798 research outputs found
A comparison of efficient permutation tests for unbalanced ANOVA in two by two designs--and their behavior under heteroscedasticity
We compare different permutation tests and some parametric counterparts that
are applicable to unbalanced designs in two by two designs. First the different
approaches are shortly summarized. Then we investigate the behavior of the
tests in a simulation study. A special focus is on the behavior of the tests
under heteroscedastic variances.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, Working Paper of the Department of Management
And Enigineering of the University of Padov
Analysis of factor V in zebrafish demonstrates minimal levels needed for early hemostasis
In humans, coagulation factor V (FV) deficiency is a rare, clinically heterogeneous bleeding disorder, suggesting that genetic modifiers may contribute to disease expressivity. Zebrafish possess many distinct advantages including high fecundity, optical clarity, external development, and homology with the mammalian hemostatic system, features that make it ideal for genetic studies. Our aim was to study the role of FV in zebrafish through targeted mutagenesis and apply the model to the study of human F5 variants. CRISPR-mediated genome editing of the zebrafish f5 locus was performed, generating mutants homozygous for a 49 base pair deletion in exon 4. Thrombus formation secondary to vascular endothelial injury was absent in f52/2 mutant embryos and larvae. Despite this severe hemostatic defect, homozygous mutants survived before succumbing to severe hemorrhage in adulthood. Human F5 variants of uncertain significance from patients with FV deficiency were evaluated, and the causative mutations identified and stratified by their ability to restore thrombus formation in larvae. Analysis of these novel mutations demonstrates variable residual FV function, with minimal activity being required to restore hemostasis in response to laser-induced endothelial injury. This in vivo evaluation may be beneficial for patients whose factor activity levels lack correlation with bleeding symptomatology, although limitations exist. Furthermore, homozygous mutant embryos tolerate what is a severe and lethal defect in mammals, suggesting the possibility of species-specific factors enabling survival, and allowing further study not possible in the mouse. Identification of these factors or other genetic modifiers could lead to novel therapeutic modalities
Small grid embeddings of 3-polytopes
We introduce an algorithm that embeds a given 3-connected planar graph as a
convex 3-polytope with integer coordinates. The size of the coordinates is
bounded by . If the graph contains a triangle we can
bound the integer coordinates by . If the graph contains a
quadrilateral we can bound the integer coordinates by . The
crucial part of the algorithm is to find a convex plane embedding whose edges
can be weighted such that the sum of the weighted edges, seen as vectors,
cancel at every point. It is well known that this can be guaranteed for the
interior vertices by applying a technique of Tutte. We show how to extend
Tutte's ideas to construct a plane embedding where the weighted vector sums
cancel also on the vertices of the boundary face
Equilibration processes in the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium
The Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) is thought to contribute about 40-50
% to the baryonic budget at the present evolution stage of the universe. The
observed large scale structure is likely to be due to gravitational growth of
density fluctuations in the post-inflation era. The evolving cosmic web is
governed by non-linear gravitational growth of the initially weak density
fluctuations in the dark energy dominated cosmology. Non-linear structure
formation, accretion and merging processes, star forming and AGN activity
produce gas shocks in the WHIM. Shock waves are converting a fraction of the
gravitation power to thermal and non-thermal emission of baryonic/leptonic
matter. They provide the most likely way to power the luminous matter in the
WHIM. The plasma shocks in the WHIM are expected to be collisionless.
Collisionless shocks produce a highly non-equilibrium state with anisotropic
temperatures and a large differences in ion and electron temperatures. We
discuss the ion and electron heating by the collisionless shocks and then
review the plasma processes responsible for the Coulomb equilibration and
collisional ionisation equilibrium of oxygen ions in the WHIM. MHD-turbulence
produced by the strong collisionless shocks could provide a sizeable
non-thermal contribution to the observed Doppler parameter of the UV line
spectra of the WHIM.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Space Science
Reviews, special issue "Clusters of galaxies: beyond the thermal view",
Editor J.S. Kaastra, Chapter 8; work done by an international team at the
International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, organised by J.S.
Kaastra, A.M. Bykov, S. Schindler & J.A.M. Bleeke
Optimal combinable and dedicated energy crop scenarios for marginal land
Modern biomass energy sources account for less than 2% of primary world energy supplies while major economies have enabled legislation that aims to increase bioenergy production. In response to controversies over first generation biofuel, it has been argued that ‘marginal land’ should be used to produce dedicated energy crops (DECs). However, defining marginality of agricultural land is complex, and moreover, DECs would have to out-compete current agricultural production in these areas. Utilising a bio-economic farm-level modelling approach we investigate the impact that crop yield penalties resulting from production in marginal land contexts have on financially optimal farm-level crop plans. Where farm businesses choose to de-invest in own farm machinery, yield reductions of less than 10% for winter wheat result in a financially optimal switch to 100% miscanthus production. By contrast, in the presence of own farm machinery, winter wheat yield penalties of 30% are required before 100% miscanthus production is financially optimal. However, under circumstances where DECs also suffer yield penalties on marginal land, the financially optimal crop mix includes combinable crops. The results demonstrate that the optimal crop mix is dependent upon the relative combinable and DEC yields, together with farm-level decisions towards machinery ownership. The focus of much policy attention relating to production of DECs on ‘marginal land’ is therefore argued to be incomplete. Policies which encourage farmers to de-invest in own farm machinery, or incentivise the purchase of specific DEC machinery, may play an important role in assisting the development of DEC production
Semiclassical theory of transport in a random magnetic field
We study the semiclassical kinetics of 2D fermions in a smoothly varying
magnetic field . The nature of the transport depends crucially on
both the strength of the random component of and its mean
value . For , the governing parameter is ,
where is the correlation length of disorder and is the Larmor radius
in the field . While for the Drude theory applies, at
most particles drift adiabatically along closed contours and are
localized in the adiabatic approximation. The conductivity is then determined
by a special class of trajectories, the "snake states", which percolate by
scattering at the saddle points of where the adiabaticity of their
motion breaks down. The external field also suppresses the diffusion by
creating a percolation network of drifting cyclotron orbits. This kind of
percolation is due only to a weak violation of the adiabaticity of the
cyclotron rotation, yielding an exponential drop of the conductivity at large
. In the regime the crossover between the snake-state
percolation and the percolation of the drift orbits with increasing
has the character of a phase transition (localization of snake states) smeared
exponentially weakly by non-adiabatic effects. The ac conductivity also
reflects the dynamical properties of particles moving on the fractal
percolation network. In particular, it has a sharp kink at zero frequency and
falls off exponentially at higher frequencies. We also discuss the nature of
the quantum magnetooscillations. Detailed numerical studies confirm the
analytical findings. The shape of the magnetoresistivity at is
in good agreement with experimental data in the FQHE regime near .Comment: 22 pages REVTEX, 14 figure
L-VRAP-a lunar volatile resources analysis package for lunar exploration
The Lunar Volatile Resources Analysis Package (L-VRAP) has been conceived to deliver some of the objectives of the proposed Lunar Lander mission currently being studied by the European Space Agency. The purpose of the mission is to demonstrate and develop capability; the impetus is very much driven by a desire to lay the foundations for future human exploration of the Moon. Thus, LVRAP has design goals that consider lunar volatiles from the perspective of both their innate scientific interest and also their potential for in situ utilisation as a resource. The device is a dual mass spectrometer system and is capable of meeting the requirements of the mission with respect to detection, quantification and characterisation of volatiles. Through the use of appropriate sampling techniques, volatiles from either the regolith or atmosphere (exosphere) can be analysed. Furthermore, since L-VRAP has the capacity to determine isotopic compositions, it should be possible for the instrument to determine the sources of the volatiles that are found on the Moon (be they lunar per se, extra-lunar, or contaminants imparted by the mission itself
Quantum magnetism in two dimensions: From semi-classical N\'eel order to magnetic disorder
This is a review of ground-state features of the s=1/2 Heisenberg
antiferromagnet on two-dimensional lattices. A central issue is the interplay
of lattice topology (e.g. coordination number, non-equivalent nearest-neighbor
bonds, geometric frustration) and quantum fluctuations and their impact on
possible long-range order. This article presents a unified summary of all 11
two-dimensional uniform Archimedean lattices which include e.g. the square,
triangular and kagome lattice. We find that the ground state of the spin-1/2
Heisenberg antiferromagnet is likely to be semi-classically ordered in most
cases. However, the interplay of geometric frustration and quantum fluctuations
gives rise to a quantum paramagnetic ground state without semi-classical
long-range order on two lattices which are precisely those among the 11 uniform
Archimedean lattices with a highly degenerate ground state in the classical
limit. The first one is the famous kagome lattice where many low-lying singlet
excitations are known to arise in the spin gap. The second lattice is called
star lattice and has a clear gap to all excitations.
Modification of certain bonds leads to quantum phase transitions which are
also discussed briefly. Furthermore, we discuss the magnetization process of
the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the 11 Archimedean lattices, focusing on
anomalies like plateaus and a magnetization jump just below the saturation
field. As an illustration we discuss the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland
model which is used to describe SrCu2(BO3)2.Comment: This is now the complete 72-page preprint version of the 2004 review
article. This version corrects two further typographic errors (three total
with respect to the published version), see page 2 for detail
Observational diagnostics of gas in protoplanetary disks
Protoplanetary disks are composed primarily of gas (99% of the mass).
Nevertheless, relatively few observational constraints exist for the gas in
disks. In this review, I discuss several observational diagnostics in the UV,
optical, near-IR, mid-IR, and (sub)-mm wavelengths that have been employed to
study the gas in the disks of young stellar objects. I concentrate in
diagnostics that probe the inner 20 AU of the disk, the region where planets
are expected to form. I discuss the potential and limitations of each gas
tracer and present prospects for future research.Comment: Review written for the proceedings of the conference "Origin and
Evolution of Planets 2008", Ascona, Switzerland, June 29 - July 4, 2008. Date
manuscript: October 2008. 17 Pages, 6 graphics, 134 reference
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