794 research outputs found
Inter-rater reliability of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX): comparative data from non-clinician respondents – all raters are not equal
Primary objective: The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) is used to obtain information about executive and emotional problems after neuropathology. The DEX is self-completed by the patient (DEX-S) and an independent rater such as a family member (DEX-I). This study examined the level of inter-rater agreement between either two or three non-clinician raters on the DEX-I in order to establish the reliability of DEX-I ratings.
Methods and procedures: Family members and/or carers of 60 people with mixed neuropathology completed the DEX-I. For each patient, DEX-I ratings were obtained from either two or three raters who knew the person well prior to brain injury.
Main outcomes and results: We obtained two independent-ratings for 60 patients and three independent-ratings for 36 patients. Intra-class correlations revealed that there was only a modest level of agreement for items, subscale and total DEX scores between raters for their particular family member. Several individual DEX items had low reliability and ratings for the emotion sub-scale had the lowest level of agreement.
Conclusions: Independent DEX ratings completed by two or more non-clinician raters show only moderate correlation. Suggestions are made for improving the reliability of DEX-I ratings.</p
Quantum control of hybrid nuclear-electronic qubits
Pulsed magnetic resonance is a wide-reaching technology allowing the quantum
state of electronic and nuclear spins to be controlled on the timescale of
nanoseconds and microseconds respectively. The time required to flip either
dilute electronic or nuclear spins is orders of magnitude shorter than their
decoherence times, leading to several schemes for quantum information
processing with spin qubits. We investigate instead the novel regime where the
eigenstates approximate 50:50 superpositions of the electronic and nuclear spin
states forming "hybrid nuclear-electronic" qubits. Here we demonstrate quantum
control of these states for the first time, using bismuth-doped silicon, in
just 32 ns: this is orders of magnitude faster than previous experiments where
pure nuclear states were used. The coherence times of our states are five
orders of magnitude longer, reaching 4 ms, and are limited by the
naturally-occurring 29Si nuclear spin impurities. There is quantitative
agreement between our experiments and no-free-parameter analytical theory for
the resonance positions, as well as their relative intensities and relative
Rabi oscillation frequencies. In experiments where the slow manipulation of
some of the qubits is the rate limiting step, quantum computations would
benefit from faster operation in the hybrid regime.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, new data and simulation
Effectiveness of a High School Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65153/1/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05253.x.pd
Niche partitioning of a pathogenic microbiome driven by chemical gradients
© 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved. Environmental microbial communities are stratified by chemical gradients that shape the structure and function of these systems. Similar chemical gradients exist in the human body, but how they influence these microbial systems is more poorly understood. Understanding these effects can be particularly important for dysbiotic shifts in microbiome structure that are often associated with disease. We show that pH and oxygen strongly partition the microbial community from a diseased human lung into two mutually exclusive communities of pathogens and anaerobes. Antimicrobial treatment disrupted this chemical partitioning, causing complex death, survival, and resistance outcomes that were highly dependent on the individual microorganism and on community stratification. These effects were mathematically modeled, enabling a predictive understanding of this complex polymicrobial system. Harnessing the power of these chemical gradients could be a drug-free method of shaping microbial communities in the human body from undesirable dysbiotic states
Interstellar Matter and the Boundary Conditions of the Heliosphere
The interstellar cloud surrounding the solar system regulates the galactic
environment of the Sun, and determines the boundary conditions of the
heliosphere. Both the Sun and interstellar clouds move through space, so these
boundary conditions change with time. Data and theoretical models now support
densities in the cloud surrounding the solar system of n(HI)=0.22+/-0.06 cm^-3,
and n(e-)~0.1 cm-3, with larger values allowed for n(HI) by radiative transfer
considerations. Ulysses and Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite HeI data
yield a cloud temperature of 6,400 K. Nearby interstellar gas appears to be
structured and inhomogeneous. The interstellar gas in the Local Fluff cloud
complex exhibits elemental abundance patterns in which refractory elements are
enhanced over the depleted abundances found in cold disk gas. Within a few
parsecs of the Sun, inconclusive evidence for factors of 2--5 variation in MgII
and FeII gas phase abundances is found, providing evidence for variable grain
destruction. Observations of the hydrogen pile-up at the nose of the
heliosphere are consistent with a barely subsonic motion of the heliosphere
with respect to the surrounding interstellar cloud. Uncertainties on the
velocity vector of the cloud that surrounds the solar system indicate that it
is uncertain as to whether the Sun and alpha Cen are or are not immersed in the
same interstellar cloud.Comment: 24 pages 3 figure
Comparative physiology of Australian quolls (Dasyurus; Marsupialia)
Quolls (Dasyurus) are medium-sized carnivorous dasyurid marsupials. Tiger (3,840 g) and eastern quolls (780 g) are mesic zone species, northern quolls (516 g) are tropical zone, and chuditch (1,385 g) were once widespread through the Australian arid zone. We found that standard physiological variables of these quolls are consistent with allometric expectations for marsupials. Nevertheless, inter-specific patterns amongst the quolls are consistent with their different environments. The lower T ^sub b^ of northern quolls (34°C) may provide scope for adaptive hyperthermia in the tropics, and they use torpor for energy/water conservation, whereas the larger mesic species (eastern and tiger quolls) do not appear to. Thermolability varied from little in eastern (0.035°C °C^sup -1^) and tiger quolls (0.051°C ºC^sup -1^) to substantial in northern quolls (0.100°C ºC^sup -1^) and chuditch (0.146°C ºC^sup -1^), reflecting body mass and environment. Basal metabolic rate was higher for eastern quolls (0.662 ± 0.033 ml O^sub 2^ g^sup -1^ h^sup -1^), presumably reflecting their naturally cool environment. Respiratory ventilation closely matched metabolic demand, except at high ambient temperatures where quolls hyperventilated to facilitate evaporative heat loss; tiger and eastern quolls also salivated. A higher evaporative water loss for eastern quolls (1.43 ± 0.212 mg H^sub 2^O g^sup -1^ h^sup -1^) presumably reflects their more mesic distribution. The point of relative water economy was low for tiger (-1.3°C), eastern (-12.5°C) and northern (+3.3) quolls, and highest for the chuditch (+22.6°C). We suggest that these differences in water economy reflect lower expired air temperatures and hence lower respiratory evaporative water loss for the arid-zone chuditch relative to tropical and mesic quolls
Studying animal innovation at the individual level: a ratings-based assessment in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] sp.)
Large-scale studies of individual differences in animal innovation are rare firstly because discovery behaviour itself is often rare, and secondly because of logistical difficulties associated with obtaining observational data on a large number of innovative individuals across multiple groups and locations. Here we take a different approach, using observer ratings to study innovative behaviour in 127 brown capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] sp.) from 15 social groups and 7 facilities. Capuchins were reliably rated by 1 to 7 raters (mean 3.2 ± 1.6 raters/monkey) on a 7-point Likert scale for levels of innovative behaviour, task motivation, sociality, and dominance. In a subsample, we demonstrate these ratings are valid: rated innovation predicted performance on a learning task, rated motivation predicted participation in the task, rated dominance predicted social rank based on win/loss aggressive outcomes, and rated sociality predicted the time that monkeys spent in close proximity to others. Across all 127 capuchins, individuals that were rated as being more innovated were significantly younger, more social, and more motivated to engage in tasks. Sociality, task motivation, and age all had independent effects on innovativeness, whereas sex, dominance and group size were non-significant. Our findings are consistent with long-term behavioural observations of innovation in wild white-faced capuchins. Observer ratings may therefore be a valid tool for studies of animal innovation, and our findings highlight in particular several possible scenarios through which innovative behaviour might be selected for among capuchins
Evaluation of two dairy herd reproductive performance indicators that are adjusted for voluntary waiting period
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Overall reproductive performance of dairy herds is monitored by various indicators. Most of them do not consider all eligible animals and do not consider different management strategies at farm level. This problem can be alleviated by measuring the proportion of pregnant cows by specific intervals after their calving date or after a fixed time period, such as the voluntary waiting period. The aim of this study was to evaluate two reproductive performance indicators that consider the voluntary waiting period at the herd. The two indicators were: percentage of pregnant cows in the herd after the voluntary waiting period plus 30 days (PV30) and percentage of inseminated cows in the herd after the voluntary waiting period plus 30 days (IV30). We wanted to assess how PV30 and IV30 perform in a simulation of herds with different reproductive management and physiology and to compare them to indicators of reproductive performance that do not consider the herd voluntary waiting period.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To evaluate the reproductive indicators we used the SimHerd-program, a stochastic simulation model, and 18 scenarios were simulated. The scenarios were designed by altering the reproductive management efficiency and the status of reproductive physiology of the herd. Logistic regression models, together with receiver operating characteristics (ROC), were used to examine how well the reproductive performance indicators could discriminate between herds of different levels of reproductive management efficiency or reproductive physiology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The logistic regression models with the ROC analysis showed that IV30 was the indicator that best discriminated between different levels of management efficiency followed by PV30, calving interval, 200-days not-in calf-rate (NotIC200), in calf rate at100-days (IC100) and a fertility index. For reproductive physiology the ROC analysis showed that the fertility index was the indicator that best discriminated between different levels, followed by PV30, NotIC200, IC100 and the calving interval. IV30 could not discriminate between the two levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>PV30 is the single best performance indicator for estimating the level of both herd management efficiency and reproductive physiology followed by NotIC200 and IC100. This indicates that PV30 could be a potential candidate for inclusion in dairy herd improvement schemes.</p
Topologically Protected Quantum State Transfer in a Chiral Spin Liquid
Topology plays a central role in ensuring the robustness of a wide variety of
physical phenomena. Notable examples range from the robust current carrying
edge states associated with the quantum Hall and the quantum spin Hall effects
to proposals involving topologically protected quantum memory and quantum logic
operations. Here, we propose and analyze a topologically protected channel for
the transfer of quantum states between remote quantum nodes. In our approach,
state transfer is mediated by the edge mode of a chiral spin liquid. We
demonstrate that the proposed method is intrinsically robust to realistic
imperfections associated with disorder and decoherence. Possible experimental
implementations and applications to the detection and characterization of spin
liquid phases are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
Electrophysiologic Studies and Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Ectopic Atrial Tachycardia in Children
Ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT) often resists medical therapy, making radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) the preferred treatment. This study reviewed the records of 35 patients who underwent electrophysiologic studies (EPS) and 39 RFCA procedures for EAT during a 10-year period. Of the 35 patients, 10 (28%) presented with decreased ventricular function and tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC). The EAT originated on the right atrial side in 19 patients (54%) and on the left atrial side in the remaining 16 patients (46%). The right atrial sites included the right atrial appendage (RAA) (n = 9, 25%), the tricuspid annulus (n = 7, 20%), and the crista terminalis (n = 3). The left atrial sites included the left atrial appendage (LAA) (n = 6, 17%), the pulmonary veins (n = 5, 14%), the mitral annulus (n = 3), and the posterior wall of the left atrium (n = 2). The mechanism of all EAT probably is automaticity. All EATs could be abolished using RFCA. Follow-up data were available for all patients 2 to 8 years after RFCA. All 35 patients remained recurrence free, and ventricular function improved for all 10 patients with TIC. The origin of EAT in children differed from its origin in adults. The authors conclude that RFCA is a safe and effective treatment option for children with refractory EAT and should be considered early in the course of their illness
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