Study of the 25Mg(d,p)26Mg reaction to constrain the 25Al(p,γ )26Si resonant reaction rates in nova burning conditions

The rate of the $$^{25}$$Al(p, $$\gamma$$)$$^{26}$$Si reaction is one of the few key remaining nuclear uncertainties required for predicting the production of the cosmic $$\gamma$$-ray emitter $$^{26}$$Al in explosive burning in novae. This reaction rate is dominated by three key resonances ($$J^{\pi }=0^{+}$$, $$1^{+}$$ and $$3^{+}$$) in $$^{26}$$Si. Only the $$3^{+}$$ resonance strength has been directly constrained by experiment. A high resolution measurement of the $$^{25}$$Mg(d, p) reaction was used to determine spectroscopic factors for analog states in the mirror nucleus, $$^{26}$$Mg. A first spectroscopic factor value is reported for the $$0^{+}$$ state at 6.256 MeV, and a strict upper limit is set on the value for the $$1^{+}$$ state at 5.691 MeV, that is incompatible with an earlier ($$^{4}$$He, $$^{3}$$He) study. These results are used to estimate proton partial widths, and resonance strengths of analog states in $$^{26}$$Si contributing to the $$^{25}$$Al(p, $$\gamma$$)$$^{26}$$Si reaction rate in nova burning conditions

Gait Characteristics and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged Adults With and Without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Data from ENBIND

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in midlife is associated with a greater risk of dementia in later life. Both gait speed and spatiotemporal gait characteristics have been associated with later cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Thus, the assessment of gait characteristics in uncomplicated midlife T2DM may be important in selecting-out those with T2DM at greatest risk of later cognitive decline. We assessed the relationship between Inertial Motion Unit (IMUs)- derived gait characteristics and cognitive function assessed via Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)/detailed neuropsychological assessment battery (CANTAB) in middle-aged adults with and without uncomplicated T2DM using both multivariate linear regression and a neural network approach. Gait was assessed under (i) normal walking, (ii) fast (maximal) walking and (iii) cognitive dual-task walking (reciting alternate letters of the alphabet) conditions. Overall, 138 individuals were recruited (n = 94 with T2DM; 53% female, 52.8 8.3 years; n = 44 healthy controls, 43% female, 51.9 8.1 years). Midlife T2DM was associated with significantly slower gait velocity on both slow and fast walks (both p \u3c 0.01) in addition to a longer stride time and greater gait complexity during normal walk (both p \u3c 0.05). Findings persisted following covariate adjustment. In analyzing cognitive performance, the strongest association was observed between gait velocity and global cognitive function (MOCA). Significant associations were also observed between immediate/delayed memory performance and gait velocity. Analysis using a neural network approach did not outperform multivariate linear regression in predicting cognitive function (MOCA) from gait velocity. Our study demonstrates the impact of uncomplicated T2DM on gait speed and gait characteristics in midlife, in addition to the striking relationship between gait characteristics and global cognitive function/memory performance in midlife. Further studies are needed to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between midlife gait characteristics and later cognitive decline, which may aid in selecting-out those with T2DM at greatest-risk for preventative interventions

Increased central adiposity and decreased subcutaneous adipose tissue 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 are associated with deterioration in glucose tolerance-A longitudinal cohort study

Objective and Context. Increasing adiposity, ageing and tissue‐specific regeneration of cortisol through the activity of 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 have been associated with deterioration in glucose tolerance. We undertook a longitudinal, prospective clinical study to determine if alterations in local glucocorticoid metabolism track with changes in glucose tolerance. Design, Patients, and Measurements. Sixty‐five overweight/obese individuals (mean age 50.3 ± 7.3 years) underwent oral glucose tolerance testing, body composition assessment, subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy and urinary steroid metabolite analysis annually for up to 5 years. Participants were categorized into those in whom glucose tolerance deteriorated (“deteriorators”) or improved (“improvers”). Results. Deteriorating glucose tolerance was associated with increasing total and trunk fat mass and increased subcutaneous adipose tissue expression of lipogenic genes. Subcutaneous adipose tissue 11β‐HSD1 gene expression decreased in deteriorators, and at study completion, it was highest in the improvers. There was a significant negative correlation between change in area under the curve glucose and 11β‐HSD1 expression. Global 11β‐HSD1 activity did not change and was not different between deteriorators and improvers at baseline or follow‐up. Conclusion. Longitudinal deterioration in metabolic phenotype is not associated with increased 11β‐HSD1 activity, but decreased subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression. These changes may represent a compensatory mechanism to decrease local glucocorticoid exposure in the face of an adverse metabolic phenotype

Drug Discovery for Schistosomiasis: Hit and Lead Compounds Identified in a Library of Known Drugs by Medium-Throughput Phenotypic Screening

The flatworm disease schistosomiasis infects over 200 million people with just one drug (praziquantel) available—a concern should drug resistance develop. Present drug discovery approaches for schistosomiasis are slow and not conducive to automation in a high-throughput format. Therefore, we designed a three-component screen workflow that positions the larval (schistosomulum) stage of S. mansoni at its apex followed by screens of adults in culture and, finally, efficacy tests in infected mice. Schistosomula are small enough and available in sufficient numbers to interface with automated liquid handling systems and prosecute thousands of compounds in short time frames. We inaugurated the workflow with a 2,160 compound library that includes known drugs in order to cost effectively ‘re-position’ drugs as new therapies for schistosomiasis and/or identify compounds that could be modified to that end. We identify a variety of ‘hit’ compounds (antibiotics, psychoactives, antiparasitics, etc.) that produce behavioral responses (phenotypes) in schistosomula and adults. Tests in infected mice of the most promising hits identified a number of ‘leads,’ one of which compares reasonably well with praziquantel in killing worms, decreasing egg production by the parasite, and ameliorating disease pathology. Efforts continue to more fully automate the workflow. All screen data are posted online as a drug discovery resource

Protocol for the development of a multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline for the care of patients with chronic subdural haematoma

Introduction: A common neurosurgical condition, chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) typically affects older people with other underlying health conditions. The care of this potentially vulnerable cohort is often, however, fragmented and suboptimal. In other complex conditions, multidisciplinary guidelines have transformed patient experience and outcomes, but no such framework exists for cSDH. This paper outlines a protocol to develop the first comprehensive multidisciplinary guideline from diagnosis to long-term recovery with cSDH. Methods: The project will be guided by a steering group of key stakeholders and professional organisations and will feature patient and public involvement. Multidisciplinary thematic working groups will examine key aspects of care to formulate appropriate, patient-centered research questions, targeted with evidence review using the GRADE framework. The working groups will then formulate draft clinical recommendations to be used in a modified Delphi process to build consensus on guideline contents. Conclusions: We present a protocol for the development of a multidisciplinary guideline to inform the care of patients with a cSDH, developed by cross-disciplinary working groups and arrived at through a consensus-building process, including a modified online Delphi.</p

The Fifteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: First Release of MaNGA-derived Quantities, Data Visualization Tools, and Stellar Library

Twenty years have passed since first light for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Here, we release data taken by the fourth phase of SDSS (SDSS-IV) across its first three years of operation (2014 July–2017 July). This is the third data release for SDSS-IV, and the 15th from SDSS (Data Release Fifteen; DR15). New data come from MaNGA—we release 4824 data cubes, as well as the first stellar spectra in the MaNGA Stellar Library (MaStar), the first set of survey-supported analysis products (e.g., stellar and gas kinematics, emission-line and other maps) from the MaNGA Data Analysis Pipeline, and a new data visualization and access tool we call "Marvin." The next data release, DR16, will include new data from both APOGEE-2 and eBOSS; those surveys release no new data here, but we document updates and corrections to their data processing pipelines. The release is cumulative; it also includes the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since first light. In this paper, we describe the location and format of the data and tools and cite technical references describing how it was obtained and processed. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has also been updated, providing links to data downloads, tutorials, and examples of data use. Although SDSS-IV will continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V (2020–2025), we end this paper by describing plans to ensure the sustainability of the SDSS data archive for many years beyond the collection of data

The Fifteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: First Release of MaNGA-derived Quantities, Data Visualization Tools, and Stellar Library

Twenty years have passed since first light for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Here, we release data taken by the fourth phase of SDSS (SDSS-IV) across its first three years of operation (2014 July–2017 July). This is the third data release for SDSS-IV, and the 15th from SDSS (Data Release Fifteen; DR15). New data come from MaNGA—we release 4824 data cubes, as well as the first stellar spectra in the MaNGA Stellar Library (MaStar), the first set of survey-supported analysis products (e.g., stellar and gas kinematics, emission-line and other maps) from the MaNGA Data Analysis Pipeline, and a new data visualization and access tool we call "Marvin." The next data release, DR16, will include new data from both APOGEE-2 and eBOSS; those surveys release no new data here, but we document updates and corrections to their data processing pipelines. The release is cumulative; it also includes the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since first light. In this paper, we describe the location and format of the data and tools and cite technical references describing how it was obtained and processed. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has also been updated, providing links to data downloads, tutorials, and examples of data use. Although SDSS-IV will continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V (2020–2025), we end this paper by describing plans to ensure the sustainability of the SDSS data archive for many years beyond the collection of data

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe