Eye-position dependence of torsional velocity during interaural translation, horizontal pursuit, and yaw-axis rotation in humans

AbstractThe translational vestibulo-ocular reflex (tVOR) stabilizes an image on the fovea during linear movements of the head. It has been suggested that the tVOR may share pathways with the pursuit system. We asked whether the tVOR and pursuit would be similar in their behavior relative to Listing’s Law. We compared torsional eye velocity as a function of vertical orbital position during interaural translation, pursuit, and yaw-axis rotation. We found that the eye-position-dependence of torsion was similar during translation and pursuit, which differed from that during yaw-axis rotation. These findings further support a close relationship between the mechanisms that generate pursuit and the tVOR

Evidence for the generation of juvenile granitic crust during continental extension, Mineral Mountains Batholith, Utah

Field, chemical and isotopic data are consistent with the batholith being derived through differentiation of material recently separated from the lithospheric mantle, with little involvement of pre-Oligocene crust. The batholith ranges in composition and texture from diabase and gabbro to high-silica rhyolite and granite and is distinctly calcalkaline in nature. Field evidence for anatexis of intermediate-composition Oligocene crust and magma mixing suggest that fractional melting and mixing were important processes during the evolution of the batholith. Major oxide and rare earth element data for the batholith are consistent with chemical evolution of the magma system being controlled by fractionation of hornblende, plagioclase and sphene during partial melting, and mixing between gabbro and granite. Isotopic data indicate a lithospheric mantle source for mafic rocks in the study area and, on the basis of field data and their similarity in isotopic compositions, granitic rocks are interpreted to be derived indirectly from the same source during Basin and Range extension

Phase-Sensitive Tetracrystal Pairing-Symmetry Measurements and Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry States of High Tc Superconductors

A detailed analysis of the symmetric tetracrystal geometry used in phase-sensitive pairing symmetry experiments on high Tc superconductors is carried out for both bulk and surface time-reversal symmetry-breaking states, such as the d+id' and d+is states. The results depend critically on the substrate geometry. In the general case, for the bulk d+id' (or d+is) state, the measured flux quantization should in general not be too different from that obtained in the pure d-wave case, provided |d'| << |d| (or |s| << |d|). However, in one particular high symmetry geometry, the d+id' state gives results that allow it to be distinguished from the pure d and the d + is states. Results are also given for the cases where surface d+is or d+id' states occur at a [110] surface of a bulk d-wave superconductor. Remarkably, in the highest symmetry geometry, a number of the broken time-reversal symmetry states discussed above give flux quantization conditions usually associated with states not having broken time- reversal symmetry.Comment: 6 page

"Dark energy" in the Local Void

The unexpected discovery of the accelerated cosmic expansion in 1998 has filled the Universe with the embarrassing presence of an unidentified "dark energy", or cosmological constant, devoid of any physical meaning. While this standard cosmology seems to work well at the global level, improved knowledge of the kinematics and other properties of our extragalactic neighborhood indicates the need for a better theory. We investigate whether the recently suggested repulsive-gravity scenario can account for some of the features that are unexplained by the standard model. Through simple dynamical considerations, we find that the Local Void could host an amount of antimatter ($\sim5\times10^{15}\,M_\odot$) roughly equivalent to the mass of a typical supercluster, thus restoring the matter-antimatter symmetry. The antigravity field produced by this "dark repulsor" can explain the anomalous motion of the Local Sheet away from the Local Void, as well as several other properties of nearby galaxies that seem to require void evacuation and structure formation much faster than expected from the standard model. At the global cosmological level, gravitational repulsion from antimatter hidden in voids can provide more than enough potential energy to drive both the cosmic expansion and its acceleration, with no need for an initial "explosion" and dark energy. Moreover, the discrete distribution of these dark repulsors, in contrast to the uniformly permeating dark energy, can also explain dark flows and other recently observed excessive inhomogeneities and anisotropies of the Universe.Comment: 6 pages, accepted as a Letter to the Editor by Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Machine-Related Backgrounds in the SiD Detector at ILC

With a multi-stage collimation system and magnetic iron spoilers in the tunnel, the background particle fluxes on the ILC detector can be substantially reduced. At the same time, beam-halo interactions with collimators and protective masks in the beam delivery system create fluxes of muons and other secondary particles which can still exceed the tolerable levels for some of the ILC sub-detectors. Results of modeling of such backgrounds in comparison to those from the e+ e- interactions are presented in this paper for the SiD detector.Comment: 29 pages, 34 figures, 7 table

Improving adherence to acute low back pain guideline recommendations with chiropractors and physiotherapists: the ALIGN cluster randomised controlled trial

Background Acute low back pain is a common condition, has high burden, and there are evidence-to-practice gaps in the chiropractic and physiotherapy setting for imaging and giving advice to stay active. The aim of this cluster randomised trial was to estimate the effects of a theory- and evidence-based implementation intervention to increase chiropractors’ and physiotherapists’ adherence to a guideline for acute low back pain compared with the comparator (passive dissemination of the guideline). In particular, the primary aim of the intervention was to reduce inappropriate imaging referral and improve patient low back pain outcomes, and to determine whether this intervention was cost-effective. Methods Physiotherapy and chiropractic practices in the state of Victoria, Australia, comprising at least one practising clinician who provided care to patients with acute low back pain, were invited to participate. Patients attending these practices were included if they had acute non-specific low back pain (duration less than 3 months), were 18 years of age or older, and were able to understand and read English. Practices were randomly assigned either to a tailored, multi-faceted intervention based on the guideline (interactive educational symposium plus academic detailing) or passive dissemination of the guideline (comparator). A statistician independent of the study team undertook stratified randomisation using computer-generated random numbers; four strata were defined by professional group and the rural or metropolitan location of the practice. Investigators not involved in intervention delivery were blinded to allocation. Primary outcomes were X-ray referral self-reported by clinicians using a checklist and patient low back pain-specific disability (at 3 months). Results A total of 104 practices (43 chiropractors, 85 physiotherapists; 755 patients) were assigned to the intervention and 106 practices (45 chiropractors, 97 physiotherapists; 603 patients) to the comparator; 449 patients were available for the patient-level primary outcome. There was no important difference in the odds of patients being referred for X-ray (adjusted (Adj) OR: 1.40; 95% CI 0.51, 3.87; Adj risk difference (RD): 0.01; 95% CI − 0.02, 0.04) or patient low back pain-specific disability (Adj mean difference: 0.37; 95% CI − 0.48, 1.21, scale 0–24). The intervention did lead to improvement for some key secondary outcomes, including giving advice to stay active (Adj OR: 1.96; 95% CI 1.20, 3.22; Adj RD: 0.10; 95% CI 0.01, 0.19) and intending to adhere to the guideline recommendations (e.g. intention to refer for X-ray: Adj OR: 0.27; 95% CI 0.17, 0.44; intention to give advice to stay active: Adj OR: 2.37; 95% CI 1.51, 3.74). Conclusions Intervention group clinicians were more likely to give advice to stay active and to intend to adhere to the guideline recommendations about X-ray referral. The intervention did not change the primary study outcomes, with no important differences in X-ray referral and patient disability between groups, implying that hypothesised reductions in health service utilisation and/or productivity gains are unlikely to offset the direct costs of the intervention. We report these results with the caveat that we enrolled less patients into the trial than our determined sample size. We cannot recommend this intervention as a cost-effective use of resources

Theoretical study of electric field-dependent polaron-type mobility in conjugated polymers

We have used a self-consistent quantum molecular dynamics approach to calculate the mobility of both positive and negative polaron-type carriers on solated chains of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and some of its derivatives and the dependence of their mobility on the applied electric field. Our results suggest that polaron-type mobility along most of these polymer chains has a clear dependence on the electric field which is quite different from the result derived for bulk PPV-based materials.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Programa Operacional “Ciência , Tecnologia, Inovação” – POCTI/CTM/41574/2001, CONC-REEQ/443/EEI/2001 e SFRH/BD/11231/200

Non-magnetic impurity scattering in a dx2−y2d_{x^2 - y^2} superconductor near a van Hove point: Zn versus Ni in the cuprates

We consider the effect of non-magnetic impurities in a $d_{x^2 - y^2}$ superconductor with \ef close to a van Hove singularity. It is shown that the non-trivial density of states (DOS) allows for resonant scattering already at intermediate potential strengths $|u| \approx 1-2$eV. The residual DOS at \ef, and the \tc suppression rate are found to strongly depend on the carrier concentration. Quantitative agreement with experiments on Zn and Ni doped cuprates is obtained by adjusting a single parameter, $u$.Comment: 4 pages uuencoded compressed Postscript (Minor changes

Anticoagulant rodenticides in red kites (Milvus milvus) in Britain in 2017 and 2018

Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) can be toxic to all mammals and birds. Various studies have shown that, in Britain, there is widespread exposure to SGARs in a diverse range of predatory mammals and birds, including red kites (Milvus milvus) which scavenge dead rats, a target species for rodent control. The Wildlife Incident Monitoring Scheme (WIIS) and the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (PBMS) have shown that some mortalities result from this secondary exposure. In the present study, we analysed liver SGAR residues in 77 red kites that had been found dead in Britain in either 2017 or 2018. The carcasses were submitted to and necropsied by the Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance (DRAHS) programme, the PBMS, the WIIS for England & Wales, the WIIS for Scotland and the Raptor Health Scotland study; the livers from the kites were subsequently analysed for SGAR residues. All the organisations are partners in the WILDCOMS network that promotes collaboration among surveillance schemes that monitor disease and contaminants in vertebrate wildlife. All of the 66 kites from England & Wales and 10 of the 11 red kites from Scotland had detectable liver residues of at least one SGAR. When considering the sample of kites as a whole, brodifacoum, difenacoum and bromadiolone were each detected in 73, 71 and 60 kites, respectively. Difethialone was found in 11 individuals while flocoumafen was detected in only one bird. Sum liver SGAR concentrations ranged between non-detected and 1218 ng/g wet wt. (arithmetic mean: 246 ng/g, median 154 ng/g). Post-mortem examinations indicated that 13 (16.8%) of red kites examined had internal haemorrhaging that was not associated with detectable trauma and had detectable liver SGAR concentrations. These birds had sum SGAR liver concentrations that ranged from 135 ng/g wet weight to 1218 ng/g wet weight. SGARs were considered a contributory cause of death in these cases. The stewardship scheme for anticoagulant rodenticides came fully into force in mid-2016 as re-registration of products for use in the UK was completed. A key aim is to reduce exposure of non-target wildlife to anticoagulant rodenticides but stewardship also aims to maintain efficacious rat control and so the number and density of AR-contaminated rats may remain unchanged. However, diligent searching, removal and safe disposal of poisoned rats, as promoted by stewardship, might be expected to reduce the availability of poisoned dead rats to red kites [and other scavengers] and thereby reduce the proportion of birds that are exposed and/or the magnitude of exposure. Concomitant with stewardship was a relaxation of the indoor use only restriction previously applied to brodifacoum, flocoumafen and difethialone, the three most acutely toxic SGARs. Any consequent increase in outdoor use of these three SGARs could increase the risk of secondary exposure in red kites. We therefore compared the data in the current report with that collected in 2015 and 2016 to determine if there was any evidence of a change in pattern or magnitude of exposure in red kites that might be connected to stewardship and/or change in usage restriction. The proportion of red kites exposed to SGARs in 2015 (90.6%), 2016 (89.6%) 2017 (96,4%) and 2018 (100%) was always 90% or more; the higher percentages in 2017 and 2018 were principally due to a greater proportion of birds from Scotland containing residues. Brodifacoum and difenacoum were the most prevalent compounds (89% of red kites across the four years for each compound) along with bromadiolone (75%). On average, there were residues of three different SGARs in each kite liver. There was no significant difference between years in liver sum (Σ) SGAR concentrations. We investigated if there was a change between years in the exposure of red kites to brodifacoum, flocoumafen and difethialone, the compounds for which indoor only usage restrictions were relaxed in 2016. To enable statistical analysis of data on residue prevalence, it was necessary to pool the data into two-year blocks. Data on presence/absence of detectable brodifacoum, flocoumafen or difethialone residues were therefore compared for 2015/16 (pre and year of implementation of change in usage restriction) and 2017/18 (post-change in usage restriction). The proportion of red kites with detectable residues was 82% (50 out of 61 red kites) in 2015/16 but significantly higher (95%; 73 out of 77 red kites) in 2017/18. However, there was also an increase [albeit not statistically significant] in the proportion of red kites with detectable liver difenacoum or bromadiolone residues (90% in 2015/16 vs. 97% in 2017/18). Therefore, these data may simply reflect an increase in the prevalence of exposure to SGARs generally rather than any effect of change in usage restriction. There was no difference between the four years in the summed magnitude of liver brodifacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen concentrations. The percentage of red kites examined that were diagnosed as birds in which SGARs were implicated as a contributory cause of death did not differ significantly between individual years nor show a significant trend across the years; the overall average across the four years was 22%. However, if data were pooled by pairs of years (2017/8 vs 2015/16), the proportion of red kites for which SGARs were implicated as a contributory cause of death was lower (18%) in 2017/18 than in 2015/16 (33%) for red kites from England & Wales. Our findings do not indicate that there has been any reduction in exposure in red kites to SGARs following implementation of stewardship, in terms of either the proportion of individuals exposed or the magnitude of residues detected. There is some evidence (depending upon the statistical approach used) that the proportion of red kites in which SGARs were implicated as a contributory mortality factor has decreased in more recent years. There was no clear evidence that relaxation of usage restrictions on brodifacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen has altered the pattern of residue accumulation in red kites to date

Systematics of Leading Particle Production

Using a QCD inspired model developed by our group for particle production, the Interacting Gluon Model (IGM), we have made a systematic analysis of all available data on leading particle spectra. These data include diffractive collisions and photoproduction at HERA. With a small number of parameters (essentially only the non-perturbative gluon-gluon cross section and the fraction of diffractive events) good agreement with data is found. We show that the difference between pion and proton leading spectra is due to their different gluon distributions. We predict a universality in the diffractive leading particle spectra in the large momentum region, which turns out to be independent of the incident energy and of the projectile type.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 4 ps figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.