1,596 research outputs found
Automated ice-core layer-counting with strong univariate signals
We present an automated process for determining the annual layer chronology of an ice-core with a strong annual signal, utilising the hydrogen peroxide record from an Antarctic Peninsula ice-core as a test signal on which to count annual cycles and explain the methods. The signal is de-trended and normalised before being split into sections with a deterministic cycle count and those that need more attention. Possible reconstructions for the uncertain sections are determined which could be used as a visual aid for manual counting, and a simple method for assigning probability measures to each reconstruction is discussed. The robustness of this process is explored by applying it to versions of two different chemistry signals from the same stretch of the NGRIP (North Greenland Ice Core Project) ice-core, which shows more variation in annual layer thickness, with and without thinning to mimic poorer quality data. An adapted version of these methods is applied to the more challenging non-sea-salt sulphur signal from the same Antarctic Peninsula core from which the hydrogen peroxide signal was taken. These methods could readily be adapted for use on much longer datasets, thereby reducing manual effort and providing a robust automated layer-counting methodology
Serum Concentration Following the Oral Administration of Crystalline Procaine Penicillin G (Further Studies)
Infant Color Vision: Moving Tritan Stimuli do not Elicit Directionally Appropriate Eye Movements in 2- and 4-month-olds
AbstractThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the capacity of infants to code the direction of motion of moving tritan-modulated gratings. Infant and adult subjects were tested with 0.2 c/d sinusoidal gratings moving at a speed of 20 deg/sec. Three conditions were tested: luminance-modulated gratings, tritan-modulated gratings, and luminance- vs tritan-modulated gratings superimposed and moving in opposite directions in a chromatic motion nulling paradigm. Two-month-old infants were tested in all three conditions, while 4-month-olds were tested in only the first two conditions. For infant subjects, an adult observer reported the direction of the slow phase of the infant's eye movements; adult subjects judged the perceived direction of motion of the stimuli. Luminance-modulated gratings produced directionally appropriate eye movements (DEM) in all age groups. Tritan gratings presented alone did not produce DEM in either 2- or 4-month-olds, but did so in adults. Mean equivalent luminance contrasts were near zero in 2-month-olds, and small but reliably above zero in adults. In sum, the present study provides no evidence that infants can code the direction of motion of moving tritan gratings. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Phenol-rich fulvic acid as a water additive enhances growth, reduces stress, and stimulates the immune system of fish in aquaculture
Aquaculture has become imperative to cover the demands for dietary animal protein. Simultaneously, it has to overcome prejudices from excessive use of antibiotics and environmental impacts. Natural supplements are traditionally applied orally. In this study, we demonstrated another pathway: the gills. Humic substances are immunostimulants and a natural part of every aquatic ecosystem, making them ideal to be used as bath stimulants. Five and 50Â mg C/L of a fulvic acid-rich humic substance was added for 28Â days to the water of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This fulvic acid is characterized by a high content of phenolic moieties with persistent free radicals and a high electron exchange capacity. The high concentration of the fulvic acid significantly increased growth and reduced the food conversion ratio and the response to a handling-stressor. Phagocytosis and potential killing activity of head kidney leukocytes were increased, as well as the total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) and lysozyme activity in the gills. In conclusion, immunostimulation via gills is possible with our fulvic acid, and the high phenolic content improved overall health and stress resistance of fish.Bundesministerium fĂŒr Wirtschaft und Energie
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100006360Projekt DEALPeer Reviewe
Incorporating published univariable associations in diagnostic and prognostic modeling
Background: Diagnostic and prognostic literature is overwhelmed with studies reporting univariable predictor-outcome associations. Currently, methods to incorporate such information in the construction of a prediction model are underdeveloped and unfamiliar to many researchers. Methods. This article aims to improve upon an adaptation method originally proposed by Greenland (1987) and Steyerberg (2000) to incorporate previously published univariable associations in the construction of a novel prediction model. The proposed method improves upon the variance estimation component by reconfiguring the adaptation process in established theory and making it more robust. Different variants of the proposed method were tested in a simulation study, where performance was measured by comparing estimated associations with their predefined values according to the Mean Squared Error and coverage of the 90% confidence intervals. Results: Results demonstrate that performance of estimated multivariable associations considerably improves for small datasets where external evidence is included. Although the error of estimated associations decreases with increasing amount of individual participant data, it does not disappear completely, even in very large datasets. Conclusions: The proposed method to aggregate previously published univariable associations with individual participant data in the construction of a novel prediction models outperforms established approaches and is especially worthwhile when relatively limited individual participant data are available
Lives Saved by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services: An Overview of Literature
Introduction: The objective of this review is to give an overview of literature on the survival benefits of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The included studies were assessed by study design and statistical methodology. Methods: A literature search was performed in the National Library of Medicine's Medline database, extending from 1985 until April 2007. Manuscripts had to be written in English and describe effects of HEMS on survival expressed in number of lives saved. Moreover, analysis had to be performed using adequate adjustment for differences in case-mix. Results: Sixteen publications met the inclusion criteria. All indicated that HEMS assistance contributed to increased survival: Between 1.1 and 12.1 additional survivors were recorded for every 100 HEMS uses. A combination of four reliable studies shows overall mortality reduction of 2.7 additional lives saved per 100 HEMS deployments. Conclusion: Literature shows a clear positive effect on survival associated with HEMS assistance. Efforts should be made to promote consistent methodology, including uniform outcome parameters, in order to provide sufficient scientific evidence to conclude the ongoing debate about the beneficial effects of HEMS
A New WIMP Population in the Solar System and New Signals for Dark-Matter Detectors
We describe in detail how perturbations due to the planets can cause a
sub-population of WIMPs captured by scattering in surface layers of the Sun to
evolve to have orbits which no longer intersect the Sun. We argue that such
WIMPs, if their orbit has a semi-major axis less than 1/2 of Jupiter's, can
persist in the solar system for cosmological timescales. This leads to a new,
previously unanticipated WIMP population intersecting the Earth's orbit. The
WIMP-nucleon cross sections required for this population to be significant are
precisely those in the range predicted for SUSY dark matter, lying near the
present limits obtained by direct underground dark matter searches using
cyrogenic detectors. Thus, if a WIMP signal is observed in the next generation
of detectors, a potentially measurable signal due to this new population must
exist. This signal, lying in the keV range for Germanium detectors, would be
complementary to that of galactic halo WIMPs. A comparison of event rates,
anisotropies, and annual modulations would not only yield additional
confirmation that any claimed signal is indeed WIMP-based, but would also allow
one to gain information on the nature of the underlying dark matter model.Comment: Revtex, 37 pages including 6 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev D.
(version to be published, including changes made in response to referees
reports
Higher-order mutual coherence of optical and matter waves
We use an operational approach to discuss ways to measure the higher-order
cross-correlations between optical and matter-wave fields. We pay particular
attention to the fact that atomic fields actually consist of composite
particles that can easily be separated into their basic constituents by a
detection process such as photoionization. In the case of bosonic fields, that
we specifically consider here, this leads to the appearance in the detection
signal of exchange contributions due to both the composite bosonic field and
its individual fermionic constituents. We also show how time-gated counting
schemes allow to isolate specific contributions to the signal, in particular
involving different orderings of the Schr\"odinger and Maxwell fields.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Assisted Inflation from Geometric Tachyon
We study the effect of rolling of N D3-branes in the vicinity of NS5-branes.
We find out that this system coupled with the four dimensional gravity gives
the slow roll assisted inflation of the scalar field theory. Once again this
expectation is exactly similar to that of N-tachyon assisted inflation on
unstable D-branes.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, minor modifications, to appear in JHE
Standard Model baryogenesis through four-fermion operators in braneworlds
We study a new baryogenesis scenario in a class of braneworld models with low
fundamental scale, which typically have difficulty with baryogenesis. The
scenario is characterized by its minimal nature: the field content is that of
the Standard Model and all interactions consistent with the gauge symmetry are
admitted. Baryon number is violated via a dimension-6 proton decay operator,
suppressed today by the mechanism of quark-lepton separation in extra
dimensions; we assume that this operator was unsuppressed in the early Universe
due to a time-dependent quark-lepton separation. The source of CP violation is
the CKM matrix, in combination with the dimension-6 operators. We find that
almost independently of cosmology, sufficient baryogenesis is nearly impossible
in such a scenario if the fundamental scale is above 100 TeV, as required by an
unsuppressed neutron-antineutron oscillation operator. The only exception
producing sufficient baryon asymmetry is a scenario involving
out-of-equilibrium c quarks interacting with equilibrium b quarks.Comment: 39 pages, 5 figures v2: typos, presentational changes, references and
acknowledgments adde
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