3,006 research outputs found
A Radio Spectral Line Study of the 2-Jy IRAS-NVSS Sample: Part I
We present results from an on-going survey for the HI 21 cm line and the OH
18 cm lines in IR galaxies with the Arecibo 305 m Radio Telescope. The
observations of 85 galaxies extracted from the 2 Jy IRAS-NVSS sample in the
R.A. (B1950) range 20 h-00 h are reported in this paper. We detected the HI 21
cm line in 82 of these galaxies, with 18 being new detections, and the OH 18 cm
lines in 7 galaxies, with 4 being new detections. In some cases, the HI spectra
show the classic double-horned or single-peaked emission profiles. However, the
majority exhibit distorted HI spectral features indicating that the galaxies
are in interacting and/or merging systems. From these HI and OH observations,
various properties of the sample are derived and reported.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures, 9 tables. Accepted for publication in A
Online Bayesian phylogenetic inference: Theoretical foundations via sequential Monte Carlo
© 2017 The Author(s). Phylogenetics, the inference of evolutionary trees from molecular sequence data such as DNA, is an enterprise that yields valuable evolutionary understanding of many biological systems. Bayesian phylogenetic algorithms, which approximate a posterior distribution on trees, have become a popular if computationally expensive means of doing phylogenetics. Modern data collection technologies are quickly adding newsequences to already substantial databases.With all current techniques for Bayesian phylogenetics, computation must start anew each time a sequence becomes available, making it costly to maintain an up-to-date estimate of a phylogenetic posterior. These considerations highlight the need for an online Bayesian phylogenetic method which can update an existing posterior with new sequences. Here, we provide theoretical results on the consistency and stability of methods for online Bayesian phylogenetic inference based on Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) and Markov chain Monte Carlo. We first show a consistency result, demonstrating that the method samples from the correct distribution in the limit of a large number of particles. Next, we derive the first reported set of bounds on how phylogenetic likelihood surfaces change when new sequences are added. These bounds enable us to characterize the theoretical performance of sampling algorithms by bounding the effective sample size (ESS) with a given number of particles from below.We show that the ESS is guaranteed to grow linearly as the number of particles in an SMC sampler grows. Surprisingly, this result holds even though the dimensions of the phylogenetic model grow with each new added sequence
Hidden breakpoints in genome alignments
During the course of evolution, an organism's genome can undergo changes that
affect the large-scale structure of the genome. These changes include gene
gain, loss, duplication, chromosome fusion, fission, and rearrangement. When
gene gain and loss occurs in addition to other types of rearrangement,
breakpoints of rearrangement can exist that are only detectable by comparison
of three or more genomes. An arbitrarily large number of these "hidden"
breakpoints can exist among genomes that exhibit no rearrangements in pairwise
comparisons.
We present an extension of the multichromosomal breakpoint median problem to
genomes that have undergone gene gain and loss. We then demonstrate that the
median distance among three genomes can be used to calculate a lower bound on
the number of hidden breakpoints present. We provide an implementation of this
calculation including the median distance, along with some practical
improvements on the time complexity of the underlying algorithm.
We apply our approach to measure the abundance of hidden breakpoints in
simulated data sets under a wide range of evolutionary scenarios. We
demonstrate that in simulations the hidden breakpoint counts depend strongly on
relative rates of inversion and gene gain/loss. Finally we apply current
multiple genome aligners to the simulated genomes, and show that all aligners
introduce a high degree of error in hidden breakpoint counts, and that this
error grows with evolutionary distance in the simulation. Our results suggest
that hidden breakpoint error may be pervasive in genome alignments.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Simulation for communication skills training in medical students: Protocol for a systematic scoping review
Empirical research has produced inconclusive, and occasionally contradictory, evidence relating to the extent to which improvements in medical communication skills taught through simulation can be measured. This is further limited by the wide range of designs and outcome collection methods that studies employ and does not allow for data comparability or meta-analysis. The proposed scoping review aims to systematically map and comprehensively explore the extent, range and nature of research activity on the use of simulation for communication skills training in medical education. Comprehensive literature searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science will be performed and data will be reported using quantitative (simple numeric counts) and qualitative (thematic synthesis) analyses
Podcasting mental images: Technological application of sport imagery
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if podcasting can significantly increase FT shooting performance among high school basketball players. METHODS: The sample for the study included 36 (12 male, 24 female) Oklahoma high school basketball players. Subjects were assigned into four groups (script, computer, iPod, control group) and were tested in three phases (pretest, treatment, posttest). The treatment phase consisted of imagery training (via podcasting) and FT shooting for six weeks. RESULTS: A total of 200 FT shots for the experimental groups was analyzed and compared to a total of 50 FT shots for the control group. Surprisingly, there were no significant group differences found among the experimental groups at any of the six testing sessions. However, a comparison of group means and the grand mean for the six testing sessions did indicate that the iPod group (18.1) performed higher than the computer group (16.7) and the script group (16.2). Also, a one-way ANOVA of the posttest indicated that there were significant group mean differences [F (3, 32) = 3.221, p < .05, w = .40]. A Tukey post hoc test indicated that the true source of the significant group difference was between the iPod group and the control group. A comparison of posttest group means indicated that the iPod group (21.0) was the top performer, followed by the computer group (18.6), the script group (17.1), and the control group (15.8). Overall, the script group had the highest improvement (+ 3.8) and the control group had the lowest improvement (+ 0.7). CONCLUSION: Podcasting is a valid technological application of sport imagery that can improve FT shooting performance among high school basketball players. Podcasting is recommended as an adjunct to mental and physical training that can benefit sport psychologists, the coaching staff, and most importantly the athletes
Electrostatic Patch Effect in Cylindrical Geometry. III. Torques
We continue to study the effect of uneven voltage distribution on two close
cylindrical conductors with parallel axes started in our papers [1] and [2],
now to find the electrostatic torques. We calculate the electrostatic potential
and energy to lowest order in the gap to cylinder radius ratio for an arbitrary
relative rotation of the cylinders about their symmetry axis. By energy
conservation, the axial torque, independent of the uniform voltage difference,
is found as a derivative of the energy in the rotation angle. We also derive
both the axial and slanting torques by the surface integration method: the
torque vector is the integral over the cylinder surface of the cross product of
the electrostatic force on a surface element and its position vector. The
slanting torque consists of two parts: one coming from the interaction between
the patch and the uniform voltages, and the other due to the patch interaction.
General properties of the torques are described. A convenient model of a
localized patch suggested in [2] is used to calculate the torques explicitly in
terms of elementary functions. Based on this, we analyze in detail patch
interaction for one pair of patches, namely, the torque dependence on the patch
parameters (width and strength) and their mutual positions. The effect of the
axial torque is then studied for the experimental conditions of the STEP
mission.Comment: 28 pages, 6 Figures. Submitted to Classical Quantum Gravit
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Assessing Evidence-Informed Practices to Reduce Routine Interventions in Labor and Childbirth: Validating the Content of the Keeping Birth Normal Tool
Background:
The overuse of interventions in labor and childbirth increase the risk of mortality and morbidity in women. There are wide variations in the use of routine interventions locally, regionally, and globally. The reasons for this are complex and multifactorial. This study focuses its investigations at the microcosm of practice. It outlines the validation of the content of a new Tool to assess and support the implementation of evidence-informed practices by health-care professionals.
Methods:
Seven experts and eight women user representatives used a 4-point ordinal scale of relevance to rate 50 items in the Keeping Birth Normal (KBN) Tool. Item-level content validity index (I-CVI), an average scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave), and qualitative comments were used to delete and improve items.
Results:
Eleven experts analyzed all 50 items. Four experts rated 35–49 items. The initial scale received an S-CVI/Ave of 0.88. Two items were deleted, improvements were made to 45 items, some were merged, and 7 new items were added. The final scale with 36 items received an S-CVI/Ave of 1.0 post item deletion and improvement.
Discussion:
The items in the KBN Tool are construct relevant and will undergo plausibility testing in a future study. Other forms of validity evidence on response processes and internal structure, which may be gathered, will depend on its further application in practice and research
Rotation of hydrogen molecules during the dissociative adsorption on the Mg(0001) surface: A first-principles study
Using first-principles calculations, we systematically study the potential
energy surfaces and dissociation processes of the hydrogen molecule on the
Mg(0001) surface. It is found that during the dissociative adsorption process
with the minimum energy barrier, the hydrogen molecule firstly orients
perpendicular, and then rotates to be parallel to the surface. It is also found
that the orientation of the hydrogen molecule at the transition state is
neither perpendicular nor parallel to the surface. Most importantly, we find
that the rotation causes a reduction of the calculated dissociation energy
barrier for the hydrogen molecule. The underlying electronic reasons for the
rotation of the hydrogen molecule is also discussed in our paper.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
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