Event Indexing Systems for Efficient Selection and Analysis of HERA Data

The design and implementation of two software systems introduced to improve the efficiency of offline analysis of event data taken with the ZEUS Detector at the HERA electron-proton collider at DESY are presented. Two different approaches were made, one using a set of event directories and the other using a tag database based on a commercial object-oriented database management system. These are described and compared. Both systems provide quick direct access to individual collision events in a sequential data store of several terabytes, and they both considerably improve the event analysis efficiency. In particular the tag database provides a very flexible selection mechanism and can dramatically reduce the computing time needed to extract small subsamples from the total event sample. Gains as large as a factor 20 have been obtained.Comment: Accepted for publication in Computer Physics Communication

Eta invariants as sliceness obstructions and their relation to Casson-Gordon invariants

We give a useful classification of the metabelian unitary representations of pi_1(M_K), where M_K is the result of zero-surgery along a knot K in S^3. We show that certain eta invariants associated to metabelian representations pi_1(M_K) --> U(k) vanish for slice knots and that even more eta invariants vanish for ribbon knots and doubly slice knots. We show that our vanishing results contain the Casson-Gordon sliceness obstruction. In many cases eta invariants can be easily computed for satellite knots. We use this to study the relation between the eta invariant sliceness obstruction, the eta-invariant ribbonness obstruction, and the L^2-eta invariant sliceness obstruction recently introduced by Cochran, Orr and Teichner. In particular we give an example of a knot which has zero eta invariant and zero metabelian L^2-eta invariant sliceness obstruction but which is not ribbon.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol4/agt-4-39.abs.htm

Rheology, dispersion, and cure kinetics of epoxy filled with amine‐ and non‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide for composite manufacturing

This study evaluates the effect of plasma surface functionalization of reduced graphene oxide particles on the processing characteristics and homogeneity of dispersion of a bisphenol A‐(epichlorhydrin) epoxy matrix and amine‐based hardener with varying weight fractions from 0.00 to 1.50 wt%. It was observed that amine‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide leads to a more drastic viscosity increase of up to 18‐fold of the uncured suspensions and that its presence influences the conversion rates of the curing reaction. Optical microscopy of thin sections and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that a more homogeneous dispersion of the particles could be achieved especially at higher weight fractions by using an appropriate surface functionalization. This knowledge can be used to define suitable processing conditions for epoxies with amine‐based hardeners depending on the loading and functionalization of graphene‐related particles

Larval behaviour, dispersal and population connectivity in the deep sea

Ecosystem connectivity is an essential consideration for marine spatial planning of competing interests in the deep sea. Immobile, adult communities are connected through freely floating larvae, depending on new recruits for their health and to adapt to external pressures. We hypothesize that the vertical swimming ability of deep-sea larvae, before they permanently settle at the bottom, is one way larvae can control dispersal. We test this hypothesis with more than 3x108 simulated particles with a range of active swimming behaviours embedded within the currents of a high-resolution ocean model. Despite much stronger horizontal ocean currents, vertical swimming of simulated larvae can have an order of magnitude impact on dispersal. These strong relationships between larval dispersal, pathways, and active swimming demonstrate that lack of data on larval behaviour traits is a serious impediment to modelling deep-sea ecosystem connectivity; this uncertainty greatly limits our ability to develop ecologically coherent marine protected area networks

Validation of two high‐resolution climate simulations over Scandinavia

Before running climate projections with numerical models it is important to validate their performance under present climate conditions. Within the RiskChange project two high‐resolution regional climate models were run as a perfect boundary experiment over Scandinavia. The simulations are validated with respect to timing, location and intensity of extreme events. The main objective of the RiskChange project (www.riskchange.dhigroup.com) is to establish a consistent scientifically‐based framework for risk‐based design using state‐of‐the‐art knowledge of future changes in climate extreme statistics. Very high resolution is required in impact models that are employed to address particular societal needs and risks in terms of adaptation to future climate challenges, (e.g. future storm surge protection of coastlines and low‐level lands or drainage systems in urban areas). The purpose of this study is to analyse the properties of high‐resolution climate simulations over Scandinavia by testing a hypothesis that dynamic simulations are better at retaining the properties of precipitation, notably precipitation extremes than coarser simulations. When compared to statistical methods the dynamical downscaling has the advantage of retaining the full set of atmospheric variables as well as a physically more realistic description of e.g. complex terrain (e.g. mountain ranges and coastlines) and when the representation and behaviour of extremes are important to be captured in a realistic manner. Here, we present a set of two high‐resolution dynamical downscaling simulations on an 8 km grid. Before performing climate simulations under future emission scenarios, it is crucial to validate the model performance under present‐day climate conditions to identify systematic biases within the models (Jacob et al., 2007) and to evaluate to what degree the models simulate observed weather. This is done by performing a so‐called perfect boundary experiment by dynamically downscaling ERA interim data. The atmospheric models WRF and HIRHAM5 were used as regional climate models (RCMs) in this study. Both models were initialized and driven at their lateral boundaries with ERA‐interim data. The simulation period covers 1989‐2010 with the first year considered spin‐up and discarded. As observational reference we have used both gridded data (EOBS, Haylock et al., 2008) as well as station observations. Various methods are employed to examine the performance of the RCMs behaviour on a seasonal to sub‐daily time scale. Both models exhibit a wet bias of 50‐100 % (1‐3 mm) in seasonal precipitation. This bias is most pronounced during winter. The lower‐resolution reanalysis data underestimates wet‐day precipitation in all four season by 13‐36 % over the selected cities Bergen, Oslo and Copenhagen. The RCM simulations show a reduction of this underestimation and even indicate a sign change in some seasons/locations. A spatio‐temporal evaluation of downscaled precipitation extremes shows that both RCM downscalings are much closer to the observational behaviour. The analysis of higher‐order statistical models indicates that short duration extreme precipitation during summer is better simulated within both models

Inflammation and Fibrosis in Sleep-Disordered Breathing after Acute Myocardial Infarction

first_page settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Inflammation and Fibrosis in Sleep-Disordered Breathing after Acute Myocardial Infarction by Jan Pec 1,* [ORCID] , Stefan Buchner 2, Henrik Fox 3 [ORCID] , Olaf Oldenburg 4, Stefan Stadler 1, Lars S. Maier 1, Michael Arzt 1 and Stefan Wagner 1 [ORCID] 1 Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Cham Hospital, 93413 Cham, Germany 3 Clinic for General and Interventional Cardiology/Angiology, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Ruhr University Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany 4 Center for Cardiology, Ludgerus-Kliniken, 48153 Münster, Germany * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Biomedicines 2024, 12(1), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12010154 [Titel anhand dieser DOI in Citavi-Projekt übernehmen] Submission received: 30 November 2023 / Revised: 13 December 2023 / Accepted: 8 January 2024 / Published: 11 January 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Cardiovascular Diseases) Download keyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Background: After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), inflammatory processes promote tissue remodeling at the infarct site. Procollagen III amino-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) is a circulating biomarker of type III collagen synthesis that has been shown to be associated with changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and predicts the occurrence of heart failure after AMI. We hypothesize that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) promotes inflammation and myocardial fibrosis, leading to reduced myocardial salvage. Therefore, in patients with first-time AMI successfully treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we aimed to investigate whether circulating levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and PIIINP are elevated in patients with SDB compared to patients without SDB. Methods and Results: This cross-sectional analysis included a total of 88 eligible patients with first AMI and PCI pooled from two prospective studies and stratified according to the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI, with SDB: AHI ≥ 15 h−1). We analyzed circulating levels of hs-CRP and PIIINP 3–5 days after PCI. Patients with SDB had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP (18.3 mg/L [95% CI, 8.0–42.6] vs. 5.8 mg/L [95% CI, 4.2–19.8], p = 0.002) and PIIINP (0.49 U/mL [95% CI, 0.40–0.60] vs. 0.33 U/mL [95% CI, 0.28–0.43], p < 0.001). In a multivariable linear regression model accounting for important clinical confounders, SDB significantly predicted circulating levels of hs-CRP (p = 0.028). Similarly, only SDB was independently associated with PIIINP (p < 0.001). Only obstructive but not central AHI correlated with circulating levels of hs-CRP (p = 0.012) and PIIINP (p = 0.006) levels. Conclusions: The presence of obstructive SDB after AMI was independently associated with increased circulating levels of hs-CRP and PIIINP. Our results emphasize the important role of SDB as a common comorbidity and indicate increased inflammation and myocardial fibrosis in these patients

(+)-{1,2-Bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethyl­phospho­lan-1-yl]ethane-κ2 P,P′}(η4-cyclo­octa-1,5-diene)rhodium(I) tetra­fluorido­borate

The title compound, [Rh(C8H12)(C14H28P2)]BF4, exhibits a rhodium(I) complex cation with a bidentate bis­phosphine ligand and a bidentate η2,η2-coordinated cyclo­octa-1,5-diene. Together the ligands create a slightly distorted square-planar cordination environment for the Rh(I) atom. There are three mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit and intra­molecular P—Rh—P bite angles of 82.78 (5), 82.97 (6) and 83.09 (5)° are observed. The dihedral angles between the P—Rh—P and the X—Rh—X planes (X is the centroid of a double bond) are 14.7 (1), 14.8 (1) and 15.3 (1)°. The structure exhibits disorder of one cyclo­octa­diene ligand as well as one BF4 anion

A specious unlinking strategy

We show that the following unlinking strategy does not always yield an optimal sequence of crossing changes: first split the link with the minimal number of crossing changes, and then unknot the resulting components