Källén-Lehmann spectroscopy for (un)physical degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudal, David; Oliveira, Orlando; Silva, Paulo J.

2014-01-01

We consider the problem of "measuring" the Källén-Lehmann spectral density of a particle (be it elementary or bound state) propagator by means of 4D lattice data. As the latter are obtained from operations at (Euclidean momentum squared) p2≥0, we are facing the generically ill-posed problem of converting a limited data set over the positive real axis to an integral representation, extending over the whole complex p2 plane. We employ a linear regularization strategy, commonly known as the Tikhonov method with the Morozov discrepancy principle, with suitable adaptations to realistic data, e.g. with an unknown threshold. An important virtue over the (standard) maximum entropy method is the possibility to also probe unphysical spectral densities, for example, of a confined gluon. We apply our proposal here to "physical" mock spectral data as a litmus test and then to the lattice SU(3) Landau gauge gluon at zero temperature.

Complete annotated genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Zopf) Lehmann and Neumann (ATCC35812) (Kurono).

PubMed

Miyoshi-Akiyama, Tohru; Satou, Kazuhito; Kato, Masako; Shiroma, Akino; Matsumura, Kazunori; Tamotsu, Hinako; Iwai, Hiroki; Teruya, Kuniko; Funatogawa, Keiji; Hirano, Takashi; Kirikae, Teruo

2015-01-01

We report the completely annotated genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Zopf) Lehmann and Neumann (ATCC35812) (Kurono), which is a used for virulence and/or immunization studies. The complete genome sequence of M. tuberculosis Kurono was determined with a length of 4,415,078 bp and a G+C content of 65.60%. The chromosome was shown to contain a total of 4,340 protein-coding genes, 53 tRNA genes, one transfer messenger RNA for all amino acids, and 1 rrn operon. Lineage analysis based on large sequence polymorphisms indicated that M. tuberculosis Kurono belongs to the Euro-American lineage (lineage 4). Phylogenetic analysis using whole genome sequences of M. tuberculosis Kurono in addition to 22 M. tuberculosis complex strains indicated that H37Rv is the closest relative of Kurono based on the results of phylogenetic analysis. These findings provide a basis for research using M. tuberculosis Kurono, especially in animal models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kaliningrad and Baltic Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-06-01

Kennedy-Minott, Thesis Co-Advisor ___________________________________________ James Wirtz , Chairman Department of National Security Affairs iv...39 Jochen Prantl, �Security and Stability in Northern Europe � A Threat Assessment,� Program on the Northern Dimension of the CFSP, 29...www.usis.usemb.se/ wireless/500/eur508.htm Prantl, Jochen . �Security and Stability in Northern Europe � A Threat Assessment.� Program on the Northern Dimension

What subject matter questions motivate the use of machine learning approaches compared to statistical models for probability prediction?

PubMed

Binder, Harald

2014-07-01

This is a discussion of the following papers: "Probability estimation with machine learning methods for dichotomous and multicategory outcome: Theory" by Jochen Kruppa, Yufeng Liu, Gérard Biau, Michael Kohler, Inke R. König, James D. Malley, and Andreas Ziegler; and "Probability estimation with machine learning methods for dichotomous and multicategory outcome: Applications" by Jochen Kruppa, Yufeng Liu, Hans-Christian Diener, Theresa Holste, Christian Weimar, Inke R. König, and Andreas Ziegler. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ARC-2010-ACD10-0242-022

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-17

German Deligation visits Ames SOFIA Science Office for briefing. Left to right Jochen Homann, German State Secretary Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, and Manuel Wiedemann, post-doctorate student from the Deutsches SOFIA Institute, University of Stuttgart.

ARC-2010-ACD10-0242-018

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-17

German Deligation visits Ames SOFIA Science Office for briefing and enjoy a Ames tour. .Jochen Homann, Sectretary of State, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, speaks with Robert R. 'Bob' Meyer, NASA SOFIA Program Manager (based at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility, DAOF, Palmdale, California).

Dynamics of the Circulation in the Sea of Marmara: Numerical Modeling Experiments and Observations from the Turkish Straits System Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Chiggiato & Ewa Jarosz & Jeffrey W. Book & James Dykes & Lucio Torrisi & Pierre-Marie Poulain & Riccardo Gerin & Jochen Horstmann & Şükrü Beşiktepe...Rapid Environmental Assessment J. Chiggiato (*) : J. Horstmann : Ş. Beşiktepe NATO Undersea Research Centre, La Spezia, Italy e-mail: chiggiato

ARC-2010-ACD10-0242-021

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-17

German Deligation visits Ames SOFIA Science Office for briefing. Left to right Jochen Homann, German State Secretary Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Dr. Benno Bunse, President & CEO, German American Chamber of Commerce, New York, Manuel Wiedemann, post-doctorate student from the Deutsches SOFIA Institute, University of Stuttgart.

Symbiosis in the Context of an Invasive, Non-Native Grass: Fungal Biodiversity and Student Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehr, Gavin

Grasslands in the western United States face severe environmental threats including those brought about by climate change, such as changes in precipitation regimes and altered fire cycles; land-use conversion and development; and the introduction, establishment, and spread of non-native species. Lehmann's lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) was introduced to the southwestern United States in the early 1900s. Since its introduction, it has become the dominant grass in the mid-elevation grasslands of southern Arizona, including the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER), where it has displaced native grasses including Arizona cottontop, three awns, and gramas. Like all plants in terrestrial ecosystems, this grass harbors fungal symbionts that can be important for its establishment and persistence. This thesis focuses on fungal symbionts of Lehmann's lovegrass and has two components. First, the diversity and distributions of endophytes in Lehmann's lovegrass are evaluated in the context of biotic and abiotic factors in the SRER. Culturing from roots and shoots of Lehmann's lovegrass at points beneath and outside the canopy of native mesquites, which are encroaching on grasslands over time, provides insight into how a single plant species can exhibit local variation in the composition of its symbionts. Second, the thesis is used as the basis for engagement of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through the development and implementation of classroom- and field activities centered on endophytes, which help high school students address core learning aims while also gaining real research experience. Engaging students in important questions relevant to their local environment can catalyze interest in science and help students cross the threshold into research. The contributions of such approaches with respect to learning not only fulfills key next-generation science standards and common core objectives, but provides students with a meaningful

Heisenberg: Paralleling Scientific and Historical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cofield, Calla

2007-04-01

Werner Heisenberg is an important historical subject within the physics community partly because his actions as a human being are discussed nearly as often as his work as a physicist. But does the scientific community establish it's historical ideas with the same methods and standards as it's scientific conclusions? I interviewed Heisenberg's son, Jochen Heisenberg, a professor of physics at UNH. Despite a great amount of literature on Werner Heisenberg, only one historian has interviewed Jochen about his father and few have interviewed Werner's wife. Nature is mysterious and unpredictable, but it doesn't lie or distort like humans, and we believe it can give ``honest'' results. But are we keeping the same standards with history that we do with science? Are we holding historians to these standards and if not, is it up to scientists to not only be keepers of scientific understanding, but historical understanding as well? Shouldn't we record history by using the scientific method, by weighing the best sources of data differently than the less reliable, and are we right to be as stubborn about changing our views on history as we are about changing our views on nature?

Developing 21st Century Senior Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

idealistic and supernatural qualities that render them capable of leading organizations in the face of uncontrollable operational forces. But, senior...we must change if we are to develop better senior leaders.45 In the Armed Forces Journal article calling to keep the service colleges open, the...SS .., http://ss-peiper.narod.ru/ articles /Beginning_of_the_end-The_Leadership_of_SS-Obersturmbahnfuhrer_Jochen_ Peiper.pdf (accessed March 29

9. Photocopy of 1867 stereograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. Photocopy of 1867 stereograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. VIEW FROM NORTHWEST - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy and ROC Curves with Covariate Adjusted Semiparametric Mixtures.

PubMed

Doebler, Philipp; Holling, Heinz

2015-12-01

Many screening tests dichotomize a measurement to classify subjects. Typically a cut-off value is chosen in a way that allows identification of an acceptable number of cases relative to a reference procedure, but does not produce too many false positives at the same time. Thus for the same sample many pairs of sensitivities and false positive rates result as the cut-off is varied. The curve of these points is called the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. One goal of diagnostic meta-analysis is to integrate ROC curves and arrive at a summary ROC (SROC) curve. Holling, Böhning, and Böhning (Psychometrika 77:106-126, 2012a) demonstrated that finite semiparametric mixtures can describe the heterogeneity in a sample of Lehmann ROC curves well; this approach leads to clusters of SROC curves of a particular shape. We extend this work with the help of the [Formula: see text] transformation, a flexible family of transformations for proportions. A collection of SROC curves is constructed that approximately contains the Lehmann family but in addition allows the modeling of shapes beyond the Lehmann ROC curves. We introduce two rationales for determining the shape from the data. Using the fact that each curve corresponds to a natural univariate measure of diagnostic accuracy, we show how covariate adjusted mixtures lead to a meta-regression on SROC curves. Three worked examples illustrate the method.

Genetics Home Reference: Dandy-Walker malformation

MedlinePlus

... KA, Lehmann OJ, Hudgins L, Chizhikov VV, Bassuk AG, Ades LC, Krantz ID, Dobyns WB, Millen KJ. ... qualified healthcare professional . About Selection Criteria for Links Data Files & API Site Map Subscribe Customer Support USA. ...

13. Photocopy of 1931 photograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Photocopy of 1931 photograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. VIEW SHOWING ALTERED STAIRWAY AND ADDED COLUMNS - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

11. Photocopy of 1893 photograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Photocopy of 1893 photograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. MUSEUM AND GARDEN GATE FROM THE NORTHEAST - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

14. Photocopy of pre1956 photograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photocopy of pre-1956 photograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. CEILING, SHOWING ORIGINAL SKYLIGHT NOW PLASTERED OVER - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

Discriminatory Analysis. Volume 7. On the Theory of Selection

DTIC Science & Technology

1951-08-01

OF SELECTION -I PROJECT NO. 21-49004- PROJECT REPORT LEHMANN, E.L. AUG151 10PP 0 BIOMETRICS . ARTS AND SCIENCE , 0 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS MISCELLANEOUS (65) " ANTHROPOLOGY (2) 0 UNCLAS•IFIED 9 aý--77 0

12. Photocopy of 1889 photograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. Photocopy of 1889 photograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. HENRY SHAW LYING IN STATE, SHOWING STAIRWAY BEFORE ALTERATION - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

10. Photocopy of 1867 photograph. Original in library of John ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. Photocopy of 1867 photograph. Original in library of John S. Lehmann Building,Missouri Botanical Garden. VIEW FROM THE SOUTHWEST, SHOWING ORIGINAL SOUTH DOOR TREATMENT - Missouri Botanical Garden, Museum, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

13. Photocopy of illustration in St. Louis Illustrated, 1876. Original ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Photocopy of illustration in St. Louis Illustrated, 1876. Original in library of Lehmann Building, Missouri Botanical Garden. 'SHAW'S GARDEN,' BIRD'S EYE VIEW FROM THE SOUTH - Missouri Botanical Garden, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

Growing season ecosystem and leaf-level gas exchange of an exotic and native semiarid bunchgrass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The extensive spread of the South African grass, Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) may potentially alter ecological and hydrological processes across semiarid grasslands and savannahs of western North America. We compared volumetric soil moisture (Q), ecosystem (i.e. whole-plant and soil) ...

Interactions among climate and soil properties influence current and future geographic distribution of an invasive grass in the Chihuahuan Desert

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background/Question/Methods: Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) is an invasive exotic perennial grass throughout the Sonoran Desert. However, in the neighboring Chihuahuan Desert, this species is generally present in low abundance, although data on its geographic distribution are scarce. Our...

Modeling the Climate and Hydrological Controls of the Expansion of an Invasive Grass Over Southern Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathias, A.; Niu, G.; Zeng, X.

2013-12-01

Climate change has an effect on the resilience of ecosystems and the occurrence of ecological perturbations (e.g. spread of invasive species, wildfires). Changes in vegetation in turn can interrupt regional scale climate patterns and alter the spatial and temporal propagation of ecological disturbances. Understanding the controls of vegetation change are essential for predicting future changes, and for setting conservation and restoration targets. Vegetation change in transition zones between ecological regions is a significant indicator of future shifts in the composition of neighboring plant communities. The Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed is in a grassland-shrubland transition zone between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert in Southern Arizona. During the past decade, at some sites the cover of the invasive Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) drastically increased and the abundance of native vegetation decreased, causing a major decline in biodiversity. Focusing on a catchment scale (Kendall Site), we used an individual based vegetation model (ECOTONE) and a coupled vegetation-3D surface/subsurface hydrology model (ECOTONE-CATHY) to simulate vegetation change. We set up the models with soil and climatological data (NLDAS and AmeriFlux), incorporated initial conditions of species and biomass distribution and species parameters for the site. Using ECOTONE we tested our hypothesis that a combination of dry years and subsequent wet period caused Lehmann lovegass to have advantage over the natives. In ECOTONE species composition and species distribution of plant communities arise from dynamic interactions of individual plants with species specific traits through intra- and interspecific competition for resources (H2O, nitrogen) and their interaction with the environment (precipitation and temperature). Our results indicate that the competitive advantage of Lehmann lovegrass stems from its ability to withstand dryer conditions during establishment and due to

Genetics Home Reference: hypokalemic periodic paralysis

MedlinePlus

... C, Alderson K, Griggs RC, Tawil R, Gregg R, Hogan K, Powers PA, Weinberg N, Malonee W, Ptácek LJ. ... Citation on PubMed Lehmann-Horn F, Jurkat-Rott K, Rüdel R. Periodic paralysis: understanding channelopathies. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. ...

Astronomía Mocoví

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, A.; Giménez Benitez, S.; Fernández, L.

El presente trabajo, es una revisión crítica de la astronomía en la cultura Mocoví, aportando a lo realizado previamente por Lehmann Nistche (Lehmann Nistche, 1924 y 1927) el resultado de nuestro trabajo de campo. Un mayor conocimiento de las cosmovisiones de las etnias de esta área es fundamental para una mejor comprensión de la dispersión de las ideas cosmológicas entre los pueblos aborígenes americanos, dada la importancia del corredor chaqueño como conexión entre las altas culturas andinas, la mesopotamia y la región pampeana (Susnik, 1972). Para ello se realiza una comparación con otras cosmovisiones del área americana. Nuestro aporte se enmarca dentro de las actuales líneas de trabajo mundialmente en desarrollo en Astronomía en la Cultura.

Flexible Learning Strategies in Higher and Further Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Diana, Ed.

This book contains 15 papers written by contributors from all areas of Great Britain in further and higher education. The following papers are included: "Learning to Be Flexible" (Diana Thomas); "Managing Change: Towards a New Paradigm?" (Mac Stephenson, Timothy Lehmann); "Open Learning: Educational Opportunity or…

Relationships among Achievement Goal Motivation, Impulsivity, and the Music Practice of Collegiate Brass and Woodwind Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miksza, Peter

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between observed practice behaviors consistent with conceptions of deliberate practice (Lehmann & Ericsson, 1997) and the performance achievement of collegiate wind players (N = 55). The secondary purpose of this study was to explore relationships among observed practice…

THE BENEFITS OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW OF A RESEARCH STUDY ON THE PHYSICOCHEMISTRY AND PULMONARY TOXICOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ORIMULSION FLY ASH

EPA Science Inventory

THE BENEFITS OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW OF A RESEARCH STUDY ON THE PHYSICOCHEMISTRY AND PULMONARY TOXICOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ORIMULSION FLY ASH. K Dreher', J. Richards', J. McGee', J. Lehmann', T. Hughes', A. Miller, W. Linak2, and A. Mallett3.'National Health and Environment...

Statistical Methods and Sampling Design for Estimating Step Trends in Surface-Water Quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirsch, Robert M.

1988-01-01

This paper addresses two components of the problem of estimating the magnitude of step trends in surface water quality. The first is finding a robust estimator appropriate to the data characteristics expected in water-quality time series. The J. L. Hodges-E. L. Lehmann class of estimators is found to be robust in comparison to other nonparametric and moment-based estimators. A seasonal Hodges-Lehmann estimator is developed and shown to have desirable properties. Second, the effectiveness of various sampling strategies is examined using Monte Carlo simulation coupled with application of this estimator. The simulation is based on a large set of total phosphorus data from the Potomac River. To assure that the simulated records have realistic properties, the data are modeled in a multiplicative fashion incorporating flow, hysteresis, seasonal, and noise components. The results demonstrate the importance of balancing the length of the two sampling periods and balancing the number of data values between the two periods.

The Economics of Pricing and Customer Decision-Making. Research Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Debra J.

1996-01-01

Reviews two research articles. Gratton and Taylor, using economic analysis and market research, found that consumers of leisure experiences complained about price increases, but continued consuming. They recommend discounts for those in need and price increases focusing on service quality. Greenleaf and Lehmann identified 11 reasons why people…

ACAM2000(TM): The New Smallpox Vaccine for United States Strategic National Stockpile

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

1963–1968. BMC Public Health. 2003;3:26. 36. Morgan J, Roper MH, Sperling L, et al. Myocarditis, pericarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy after...51. von Landenberg P, Lehmann HW, Modrow S. Human parvovirus B19 infection and antiphospholipid antibodies. Autoimmun Rev. 2007;6(5):278–285. 52

75 FR 28853 - Quarterly Publication of Individuals, Who Have Chosen To Expatriate, as Required by Section 6039G

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-24

.... HECKNER MICHAEL JOHANNES HELLMAN LISA JANE HELLMAN-MERZBACHER JESSICA HENTSCH NIKOLAI HO EUNICE YUK LING... JENNIFER LADANYI HANS GEORG LAMPE ARNO LAUREYNS VEERLE A LEBECH LISA MARGARET LEE YOONBOK STEPHEN LEHMANN... JAMES JOHN MORANT JR PAUL MU DEJUN MULLER SIGRID SIMONS NEDOLUHA DAVID A NEDOLUHA PATRICIA E NEDOLUHA...

Young People in an Economic Downturn. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Briefing Paper 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anlezark, Alison

2011-01-01

Following the collapse of the US investment bank Lehmann Brothers in September 2008, the world economy began a downward spiral, with many countries falling into recession. Australia experienced significant stock market losses and unemployment rates began to climb. This briefing paper considers how young people fared in previous downturns and…

GLCF: Publications

Science.gov Websites

Services Contact Site Map Go Publications 2017 Che, X., Feng, M., Sexton, J. O., Channan, S., Yang, Y ., Choate, D., Stoner, D., Arundel, T., Hansen, J., Theimer, T., Holton, B., Jansen, B., Sexton, J.O. and successful acquisitions. Wildlife Society Bulletin. Brinck, K., Fischer, R., Groeneveld, J., Lehmann, S., De

Simulation Validation for Societal Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

of valid inference. Statisticians have developed formal “rules” for inference from quantitative data (Lehmann and Romano 2005). Artificial...time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the...Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing

Synthesis, Chapter 19

Treesearch

L.H. Pardo; L.H. Geiser; M.E. Fenn; C.T. Driscoll; C.L. Goodale; E.B. Allen; J.S. Baron; R. Bobbink; W.D. Bowman; C.M. Clark; B. Emmett; F.S. Gilliam; T. Greaver; S.J. Hall; E.A. Lilleskov; L. Liu; J.A. Lynch; K. Nadelhoffer; S.S. Perakis; M.J. Robin-Abbott; J.L. Stoddard; K.C. Weathers

2011-01-01

Human activity in the last century has led to a substantial increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and deposition (Galloway et al. 2003). Because of past, and, in some regions, continuing increases in emissions (Lehmann et al. 2005, Nilles and Conley 2001), this N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations and damage in many ecosystems...

Parameter Estimation for the Dirichlet-Multinomial Distribution Using Supplementary Beta-Binomial Data.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

multinomial distribution as a magazine exposure model. J. of Marketing Research . 21, 100-106. Lehmann, E.L. (1983). Theory of Point Estimation. John Wiley and... Marketing Research . 21, 89-99. V I flWflW WflW~WWMWSS tWN ,rw fl rwwrwwr-w~ w-. ~. - - -- .~ 𔃾 4’.) ~a 4’ ., 𔃾. ’-4. .4.: .4~ I .4. ~J3iAf a,’ -a’ 4

Time Series Modeling of Army Mission Command Communication Networks: An Event-Driven Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Lehmann, D. R. (1984). How advertising affects sales: Meta- analysis of econometric results. Journal of Marketing Research , 21, 65-74. Barabási, A. L...317-357. Leone, R. P. (1983). Modeling sales-advertising relationships: An integrated time series- econometric approach. Journal of Marketing ... Research , 20, 291-295. McGrath, J. E., & Kravitz, D. A. (1982). Group research. Annual Review of Psychology, 33, 195- 230. Monge, P. R., & Contractor

Checkpoint Kinase-Dependent Regulation of DNA Repair and Genome Instability in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

cells reduces radiosensitivity. Cancer J 9:277-85. 15. Lehmann, A. R. 2003. DNA repair-deficient diseases, xeroderma pigmentosum , Cockayne syndrome...in NER give rise to the autosomal recessive disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which is characterized by ex- treme sun sensitivity, premature aging...mediated ubiquitination and deg- radation. J. Biol. Chem. 276:48175–48182. 14. Chu, G., and E. Chang. 1988. Xeroderma pigmentosum group E cells lack a

Effects of a Nonnative, Invasive Lovegrass on Agave palmeri Distribution, Abundance, and Insect Pollinator Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

Batagelj and Mrvar 1998). Network parameters of interest (reviewed in Börner et al. 2007) included those related to topology, such as: number of nodes...flowers (Howell 1996 ; USFWS 1999), and if an agave stalk burns directly, the reproductive effort and the availability of nectar for that plant is...Spread of introduced Lehmann lovegrass Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees. in southern Arizona, USA. Biological Conservation 61:181-188. Batagelj , V., and A

Robust multivariate nonparametric tests for detection of two-sample location shift in clinical trials

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xuejun; Guo, Xu; Zhang, Ning; Wang, Bo

2018-01-01

This article presents and investigates performance of a series of robust multivariate nonparametric tests for detection of location shift between two multivariate samples in randomized controlled trials. The tests are built upon robust estimators of distribution locations (medians, Hodges-Lehmann estimators, and an extended U statistic) with both unscaled and scaled versions. The nonparametric tests are robust to outliers and do not assume that the two samples are drawn from multivariate normal distributions. Bootstrap and permutation approaches are introduced for determining the p-values of the proposed test statistics. Simulation studies are conducted and numerical results are reported to examine performance of the proposed statistical tests. The numerical results demonstrate that the robust multivariate nonparametric tests constructed from the Hodges-Lehmann estimators are more efficient than those based on medians and the extended U statistic. The permutation approach can provide a more stringent control of Type I error and is generally more powerful than the bootstrap procedure. The proposed robust nonparametric tests are applied to detect multivariate distributional difference between the intervention and control groups in the Thai Healthy Choices study and examine the intervention effect of a four-session motivational interviewing-based intervention developed in the study to reduce risk behaviors among youth living with HIV. PMID:29672555

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spectra of KIC10661783 (Lehmann+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, H.; Southworth, J.; Tkachenko, A.; Pavlovski, K.

2013-08-01

In 2010, we obtained 26 high-resolution spectra of KIC 10661783 in seven almost consecutive nights using the Coude-echelle spectrograph at the 2-m telescope of the Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg. The spectra have a resolving power of 64000 and cover the wavelength range 470-740nm. The exposure time was 30 min and the spectra have a signal-to-noise ratio of 90 on average. They were reduced using standard ESO-MIDAS packages and a routine for the calibration of the instrumental radial velocity zero-point using O2 telluric lines. (2 data files).

Velocity Curve Analysis of Spectroscopic Binary Stars AI Phe, GM Dra, HD 93917 and V502 Oph by Nonlinear Regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karami, K.; Mohebi, R.

2007-08-01

We introduce a new method to derive the orbital parameters of spectroscopic binary stars by nonlinear least squares of (o-c). Using the measured radial velocity data of the four double lined spectroscopic binary systems, AI Phe, GM Dra, HD 93917 and V502 Oph, we derived both the orbital and combined spectroscopic elements of these systems. Our numerical results are in good agreement with the those obtained using the method of Lehmann-Filhé.

Defense Attache Saigon: RVNAF Final Assessment, 1 January thru 25 April FY 75,

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-06-15

seven respective JGS/J6 operating divisions. The reorganization was effected on 1 March 1975. 4. SELECTED C-E EVALUATIONS: a. Undersea cable outage. (1...L.ehmann approved recomnendations concerning incre, ing tte alert status of the fleet and 7th AF troop carriers and holding 16-(:-2 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY...radio transmission system, .n’d all areas of SVN and interfaced with US undersea cables to Philippines and Thailand and with the US tropospheric scatter

Proceedings of the Conference on the Design of Experiments in Army Research Development and Testing (35th) Held in Monterey California, California on 18-20 October 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

Statistics. John Wiley and Sons , 1980, p. 111. 7. Hanson, D. L. and Koopmans, Lo H.t Tolerance Limits for the Class of Distributions With Increasing...Am. Statis° Assoc., vol. 82, 1987, p. 918. 9. Lehmann, E0 Lot Testing Statistical Hypotheses. John Wiley and Sons , 1959, pp. 274-275. 10. Lemon, G. H...Surfaces," John Wily & Sons , Inc., New York. 3. Box, G. E. P. and Wilson, K. B. (1951), "On the Experimental Attainment of Optimum Conditions," Journal of

The Natural History of Human Language: Bridging the Gaps without Magic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merker, Bjorn; Okanoya, Kazuo

Human languages are quintessentially historical phenomena. Every known aspect of linguistic form and content is subject to change in historical time (Lehmann, 1995; Bybee, 2004). Many facts of language, syntactic no less than semantic, find their explanation in the historical processes that generated them. If adpositions were once verbs, then the fact that they tend to occur on the same side of their arguments as do verbs ("cross-category harmony": Hawkins, 1983) is a matter of historical contingency rather than a reflection of inherent structural constraints on human language (Delancey, 1993).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Plusieurs orateurs rendent hommage au grand physicien et scientifique Vladimir Jurko Glaser (1924 - 1984) qui travaillait au Ruder Boscovic Institut à Zagreb avant de venir au Cern en 1957 où il trouvait un poste permanent au département de physique théorique. Walter Tearing, Harry Lehmann,Henry Epstein, Jacques Bros et André Martin font des résumés biographiques de leurs collègue et ami en honorant ses grands qualités d'homme et ses remarquables conquêtes de la science et leurs accomplissement.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Tidal radii of 7 globular clusters (Lehmann+ 1997)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, I.; Scholz, R.-D.

1998-02-01

We present new tidal radii for seven Galactic globular clusters using the method of automated star counts on Schmidt plates of the Tautenburg, Palomar and UK telescopes. The plates were fully scanned with the APM system in Cambridge (UK). Special account was given to a reliable background subtraction and the correction of crowding effects in the central cluster region. For the latter we used a new kind of crowding correction based on a statistical approach to the distribution of stellar images and the luminosity function of the cluster stars in the uncrowded area. The star counts were correlated with surface brightness profiles of different authors to obtain complete projected density profiles of the globular clusters. Fitting an empirical density law (King 1962AJ.....67..471K) we derived the following structural parameters: tidal radius rt, core radius rc and concentration parameter c. In the cases of NGC 5466, M 5, M 12, M 13 and M 15 we found an indication for a tidal tail around these objects (cf. Grillmair et al., 1995AJ....109.2553G). (1 data file).

Memorial V.J.Glaser

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

Plusieurs orateurs rendent hommage au grand physicien et scientifique Vladimir Jurko Glaser (1924 - 1984) qui travaillait au Ruder Boscovic Institut à Zagreb avant de venir au Cern en 1957 où il trouvait un poste permanent au département de physique théorique. Walter Tearing, Harry Lehmann,Henry Epstein, Jacques Bros et André Martin font des résumés biographiques de leurs collègue et ami en honorant ses grands qualités d'homme et ses remarquables conquêtes de la science et leurs accomplissement.

Randomized controlled trial of asthma risk with paracetamol use in infancy--a feasibility study.

PubMed

Riley, J; Braithwaite, I; Shirtcliffe, P; Caswell-Smith, R; Hunt, A; Bowden, V; Power, S; Stanley, T; Crane, J; Ingham, T; Weatherall, M; Mitchell, E A; Beasley, R

2015-02-01

There is non-experimental evidence that paracetamol (acetaminophen) use may increase the risk of developing asthma. However, numerous methodological issues need to be resolved before undertaking a randomized controlled trial to investigate this hypothesis. To establish the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of liberal paracetamol as usually given by parents/guardians vs. a comparator (restricted paracetamol in accordance with WHO guidelines, ibuprofen or placebo), and childhood asthma risk. Questionnaires were completed by parents/guardians of infants admitted to Wellington Hospital with bronchiolitis to assess views about comparator treatments. Subsequently, infants of parents/guardians who provided informed consent were randomized to restricted or liberal paracetamol use for 3 months with paracetamol use recorded. Of 120 eligible participants, 72 (60%) parents/guardians completed the questionnaire. Ibuprofen, restricted paracetamol and placebo were acceptable to 42 (58%), 29 (40%) and 9 (12%) parents/guardians, respectively. 36 (30%) infants were randomized to restricted or liberal paracetamol. Paracetamol use was greater for the liberal vs. restricted group for reported [Hodges-Lehmann estimator of difference 0.94 mg/kg/day (95% CI 0.2-3.52), P = 0.02] and measured use [Hodges-Lehmann estimator of difference 2.11 mg/kg/day (95% CI 0.9-4.18), P = 0.004]. The median reported and measured use of paracetamol was 2.0-fold and 3.5-fold greater in the liberal vs. restricted group. Although separation in paracetamol dosing is likely to be achieved with a liberal vs. restricted paracetamol regime, ibuprofen is the preferred comparator treatment in the proposed RCT of paracetamol use and risk of asthma in childhood. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Minimal sufficient positive-operator valued measure on a separable Hilbert space

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuramochi, Yui, E-mail: kuramochi.yui.22c@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp

We introduce a concept of a minimal sufficient positive-operator valued measure (POVM), which is the least redundant POVM among the POVMs that have the equivalent information about the measured quantum system. Assuming the system Hilbert space to be separable, we show that for a given POVM, a sufficient statistic called a Lehmann-Scheffé-Bahadur statistic induces a minimal sufficient POVM. We also show that every POVM has an equivalent minimal sufficient POVM and that such a minimal sufficient POVM is unique up to relabeling neglecting null sets. We apply these results to discrete POVMs and information conservation conditions proposed by the author.

Short Gamma-ray Bursts: Observations and Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janka, H.-Thomas

2007-04-01

The aim of the workshop, which will be held at the scenic Ringberg castle, is supposed to bring together astrophysicists, physicists, and astronomers from different fields in order to discuss recent observational and theoretical discoveries and developments on short gamma-ray bursts. In particular, we plan to address the following topics: * recent short GRB observations * environments and host galaxies of short GRBs * is there a 3rd class of GRBs? * modeling GRB engines and jet outflows * rate and redshift predictions for short GRBs * the fireball model and short GRBs * gravitational-wave signals from short GRBs * neutrino signals from short GRBs * microphysics needed for modeling short GRBs and their engines Scientific and Local organizing committee members: H.-Thomas Janka (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching), Miguel Aloy (University of Valencia), Jochen Greiner (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics), Sandra Savaglio (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics), Shri Kulkarni (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena)

Development of fugal strains in biochar amended soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Ana Z.; De la Rosa, José M.; Paneque, Marina; Knicker, Heike

2016-04-01

results are of significant interest for agriculture and demands microbiological tests prior to using biochar for increasing the carbon sequestration potential of soils or for agronomic purposes, since C stabilization and soil biological properties may be affected by specific biochars. References: [1] Lehmann J., Joseph S., 2009. Biochar systems. In "Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology" (C. J. Lehmann and S. Joseph, Eds.), Earthscan, London. [2] Glaser B., Lehmann J., Zech W., 2002. Biol. Fert. Soils. 35, 219-230. [3] Saiz-Jimenez C., Miller AZ., Martin-Sanchez PM., Hernandez-Marine M., 2012. Environ. Microbiol. 14:3220-3231. [4] Rodriguez A., Perestelo F., Carnicero A., Regalado V., Perez R., De la Fuente G. Falcon M.A., 1996. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 21:213-219. [5] Scarlett K., Tesoriero L., Daniel R., Guest D., 2013. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 137:315-324. Acknowledgements: The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (PCIG12-GA-2012-333784-Biocharisma project and PIEF-GA-2012-328689-DECAVE project), MINECO and the European Development Fund (Project PCGL2012-37041) are thanked for the financial support.

Theology and bioethics: a marriage not made in heaven.

PubMed

Boone, C Keith

1986-10-01

Boone reviews the 20th volume in the Philosophy and medicine series, Theology and Bioethics: Exploring the Foundations and Frontiers, edited by Earl E. Shelp (D. Reidel; 1985). The volume's theme, if and how "theology can make a unique contribution to bioethics in our time," is addressed by L. Walters, B. Mitchell, R. McCormick, M. Farley, P. Lehmann, C. Hartshorne, H.T. Engelhardt, S. Hauerwas, J. Childress, and W. Frankena, with a prologue by J. Nelson and an epilogue by J. Cobb. Boone briefly summarizes and critiques each essay. While he responds favorably to the volume, he also believes the work would have been stronger if more attention had been focused directly on the metaethical issues arising from the "gap between theological belief and moral action."

Impact of drying-rewetting events on the response of soil microbial functions to dairyfibre and Miscanthus biochars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnett, Sam; Vink, Stefanie; Baker, Kate; Saghir, Muhammad; Hornung, Andreas

2014-05-01

Biochar application has been shown to positively affect soil microbial functions such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing water/nutrient availability and increasing crop yields in tropical regions (Lehmann & Joseph, 2009). Understanding the dynamics of biochar application to soil microbial processes is critical for ensuring that soil quality, integrity and sustainability of the soil sub-system are maintained for crop growth. The aim of this British Ecological Society (BES) funded study was to examine the effect of two types of biochar on soil physicochemistry, GHG production, soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass in typical agricultural soil types and whether the effects were altered by drying, rewetting and flooding events. Miscanthus and dairyfibre (a mixture of straw and manure) feedstocks from Harper Adams University were pyrolyzed by Aston University at 450 °C using 100 kg/hr pyroformer technology. Two sieved soil types (sandy loam and clay loam) were mixed with dry biochar to produce 2 and 10 % w/w treatments for comparison with controls and maintained at 15 °C in temperature controlled incubators. At 0, 22, 44, 80, 101, and 114 days, soil was collected for determination of heterotrophic respiration, and microbial biomass by substrate-induced respiration (SIR), by gas headspace incubation and analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) by gas chromatography. Soil was sampled for the determination of water-extractable carbon, pH, and extracellular enzyme activities. Soil samples were maintained at field gravimetric water content between 0 and 44 days; air dried between 44 and 80 days; rewetted between 80 and 101 days; and flooded between 101 to 114 days. Results showed that the impact of biochar on soil microbial processes was dependent on biochar type and soil type, the level of biochar application and changes in soil moisture. Biochar affected soil pH particularly within the dairyfibre treatments, potentially due to the

Functional differentiability in time-dependent quantum mechanics.

PubMed

Penz, Markus; Ruggenthaler, Michael

2015-03-28

In this work, we investigate the functional differentiability of the time-dependent many-body wave function and of derived quantities with respect to time-dependent potentials. For properly chosen Banach spaces of potentials and wave functions, Fréchet differentiability is proven. From this follows an estimate for the difference of two solutions to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation that evolve under the influence of different potentials. Such results can be applied directly to the one-particle density and to bounded operators, and present a rigorous formulation of non-equilibrium linear-response theory where the usual Lehmann representation of the linear-response kernel is not valid. Further, the Fréchet differentiability of the wave function provides a new route towards proving basic properties of time-dependent density-functional theory.

Liquid-crystal science from 1888 to 1922: building a revolution.

PubMed

Mitov, Michel

2014-05-19

The saga of liquid crystals started with their discovery in 1888 by the botanist Friedrich Reinitzer, who unexpectedly observed "two melting points" for crystals extracted from the root of a carrot. At the end of the nineteenth century, most scientists did not believe in the existence of "liquid crystals" as promoted by the crystallographer Otto Lehmann. The controversies were very vivid; to the point that the recognition of mesomorphic states of matter by the scientific community required more than two decades. In the end, liquid crystals have changed our vision of matter by shattering the three-state paradigm. Since the mid-1970s, liquid crystals have revolutionized the worldwide information-display industry and now play a host of key roles in various technologies. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Φ43 and Φ63 matricial QFT models have reflection positive two-point function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosse, Harald; Sako, Akifumi; Wulkenhaar, Raimar

2018-01-01

We extend our previous work (on D = 2) to give an exact solution of the ΦD3 large- N matrix model (or renormalised Kontsevich model) in D = 4 and D = 6 dimensions. Induction proofs and the difficult combinatorics are unchanged compared with D = 2, but the renormalisation - performed according to Zimmermann - is much more involved. As main result we prove that the Schwinger 2-point function resulting from the ΦD3 -QFT model on Moyal space satisfies, for real coupling constant, reflection positivity in D = 4 and D = 6 dimensions. The Källén-Lehmann mass spectrum of the associated Wightman 2-point function describes a scattering part | p|2 ≥ 2μ2 and an isolated broadened mass shell around | p|2 =μ2.

Helium transfer from water into quartz crystals: A new approach for porewater dating [rapid communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolstikhin, I.; Gannibal, M.; Tarakanov, S.; Pevzner, B.; Lehmann, B.; Ihly, B.; Waber, H. N.

2005-09-01

Several important fundamental and applied problems require a quantification of slow rates of groundwater flow. To resolve these problems helium appears to be a promising tracer. In this contribution we discuss a new approach, which gives the helium inventory in a rock - pore water system by using the relevant mineral record, i.e., without extraction and investigation of the porewater samples. Some U- and Th-poor minerals such as quartz (quartz separates from Permo-Carboniferous Formation, sandstone-shale interlayering, Molasses Basin, Northern Switzerland, hereafter PCF, are used in this study) contain excessive helium having migrated into their internal helium-accessible volume (HAV) from the surrounding porewater [I.N. Tolstikhin, B.E. Lehmann, H.H. Loosli, A. Gautschi, Helium and argon isotopes in rocks, minerals and related groundwaters: a case study in Northern Switzerland, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 (1996) 1497-1514]. These volumes are estimated by using helium as a nano-size penetrating tool, i.e., by saturation of the minerals with helium under controlled pressure-temperature conditions and subsequent measurements of the helium-saturated concentrations. In the quartz separates HAV/total volume ratios vary from 0.017% to 0.16%; along with the measured initial (unsaturated) He concentration the HAV gives the internal helium pressure, the mean value obtained for 7 samples (25 sample aliquots) is P = 0.45 ± 0.15 atm (1 σ). The product of helium pressure and solubility (7.35 × 10 - 3 cc STP He/cc H 2O for the temperature and salinity of PCF aquifers reported in [F.J. Pearson, W. Balderer, H.H. Loosli, B.E. Lehmann, A. Matter, T. Peters, H. Schmassmann, A. Gautschi, Applied Isotope Hydrogeology-A Case Study in Northern Switzerland, Elsevier Amsterdam, 1991, 439 pp.]) is the mineral-derived He concentration in the respective porewater, CPW = 0.0035 ± 0.0017 cc He/cc H 2O. This value is in full accord with measured He concentrations in PCF aquifers, CPCF

Discussion on ``Foundations of the Second Law''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silbey, Robert; Ao, Ping; Beretta, Gian Paolo; Cengel, Yunus; Foley, Andrew; Freedman, Steven; Graeff, Roderich; Keck, James C.; Lloyd, Seth; Maroney, Owen; Nieuwenhuizen, Theodorus M.; Weissman, Michael

2008-08-01

This article reports an open discussion that took place during the Keenan Symposium "Meeting the Entropy Challenge" (held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 4, 2007) following the short presentations—each reported as a separate article in the present volume—by Seth Lloyd, Owen Maroney, Silviu Guiasu, Ping Ao, Jochen Gemmer, Bernard Guy, Gian Paolo Beretta, Speranta Gheorghiu-Svirschevski, and Dorion Sagan. All panelists and the audience were asked to address the following questions • Why is the second law true? Is it an inviolable law of nature? If not, is it possible to develop a perpetual motion machine of the second kind? • Are second law limitations objective or subjective, real or apparent, due to the nature of physical states or the representation and manipulation of information? Is entropy a physical property in the same sense as energy is universally understood to be an intrinsic property of matter? • Does the second law conflict with quantum mechanics? Are the differences between mechanical and thermodynamic descriptions of physical phenomena reconcilable? Does the reversible law of motion of hamiltonian mechanics and quantum mechanics conflict with the empirical observation of irreversible phenomena?

An accurate ab initio quartic force field for ammonia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. M. L.; Lee, Timothy J.; Taylor, Peter R.

1992-01-01

The quartic force field of ammonia is computed using basis sets of spdf/spd and spdfg/spdf quality and an augmented coupled cluster method. After correcting for Fermi resonance, the computed fundamentals and nu 4 overtones agree on average to better than 3/cm with the experimental ones except for nu 2. The discrepancy for nu 2 is principally due to higher-order anharmonicity effects. The computed omega 1, omega 3, and omega 4 confirm the recent experimental determination by Lehmann and Coy (1988) but are associated with smaller error bars. The discrepancy between the computed and experimental omega 2 is far outside the expected error range, which is also attributed to higher-order anharmonicity effects not accounted for in the experimental determination. Spectroscopic constants are predicted for a number of symmetric and asymmetric top isotopomers of NH3.

Individualization, globalization and health--about sustainable information technologies and the aim of medical informatics.

PubMed

Haux, Reinhold

2006-12-01

This paper discusses aspects of information technologies for health care, in particular on transinstitutional health information systems (HIS) and on health-enabling technologies, with some consequences for the aim of medical informatics. It is argued that with the extended range of health information systems and the perspective of having adequate transinstitutional HIS architectures, a substantial contribution can be made to better patient-centered care, with possibilities ranging from regional, national to even global care. It is also argued that in applying health-enabling technologies, using ubiquitous, pervasive computing environments and ambient intelligence approaches, we can expect that in addition care will become more specific and tailored for the individual, and that we can achieve better personalized care. In developing health care systems towards transinstitutional HIS and health-enabling technologies, the aim of medical informatics, to contribute to the progress of the sciences and to high-quality, efficient, and affordable health care that does justice to the individual and to society, may be extended to also contributing to self-determined and self-sufficient (autonomous) life. Reference is made and examples are given from the Yearbook of Medical Informatics of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and from the work of Professor Jochen Moehr.

PumpKin: A tool to find principal pathways in plasma chemical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markosyan, A. H.; Luque, A.; Gordillo-Vázquez, F. J.; Ebert, U.

2014-10-01

PumpKin is a software package to find all principal pathways, i.e. the dominant reaction sequences, in chemical reaction systems. Although many tools are available to integrate numerically arbitrarily complex chemical reaction systems, few tools exist in order to analyze the results and interpret them in relatively simple terms. In particular, due to the large disparity in the lifetimes of the interacting components, it is often useful to group reactions into pathways that recycle the fastest species. This allows a researcher to focus on the slow chemical dynamics, eliminating the shortest timescales. Based on the algorithm described by Lehmann (2004), PumpKin automates the process of finding such pathways, allowing the user to analyze complex kinetics and to understand the consumption and production of a certain species of interest. We designed PumpKin with an emphasis on plasma chemical systems but it can also be applied to atmospheric modeling and to industrial applications such as plasma medicine and plasma-assisted combustion.

Individualism and socioeconomic diversity at school as related to perceptions of the frequency of peer aggression in fifteen countries.

PubMed

Menzer, Melissa M; Torney-Purta, Judith

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine two aspects of context for peer aggression: national individualism and distributions of socioeconomic status in the school. School administrators for each school reported on their perceptions of the frequency of bullying and violence in their school. The sample comprised 990 school principals/headmasters from nationally representative samples of schools in 15 countries surveyed as part of the larger IEA Civic Education Study (Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald, & Schulz, 2001). A national context of individualism was associated with violence but not bullying. Schools with high socioeconomic diversity had more bullying than homogeneously low or high socioeconomic status schools. In addition, diverse schools had more violence than affluent schools. Results suggest that bullying and violence should be investigated as separate constructs. Furthermore, contexts, such as national culture and school socioeconomic diversity, are important in understanding the prevalence of bullying and violence in schools internationally. Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A solution to coupled Dyson-Schwinger equations for gluons and ghosts in Landau gauge.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

von Smekal, L.; Alkofer, R.; Hauck, A.

1998-07-20

A truncation scheme for the Dyson-Schwinger equations of QCD in Landau gauge is presented which implements the Slavnov-Taylor identities for the 3-point vertex functions. Neglecting contributions from 4-point correlations such as the 4-gluon vertex function and irreducible scattering kernels, a closed system of equations for the propagators is obtained. For the pure gauge theory without quarks this system of equations for the propagators of gluons and ghosts is solved in an approximation which allows for an analytic discussion of its solutions in the infrared: The gluon propagator is shown to vanish for small spacelike momenta whereas the ghost propagator ismore » found to be infrared enhanced. The running coupling of the non-perturbative subtraction scheme approaches an infrared stable fixed point at a critical value of the coupling alpha c of approx. 9.5. The gluon propagator is shown to have no Lehmann representation. The results for the propagators obtained here compare favorably with recent lattice calculations.« less

Gravitational Mechanisms to Self-Tune the Cosmological Constant: Obstructions and Ways Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niedermann, Florian; Padilla, Antonio

2017-12-01

Gravitational models of self-tuning are those in which vacuum energy has no observable effect on spacetime curvature, even though it is a priori unsuppressed below the cutoff. We complement Weinberg's no-go theorem by studying field-theoretic completions of self-adjustment allowing for broken translations as well as other generalizations, and identify new obstructions. Our analysis uses a very general Källén-Lehmann spectral representation of the exchange amplitude for conserved sources of energy-momentum and exploits unitarity and Lorentz invariance to show that a transition from self-tuning of long wavelength sources to near general relativity (GR) on shorter scales is generically not possible. We search for novel ways around our obstructions and highlight two interesting possibilities. The first is an example of a unitary field configuration on anti-de Sitter space with the desired transition from self-tuning to GR. A second example is motivated by vacuum energy sequestering.

Laboratory experiments on solute transport in bimodal porous media under cyclic precipitation-evaporation boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa

2016-04-01

Flow and solute transport in the shallow subsurface is strongly governed by atmospheric boundary conditions. Erratically varying infiltration and evaporation cycles lead to alternating upward and downward flow, as well as spatially and temporally varying water contents and associated hydraulic conductivity of the prevailing materials. Thus presenting a highly complicated, dynamic system. Knowledge of subsurface solute transport processes is vital to assess e.g. the entry of, potentially hazardous, solutes to the groundwater and nutrient uptake by plant roots and can be gained in many ways. Besides field measurements and numerical simulations, physical laboratory experiments represent a way to establish process understanding and furthermore validate numerical schemes. With the aim to gain a better understanding and to quantify solute transport in the unsaturated shallow subsurface under natural precipitation conditions in heterogeneous media, we conduct physical laboratory experiments in a 22 cm x 8 cm x 1 cm flow cell that is filled with two types of sand and apply cyclic infiltration-evaporation phases at the soil surface. Pressure at the bottom of the domain is kept constant. Following recent studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011a), heterogeneity is introduced by a sharp vertical interface between coarse and fine sand. Fluorescent tracers are used to i) qualitatively visualize transport paths within the domain and ii) quantify solute leaching at the bottom of the domain. Temporal and spatial variations in water content during the experiment are derived from x-ray radiographic images. Monitored water contents between infiltration and evaporation considerably changed in the coarse sand while the fine sand remained saturated throughout the experiments. Lateral solute transport through the interface in both directions at different depths of the investigated soil columns were observed. This depended on the flow rate applied at the soil surface and

Observing a Burst with Sunglasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-11-01

Unique Five-Week VLT Study of the Polarisation of a Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow "Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)" are certainly amongst the most dramatic events known in astrophysics. These short flashes of energetic gamma-rays, first detected in the late 1960's by military satellites, last from less than one second to several minutes. GRBs have been found to be situated at extremely large ("cosmological") distances. The energy released in a few seconds during such an event is larger than that of the Sun during its entire lifetime of more than 10,000 million years. The GRBs are indeed the most powerful events since the Big Bang known in the Universe, cf. ESO PR 08/99 and ESO PR 20/00. During the past years circumstantial evidence has mounted that GRBs signal the collapse of extremely massive stars, the so-called hypernovae. This was finally demonstrated some months ago when astronomers, using the FORS instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), documented in unprecedented detail the changes in the spectrum of the light source ("the optical afterglow") of the gamma-ray burst GRB 030329 (cf. ESO PR 16/03). A conclusive and direct link between cosmological gamma-ray bursts and explosions of very massive stars was provided on this occasion. Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 030329 was discovered on March 29, 2003 by NASA's High Energy Transient Explorer spacecraft. Follow-up observations with the UVES spectrograph at the 8.2-m VLT KUEYEN telescope at the Paranal Observatory (Chile) showed the burst to have a redshift of 0.1685 [1]. This corresponds to a distance of about 2,650 million light-years, making GRB 030329 the second-nearest long-duration GRB ever detected. The proximity of GRB 030329 resulted in very bright afterglow emission, permitting the most extensive follow-up observations of any afterglow to date. A team of astronomers [2] led by Jochen Greiner of the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (Germany) decided to make use of this unique opportunity to study the

Role of the Euclidean signature in lattice calculations of quasidistributions and other nonlocal matrix elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briceño, Raúl A.; Hansen, Maxwell T.; Monahan, Christopher J.

2017-07-01

Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) provides the only known systematic, nonperturbative method for first-principles calculations of nucleon structure. However, for quantities such as light-front parton distribution functions (PDFs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs), the restriction to Euclidean time prevents direct calculation of the desired observable. Recently, progress has been made in relating these quantities to matrix elements of spatially nonlocal, zero-time operators, referred to as quasidistributions. Still, even for these time-independent matrix elements, potential subtleties have been identified in the role of the Euclidean signature. In this work, we investigate the analytic behavior of spatially nonlocal correlation functions and demonstrate that the matrix elements obtained from Euclidean lattice QCD are identical to those obtained using the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula in Minkowski space. After arguing the equivalence on general grounds, we also show that it holds in a perturbative calculation, where special care is needed to identify the lattice prediction. Finally we present a proof of the uniqueness of the matrix elements obtained from Minkowski and Euclidean correlation functions to all order in perturbation theory.

PHF6 Degrees of Separation: The Multifaceted Roles of a Chromatin Adaptor Protein.

PubMed

Todd, Matthew A M; Ivanochko, Danton; Picketts, David J

2015-06-19

The importance of chromatin regulation to human disease is highlighted by the growing number of mutations identified in genes encoding chromatin remodeling proteins. While such mutations were first identified in severe developmental disorders, or in specific cancers, several genes have been implicated in both, including the plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) gene. Indeed, germline mutations in PHF6 are the cause of the Börjeson-Forssman-Lehmann X-linked intellectual disability syndrome (BFLS), while somatic PHF6 mutations have been identified in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Studies from different groups over the last few years have made a significant impact towards a functional understanding of PHF6 protein function. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of PHF6 with particular emphasis on how it interfaces with a distinct set of interacting partners and its functional roles in the nucleoplasm and nucleolus. Overall, PHF6 is emerging as a key chromatin adaptor protein critical to the regulation of neurogenesis and hematopoiesis.

A solution to coupled Dyson{endash}Schwinger equations for gluons and ghosts in Landau gauge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

von Smekal, L.; Hauck, A.; Alkofer, R.

1998-07-01

A truncation scheme for the Dyson{endash}Schwinger equations of QCD in Landau gauge is presented which implements the Slavnov{endash}Taylor identities for the 3-point vertex functions. Neglecting contributions from 4-point correlations such as the 4-gluon vertex function and irreducible scattering kernels, a closed system of equations for the propagators is obtained. For the pure gauge theory without quarks this system of equations for the propagators of gluons and ghosts is solved in an approximation which allows for an analytic discussion of its solutions in the infrared: The gluon propagator is shown to vanish for small spacelike momenta whereas the ghost propagator ismore » found to be infrared enhanced. The running coupling of the non-perturbative subtraction scheme approaches an infrared stable fixed point at a critical value of the coupling, {alpha}{sub c}{approx_equal}9.5. The gluon propagator is shown to have no Lehmann representation. The results for the propagators obtained here compare favorably with recent lattice calculations. {copyright} 1998 Academic Press, Inc.« less

Life beyond the limits of knowledge: crystalline life in the popular science of Desiderius Papp (1895-1993).

PubMed

Brandstetter, Thomas

2012-10-01

The aim of this article is to show how, and in which context, astrobiological reasoning was employed before the establishment of astrobiology as a scientific discipline. By way of an example, I will discuss a popular science book published in 1931 by the Hungarian journalist Desiderius Papp. The author claims that this book represents an innovation in astrobiological reasoning, as it draws on contemporary biological research to conduct thought experiments, thereby coming up with concrete forms of possible extraterrestrial life. One of the most interesting of these forms was crystalline life. After a short overview on the history of this concept, this article will show how Papp drew on recent research by Otto Lehmann on liquid crystals to convey the idea that life may be based on other elements than carbon. The author concludes by arguing that popular science did not only make specialist knowledge accessible to a general public but also served to probe the limits of knowledge and point toward the situatedness of established categories and definitions.

Design of a wearable device for real-time screening of urinary tract infection and kidney disease based on smartphone.

PubMed

Zhou, Jianyu; Dong, Tao

2018-06-11

In this study, we developed a novel wearable and low-cost device for qualitative screening of glucose (GLU), leukocytes (LEU), and nitrite (NIT) and for semi-quantitative analysis of blood (BLD) and proteins (PRO) in the urine samples. The device can be attached to a diaper, and the results can be read by an app. The main functions of the device can be divided into sample collection, valve closing, and pad saturation; the recorded times for valve closing and pad saturation at four corners and pad saturation at the central parts are pseudo-medians (Hodges-Lehmann estimator) of 3.55 (95% WCI, 3.45-3.72), 6.5 (95% WCI, 6-7), and 6 (95% WCI, 5.5-6.5) minutes, respectively. The RGB values in the reagent pads remain stable from 20 min to 480 min, which satisfies the requirement of regular diaper-wearing time. Pre-diagnostic results indicate high accuracy with good accuracy for the app recognition of five biomarkers in the urine samples, which makes it a promising tool for screening diseases, especially for the elderly healthcare.

Factors affecting graded and ungraded memory loss following hippocampal lesions.

PubMed

Winocur, Gordon; Moscovitch, Morris; Sekeres, Melanie J

2013-11-01

This review evaluates three current theories--Standard Consolidation (Squire & Wixted, 2011), Overshadowing (Sutherland, Sparks, & Lehmann, 2010), and Multiple Trace-Transformation (Winocur, Moscovitch, & Bontempi, 2010)--in terms of their ability to account for the role of the hippocampus in recent and remote memory in animals. Evidence, based on consistent findings from tests of spatial memory and memory for acquired food preferences, favours the transformation account, but this conclusion is undermined by inconsistent results from studies that measured contextual fear memory, probably the most commonly used test of hippocampal involvement in anterograde and retrograde memory. Resolution of this issue may depend on exercising greater control over critical factors (e.g., contextual environment, amount of pre-exposure to the conditioning chamber, the number and distribution of foot-shocks) that can affect the representation of the memory shortly after learning and over the long-term. Research strategies aimed at characterizing the neural basis of long-term consolidation/transformation, as well as other outstanding issues are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chamber and Diffusive Based Carbon Flux Measurements in an Alaskan Arctic Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkman, E.; Oechel, W. C.; Zona, D.

2013-12-01

Eric Wilkman, Walter Oechel, Donatella Zona Comprising an area of more than 7 x 106 km2 and containing over 11% of the world's organic matter pool, Arctic terrestrial ecosystems are vitally important components of the global carbon cycle, yet their structure and functioning are sensitive to subtle changes in climate and many of these functional changes can have large effects on the atmosphere and future climate regimes (Callaghan & Maxwell 1995, Chapin et al. 2002). Historically these northern ecosystems have acted as strong C sinks, sequestering large stores of atmospheric C due to photosynthetic dominance in the short summer season and low rates of decomposition throughout the rest of the year as a consequence of cold, nutrient poor, and generally water-logged conditions. Currently, much of this previously stored carbon is at risk of loss to the atmosphere due to accelerated soil organic matter decomposition in warmer future climates (Grogan & Chapin 2000). Although there have been numerous studies on Arctic carbon dynamics, much of the previous soil flux work has been done at limited time intervals, due to both the harshness of the environment and labor and time constraints. Therefore, in June of 2013 an Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA - Los Gatos Research Inc.) was deployed in concert with the LI-8100A Automated Soil Flux System (LI-COR Biosciences) in Barrow, AK to gather high temporal frequency soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes from a wet sedge tundra ecosystem. An additional UGGA in combination with diffusive probes, installed in the same location, provides year-round soil and snow CO2 and CH4 concentrations. When used in combination with the recently purchased AlphaGUARD portable radon monitor (Saphymo GmbH), continuous soil and snow diffusivities and fluxes of CO2 and CH4 can be calculated (Lehmann & Lehmann 2000). Of particular note, measuring soil gas concentration over a diffusive gradient in this way allows one to separate both net production and

Compared Biochar and Compost effects on plant growth and soil factors as reported for three consequent greenhouse trial setups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, H. S.; Glaser, B. G.

2012-04-01

sand control (factor: 0.8) and the highest biochar applications yielded 13.8 times the seed harvest of the sand compost (10.4 times sand control). We will try to present possible explanations for those results based on TOC, TN, pH, NO3, NH4 and electrical conductivity data. - Bridle, T.R., Pritchard, D., 2004. Energy and nutrient recovery from sewage sludge via pyrolysis. Water Science and Technology 50, 169-175. - Glaser, B.; Lehmann, J.; Zech, W. (2002): Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal - a review. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 35, 219-230. - Lehmann, J. and Joseph, S. (eds.) (2010): Biochar for environmental management. Science and technology. Earthscan. London.

Computational investigation of CO adsorbed on Aux, Agx and (AuAg)x nanoclusters (x = 1 - 5, 147) and monometallic Au and Ag low-energy surfaces*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Anna L.; Catlow, C. Richard A.; Logsdail, Andrew J.

2018-02-01

Density functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the use of CO as a probe molecule for the determination of the structure and composition of Au, Ag and AuAg nanoparticles. For very small nanoclusters (x = 1 - 5), the CO vibrational frequencies can be directly correlated to CO adsorption strength, whereas larger 147-atom nanoparticles show a strong energetic preference for CO adsorption at a vertex position but the highest wavenumbers are for the bridge positions. We also studied CO adsorption on Au and Ag (100) and (111) surfaces, for a 1 monolayer coverage, which proves to be energetically favourable on atop only and bridge positions for Au (100) and atop for Ag (100); vibrational frequencies of the CO molecules red-shift to lower wavenumbers as a result of increased metal coordination. We conclude that CO vibrational frequencies cannot be solely relied upon in order to obtain accurate compositional analysis, but we do propose that elemental rearrangement in the core@shell nanoclusters, from Ag@Au (or Au@Ag) to an alloy, would result in a shift in the CO vibrational frequencies that indicate changes in the surface composition. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Shaping Nanocatalysts", edited by Francesca Baletto, Roy L. Johnston, Jochen Blumberger and Alex Shluger.Supplementary material in the form of one pdf file available from the Journal web page at http://https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2017-80280-7

Wide-area ratios of evapotranspiration to precipitation in monsoon-dependent semiarid vegetation communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glenn, Edward P.; Scott, Russell L.; Nguyen, Uyen; Nagler, Pamela L.

2015-01-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) and the ratio of ET to precipitation (PPT) are important factors in the water budget of semiarid rangelands and are in part determined by the dominant plant communities. Our goal was to see if landscape changes such as tree or shrub encroachment and replacement of native grasses by invasive grasses impacted ET and ET/PPT and therefore watershed hydrology in this biome. We determined ET and ET/PPT for shrublands, grasslands and mesquite savannas in southern Arizona at five moisture flux towers and determined the environmental factors controlling ET in each plant community. We then scaled ET over areas of 4–36 km2, representing homogeneous patches of each plant community, using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from MODIS sensors on the Terra satellite. Over wide areas, estimated ET/PPT projected from MODIS EVI ranged from 0.71 for a sparsely-vegetated shrub site to 1.00 for grasslands and mesquite savannas. The results did not support hypotheses that encroachment of mesquites into grasslands or that replacement of native grasses with introduced Eragrostis lehmanniana (lehmann lovegrass) have increased rangeland ET.

Ca(2+) -complex stability of GAPAGPLIVPY peptide in gas and aqueous phase, investigated by affinity capillary electrophoresis and molecular dynamics simulations and compared to mass spectrometric results.

PubMed

Nachbar, Markus; El Deeb, Sami; Mozafari, Mona; Alhazmi, Hassan A; Preu, Lutz; Redweik, Sabine; Lehmann, Wolf Dieter; Wätzig, Hermann

2016-03-01

Strong, sequence-specific gas-phase bindings between proline-rich peptides and alkaline earth metal ions in nanoESI-MS experiments were reported by Lehmann et al. (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2006, 20, 2404-2410), however its relevance for physiological-like aqueous phase is uncertain. Therefore, the complexes should also be studied in aqueous solution and the relevance of the MS method for binding studies be evaluated. A mobility shift ACE method was used for determining the binding between the small peptide GAPAGPLIVPY and various metal ions in aqueous solution. The findings were compared to the MS results and further explained using computational methods. While the MS data showed a strong alkaline earth ion binding, the ACE results showed nonsignificant binding. The proposed vacuum state complex also decomposed during a molecular dynamic simulation in aqueous solution. This study shows that the formed stable peptide-metal ion adducts in the gas phase by ESI-MS does not imply the existence of analogous adducts in the aqueous phase. Comparing peptide-metal ion interaction under the gaseous MS and aqueous ACE conditions showed huge difference in binding behavior. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Can collision-induced negative-ion fragmentations of [M-H](-) anions be used to identify phosphorylation sites in peptides?

PubMed

Tran, T T Nha; Wang, Tianfang; Hack, Sandra; Hoffmann, Peter; Bowie, John H

2011-12-15

A joint experimental and theoretical investigation of the fragmentation behaviour of energised [M-H](-) anions from selected phosphorylated peptides has confirmed some of the most complex rearrangement processes yet to be reported for peptide negative ions. In particular: pSer and pThr (like pTyr) may transfer phosphate groups to C-terminal carboxyl anions and to the carboxyl anion side chains of Asp and Glu, and characteristic nucleophilic/cleavage reactions accompany or follow these rearrangements. pTyr may transfer phosphate to the side chains of Ser and Thr. The reverse reaction, namely transfer of a phosphate group from pSer or pThr to Tyr, is energetically unfavourable in comparison. pSer can transfer phosphate to a non-phosphorylated Ser. The non-rearranged [M-H](-) species yields more abundant product anions than its rearranged counterpart. If a peptide containing any or all of Ser, Thr and Tyr is not completely phosphorylated, negative-ion cleavages can determine the number of phosphated residues, and normally the positions of Ser, Thr and Tyr, but not which specific residues are phosphorylated. This is in accord with comments made earlier by Lehmann and coworkers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Role of the Euclidean signature in lattice calculations of quasidistributions and other nonlocal matrix elements

DOE PAGES

Briceno, Raul A.; Hansen, Maxwell T.; Monahan, Christopher J.

2017-07-11

Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) provides the only known systematic, nonperturbative method for first-principles calculations of nucleon structure. However, for quantities such as light-front parton distribution functions (PDFs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs), the restriction to Euclidean time prevents direct calculation of the desired observable. Recently, progress has been made in relating these quantities to matrix elements of spatially nonlocal, zero-time operators, referred to as quasidistributions. Still, even for these time-independent matrix elements, potential subtleties have been identified in the role of the Euclidean signature. In this work, we investigate the analytic behavior of spatially nonlocal correlation functions and demonstrate thatmore » the matrix elements obtained from Euclidean lattice QCD are identical to those obtained using the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula in Minkowski space. After arguing the equivalence on general grounds, we also show that it holds in a perturbative calculation, where special care is needed to identify the lattice prediction. Lastly, we present a proof of the uniqueness of the matrix elements obtained from Minkowski and Euclidean correlation functions to all order in perturbation theory.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Briceno, Raul A.; Hansen, Maxwell T.; Monahan, Christopher J.

Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) provides the only known systematic, nonperturbative method for first-principles calculations of nucleon structure. However, for quantities such as light-front parton distribution functions (PDFs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs), the restriction to Euclidean time prevents direct calculation of the desired observable. Recently, progress has been made in relating these quantities to matrix elements of spatially nonlocal, zero-time operators, referred to as quasidistributions. Still, even for these time-independent matrix elements, potential subtleties have been identified in the role of the Euclidean signature. In this work, we investigate the analytic behavior of spatially nonlocal correlation functions and demonstrate thatmore » the matrix elements obtained from Euclidean lattice QCD are identical to those obtained using the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula in Minkowski space. After arguing the equivalence on general grounds, we also show that it holds in a perturbative calculation, where special care is needed to identify the lattice prediction. Lastly, we present a proof of the uniqueness of the matrix elements obtained from Minkowski and Euclidean correlation functions to all order in perturbation theory.« less

Can the tools of activity theory help us in advancing understanding and organisational change in undergraduate medical education?

PubMed

Reid, Anne-Marie; Ledger, Alison; Kilminster, Sue; Fuller, Richard

2015-08-01

Continued changes to healthcare delivery in the UK, and an increasing focus on patient safety and quality improvement, require a radical rethink on how we enable graduates to begin work in challenging, complex environments. Professional regulatory bodies now require undergraduate medical schools to implement an 'assistantship' period in the final year of study, where senior medical students 'shadow' the work of junior doctors, with an expectation that they will be better 'prepared' for work. However, there is little guidance about what an 'assistantship' entails and the current emphasis on preparedness of students arguably underplays the importance of contextualised learning within the workplace environment. This paper will describe a modified Development Work Research (DWR) (Engeström in Developmental work research: activity theory in practice. Lehmanns Media, Berlin, 2005) approach to organisational change, enabling academic, clinical and administrative partners to develop assistantship placements in different hospitals. Our findings indicate that a modified DWR approach can reveal factors indicating organisational readiness to support change within a locally contextualised framework. The process has significant practical applications across a range of healthcare disciplines, as all professions seek to engage with the challenge of enabling successful transitions of graduates to the workplace.

Deviation from zeitgeist and motivation in the intergenerational transmission of individualistic and collectivistic values in East Germany and Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Schönpflug, Ute; Yan, Song

2014-01-01

Intergenerational intrafamilial transmission is a process by which acquired information passes from parent to offspring. The authors examined mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of individualistic and collectivistic values in 216 families with 1 adolescent child in 2 societies: East Germany and the Shanghai region in China. To clarify the impact of transmission from mother and father to son or daughter, this study analyzed the filter model by U. Schönpflug and L. Bilz (2009), including zeitgeist concerning value climate in the social context, each family member's deviation from the zeitgeist, and the familial motivation to transmit. The 2-dimensional structure (individualism and collectivism) of 10 values of the Portrait Value Questionnaire (Schwartz, Lehmann, & Rocca, 1999) differed somewhat in the 2 regions for adolescents and their fathers, but not for mothers. In East Germany, no significant direct transmission of value orientation was observed, whereas in Shanghai, fathers transmitted individualism and collectivism values. Family motivation impacted significantly on the child's value orientation in both regions. The zeitgeist measure had no significant influence on the transmission process whereas deviation from zeitgeist did. The gender of the child determined the level and transmission of collectivism, but not the transfer of individualism.

Solute transport with time-variable flow paths during upward and downward flux in a heterogeneous unsaturated porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa; Bechtold, Michel; Vanderborght, Jan

2014-05-01

To acquire knowledge of solute transport through the unsaturated zone in the shallow subsurface is decisive to assess groundwater quality, nutrient cycling or to plan remediation strategies. The shallow subsurface is characterized by structural heterogeneity and strongly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This leads to changing flow directions, strong temporal changes in saturation and heterogeneous water fluxes during infiltration and evaporation events. Recent studies (e.g. Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al.,2011) demonstrated the importance of lateral flow and solute transport during evaporation conditions (upward flux). The heterogeneous structure in these studies was constructed using two types of sand with strong material contrasts and arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Lateral transport and redistribution of solute from coarse to fine media was observed deeper in the soil column and from fine to coarse close to the soil surface. However, if boundary conditions are reversed due to precipitation, the flow field is not necessarily reversed in the same manner, resulting in entirely different transport patterns for downward and upward flow. Therefore, considering net-flow rates alone is misleading when describing transport under those conditions. In this contribution we analyze transport of a solute in the shallow subsurface to assess effects resulting from the temporal change of heterogeneous soil structures due to dynamic flow conditions. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of unsaturated flow and transport are conducted using a coupled finite volume and random walk particle tracking algorithm to quantify solute transport and leaching rates. Following previous studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011), the chosen domain is composed of two materials, coarse and fine sand, arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Hence, one sharp interface of strong material heterogeneity is induced. During evaporation both sands are

Comments on ;An improved Cauchy number approach for predicting the drag and reconfiguration of flexible vegetation; by Peter Whittaker, Catherine A.M.E. Wilson, and Jochen Aberle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Li; Chen, Xiaobing

2017-07-01

Whittaker et al. (2015) presented a modified Cauchy number approach for the estimate of flow resistance induced by flexible vegetation. The approach represents a noteworthy effort in quantifying vegetation resistance to streamflow. Here we briefly discuss some theoretical and practical issues of this approach, and show how it is related to the approach developed by Kouwen and others (Kouwen et al., 1969; Kouwen and Unny, 1973) and recently revised by Chen et al. (2014).

Parenchymal texture analysis in digital mammography: robust texture feature identification and equivalence across devices.

PubMed

Keller, Brad M; Oustimov, Andrew; Wang, Yan; Chen, Jinbo; Acciavatti, Raymond J; Zheng, Yuanjie; Ray, Shonket; Gee, James C; Maidment, Andrew D A; Kontos, Despina

2015-04-01

An analytical framework is presented for evaluating the equivalence of parenchymal texture features across different full-field digital mammography (FFDM) systems using a physical breast phantom. Phantom images (FOR PROCESSING) are acquired from three FFDM systems using their automated exposure control setting. A panel of texture features, including gray-level histogram, co-occurrence, run length, and structural descriptors, are extracted. To identify features that are robust across imaging systems, a series of equivalence tests are performed on the feature distributions, in which the extent of their intersystem variation is compared to their intrasystem variation via the Hodges-Lehmann test statistic. Overall, histogram and structural features tend to be most robust across all systems, and certain features, such as edge enhancement, tend to be more robust to intergenerational differences between detectors of a single vendor than to intervendor differences. Texture features extracted from larger regions of interest (i.e., [Formula: see text]) and with a larger offset length (i.e., [Formula: see text]), when applicable, also appear to be more robust across imaging systems. This framework and observations from our experiments may benefit applications utilizing mammographic texture analysis on images acquired in multivendor settings, such as in multicenter studies of computer-aided detection and breast cancer risk assessment.

Influence of Spin-Orbit Quenching on the Solvation of Indium in Helium Droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Ralf; Pototschnig, Johann V.; Ernst, Wolfgang E.; Hauser, Andreas W.

2017-06-01

Recent experimental interest of the collaborating group of M. Koch on the dynamics of electronic excitations of indium in helium droplets triggered a series of computational studies on the group 13 elements Al, Ga and In and their indecisive behavior between wetting and non wetting when placed onto superfluid helium droplets. We employ a combination of multiconfigurational self consistent field calculations (MCSCF) and multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) to calculate the diatomic potentials. Particularly interesting is the case of indium with an Ancilotto parameter λ close to the threshold value of 1.9. As shown by Reho et al. the spin-orbit splitting of metal atoms solvated in helium droplets is subject to a quenching effect. This can drastically change the solvation behavior. In this work we extend the approach presented by Reho et al. to include distance dependent spin-orbit coupling. The resulting potential surfaces are used to calculate the solvation energy of the ground state and the first excited state with orbital-free helium density functional theory. F. Ancilotto, P. B. Lerner and M. W. Cole, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 1995, 101, 1123-1146 J. H. Reho, U. Merker, M. R. Radcliff, K. K. Lehmann and G. Scoles, The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2000, 104, 3620-3626

Pioneers in Psychopharmacology.

PubMed

Healy, David

1998-12-01

In pursuing the history of any field, even one in which many of the main exponents are still alive, it can be very difficult to establish facts and priorities. Detailed scrutiny of the events leading to the recognition of the antidepressant effects of iproniazid, in which Nathan Kline was involved, may fail to establish the exact sequence of events or the sources of inspiration for a discovery (Healy, 1997). Quite apart from the 'facts' behind the antidepressant story, Kline's role in the story beautifully illustrates one of the sayings of Francis Galton, to the effect that in history the driving force may not lie with the first discoverer of a new scientific fact, but rather with the individual who was the first to persuade the world of the importance of a particular discovery. This maxim applies with some force to the three individuals who have been honoured by the CINP in 1998 for their pioneering roles in psychopharmacology - Pierre Deniker, Joel Elkes and Heinz Lehmann whose contributions to the field have included original research and also key initiatives to capture the central ground of academic and public opinion for the new science. They have been science makers rather than just scientists.

Theoretical study of the dependence of single impurity Anderson model on various parameters within distributional exact diagonalization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syaina, L. P.; Majidi, M. A.

2018-04-01

Single impurity Anderson model describes a system consisting of non-interacting conduction electrons coupled with a localized orbital having strongly interacting electrons at a particular site. This model has been proven successful to explain the phenomenon of metal-insulator transition through Anderson localization. Despite the well-understood behaviors of the model, little has been explored theoretically on how the model properties gradually evolve as functions of hybridization parameter, interaction energy, impurity concentration, and temperature. Here, we propose to do a theoretical study on those aspects of a single impurity Anderson model using the distributional exact diagonalization method. We solve the model Hamiltonian by randomly generating sampling distribution of some conducting electron energy levels with various number of occupying electrons. The resulting eigenvalues and eigenstates are then used to define the local single-particle Green function for each sampled electron energy distribution using Lehmann representation. Later, we extract the corresponding self-energy of each distribution, then average over all the distributions and construct the local Green function of the system to calculate the density of states. We repeat this procedure for various values of those controllable parameters, and discuss our results in connection with the criteria of the occurrence of metal-insulator transition in this system.

Structural aspects of Lorentz-violating quantum field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cambiaso, M.; Lehnert, R.; Potting, R.

2018-01-01

In the last couple of decades the Standard Model Extension has emerged as a fruitful framework to analyze the empirical and theoretical extent of the validity of cornerstones of modern particle physics, namely, of Special Relativity and of the discrete symmetries C, P and T (or some combinations of these). The Standard Model Extension allows to contrast high-precision experimental tests with posited alterations representing minute Lorentz and/or CPT violations. To date no violation of these symmetry principles has been observed in experiments, mostly prompted by the Standard-Model Extension. From the latter, bounds on the extent of departures from Lorentz and CPT symmetries can be obtained with ever increasing accuracy. These analyses have been mostly focused on tree-level processes. In this presentation I would like to comment on structural aspects of perturbative Lorentz violating quantum field theory. I will show that some insight coming from radiative corrections demands a careful reassessment of perturbation theory. Specifically I will argue that both the standard renormalization procedure as well as the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formalism need to be adapted given that the asymptotic single-particle states can receive quantum corrections from Lorentz-violating operators that are not present in the original Lagrangian.

Estimating suitable environments for invasive plant species across large landscapes: a remote sensing strategy using Landsat 7 ETM+

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, Kendal E.; Abbott, Laurie B.; Caldwell, Colleen A.; Schrader, T. Scott

2013-01-01

The key to reducing ecological and economic damage caused by invasive plant species is to locate and eradicate new invasions before they threaten native biodiversity and ecological processes. We used Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery to estimate suitable environments for four invasive plants in Big Bend National Park, southwest Texas, using a presence-only modeling approach. Giant reed (Arundo donax), Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), horehound (Marrubium vulgare) and buffelgrass (Pennisteum ciliare) were selected for remote sensing spatial analyses. Multiple dates/seasons of imagery were used to account for habitat conditions within the study area and to capture phenological differences among targeted species and the surrounding landscape. Individual species models had high (0.91 to 0.99) discriminative ability to differentiate invasive plant suitable environments from random background locations. Average test area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranged from 0.91 to 0.99, indicating that plant predictive models exhibited high discriminative ability to differentiate suitable environments for invasive plant species from random locations. Omission rates ranged from <1.0 to 18%. We demonstrated that useful models estimating suitable environments for invasive plants may be created with <50 occurrence locations and that reliable modeling using presence-only datasets can be powerful tools for land managers.

Asymptotic states and the definition of the S-matrix in quantum gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiesendanger, C.

2013-04-01

Viewing gravitational energy-momentum p_G^\\mu as equal by observation, but different in essence from inertial energy-momentum p_I^\\mu naturally leads to the gauge theory of volume-preserving diffeomorphisms of an inner Minkowski space M4. The generalized asymptotic free scalar, Dirac and gauge fields in that theory are canonically quantized, the Fock spaces of stationary states are constructed and the gravitational limit—mapping the gravitational energy-momentum onto the inertial energy-momentum to account for their observed equality—is introduced. Next the S-matrix in quantum gravity is defined as the gravitational limit of the transition amplitudes of asymptotic in- to out-states in the gauge theory of volume-preserving diffeomorphisms. The so-defined S-matrix relates in- and out-states of observable particles carrying gravitational equal to inertial energy-momentum. Finally, generalized Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formulae for scalar, Dirac and gauge fields are established which allow us to express S-matrix elements as the gravitational limit of truncated Fourier-transformed vacuum expectation values of time-ordered products of field operators of the interacting theory. Together with the generating functional of the latter established in Wiesendanger (2011 arXiv:1103.1012) any transition amplitude can in principle be computed consistently to any order in perturbative quantum gravity.

Temperature dependence of carbon kinetic isotope effect for the oxidation reaction of ethane by OH radicals under atmospherically relevant conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piansawan, Tammarat; Saccon, Marina; Laumer, Werner; Gensch, Iulia; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid

2015-04-01

Modeling of the global distribution of atmospheric ethane sources and sinks by using the 13C isotopic composition requires accurate knowledge of the carbon kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of its atmospheric removal reactions. The quantum mechanical prediction implies the necessity to elucidate the temperature dependence of KIE within atmospherically relevant temperature range by experiment. In this study, the KIE and its temperature dependence for ethane oxidation by OH radicals was investigated at ambient pressure in a temperature range of 243 K to 303 K. The chemical reactions were carried out in a 15 L PFE reaction chamber, suspended in a thermally controlled oven. The isotope ratios of the gas phase components during the course of the reactions were measured by Thermal Desorption -- Gas Chromatography -- Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-IRMS). For each temperature, the KIE was derived from the temporal evolution of the concentration and stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) of ethane using a method adapted from the relative reaction rate concept. The room temperature KIE of the ethane reaction with OH radicals was found to be 6.85 ± 0.32 ‰. This value is in agreement with the previously reported value of 8.57 ± 1.95 ‰ [Anderson et al. 2004] but has a substantially lower uncertainty. The experimental results will be discussed with the KIE temperature dependence predicted by quantum mechanical calculations. Reference: Rebecca S. Anderson, Lin Huang, Richard Iannone, Alexandra E. Thompson, and Jochen Rudolph (2004), Carbon Kinetic Isotope Effects in the Gas Phase Reactions of Light Alkanes and Ethene with the OH Radical at 296 ± 4 K, J. Phys. Chem. A, 108, 11537--11544

Novel measurement of rapid treatment success with ReQuest: first and sustained symptom relief as outcome parameters in patients with endoscopy-negative GERD receiving 20 mg pantoprazole or 20 mg esomeprazole.

PubMed

Mönnikes, Hubert; Pfaffenberger, Bernd; Gatz, Gudrun; Hein, Jasper; Bardhan, Karna Dev

2007-01-01

A prime concern for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients is fast symptom control. Sparse valid information is available on the rapidity of the effect of proton pump inhibitors in providing symptom relief. The new reflux questionnaire ReQuest is validated for daily assessment of changes in GERD symptoms. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of 20 mg pantoprazole and 20 mg esomeprazole with regard to the time to symptom relief in patients with endoscopy-negative GERD (enGERD) using ReQuest. 529 patients were treated with pantoprazole or esomeprazole over 4 weeks. ReQuest symptom scores were assessed daily. The mean and median times to first and sustained symptom relief were determined. Median time to first symptom relief was 2 days for both drugs (intention-to-treat population). The median time to sustained symptom relief was 3 days shorter with pantoprazole (10.0 vs. 13.0 days). The Hodges-Lehmann estimator for the difference in time to reach first and sustained symptom relief between both groups was 0.00 days. For both variables the one-sided 95% CI (Moses) was [0.00; infinity[, documenting no significant differences between the treatment groups. The rapidity of symptom control can be evaluated by clinically significant parameters using ReQuest. Pantoprazole and esomeprazole are equally effective in the time to first and sustained symptom relief. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Synthesis: Chapter 19

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pardo, L.H.; Geiser, L.H.; Fenn, M.E.; Driscoll, C.T.; Goodale, C.L.; Allen, E.B.; Baron, Jill S.; Bobbink, R.; Bowman, W.D.; Clark, C.M.; Emmett, B.; Gilliam, F.S.; Greaver, T.; Hall, S.J.; Lilleskov, E.A.; Liu, L.; Lynch, J.A.; Nadelhoffer, K.; Perakis, S.S.; Robin-Abbott, M. J.; Stoddard, J.L.; Weathers, K. C.

2011-01-01

Human activity in the last century has led to a substantial increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and deposition (Galloway et al. 2003). Because of past, and, in some regions, continuing increases in emissions (Lehmann et al. 2005, Nilles and Conley 2001), this N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations and damage in many ecosystems across the United States. In some ecoregions, the impact of N deposition has been severe and has changed the biotic community structure and composition of ecosystems. In the Mediterranean California ecoregion, for example (see Chapter 13), replacement of native by exotic invasive vegetation is accelerated because exotic species are often more productive under elevated N deposition than native species in some California grasslands, coastal sage scrub, and desert scrub (Fenn et al. 2010, Rao and Allen 2010, Rao et al. 2010, Weiss 1999, Yoshida and Allen 2004). Such shifts in plant community composition and species richness can have consequences beyond changes in ecosystem structure: shifts may lead to overall losses in biodiversity and further impair particular threatened or endangered species (Stevens et al. 2004). Th e extirpation of the endangered checkerspot butterfl y (Euphydryas editha bayensis), because the host plant for the larval stage disappears in N-enriched ecosystems (Fenn et al. 2010, Weiss 1999), is just one example of the detrimental impacts of elevated N deposition.

On the mechanism of chromophototherapy used in sports medicine and rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Mian; Liu, Timon C.

2005-01-01

Light is the primary stimulus for regulating circadian rhythms, seasonal cycles, and neuroendocrine responses in many species, including humans. The major circadian pacemaker in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus is entrained to the light/dark cycles from the outside world by circadian photoreceptors which are functionally characterized by the direct sensitivity to light with broad spectrum and the relatively high stability. Chromophototherapy mediated by the color indirect effect (CIE), the physiological and psychological effects of color resulting from color vision, is functionally characterized by the sensitivity to light with narrow spectrum and the relatively low stability. In this paper, the mechanism of chromophototherapy used in sports medicine and rehabilitation, especially in treating overtraining syndrome (OTS), was discussed. Although several hypotheses and the corresponding OTS treatments have been proposed, each only explains and treats a selective aspect of OTS. On the one hand, an autonomic or neuroendocrine imbalance is hypothesized as underlying by Lehmann et al so that the described functional alterations of pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic system can explain persistent performance incompetence in affected athletes beside additional mechanisms. On the other hand, cold color (green, blue or violet) excites parasympathetic subsystem and hot color (red, orange or yellow) excites sympathetic subsystem for chromophototherapy. The conclusion was then drawn that chromophototherapy might be a good therapy to treat OTS.

Microwave Three-Wave Mixing Experiments for Chirality Determination: Current Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Cristobal; Shubert, V. Alvin; Schmitz, David; Medcraft, Chris; Krin, Anna; Schnell, Melanie

2015-06-01

Microwave three-wave mixing experiments have been shown to provide a novel and sensitive way to generate and measure enantiomer-specific molecular signatures. The handedness of the sample can be obtained from the phase of the molecular free induction decay whereas the enantiomeric excess can be determined by the amplitude of the chiral signal. After the introduction of this technique by Patterson et al. remarkable improvements have been realized and experimental strategies for both absolute phase determination and enantiomeric excess have been presented. This technique has been also successfully implemented at higher microwave frequencies. Here we present the current status of this technique as well future directions and perspectives. This will be illustrated through our systematic study of chiral terpenes as well as preliminary results in molecular clusters. Patterson, D.; Schnell, M.; Doyle, J. M. Enantiomer-Specific Detection of Chiral Molecules via Microwave Spectroscopy. Nature 2013, 497, 475-477. Patterson, D.; Doyle, J. M. Sensitive Chiral Analysis via Microwave Three-Wave Mixing. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2013, 111, 023008. Shubert, V. A.; Schmitz, D.; Patterson, D.; Doyle, J. M.; Schnell, M. Identifying Enantiomers in Mixtures of Chiral Molecules with Broadband Microwave Spectroscopy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 1152-1155. Lobsiger, S.; Perez, C.; Evangelisti, L.; Lehmann, K. K.; Pate, B. H. Molecular Structure and Chirality Detection by Fourier Transform Microwave Spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 6, 196-200.

A Symposium Associated with the Opening of the Play Copenhagen in Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwartz, Brian

On March 2, 2002 a special all day symposium was held in conjunction with the opening of the play Copenhagen in Washington. The play Copenhagen reenacts the 1941 visit of Werner Heisenberg, who was then in charge of the Nazi nuclear power program, to Niels Bohr, his mentor, and collaborator in creating quantum mechanics, complementarity, and the uncertainty principle, in German-occupied Denmark. The symposium entitled: THE COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION: SCIENCE AND HISTORY ON STAGE was presented at the Baird Auditorium, in the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. The program consisted of three two-hour sessions: (1) The Sciencemore » of Copenhagen and its Influence of the 20th Century. (2) Bohr and Heisenberg: A strong Interaction. (3) Theater as Science ??? Science as Theater. The speakers included: Robert C. Card, Under Secretary of Energy; Ulrik Federspiel, Danish Ambassador to the US; John Marburger, III, Science Advisor President Bush; Jerome I. Friedman, MIT; Lene Vestergaard Hau, Harvard University; Richard Rhodes, Author; Rita Colwell, Director, NSF; Jeremy Bernstein, Author; Jochen H. Heisenberg, University of New Hampshire; Finn Aaserud, Director of the Niels Bohr Archive; Vilhelm A. Bohr, NIH; Thomas Powers, Author; Paul Lawrence Rose, Penn State University; Steven Barfield, University of Westminster, Jennifer Uphoff Gray, Associate Director, Copenhagen; Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Producer, Copenhagen; Lloyd Rose, Washington Post. Details of he program and useful information on the play Copenhagen are available on the web site http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/nml/artsci/copenhagen.shtml . The complete symposium was video recorded and the set of 3 two-hour tapes can be obtained through the web site. The symposium was organized by Brian Schwartz, The Graduate Center, CUNY, Harry Lustig, Provost Emeritus at the City College of New York and Arthur Molella, Director, Lemelson Center, Smithsonian Institution. For further information

Multidisciplinary studies of the dust storm that affected Sydney in September 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Deckker, P.

2012-04-01

A major dust storm transgressed over southeastern Australia in September 2009 and continued as far as northern Queensland [to the north], New Zealand and New Caledonia [to the east] . We analysed samples of the dust for organic compounds, its microbiological composition, pollen, trace and rare earth elements as well as Sr and Nd isotopes. Grain size analysis was also performed on some of the samples. We also obtained information on the meteorological conditions that led to the large dust plume and its pathway. Our geochemical fingerprinting allowed us to determine the origin of the dust, and this was confirmed by meteorological observations and satellite imagery. As the pathway of the dust plume went over the city of Canberra, located to the southwest of Sydney, we were able to collect samples of dust that fell with rain, and the surprise was that the geochemical composition of the dust varied with time [and dust fall], identifying that as the dust plume transgressed over the landscape, it picked up additional material that was compositionally different from its point of origin. We also compared our data with those obtained from another major dust event that affected Canberra in October 2002, and a number of important differences are noted, particularly with respect of the microbiological composition of the dust, and its chemical composition. Collaborators on this project are: Chris Munday and Gwen Allison [microbiology]: Research School of Biology, ANU; Jochen Brocks and Janet Hope [organic chemistry] and Marc Norman [inorganic geochemistry]: Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU; Tadhg O'Loingsigh and Nigel Tapper [meteorology, satellite imagery] and Sander van der Kaars [palynology]: Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University; and J.-B. Stuut [grain size analysis], NIOZ.

Hydrothermal Carbonization: a feasible solution to convert biomass to soil?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesch, Walter; Tesch, Petra; Pfeifer, Christoph

2013-04-01

The erosion of fertile soil is a severe problem arising right after peak oil (Myers 1996). That this issue is not only a problem of arid countries is shown by the fact that even the European Commission defined certain milestones to address the problem of soil erosion in Europe (European Commission 2011). The application of bio-char produced by torrefaction or pyrolysis for the remediation, revegetation and restoration of depleted soils started to gain momentum recently (Rillig 2010, Lehmann 2011, Beesley 2011). Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising thermo-chemical process that can be applied to convert organic feedstock into fertile soil and water, two resources which are of high value in regions being vulnerable to erosion. The great advantage of HTC is that organic feedstock (e.g. organic waste) can be used without any special pretreatment (e.g. drying) and so far no restrictions have been found regarding the composition of the organic matter. By applying HTC the organic material is processed along a defined pathway in the Van Krevelen plot (Behrendt 2006). By stopping the process at an early stage a nutritious rich material can be obtained, which is known to be similar to terra preta. Considering that HTC-coal is rich in functional groups and can be derived from the process under "wet" conditions, it can be expected that it shall allow soil bacteria to settle more easily compared to the bio-char derived by torrefaction or pyrolysis. In addition, up to 10 tons process water per ton organic waste can be gained (Vorlop 2009). Thus, as organic waste, loss of fertile soil and water scarcity becomes a serious issue within the European Union, hydrothermal carbonization can provide a feasible solution to address these issues of our near future. The presentation reviews the different types of feedstock investigated for the HTC-Process so far and gives an overview on the current stage of development of this technology. References Beesley L., Moreno-Jiménez E

The influence of production conditions, starting material and deposition environment on charcoal alteration in a tropical biome.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ascough, Philippa; Bird, Michael; Meredith, Will; Large, David; Snape, Colin; Manion, Corinne

2014-05-01

, molecular structure, resistant carbon content, microbial interactions and physical characteristics were investigated using a suite of techniques including 13C-MAS-NMR, scanning electron microscopy, stable isotope ratio mass spectrometery, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy and hydropyrolysis. The study results have important implications for: i.) the use of quantitative charcoal measurements within global carbon budgets and fire history reconstruction; ii.) understanding of the dynamic role of charcoal within soil and sedimentary systems. References: [1] Langenfelds RL, Francey RJ, Pak BC, Steele LP, Lloyd J, Trudinger CM, Allison CE. 2002. Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 16, doi:10.1029/2001GB001466. [2] Schimel D, Baker D. 2002. Nature 420, 29-30. [3] Levine JS, 1991. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. [4] Preston CM, Schmidt MWI. 2006. Biogeoscience 3, 397-420. [5] Lehmann J, Gaunt J, Rondon M. 2006. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 11, 395-419. [6] Sohi SP, Krull E, Lopez-Capel E, Bol R. 2010. Advances in Agronomy, Academic Press, 105, 47-82 [7] Woolf D, Amonette J.E, Street-Perrott F.A, Lehmann J, Joseph S. 2010. Nature Communications, 1, 56. [8] Ascough PL, Bird M I, Francis SM, Thornton B, Midwood A, Scott AC, 10 Apperley D. 2011. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 75 (9), 2361-2378. [9] Zimmermann M et al. 2012. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/j.1365- 2486.2012.02796.x

Some exact properties of the nonequilibrium response function for transient photoabsorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perfetto, E.; Stefanucci, G.

2015-03-01

The physical interpretation of time-resolved photoabsorption experiments is not as straightforward as for the more conventional photoabsorption experiments conducted on equilibrium systems. In fact, the relation between the transient photoabsorption spectrum and the properties of the examined sample can be rather intricate since the former is a complicated functional of both the driving pump and the feeble probe fields. In this work, we critically review the derivation of the time-resolved photoabsorption spectrum in terms of the nonequilibrium dipole response function χ and assess its domain of validity. We then analyze χ in detail and discuss a few exact properties useful to interpret the transient spectrum during (overlapping regime) and after (nonoverlapping regime) the action of the pump. The nonoverlapping regime is the simplest to address. The absorption energies are indeed independent of the delay between the pump and probe pulses and hence the transient spectrum can change only by a rearrangement of the spectral weights. We give a close expression of these spectral weights in two limiting cases (ultrashort and everlasting monochromatic probes) and highlight their strong dependence on coherence and probe envelope. In the overlapping regime, we obtain a Lehmann-type representation of χ in terms of light-dressed states and provide a unifying framework of various well-known effects in pump-driven systems. We also show the emergence of spectral substructures due to the finite duration of the pump pulse.

Numerical investigations of solute transport in bimodal porous media under dynamic boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa; Bechtold, Michel; Vanderborght, Jan

2016-04-01

Quantification of flow and solute transport in the shallow subsurface adjacent to the atmosphere is decisive to prevent groundwater pollution and conserve groundwater quality, to develop successful remediation strategies and to understand nutrient cycling. In nature, due to erratic precipitation-evaporation patterns, soil moisture content and related hydraulic conductivity in the vadose zone are not only variable in space but also in time. Flow directions and flow paths locally change between precipitation and evaporation periods. This makes the identification and description of solute transport processes in the vadose zone a complex problem. Recent studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011a) focused on the investigation of upward transport of solutes during evaporation in heterogeneous soil columns, where heterogeneity was introduced by a sharp vertical material interface between two types of sand. Lateral solute transport through the interface in both (lateral) directions was observed at different depths of the investigated soil columns. Following recent approaches, we conduct two-dimensional numerical simulations in a similar setup which is composed of two sands with a sharp vertical material interface. The investigation is broadened from the sole evaporation to combined precipitation-evaporation cycles in order to quantify transport processes resulting from the combined effects of heterogeneous soil structure and dynamic flow conditions. Simulations are performed with a coupled finite volume and random walk particle tracking algorithm (Ippisch et al., 2006; Bechtold et al., 2011b). By comparing scenarios with cyclic boundary conditions and stationary counterparts with the same net flow rate, we found that duration and intensity of precipitation and evaporation periods potentially have an influence on lateral redistribution of solutes and thus leaching rates. Whether or not dynamic boundary conditions lead to significant deviations in the transport

MAX-DOAS measurements of aerosol, HCHO, and NO2 over Los Angeles from an elevated mountaintop site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, Ross

MAX-DOAS measurements of aerosol, HCHO, and NO2 over Los Angeles from an elevated mountaintop site. By. Ross Cheung. Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. University of California, Los Angeles, 2016. Professor Jochen Stutz, Chair. Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) has become a popular technique for measuring atmospheric trace gases using UV/Vis narrow-band absorption features along a light path through the atmosphere. The UCLA Multi-Axis DOAS instrument (MAX-DOAS) is a ground-based spectrometer currently located at Mt. Wilson, California (1700 meters above sea level) that measures solar scattered light at various viewing elevation angles. Since May of 2010, it has been taking regular measurements of atmospheric pollutants in the boundary layer of the atmosphere in and above the Los Angeles Basin. This thesis presents the experimental setup and spectral retrievals, as well as results of our observations of measurements of NO2 and HCHO from Mt. Wilson. Radiative transfer modeling efforts of the deployment at Mt. Wilson will be presented, as well as our efforts to model and account for the effects of clouds and aerosols on MAX-DOAS measurements. Because of the unique challenges presented by aerosols in the ultraviolet and visible light region in a polluted urban boundary layer, new techniques were developed to account for and quantify these effects. Observations of path-integrated NO2 and HCHO, some of the primary precursors to ozone formation in the lower troposphere, as well as aerosol extinctions using the UCLA MAX-DOAS will be presented, and the advantages of a mountaintop measurement strategy will be discussed in light of the amount of vertical information that can be retrieved from this approach. The techniques developed to improve the optimal estimation of vertical aerosol extinction profiles and trace gas concentration profiles will be discussed. Finally, an application of these observations uses the ratio of HCHO/NO2 to

Directional Spread of Surface-Associated Retroviruses Regulated by Differential Virus-Cell Interactions▿ †

PubMed Central

Sherer, Nathan M.; Jin, Jing; Mothes, Walther

2010-01-01

The spread of viral infections involves the directional progression of virus particles from infected cells to uninfected target cells. Prior to entry, the binding of virus particles to specific cell surface receptors can trigger virus surfing, an actin-dependent lateral transport of viruses toward the cell body (M. J. Lehmann et al., J. Cell Biol. 170:317-325, 2005; M. Schelhaas, et al., PLoS Pathog. 4:e1000148, 2008; J. L. Smith, D. S. Lidke, and M. A. Ozbun, Virology 381:16-21, 2008). Here, we have used live-cell imaging to demonstrate that for cells chronically infected with the gammaretrovirus murine leukemia virus in which receptor has been downregulated, a significant portion of completely assembled virus particles are not immediately released into the supernatant but retain long-term association with the cell surface. Retention can be attributed, at least in part, to nonspecific particle attachment to cell surface glycosylaminoglycans. In contrast to virus surfing, viruses retained at the surface of infected cells undergo a lateral motility that is random and actin independent. This diffusive motility can be abruptly halted and converted into inward surfing after treatment with Polybrene, a soluble cation that increases virus-cell adsorption. In the absence of Polybrene, particle diffusion allows for an outward flow of viruses to the infected cell periphery. Peripheral particles are readily captured by and transmitted to neighboring uninfected target cells in a directional fashion. These data demonstrate a surface-based mechanism for the directional spread of viruses regulated by differential virus-cell interactions. PMID:20089647

Ergonomic evaluation and comparison of wood harvesting systems in Northwest Russia.

PubMed

Gerasimov, Yuri; Sokolov, Anton

2014-03-01

A comparison of 14 currently applicable wood harvesting systems was assessed with respect to ergonomic point of view. For this purpose, the research method, based on the Hodges-Lehmann rule and the integrated work-severity rate of single machinery, was developed for ergonomic evaluation of cut-to-length, tree-length and full-tree harvesting systems. Altogether, about 130 different parameters of 36 units of equipment that impact on the ergonomics and work conditions were measured and estimated in interviews undertaken directly at forestry harvesting workplaces in 15 logging companies in the Republic of Karelia, Northwest Russia. Then the results were compared to the effective norms, and the degree of compliance with the stipulated values was determined. The estimates obtained for the degree of compliance were combined. This permits a direct comparison of the workload on forestry harvesting workers such as operators, lumberjacks and choker setters. In many respects, the current ergonomic standard is standard, except for the operators of cable skidders, chainsaws and choker settings. Visibility and work postures were considered to be the most critical features influencing the operator's performance. Problems still exist, despite the extensive development of cabs. The best working conditions in terms of harvesting systems were provided by "harvester + forwarder" in cut-to-length harvesting, and "feller-buncher + grapple skidder" in full-tree harvesting. The motor-manual tree-length harvesting performed with cable skidders showed the worst results in terms of ergonomics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

A hybrid method in combining treatment effects from matched and unmatched studies.

PubMed

Byun, Jinyoung; Lai, Dejian; Luo, Sheng; Risser, Jan; Tung, Betty; Hardy, Robert J

2013-12-10

The most common data structures in the biomedical studies have been matched or unmatched designs. Data structures resulting from a hybrid of the two may create challenges for statistical inferences. The question may arise whether to use parametric or nonparametric methods on the hybrid data structure. The Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity study was a multicenter clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute. The design produced data requiring a statistical method of a hybrid nature. An infant in this multicenter randomized clinical trial had high-risk prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity that was eligible for treatment in one or both eyes at entry into the trial. During follow-up, recognition visual acuity was accessed for both eyes. Data from both eyes (matched) and from only one eye (unmatched) were eligible to be used in the trial. The new hybrid nonparametric method is a meta-analysis based on combining the Hodges-Lehmann estimates of treatment effects from the Wilcoxon signed rank and rank sum tests. To compare the new method, we used the classic meta-analysis with the t-test method to combine estimates of treatment effects from the paired and two sample t-tests. We used simulations to calculate the empirical size and power of the test statistics, as well as the bias, mean square and confidence interval width of the corresponding estimators. The proposed method provides an effective tool to evaluate data from clinical trials and similar comparative studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Detecting trends in raptor counts: power and type I error rates of various statistical tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, J.S.; Gould, W.R.; Hoover, B.A.; Fuller, M.R.; Lindquist, E.L.

1996-01-01

We conducted simulations that estimated power and type I error rates of statistical tests for detecting trends in raptor population count data collected from a single monitoring site. Results of the simulations were used to help analyze count data of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from 7 national forests in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin during 1980-1989. Seven statistical tests were evaluated, including simple linear regression on the log scale and linear regression with a permutation test. Using 1,000 replications each, we simulated n = 10 and n = 50 years of count data and trends ranging from -5 to 5% change/year. We evaluated the tests at 3 critical levels (alpha = 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10) for both upper- and lower-tailed tests. Exponential count data were simulated by adding sampling error with a coefficient of variation of 40% from either a log-normal or autocorrelated log-normal distribution. Not surprisingly, tests performed with 50 years of data were much more powerful than tests with 10 years of data. Positive autocorrelation inflated alpha-levels upward from their nominal levels, making the tests less conservative and more likely to reject the null hypothesis of no trend. Of the tests studied, Cox and Stuart's test and Pollard's test clearly had lower power than the others. Surprisingly, the linear regression t-test, Collins' linear regression permutation test, and the nonparametric Lehmann's and Mann's tests all had similar power in our simulations. Analyses of the count data suggested that bald eagles had increasing trends on at least 2 of the 7 national forests during 1980-1989.

Zebrafish Staufen1 and Staufen2 are required for the survival and migration of primordial germ cells.

PubMed

Ramasamy, Srinivas; Wang, Hui; Quach, Helen Ngoc Bao; Sampath, Karuna

2006-04-15

In sexually reproducing organisms, primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to the cells of the germ line, the gametes. In many animals, PGCs are set apart from somatic cells early during embryogenesis. Work in Drosophila, C. elegans, Xenopus, and zebrafish has shown that maternally provided localized cytoplasmic determinants specify the germ line in these organisms (Raz, E., 2003. Primordial germ-cell development: the zebrafish perspective. Nat. Rev., Genet. 4, 690--700; Santos, A.C., Lehmann, R., 2004. Germ cell specification and migration in Drosophila and beyond. Curr. Biol. 14, R578-R589). The Drosophila RNA-binding protein, Staufen is required for germ cell formation, and mutations in stau result in a maternal effect grandchild-less phenotype (Schupbach,T., Weischaus, E., 1989. Female sterile mutations on the second chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster:1. Maternal effect mutations. Genetics 121, 101-17). Here we describe the functions of two zebrafish Staufen-related proteins, Stau1 and Stau2. When Stau1 or Stau2 functions are compromised in embryos by injecting antisense morpholino modified oligonucleotides or dominant-negative Stau peptides, germ layer patterning is not affected. However, expression of the PGC marker vasa is not maintained. Furthermore, expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP):nanos 3'UTR fusion protein in germ cells shows that PGC migration is aberrant, and the mis-migrating PGCs do not survive in Stau-compromised embryos. Stau2 is also required for survival of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). These phenotypes are rescued by co-injection of Drosophila stau mRNA. Thus, staufen has an evolutionarily conserved function in germ cells. In addition, we have identified a function for Stau proteins in PGC migration.

Effect of an Indwelling Pleural Catheter vs Talc Pleurodesis on Hospitalization Days in Patients With Malignant Pleural Effusion

PubMed Central

Thomas, Rajesh; Fysh, Edward T. H.; Smith, Nicola A.; Lee, Pyng; Kwan, Benjamin C. H.; Yap, Elaine; Horwood, Fiona C.; Piccolo, Francesco; Lam, David C. L.; Garske, Luke A.; Shrestha, Ranjan; Kosky, Christopher; Read, Catherine A.; Murray, Kevin

2017-01-01

Importance Indwelling pleural catheter and talc pleurodesis are established treatments for malignant pleural effusions among patients with poor prognosis. Objective To determine whether indwelling pleural catheters are more effective than talc pleurodesis in reducing total hospitalization days in the remaining lifespan of patients with malignant pleural effusion. Design, Setting, and Participants This open-label, randomized clinical trial included participants recruited from 9 centers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong between July 2012 and October 2014; they were followed up for 12 months (study end date: October 16, 2015). Patients (n = 146) with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion who had not undergone indwelling pleural catheter or pleurodesis treatment were included. Interventions Participants were randomized (1:1) to indwelling pleural catheter (n = 74) or talc pleurodesis (n = 72), minimized by malignancy (mesothelioma vs others) and trapped lung (vs not), and stratified by region (Australia vs Asia). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was the total number of days spent in hospital from procedure to death or to 12 months. Secondary outcomes included further pleural interventions, patient-reported breathlessness, quality-of-life measures, and adverse events. Results Among the 146 patients who were randomized (median age, 70.5 years; 56.2% male), 2 withdrew before receiving the randomized intervention and were excluded. The indwelling pleural catheter group spent significantly fewer days in hospital than the pleurodesis group (median, 10.0 [interquartile range [IQR], 3-17] vs 12.0 [IQR, 7-21] days; P = .03; Hodges-Lehmann estimate of difference, 2.92 days; 95% CI, 0.43-5.84). The reduction was mainly in effusion-related hospitalization days (median, 1.0 [IQR, 1-3] day with the indwelling pleural catheter vs 4.0 (IQR, 3-6) days with pleurodesis; P < .001; Hodges-Lehmann estimate, 2.06 days; 95% CI, 1

Probability density functions for radial anisotropy: implications for the upper 1200 km of the mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beghein, Caroline; Trampert, Jeannot

2004-01-01

The presence of radial anisotropy in the upper mantle, transition zone and top of the lower mantle is investigated by applying a model space search technique to Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity models. Probability density functions are obtained independently for S-wave anisotropy, P-wave anisotropy, intermediate parameter η, Vp, Vs and density anomalies. The likelihoods for P-wave and S-wave anisotropy beneath continents cannot be explained by a dry olivine-rich upper mantle at depths larger than 220 km. Indeed, while shear-wave anisotropy tends to disappear below 220 km depth in continental areas, P-wave anisotropy is still present but its sign changes compared to the uppermost mantle. This could be due to an increase with depth of the amount of pyroxene relative to olivine in these regions, although the presence of water, partial melt or a change in the deformation mechanism cannot be ruled out as yet. A similar observation is made for old oceans, but not for young ones where VSH> VSV appears likely down to 670 km depth and VPH> VPV down to 400 km depth. The change of sign in P-wave anisotropy seems to be qualitatively correlated with the presence of the Lehmann discontinuity, generally observed beneath continents and some oceans but not beneath ridges. Parameter η shows a similar age-related depth pattern as shear-wave anisotropy in the uppermost mantle and it undergoes the same change of sign as P-wave anisotropy at 220 km depth. The ratio between dln Vs and dln Vp suggests that a chemical component is needed to explain the anomalies in most places at depths greater than 220 km. More tests are needed to infer the robustness of the results for density, but they do not affect the results for anisotropy.

Environmental contaminant hazards to Attwater's greater prairie-chickens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flickinger, Edward L.; Swineford, Douglas M.

1983-01-01

The Attwater's greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) was declared an endangered species in 1966 and exists only on the upper Gulf Coast prairie of southeast Texas. Since 1975, total numbers have declined from 2,240 to 1,456 in 1981 (Jurries 19679; W. Shifflett, Manager Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge [APCNWR], personal communication).The total population of this prairie grouse is presently scattered in a norther, largely agricultural, but also urban-rangeland area of 6 counties that contained about 600 individuals in 1971, and a southern, largely rangeland, but also agricultural-urban area of 4 counties that contained about 860 individuals in 1981. During the present study, Attwater's prairie-chickens completely disappeared in Wharton and Waller counties in the northern area (W. Shifflett, personal communication).Prairie-chickens in the northern area frequent crops of rice, soybeans, peanuts, or corn; those in the southern area frequent sorghum or cotton that are planted on or near ancestral booming grounds. The use of pesticides in the agricultural areas may have contributed to the initial decline of prairie-chicken numbers. In 1927, several hundred prairie-chickens were found dead in and near a cotton field in Wharton County shortly after it had been treated with arsenic (Lehmann and Mauermann 1963). The remains of 5 prairie-chickens were found in sorghum and soybean fields in Refugio and Colorado counties between 1975 and 1977 (R. Haeber and W. Kessler, personal communication) but were too decomposed to be analyzed for evidence of pesticide exposure. Parathion formulations had been applied to the soybeans and near the sorghum. Other pesticide use on the areas was uncertain. The objective of this study was to ascertain pesticide hazards to Attwater's greater prairie-chickens.

Oral treprostinil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients on background endothelin receptor antagonist and/or phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy (the FREEDOM-C study): a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Tapson, Victor F; Torres, Fernando; Kermeen, Fiona; Keogh, Anne M; Allen, Roblee P; Frantz, Robert P; Badesch, David B; Frost, Adaani E; Shapiro, Shelley M; Laliberte, Kevin; Sigman, Jeffrey; Arneson, Carl; Galiè, Nazzareno

2012-12-01

Infused and inhaled treprostinil are effective for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), although their administration routes have limitations. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of bid oral sustained-release treprostinil in the treatment of PAH with a concomitant endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) and/or phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor. A 16-week, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 350 patients with PAH randomized to placebo or oral treprostinil. All patients were stable on background ERA, PDE-5 inhibitor, or both. Primary end point was Hodges-Lehmann placebo-corrected median difference in change from baseline 6-min walk distance (6MWD) at week 16. Secondary end points included time to clinical worsening, change in World Health Organization functional class, Borg dyspnea score, and dyspnea fatigue index score. Thirty-nine patients (22%) receiving oral treprostinil and 24 patients (14%) receiving placebo discontinued the study. Placebo-corrected median difference in change from baseline 6MWD at week 16 was 11 m (P = .07). Improvements in dyspnea fatigue index score (P = .01) and combined 6MWD and Borg dyspnea score (P = .01) were observed with oral treprostinil vs placebo treatment. Patients who achieved a week-16 bid oral treprostinil dose of 1.25 to 3.25 mg and 3.5 to 16 mg experienced a greater change in 6MWD (18 m and 34 m, respectively) than patients who achieved a bid dose of < 1 mg or discontinued because of adverse events (4 m). The primary end point of improvement in 6MWD at week 16 did not achieve significance. This study enhanced understanding of oral treprostinil titration and dosing, which has set the stage for additional studies. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00325442; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Intraoperative aberrometry versus standard preoperative biometry and a toric IOL calculator for bilateral toric IOL implantation with a femtosecond laser: One-month results.

PubMed

Woodcock, Michael G; Lehmann, Robert; Cionni, Robert J; Breen, Michael; Scott, Maria C

2016-06-01

To compare astigmatic outcomes in patients with bilateral cataracts having toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with intraoperative aberrometry measurements in 1 eye and standard power calculation and a toric IOL calculator with inked axis marking in the contralateral eye. Twelve sites in the United States. Prospective cohort study. The eye with the more visually significant cataract was randomized to intraoperative aberrometry measurements (Ocular Response Analyzer with Verifeye) or standard preoperative biometry and use of a toric calculator with the contralateral eye automatically assigned to the other group. The primary effectiveness outcome was the proportion of eyes with a postoperative refractive astigmatism of 0.50 diopter (D) or less at 1 month. Of the 130 patients (260 eyes) enrolled, 124 (248 eyes) were randomized; 121 (242 eyes) completed the trial. The percentage of eyes with astigmatism of 0.50 D or less at 1 month was higher in the intraoperative aberrometry group than in the standard group (89.2% versus 76.6%) (P = .006). The mean postoperative refractive astigmatism was lower in the intraoperative aberrometry group (0.29 D ± 0.28 [SD] versus 0.36 ± 0.35 D) (P = .041). Secondary effectiveness endpoints, including manifest refraction spherical equivalent prediction error, uncorrected distance visual acuity, and corrected distance visual acuity, were similar. Compared with standard methods, the use of the intraoperative aberrometry system increased the proportion of eyes with postoperative refractive astigmatism of 0.50 D or less and reduced the mean postoperative refractive astigmatism at 1 month. Other efficacy outcomes were similar. Drs. Woodcock, Lehmann, and Cionni are consultants to Alcon Laboratories, Inc. Dr. Breen is an employee of Alcon Laboratories, Inc. Dr. Scott has no financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2016 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A review of the liquid metal diffusion data obtained from the space shuttle endeavour mission STS-47 and the space shuttle columbia mission STS-52

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirkhanzadeh, Morteza

Accurate data of liquid-phase solute diffusion coefficients are required to validate the condensed -matter physics theories. However, the required data accuracy to discriminate between com-peting theoretical models is 1 to 2 percent(1). Smith and Scott (2) have recently used the measured values of diffusion coefficients for Pb-Au in microgravity to validate the theoretical values of the diffusion coefficients derived from molecular dynamics simulations and several Enskog hard sphere models. The microgravity data used was obtained from the liquid diffusion experiments conducted on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour (mission STS-47) and the Space Shuttle Columbia (mission STS-52). Based on the analysis of the results, it was claimed that the measured values of diffusion coefficients were consistent with the theoretical results and that the data fit a linear relationship with a slope slightly greater than predicted by the molecular dynamics simulations. These conclusions, however, contradict the claims made in previous publications (3-5) where it was reported that the microgravity data obtained from the shuttle experiments fit the fluctuation theory (D proportional to T2). A thorough analysis of data will be presented to demonstrate that the widely-reported micro-gravity results obtained from shuttle experiments are not reliable and sufficiantly accurate to discriminate between competing theoretical models. References: 1. J.P. Garandet, G. Mathiak, V. Botton, P. Lehmann and A. Griesche, Int. J. Thermophysics, 25, 249 (2004). 2.P.J. Scott and R.W. Smith, J. Appl. Physics 104, 043706 (2008). 3. R.W. Smith, Microgravity Sci. Technol. XI (2) 78-84 (1998). 4.Smith et al, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 974:56-67 (2002) (retracted). 5.R.A. Herring et al, J. Jpn. Soc. Microgravity Appl., Vol.16, 234-244 (1999).

A streptomycete pathogenic to fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rucker, R.R.

1949-01-01

A streptomycete and pseutdomonad were isolated from blueback salmon, Oncorhynchuis nerka (WValbaum), and shown to be pathogenic to fish. Trhese organisms were isolated from young blueback salmon taken from a gr'oup that developed an increasing mortality after feeding about a month at the United States Fishery Station, Leavenworth, Washington. A superficial examination revealed only the presence of fungus (probably Sap0olcynia parasitica), which wvas on the gills and was eliminated by treatment with a quaternary ammonium salt. Although the fungus infection was eliminated, the mortality continued. It was observed by the station biologist at the time that the majority of the fish in the hatchery troughs were healthy, but that there w-as alwzays present an apathetic group that hud(dled on the bottom, refused food, ancl eventually weakene(l and died. The bulk of the daily mortality was composedI of fish from this group. The apathetic group received constant recruitment from the more vigorous stock, and their number showed a gradual increase rather than clepletion. A more critical examination of the larger affected fish revealedl that thc kICidneys and spleens weIe disintegrating; mycelial masses w-ere sporadically observed in the body cavity; congestion wN-as present in the gastrointestinal tract; some hemorrhagic areas were present in the body musculature; an(l a few fish had a perforating ulceration of the body wall. Furi'unculosis was immediately suspected, and attempts were made to isolate from the diseaseti fish Bacteriim .salininicida Lehmann and Netumann, the etiological agent of furunculosis. B. salmornicida Awas not recovered, however, even after repeated attempts at isolation. Subsequently it was discovered that two other organisms, a streptomycete and a pseudomonad, were characteristically present in the diseased fish. Both organisms were found experimentally to be pathogenic to fish.

Seismic and petrological properties of the upper mantle between 300 and 400 km depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perchuc, E.; Malinowski, M.; Nita, B.

2008-12-01

We compare the traveltime data from the long range seismic profiles and from the earthquakes recorded to the offset of 3000 km with theoretical traveltimes predicted by standard seismological models: PREM, IASP- 91, AK-135 and especially from seismo-petrological model PREF (Cammarano and Romanowicz - 2007). We try to compare our models to earlier studies by Thybo and Perchuc (1997a). Our data suggests that for several events in the distance range 2000-2800 km, the first-arrivals are characterized by a relatively high velocity of 8.7-8.9 km/s. It is about 2.5% higher than P-wave velocity of the Lehmann phases, observed in the nearest offset and about 3% smaller than velocity below 410 km discontinuity. We suggest that this is a new first-order seismological boundary which can be interpreted as a top of the mantle transition zone. Seismological arguments for the existence of such a boundary are as follows: refracted waves with velocity 8.7-8.9 km/s and reflected waves find by Warren at al. (1967) and by Thybo and Perchuc (1997b). Also the interpretation of the SS precursor phases (Deuss and Woodhouse 2002) suggested a reflection boundary around 300 km (our interpretation). Depth of this boundary strongly depends on the thermal state of the mantle in particular regions. In conclusion we can say that the mantle transition zone starts much earlier and the lower part of the upper mantle is much faster than predicted by purely pyrolitic mantle model. Several petrological studies suggest influences of fluids (especialy H2O) on the character of the 410 km discontinuity and of the transition zone. All the differences in experimental data can be explained by the effect of temperature on the phase transformations within the olivine-wadsleyite system.

Telotristat ethyl in carcinoid syndrome: safety and efficacy in the TELECAST phase 3 trial.

PubMed

Pavel, Marianne; Gross, David J; Benavent, Marta; Perros, Petros; Srirajaskanthan, Raj; Warner, Richard R P; Kulke, Matthew H; Anthony, Lowell B; Kunz, Pamela L; Hörsch, Dieter; Weickert, Martin O; Lapuerta, Pablo; Jiang, Wenjun; Kassler-Taub, Kenneth; Wason, Suman; Fleming, Rosanna; Fleming, Douglas; Garcia-Carbonero, Rocio

2018-03-01

Telotristat ethyl, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, was efficacious and well tolerated in the phase 3 TELESTAR study in patients with carcinoid syndrome (CS) experiencing ≥4 bowel movements per day (BMs/day) while on somatostatin analogs (SSAs). TELECAST, a phase 3 companion study, assessed the safety and efficacy of telotristat ethyl in patients with CS (diarrhea, flushing, abdominal pain, nausea or elevated urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (u5-HIAA)) with <4 BMs/day on SSAs (or ≥1 symptom or ≥4 BMs/day if not on SSAs) during a 12-week double-blind treatment period followed by a 36-week open-label extension (OLE). The primary safety and efficacy endpoints were incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and percent change from baseline in 24-h u5-HIAA at week 12. Patients ( N  = 76) were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive placebo or telotristat ethyl 250 mg or 500 mg 3 times per day (tid); 67 continued receiving telotristat ethyl 500 mg tid during the OLE. Through week 12, TEAEs were generally mild to moderate in severity; 5 (placebo), 1 (telotristat ethyl 250 mg) and 3 (telotristat ethyl 500 mg) patients experienced serious events, and the rate of TEAEs in the OLE was comparable. At week 12, significant reductions in u5-HIAA from baseline were observed, with Hodges-Lehmann estimators of median treatment differences from placebo of -54.0% (95% confidence limits, -85.0%, -25.1%, P  < 0.001) and -89.7% (95% confidence limits, -113.1%, -63.9%, P  < 0.001) for telotristat ethyl 250 mg and 500 mg. These results support the safety and efficacy of telotristat ethyl when added to SSAs in patients with CS diarrhea (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: Nbib2063659). © 2018 The authors.

A Study of the Free Oscillations of the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacDonald, Gordon J. F.; Ness, Norman F.

1961-01-01

viscous and hydromagnetic coupling is shown to be insignificant as compared with the energy dissipated within the mantle. The toroidal magnetic field leaking into the lower mantle combines with the dipole field, resulting in a stress on the mantle, tending to stiffen the lower boundary. The stress is of sufficient magnitude to produce a displacement toward higher frequency in the lower-order toroidal oscillations. Observations on the (sub 0) T (sub 2) oscillations lead to an estimate of the toroidal magnetic field in the lower mantle. A calculation of elastic energy in the low-order oscillations suggests a value of 10 (sup 18) ergs per cycles per hour for the energy density at low frequencies in the Chilean earthquake. Each mode of oscillation has a characteristic radial distribution of elastic energy associated with it. This distribution determines which parts of the earth contribute most heavily in determining a particular resonant frequency. The distribution of energy for the lower 17 modes for a homogeneous and a Gutenberg model earth is calculated. The resonant frequencies for models of the earth based on the Gutenberg and Lehmann distribution of elastic properties are presented. It is shown that the Gutenberg model earth fits the observations more closely than the Lehmann model and that a slight alteration of the Gutenberg model gives a significantly better fit to the observations. The alteration involves a lower shear-wave velocity in the lower mantle while the Gutenberg velocity distribution is maintained in the upper mantle. Various studies of the earth's oscillations coupled with surface-wave investigations substantiate Gutenberg's hypothesis of a layer of low velocity in the upper mantle. The physical conditions required for the formation of a region of low velocity are examined in detail. The results confirm Birch's earlier statement that a temperature gradient in excess of 6 degrees to 7 degrees per kilometer is needed to produce a decrease in velocity. The

PREFACE: 13th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP-2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-11-01

-grade contributions and we are convinced that this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series will be interesting for our community. Finally, we would like to thank the conference chairmen, the members of the steering committee, the international scientific committee, the local organizing committee, the organizing secretariat and the financial support from the conference sponsors that allowed the success of HTPP-2014. The Editors of the HTPP-2014 Proceedings Dr Alain Gleizes, chairman of HTPP-2014 Prof. Jochen Schein, head of the ISC Prof. Philippe Teulet Toulouse, 14th October 2014

14th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP 14)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-04-01

are convinced that this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series will be interesting for our community. Finally, we would like to thank the conference chairmen, the members of the steering committee, the international scientific committee, the local organizing committee, the organizing secretariat and the financial support from the conference sponsors that allowed the success of HTPP-2016. The Editors of the HTPP-2016 Proceedings Dr. Dirk Uhrlandt, head of the ISC Prof. Philippe Teulet Prof. Jochen Schein Neubiberg, 6th of March 2017

Localized Glaucomatous Change Detection within the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Framework

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Madhusudhanan; Kriegman, David J.; Bowd, Christopher; Holst, Michael; Weinreb, Robert N.; Sample, Pamela A.; Zangwill, Linda M.

2012-01-01

Purpose. To detect localized glaucomatous structural changes using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) framework with false-positive control that minimizes confirmatory follow-ups, and to compare the results to topographic change analysis (TCA). Methods. We included 167 participants (246 eyes) with ≥4 Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT)-II exams from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study; 36 eyes progressed by stereo-photographs or visual fields. All other patient eyes (n = 210) were non-progressing. Specificities were evaluated using 21 normal eyes. Significance of change at each HRT superpixel between each follow-up and its nearest baseline (obtained using POD) was estimated using mixed-effects ANOVA. Locations with significant reduction in retinal height (red pixels) were determined using Bonferroni, Lehmann-Romano k-family-wise error rate (k-FWER), and Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) type I error control procedures. Observed positive rate (OPR) in each follow-up was calculated as a ratio of number of red pixels within disk to disk size. Progression by POD was defined as one or more follow-ups with OPR greater than the anticipated false-positive rate. TCA was evaluated using the recently proposed liberal, moderate, and conservative progression criteria. Results. Sensitivity in progressors, specificity in normals, and specificity in non-progressors, respectively, were POD-Bonferroni = 100%, 0%, and 0%; POD k-FWER = 78%, 86%, and 43%; POD-FDR = 78%, 86%, and 43%; POD k-FWER with retinal height change ≥50 μm = 61%, 95%, and 60%; TCA-liberal = 86%, 62%, and 21%; TCA-moderate = 53%, 100%, and 70%; and TCA-conservative = 17%, 100%, and 84%. Conclusions. With a stronger control of type I errors, k-FWER in POD framework minimized confirmatory follow-ups while providing diagnostic accuracy comparable to TCA. Thus, POD with k-FWER shows promise to reduce the number of confirmatory follow-ups required for clinical care and studies evaluating new

New upper mantle model for North America: no longer a pyrolite composition?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perchuc, E.; Malinowski, M.

2009-04-01

We compare the traveltimes data for P and S waves from the long range seismic profiles and from the earthquakes recorded to the offset of 3000 km with theoretical traveltimes predicted by standard seismological models: PREM, IASP- 91, AK-135 and especially by seismo-petrological model PREF (Cammarano and Romanowicz - 2007). For our analysis we are used data from north American array also. Our analysis suggests that for several events in the distance range 2000-3000 km, the first-arrivals are characterized by a relatively high velocity of 8.7-8.9 km/s. It is about 2.5% higher than P-wave velocity of the Lehmann phases, observed in the nearest offset and about 3% smaller than velocity below 410 km discontinuity. S waves model suggested significant differences in Vp/Vs ratio. We suggest that this is a new first-order seismological boundary which can be interpreted as a top of the mantle transition zone. Seismological arguments for the existence of such a boundary are as follows: refracted waves with velocity 8.7-8.9 km/s and reflected waves find by Warren at al. (1967) and by Thybo and Perchuc (1997b). Several new publications suggested existence of a low velocity zone above the 410-km discontinuity. We also see this feature in our studies. Important suggestion is existence of 300 km discontinuity below cold areas and it is also difficult to exclude this boundary below "cold" areas however phases from this boundary are in secondary impulses. Depth of this boundary strongly depends on the thermal state of the mantle in particular regions. In conclusion we can say that the mantle transition zone starts much earlier and the lower part of the upper mantle is much faster than predicted by purely pyrolitic mantle model. Several petrological studies suggest influences of fluids (especially H2O) on the character of the 410 km discontinuity and of the transition zone. All the differences in experimental data can be explained by the effect of temperature on the phase

Multi-Hadron Observables from Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Maxwell

2014-01-01

We describe formal work that relates the nite-volume spectrum in a quantum eld theory to scattering and decay amplitudes. This is of particular relevance to numerical calculations performed using Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LQCD). Correlators calculated using LQCD can only be determined on the Euclidean time axis. For this reason the standard method of determining scattering amplitudes via the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formula cannot be employed. By contrast, the nite-volume spectrum is directly accessible in LQCD calculations. Formalism for relating the spectrum to physical scattering observables is thus highly desirable. In this thesis we develop tools for extracting physical information from LQCDmore » for four types of observables. First we analyze systems with multiple, strongly-coupled two-scalar channels. Here we accommodate both identical and nonidentical scalars, and in the latter case allow for degenerate as well as nondegenerate particle masses. Using relativistic eld theory, and summing to all orders in perturbation theory, we derive a result relating the nite-volume spectrum to the two-to-two scattering amplitudes of the coupled-channel theory. This generalizes the formalism of Martin L uscher for the case of single-channel scattering. Second we consider the weak decay of a single particle into multiple, coupled two-scalar channels. We show how the nite-volume matrix element extracted in LQCD is related to matrix elements of asymptotic two-particle states, and thus to decay amplitudes. This generalizes work by Laurent Lellouch and Martin L uscher. Third we extend the method for extracting matrix elements by considering currents which insert energy, momentum and angular momentum. This allows one to extract transition matrix elements and form factors from LQCD. Finally we look beyond two-particle systems to those with three-particles in asymptotic states. Working again to all orders in relativistic eld theory, we derive a relation

Out of the Shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Nina; Williams, Gary

2006-08-01

Foreword Freeman J. Dyson; Introduction Nina Byers; 1. Hertha Aryton 1854-1923 Joan Mason; 2. Margaret Maltby 1860-1944 Peggy Kidwell; 3. Agnes Pockels 1862-1935 Gary A. Williams; 4. Marie Curie 1867-1934 A. Pais; 5. Henrietta Leavitt 1868-1921 Jean L. Turner; 6. Harriet Brooks 1876-1933 C. W. Wong; 7. Lise Meitner 1878-1968 Ruth Lewin Sime; 8. Emmy Noether 1882-1935 Nina Byers; 9. Inge Lehmann 1888-1993 Bruce A. Bolt; 10. Marietta Blau 1894-1970 Leopold Halpern and Maurice M. Shapiro; 11. Hertha Sponer 1895-1968 Helmut Rechenberg; 12. Irene Joliot-Curie 1897-1956 Hélène Langevin-Joliot and Pierre Radvanyi; 13. Katherine Burr Blodgett 1898-1979 Gary A. Williams; 14. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin 1900-1979 Vera C. Rubin; 15. Mary Cartwright 1900-1998 Freeman J. Dyson; 16. Bertha Jeffreys 1903-1999 Ruth M. Williams; 17. Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale1903-1971 Judith Milledge; 18. Maria Goeppert Mayer 1906-1972 Steven A. Moszkowski; 19. Helen Megaw 1907-2002 A. Michael Glazer and Christine Kelsey; 20. Yvette Cauchois 1908-1999 Christiane Bonnelle; 21. Marguerite Perey 1909-1975 Jean-Pierre Adloff and George B. Kauffman; 22. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin 1910-1994 Jenny P. Glusker; 23. Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber 1911-1998 Alfred Scharff Goldhaber; 24. Chien Shiung Wu 1912-1997 Noemie Bencze-Koller; 25. Margaret E. Burbidge 1919 Virginia Trimble; 26. Phyllis Freier 1921-1992 Cecil J. Waddington; 27. Rosalyn S. Yalow 1921 M. S. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 28. Esther Conwell 1922 Lewis Rothberg; 29. Cecile Dewitt-Morette 1922 Bryce DeWitt; 30. Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat 1923 James W. York Jr.; 31. Vera Rubin 1928 Robert J. Rubin; 32. Mildred S. Dresselhaus 1930 G. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 33. Myriam Sarachik 1933 Jonathan R. Friedman; 34. Juliet Lee-Franzini 1933 Paolo Franzini; 35. Helen T. Edwards 1936 John Peoples; 36. Mary K. Gaillard 1939 Andreszej Buras; 37. Renata Kallosh 1943 Andrei Linde and Michael Gutperle; 38. Jocelyn Bell Burnell 1943 Ferdinand V. Coroniti and Gary A

Out of the Shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, Nina; Williams, Gary

2010-12-01

Foreword Freeman J. Dyson; Introduction Nina Byers; 1. Hertha Aryton 1854-1923 Joan Mason; 2. Margaret Maltby 1860-1944 Peggy Kidwell; 3. Agnes Pockels 1862-1935 Gary A. Williams; 4. Marie Curie 1867-1934 A. Pais; 5. Henrietta Leavitt 1868-1921 Jean L. Turner; 6. Harriet Brooks 1876-1933 C. W. Wong; 7. Lise Meitner 1878-1968 Ruth Lewin Sime; 8. Emmy Noether 1882-1935 Nina Byers; 9. Inge Lehmann 1888-1993 Bruce A. Bolt; 10. Marietta Blau 1894-1970 Leopold Halpern and Maurice M. Shapiro; 11. Hertha Sponer 1895-1968 Helmut Rechenberg; 12. Irene Joliot-Curie 1897-1956 Hélène Langevin-Joliot and Pierre Radvanyi; 13. Katherine Burr Blodgett 1898-1979 Gary A. Williams; 14. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin 1900-1979 Vera C. Rubin; 15. Mary Cartwright 1900-1998 Freeman J. Dyson; 16. Bertha Jeffreys 1903-1999 Ruth M. Williams; 17. Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale1903-1971 Judith Milledge; 18. Maria Goeppert Mayer 1906-1972 Steven A. Moszkowski; 19. Helen Megaw 1907-2002 A. Michael Glazer and Christine Kelsey; 20. Yvette Cauchois 1908-1999 Christiane Bonnelle; 21. Marguerite Perey 1909-1975 Jean-Pierre Adloff and George B. Kauffman; 22. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin 1910-1994 Jenny P. Glusker; 23. Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber 1911-1998 Alfred Scharff Goldhaber; 24. Chien Shiung Wu 1912-1997 Noemie Bencze-Koller; 25. Margaret E. Burbidge 1919 Virginia Trimble; 26. Phyllis Freier 1921-1992 Cecil J. Waddington; 27. Rosalyn S. Yalow 1921 M. S. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 28. Esther Conwell 1922 Lewis Rothberg; 29. Cecile Dewitt-Morette 1922 Bryce DeWitt; 30. Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat 1923 James W. York Jr.; 31. Vera Rubin 1928 Robert J. Rubin; 32. Mildred S. Dresselhaus 1930 G. Dresselhaus and F. A. Stahl; 33. Myriam Sarachik 1933 Jonathan R. Friedman; 34. Juliet Lee-Franzini 1933 Paolo Franzini; 35. Helen T. Edwards 1936 John Peoples; 36. Mary K. Gaillard 1939 Andreszej Buras; 37. Renata Kallosh 1943 Andrei Linde and Michael Gutperle; 38. Jocelyn Bell Burnell 1943 Ferdinand V. Coroniti and Gary A

The effect of short-term high versus normal protein intake on whole-body protein synthesis and balance in children following cardiac surgery: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Geukers, Vincent G; Dijsselhof, Monique E; Jansen, Nicolaas J G; Breur, Johannes M P J; van Harskamp, Dewi; Schierbeek, Henk; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Bos, Albert P; Sauerwein, Hans P

2015-07-28

Infants undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk of a negative protein balance, due to increased proteolysis in response to surgery and the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, and limited intake. The aim of the study was to quantify the effect on protein kinetics of a short-term high-protein (HP) diet in infants following cardiac surgery. In a prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial we compared the effects of a HP (5 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)) versus normal protein (NP, 2 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)) enteral diet on protein kinetics in children <24 months, on day 2 following surgical repair of congenital heart disease. Valine kinetics and fractional albumin synthesis rate (FSRalb) were measured with mass spectrometry using [1-(13)C]valine infusion. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to investigate differences between group medians. Additionally, the Hodges-Lehmann procedure was used to create a confidence interval with a point estimate of median differences between groups. Twenty-eight children (median age 9 months, median weight 7 kg) participated in the study, of whom in only 20 subjects isotopic data could be used for final calculations. Due to underpowering of our study, we could not draw conclusions on the primary outcome parameters. We observed valine synthesis rate of 2.73 (range: 0.94 to 3.36) and 2.26 (1.85 to 2.73) μmol · kg(-1) · min(-1) in the HP and NP diet, respectively. The net valine balance was 0.54 (-0.73 to 1.75) and 0.24 (-0.20 to 0.63) μmol · kg(-1) · min(-1) in the HP and NP group. Between groups, there was no difference in FSRalb. We observed increased oxidation and BUN in the HP diet, compared to the NP diet, as a plausible explanation of the metabolic fate of surplus protein. It is plausible that the surplus protein in the HP group has caused the increase of valine oxidation and ureagenesis, compared to the NP group. Because too few patients had completed the study, we were unable to draw conclusions on the effect of a HP diet on protein synthesis

Interrelationships among shrub encroachment, land management, and litter decomposition in a semidesert grassland.

PubMed

Throop, Heather L; Archer, Steven R

2007-09-01

Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands, and subsequent brush management, are among the most prominent changes to occur in arid and semiarid systems over the past century. Despite the resulting widespread changes in landcover, substantial uncertainty about the biogeochemical impacts of woody proliferation and brush management exists. We explored the role of shrub encroachment and brush management on leaf litter decomposition in a semidesert grassland where velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) abundance has increased over the past 100 years. This change in physiognomy may affect decomposition directly, through altered litter quality or quantity, and indirectly through altered canopy structure. To assess the direct and indirect impacts of shrubs on decomposition, we quantified changes in mass, nitrogen, and carbon in litterbags deployed under mesquite canopies and in intercanopy zones. Litterbags contained foliage from mesquite and Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), a widespread, nonnative grass in southern Arizona. To explore short- and long-term influences of brush management on the initial stages of decomposition, litterbags were deployed at sites where mesquite canopies were removed three weeks, 45 years, or 70 years prior to study initiation. Mesquite litter decomposed more rapidly than lovegrass, but negative indirect influences of mesquite canopies counteracted positive direct effects. Decomposition was positively correlated with soil infiltration into litterbags, which varied with microsite placement, and was lowest under canopies. Low under-canopy decomposition was ostensibly due to decreased soil movement associated with high under-canopy herbaceous biomass. Decomposition rates where canopies were removed three weeks prior to study initiation were comparable to those beneath intact canopies, suggesting that decomposition was driven by mesquite legacy effects on herbaceous cover-soil movement linkages. Decomposition rates where shrubs were

Crystal structure of Earth's inner core: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustafa, S. G.; Schultz, A. J.; Zurek, E.; Kofke, D. A.

2017-12-01

Since the detection of the Earth's solid inner core (IC) by Lehmann in 1936, its composition and crystal structure (which are essential to understand Earth's evolution) have been controversial. While seismological measurements (e.g. PREM) can give a robust estimation of the density, pressure, and elasticity of the IC, they cannot be directly used to determine its composition and/or crystal structure. Experimentally, reaching the extreme IC conditions ( 330 GPa and 6000 K) and getting reliable measurements is very challenging. First-principles calculations provide a viable alternative that can work as a powerful investigative tool. Although several attempts have been made to assess phase stability at IC conditions computationally, they often use a low level of theory for electronic structure (e.g., classical force-field), adopt approximate methods (e.g., quasiharmonic approximation, fixed hcp-c/a), or do not consider finite-size effects. The study of phase stability using accurate first-principles methods is hampered in part by the difficulty of computing the free energy (FE), the central thermodynamic quantity that determines stability, while including anharmonic and finite-size effects. Additional difficulty related to the IC in particular is introduced by the dynamical instability of one of the IC candidate structures (bcc) at low temperature. Recently [1-3], we introduced a novel method (denoted as "harmonically mapped averaging", or HMA) to efficiently measure anharmonic properties (e.g. FE, pressure, elastic modulus) by molecular simulation, yielding orders of magnitude CPU speedup compared to conventional methods. We have applied this method to the hcp candidate phase of iron at the IC conditions, obtaining first-principles anharmonic FE values with unprecedented accuracy and precision [4]. We have now completed and report HMA calculations to assess the phase stability of all IC candidate phases (fcc/hcp/bcc). This knowledge is the prerequisite for

Pandiculation: nature's way of maintaining the functional integrity of the myofascial system?

PubMed

Bertolucci, Luiz Fernando

2011-07-01

Pandiculation is the involuntary stretching of the soft tissues, which occurs in most animal species and is associated with transitions between cyclic biological behaviors, especially the sleep-wake rhythm (Walusinski, 2006). Yawning is considered a special case of pandiculation that affects the musculature of the mouth, respiratory system and upper spine (Baenninger, 1997). When, as often happens, yawning occurs simultaneously with pandiculation in other body regions (Bertolini and Gessa, 1981; Lehmann, 1979; Urba-Holmgren et al., 1977) the combined behavior is referred to as the stretch-yawning syndrome (SYS). SYS has been associated with the arousal function, as it seems to reset the central nervous system to the waking state after a period of sleep and prepare the animal to respond to environmental stimuli (Walusinski, 2006). This paper explores the hypothesis that the SYS might also have an auto-regulatory role regarding the locomotor system: to maintain the animal's ability to express coordinated and integrated movement by regularly restoring and resetting the structural and functional equilibrium of the myofascial system. It is now recognized that the myofascial system is integrative, linking body parts, as the force of a muscle is transmitted via the fascial structures well beyond the tendonous attachments of the muscle itself (Huijing and Jaspers, 2005). It is argued here that pandiculation might preserve the integrative role of the myofascial system by (a) developing and maintaining appropriate physiological fascial interconnections and (b) modulating the pre-stress state of the myofascial system by regularly activating the tonic musculature. The ideas presented here initially arose from clinical observations during the practice of a manual therapy called Muscular Repositioning (MR) (Bertolucci, 2008; Bertolucci and Kozasa, 2010a; Bertolucci, 2010b). These observations were supplemented by a review of the literature on the subject. A possible link

Frequency-Agile Differential Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Zachary; Hodges, Joseph

2015-06-01

The ultimate precision of highly sensitive cavity-enhanced spectroscopic measurements is often limited by interferences (etalons) caused by weak coupled-cavity effects. Differential measurements of ring-down decay constants have previously been demonstrated to largely cancel these effects, but the measurement acquisition rates were relatively low [1,2]. We have previously demonstrated the use of frequency agile rapid scanning cavity ring-down spectroscopy (FARS-CRDS) for acquisition of absorption spectra [3]. Here, the method of rapidly scanned, frequency-agile differential cavity ring-down spectroscopy (FADS-CRDS) is presented for reducing the effect of these interferences and other shot-to-shot statistical variations in measured decay times. To this end, an electro-optic phase modulator (EOM) with a bandwidth of 20 GHz is driven by a microwave source, generating pairs of sidebands on the probe laser. The optical resonator acts as a highly selective optical filter to all laser frequencies except for one tunable sideband. This sideband may be stepped arbitrarily from mode-to-mode of the ring-down cavity, at a rate limited only by the cavity buildup/decay time. The ability to probe any cavity mode across the EOM bandwidth enables a variety of methods for generating differential spectra. The differential mode spacing may be changed, and the effect of this method on suppressing the various coupled-cavity interactions present in the system is discussed. Alternatively, each mode may also be differentially referenced to a single point, providing immunity to temporal variations in the base losses of the cavity while allowing for conventional spectral fitting approaches. Differential measurements of absorption are acquired at 3.3 kHz and a minimum detectable absorption coefficient of 5 x10-12 cm-1 in 1 s averaging time is achieved. 1. J. Courtois, K. Bielska, and J.T Hodges J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 30, 1486-1495, 2013 2. H.F. Huang and K.K. Lehmann App. Optics 49, 1378

Pupillary Reflex for Evaluation of Thoracic Paravertebral Block: A Prospective Observational Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Duceau, Baptiste; Baubillier, Mélanie; Bouroche, Gaëlle; Albi-Feldzer, Aline; Jayr, Christian

2017-10-01

Although thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) is recommended in major breast surgery, there is no gold standard to assess the success of TPVB. Pupillary dilation reflex (PDR) is the variation of the pupillary diameter after a noxious stimulus. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility of recording the PDR to assess analgesia in an anesthetized thoracic dermatome after TPVB. This prospective, observational, single-center study included 32 patients requiring breast surgery under general anesthesia and TPVB. TPVB was performed before surgery under ultrasound guidance with 20 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine. At the end of the surgery, remifentanil was stopped and the PDR was recorded after a 5-second tetanic stimulation (60 mA, 100 Hz) applied to the anterior chest wall. The PDR was defined as the maximal increase in pupil diameter after a standardized noxious stimulus, expressed as a percentage of the initial pupil diameter. The PDR was recorded twice in the same eye for each patient after a stimulus on both the TPVB and the control sides. Postoperative pain scores were recorded in a postanesthesia care unit. The primary outcome was the difference between the PDR on the TPVB and the control sides. The median (interquartile range) PDR was 9% (4%-13%) on the TPVB side and 41% (27%-66%) on the control side. There was a significant difference in the PDR between the TPVB and the control sides with a Hodges-Lehmann estimate of absolute difference of 37% points (95% confidence interval, 25-52, P < .001). Median postoperative pain scores (interquartile range) in the postanesthesia care unit were 1 (0-3) at rest and 1 (0-3) during mobilization, respectively. There was a linear correlation between maximal postoperative pain scores and the PDR on the TPVB side with a Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.40 (95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.66, P = .02). No correlation was found between the number of blocked dermatomes and maximal postoperative pain scores (P = .06) or between the

The immediate effects of two manual therapy techniques on ankle musculoarticular stiffness and dorsiflexion range of motion in people with chronic ankle rigidity: A randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Hidalgo, Benjamin; Hall, Toby; Berwart, Mathilde; Biernaux, Elinor; Detrembleur, Christine

2017-12-29

Ankle rigidity is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting the talocrural joint, which can impair weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion (WBADF) and daily-life in people with or without history of ankle injuries. Our objective was to compare the immediate effects of efficacy of Mulligan Mobilization with Movement (MWM) and Osteopathic Mobilization (OM) for improving ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and musculoarticular stiffness (MAS) in people with chronic ankle dorsiflexion rigidity. A randomized clinical trial with two arms. Patients were recruited by word of mouth and via social network as well as posters, and analyzed in the neuro musculoskeletal laboratory of the "Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve", Brussels, Belgium. 67 men (aged 18-40 years) presenting with potential chronic non-specific and unilateral ankle mobility deficit during WBDF were assessed for eligibility and finally 40 men were included and randomly allocated to single session of either MWM or OM. Two modalities of manual therapy indicated for hypothetic immediate effects in chronic ankle dorsiflexion stiffness, i.e. MWM and OM, were applied during a single session on included patients. Comprised blinding measures of MAS with a specific electromechanical device (namely: Lehmann's device) producing passive oscillatory ankle joint dorsiflexion and with clinical measures of WBADF-ROM as well. A two-way ANOVA revealed a non-significant interaction between both techniques and time for all outcome measures. For measures of MAS: elastic-stiffness (p= 0.37), viscous-stiffness (p= 0.83), total-stiffness (p= 0.58). For WBADF-ROM: toe-wall distance (p= 0.58) and angular ROM (p= 0.68). Small effect sizes between groups were determined with Cohen's d ranging from 0.05 to 0.29. One-way ANOVA demonstrated non-significant difference and small to moderate effects sizes (d= 0.003-0.58) on all outcome measures before and after interventions within both groups. A second two-way ANOVA analyzed the

Turning the Waiting Room into a Classroom: Weekly Classes Using a Vegan or a Portion-Controlled Eating Plan Improve Diabetes Control in a Randomized Translational Study.

PubMed

Barnard, Neal D; Levin, Susan M; Gloede, Lise; Flores, Rosendo

2018-06-01

In research settings, plant-based (vegan) eating plans improve diabetes management, typically reducing weight, glycemia, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations to a greater extent than has been shown with portion-controlled eating plans. The study aimed to test whether similar benefits could be found using weekly nutrition classes in a typical endocrinology practice, hypothesizing that a vegan eating plan would improve glycemic control, weight, lipid concentrations, blood pressure, and renal function and would do so more effectively than a portion-controlled eating plan. In a 20-week trial, participants were randomly assigned to a low-fat vegan or portion-controlled eating plan. Individuals with type 2 diabetes treated in a single endocrinology practice in Washington, DC, participated (45 starters, 40 completers). Participants attended weekly after-hours classes in the office waiting room. The vegan plan excluded animal products and added oils and favored low-glycemic index foods. The portion-controlled plan included energy intake limits for weight loss (typically a deficit of 500 calories/day) and provided guidance on portion sizes. Body weight, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), plasma lipids, urinary albumin, and blood pressure were measured. For normally distributed data, t tests were used; for skewed outcomes, rank-based approaches were implemented (Wilcoxon signed-rank test for within-group changes, Wilcoxon two-sample test for between-group comparisons, and exact Hodges-Lehmann estimation to estimate effect sizes). Although participants were in generally good metabolic control at baseline, body weight, HbA1c, and LDL cholesterol improved significantly within each group, with no significant differences between the two eating plans (weight: -6.3 kg vegan, -4.4 kg portion-controlled, between-group P=0.10; HbA1c, -0.40 percentage point in both groups, P=0.68; LDL cholesterol -11.9 mg/dL vegan, -12.7 mg/dL portion-controlled, P=0.89). Mean urinary

PREFACE: The International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism HFM2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eremin, Ilya; Brenig, Wolfram; Kremer, Reinhard; Litterst, Jochen

2009-01-01

The International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism 2008 (HFM2008) took place on 7-12 September 2008 at the Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Germany. This conference was the fourth event in a series of meetings, which started in Waterloo, Canada (HFM 2000), followed by the second one in Grenoble, France (HFM 2003), and the third meeting in Osaka, Japan (HFM 2006). HFM2008 attracted more than 220 participants from all over the world. The number of participants of the HFM conference series has been increasing steadily, from about 80 participants at HFM 2000, to 120 participants at HFM 2003, and 190 participants at HFM 2006, demonstrating that highly frustrated magnetism remains a rapidly growing area of research in condensed matter physics. At the end of HFM2008 it was decided that the next International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism will be held in Baltimore, USA in 2010. HFM2008 saw four plenary talks by R Moessner, S Nakatsuji, S-W Cheong, and S Sachdev, 18 invited presentations, 30 contributed talks and about 160 poster presentations from all areas of frustrated magnetism. The subjects covered by the conference included: Kagome systems Itinerant frustrated systems Spinels and pyrochlore materials Triangular systems Unconventional order and spin liquids Chain systems Chain systems Novel frustrated systems This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains the proceedings of HFM2008 with 83 papers that provide a scientific record of the scientific topics covered by the conference. All articles have been refereed by experts in the field. It is our hope that the reader will enjoy and profit from the HFM2008 Proceedings. Ilya Eremin Proceedings Editor Wolfram Brenig, Reinhard Kremer, and Jochen Litterst Co-Editors International Advisory Board L Balents (USA) F Becca (Italy) S Bramwell (UK) P Fulde (Germany) B D Gaulin (Canada) J E Greedan (Canada) A Harrison (France) Z Hiroi (Japan) H Kawamura (Japan) A Keren

Technologies to Support Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia: A Position Paper on Issues Regarding Development, Usability, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness, Deployment, and Ethics.

PubMed

Meiland, Franka; Innes, Anthea; Mountain, Gail; Robinson, Louise; van der Roest, Henriëtte; García-Casal, J Antonio; Gove, Dianne; Thyrian, Jochen René; Evans, Shirley; Dröes, Rose-Marie; Kelly, Fiona; Kurz, Alexander; Casey, Dympna; Szcześniak, Dorota; Dening, Tom; Craven, Michael P; Span, Marijke; Felzmann, Heike; Tsolaki, Magda; Franco-Martin, Manuel

2017-01-16

for researchers to include in their evaluation of assistive technologies. Based on these findings, various actions are recommended for development, usability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, deployment, and ethics of assistive and health technologies across Europe. These include avoiding replication of technology development that is unhelpful or ineffective and focusing on how technologies succeed in addressing individual needs of persons with dementia. Furthermore, it is suggested to include these recommendations in national and international calls for funding and assistive technology research programs. Finally, practitioners, policy makers, care insurers, and care providers should work together with technology enterprises and researchers to prepare strategies for the implementation of assistive technologies in different care settings. This may help future generations of persons with dementia to utilize available and affordable technologies and, ultimately, to benefit from them. ©Franka Meiland, Anthea Innes, Gail Mountain, Louise Robinson, Henriëtte van der Roest, J Antonio García-Casal, Dianne Gove, Jochen René Thyrian, Shirley Evans, Rose-Marie Dröes, Fiona Kelly, Alexander Kurz, Dympna Casey, Dorota Szcześniak, Tom Dening, Michael P Craven, Marijke Span, Heike Felzmann, Magda Tsolaki, Manuel Franco-Martin. Originally published in JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (http://rehab.jmir.org), 16.01.2017.

Contrasting agronomic response of biochar amendment to a Mediterranean Cambisol: Incubation vs. field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De la Rosa, José M.; Paneque, Marina; De Celis, Reyes; Miller, Ana Z.; Knicker, Heike

2015-04-01

are still being processed. Nevertheless, preliminary results indicated that addition of biochar did not alter negatively physical properties (pH, EC) or composition of this alkaline soil, on the contrary biochar addition caused a slight improvement of the WHC and soil porosity. Those changes produced a faster development of plant shoots. However, at the end of the experiment, biochar amendment caused no significant increase on the agronomic production for any of the tested biochars. From these preliminary results, we conclude that biochar amendment improved physical-surficial characteristics of the calcic Cambisol from an agronomic point of view, but under the typical Mediterranean climate those changes seem to leave the harvested seed yields unaffected. References: [1] Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W, 2002. Biol. Fert. Soils. 35, 219-230. [2] Blackwell P, Riethmuller G, Collins M, 2009. in Lehmann J, Joseph S. Earthscan (Eds.), Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology, London. [3] IUSS Working Group WRB, 2007. World Soil Resources Reports 103. FAO, Rome. [4] De la Rosa JM, Knicker H, 2011. Soil Biol. Biochem. 43, 2368-2373. [5] De la Rosa JM, Paneque M, Miller AZ, Knicker H, 2014. Sci. of the Tot. Env. 499, 175-184. Acknowledgements: The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (REA grant agreement n° PCIG12-GA-2012-333784-Biocharisma project) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) (project PCGL2012-37041) are thanked for the financial support of the present study. The "Fondo Social Europeo" is thanked for funding J.M de la Rosa JAE-Doc contract. The European Biochar Network (Biochar as option for sustainable resource management-COST action TD1107) and Bodegas Torres (Spain) are acknowledged for providing the biochar samples.

Measurement of Turbulent Water Vapor Fluxes from Lightweight Unmanned Aircraft Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, R. M.; Ramanathan, V.; Nguyen, H.; Lehmann*, K.

2010-12-01

wind tunnel investigations and the outcomes from test flights planned for September 2010 at a marine location are discussed. Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge the significant contributions to this system made by the late Katrin Lehmann whose life was tragically cut short by a hiking accident. Katrin was responsible for the initial design, construction and programming of the UAS elements, and in doing so laid solid foundations for the system. We are indebted to NOAA, for funding this project through the research grant NOAA NA17RJ1231. Thank you also to Mike Marston of NASA, the BAE systems crew Phillip Corcoran and Rafael Gaytan, and Mike Rizen of UCSD Physics workshop for their mission roles. We would also like to thank NSF for long term support of the C4 UAS Program.

Understanding N2O sources and sinks with laser based isotopic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohn, Joachim; Harris, Eliza; Tuzson, Béla; Emmenegger, Lukas

2015-04-01

of surface fluxes of N2O isotopomers. The working hypothesis is that this approach will allow us to quantify regional N2O sources, identify emission hot spots, and constrain source processes, which will be of upmost importance for developing targeted mitigation options. References: [1] H. Wächter, J. Mohn, B. Tuzson, L. Emmenegger, M. W. Sigrist, Opt. Express (2008), 16, 9239-9244. [2] B. Wolf, L. Merbold, C. Decock, B. Tuzson, E. Harris, J. Six, L. Emmenegger, J. Mohn, Biogeosci. Discuss. (2015), accepted. [3] J. Mohn et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. (2014) 28, 1995-2007. [4] P. Wunderlin, M. F. Lehmann, H. Siegrist, B. Tuzson, A. Joss, L. Emmenegger, J. Mohn, Environ. Sci. Technol. (2013), 47, 1339-1348. [5] J. Mohn, B. Tuzson, A. Manninen, N. Yoshida, S. Toyoda, W. A. Brand, L. Emmenegger, Atmos. Meas. Tech. (2012), 5, 1601-1609.

An accurate evaluation of the potential hazardous impact of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in biochars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

María De la Rosa, José; Sánchez-Martín, Águeda; Villaverde-Capellán, Jaime; Madrid, Fernando; Paneque, Marina; Knicker, Heike

2017-04-01

PAHs to determine the real hazardous impact of the use of biochar as soil amendment. [1] J.M. De la Rosa, M. Paneque, I. Hilber, F. Blum, H. Knicker, T. Bucheli, J. Soils and Sediments 16 (2016) 557-565. [2] T. Bucheli, I Hilber, H. Schmidt. In Lehmann J, Joseph S (eds) Biochar for Environmental Management (2nd ed.), Earthscan, London, UKA. (2015). [3] J.M. De la Rosa, M. Paneque, A.Z. Miller, H. Knicker, Science of the Total Environment 499 (2014) 175-184. Acknowledgements: J.M. de la Rosa thanks The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for his "Ramón y Cajal" post-doctoral contract. MINECO, the European Regional Development Fund and the Marie Curie Integration Grants of 7th European Community Framework Programme are thanked for the financial support to this study (projects CGL2015-64811-P and PCIG12-GA-2012-333784).

Biochar contribution to soil pH buffer capacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonutare, Tonu; Krebstein, Kadri; Utso, Maarius; Rodima, Ako; Kolli, Raimo; Shanskiy, Merrit

2014-05-01

, organic matter and type of added carbonizated material. Our study showed that the biochar content has significant role in total pH buffer capacity in soil:biochar system . References. Kimetu, J.M., Lehmann, J., Ngoze, S.O., Mugendi, D.N., Kinyangi, J., Riha, S.J., Verchot, L., Recha, J.W., Pell, A.N. 2008. Reversibility of Soil Productivity Decline with Organic Matter of Differing Quality Along a Degradation Gradient. Ecosystems, 11, 726-739. Krull, E. S., Skjemstad, J.O., Baldock, J.A. 2004 'Functions of Soil Organic Matter and the Effect on Soil Properties'. GRDC report. Project CSO 00029. Mutezo, W.T., 2013. Early crop growth and yield responses of maize (Zea mays) to biochar applied on soil. International Working Paper Series, 13/03, 50 pp.

Effect of Endobronchial Coils vs Usual Care on Exercise Tolerance in Patients With Severe Emphysema: The RENEW Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Sciurba, Frank C; Criner, Gerard J; Strange, Charlie; Shah, Pallav L; Michaud, Gaetane; Connolly, Timothy A; Deslée, Gaëtan; Tillis, William P; Delage, Antoine; Marquette, Charles-Hugo; Krishna, Ganesh; Kalhan, Ravi; Ferguson, J Scott; Jantz, Michael; Maldonado, Fabien; McKenna, Robert; Majid, Adnan; Rai, Navdeep; Gay, Steven; Dransfield, Mark T; Angel, Luis; Maxfield, Roger; Herth, Felix J F; Wahidi, Momen M; Mehta, Atul; Slebos, Dirk-Jan

Preliminary clinical trials have demonstrated that endobronchial coils compress emphysematous lung tissue and may improve lung function, exercise tolerance, and symptoms in patients with emphysema and severe lung hyperinflation. To determine the effectiveness and safety of endobronchial coil treatment. Randomized clinical trial conducted among 315 patients with emphysema and severe air trapping recruited from 21 North American and 5 European sites from December 2012 through November 2015. Participants were randomly assigned to continue usual care alone (guideline based, including pulmonary rehabilitation and bronchodilators; n = 157) vs usual care plus bilateral coil treatment (n = 158) involving 2 sequential procedures 4 months apart in which 10 to 14 coils were bronchoscopically placed in a single lobe of each lung. The primary effectiveness outcome was difference in absolute change in 6-minute-walk distance between baseline and 12 months (minimal clinically important difference [MCID], 25 m). Secondary end points included the difference between groups in 6-minute walk distance responder rate, absolute change in quality of life using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (MCID, 4) and change in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1; MCID, 10%). The primary safety analysis compared the proportion of participants experiencing at least 1 of 7 prespecified major complications. Among 315 participants (mean age, 64 years; 52% women), 90% completed the 12-month follow-up. Median change in 6-minute walk distance at 12 months was 10.3 m with coil treatment vs -7.6 m with usual care, with a between-group difference of 14.6 m (Hodges-Lehmann 97.5% CI, 0.4 m to ∞; 1-sided P = .02). Improvement of at least 25 m occurred in 40.0% of patients in the coil group vs 26.9% with usual care (odds ratio, 1.8 [97.5% CI, 1.1 to ∞]; unadjusted between-group difference, 11.8% [97.5% CI, 1.0% to ∞]; 1-sided P = .01). The between-group difference in

XVII International Conference on the Use of Computers in Radiation Therapy (ICCR 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-03-01

�� Verification, Risk assessment and IGRT • Trials, registries and more Each of the streams had its own theme editor and we would like to thank Peter Greer, Sarah Gulliford, Tomas Janssen, Joerg Lehmann and Peter Metcalfe and for their invaluable contributions. I believe we all shared the joy of reading the huge variety of manuscripts which reflect a dynamic field and a truly international authorship. All manuscripts have been peer reviewed by at least two independent referees. Still, proceedings are different from journal articles. The focus of the proceedings is on interest for others, novelty and creativity. While trying to ensure a common format to all contributions we have also aimed to maintain the style and approach of the individual authors. We would like to thank all authors and reviewers for their contribution to these ICCR proceedings. On behalf of the editorial team we would like to invite you to explore the proceedings and hope that you enjoy reading them as much as we did editing them. Yours sincerely Annette Haworth and Tomas Kron Editors, Proceedings of the 17th ICCR

PREFACE: International Conference on the Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (ICAME 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Herbert; Reissner, Michael; Steiner, Walter; Wiesinger, Günter

2010-04-01

. The positive atmosphere, the high attendance in the sessions and the lively discussions made the conference a great success and a memorable event. It was pointed out, that Mössbauer spectroscopy is still an interesting and powerful method with great opportunities in the future. Herbert Müller (Secretary) Michael Reissner (Chairman) This book is dedicated to our colleagues Nicol Malcom, who could not come, because he suddenly died a few weeks in advance to the conference and Hercilio Rechenberg, who died on his way home from Vienna. Conference photograph Conference Organisation Local Organizing Committee Reissner Michael (Chairman)Müller Herbert (Conference Secretary) Amthauer Georg Lottermoser WernerSteiner Walter Bauer Ernst Michor Herwig Vogl Gero Bühler-Paschen Silke Müller Martin Waas Monika Grodzicki Michael Redhammer Günther Wiesinger Günter Grössinger Roland Sassik Herbert Hilscher Gerfried Sepiol Bogdan International Programme Committee Amthauer Georg Gütlich Philipp Steiner Walter Baggio-Saitovich Elisa Litterst Fred Jochen Trautwein Alfred Xaver Berry Frank Long Gary Vogl Gero Felner Israel Nagy Denes Lajos Yoshida Yutaka Greneche Jean-Marc Rüffer Rudolf International Advisory Board Alp E ErcanGénin Jean-Marie Baggio-Saitovitch Elisa Greneche Jean-Marc Miglierini Marcel Balogh Judit Grodzicki Michael Musić Svetozar Bender Koch Christian Gütlich Philipp Nagy Dénes Lajos Berry Frank Häggström Lennart Nishida Tetsuaki Brown Dennis Hanzel Darko Pérez Alcázar German Campbell Stewart Hassaan Mohamed Yousri Rüffer Rudolf Carbucicchio Massimo Jumas Jean-Claude Ryan Dominic H Croci Simonetta Kadyrzhanov Kariat Sanchez Francisco Di Naili Katila Toivo Schünemann Volker Elzain Mohamed Kim Chul Sung Stanek Jan Fabris José Domingos Klingelhöfer Göstar Stevens John Felner Israel Langouche Guido Suzdalev Igor P Fern George R Lyubutin Igor S Szymanski Krzysztof Forder Sue D Marco Jose F Waanders Frans Gajbhiye Nandeo Mašlaň Miroslav Yoshida Yutaka

The transition zone below the Chile-Argentina flat subduction region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonatto, Luciana; Piromallo, Claudia; Badi, Gabriela

2017-04-01

converted phases at the well-known 410 and 660 discontinuities and at a discontinuity at a depth of about 210 km, which we interpret as the Lehmann discontinuity. The abrupt amplitude decrease for the P660s phase at frequencies larger than 0.12 Hz indicates that the velocity jump at 660 km occurs in a depth interval as wide as 40 km. Besides, the amplitudes of P410s and P660s are similar at the lowest frequency (0.08 Hz). This analysis suggests that the velocity jump at both discontinuities is similar or, alternatively that the 660 may not occur as a discontinuity but as a gradual transition across a layer of about 40 km. We also identify a negative amplitude signal between P410s and P660s arrival times, with negative slowness, which we interpret as a converted phase at a negative discontinuity (a decrease in velocity with depth) at a depth of about 590 km. We also present a map of the Transition Zone Thickness (TZT) showing lateral variations in the study area.

Assessment of patches attributes along the Urban Development Gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopel, Daniella; Wittenberg, lea; Malkinson, Dan

2014-05-01

The world is increasingly urban. If current trends maintain, by 2050 the global urban population is estimated to be 6.3 billion, nearly doubling the world population in 2010. Consequently, more than 60% of the area projected to be urban in 2030 has yet to be built, replacing the open and agriculture lands with construction and infrastructure. The open green patches (OGP), within the urban matrix, are essential for healthy and wellness of cities by supplying the city's ecological services (Mausback and Seybold, 1998). Regarding future trends, there is a need and obligation to insure the functional and sustainability of the city's OPG. Urban vegetation composition and diversity in the OGP had long been considered as an indication for ecologically functioning systems. Furthermore, urban soil is also essential for the sustainability and function of the urban habitat and ecological services, such as maintaining groundwater restraining urban floods etc. (Lehmann and Stahr 2007). There is no single set of rules to classify a functional urban green patch worth preserving. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of patch properties (including geometry, age, type and location along the urban gradient, connectivity, and urban matrix density) on the presence, abundance and characteristics of vegetation and soil conditions of remnant patches The inspired purpose is to eventually find an assessment for urban open green patches OGP quality by linking, patches attributes, plants indexes and soil quality indexes The research is conducted in the city of Haifa, which is located on the northern part of Mount Carmel in the north-western part of Israel . Mean annual rainfall, 550-800 mm, varies with latitude and the mean temperature is 18.80c. Modern Haifa is a relatively young city which maintains remnant vegetation patches within its municipal boundary. 32 OGP were selected in nine categories (size: small, medium and large, distance from city edge: far, average, near), in

Hydrological Scenario Using Tools and Applications Available in enviroGRIDS Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacu, V.; Mihon, D.; Stefanut, T.; Rodila, D.; Cau, P.; Manca, S.; Soru, C.; Gorgan, D.

2012-04-01

the other hand, the applications can collaborate at the same architectural levels, which represent the horizontal interoperability. Both the horizontal and vertical interoperability is accomplished by services and by exchanging data. The calibration procedure requires huge computational resources, which are provided by the Grid infrastructure. On the other hand the scenario development through BASHYT requires a flexible way of interaction with the SWAT model in order to easily change the input model. The large user community of SWAT from the enviroGRIDS consortium or outside may greatly benefit from tools and applications related with the calibration process, scenario development and execution from the enviroGRIDS portal. [1]. enviroGRIDS project, http://envirogrids.net/ [2]. Gorgan D., Abbaspour K., Cau P., Bacu V., Mihon D., Giuliani G., Ray N., Lehmann A., Grid Based Data Processing Tools and Applications for Black Sea Catchment Basin. IDAACS 2011 - The 6th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications 15-17 September 2011, Prague. IEEE Computer Press, pp. 223 - 228 (2011). [3]. Soil and Water Assessment Tool, http://www.brc.tamus.edu/swat/index.html [4]. Bacu V., Mihon D., Rodila D., Stefanut T., Gorgan D., Grid Based Architectural Components for SWAT Model Calibration. HPCS 2011 - International Conference on High Performance Computing and Simulation, 4-8 July, Istanbul, Turkey, ISBN 978-1-61284-381-0, doi: 10.1109/HPCSim.2011.5999824, pp. 193-198 (2011). [5]. Manca S., Soru C., Cau P., Meloni G., Fiori M., A multi model and multiscale, GIS oriented Web framework based on the SWAT model to face issues of water and soil resource vulnerability. Presentation at the 5th International SWAT Conference, August 3-7, 2009, http://www.brc.tamus.edu/swat/4thswatconf/docs/rooma/session5/Cau-Bashyt.pdf [6]. Bacu V., Mihon D., Stefanut T., Rodila D., Gorgan D., Cau P., Manca S., Grid Based Services and

First real-time measurements of N2O isotopic signatures above intensively managed grassland: analytical performance, validation and illustrative examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Benjamin; Tuzson, Béla; Merbold, Lutz; Decock, Charlotte; Emmenegger, Lukas; Mohn, Joachim

2014-05-01

, and nitrate concentrations made the identification of controls on N2O isotopic composition possible. Furthermore, simultaneous eddy-covariance N2O flux measurements (Merbold et al. 2014) were used to derive a flux-averaged isotopic signature of soil-emitted N2O of intensively managed grassland. In this context, the potential of the derived N2O isotopic signatures for partitioning of microbial source processes will be discussed in relation to available literature data. Merbold, L, W Eugster, J Stieger, M Zahniser, D Nelson and N Buchmann. 2014. 'Greenhouse gas budget (CO2, CH4 and N2O) of intensively managed grassland following restoration' Global Change Biology doi:10.1111/gcb.12518 Mohn, J, B Tuzson, A Manninen, N Yoshida, S Toyoda, W A Brand, and L Emmenegger. 2012. 'Site selective real-time measurements of atmospheric N2O isotopomers by laser spectroscopy.' Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 5(7): 1601-1609 Park, S, P Croteau, K A Boering, D M Etheridge, D Ferretti, P J Fraser, K-R Kim, P B Krummel, R L Langenfelds, T D van Ommen, L P Steele, and C M Trudinger. 2012. 'Trends and seasonal cycles in the isotopic composition of nitrous oxide since 1940.' Nature Geoscience 5(4): 261-265. Waechter, H, J Mohn, B Tuzson, L Emmenegger, and M W Sigrist. 2008. 'Determination of N2O isotopomers with quantum cascade laser based absorption spectroscopy.' Optics Express 16(12): 9239-44. Wunderlin, P, M Lehmann, H Siegrist, B Tuzson, A Joss, L Emmenegger, and J Mohn. 2013. 'Isotope signatures of N2O in a mixed microbial population system: Constraints on N2O producing pathways in wastewater treatment.' Environmental Science and Technology 47: 1339-48.

Geothermal prospection in the Greater Geneva Basin (Switzerland and France): Integration of geological data in the new Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brentini, Maud; Favre, Stéphanie; Rusillon, Elme; Moscariello, Andrea

2017-04-01

, such as HARMOS (official Swiss stratigraphic framework; Morard, 2014, Strasser et al., 2016) is essential to evaluate this type of harmonization system. The current work is establishing composite logs and a stratigraphic catalog where clear stratigraphic framework for the GGB is defined. This will provide a better understanding of the subsurface and a general framework for the new State database. The GEothermie 2020 Program has raised the importance of harmonizing and correlating data in order to understand better the GGB subsurface geology. The future database will be based on a clear and accurate geological and stratigraphic framework where relevant data will be integrated. It will offer a valuable tool to the State of Geneva and external users to find data easily, generate correlations, subsurface models and extract information with specific inquiries. The development of this intelligent and interactive data management system is pivotal to offer an easier and smart management of subsurface resources to the State. REFERENCES Clerc, N., Rusillon, E., Cardello, L., Moscariello, A. and Renard, P., 2016. Structural Modeling of the Geneva Basin for Geothermal Ressource Assessment. Abstract, 14th Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland. Favre, S., Brentini, M., Giuliani, G. and Lehmann, A., 2017. Geothermal prospection in the Greater Geneva Basin (Switzerland and France): Architecture of the new Information System. Abstract, EGU General Assembly 2017, Vienna, Austria. Morard, A., 2014. Correlations beyond HARMOS: how, where, why? Swiss Geoscience Meeting 2014. Platform Geosciences, Swiss Academy of Science, SCNAT. Conference paper. Moscariello A. 2016: Geothermal exploration in SW Switzerland, Proceeding of the European Geotermal Congress, Strasbourg 19-23 september 2016, 9 pp. Rusillon, E., Clerc, N., Makhloufi, Y., Brentini and M., Moscariello, A., 2017. Geothermal prospection in the Greater Geneva Basin (Switzerland and France): Structural and reservoir quality

A comprehensive review and update on Crohn's disease.

PubMed

Gajendran, Mahesh; Loganathan, Priyadarshini; Catinella, Anthony P; Hashash, Jana G

2018-02-01

(CT) enterography is the most preferred first-line radiologic study used in the assessment of small bowel CD. The diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance enterography/enteroclysis is similar to that of CT scans and also prevents exposure to ionizing radiation. Endoscopic scores are considered to be the gold standard tool to measure the activity of CD and they are used more commonly in the clinical trials to measure the efficacy of various drugs on inducing and maintaining mucosal healing. The most common scoring systems used to measure clinical disease activity include Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), HBI- Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI), short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) and Lehmann score. Management of Crohn's disease has been seen as an evolving challenge owing to its widely heterogeneous manifestations, overlapping characteristics with other inflammatory disorders, often elusive extraintestinal manifestations and uncertain etiology. Therapeutic interventions are tailored to address symptomatic response and subsequent tolerance of the intervention. Chronology of treatment should favor treatment dose acute disease or "induction therapy", followed by maintenance of adequate response or remission, i.e. "maintenance therapy". The medications which are highly effective in inducing remission include steroids and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) inhibitors. Medications used to maintain remission include 5-aminosalicyclic acid products, immunomodulators (Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate) and TNF inhibitors (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab and golimumab). Surgical interventions like bowel resection, stricturoplasty or drainage of abscess is required in up to two thirds of CD patients during their lifetime. The most common indications for surgical resection are medically refractory disease, perforation, persisting or recurrent obstruction, abscess not amenable to percutaneous drainage, intractable hemorrhage, dysplasia or cancer

Two factors defining humus as a key structural component of soil organic matter and as a physicochemical speciation of carbon in its turnover wending its way through the micro environment of soil, sediments and natural waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrova, Olga

2016-04-01

on a change in the partitioning of roaming H-bonds, and in turn, define components, into which non-humified SOM can be disintegrated. Therefore, some physicochemical species of SOM, which can be observed in physicochemical processes of carbon turnover in soil, originate from disintegrated SOM bulged at the seams of weak H-bonds, and doesn't reveal strong properties of humus because humus structure is still bound to SOM via stronger H-bonds. Also, SL EPR examination of native and labeled soil samples revealed the substantial influence of hydrophobic interaction on physicochemical speciation of carbon in soil, and this interaction is mediated by humus [3]. Among different effects of hydrophobic interaction, the formation of condensed matter is of great interest. Condensed matter mediated by humic acids is shown to reveal specific quantum properties and invoke hydrodynamic instability on the surface of plant roots that results in uptake of the whole nano-pieces of humus by plant roots, as it was observed in [6, 7]. Considered effects of H-bonds with different bonding energy and hydrophobic interaction in SOM show that a carbon turnover in soil is mediated by humus, and humus play a substantial role as the physicochemical speciation in carbon turnover. Thus, model of 'humus' is still an up-to-date model. 1.Lehmann J. &Kleber H. (2015). Nature, 528, Issue 7580, 60 - 68. 2. M. Hutta, R. Gora, R. Halko, et al., (2011). J. Chromatogr. A., 1218, 8946. 3. Alexanderova O.N. (2015). J Soils Sediments, DOI 10.1007/s11368-015-1195-2 4. Aleksandrova O.N., Kholodov V.A., Perminova I.V. (2015). Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2015, Vol. 89, No. 8, pp. 1407-1413. 5. Aleksandrova O.N. (2013). J Geochem Explor 129:6-13. 6. Smirnov A.I. et al. (1991). J. of Magnetic Resonance 91, 386-391 7. Kulikova N.V. et al. (2012). Conference HIT-2012.

EDITORIAL: Catalysing progress Catalysing progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2010-01-01

, Scholz R and Gösele U 2008 Nanotechnology 19 335604 [7] Fan H J et al 2006 Nanotechnology 17 S231-9 [8] Stelzner Th et al 2006 Nanotechnology 17 2895-8 [9] Lehmann V and Gösele U 1991 Appl. Phys. Lett. 58 856-8

BARRINGER AWARD ADDRESS: Shock Metamorphism of Quartz in Nature and Experiment: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoffler, D.

1993-07-01

strongly dependent on the physical and textural properties of the impacted quartz-bearing target. Porosity [13] and preshock temperature [9,12,14] are most effective. Both properties are lowering the threshold pressure for certain shock effects and they affect the orientation and type of planar deformation structures (PFs and PDFs). Upon thermometamorphism shocked quartz displays characteristic annealing effects useful for (limited) geothermometry. PDFs transform to "decorated planar features" due to recrystallization. These features persist up to the conditions of recrystallization of the primary quartz. Annealing of diaplectic glass leads to densification of the glass between 700 and 1200 degrees C and to complete recrystallization to alpha-quartz + alpha-cristobalite above 1200 degrees C [10]. In impact craters this transformation produces the characteristic "ballen" texture as observed in clasts of melt rocks. Stishovite and coesite decompose near 350 degrees C and above about 1150 degrees C, respectively. These annealing features provide important boundary conditions for interpreting the temperature-time history of impact formations. There is unequivocal evidence, strongly supported by TEM studies [3,4,8], that most of the shock effects discussed above and, certainly, the complete set cannot be produced by endogenic processes in near-surface environments of the Earth's crust where the strain rates are several orders of magnitude lower than those in impact processes, and the peak pressures exceed 5 GPa only in very special tectonic settings at great depth. References: [1] Stoffler D. (1972) Fortschr. Mineral., 49, 50-113, and references therein. [2] Stoffler D. (1974) Fortschr. Mineral., 51, 256-289. [3] Gratz A. J. et al. (1988) Phys. Chem. Mineral., 16, 221-233. [4] Goltrant O. et al. (1991) EPSL 106, 103-115. [5] Cygan R. T. et al. (1990) LPSC XX, 451-457. [6] Jakubith M. and Lehmann G. (1981) Phys. Chem. Mineral., 7, 165- 168. [7] Ashworth J. R. and Schneider H

List of Participants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-09-01

.typel@gsi.de UesakaTomohiroUniversity of Tokyouesaka@cns.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp UrbanMichaelIPN Orsayurban@ipno.in2p3.fr Van IsackerPietGANIL Caenisacker@ganil.fr VigezziEnricoINFN Milanovigezzi@mi.infn.it ViñasXavierUniversitat de Barcelonaxavier@ecm.ub.es Vinh MauNicoleIPN Orsayvinhmau@ipno.in2p3.fr VitturiAndreaINFN Padovavitturi@pd.infn.it Von OertzenWolframHelmholtz Zentrum Berlinoertzen@helmholtz-berlin.de WambachJochenTechnische Universität Darmstadtjochen.wambach@physik.tu-darmstadt.de WlazłowskiGabrielWarsaw University of Technologygabrielw@if.pw.edu.pl YamadaTaiichiKanto Gakuin University, Yokohamayamada@kanto-gakuin.ac.jp YoshidaKenichiRIKEN Nishina Center, Wakokenichi.yoshida@riken.jp YoshidaSatoshiHosei University, Tokyos_yoshi@i.hosei.ac.jp

Physical and physicochemical factors effecting transport of chlorohydrocarbon gases from lung alveolar air to blood as measured by the causation of narcosis.

PubMed

Holder, James W

2012-01-01

This systematic investigation examines gas transport in the lung for two sets of chlorohydrocarbons (CHCs): the chloromethanes (C1) and chloroethanes (C2). The C1 series includes chloromethane, methylene chloride, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride, and the C2 series includes chloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1, 1, 2-trichloroethane, and 1, 1, 2, 2-tetrachloroethane. Most CHC gases cause narcosis. The comprehensive narcosis work of Lehmann and colleagues on CHCs was used as a basis for the narcosis endpoint in the present examination. The sites for narcosis are located in the brain (midline cortex and posterior parietal area), the spine, and at many peripheral nerve sites. Central nervous system (CNS) exposure executes a multisite, neural transmission set of inhibitions that promotes rapid loss of consciousness, sensory feeling, and current and stored memory while providing temporary amnesia. Absorption into the system requires dissolution into many lipid membranes and binding to lipoproteins. Lipophilicity is a CHC property shared with many anesthetics according to the Meyer-Overton Rule. Many structurally different lipid chemicals produce the narcosis response when the lipid concentration exceeds -67 mM. This suggests narcotic or anesthetic dissolution into CNS membranes until the lipid organization is disrupted or perturbed. This perturbation includes loading of Na(+)- and K(+)-channel transmembrane lipoprotein complexes and disrupting their respective channel functional organizations. The channel functions become attenuated or abrogated until the CHC exposure ceases and CHC loading reverses. This investigation demonstrates how the CHC physical and chemical properties influence the absorption of these CHCs via the lung and the alveolar system on route to the blood. Narcosis in test animals was used here as an objective biological endpoint to study the effects of the physical factors Bp, Vp, Kd (oil: gas) partition, Henry's constant (HK), and water solubility

EDITORIAL: Celebrating one year of Environmental Research Letters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kammen, Daniel M.

2008-03-01

's distinguished career as an economist was highlighted by his work on tax law. His system, which he called the X tax, resembles what is known as the flat tax, insofar as it eliminates taxes on income earned through savings (Lehmann-Haupt 2005). But unlike the flat tax, which applies a single rate for all income brackets, Dr Bradford's X tax adds a graduated rate schedule, so that people with higher incomes pay at higher rates. This need to focus on the costs and the ability to pay for important policy innovations is vital to the coming climate discussions. A project my colleague Ann Kinzig and I started, in discussion with David Bradford, on the transition from our current global emissions portfolio (Kinzig and Kammen 1998) to a equitable, per capita, system (Baer et al 2000) highlighted the need to integrate the science and politics of a climate policy. Rapid publication and an ongoing dialog over climate solutions was the goal of that paper, and is what ERL today can provide as we enter the most vital phase of human interaction with the planet. References Baer P, Harte J, Herzog A, Holdren J, Hultman N, Kammen D M, Haya B, Norgaard R, and Raymond L 2000 Equal per capita emission rights: the key to a viable climate change policy Science 289 2287 Cockerill M J and Knols B G J 2008 Open access to research for the developing world Issues Sci. Technol. (Winter 2008) Hansen J E 2007 Scientific reticence and sea level rise Environ. Res. Lett. 2 024002 Keller K, Robinson A, Bradford D F and Oppenheimer M 2007 The regrets of procrastination in climate policy Environ. Res. Lett. 2 024004 Kinzig A P and Kammen D M 1998 National trajectories of carbon emissions: analysis of proposals to foster the transition to low-carbon economies Glob. Environ. Change 8 183 208 Lehmann-Haupt C 2005 David Bradford, 66, economist who advocated tax reform, dies New York Times (24 February)

PREFACE: Transport phenomena in proton conducting media Transport phenomena in proton conducting media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eikerling, Michael

2011-06-01

eminently important field of transport phenomena in proton conducting media. Complex dynamics of fluids in disordered and crowded environments contents Electrostatic models of electron-driven proton transfer across a lipid membrane Anatoly Yu Smirnov, Lev G Mourokh and Franco Nori Molecular basis of proton uptake in single and double mutants of cytochrome c oxidase Rowan M Henry, David Caplan, Elisa Fadda and Régis Pomès Proton diffusion along biological membranes E S Medvedev and A A Stuchebrukhov Ab initio molecular dynamics of proton networks in narrow polymer electrolyte pores Mehmet A Ilhan and Eckhard Spohr A simulation study of field-induced proton-conduction pathways in dry ionomers Elshad Allahyarov, Philip L Taylor and Hartmut Löwen Molecular structure and transport dynamics in perfluoro sulfonyl imide membranes Nagesh Idupulapati, Ram Devanathan and Michel Dupuis The kinetics of water sorption in Nafion membranes: a small-angle neutron scattering study Gérard Gebel, Sandrine Lyonnard, Hakima Mendil-Jakani and Arnaud Morin Using 2H labeling with neutron radiography for the study of solid polymer electrolyte water transport properties P Boillat, P Oberholzer, B C Seyfang, A Kästner, R Perego, G G Scherer, E H Lehmann and A Wokaun Spatial distribution and dynamics of proton conductivity in fuel cell membranes: potential and limitations of electrochemical atomic force microscopy measurements E Aleksandrova, S Hink, R Hiesgen and E Roduner A review on phosphate based, solid state, protonic conductors for intermediate temperature fuel cells O Paschos, J Kunze, U Stimming and F Maglia A structural study of the proton conducting B-site ordered perovskite Ba3Ca1.18Ta1.82O8.73 Maarten C Verbraeken, Hermenegildo A L Viana, Philip Wormald and John T S Irvine

A Very Massive Stellar Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-11-01

astrophysics. First of all, it is not easy to understand how such a massive black hole can be formed in a binary stellar system. It is well known that the most massive stars lose significant fractions of their mass through violent stellar winds at the end of their lives. Interaction among the two stars in a binary system can further increase the mass loss by the massive star. It thus remains to be investigated how any star can retain enough mass to eventually end up forming a black hole as heavy as 14 solar masses. Another puzzling aspect regards the spin of the black hole . That some stellar black holes rotate has been suggested on several grounds. It is believed that when the black hole rotates in the same direction as does the accretion disk, the disk can extend much closer inwards towards the black hole. The result is a hotter disk. Two X-ray binaries are known to be very hot, GRS 1915+105 and Nova Scorpii, and it was therefore believed that these two contain black holes that must spin rapidly. A completely different line of evidence for black hole rotation comes from the quasi-periodic oscillations often seen in X-ray binaries. Those oscillations are generally interpreted as due to effects of the spinning black hole on the surrounding accretion disk, although the exact mechanism is a matter of debate. However, the new mass determination for the black hole in GRS 1915+105 indicates that the picture may not be as simple as that. In fact, if GRS 1915+105 and Nova Scorpii both have rapidly spinning black holes, none of the current theories for the quasi-periodic oscillations seem to work. And so, as is often the case in science, new information also brings new puzzles. More Information The research described in this Press Release will appear in "GRS 1915+105 - An unusually massive stellar black hole in the Galaxy" by Jochen Greiner , Mark McCaughrean and Jean-Gabriel Cuby in the November 29, 2001, issue of the science journal "Nature". The first stage is described in

Light Dawns on Dark Gamma-ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-12-01

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most energetic events in the Universe, but some appear curiously faint in visible light. The biggest study to date of these so-called dark gamma-ray bursts, using the GROND instrument on the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla in Chile, has found that these gigantic explosions don't require exotic explanations. Their faintness is now fully explained by a combination of causes, the most important of which is the presence of dust between the Earth and the explosion. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), fleeting events that last from less than a second to several minutes, are detected by orbiting observatories that can pick up their high energy radiation. Thirteen years ago, however, astronomers discovered a longer-lasting stream of less energetic radiation coming from these violent outbursts, which can last for weeks or even years after the initial explosion. Astronomers call this the burst's afterglow. While all gamma-ray bursts [1] have afterglows that give off X-rays, only about half of them were found to give off visible light, with the rest remaining mysteriously dark. Some astronomers suspected that these dark afterglows could be examples of a whole new class of gamma-ray bursts, while others thought that they might all be at very great distances. Previous studies had suggested that obscuring dust between the burst and us might also explain why they were so dim. "Studying afterglows is vital to further our understanding of the objects that become gamma-ray bursts and what they tell us about star formation in the early Universe," says the study's lead author Jochen Greiner from the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching bei München, Germany. NASA launched the Swift satellite at the end of 2004. From its orbit above the Earth's atmosphere it can detect gamma-ray bursts and immediately relay their positions to other observatories so that the afterglows could be studied. In the new study, astronomers combined Swift

Bewehrte Betonbauteile unter Betriebsbedingungen: Forschungsbericht

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eligehausen, Rolf; Kordina, Karl; Schießl, Peter

2000-09-01

.2 Ungerissener Zustand. 1.3 Gerissener Zustand. 1.4 FEM-Berechnungen. 1.5 Zusammenfassung. 1.6 Literatur. 2 Auswirkungen des unterschiedlichen Verformungsverhaltens bei Beund Entlastung auf die Beanspruchungen im Gebrauchszustand (Jochen Keysberg). 2.1 Einleitung und Zielsetzung. 2.2 Modelle für die Momenten-Verkrümmungs-Beziehung. 2.3 Programm zur nichtlinearen Berechnung. 2.4 Einfluß von Lastwechseln auf nichtlineare Berechnungen. 2.5 Zusammenfassung. 2.6 Literatur. 3 3D-Analyse von Balken-Stützen-Verbindungen aus normal- und hochfestem Beton unter zyklischer Beanspruchung (Josko Ozbolt, Yijun Li und Rolf Eligehausen). 3.1 Einleitung. 3.2 Materialmodell und FE-Diskretisierung. 3.3 Numerische Analyse. 3.4 Schlußfolgerungen. 3.5 Zusammenfassung. 3.6 Literatur. 4 Der Einfluß von freien Schwingungen infolge dynamischer Belastung auf die Deterioration eines Bauwerks (Manfred Specht und Michael Kramp). 4.1 Veranlassung des Forschungsvorhabens. 4.2 Forschungsziele. 4.3 Versuchsträger, Versuchsdurchführung und Versuchsergebnisse. 4.4 Auswertung. 4.5 Ergebnisse für die Systemidentifikation von Stahlbetonkonstruktionen. 4.6 Literatur. 5 Lokale Schwind- und Temperaturgradienten in bewehrten, oberflächennahen Zonen von Betonkonstruktionen (Josef Eibl und Stephan Kranz). 5.1 Problemstellung. 5.2 Temperatur- und Feuchtefeldberechnung. 5.3 Numerisches Berechnungsmodell zur Spannungsanalyse im Beton. 5.4 Durchgeführte Versuche. 5.5 Rechnerische Untersuchungen. 5.6 Zusammenfassung. 5.7 Literatur. 6 Wassereindringverhalten von Flüssigkeiten beim Biegeriß (Gert König und Christian Brunsch). 6.1 Problemstellung. 6.2 Experimentelle Untersuchungen. 6.3 Entwicklung eines Modells zur rechnerischen Abschätzung des zeitlichen Eindringens einer Wassermenge in Biegerisse von Stahlbetonbauteilen. 6.4 Zusammenfassung und Diskussion der Versuchsreihe. 6.5 Literatur. 7 Dauerhaftigkeitsprobleme von offenen Becken (György Iványi, Wilhelm Buschmeyer und Udo Paas). 7.1 Einleitung. 7

Why does the Size of the Laacher See Magma Chamber and its Caldera Size not go together? - New Findings with regard to Active Tectonics in the East Eifel Volcanic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreiber, Ulrich; Berberich, Gabriele

2013-04-01

catalogue. Department of Earthquake Geology of Cologne University. http://www.seismo.uni-koeln.de/catalog/index.htm Bogaard v.d. P (1983): Die Eruption des Laacher See Vulkans. Ph.D. Thesis, Bochum, Ruhr-Universität, 348 p. Campbell J, Kümpel HJ, Fabian M, Fischer D, Görres B, Keysers Ch & Lehmann K (2002): Recent movement patterns of the Lower Rhine Embayment from tilt, gravity and GPS data, Netherlands Journal of Geosciences / Geologie en Mijnbouw, 81(2): 223--230 Hinzen KG (2003): Stress field in the Northern Rhine area, Central Europe, from earthquake fault plane solutions. Tectonophysics, 377: 325-356. Holland P, Emmerson DE (1987): Determination of the helium-4 content of near surface atmospheric air within the continental United States. Journal of Geophysical Research, 92: 12557-12556. Holohan EP, van Wyk de Vries B & Troll V (2005): Analogue models of caldera collapse in strike-slip tectonic regimes. Bull. Volcanol, 70, 773-796. Loos J, Juch D & Ehrhardt W (1999): Äquidistanzen von Blattverschiebungen - neue Erkenntnisse zur Lagerstättenbearbeitung im Ruhrkarbon.- Zeitschrift für angewandte Geologie, 45: 26 - 36. Meyer W & Stets J (2002): Pleistocene to Recent tectonics in the Rhenish Massif (Germany). Netherlands Journal of Geosciences / Geologie en Mijnbouw, 81 (2): 217-221) Schreiber U & Berberich G (2012): Monitoring geogener Gase in der West-, Ost- und Südeifel sowie im Mittelrhein-/Lahngebiet im Auftrag des Landesamtes für Geologie und Bergbau Rheinland-Pfalz, Mainz, Endbericht (unveröff.), 37 S. v. d. Bogaard P & Schmincke HU (1984): The Eruptive Center of the Late Quarternary Laacher See Tephra. - Geologische Rundschau, 73: 933-980. Viereck LG & v.d. Bogaard P (1986): Magma- und Wärmeinhalt der Magmakammer des Laacher See und des Riedener Vulkans. Forschungsbericht T 86-174. Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (BMFT).

A Hungry Quasar Caught in the Act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-05-01

gravitational field of the galaxies. The astronomers believe that the two tidal tails result from a dramatic interaction between the quasar host galaxy and one or more of the close companion galaxies. The longer, southern tail extends over more than 150,000 light years, one-and-a-half times the diameter of the Milky Way. In many respects this distant interaction resembles the well known Antenna Galaxies (see the Hubble image ), where two nearby galaxies distort each other in a gravitational dance. Galaxy mergers in the young Universe In the case of HE 1013-2136 , a number of knots can be seen along both tidal tails. In particular, the object just below the quasar image, most easily seen in the sharpened image ( PR Photo 20b/01 ), lies at a projected distance of only 20,000 light years. This is about two-thirds of the distance from the Earth to the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This object is most likely a companion that is interacting with the quasar host. Recent observations of nearby quasars have revealed that they mostly reside in elliptical galaxies . Numerical simulations suggest that such galaxies can be formed by successive mergers of spiral galaxies. Klaus Jäger and his colleagues point out that " with the VLT observations of HE 1013-2136 , we may be directly witnessing such a dramatic merger of galaxies. The special significance of this observation is the great distance and hence the comparably early time at which this happens, when the Universe was about one third as old as it is now ". He adds: " This particular galaxy will most probably evolve into the same type of elliptical quasar host galaxy that we observe much nearer to us, that is, at much later times ". Notes [1] The team is composed of Klaus Jäger , Klaus J. Fricke (both Universitäts-Sternwarte Göttingen, Germany), Jochen Heidt and Immo Appenzeller (both Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Germany). [2] 1 billion = 1,000 million Technical information about the photos PR Photo 20a/01 is based on an image that

SINFONI Opens with Upbeat Chords

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-08-01

the development of SINFONI for nearly 7 years. Some of the members of the Commissioning Teams are depicted in PR Photos 24g/04 and 24h/04; in addition to the SPIFFI team members present on the second photo, Walter Bornemann, Reinhard Genzel, Hans Gemperlein, Stefan Huber have also been working on the reintegration/commissioning in Paranal. Notes [1] This press release is issued in coordination between ESO, the Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching, Germany, and the Nederlandse Onderzoekschool Voor Astronomie in Leiden, The Netherlands. A German version is available at http://www.mpg.de/bilderBerichteDokumente/dokumentation/pressemitteilungen/2004/pressemitteilung20040824/index.html and a Dutch version at http://www.astronomy.nl/inhoud/pers/persberichten/30_08_04.html. [2] The SINFONI team consists of Roberto Abuter, Andrew Baker, Walter Bornemann, Ric Davies, Frank Eisenhauer (SPIFFI Principal Investigator), Hans Gemperlein, Reinhard Genzel (MPE Director), Andrea Gilbert, Armin Goldbrunner, Matthew Horrobin, Stefan Huber, Christof Iserlohe, Matthew Lehnert, Werner Lieb, Dieter Lutz, Nicole Nesvadba, Claudia Röhrle, Jürgen Schreiber, Linda Tacconi, Matthias Tecza, Niranjan Thatte, Harald Weisz (Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany), Anthony Brown, Paul van der Werf (NOVA, Leiden, The Netherlands), Eddy Elswijk, Johan Pragt, Jan Kragt, Gabby Kroes, Ton Schoenmaker, Rik ter Horst (ASTRON, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands), Henri Bonnet (SINFONI Project Manager), Roberto Castillo, Ralf Conzelmann, Romuald Damster, Bernard Delabre, Christophe Dupuy, Robert Donaldson, Christophe Dumas, Enrico Fedrigo, Gert Finger, Gordon Gillet, Norbert Hubin (Head of Adaptive Optics Dept.), Andreas Kaufer, Franz Koch, Johann Kolb, Andrea Modigliani, Guy Monnet (Head of Telescope Systems Division), Chris Lidman, Jochen Liske, Jean Louis Lizon, Markus Kissler-Patig (SINFONI Instrument Scientist), Jerome Paufique, Juha Reunanen