36 research outputs found

    Genotyping Validates the Efficacy of Photographic Identification in a Capture-Mark-Recapture Study Based on the Head Scale Patterns of the Prairie Lizard (\u3ci\u3eSceloporus consobrinus\u3c/i\u3e)

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    Population studies often incorporate capture‐mark‐recapture (CMR) techniques to gather information on long‐term biological and demographic characteristics. A fundamental requirement for CMR studies is that an individual must be uniquely and permanently marked to ensure reliable reidentification throughout its lifespan. Photographic identification involving automated photographic identification software has become a popular and efficient noninvasive method for identifying individuals based on natural markings. However, few studies have (a) robustly assessed the performance of automated programs by using a double‐marking system or (b) determined their efficacy for long‐term studies by incorporating multi‐year data. Here, we evaluated the performance of the program Interactive Individual Identification System (I3S) by cross‐validating photographic identifications based on the head scale pattern of the prairie lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) with individual microsatellite genotyping (N = 863). Further, we assessed the efficacy of the program to identify individuals over time by comparing error rates between within‐year and between‐year recaptures. Recaptured lizards were correctly identified by I3S in 94.1% of cases. We estimated a false rejection rate (FRR) of 5.9% and a false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0%. By using I3S, we correctly identified 97.8% of within‐year recaptures (FRR = 2.2%; FAR = 0%) and 91.1% of between‐year recaptures (FRR = 8.9%; FAR = 0%). Misidentifications were primarily due to poor photograph quality (N = 4). However, two misidentifications were caused by indistinct scale configuration due to scale damage (N = 1) and ontogenetic changes in head scalation between capture events (N = 1). We conclude that automated photographic identification based on head scale patterns is a reliable and accurate method for identifying individuals over time. Because many lizard or reptilian species possess variable head squamation, this method has potential for successful application in many species

    Viterbi decoding of CRES signals in Project 8

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    Cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a modern approach for determining charged particle energies via high-precision frequency measurements of the emitted cyclotron radiation. For CRES experiments with gas within the fiducial volume, signal and noise dynamics can be modelled by a hidden Markov model. We introduce a novel application of the Viterbi algorithm in order to derive informational limits on the optimal detection of cyclotron radiation signals in this class of gas-filled CRES experiments, thereby providing concrete limits from which future reconstruction algorithms, as well as detector designs, can be constrained. The validity of the resultant decision rules is confirmed using both Monte Carlo and Project 8 data

    SYNCA: A Synthetic Cyclotron Antenna for the Project 8 Collaboration

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    Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) is a technique for measuring the kinetic energy of charged particles through a precision measurement of the frequency of the cyclotron radiation generated by the particle\u27s motion in a magnetic field. The Project 8 collaboration is developing a next-generation neutrino mass measurement experiment based on CRES. One approach is to use a phased antenna array, which surrounds a volume of tritium gas, to detect and measure the cyclotron radiation of the resulting ÎČ-decay electrons. To validate the feasibility of this method, Project 8 has designed a test stand to benchmark the performance of an antenna array at reconstructing signals that mimic those of genuine CRES events. To generate synthetic CRES events, a novel probe antenna has been developed, which emits radiation with characteristics similar to the cyclotron radiation produced by charged particles in magnetic fields. This paper outlines the design, construction, and characterization of this Synthetic Cyclotron Antenna (SYNCA). Furthermore, we perform a series of measurements that use the SYNCA to test the position reconstruction capabilities of the digital beamforming reconstruction technique. We find that the SYNCA produces radiation with characteristics closely matching those expected for cyclotron radiation and reproduces experimentally the phenomenology of digital beamforming simulations of true CRES signals

    Tritium Beta Spectrum and Neutrino Mass Limit from Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy

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    The absolute scale of the neutrino mass plays a critical role in physics at every scale, from the particle to cosmological. Measurements of the tritium endpoint spectrum have provided the most precise direct limit on the neutrino mass scale. In this Letter, we present advances by Project 8 to the Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) technique culminating in the first frequency-based neutrino mass limit. With only a cm3^3-scale physical detection volume, a limit of mÎČm_\beta<180 eV is extracted from the background-free measurement of the continuous tritium beta spectrum. Using 83m^{83{\rm m}}Kr calibration data, an improved resolution of 1.66±\pm0.16 eV (FWHM) is measured, the detector response model is validated, and the efficiency is characterized over the multi-keV tritium analysis window. These measurements establish the potential of CRES for a high-sensitivity next-generation direct neutrino mass experiment featuring low background and high resolution.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, for submission to PR

    Genezen van voorstadium maar toch cervixcarcinoom

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    Patients with histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1-3 who have completed a 2-year follow-up period with three negative cytological test results show an incidence of invasive carcinoma of 35.1 per 100,000 women years. Their risk for invasive cancer is 4-fold the risk in healthy women who had a negative primary test result. It has been proposed that this group should be kept in long-term, frequent follow-up. The author argues that if cervical cancer develops in these women, the treatment and diagnostics of CIN might have been incorrect. If the thickness of the electrosurgically excised tissue strips is insufficient, more deeply situated parts of the cervical crypts may be left behind in the stroma. After healing, cervical carcinoma may develop beneath a normal surface if these parts of the crypts contain intraepithelial neoplastic cells. This carcinoma is not amenable to early diagnosis. Before deciding on a more intense follow-up, we have to investigate the quality of the diagnostics and treatment in this group of wome

    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Schizophrenia and Moral Responsibility: A Kantian Essay Schizophrenia and Moral Responsibility: A Kantian Essay

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    Link to publication General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. Abstract In this paper, I give a Kantian answer to the question whether and why it would be inappropriate to blame people suffering from mental disorders that fall within the schizophrenia spectrum. I answer this question by reconstructing Kant&apos;s account of mental disorder, in particular his explanation of psychotic symptoms. Kant explains these symptoms in terms of various types of cognitive impairment. I show that this explanation is plausible and discuss Kant&apos;s claim that the unifying feature of the symptoms is the patient&apos;s inability to enter into an exchange of reasons with others. After developing a Kantian Quality of Will Thesis, I analyze some real life cases. Firstly, I argue that delusional patients who are unable to enter into an exchange of epistemic reasons are exempted from doxastic rather than moral responsibility. They are part of the moral community and exonerated from moral blame only if their actions do not express a lack of good will. Secondly, I argue that disorganized patients who are unable to form intentions and to make plans are exempted from moral responsibility because they do not satisfy the conditions for agency

    Complications after surgery for the relief of dyspareunia in women with lichen sclerosus: a case series

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    IntroductionThe objective of this study was to analyse complications after surgical intervention on the vulva, especially with grafting of the vaginal epithelium, for the relief of dyspareunia in women with lichen sclerosus. Material and methodsA case series of 23 women with histologically confirmed lichen sclerosus who underwent vulvar surgery because of disabling sexual dysfunction. Surgical care was provided in a university hospital (tertiary referral center) between 2008 and 2012. The interventions were posterior vestibuloplasty (perineoplasty), dehooding of the glans clitoridis and anterior vestibuloplasty with grafts of vaginal epithelium. ResultsA posterior vestibuloplasty was performed in all 23 women. Short-term complications included postoperative infection with subtotal dehiscence of the advanced vaginal epithelium (n = 1), and reactivation of lichen sclerosus with the formation of bullae due to the postoperative discontinuation of dermatosteroid use (n = 1). The long-term complications included localized pain (n = 3); although the relation with the surgical intervention was unclear. Four women underwent dehooding of the glans clitoridis, all without complications. Anterior vestibuloplasty with a free full-thickness graft of vaginal mucosa was performed in five women. One woman underwent a second operation because of contraction and keratinization of the graft. The importance of estrogens for the condition of the graft was unclear. ConclusionsAfter reconstructive vulvar surgery in women with lichen sclerosus, issues such as infection, reactivation of the disease and pain require attention. The use of vaginal grafts in the repair of the anterior vestibule is a novel approach and deserves further exploratio

    Bipolar Comparison of 3D Ear Models

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    Comparing ear photographs is considered to be an important aspect of victim identification. In this paper we study how automated ear comparison can be improved with soft computing techniques. More specifically we describe and illustrate how bipolar data modelling techniques can be used for handling data imperfections more adequately. In order to minimise rescaling and reorientation problems, we start with 3D ear models that are obtained from 2D ear photographs. To compare two 3D models, we compute and aggregate the similarities between corresponding points. Hereby, a novel bipolar similarity measure is proposed. This measure is based on Euclidian distance, but explicitly deals with hesitation caused by bad data quality. Comparison results are expressed using bipolar satisfaction degrees which, compared to traditional approaches, provide a semantically richer description of the extent to which two ear photographs match. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.De Tré G., Vandermeulen D., Hermans J., Claes P., Nielandt J., Bronselaer A., ''Bipolar comparison of 3D ear models'', Information processing and management of uncertainty in knowledge-based systems, proceedings 15th international conference on information processing and management of uncertainty in knowledge-based systems - IPMU'2014, vol. 444, pp. 160-169, July 15-19, 2014, Montpellier, France.status: publishe
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