3,191 research outputs found
Automatic lineament analysis techniques for remotely sensed imagery
Imperial Users onl
Modelling stochastic bivariate mortality
Stochastic mortality, i.e. modelling death arrival via a jump process with stochastic intensity, is gaining increasing reputation as a way to represent mortality risk. This paper represents a first attempt to model the mortality risk of couples of individuals, according to the stochastic intensity approach.
On the theoretical side, we extend to couples the Cox processes set up, i.e. the idea that mortality is driven by a jump process whose intensity is itself a stochastic process, proper of a particular generation within each gender. Dependence between the survival times of the members of a couple is captured by an Archimedean copula.
On the calibration side, we fit the joint survival function by calibrating separately the (analytical) copula and the (analytical) margins. First, we select the best fit copula according to the methodology of Wang and Wells (2000) for censored data. Then, we provide a sample-based calibration for the intensity, using a time-homogeneous, non mean-reverting, affine process: this gives the analytical marginal survival functions. Coupling the best fit copula with the calibrated margins we obtain, on a sample generation, a joint survival function which incorporates the stochastic nature of mortality improvements and is far from representing independency.On the contrary, since the best fit copula turns out to be a Nelsen one, dependency is increasing with age and long-term dependence exists
Secondary school pupils' preferences for different types of structured grouping practices
The aim of this paper is to explore pupils’ preferences for particular types of grouping practices an area neglected in earlier research focusing on the personal and social outcomes of ability grouping. The sample comprised over 5,000 year 9 pupils (aged 13-14 years) in 45 mixed secondary comprehensive schools in England. The schools represented three levels of ability grouping in the lower school (years 7 to 9). Pupils responded to a questionnaire which explored the types of grouping that they preferred and the reasons for their choices. The majority of pupils preferred setting, although this was mediated by their set placement, type of school, socio-economic status and gender. The key reason given for this preference was that it enabled work to be matched to learning needs. The paper considers whether there are other ways of achieving this avoiding the negative social and personal outcomes of setting for some pupils
Polarized Single Top Production at Leptonic Colliders from Broken R Parity Interactions Incorporating CP Violation
The contribution from the R parity violating interactions in the associated
production of a top quark with a charm antiquark is examined for high energy
leptonic colliders. We concentrate on the reactions associated with the
semileptonic top decay. A set of characteristic dynamical distributions for the
signal events is evaluated and the results contrasted against those from the
standard model W-boson pair production background. Next, we turn to a study of
a CP-odd observable, associated with the top spin, which leads to an asymmetry
in the energy distribution of the emitted charged leptons for the pair of
CP-conjugate final states, and . A
non vanishing asymmetry arises from a CP-odd phase, embedded in the R parity
violating coupling constants, through interference terms between the R parity
violating amplitudes at both the tree and loop levels.Comment: revtex file. 17 pages. 7 postscript figures. 1 table. The revised
version includes an estimate of experimental uncertainties. Submitted to
Phys. Rev.
Hierarchy plus anarchy in quark masses and mixings
We introduce a new parameterisation of the effect of unknown corrections from
new physics on quark and lepton mass matrices. This parameterisation is used in
order to study how the hierarchies of quark masses and mixing angles are
modified by random perturbations of the Yukawa matrices. We discuss several
examples of flavour relations predicted by different textures, analysing how
these relations are influenced by the random perturbations. We also comment on
the unlikely possibility that unknown corrections contribute significantly to
the hierarchy of masses and mixings.Comment: LaTeX, 18 pages, 16 PS figure
Microporous scaffolds loaded with immunomodulatory lentivirus to study the contribution of immune cell populations to tumor cell recruitment in vivo
Metastases are preceded by stochastic formation of a hospitable microenvironment known as the premetastatic niche, which has been difficult to study. Herein, we employ implantable polycaprolactone scaffolds as an engineered premetastatic niche to independently investigate the role of interleukin‐10 (IL10), CXCL12, and CCL2 in recruiting immune and tumor cells and impacting breast cancer cell phenotype via lentiviral overexpression. Lentivirus delivered from scaffolds in vivo achieved sustained transgene expression for 56 days. IL10 lentiviral expression, but not CXCL12 or CCL2, significantly decreased tumor cell recruitment to scaffolds in vivo. Delivery of CXCL12 enhanced CD45+ immune cell recruitment to scaffolds while delivery of IL10 reduced immune cell recruitment. CCL2 did not alter immune cell recruitment. Tumor cell phenotype was investigated using conditioned media from immunomodulated scaffolds, with CXCL12 microenvironments reducing proliferation, and IL10 microenvironments enhancing proliferation. Migration was enhanced with CCL2 and reduced with IL10‐driven microenvironments. Multiple linear regression identified populations of immune cells associated with tumor cell abundance. CD45+ immune and CD8+ T cells were associated with reduced tumor cell abundance, while CD11b+Gr1+ neutrophils and CD4+ T cells were associated with enhanced tumor cell abundance. Collectively, biomaterial scaffolds provide a tool to probe the formation and function of the premetastatic niche.Metastases are preceded by stochastic formation of a hospitable microenvironment known as the premetastatic niche, which has been difficult to study. Herein, we employ implantable polycaprolactone scaffolds as an engineered premetastatic niche to independently investigate the role of interleukin‐10 (IL10), CXCL12, and CCL2 in recruiting immune and tumor cells and impacting breast cancer cell phenotype via lentiviral overexpression.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153114/1/bit27179.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153114/2/bit27179_am.pd
Supersymmetric Electroweak Corrections to Single Top Quark Production at the Fermilab Tevatron
We have calculated the supersymmetric
electroweak corrections to single top quark production via at the Fermilab Tevatron in the minimal supersymmetric model. The
supersymmetric electroweak corrections to the cross section are a few percent
for , and can exceed 10% for . The combined effects
of SUSY electroweak corrections and the Yukawa corrections can exceed 10% for
favorable parameter values, which might be observable at a high-luminosity
Tevatron.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures available at reques
Damaging real lives through obstinacy: re-emphasising why significance testing is wrong
This paper reminds readers of the absurdity of statistical significance testing, despite its continued widespread use as a supposed method for analysing numeric data. There have been complaints about the poor quality of research employing significance tests for a hundred years, and repeated calls for researchers to stop using and reporting them. There have even been attempted bans. Many thousands of papers have now been written, in all areas of research, explaining why significance tests do not work. There are too many for all to be cited here. This paper summarises the logical problems as described in over 100 of these prior pieces. It then presents a series of demonstrations showing that significance tests do not work in practice. In fact, they are more likely to produce the wrong answer than a right one. The confused use of significance testing has practical and damaging consequences for people's lives. Ending the use of significance tests is a pressing ethical issue for research. Anyone knowing the problems, as described over one hundred years, who continues to teach, use or publish significance tests is acting unethically, and knowingly risking the damage that ensues
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