy and flexibility of the
remote retrieval; dramatic speed improvements in radiative transfer models
could significantly improve the utility and interpretability of remote
spectroscopy for Earth science. This study demonstrates that nonparametric
function approximation with neural networks can replicate radiative transfer
calculations and generate accurate radiance spectra at multiple wavelengths
over a diverse range of surface and atmosphere state parameters. We also
demonstrate such models can act as surrogate forward models for atmospheric
correction procedures. Incorporating physical knowledge into the network
structure provides improved interpretability and model efficiency. We
evaluate the approach in atmospheric correction of data from the PRISM
airborne imaging spectrometer, and demonstrate accurate emulation of
radiative transfer calculations, which run several orders of magnitude faster
than first-principles models. These results are particularly amenable to
iterative spectrum fitting approaches, providing analytical benefits
including statistically rigorous treatment of uncertainty and the potential
to recover information on spectrally broad signals.</p
Reintroduction of elective cardiac interventions in the era of COVID-19: the Barts experience.
BACKGROUND: The response to COVID-19 has required cancellation of all but the most urgent procedures; there is therefore a need for the reintroduction of a safe elective pathway. METHODS: This was a study of a pilot pathway performed at Barts Heart Centre for the admission of patients requiring elective coronary and structural procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic (April-June 2020). All patients on coronary and structural waiting lists were screened for procedural indications, urgency and adverse features for COVID-19 prognosis and discussed at dedicated multidisciplinary teams. Dedicated admission pathways involving preadmission isolation, additional consent, COVID-19 PCR testing and dedicated clean areas were used. RESULTS: 143 patients (101 coronary and 42 structural) underwent procedures (coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, transcatheter aortic valve intervention and MitralClip) during the study period. The average age was 68.2; 74% were male; and over 93% had one or more moderate COVID-19 risk factors. All patients were COVID-19 PCR negative on admission with (8.1%) COVID-19 antibody positive (swab negative). All procedures were performed successfully with low rates of procedural complications (9.8%). At 2-week follow-up, no patients had symptoms or confirmed COVID-19 infection with significant improvements in quality if life and symptoms. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that patients undergoing coronary and structural procedures can be safely admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no patients contracting COVID-19 during their admission. Reassuringly, patients reflective of typical practice, that is, those at moderate or higher risk, were treated successfully. This pilot provides important information applicable to other settings, specialties and areas to reintroduce services safely
Nonlinear level crossing models
We examine the effect of nonlinearity at a level crossing on the probability
for nonadiabatic transitions . By using the Dykhne-Davis-Pechukas formula,
we derive simple analytic estimates for for two types of nonlinear
crossings. In the first type, the nonlinearity in the detuning appears as a
{\it perturbative} correction to the dominant linear time dependence. Then
appreciable deviations from the Landau-Zener probability are found to
appear for large couplings only, when is very small; this explains why the
Landau-Zener model is often seen to provide more accurate results than
expected. In the second type of nonlinearity, called {\it essential}
nonlinearity, the detuning is proportional to an odd power of time. Then the
nonadiabatic probability is qualitatively and quantitatively different from
because on the one hand, it vanishes in an oscillatory manner as the
coupling increases, and on the other, it is much larger than . We
suggest an experimental situation when this deviation can be observed.Comment: 9 pages final postscript file, two-column revtex style, 5 figure
CD69 is a TGF-β/1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 target gene in monocytes
CD69 is a transmembrane lectin that can be expressed on most hematopoietic cells. In monocytes, it has been functionally linked to the 5-lipoxygenase pathway in which the leukotrienes, a class of highly potent inflammatory mediators, are produced. However, regarding CD69 gene expression and its regulatory mechanisms in monocytes, only scarce data are available. Here, we report that CD69 mRNA expression, analogous to that of 5-lipoxygenase, is induced by the physiologic stimuli transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) in monocytic cells. Comparison with T- and B-cell lines showed that the effect was specific for monocytes. CD69 expression levels were increased in a concentration-dependent manner, and kinetic analysis revealed a rapid onset of mRNA expression, indicating that CD69 is a primary TGF-β/1α,25(OH)2D3 target gene. PCR analysis of different regions of the CD69 mRNA revealed that de novo transcription was initiated and proximal and distal parts were induced concomitantly. In common with 5-lipoxygenase, no activation of 0.7 kb or ~2.3 kb promoter fragments by TGF-β and 1α,25(OH)2D3 could be observed in transient reporter assays for CD69. Analysis of mRNA stability using a transcription inhibitor and a 3′UTR reporter construct showed that TGF-β and 1α,25(OH)2D3 do not influence CD69 mRNA stability. Functional knockdown of Smad3 clearly demonstrated that upregulation of CD69 mRNA, in contrast to 5-LO, depends on Smad3. Comparative studies with different inhibitors for mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) revealed that MAPK signalling is involved in CD69 gene regulation, whereas 5-lipoxygenase gene expression was only partly affected. Mechanistically, we found evidence that CD69 gene upregulation depends on TAK1-mediated p38 activation. In summary, our data indicate that CD69 gene expression, conforming with 5-lipoxygenase, is regulated monocyte-specifically by the physiologic stimuli TGF-β and 1α,25(OH)2D3 on mRNA level, although different mechanisms account for the upregulation of each gene
Structural Integrity of Single Shell Tanks at Hanford -9491
ABSTRACT The 149 Single Shell Tanks at the Hanford Site were constructed between the 1940's and the 1960's. Many of the tanks are either known or suspected to have leaked in the past. While the free liquids have been removed from the tanks, they still contain significant waste volumes. Recently, the tank farm operations contractor established a Single Shell Tank Integrity Program. Structural integrity is one aspect of the program. The structural analysis of the Single Shell Tanks has several challenging factors. There are several tank sizes and configurations that need to be analyzed. Tank capacities range from fifty-five thousand gallons to one million gallons. The smallest tank type is approximately twenty feet in diameter, and the three other tank types are all seventy-five feet in diameter. Within each tank type there are varying concrete strengths, types of steel, tank floor arrangements, in-tank hardware, riser sizes and locations, and other appurtenances that need to be addressed. Furthermore, soil properties vary throughout the tank farms. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been conducting preliminary structural analyses of the various single shell tank types to address these parameters. The preliminary analyses will assess which aspects of the tanks will require further detailed analysis. Evaluation criteria to which the tanks will be analyzed are also being developed for the Single Shell Tank Integrity Program. This information will be reviewed by the Single Shell Tank Integrity Expert Panel that has been formed to issue recommendations to the DOE and to the tank farm operations contractor regarding Single Shell Tank Integrity. This paper provides a summary of the preliminary analysis of the single shell tanks, a summary of the recommendations for the detailed analyses, and the proposed evaluation criteria by which the tanks will be judged
3-D Ultrastructure of O. tauri: Electron Cryotomography of an Entire Eukaryotic Cell
The hallmark of eukaryotic cells is their segregation of key biological functions into discrete, membrane-bound organelles. Creating accurate models of their ultrastructural complexity has been difficult in part because of the limited resolution of light microscopy and the artifact-prone nature of conventional electron microscopy. Here we explored the potential of the emerging technology electron cryotomography to produce three-dimensional images of an entire eukaryotic cell in a near-native state. Ostreococcus tauri was chosen as the specimen because as a unicellular picoplankton with just one copy of each organelle, it is the smallest known eukaryote and was therefore likely to yield the highest resolution images. Whole cells were imaged at various stages of the cell cycle, yielding 3-D reconstructions of complete chloroplasts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula, Golgi bodies, peroxisomes, microtubules, and putative ribosome distributions in-situ. Surprisingly, the nucleus was seen to open long before mitosis, and while one microtubule (or two in some predivisional cells) was consistently present, no mitotic spindle was ever observed, prompting speculation that a single microtubule might be sufficient to segregate multiple chromosomes
Zero Frequency Current Noise for the Double Tunnel Junction Coulomb Blockade
We compute the zero frequency current noise numerically and in several limits
analytically for the coulomb blockade problem consisting of two tunnel
junctions connected in series. At low temperatures over a wide range of
voltages, capacitances, and resistances it is shown that the noise measures the
variance in the number of electrons in the region between the two tunnel
junctions. The average current, on the other hand, only measures the mean
number of electrons. Thus, the noise provides additional information about
transport in these devices which is not available from measuring the current
alone.Comment: 33 pages, 10 figure
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