Testing a phantom eye under various signal-to-noise ratio conditions using eleven different OCT devices

We compared eleven OCT devices in their ability to quantify retinal layer thicknesses under different signal-strength conditions, using a commercially available phantom eye. We analyzed a medium-intensity 50 µm layer in an identical manner for all devices, using the provided log-scale images and a reconstructed linear-scale tissue reflectivity metric. Thickness measurements were highly comparable when the data were analyzed in an identical manner. With optimal signal strength, the thickness of the 50 µm layer was overestimated by a mean of 4.3 µm in the log-scale images and of 2.7 µm in the linear-scale images

Unitarity potentials and neutron matter at the unitary limit

We study the equation of state of neutron matter using a family of unitarity potentials all of which are constructed to have infinite $^1S_0$ scattering lengths $a_s$. For such system, a quantity of much interest is the ratio $\xi=E_0/E_0^{free}$ where $E_0$ is the true ground-state energy of the system, and $E_0^{free}$ is that for the non-interacting system. In the limit of $a_s\to \pm \infty$, often referred to as the unitary limit, this ratio is expected to approach a universal constant, namely $\xi\sim 0.44(1)$. In the present work we calculate this ratio $\xi$ using a family of hard-core square-well potentials whose $a_s$ can be exactly obtained, thus enabling us to have many potentials of different ranges and strengths, all with infinite $a_s$. We have also calculated $\xi$ using a unitarity CDBonn potential obtained by slightly scaling its meson parameters. The ratios $\xi$ given by these different unitarity potentials are all close to each other and also remarkably close to 0.44, suggesting that the above ratio $\xi$ is indifferent to the details of the underlying interactions as long as they have infinite scattering length. A sum-rule and scaling constraint for the renormalized low-momentum interaction in neutron matter at the unitary limit is discussed.Comment: 7.5 pages, 7 figure

Hermitian boson mapping and finite truncation

Starting from a general, microscopic fermion-to-boson mapping that preserves Hermitian conjugation, we discuss truncations of the boson Fock space basis. We give conditions under which the exact boson images of finite fermion operators are also finite (e.g., a 1+2-body fermion Hamiltonian is mapped to a 1+2-body boson Hamiltonian) in the truncated basis. For the most general case, where the image is not necessarily exactly finite, we discuss how to make practical and controlled approximations.Comment: 12 pages in RevTex with no figures, Los Alamos preprint # LA-UR-94-146

Management factors associated with bovine respiratory disease in preweaned calves on California dairies: The BRD 100 study.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine how management practices on California dairies may be associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in preweaned calves. A convenience sample of 100 dairies throughout California, providing a study population of 4,636 calves, were visited between May 2014 and April 2016. During each farm visit, in-person interviews with the herd manager or calf caretaker were conducted to collect information about herd demographics, maternity pen, colostrum and calf management, herd vaccinations, and dust abatement. A random sample of preweaned calves was identified and evaluated for the presence of BRD using a standardized tool. A survey-adjusted generalized linear mixed model with a logit link function was fitted with calf as the unit of analysis and dairy as the random effect. Mean study herd size (±SE) was 1,718 (±189.9) cows. Survey-adjusted estimates of breed types in the sample were 81.6% (±0.6) Holstein, 13.1% (±0.4) Jersey, and 5.3% (±0.5) crossbred or other purebred breeds, and calf sex proportions were 73.8% (±1.0) female and 26.2% (±1.0) male. Overall survey-adjusted BRD prevalence in the study herds was 6.91% (±0.69). Housing factors positively associated with BRD were metal hutches compared with wood hutches [odds ratio (OR) = 11.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.80-44.78], calf-to-calf contact in calves >75 d of age (OR = 9.95, 95% CI = 1.50-65.86), feeding Holstein calves <2.84 L of milk or replacer per day (OR = 7.16, 95% CI = 1.23-41.68), and lagoon water used for flushing manure under hutches compared with no flush (OR = 12.06, 95% CI = 1.93-75.47). Providing extra shade over hutches (OR = 0.08; 95% CI = 0.02-0.37), feeding calves at least 90% saleable milk (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.13-0.54) or pasteurized milk (OR = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.03-0.36), and feeding >5.68 L of milk or replacer per day to Jersey calves (OR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.01-0.28) were negatively associated with BRD. Our study identified management practices on California dairies with variability and that may contribute to differences in BRD prevalence, which will be incorporated into a risk-assessment tool to control and prevent BRD in preweaned dairy calves

Trapped-Ion Quantum Simulator: Experimental Application to Nonlinear Interferometers

We show how an experimentally realized set of operations on a single trapped ion is sufficient to simulate a wide class of Hamiltonians of a spin-1/2 particle in an external potential. This system is also able to simulate other physical dynamics. As a demonstration, we simulate the action of an $n$-th order nonlinear optical beamsplitter. Two of these beamsplitters can be used to construct an interferometer sensitive to phase shifts in one of the interferometer beam paths. The sensitivity in determining these phase shifts increases linearly with $n$, and the simulation demonstrates that the use of nonlinear beamsplitters ($n$=2,3) enhances this sensitivity compared to the standard quantum limit imposed by a linear beamsplitter ($n$=1)

Observation of an adult female oribi with leucistic pelage in Lobo, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The oribi (Bovidae: Antilopinae: Ourebiini: Ourebia ourebi [Zimmermann, 1783 ]) is a small antelope distributed widely across open woody grasslands of sub‐Saharan Africa (Goldspink, Holland, Sweet, & Stewart, 2002 ), especially in hilly open‐broadleaf savanna and primarily feeds on herbaceous vegetation (Monfort & Monfort, 1974 ). The species lives singly or in small groups with multiple males, yet long‐term pairing is frequently low (Adamczak & Dunbar, 2008 ; Arcese, 1994 ; Arcese, Jongejan, & Sinclair, 1995 ; Jongejan, Arcese, & Sinclair, 1991 ). Oribi are readily identifiable with a tan coat and whitish underbelly, large ears, a conspicuous black‐coloured preorbital glandular spot below the ear, long neck and long legs (Foley et al., 2014 ; Kingdon et al., 2013 ). Up to 13 subspecies have been described with one subspecies found in Serengeti National Park: O. ourebi cottoni

Pneumatically switchable graded index metamaterial lens

A low-profile pneumatically switchable graded index metamaterial lens operating at 9 GHz is proposed and practically demonstrated. An effective graded refractive index is engineered using an array of electric resonators of differing resonant frequency. Normal orientation of the resonators allows ultrathin single metamaterial layer lens design. Switching between focusing and non-focusing states is practically demonstrated by shorting the gaps in split ring resonators and eliminating the resonant response and the phase difference between the elements across the lens with pneumatically actuated metal patches that are pressed against the gaps of the resonators as the pressure in the chamber is reduced

Regular frequency patterns in the young delta Scuti star HD 261711 observed by the CoRoT and MOST satellites

We concentrate on an asteroseismological study of HD 261711, a rather hot delta Scuti type pulsating member of the young open cluster NGC 2264 located at the blue border of the instability region. HD 261711 was discovered to be a pre-main sequence delta Scuti star using the time series photometry obtained by the MOST satellite in 2006. High-precision, time-series photometry of HD 261711 was obtained by the MOST and CoRoT satellites in 4 separate new observing runs that are put into context with the star's fundamental atmospheric parameters obtained from spectroscopy. With the new MOST data set from 2011/12 and the two CoRoT light curves from 2008 and 2011/12, the delta Scuti variability was confirmed and regular groups of frequencies were discovered. The two pulsation frequencies identified in the data from the first MOST observing run in 2006 are confirmed and 23 new delta Scuti-type frequencies were discovered using the CoRoT data. Weighted average frequencies for each group are related to l=0 and l=1 p-modes. Evidence for amplitude modulation of the frequencies in two groups is seen. The effective temperature was derived to be 8600$\pm$200 K, log g is 4.1$\pm$0.2, and the projected rotational velocity is 53$\pm$1km/s. Using our Teff value and the radius of 1.8$\pm$0.5 Rsun derived from SED fitting, we get a log L/Lsun of 1.20$\pm$0.14 which agrees well to the seismologically determined values of 1.65 Rsun and, hence, a log L/Lsun of 1.13. The radial velocity of 14$\pm$2 km/s we derived for HD 261711, confirms the star's membership to NGC 2264. Our asteroseismic models suggest that HD 261711 is a delta Scuti-type star close to the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) with a mass of 1.8 to 1.9Msun. HD 261711 is either a young ZAMS star or a late PMS star just before the onset of hydrogen-core burning.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, A&A accepte

The unrestricted Skyrme-tensor time-dependent Hartree-Fock and its application to the nuclear response from spherical to triaxial nuclei

The nuclear time-dependent Hartree-Fock model formulated in the three-dimensional space,based on the full Skyrme energy density functional and complemented with the tensor force,is presented for the first time. Full self-consistency is achieved by the model. The application to the isovector giant dipole resonance is discussed in the linear limit, ranging from spherical nuclei (16O, 120Sn) to systems displaying axial or triaxial deformation (24Mg, 28Si, 178Os, 190W, 238U). Particular attention is paid to the spin-dependent terms from the central sector of the functional, recently included together with the tensor. They turn out to be capable of producing a qualitative change on the strength distribution in this channel. The effect on the deformation properties is also discussed. The quantitative effects on the linear response are small and, overall, the giant dipole energy remains unaffected. Calculations are compared to predictions from the (quasi)-particle random phase approximation and experimental data where available, finding good agreement