693 research outputs found
Application of asymptotic expansions of maximum likelihood estimators errors to gravitational waves from binary mergers: the single interferometer case
In this paper we describe a new methodology to calculate analytically the
error for a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for physical parameters from
Gravitational wave signals. All the existing litterature focuses on the usage
of the Cramer Rao Lower bounds (CRLB) as a mean to approximate the errors for
large signal to noise ratios. We show here how the variance and the bias of a
MLE estimate can be expressed instead in inverse powers of the signal to noise
ratios where the first order in the variance expansion is the CRLB. As an
application we compute the second order of the variance and bias for MLE of
physical parameters from the inspiral phase of binary mergers and for noises of
gravitational wave interferometers . We also compare the improved error
estimate with existing numerical estimates. The value of the second order of
the variance expansions allows to get error predictions closer to what is
observed in numerical simulations. It also predicts correctly the necessary SNR
to approximate the error with the CRLB and provides new insight on the
relationship between waveform properties SNR and estimation errors. For example
the timing match filtering becomes optimal only if the SNR is larger than the
kurtosis of the gravitational wave spectrum
Stochastic models in population biology and their deterministic analogs
In this paper we introduce a class of stochastic population models based on
"patch dynamics". The size of the patch may be varied, and this allows one to
quantify the departures of these stochastic models from various mean field
theories, which are generally valid as the patch size becomes very large. These
models may be used to formulate a broad range of biological processes in both
spatial and non-spatial contexts. Here, we concentrate on two-species
competition. We present both a mathematical analysis of the patch model, in
which we derive the precise form of the competition mean field equations (and
their first order corrections in the non-spatial case), and simulation results.
These mean field equations differ, in some important ways, from those which are
normally written down on phenomenological grounds. Our general conclusion is
that mean field theory is more robust for spatial models than for a single
isolated patch. This is due to the dilution of stochastic effects in a spatial
setting resulting from repeated rescue events mediated by inter-patch
diffusion. However, discrete effects due to modest patch sizes lead to striking
deviations from mean field theory even in a spatial setting.Comment: 47 pages, 9 figure
Fiber-Flux Diffusion Density for White Matter Tracts Analysis: Application to Mild Anomalies Localization in Contact Sports Players
We present the concept of fiber-flux density for locally quantifying white
matter (WM) fiber bundles. By combining scalar diffusivity measures (e.g.,
fractional anisotropy) with fiber-flux measurements, we define new local
descriptors called Fiber-Flux Diffusion Density (FFDD) vectors. Applying each
descriptor throughout fiber bundles allows along-tract coupling of a specific
diffusion measure with geometrical properties, such as fiber orientation and
coherence. A key step in the proposed framework is the construction of an FFDD
dissimilarity measure for sub-voxel alignment of fiber bundles, based on the
fast marching method (FMM). The obtained aligned WM tract-profiles enable
meaningful inter-subject comparisons and group-wise statistical analysis. We
demonstrate our method using two different datasets of contact sports players.
Along-tract pairwise comparison as well as group-wise analysis, with respect to
non-player healthy controls, reveal significant and spatially-consistent FFDD
anomalies. Comparing our method with along-tract FA analysis shows improved
sensitivity to subtle structural anomalies in football players over standard FA
measurements
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Resting-State Brain Functional Connectivity Is Altered in Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD). Populations at risk for AD show altered brain activity in the default mode network (DMN) before cognitive dysfunction. We evaluated this brain pattern in T2DM patients. We compared T2DM patients (n = 10, age = 56 ± 2.2 years, fasting plasma glucose [FPG] = 8.4 ± 1.3 mmol/L, HbA1c = 7.5 ± 0.54%) with nondiabetic age-matched control subjects (n = 11, age = 54 ± 1.8 years, FPG = 4.8 ± 0.2 mmol/L) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate functional connectivity strength among DMN regions. We also evaluated hippocampal volume, cognition, and insulin sensitivity by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Control subjects showed stronger correlations versus T2DM patients in the DMN between the seed (posterior cingulate) and bilateral middle temporal gyrus (β = 0.67 vs. 0.43), the right inferior and left medial frontal gyri (β = 0.75 vs. 0.54), and the left thalamus (β = 0.59 vs. 0.37), respectively, with no group differences in cognition or hippocampal size. In T2DM patients, HOMA-IR was inversely correlated with functional connectivity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and precuneus. T2DM patients showed reduced functional connectivity in the DMN compared with control subjects, which was associated with insulin resistance in selected brain regions, but there were no group effects of brain structure or cognition
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Analysis of schizophrenia-related genes and electrophysiological measures reveals ZNF804A association with amplitude of P300b elicited by novel sounds
Several genes have recently been identified as risk factors for schizophrenia (SZ) by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including ZNF804A which is thought to function in transcriptional regulation. However, the downstream pathophysiological changes that these genes confer remain to be elucidated. In 143 subjects (68 clinical high risk, first episode or chronic cases; 75 controls), we examined the association between 21 genetic markers previously identified by SZ GWAS or associated with putative intermediate phenotypes of SZ against three event-related potential (ERP) measures: mismatch negativity (MMN), amplitude of P300 during an auditory oddball task, and P300 amplitude during an auditory novelty oddball task. Controlling for age and sex, significant genetic association surpassing Bonferroni correction was detected between ZNF804A marker rs1344706 and P300 amplitude elicited by novel sounds (beta=4.38, P=1.03 × 10−4), which is thought to index orienting of attention to unexpected, salient stimuli. Subsequent analyses revealed that the association was driven by the control subjects (beta=6.35, P=9.08 × 10−5), and that the risk allele was correlated with higher novel P300b amplitude, in contrast to the significantly lower amplitude observed in cases compared to controls. Novel P300b amplitude was significantly correlated with a neurocognitive measure of auditory attention under interference conditions, suggesting a relationship between novel P300b amplitude and higher-order attentional processes. Our results suggest pleiotropic effects of ZNF804A on risk for SZ and neural mechanisms that are indexed by the novel P300b ERP component
Strong dust processing in circumstellar discs around 6 RV Tauri stars. Are dusty RV Tauri stars all binaries?
We present extended Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) of seven classical
RV Tauri stars, using newly obtained submillimetre continuum measurements and
Geneva optical photometry supplemented with literature data. The broad-band
SEDs show a large IR excess with a black-body slope at long wavelengths in six
of the seven stars, R Sct being the noticeable exception. This long wavelength
slope is best explained assuming the presence of a dust component of large
grains in the circumstellar material. We show that the most likely distribution
of the circumstellar dust around the six systems is that the dust resides in a
disc. Moreover, very small outflow velocities are needed to explain the
presence of dust near the sublimation temperature and we speculate that the
discs are Keplerian. The structure and evolution of these compact discs are as
yet not understood but a likely prerequisite for their formation is that the
dusty RV Tauri stars are binaries.Comment: 10 pages, will be published in A&
Recommendations for building out mosquito-transmitted diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: the DELIVER mnemonic
In sub-Saharan Africa, most transmission of mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as malaria or dengue, occurs within or around houses. Preventing mosquito house entry and reducing mosquito production around the home would help reduce the transmission of these diseases. Based on recent research, we make key recommendations for reducing the threat of mosquito-transmitted diseases through changes to the built environment. The mnemonic, DELIVER, recommends the following best practices: (i) Doors should be screened, self-closing and without surrounding gaps; (ii) Eaves, the space between the wall and roof, should be closed or screened; (iii) houses should be Lifted above the ground; (iv) Insecticide-treated nets should be used when sleeping in houses at night; (v) houses should be Ventilated, with at least two large-screened windows to facilitate airflow; (vi) Environmental management should be conducted regularly inside and around the home; and (vii) Roofs should be solid, rather than thatch. DELIVER is a package of interventions to be used in combination for maximum impact. Simple changes to the built environment will reduce exposure to mosquito-transmitted diseases and help keep regions free from these diseases after elimination
Localized abnormalities in the cingulum bundle in patients with schizophrenia: A Diffusion Tensor tractography study
The cingulum bundle (CB) connects gray matter structures of the limbic system and as such has been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia. There is growing evidence to suggest that the CB is actually comprised of a conglomeration of discrete sub-connections. The present study aimed to use Diffusion Tensor tractography to subdivide the CB into its constituent sub-connections, and to investigate the structural integrity of these sub-connections in patients with schizophrenia and matched healthy controls. Diffusion Tensor Imaging scans were acquired from 24 patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and 26 matched healthy controls. Deterministic tractography was used in conjunction with FreeSurfer-based regions-of-interest to subdivide the CB into 5 sub-connections (I1 to I5). The patients with schizophrenia exhibited subnormal levels of FA in two cingulum sub-connections, specifically the fibers connecting the rostral and caudal anterior cingulate gyrus (I1) and the fibers connecting the isthmus of the cingulate with the parahippocampal cortex (I4). Furthermore, while FA in the I1 sub-connection was correlated with the severity of patients' positive symptoms (specifically hallucinations and delusions), FA in the I4 sub-connection was correlated with the severity of patients' negative symptoms (specifically affective flattening and anhedonia/asociality). These results support the notion that the CB is a conglomeration of structurally interconnected yet functionally distinct sub-connections, of which only a subset are abnormal in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, while acknowledging the fact that the present study only investigated the CB, these results suggest that the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia may have distinct neurobiological underpinnings
Resolving the compact dusty discs around binary post-AGB stars using N-band interferometry
We present the first mid-IR long baseline interferometric observations of the
circumstellar matter around binary post-AGB stars. Two objects, SX Cen and HD
52961, were observed using the VLTI/MIDI instrument during Science
Demonstration Time. Both objects are known binaries for which a stable
circumbinary disc is proposed to explain the SED characteristics. This is
corroborated by our N-band spectrum showing a crystallinity fraction of more
than 50 % for both objects, pointing to a stable environment where dust
processing can occur. Surprisingly, the dust surrounding SX Cen is not resolved
in the interferometric observations providing an upper limit of 11 mas (or 18
AU at the distance of this object) on the diameter of the dust emission. This
confirms the very compact nature of its circumstellar environment. The dust
emission around HD 52961 originates from a very small but resolved region,
estimated to be ~ 35 mas at 8 micron and ~ 55 mas at 13 micron. These results
confirm the disc interpretation of the SED of both stars. In HD 52961, the dust
is not homogeneous in its chemical composition: the crystallinity is clearly
concentrated in the hotter inner region. Whether this is a result of the
formation process of the disc, or due to annealing during the long storage time
in the disc is not clear.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A &
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