Use of acetaminophen and risk of endometrial cancer: evidence from observational studies.

PubMed

Ding, Yuan-Yuan; Yao, Peng; Verma, Surya; Han, Zhen-Kai; Hong, Tao; Zhu, Yong-Qiang; Li, Hong-Xi

2017-05-23

Previous meta-analyses suggested that aspirin was associated with reduced risk of endometrial cancer. However, there has been no study comprehensively summarize the evidence of acetaminophen use and risk of endometrial cancer from observational studies. We systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed , EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for relevant cohort or case-control studies up to February 28, 2017. Two independent authors performed the eligibility evaluation and data extraction. All differences were resolved by discussion. A random-effects model was applied to estimate summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs. All statistical tests were two-sided. Seven observational studies including four prospective cohort studies and three case-control studies with 3874 endometrial cancer cases were included for final analysis. Compared with never use acetaminophen, ever use this drug was not associated with risk of endometrial cancer (summarized RR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.93-1.13, I2 = 0%). Similar null association was also observed when compared the highest category of frequency/duration with never use acetaminophen (summarized RR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.70-1.11, I2 = 15.2%). Additionally, the finding was robust in the subgroup analyses stratified by study characteristics and adjustment for potential confounders and risk factors. There was no evidence of publication bias by a visual inspection of a funnel plot and formal statistical tests. In summary, the present meta-analysis reveals no association between acetaminophen use and risk of endometrial cancer. More large scale prospective cohort studies are warranted to confirm our findings and carry out the dose-response analysis of aforementioned association.

The Changing Surface of Saturn's Titan: Cassini Observations Suggest Active Cryovolcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, R. M.

2008-12-01

conclude that the VIMS instrument has found two instances in which selected regions on Titan's surface became unusually reflective and remained reflective on time scales of days to months. In both cases the area of reflectance variability is large (~100000 sq km), larger than either Loki or the Big Island of Hawaii. This is a strong evidence for currently active surface processes on Titan. Pre-Cassini, Titan was thought of as a pre-biotic earth that was frozen in time. Cassini VIMS and SAR observations combined suggest that Titan is the present day is not frozen solid, and is instead an episodically changing or evolving world. References: [1] Nelson R. M. et al, LPSC 2007 , Europlanets 2007, AGU 2007, EGU 2008, Accepted in Icarus 2008. [2] Lopes et al (this meeting), Stofan et al. Icarus 185, 443-456, 2007. Lopes et al. Icarus 186, 395- 412, 2007. Kirk et al., DPS 2007. Acknowledgement: This work done at JPL under contract with NASA

The Lesson Observation On-Line (Evidence Portfolio) Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, David G.

2015-01-01

At a time when teacher training is being moved to school-based programmes it is important to engage in a research-informed dialogue about creating more distinctive, and cost-effective 21st century models of teacher training. Three years ago I began feasibility field testing the Lesson Observation On-line (Evidence Portfolio) Platform [LOOP]…

Observational Evidence for Atoms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Edwin R., Jr.; Childers, Richard L.

1984-01-01

Discusses the development of the concept of atomicity and some of the many which can be used to establish its validity. Chemical evidence, evidence from crystals, Faraday's law of electrolysis, and Avogadro's number are among the areas which show how the concept originally developed from a purely philosophical idea. (JN)

Observational Evidence of Magnetic Waves in the Solar Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntosh, Scott W.

2012-03-01

The observational evidence in supporting the presence of magnetic waves in the outer solar atmosphere is growing rapidly - we will discuss recent observations and place them in context with salient observations made in the past. While the clear delineation of these magnetic wave "modes" is unclear, much can be learned about the environment in which they originated and possibly how they are removed from the system from the observations. Their diagnostic power is, as yet, untapped and their energy content (both as a mechanical source for the heating of coronal material and acceleration of the solar wind) remains in question, but can be probed observationally - raising challenges for modeling efforts. We look forward to the IRIS mission by proposing some sample observing sequences to help resolve some of the zoological issues present in the literature.

Application of the ex-Gaussian function to the effect of the word blindness suggestion on Stroop task performance suggests no word blindness

PubMed Central

Parris, Benjamin A.; Dienes, Zoltan; Hodgson, Timothy L.

2013-01-01

The aim of the present paper was to apply the ex-Gaussian function to data reported by Parris et al. (2012) given its utility in studies involving the Stroop task. Parris et al. showed an effect of the word blindness suggestion when Response-Stimulus Interval (RSI) was 500 ms but not when it was 3500 ms. Analysis revealed that: (1) The effect of the suggestion on interference is observed in μ, supporting converging evidence indicating the suggestion operates over response competition mechanisms; and, (2) Contrary to Parris et al. an effect of the suggestion was observed in μ when RSI was 3500 ms. The reanalysis of the data from Parris et al. (2012) supports the utility of ex-Gaussian analysis in revealing effects that might otherwise be thought of as absent. We suggest that word reading itself is not suppressed by the suggestion but instead that response conflict is dealt with more effectively. PMID:24065947

Application of the ex-Gaussian function to the effect of the word blindness suggestion on Stroop task performance suggests no word blindness.

PubMed

Parris, Benjamin A; Dienes, Zoltan; Hodgson, Timothy L

2013-01-01

The aim of the present paper was to apply the ex-Gaussian function to data reported by Parris et al. (2012) given its utility in studies involving the Stroop task. Parris et al. showed an effect of the word blindness suggestion when Response-Stimulus Interval (RSI) was 500 ms but not when it was 3500 ms. Analysis revealed that: (1) The effect of the suggestion on interference is observed in μ, supporting converging evidence indicating the suggestion operates over response competition mechanisms; and, (2) Contrary to Parris et al. an effect of the suggestion was observed in μ when RSI was 3500 ms. The reanalysis of the data from Parris et al. (2012) supports the utility of ex-Gaussian analysis in revealing effects that might otherwise be thought of as absent. We suggest that word reading itself is not suppressed by the suggestion but instead that response conflict is dealt with more effectively.

Observational Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection for Brightenings and Transition Region Arcades in IRIS Observations

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

Zhao, Jie; Li, Hui; Feng, Li

By using a new method of forced-field extrapolation, we study the emerging flux region AR11850 observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and Solar Dynamical Observatory . Our results suggest that the bright points (BPs) in this emerging region exhibit responses in lines formed from the upper photosphere to the transition region, which have relatively similar morphologies. They have an oscillation of several minutes according to the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly data at 1600 and 1700 Å. The ratio between the BP intensities measured in 1600 and 1700 Å filtergrams reveals that these BPs are heated differently. Our analysis of themore » Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager vector magnetic field and the corresponding topology in AR11850 indicates that the BPs are located at the polarity inversion line and most of them are related to magnetic reconnection or cancelation. The heating of the BPs might be different due to different magnetic topology. We find that the heating due to the magnetic cancelation would be stronger than the case of bald patch reconnection. The plasma density rather than the magnetic field strength could play a dominant role in this process. Based on physical conditions in the lower atmosphere, our forced-field extrapolation shows consistent results between the bright arcades visible in slit-jaw image 1400 Å and the extrapolated field lines that pass through the bald patches. It provides reliable observational evidence for testing the mechanism of magnetic reconnection for the BPs and arcades in the emerging flux region, as proposed in simulation studies.« less

Making and Recording Observations: When Done Well, Observations Can Serve as Evidence When Engaging in Science Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arias, Anna Maria; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Making and recording scientific observations is a fundamental activity of the scientific community. Scientists use their senses and tools (e.g., magnifying glasses, rulers, colored pencils) to make records of the phenomena (e.g., light energy, ecosystems) they are investigating. These observations often serve as evidence in the scientific…

Ergodicity convergence test suggests telomere motion obeys fractional dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kepten, E.; Bronshtein, I.; Garini, Y.

2011-04-01

Anomalous diffusion, observed in many biological processes, is a generalized description of a wide variety of processes, all obeying the same law of mean-square displacement. Identifying the basic mechanisms of these observations is important for deducing the nature of the biophysical systems measured. We implement a previously suggested method for distinguishing between fractional Langevin dynamics, fractional Brownian motion, and continuous time random walk based on the ergodic nature of the data. We apply the method together with the recently suggested P-variation test and the displacement correlation to the lately measured dynamics of telomeres in the nucleus of mammalian cells and find strong evidence that the telomeres motion obeys fractional dynamics. The ergodic dynamics are observed experimentally to fit fractional Brownian or Langevin dynamics.

Observational Evidence for the Causes and Consequences of Chromospheric Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Limei; He, Jiansen; Xia, Lidong; Jiao, Fangran

2015-05-01

The chromospheric anemone jets with an inverse “Y” shape are ubiquitous, as revealed by the Solar Optical Telescope observations. These jets are considered to be consequences of chromospheric magnetic reconnections. Although these jets have been studied intensively, the dynamics and their driving causes remain unclear observationally. In this work, we report a case of a chromospheric jet showing complete observational evidence for the cause and consequence of chromospheric intermittent reconnection. The intermittent eruption of this jet shows two distinct quasi-periods, 50-60 s and 600-700 s. The short-period eruptions may be related to the plasmoid-induced reconnection, and the long-period ones may be interpreted as sequences of cycles of energy storage and release during magnetic reconnections. The observations also reveal Alfvénic waves with a mean period around 88 s and a maximum transverse displacement around 0.″26. The jet is hosted by a loop moving smoothly with a horizontal speed of ˜0.4 km s-1. Our results provide observational evidence supporting the magnetic reconnection model of the formation of the chromospheric jets with related products, in which the loop advection drives intermittent magnetic reconnections, and the reconnection outflows carrying plasmoids collide further with the ambient field lines and finally excite waves and jets.

Evidence suggests water once flowed vigorously on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-10-01

"In some cases, when you do geology, a picture is worth 1000 words," Mars Science Laboratory project scientist John Grotzinger said at a 27 September news briefing to announce that imagery taken by a camera onboard NASA's Mars Curiosity rover shows evidence that water once flowed vigorously in a region on the surface of Mars. One of the pictured rock outcrops, about 10-15 centimeters thick and named Hottah after Canada's Hottah lake, "looked like somebody came along the surface of Mars with a jackhammer and lifted up a sidewalk that you might see in downtown LA in sort of a construction site," said Grotzinger, who is with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "This is a rock that was formed in the presence of water, and we can characterize that water as being a vigorous flow on the surface of Mars," he said. "We were really excited about this because this is one of the reasons we were interested in coming to this landing site, because it presented from orbit quite a strong case that we would find evidence for water on the ground."

Gaps in the evidence about companion animals and human health: some suggestions for progress.

PubMed

Chur-Hansen, Anna; Stern, Cindy; Winefield, Helen

2010-09-01

A number of researchers have explored the relationship between companion animal ownership and human physical and psychological health. Results have been inconclusive, with positive, neutral and negative effects variously reported in the literature. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms of any influence are frustratingly unclear. A number of conceptual and methodological weaknesses have hampered progress in our understanding of how companion animals may impact upon human health. The two evidence gaps discussed in this paper, with suggestions for needed next steps, are: (i) a preponderance of anecdotal reports and cross-sectional research designs; and (ii) failure to control for a host of other known influences on human health including health habits, level of attachment to the companion animal and human social supports. Finally, an example of these gaps is provided in relation to the literature on the effects of animals on elderly nursing home residents. © 2010 The Authors. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and incident fractures: pooled analysis of observational evidence.

PubMed

Kunutsor, Setor K; Laukkanen, Jari A; Whitehouse, Michael R; Blom, Ashley W

2018-06-01

The Mediterranean diet is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality from various chronic diseases. Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet has been suggested to have protective effects on bone health and decreases the incidence of bone fractures, but the evidence is not clear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of available observational studies to quantify the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet, as assessed by the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and the risk of fractures in the general population. Relevant studies were identified in a literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and reference lists of relevant studies to October 2016. Relative risks (RRS) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were aggregated using random-effects models. Five observational studies with data on 353,076 non-overlapping participants and 33,576 total fractures (including 6,881 hip fractures) were included. The pooled fully adjusted RR (95% CI) for hip fractures per 2-point increment in adherence to the MDS was 0.82 (0.71-0.96). Adherence to the MDS was not associated with the risk of any or total fractures based on pooled analysis of only two studies. Limited observational evidence supports a beneficial effect of adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet on the incidence of hip fractures. Well-designed intervention studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and the risk of adverse bone health outcomes such as fractures.

OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE FOR THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CHROMOSPHERIC RECONNECTION

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

Yan, Limei; Xia, Lidong; Jiao, Fangran

The chromospheric anemone jets with an inverse “Y” shape are ubiquitous, as revealed by the Solar Optical Telescope observations. These jets are considered to be consequences of chromospheric magnetic reconnections. Although these jets have been studied intensively, the dynamics and their driving causes remain unclear observationally. In this work, we report a case of a chromospheric jet showing complete observational evidence for the cause and consequence of chromospheric intermittent reconnection. The intermittent eruption of this jet shows two distinct quasi-periods, 50–60 s and 600–700 s. The short-period eruptions may be related to the plasmoid-induced reconnection, and the long-period ones may bemore » interpreted as sequences of cycles of energy storage and release during magnetic reconnections. The observations also reveal Alfvénic waves with a mean period around 88 s and a maximum transverse displacement around 0.″26. The jet is hosted by a loop moving smoothly with a horizontal speed of ∼0.4 km s{sup −1}. Our results provide observational evidence supporting the magnetic reconnection model of the formation of the chromospheric jets with related products, in which the loop advection drives intermittent magnetic reconnections, and the reconnection outflows carrying plasmoids collide further with the ambient field lines and finally excite waves and jets.« less

Chasing discs around O-type (proto)stars: Evidence from ALMA observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cesaroni, R.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Beltrán, M. T.; Johnston, K. G.; Maud, L. T.; Moscadelli, L.; Mottram, J. C.; Ahmadi, A.; Allen, V.; Beuther, H.; Csengeri, T.; Etoka, S.; Fuller, G. A.; Galli, D.; Galván-Madrid, R.; Goddi, C.; Henning, T.; Hoare, M. G.; Klaassen, P. D.; Kuiper, R.; Kumar, M. S. N.; Lumsden, S.; Peters, T.; Rivilla, V. M.; Schilke, P.; Testi, L.; van der Tak, F.; Vig, S.; Walmsley, C. M.; Zinnecker, H.

2017-06-01

Context. Circumstellar discs around massive stars could mediate the accretion onto the star from the infalling envelope, and could minimize the effects of radiation pressure. Despite such a crucial role, only a few convincing candidates have been provided for discs around deeply embedded O-type (proto)stars. Aims: In order to establish whether disc-mediated accretion is the formation mechanism for the most massive stars, we have searched for circumstellar, rotating discs around a limited sample of six luminous (>105L⊙) young stellar objects. These objects were selected on the basis of their IR and radio properties in order to maximize the likelihood of association with disc+jet systems. Methods: We used ALMA with 0.̋2 resolution to observe a large number of molecular lines typical of hot molecular cores. In this paper we limit our analysis to two disc tracers (methyl cyanide, CH3CN, and its isotopologue, 13CH3CN), and an outflow tracer (silicon monoxide, SiO). Results: We reveal many cores, although their number depends dramatically on the target. We focus on the cores that present prominent molecular line emission. In six of these a velocity gradient is seen across the core,three of which show evidence of Keplerian-like rotation. The SiO data reveal clear but poorly collimated bipolar outflow signatures towards two objects only. This can be explained if real jets are rare (perhaps short-lived) in very massive objects and/or if stellar multiplicity significantly affects the outflow structure.For all cores with velocity gradients, the velocity field is analysed through position-velocity plots to establish whether the gas is undergoing rotation with νrot ∝ R- α, as expected for Keplerian-like discs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that in three objects we are observing rotation in circumstellar discs, with three more tentative cases, and one core where no evidence for rotation is found. In all cases but one, we find that the gas mass is less than the mass of

Observational Evidence for Desert Amplification Using Multiple Satellite Datasets.

PubMed

Wei, Nan; Zhou, Liming; Dai, Yongjiu; Xia, Geng; Hua, Wenjian

2017-05-17

Desert amplification identified in recent studies has large uncertainties due to data paucity over remote deserts. Here we present observational evidence using multiple satellite-derived datasets that desert amplification is a real large-scale pattern of warming mode in near surface and low-tropospheric temperatures. Trend analyses of three long-term temperature products consistently confirm that near-surface warming is generally strongest over the driest climate regions and this spatial pattern of warming maximizes near the surface, gradually decays with height, and disappears in the upper troposphere. Short-term anomaly analyses show a strong spatial and temporal coupling of changes in temperatures, water vapor and downward longwave radiation (DLR), indicating that the large increase in DLR drives primarily near surface warming and is tightly associated with increasing water vapor over deserts. Atmospheric soundings of temperature and water vapor anomalies support the results of the long-term temperature trend analysis and suggest that desert amplification is due to comparable warming and moistening effects of the troposphere. Likely, desert amplification results from the strongest water vapor feedbacks near the surface over the driest deserts, where the air is very sensitive to changes in water vapor and thus efficient in enhancing the longwave greenhouse effect in a warming climate.

Hierarchy of evidence: where observational studies fit in and why we need them.

PubMed

Hoppe, Daniel J; Schemitsch, Emil H; Morshed, Saam; Tornetta, Paul; Bhandari, Mohit

2009-05-01

Although randomized controlled designs are considered the so-called gold standard in medical trials and sit atop the hierarchy of evidence in evidence-based medicine, there are situations in which they are impractical or unethical to undertake, especially in surgical trials. Then, observational studies often provide the best source of information. In this paper, we use examples from the literature to explain the importance of observational studies in furthering the boundaries of orthopaedic surgery and knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders.

Evaluating and Using Observational Evidence: The Contrasting Views of Policy Makers and Epidemiologists.

PubMed

O'Donoughue Jenkins, Lily; Kelly, Paul M; Cherbuin, Nicolas; Anstey, Kaarin J

2016-01-01

Currently, little is known about the types of evidence used by policy makers. This study aimed to investigate how policy makers in the health domain use and evaluate evidence and how this differs from academic epidemiologists. By having a better understanding of how policy makers select, evaluate, and use evidence, academics can tailor the way in which that evidence is produced, potentially leading to more effective knowledge translation. An exploratory mixed-methods study design was used. Quantitative measures were collected via an anonymous online survey ( n  = 28), with sampling from three health-related government and non-government organizations. Semi-structured interviews with policy makers ( n  = 20) and epidemiologists ( n  = 6) were conducted to gather qualitative data. Policy makers indicated systematic reviews were the preferred research resource (19%), followed closely by qualitative research (16%). Neither policy makers nor epidemiologists used grading instruments to evaluate evidence. In the web survey, policy makers reported that consistency and strength of evidence (93%), the quality of data (93%), bias in the evidence (79%), and recency of evidence (79%) were the most important factors taken into consideration when evaluating the available evidence. The same results were found in the qualitative interviews. Epidemiologists focused on the methodology used in the study. The most cited barriers to using robust evidence, according to policy makers, were political considerations (60%), time limitations (55%), funding (50%), and research not being applicable to current policies (50%). The policy maker's investigation did not report a systematic approach to evaluating evidence. Although there was some overlap between what policy makers and epidemiologists identified as high-quality evidence, there was also some important differences. This suggests that the best scientific evidence may not routinely be used in the development of policy. In

Evidence for Ig Light Chain Isotype Exclusion in Shark B Lymphocytes Suggests Ordered Mechanisms.

PubMed

Iacoangeli, Anna; Lui, Anita; Haines, Ashley; Ohta, Yuko; Flajnik, Martin; Hsu, Ellen

2017-09-01

Unlike most vertebrates, the shark IgL gene organization precludes secondary rearrangements that delete self-reactive VJ rearranged genes. Nurse sharks express four L chain isotypes, κ, λ, σ, and σ-2, encoded by 35 functional minigenes or clusters. The sequence of gene activation/expression and receptor editing of these isotypes have not been studied. We therefore investigated the extent of isotypic exclusion in separated B cell subpopulations. Surface Ig (sIg)κ-expressing cells, isolated with mAb LK14 that recognizes Cκ, carry predominantly nonproductive rearrangements of other L chain isotypes. Conversely, after depletion with LK14, sIgM + cells contained largely nonproductive κ and enrichment for in-frame VJ of the others. Because some isotypic inclusion was observed at the mRNA level, expression in the BCR was examined. Functional λ mRNA was obtained, as expected, from the LK14-depleted population, but was also in sIgκ + splenocytes. Whereas λ somatic mutants from the depleted sample displayed evidence of positive selection, the λ genes in sIgκ + cells accumulated bystander mutations indicating a failure to express their products at the cell surface in association with the BCR H chain. In conclusion, a shark B cell expresses one L chain isotype at the surface and other isotypes as nonproductive VJ, sterile transcripts, or in-frame VJ whose products may not associate with the H chain. Based on the mRNA content found in the B cell subpopulations, an order of L chain gene activation is suggested as: σ-2 followed by κ, then σ and λ. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Immunohistochemical evidence suggests intrinsic regulatory activity of human eccrine sweat glands

PubMed Central

ZANCANARO, CARLO; MERIGO, FLAVIA; CRESCIMANNO, CATERINA; ORLANDINI, SIMONETTA; OSCULATI, ANTONIO

1999-01-01

Immunohistochemistry of normal eccrine sweat glands was performed on paraffin sections of human skin. Immunoreactivity (ir) for neuron specific enolase, S100 protein (S100), regulatory peptides, nitric oxide synthase type I (NOS-I) and choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) was found in small nerve bundles close to sweat glands. In the glands, secretory cells were labelled with anticytokeratin antibody. Using antibodies to S100, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) a specific distribution pattern was found in secretory cells. Granulated (dark) and parietal (clear) cells were immunopositive for CGRP, and S100 and SP, respectively. Immunoreactivity was diffuse in the cytoplasm for CGRP and S100, and peripheral for SP. Myoepithelial cells were not labelled. Electron microscopy revealed electron dense granules, probably containing peptide, in granulated cells. Using antibodies to NOS-I and ChAT, ir was exclusively found in myoepithelial cells. Immunoreactivity for the atrial natriuretic peptide was absent in sweat glands. These results provide evidence for the presence of both regulatory peptides involved in vasodilation and key enzymes for the synthesis of nitric oxide and acetylcholine in the secretory coil of human sweat glands. It is suggested that human sweat glands are capable of some intrinsic regulation in addition to that carried out by their nerve supply. PMID:10386780

Evidence suggesting a negative regulatory role for macrophages in murine erythropoiesis in vivo.

PubMed

Wang, C Q; Udupa, K B; Xiao, H; Lipschitz, D A

1994-04-01

Increasing the rate of erythropoiesis in C57BL/6 mice, either by hypoxia or by the injection of recombinant erythropoietin (Epo), resulted in significant reductions in marrow macrophage number, as assessed by flow cytometry employing the monoclonal antibody against the macrophage antigen Mac-1 and by histologic determination of reductions in the number of marrow esterase-positive cells. This decline was paralleled by decreases in marrow colony-forming unit-macrophage (CFU-M) and colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) number. The intramedullary concentration of the cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which are produced by macrophages, was also reduced. Cessation of erythropoiesis was associated with increases in macrophage number, CFU-M and CFU-GM colony number, and IL-1 alpha concentrations. Increased erythropoiesis resulted in reductions in number of burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) colonies, which were less sensitive to suppression by macrophages as evidence by less increase in colony number when macrophages were removed from the marrow before in vitro BFU-E culture. BFU-E colony number was suppressed less when IL-1 alpha and TNF-alpha were added to cultures obtained from animals with stimulated erythropoiesis. Compared to controls, BFU-E number and suppression by macrophages increased significantly when erythropoiesis was reduced. These observations provide compelling evidence for a regulatory role for macrophages in normal erythropoiesis in vivo, presumably acting as a negative balance to the stimulatory effects of Epo.

Observational evidence of European summer weather patterns predictable from spring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ossó, Albert; Sutton, Rowan; Shaffrey, Len; Dong, Buwen

2018-01-01

Forecasts of summer weather patterns months in advance would be of great value for a wide range of applications. However, seasonal dynamical model forecasts for European summers have very little skill, particularly for rainfall. It has not been clear whether this low skill reflects inherent unpredictability of summer weather or, alternatively, is a consequence of weaknesses in current forecast systems. Here we analyze atmosphere and ocean observations and identify evidence that a specific pattern of summertime atmospheric circulation––the summer East Atlantic (SEA) pattern––is predictable from the previous spring. An index of North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures in March–April can predict the SEA pattern in July–August with a cross-validated correlation skill above 0.6. Our analyses show that the sea-surface temperatures influence atmospheric circulation and the position of the jet stream over the North Atlantic. The SEA pattern has a particularly strong influence on rainfall in the British Isles, which we find can also be predicted months ahead with a significant skill of 0.56. Our results have immediate application to empirical forecasts of summer rainfall for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and northern France and also suggest that current dynamical model forecast systems have large potential for improvement.

Using Evidence-Centered Design to Create a Special Educator Observation System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Evelyn S.; Crawford, Angela R.; Moylan, Laura A.; Zheng, Yuzhu

2018-01-01

The Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) framework was used to create a special education teacher observation system, Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET). Extensive reviews of research informed the domain analysis and modeling stages, and led to the conceptual framework in which effective special education teaching is…

Evidence for ground-ice occurrence on asteroid Vesta using Dawn bistatic radar observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, E. M.; Heggy, E.; Kofman, W. W.

2017-12-01

From 2011 to 2012, the Dawn spacecraft orbited asteroid Vesta, the first of its two targets in the asteroid belt, and conducted the first bistatic radar (BSR) experiment at a small-body, during which Dawn's high-gain communications antenna is used to transmit radar waves that scatter from Vesta's surface toward Earth at high incidence angles just before and after occultation of the spacecraft behind the asteroid. Among the 14 observed mid-latitude forward-scatter reflections, the radar cross section ranges from 84 ± 8 km2 (near Saturnalia Fossae) to 3,588 ± 200 km2 (northwest of Caparronia crater), implying substantial spatial variation in centimeter- to decimeter-scale surface roughness. The compared distributions of surface roughness and subsurface hydrogen concentration [H]—measured using data from Dawn's BSR experiment and Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRaND), respectively—reveal the occurrence of heightened subsurface [H] with smoother terrains that cover tens of square kilometers. Furthermore, unlike on the Moon, we observe no correlation between surface roughness and surface ages on Vesta—whether the latter is derived from lunar or asteroid-flux chronology [Williams et al., 2014]—suggesting that cratering processes alone are insufficient to explain Vesta's surface texture at centimeter-to-decimeter scales. Dawn's BSR observations support the hypothesis of transient melting, runoff and recrystallization of potential ground-ice deposits, which are postulated to flow along fractures after an impact, and provide a mechanism for the smoothing of otherwise rough, fragmented impact ejecta. Potential ground-ice presence within Vesta's subsurface was first proposed by Scully et al. [2014], who identified geomorphological evidence for transient water flow along several of Vesta's crater walls using Dawn Framing Camera images. While airless, differentiated bodies such as Vesta and the Moon are thought to have depleted their initial volatile content

Observational Versus Experimental Studies: What’s the Evidence for a Hierarchy?

PubMed Central

Concato, John

2004-01-01

Summary: The tenets of evidence-based medicine include an emphasis on hierarchies of research design (i.e., study architecture). Often, a single randomized, controlled trial is considered to provide “truth,” whereas results from any observational study are viewed with suspicion. This paper describes information that contradicts and discourages such a rigid approach to evaluating the quality of research design. Unless a more balanced strategy evolves, new claims of methodological authority may be just as problematic as the traditional claims of medical authority that have been criticized by proponents of evidence-based medicine. PMID:15717036

Observational Evidence of the "Tightening of Hadley Ascent"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, H.; Wu, L.; Jiang, J. H.

2017-12-01

Recent studies show that the Hadley Circulation undergoes complicated structure changes under global warming (e.g., Su et al., 2014; Lau and Kim 2015; Byrne and Schneider 2016; Su et al., 2017)). Accompanied by the widening of the descent zone, a narrowing of the ascending branch of the Hadley Circulation is simulated in most climate models. The magnitude of the tightening of Hadley ascent (THA) in the models is found to be highly correlated with the decrease of tropical high cloud fraction, which is a major contributor to the inter-model spread of the longwave radiative cooling rate and the global-mean precipitation change per degree of surface warming (Su et al. 2017). While the THA is a common feature in the models, its observational evidence is limited. We have examined a number of reanalyses and satellite datasets to identify the indicators of the THA in terms of large-scale winds, water vapor, cloud and precipitation changes in the past decades. The robustness of the THA in the observations and the differences between various datasets will be presented.

Inca Moon: Some Evidence of Lunar Observations in Tahuantinsuyu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziółkowski, Mariusz; Kościuk, Jacek; Astete, Fernando

So far, scientists have not investigated thoroughly if and for what purpose the Incas observed the Moon. As far as the orientation of architectural structures is concerned, the researchers focus their attention almost entirely on the position of the Sun. However, a more accurate analysis of two well-known sites - the caves of Intimachay and Cusilluchayoc - may provide evidence of their function as observatories of the lunar 18.6-year cycle. Those results may confirm the hypothesis, presented some years ago, that the Incas had elaborated a rudimentary method of predicting lunar eclipses.

The Dominance Behavioral System and Psychopathology: Evidence from Self-Report, Observational, and Biological Studies

PubMed Central

Johnson, Sheri L.; Leedom, Liane J.; Muhtadie, Luma

2012-01-01

The dominance behavioral system (DBS) can be conceptualized as a biologically-based system which guides dominance motivation, dominant and subordinate behavior, and responsivity to perceptions of power and subordination. A growing body of research suggests that problems with the DBS are evident across a broad range of psychopathologies. We begin by describing psychological, social, and biological correlates of the dominance behavioral system (DBS). Extensive research suggests that externalizing disorders, mania-proneness, and narcissistic traits are related to heightened dominance motivation and behaviors. Mania and narcissistic traits also appear related to inflated self-perceptions of power. Anxiety and depression are related to subordination and submissiveness, as well as a desire to avoid subordination. Models of the DBS have received support from research with humans and animals; from self-report, observational, and biological methods; and using naturalistic and experimental paradigms. Limitations of available research include the relative lack of longitudinal studies using multiple measures of the DBS and the absence of relevant studies using diagnosed samples to study narcissistic personality disorder and bipolar disorder. We provide suggestions for future research on the DBS and psychopathology, including investigations of whether the DBS can be used to differentiate specific disorder outcomes; the need for more sophisticated biological research; and the value of longitudinal dynamical research. Implications of using the DBS as a tool in clinical assessment and treatment are discussed. PMID:22506751

Eighteenth-Century Observations of Algol: The First Suggestion of an Exoplanet?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Linda M.

2017-10-01

In November of 1782, 18-year old John Goodricke of York, England, was amazed to observe the star Algol (Beta Persei) dim by more than one magnitude and then return to full brightness over a period of seven hours. Goodricke and his mentor, Edward Pigott, speculated that the dimming could only have been caused by a "dark body" passing in front of Algol. Over the succeeding months, the two were able to refine the period between what we now know to be eclipses to 2.87 days. They would determine the periods of other variable stars, including the first two Cepheid variables known. Yet in their lifetime, their suggestion that Algol's variation was due to an eclipse was not accepted. Most astronomers believed the variations were due to spots on the surface of a single star. Only a century later, with the advent of astronomical spectroscopy, was Algol's true nature revealed. Goodricke and Pigott's work is one of the first studies of stellar variation; their methods and occasional pitfalls are ones to which modern astronomers can relate.

Evidence for Abnormal H α Variability During Near-transit Observations of HD 189733 b

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

Cauley, P. Wilson; Redfield, Seth; Jensen, Adam G., E-mail: pcauley@wesleyan.edu

2017-04-01

Changes in levels of stellar activity can mimic absorption signatures in transmission spectra from circumplanetary material. Thus, it is critical to understand the frequency and magnitude of these changes in order to attribute any particular signal to the circumplanetary environment. We present short-cadence, high-resolution out-of-transit H α spectra for the hot Jupiter host HD 189733 in order to establish the frequency and magnitude of intrinsic stellar variations in the H α line core. We find that changes in the line core strength similar to those observed immediately pre- and post-transit in two independent data sets are uncommon. This suggests thatmore » the observed near-transit signatures are either due to absorption of circumplanetary material or they occur preferentially in time, very near planetary transits. In either case, the evidence for abnormal H α variability is strengthened, though the short-cadence out-of-transit data do not argue for circumplanetary absorption versus stellar activity caused by a star–planet interaction. Further out-of-transit monitoring at higher signal-to-noise would be useful to more strictly constrain the frequency of the near-transit changes in the H α line core.« less

Additional Evidence for the Accuracy of Biographical Data: Long-Term Retest and Observer Ratings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaffer, Garnett Stokes; And Others

1986-01-01

Investigated accuracy of responses to biodata questionnaire using a test-retest design and informed external observers for verification. Responses from 237 subjects and 200 observers provided evidence that many responses to biodata questionnaire were accurate. Assessed sources of inaccuracy, including social desirability effects, and noted…

Observational evidence for Alfven waves in the solar atmosphere (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Pontieu, B.

2013-12-01

Alfven waves have long been suspected of playing an important role in both heating the corona and accelerating the solar wind. Recently, more and more observational evidence for the presence of such waves has been reported in both the corona and the lower solar atmosphere. I will review observations of the properties and presence of Alfven waves from CoMP, Hinode, AIA and ground-based telescopes in both coronal lines and the lower solar atmosphere. I will discuss our current understanding of the importance of these waves for the energy balance of the corona. I will also present initial results of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) which was launched in June 2013 and obtains images and spectra in both the far and near ultraviolet.

Dissociative tendencies and individual differences in high hypnotic suggestibility.

PubMed

Terhune, Devin Blair; Cardeña, Etzel; Lindgren, Magnus

2011-03-01

Inconsistencies in the relationship between dissociation and hypnosis may result from heterogeneity among highly suggestible individuals, in particular the existence of distinct highly suggestible subtypes that are of relevance to models of psychopathology and the consequences of trauma. This study contrasted highly suggestible subtypes high or low in dissociation on measures of hypnotic responding, cognitive functioning, and psychopathology. Twenty-one low suggestible (LS), 19 low dissociative highly suggestible (LDHS), and 11 high dissociative highly suggestible (HDHS) participants were administered hypnotic suggestibility scales and completed measures of free recall, working memory capacity, imagery, fantasy-proneness, psychopathology, and exposure to stressful life events. HDHS participants were more responsive to positive and negative hallucination suggestions and experienced greater involuntariness during hypnotic responding. They also exhibited impaired working memory capacity, elevated pathological fantasy and dissociative symptomatology, and a greater incidence of exposure to stressful life events. In contrast, LDHS participants displayed superior object visual imagery. These results provide further evidence for two highly suggestible subtypes: a dissociative subtype characterised by deficits in executive functioning and a predisposition to psychopathology, and a subtype that exhibits superior imagery and no observable deficits in functioning.

Observational evidences of viscoelastic behaviour at low strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daminelli, Rosastella; Marcellini, Alberto; Tento, Alberto

2014-05-01

Theoretical formulations of inhomogeneous waves in low-loss media have been suggested by a number of researchers due to the important role played by anelasticity in changing the characteristics of seismic waves. The Homogeneous Isotropic Linear Viscoelastic Model (HILV) introduced by Borcherdt (2009) is particularly promising because of its mathematical simplicity and the handiness to test the model in real seismograms. We showed that the seismograms of the explosion of a 2nd World War bomb found in Milan recorded by a seismic station at 2 km epicentral distance, exhibit a clear elliptical prograde P wave particle motion (Marcellini and Tento, 2011) as predicted by HILV. We observed a similar P wave prograde elliptical motion analysing a ML 4.8 earthquake occurred on July 17, 2011 in the Po Valley at a 48 km epicentral distance from a seismic station located at Palazzo Te, Mantova (Daminelli et al., 2013). In both cases the stations were situated on the deep quaternary sediments of the Po Valley. Based on measured Vp and Vs and the amplitude of the recorded motion, the strain at the station sites was estimated to be 10-6, 10-7. In this paper we extend the analysis of the previously mentioned seismograms to check the feasibility of HILV application to other types of waves that are particularly relevant in fields such as the engineering seismology. We focus on the S waves (as it is well known HILV predicts the split of S in S type I and S type II) of the seismograms of the earthquake recorded in Mantova and on the Rayleigh waves of the explosion recorded in Milan. The results show that observational evidences of HILV are not as clear as for P waves, probably because of noise or superposition of converted waves. However, once established the validity of HILV by P waves (that is very simple), the whole seismograms can be interpreted following HILV, confirming the relevancy of anelasticity also at low strain. Borcherdt, R.D. (2009) 'Viscoelastic Waves in Layered Media

Evidence for cannabis and cannabinoids for epilepsy: a systematic review of controlled and observational evidence.

PubMed

Stockings, Emily; Zagic, Dino; Campbell, Gabrielle; Weier, Megan; Hall, Wayne D; Nielsen, Suzanne; Herkes, Geoffrey K; Farrell, Michael; Degenhardt, Louisa

2018-07-01

Review evidence for cannabinoids as adjunctive treatments for treatment-resistant epilepsy. Systematic search of Medline, Embase and PsycINFO was conducted in October 2017. Outcomes were: 50%+ seizure reduction, complete seizure freedom; improved quality of life (QoL). Tolerability/safety were assessed by study withdrawals, adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Analyses were conducted in Stata V.15.0. 36 studies were identified: 6 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 30 observational studies. Mean age of participants was 16.1 years (range 0.5-55 years). Cannabidiol (CBD) 20 mg/kg/day was more effective than placebo at reducing seizure frequency by 50%+(relative risk (RR) 1.74, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.43, 2 RCTs, 291 patients, low Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) rating). The number needed to treat for one person using CBD to experience 50%+ seizure reduction was 8 (95% CI 6 to 17). CBD was more effective than placebo at achieving complete seizure freedom (RR 6.17, 95% CI 1.50 to 25.32, 3 RCTs, 306 patients, low GRADE rating), and improving QoL (RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.26), however increased risk of AEs (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.36) and SAEs (RR 2.55, 95% CI 1.48 to 4.38). Pooled across 17 observational studies, 48.5% (95% CI 39.0% to 58.1%) of patients reported 50%+ reductions in seizures; in 14 observational studies 8.5% (95% CI 3.8% to 14.5%) were seizure-free. Twelve observational studies reported improved QoL (55.8%, 95% CI 40.5 to 70.6); 50.6% (95% CI 31.7 to 69.4) AEs and 2.2% (95% CI 0 to 7.9) SAEs. Pharmaceutical-grade CBD as adjuvant treatment in paediatric-onset drug-resistant epilepsy may reduce seizure frequency. Existing RCT evidence is mostly in paediatric samples with rare and severe epilepsy syndromes; RCTs examining other syndromes and cannabinoids are needed. CRD42017055412. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article

Evidence of Plumes on Europa from far-ultraviolet observations with HST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, William B.; McGrath, Melissa; Schmidt, Britney; Bergeron, Eddie; Hand, Kevin; Spencer, John; Cracraft, Misty; Deustua, Susana

2018-01-01

Evidence for plumes of water emerging from the icy surface of Europa has been found by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) using two different UV observing techniques. Roth et al. (2014) found line emission from the dissociation products of water. Sparks et al. (2016, 2017) found evidence for off-limb continuum absorption as Europa transited Jupiter. We describe the transit method which obtains far ultraviolet images of Europa as it passes in front of the smooth face of Jupiter, seeking off-limb absorption patches that may be due to plumes on Europa. This approach exploits the time resolution, sensitivity and spatial resolution of HST, coupled to the high cross-sections for molecules of interest at these wavelengths. We show that a well-localized plume candidate appears more than once, and that it is at the same position as a nighttime thermal anomaly seen by the Galileo spacecraft, the warmest point on the observed Europa nightside. The favored interpretation of the thermal anomaly is a modification to the local thermal inertia, which could be causally related to plume activity. Future plans for additional work in this area are described.

Near infrared observations of S155. evidence of induced star formation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, L. K.; Lisi, F.; Felli, M.; Tofani, G.

At the interface of the giant molecular cloud Cepheus OB3, S155 represents one of the most interesting examples of bright rim produced by the ionization of a nearby O-star. The interaction between the ionized HII region S155 and the hot molecular core Cepheus B may constitute the ideal site for new stars, according to the sequential star-formation theory. Past observations of molecular lines have shown the evidence of a hot spot in the cloud core, probably a compact region associated to a young stellar object. New J,H,K images recently obtained with the ARNICA array at the TIRGO telescope give evidence of stars with strong near-infrared excess, which must represent the newest generation of young stars.

Direct Evidence of Egestion and Salivation of Xylella fastidiosa Suggests Sharpshooters Can Be "Flying Syringes".

PubMed

Backus, Elaine A; Shugart, Holly J; Rogers, Elizabeth E; Morgan, J Kent; Shatters, Robert

2015-05-01

Xylella fastidiosa is unique among insect-transmitted plant pathogens because it is propagative but noncirculative, adhering to and multiplying on the cuticular lining of the anterior foregut. Any inoculation mechanism for X. fastidiosa must explain how bacterial cells exit the vector's stylets via the food canal and directly enter the plant. A combined egestion-salivation mechanism has been proposed to explain these unique features. Egestion is the putative outward flow of fluid from the foregut via hypothesized bidirectional pumping of the cibarium. The present study traced green fluorescent protein-expressing X. fastidiosa or fluorescent nanoparticles acquired from artificial diets by glassy-winged sharpshooters, Homalodisca vitripennis, as they were egested into simultaneously secreted saliva. X. fastidiosa or nanoparticles were shown to mix with gelling saliva to form fluorescent deposits and salivary sheaths on artificial diets, providing the first direct, conclusive evidence of egestion by any hemipteran insect. Therefore, the present results strongly support an egestion-salivation mechanism of X. fastidiosa inoculation. Results also support that a column of fluid is transiently held in the foregut without being swallowed. Evidence also supports (but does not definitively prove) that bacteria were suspended in the column of fluid during the vector's transit from diet to diet, and were egested with the held fluid. Thus, we hypothesize that sharpshooters could be true "flying syringes," especially when inoculation occurs very soon after uptake of bacteria, suggesting the new paradigm of a nonpersistent X. fastidiosa transmission mechanism.

Observational Study Designs for Comparative Effectiveness Research: An Alternative Approach to Close Evidence Gaps in Head-and-Neck Cancer

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

Goulart, Bernardo H.L., E-mail: bhg@uw.edu; University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Ramsey, Scott D.

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has emerged as an approach to improve quality of care and patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs by providing evidence to guide healthcare decisions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have represented the ideal study design to support treatment decisions in head-and-neck (H and N) cancers. In RCTs, formal chance (randomization) determines treatment allocation, which prevents selection bias from distorting the measure of treatment effects. Despite this advantage, only a minority of patients qualify for inclusion in H and N RCTs, which limits the validity of their results to the broader H and N cancer patient population seenmore » in clinical practice. Randomized controlled trials often do not address other knowledge gaps in the management of H and N cancer, including treatment comparisons for rare types of H and N cancers, monitoring of rare or late toxicity events (eg, osteoradionecrosis), or in some instances an RCT is simply not feasible. Observational studies, or studies in which treatment allocation occurs independently of investigators' choice or randomization, may address several of these gaps in knowledge, thereby complementing the role of RCTs. This critical review discusses how observational CER studies complement RCTs in generating the evidence to inform healthcare decisions and improve the quality of care and outcomes of H and N cancer patients. Review topics include a balanced discussion about the strengths and limitations of both RCT and observational CER study designs; a brief description of design and analytic techniques to handle selection bias in observational studies; examples of observational studies that inform current clinical practices and management of H and N cancers; and suggestions for relevant CER questions that could be addressed by an observational study design.« less

Observational study designs for comparative effectiveness research: an alternative approach to close evidence gaps in head-and-neck cancer.

PubMed

Goulart, Bernardo H L; Ramsey, Scott D; Parvathaneni, Upendra

2014-01-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has emerged as an approach to improve quality of care and patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs by providing evidence to guide healthcare decisions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have represented the ideal study design to support treatment decisions in head-and-neck (H&N) cancers. In RCTs, formal chance (randomization) determines treatment allocation, which prevents selection bias from distorting the measure of treatment effects. Despite this advantage, only a minority of patients qualify for inclusion in H&N RCTs, which limits the validity of their results to the broader H&N cancer patient population seen in clinical practice. Randomized controlled trials often do not address other knowledge gaps in the management of H&N cancer, including treatment comparisons for rare types of H&N cancers, monitoring of rare or late toxicity events (eg, osteoradionecrosis), or in some instances an RCT is simply not feasible. Observational studies, or studies in which treatment allocation occurs independently of investigators' choice or randomization, may address several of these gaps in knowledge, thereby complementing the role of RCTs. This critical review discusses how observational CER studies complement RCTs in generating the evidence to inform healthcare decisions and improve the quality of care and outcomes of H&N cancer patients. Review topics include a balanced discussion about the strengths and limitations of both RCT and observational CER study designs; a brief description of design and analytic techniques to handle selection bias in observational studies; examples of observational studies that inform current clinical practices and management of H&N cancers; and suggestions for relevant CER questions that could be addressed by an observational study design. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prostitution advertisements suggest association of transvestism and masochism.

PubMed

Chivers, M; Blanchard, R

1996-01-01

Previous research and clinical observation have suggested that the sexual interest of many transvestites include involvement in sadomasochistic sexual acts. Through data gathered via prostitution advertisements in print media, we tested the hypothesis that prostitutes welcoming cross-dressing client would be primarily those describing themselves as dominant. The specialty of the prostitute was recorded by coding the advertisements for the presence or absence of the features of dominance, submissiveness, acceptance of cross-dressing clients, and whether the prostitute was a biological male presenting as a woman or quasi-woman. The findings showed that 20% of prostitutes describing themselves as dominant welcomed cross-dressing clients, whereas none of the other subgroups of prostitutes mentioned cross-dressing clients in their advertisements. These findings reinforce other lines of indirect evidence suggesting that, in heterosexual men, the presence of masochism increases the likelihood of transvestism, and vice versa.

Observational evidence of the complementary relationship in regional evaporation lends strong support for Bouchet's hypothesis

Treesearch

Jorge A. Ramirez; Michael T. Hobbins; Thomas C. Brown

2005-01-01

Using independent observations of actual and potential evapotranspiration at a wide range of spatial scales, we provide direct observational evidence of the complementary relationship in regional evapotranspiration hypothesized by Bouchet in 1963. Bouchet proposed that, for large homogeneous surfaces with minimal advection of heat and moisture, potential and actual...

A bias-adjusted evidence synthesis of RCT and observational data: the case of total hip replacement.

PubMed

Schnell-Inderst, Petra; Iglesias, Cynthia P; Arvandi, Marjan; Ciani, Oriana; Matteucci Gothe, Raffaella; Peters, Jaime; Blom, Ashley W; Taylor, Rod S; Siebert, Uwe

2017-02-01

Evaluation of clinical effectiveness of medical devices differs in some aspects from the evaluation of pharmaceuticals. One of the main challenges identified is lack of robust evidence and a will to make use of experimental and observational studies (OSs) in quantitative evidence synthesis accounting for internal and external biases. Using a case study of total hip replacement to compare the risk of revision of cemented and uncemented implant fixation modalities, we pooled treatment effect estimates from OS and RCTs, and simplified existing methods for bias-adjusted evidence synthesis to enhance practical application. We performed an elicitation exercise using methodological and clinical experts to determine the strength of beliefs about the magnitude of internal and external bias affecting estimates of treatment effect. We incorporated the bias-adjusted treatment effects into a generalized evidence synthesis, calculating both frequentist and Bayesian statistical models. We estimated relative risks as summary effect estimates with 95% confidence/credibility intervals to capture uncertainty. When we compared alternative approaches to synthesizing evidence, we found that the pooled effect size strongly depended on the inclusion of observational data as well as on the use bias-adjusted estimates. We demonstrated the feasibility of using observational studies in meta-analyses to complement RCTs and incorporate evidence from a wider spectrum of clinically relevant studies and healthcare settings. To ensure internal validity, OS data require sufficient correction for confounding and selection bias, either through study design and primary analysis, or by applying post-hoc bias adjustments to the results. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Observational evidence for enhanced magnetic activity of superflare stars.

PubMed

Karoff, Christoffer; Knudsen, Mads Faurschou; De Cat, Peter; Bonanno, Alfio; Fogtmann-Schulz, Alexandra; Fu, Jianning; Frasca, Antonio; Inceoglu, Fadil; Olsen, Jesper; Zhang, Yong; Hou, Yonghui; Wang, Yuefei; Shi, Jianrong; Zhang, Wei

2016-03-24

Superflares are large explosive events on stellar surfaces one to six orders-of-magnitude larger than the largest flares observed on the Sun throughout the space age. Due to the huge amount of energy released in these superflares, it has been speculated if the underlying mechanism is the same as for solar flares, which are caused by magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. Here, we analyse observations made with the LAMOST telescope of 5,648 solar-like stars, including 48 superflare stars. These observations show that superflare stars are generally characterized by larger chromospheric emissions than other stars, including the Sun. However, superflare stars with activity levels lower than, or comparable to, the Sun do exist, suggesting that solar flares and superflares most likely share the same origin. The very large ensemble of solar-like stars included in this study enables detailed and robust estimates of the relation between chromospheric activity and the occurrence of superflares.

Observational evidence for enhanced magnetic activity of superflare stars

PubMed Central

Karoff, Christoffer; Knudsen, Mads Faurschou; De Cat, Peter; Bonanno, Alfio; Fogtmann-Schulz, Alexandra; Fu, Jianning; Frasca, Antonio; Inceoglu, Fadil; Olsen, Jesper; Zhang, Yong; Hou, Yonghui; Wang, Yuefei; Shi, Jianrong; Zhang, Wei

2016-01-01

Superflares are large explosive events on stellar surfaces one to six orders-of-magnitude larger than the largest flares observed on the Sun throughout the space age. Due to the huge amount of energy released in these superflares, it has been speculated if the underlying mechanism is the same as for solar flares, which are caused by magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. Here, we analyse observations made with the LAMOST telescope of 5,648 solar-like stars, including 48 superflare stars. These observations show that superflare stars are generally characterized by larger chromospheric emissions than other stars, including the Sun. However, superflare stars with activity levels lower than, or comparable to, the Sun do exist, suggesting that solar flares and superflares most likely share the same origin. The very large ensemble of solar-like stars included in this study enables detailed and robust estimates of the relation between chromospheric activity and the occurrence of superflares. PMID:27009381

Global QBO in circulation and ozone. Part 1: Reexamination of observational evidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tung, K. K.; Yang, H.

1994-01-01

Observational evidence for a global quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) pattern is reviewed. In particular, the presence of an extratropical, as well as an equatorial, component of the QBO signal in column ozone is established. It is found that the ozone interannual variability is such that as one moves away from the Tropics, the frequency spectrum of the anomaly changes from one that is dominated by the equatorial QBO frequency of 1/30 mo to a two-peak spectrum around the two frequencies: 1/30 mo and 1/20 mo. Instead of treating the 1/20 mo frequency as a separate phenomenon to be filtered away in extracting the QBO in the extratropics, as was previously done, the authors argue that both peaks are integral parts of the extratropical QBO phenomenon. The 1/20 mo frequency happens to be the difference combination of the QBO frequency 1/30 mo and the annual frequency 1/12 mo. Therefore, it can represent the result of the QBO modulating an annual cycle. The authors suggest that previous methods of extracting the extratropical QBO signal severely underestimated the contribution of the QBO to the interannual variability of ozone when data are filtered to pass only the component with the period of equatorial QBO. Further, it is argued that the transport of equatorial QBO ozone anomaly by a non-QBO circulation can at most account for 6-8 Dobson units (DU) of the observed interannual variability of column ozone in the extratropics. The remaining variability (up to 20 DU) probably cannot be produced without an anomaly in the transporting circulation in the extratropics.

Global QBO in circulation and ozone. Part 1: Reexamination of observational evidence

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

Tung, K.K.; Yang, H.

1994-10-01

Observational evidence for a global quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) pattern is reviewed. In particular, the presence of an extratropical, as well as an equatorial, component of the QBO signal in column ozone is established. It is found that the ozone interannual variability is such that as one moves away from the Tropics, the frequency spectrum of the anomaly changes from one that is dominated by the equatorial QBO frequency of 1/30 mo to a two-peak spectrum around the two frequencies: 1/30 mo and 1/20 mo. Instead of treating the 1/20 mo frequency as a separate phenomenon to be filtered away inmore » extracting the QBO in the extratropics, as was previously done, the authors argue that both peaks are integral parts of the extratropical QBO phenomenon. The 1/20 mo frequency happens to be the difference combination of the QBO frequency 1/30 mo and the annual frequency 1/12 mo. Therefore, it can represent the result of the QBO modulating an annual cycle. The authors suggest that previous methods of extracting the extratropical QBO signal severely underestimated the contribution of the QBO to the interannual variability of ozone when data are filtered to pass only the component with the period of equatorial QBO. Further, it is argued that the transport of equatorial QBO ozone anomaly by a non-QBO circulation can at most account for 6-8 Dobson units (DU) of the observed interannual variability of column ozone in the extratropics. The remaining variability (up to 20 DU) probably cannot be produced without an anomaly in the transporting circulation in the extratropics.« less

Patent foramen ovale closure and medical treatments for secondary stroke prevention: a systematic review of observational and randomized evidence.

PubMed

Kitsios, Georgios D; Dahabreh, Issa J; Abu Dabrh, Abd Moain; Thaler, David E; Kent, David M

2012-02-01

Patients discovered to have a patent foramen ovale in the setting of a cryptogenic stroke may be treated with percutaneous closure, antiplatelet therapy, or anticoagulants. A recent randomized trial (CLOSURE I) did not detect any benefit of closure over medical treatment alone; the optimal medical therapy is also unknown. We synthesized the available evidence on secondary stroke prevention in patients with patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke. A MEDLINE search was performed for finding longitudinal studies investigating medical treatment or closure, meta-analysis of incidence rates (IR), and IR ratios of recurrent cerebrovascular events. Fifty-two single-arm studies and 7 comparative nonrandomized studies and the CLOSURE I trial were reviewed. The summary IR of recurrent stroke was 0.36 events (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.56) per 100 person-years with closure versus 2.53 events (95% CI, 1.91-3.35) per 100 person-years with medical therapy. In comparative observational studies, closure was superior to medical therapy (IR ratio=0.19; 95% CI, 0.07-0.54). The IR for the closure arm of the CLOSURE I trial was higher than the summary estimate from observational studies; there was no significant benefit of closure over medical treatment (P=0.002 comparing efficacy estimates between observational studies and the trial). Observational and randomized data (9 studies) comparing medical therapies were consistent and suggested that anticoagulants are superior to antiplatelets for preventing stroke recurrence (IR ratio=0.42; 95% CI, 0.18-0.98). Although further randomized trial data are needed to precisely determine the effects of closure on stroke recurrence, the results of CLOSURE I challenge the credibility of a substantial body of observational evidence strongly favoring mechanical closure over medical therapy.

Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Observations Suggest Widespread Occurrence and Complex Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stillman, D. E.; Grimm, R. E.; Wagstaff, K.; Bue, B. D.; Michaels, T. I.

2017-12-01

RSL are described as narrow dark features that incrementally lengthen down steep slopes during warm seasons, fade in cold seasons, and recur annually. HiRISE observations from 5+ Mars years have allowed us to confirm 100 RSL sites and identify more than 600 candidate RSL sites. Detailed analysis of a few RSL sites has been performed using computer assisted analysis. RSL occur in low-albedo (dust-poor) regions with a latitude range of 42.2°N - 53.1°S. They are densely clustered throughout Valles Marineris (VM), in the light-toned layered deposits of Margaritifer and SW Arabia Terrae, Cerberus Fossae, and well-preserved impact craters in Chryse and Acidalia Planitae (CAP). RSL sites are also found at lower densities throughout the low-albedo highland terrains. RSL incrementally lengthen when their slopes are warm, thus the season at which RSL lengthen is dependent on latitude and slope orientation. While RSL occur on all slope orientation there is a large bias to W-facing and equatorial facing slopes. During the RSL activity season, RSL lengthening does not appear to be constant: (1) CAP RSL initially quickly lengthen and slow their lengthening rate by about an order of magnitude as temperatures increase, (2) many VM RSL sites possess RSL that fade at the same time that neighboring RSL on the same slope incrementally lengthen, and (3) some RSL sites in the southern mid-latitudes show at least two pulses of RSL activity - during the southern fall and summer RSL incrementally lengthen, fade, and then start incrementally lengthening again followed by fading as temperatures cool. The correlation of RSL activity to surface temperature, spectrally-derived hydrated salts, and quick fading all point to a wet formation mechanism. However, water sources remain problematic as water budgets suggest a much greater amount of water than could be trapped from the atmosphere. Additionally, some RSL occur in locations where subsurface discharge via an aquifer would be challenging

Evidence for -Gz Adaptation Observed with Wearable Biosensors During High Performance Jet Flight.

PubMed

Rice, G Merrill; Snider, Dallas; Moore, Jeffrey L; Lavan, J Timothy; Folga, Rich; VanBrunt, Thomas B

2016-12-01

Few studies have evaluated physiological responses to high acceleration forces during actual flight and to our knowledge no normative data has been acquired by technologies such as wearable biosensors during high performance jet aircraft operations. In-flight physiological data from an FDA cleared portable triaxial accelerometer and bio-sensor were observed from five active duty F-18 pilots of the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels). Of the five pilots, three were formation pilots who flew lower G profiles and two were solo pilots who flew higher G profiles. Physiological parameters monitored were heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, caloric expenditure, and duration of exposure to levels of acceleration. Evaluated were 25 practice demonstration flights; 9 flights were excluded secondary to incomplete or inaccurate physiological data. We observed no significant bradycardia during a total of 189 maneuvers which met inclusion criteria for push-pull events (PPE) or isolated -Gz exposures. Further analysis of 73 PPE revealed an overall significant rise in HR following the PPE, where mean heart rate was 106 (95% CI, 100:112) at the beginning of the push and 129 (95% CI, 123:135) following the pull. A majority of the flights monitored provided reliable physiological data. Initial data suggests, contrary to currently held aeromedical doctrine, maneuvers such as the "push-pull" do not evoke vasovagal based bradycardic responses in aerobatic pilots. Possible explanations for these findings are sympathetic nervous system activation through adaptation and/or sustained isometric resistance from control inputs, both of which are areas of future research for our team.Rice GM, Snider D, Moore JL, Lavan JT, Folga R, VanBrunt TB. Evidence for -Gz adaptation observed with wearable biosensors during high performance jet flight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(12):996-1003.

Observing functional actions affects semantic processing of tools: evidence of a motor-to-semantic priming.

PubMed

De Bellis, Francesco; Ferrara, Antonia; Errico, Domenico; Panico, Francesco; Sagliano, Laura; Conson, Massimiliano; Trojano, Luigi

2016-01-01

Recent evidence shows that activation of motor information can favor identification of related tools, thus suggesting a strict link between motor and conceptual knowledge in cognitive representation of tools. However, the involvement of motor information in further semantic processing has not been elucidated. In three experiments, we aimed to ascertain whether motor information provided by observation of actions could affect processing of conceptual knowledge about tools. In Experiment 1, healthy participants judged whether pairs of tools evoking different functional handgrips had the same function. In Experiment 2 participants judged whether tools were paired with appropriate recipients. Finally, in Experiment 3 we again required functional judgments as in Experiment 1, but also included in the set of stimuli pairs of objects having different function and similar functional handgrips. In all experiments, pictures displaying either functional grasping (aimed to use tools) or structural grasping (just aimed to move tools independently from their use) were presented before each stimulus pair. The results demonstrated that, in comparison with structural grasping, observing functional grasping facilitates judgments about tools' function when objects did not imply the same functional manipulation (Experiment 1), whereas worsened such judgments when objects shared functional grasp (Experiment 3). Instead, action observation did not affect judgments concerning tool-recipient associations (Experiment 2). Our findings support a task-dependent influence of motor information on high-order conceptual tasks and provide further insights into how motor and conceptual processing about tools can interact.

Coping style and depression influence the healing of diabetic foot ulcers: observational and mechanistic evidence.

PubMed

Vedhara, K; Miles, J N V; Wetherell, M A; Dawe, K; Searle, A; Tallon, D; Cullum, N; Day, A; Dayan, C; Drake, N; Price, P; Tarlton, J; Weinman, J; Campbell, R

2010-08-01

Experimental evidence suggests that the healing of diabetic foot ulcers is affected by psychosocial factors such as distress. We examined this proposal in a prospective study, in which we considered the role of psychological distress and coping style in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers over a 24 week period. We also explored the role of salivary cortisol and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as potential mechanisms. For this prospective observational study we recruited 93 (68 men; mean age 60 years) patients with neuropathic or neuroischaemic diabetic foot ulcers from specialist podiatry clinics in secondary care. Clinical and demographic determinants of healing, psychological distress, coping, salivary cortisol and both MMP2 and MMP9 were assessed at baseline. Ulcers were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12 and 24 weeks post-baseline. The primary outcome was ulcer status at 24 weeks, i.e. healed vs not healed. After controlling for clinical and demographic determinants of healing, ulcer healing at 24 weeks was predicted by confrontation coping, but not by depression or anxiety. Patients with unhealed ulcers exhibited greater confrontation coping (model including depression: OR 0.809, 95% CI 0.704-0.929, p = 0.003; model including anxiety: OR 0.810, 95% CI 0.704-0.930, p = 0.003). However, change in ulcer size over the observation period was associated with depression only (p = 0.04, d = 0.31). Healed ulcers by 24 weeks were also associated with lower evening cortisol, higher precursor MMP2 and a greater cortisol awakening response. Confrontation coping and depression predict ulcer healing. Our preliminary enquiry into biological mechanisms suggests that cortisol and precursor MMP2 may underlie these relationships.

Corticospinal Excitability during the Observation of Social Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bucchioni, Giulia; Cavallo, Andrea; Ippolito, Davide; Marton, Gianluca; Castiello, Umberto

2013-01-01

Evidence suggests that the observation of an action induces in the observers an enhancement of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded by the observer's muscles corresponding to those involved in the observed action. Although this is a well-studied phenomenon, it remains still unclear how the viewer's motor facilitation is influenced by the social…

The disagreement between the ideal observer and human observers in hardware and software imaging system optimization: theoretical explanations and evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xin

2017-03-01

The ideal observer is widely used in imaging system optimization. One practical question remains open: do the ideal and human observers have the same preference in system optimization and evaluation? Based on the ideal observer's mathematical properties proposed by Barrett et. al. and the empirical properties of human observers investigated by Myers et. al., I attempt to pursue the general rules regarding the applicability of the ideal observer in system optimization. Particularly, in software optimization, the ideal observer pursues data conservation while humans pursue data presentation or perception. In hardware optimization, the ideal observer pursues a system with the maximum total information, while humans pursue a system with the maximum selected (e.g., certain frequency bands) information. These different objectives may result in different system optimizations between human and the ideal observers. Thus, an ideal observer optimized system is not necessarily optimal for humans. I cite empirical evidence in search and detection tasks, in hardware and software evaluation, in X-ray CT, pinhole imaging, as well as emission computed tomography to corroborate the claims. (Disclaimer: the views expressed in this work do not necessarily represent those of the FDA)

Hypernovae: Observational aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danziger, I. J.

2001-05-01

Following the discovery of a supernova SN 1998bw very probably associated with the γ-ray burst source GRB980425 the term ``hypernova'' has been re-defined to embrace SNe of high energy associated with GRB's. Here we discuss in some detail the observed and inferred properties of SN 1998bw and its relation to other previously observed SNe to which it may be related. A brief account is given of other relatively nearby SNe where a possible association with GRB's has been suggested ex post facto. There are also cases where less direct but suggestive evidence for a SN/GRB association has been adduced for well observed GRB events and their associated afterglow. These are also referred to. Our conclusion is that observationally we are still near the beginning of understanding which types of SNe give rise to GRB's and how frequently they occur. Nevertheless objects such as SN1998bw surely give rise to young supernova remnants with high velocity oxygen-enriched filaments. .

Children's Memory for Their Mother's Murder: Accuracy, Suggestibility, and Resistance to Suggestion.

PubMed

McWilliams, Kelly; Narr, Rachel; Goodman, Gail S; Ruiz, Sandra; Mendoza, Macaria

2013-01-31

From its inception, child eyewitness memory research has been guided by dramatic legal cases that turn on the testimony of children. Decades of scientific research reveal that, under many conditions, children can provide veracious accounts of traumatic experiences. Scientific studies also document factors that lead children to make false statements. In this paper we describe a legal case in which children testified about their mother's murder. We discuss factors that may have influenced the accuracy of the children's eyewitness memory. Children's suggestibility and resistance to suggestion are illustrated. Expert testimony, based on scientific research, can aid the trier of fact when children provide crucial evidence in criminal investigations and courtroom trials about tragic events.

Observational Evidence Linking Interstellar UV Absorption to PAH Molecules

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

Blasberger, Avi; Behar, Ehud; Perets, Hagai B.

The 2175 Å UV extinction feature was discovered in the mid-1960s, yet its physical origin remains poorly understood. One suggestion is absorption by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, which is supported by theoretical molecular structure computations and by laboratory experiments. PAHs are positively detected by their 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μ m IR emission bands, which are specified by their modes of vibration. A definitive empirical link between the 2175 Å UV extinction and the IR PAH emission bands, however, is still missing. We present a new sample of hot stars that have both 2175 Å absorptionmore » and IR PAH emission. We find significant shifts of the central wavelength of the UV absorption feature, up to 2350 Å, but predominantly in stars that also have IR PAH emission. These UV shifts depend on stellar temperature in a fashion that is similar to the shifts of the 6.2 and 7.7 μ m IR PAH bands, that is, the features are increasingly more redshifted as the stellar temperature decreases, but only below ∼15 kK. Above 15 kK both UV and IR features retain their nominal values. Moreover, we find a suggestive correlation between the UV and IR shifts. We hypothesize that these similar dependences of both the UV and IR features on stellar temperature hint at a common origin of the two in PAH molecules and may establish the missing link between the UV and IR observations. We further suggest that the shifts depend on molecular size, and that the critical temperature of ∼15 kK above which no shifts are observed is related to the onset of UV-driven hot-star winds and their associated shocks.« less

Observational Evidence Linking Interstellar UV Absorption to PAH Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blasberger, Avi; Behar, Ehud; Perets, Hagai B.; Brosch, Noah; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

2017-02-01

The 2175 Å UV extinction feature was discovered in the mid-1960s, yet its physical origin remains poorly understood. One suggestion is absorption by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, which is supported by theoretical molecular structure computations and by laboratory experiments. PAHs are positively detected by their 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μm IR emission bands, which are specified by their modes of vibration. A definitive empirical link between the 2175 Å UV extinction and the IR PAH emission bands, however, is still missing. We present a new sample of hot stars that have both 2175 Å absorption and IR PAH emission. We find significant shifts of the central wavelength of the UV absorption feature, up to 2350 Å, but predominantly in stars that also have IR PAH emission. These UV shifts depend on stellar temperature in a fashion that is similar to the shifts of the 6.2 and 7.7 μm IR PAH bands, that is, the features are increasingly more redshifted as the stellar temperature decreases, but only below ˜15 kK. Above 15 kK both UV and IR features retain their nominal values. Moreover, we find a suggestive correlation between the UV and IR shifts. We hypothesize that these similar dependences of both the UV and IR features on stellar temperature hint at a common origin of the two in PAH molecules and may establish the missing link between the UV and IR observations. We further suggest that the shifts depend on molecular size, and that the critical temperature of ˜15 kK above which no shifts are observed is related to the onset of UV-driven hot-star winds and their associated shocks.

The Dominance Behavioral System and Psychopathology: Evidence from Self-Report, Observational, and Biological Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sheri L.; Leedom, Liane J.; Muhtadie, Luma

2012-01-01

The dominance behavioral system (DBS) can be conceptualized as a biologically based system that guides dominance motivation, dominant and subordinate behavior, and responsivity to perceptions of power and subordination. A growing body of research suggests that problems with the DBS are evident across a broad range of psychopathologies. We begin by…

ERP evidence suggests executive dysfunction in ecstasy polydrug users.

PubMed

Roberts, C A; Fairclough, S H; Fisk, J E; Tames, F; Montgomery, C

2013-08-01

Deficits in executive functions such as access to semantic/long-term memory have been shown in ecstasy users in previous research. Equally, there have been many reports of equivocal findings in this area. The current study sought to further investigate behavioural and electro-physiological measures of this executive function in ecstasy users. Twenty ecstasy-polydrug users, 20 non-ecstasy-polydrug users and 20 drug-naïve controls were recruited. Participants completed background questionnaires about their drug use, sleep quality, fluid intelligence and mood state. Each individual also completed a semantic retrieval task whilst 64 channel Electroencephalography (EEG) measures were recorded. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no between-group differences in behavioural performance on the task. Mixed ANOVA on event-related potential (ERP) components P2, N2 and P3 revealed significant between-group differences in the N2 component. Subsequent exploratory univariate ANOVAs on the N2 component revealed marginally significant between-group differences, generally showing greater negativity at occipito-parietal electrodes in ecstasy users compared to drug-naïve controls. Despite absence of behavioural differences, differences in N2 magnitude are evidence of abnormal executive functioning in ecstasy-polydrug users.

Venus lives!. [evidence for active volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Charles A.; Francis, Peter W.

1988-01-01

Observational evidence which supports the contention that Venus is a volcanically and tectonically active planet is discussed. It is argued that, although there are no observations to date that would prove that Venus has been volcanically active during the last decade, planetological studies presented evidence for youthful volcanic mountains on Venus: the surface of the northern quarter of Venus is considered to be younger than 1 Gy, and some units are likely to be much younger. Because of the small sizes of likely volcanic manifestations and the long intervals expected between eruptions, it is unlikely that any direct evidence of eruptions will be detected with existing and planned spacecraft. It is suggested that future studies of the dynamics and the chemical mixing of the Venusian atmosphere might supply an unequivocal evidence for active volcanism on this planet.

Deteriorating water clarity in shallow waters: Evidence from long term MODIS and in-situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Kun; Zhang, Yunlin; Zhu, Guangwei; Qin, Boqiang; Pan, Delu

2018-06-01

Water clarity (Secchi disk depth: SDD), as a proxy of water transparency, provides important information on the light availability to the water or lake ecosystem. Shallow lakes have been experienced dramatic environmental and climatic change. This study demonstrated using combination of long-term MODIS and in-situ measurements to track the dynamics of SDD with these environmental and climate changes in shallow water environments. We selected a typical turbid shallow Lake Taihu as our case study. Based on MODIS-Aqua data, an empirical model for estimating SDD was developed and validated. Subsequently, we employed the proposed model to derive the spatial and temporal SDD distribution patterns of Lake Taihu from 2003 to 2015. Combining MODIS-derived SDD time series of 2003-2015 and long-term in-situ SDD observations dated back to 1993, we elucidated SDD long-term variation trends and driving mechanism. Deteriorating water clarity from the long-term SDD observations indicated that Lake Taihu became more and more turbid and water quality was decreasing. Increasing in cyanobacterial bloom area, as a result of decreasing in wind speed and eutrophication, may partially be responsible for the decreasing trend. A predicted future decrease in the wind speed in Lake Taihu region could enhance the formation of cyanobacterial blooms and consequently lead to a further decrease in water clarity. This study suggested that coupling remote sensing monitoring and long-term in-situ observations could provide robust evidence and new insights to elucidate long-term dynamics in aquatic ecosystem evolution.

Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Childhood Obesity? Moving Beyond Observational Evidence.

PubMed

Woo, Jessica G; Martin, Lisa J

2015-06-01

Human milk is the optimal feeding choice for infants, as it dynamically provides the nutrients, immunity support, and other bioactive factors needed for infants at specific stages during development. Observational studies and several meta-analyses have suggested that breastfeeding is protective against development of obesity in childhood and beyond. However, these findings are not without significant controversy. This review includes an overview of observational findings to date, then focuses on three specific pathways that connect human milk and infant physiology: maternal obesity, microbiome development in the infant, and the development of taste preference and diet quality. Each of these pathways involves complex interactions between mother and infant, includes both biologic and non-biologic factors, and may have both direct and indirect effects on obesity risk in the offspring. This type of integrated approach to examining breastfeeding and childhood obesity is necessary to advance research in this area beyond observational findings.

Steroidal contraceptives and bone fractures in women: evidence from observational studies.

PubMed

Lopez, Laureen M; Chen, Mario; Mullins Long, Sarah; Curtis, Kathryn M; Helmerhorst, Frans M

2015-07-21

Age-related decline in bone mass increases the risk of skeletal fractures, especially those of the hip, spine, and wrist. Steroidal contraceptives have been associated with changes in bone mineral density in women. Whether such changes affect the risk of fractures later in life is unclear. Hormonal contraceptives are among the most effective and most widely-used contraceptives. Concern about fractures may limit the use of these effective contraceptives. Observational studies can collect data on premenopausal contraceptive use as well as fracture incidence later in life. We systematically reviewed the evidence from observational studies of hormonal contraceptive use for contraception and the risk of fracture in women. Through June 2015, we searched for observational studies. The databases included PubMed, POPLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), LILACS, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science. We also searched for recent clinical trials through ClinicalTrials.gov and the ICTRP. For other studies, we examined reference lists of relevant articles and wrote to investigators for additional reports. We included cohort and case-control studies of hormonal contraceptive use. Interventions included comparisons of a hormonal contraceptive with a non-hormonal contraceptive, no contraceptive, or another hormonal contraceptive. The primary outcome was the risk of fracture. Two authors independently extracted the data. One author entered the data into RevMan, and a second author verified accuracy. We examined the quality of evidence using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS), developed for case-control and cohort studies. Sensitivity analysis included studies of moderate or high quality based on our assessment with the NOS.Given the need to control for confounding factors in observational studies, we used adjusted estimates from the models as reported by the authors. Where we did not have adjusted analyses, we calculated the odds ratio (OR

Electroencephalogram evidence for the activation of human mirror neuron system during the observation of intransitive shadow and line drawing actions☆

PubMed Central

Zhu, Huaping; Sun, Yaoru; Wang, Fang

2013-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that hand shadows may activate the motor cortex associated with the mirror neuron system in human brain. However, there is no evidence of activity of the human mirror neuron system during the observation of intransitive movements by shadows and line drawings of hands. This study examined the suppression of electroencephalography mu waves (8–13 Hz) induced by observation of stimuli in 18 healthy students. Three stimuli were used: real hand actions, hand shadow actions and actions made by line drawings of hands. The results showed significant desynchronization of the mu rhythm (“mu suppression”) across the sensorimotor cortex (recorded at C3, Cz and C4), the frontal cortex (recorded at F3, Fz and F4) and the central and right posterior parietal cortex (recorded at Pz and P4) under all three conditions. Our experimental findings suggest that the observation of “impoverished hand actions”, such as intransitive movements of shadows and line drawings of hands, is able to activate widespread cortical areas related to the putative human mirror neuron system. PMID:25206595

Rainfall intensity and groundwater recharge: evidence from ground-based observations in East Africa (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, R. G.; Owor, M.; Kaponda, A.

2013-12-01

Global greenhouse-gas emissions serve to warm Africa more rapidly than the rest of the world. The intensification of precipitation that is associated with this warming, strongly influences terrestrial water budgets. This shift toward fewer but heavier rainfall events is expected to lead to more frequent and intense floods as well as more variable and lower soil moisture. However, its impact on groundwater recharge is unclear and in dispute. We review evidence from long (1 to 5 decades) time series of groundwater levels recorded in deeply weathered crystalline rock aquifers systems underlying land surfaces of low relief in Uganda and Tanzania. Borehole hydrographs consistently demonstrate a non-linear relationship between rainfall and recharge wherein heavy rainfalls exceeding a threshold contribute disproportionately to the recharge flux. Rapid responses observed in groundwater levels to rainfall events attest further to the importance of preferential pathways in enabling rain-fed recharge via soil macro-pores. Our results suggest that, in these environments, increased use of groundwater to offset periods of low surface flow and to supplement soil moisture through irrigation may prove a logical strategy to enhance regional water and food security.

Observational and numerical evidence for ocean frontogenesis inducing submesoscale processes and impacting biochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claret, M.; Ruiz, S.; Pascual, A.; Olita, A.; Mahadevan, A.; Tovar, A.; Troupin, C.; Tintore, J.; Capet, A.

2016-02-01

We present the results of ALBOREX, a multi-platform and multi-disciplinary experiment completed in May 2014 as a part of PERSEUS EU funded project. This unique process-oriented experiment in the eastern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) examined mesoscale and submesoscale dynamics at an intense front. The field campaign, conducted during 8 days, included 25 drifters, 2 gliders, 3 Argo floats and one ship (66 CTDs and 500 biochemical samples). The drifters followed coherently an anticyclonic gyre. ADCP data showed consistent patterns with currents up to 1 m/s in the southern part of the domain and Rossby numbers up to 1.5 suggesting significant ageostrophic motion. We show observational evidence for mesoscale frontogenesis produced by the confluence of (fresh) Atlantic Water and the resident (more saline) Mediterranean Water. This confluence resulted in lateral density gradients of the order of 1 kg/m3 in 10 km and associated vertical velocities of about ±20 m/day, diagnosed using the QG Omega equation. However, the vertical velocity is likely underestimated due to unresolved submesoscale processes (<10 km), which are induced by intense mesoscale frontogenesis. In order to assess the role of these submesoscale processes in the frontal vertical transport, a high-resolution Process Ocean Model Study is initialized with hydrographic data (0.5-1 km resolution) from underwater gliders. Numerical results show that observed lateral buoyancy gradients are large enough to trigger submesoscale mixed layer instabilities. The coupling between mesoscale and submesoscale phenomena can explain remarkable subduction events of chlorophyll and oxygen captured by ocean gliders, as well as local increases of primary production.

Electron microscopy and antigenic studies of uncharacterized viruses. I. Evidence suggesting the placement of viruses in families Arenaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, or Poxviridae.

PubMed

Zeller, H G; Karabatsos, N; Calisher, C H; Digoutte, J P; Murphy, F A; Shope, R E

1989-01-01

During approximately 35 years, investigators in various laboratories studying arbovirus ecology and epidemiology accumulated many virus isolates, more than 60 of which were not characterized or placed in taxa. By a combination of electron microscopic and antigenic studies we collected information sufficient to provisionally classify 60 isolates. Electron microscopic observations suggest that 20 are members of the virus family Bunyaviridae, 20 Rhabdoviridae, 14 Reoviridae, one Togaviridae, one Paramyxoviridae (Mapuera virus, from a bat), and one Poxviridae (Yoka virus, from mosquitoes). Serologic studies provided evidence sufficient to place some of these viruses in recognized antigenic groups, within families and genera, and to establish new antigenic groups and taxa for others. Three viruses were found to have morphologic and morphogenetic characteristics consistent with those of members of the family Arenaviridae: Quaranfil virus, a human pathogen, Johnston Atoll virus, isolated from birds and ticks, and Araguari virus, isolated from an opossum. This, the first in a series of three papers, described methods used for these investigations and also presents descriptions of viruses provisionally placed in the families Arenaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, or Poxviridae. Descriptions of viruses provisionally placed in families Bunyaviridae and Reoviridae are published in the second and third papers, respectively. Viruses of the family Rhabdoviridae have been described separately.

New Observational Evidence of Flash Mixing on the White Dwarf Cooling Curve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, T. M.; Lanz, T.; Sweigart, A. V.; Cracraft, Misty; Hubeny, Ivan; Landsman, W. B.

2011-01-01

Blue hook stars are a class of subluminous extreme horizontal branch stars that were discovered in UV images of the massive globular clusters w Cen and NGC 2808. These stars occupy a region of the HR diagram that is unexplained by canonical stellar evolution theory. Using new theoretical evolutionary and atmospheric models, we have shown that the blue hook stars are very likely the progeny of stars that undergo extensive internal mixing during a late helium-core flash on the white dwarf cooling curve. This "flash mixing" produces hotter-than-normal EHB stars with atmospheres significantly enhanced in helium and carbon. The larger bolometric correction, combined with the decrease in hydrogen opacity, makes these stars appear sub luminous in the optical and UV. Flash mixing is more likely to occur in stars born with a high helium abundance, due to their lower mass at the main sequence turnoff. For this reason, the phenomenon is more common in those massive globular clusters that show evidence for secondary populations enhanced in helium. However, a high helium abundance does not, by itself, explain the presence of blue hook stars in massive globular clusters. Here, we present new observational evidence for flash mixing, using recent HST observations. These include UV color-magnitude diagrams of six massive globular clusters and far-UV spectroscopy of hot subdwarfs in one of these clusters (NGC 2808).

The importance of distinguishing information from evidence/observations when formulating propositions.

PubMed

Hicks, T; Biedermann, A; de Koeijer, J A; Taroni, F; Champod, C; Evett, I W

2015-12-01

The value of forensic results crucially depends on the propositions and the information under which they are evaluated. For example, if a full single DNA profile for a contemporary marker system matching the profile of Mr A is assessed, given the propositions that the DNA came from Mr A and given it came from an unknown person, the strength of evidence can be overwhelming (e.g., in the order of a billion). In contrast, if we assess the same result given that the DNA came from Mr A and given it came from his twin brother (i.e., a person with the same DNA profile), the strength of evidence will be 1, and therefore neutral, unhelpful and irrelevant(1) to the case at hand. While this understanding is probably uncontroversial and obvious to most, if not all practitioners dealing with DNA evidence, the practical precept of not specifying an alternative source with the same characteristics as the one considered under the first proposition may be much less clear in other circumstances. During discussions with colleagues and trainees, cases have come to our attention where forensic scientists have difficulty with the formulation of propositions. It is particularly common to observe that results (e.g., observations) are included in the propositions, whereas-as argued throughout this note-they should not be. A typical example could be a case where a shoe-mark with a logo and the general pattern characteristics of a Nike Air Jordan shoe is found at the scene of a crime. A Nike Air Jordan shoe is then seized at Mr A's house and control prints of this shoe compared to the mark. The results (e.g., a trace with this general pattern and acquired characteristics corresponding to the sole of Mr A's shoe) are then evaluated given the propositions 'The mark was left by Mr A's Nike Air Jordan shoe-sole' and 'The mark was left by an unknown Nike Air Jordan shoe'. As a consequence, the footwear examiner will not evaluate part of the observations (i.e., the mark presents the general

Serum uric acid levels and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of evidence from observational studies, randomised controlled trials, and Mendelian randomisation studies.

PubMed

Li, Xue; Meng, Xiangrui; Timofeeva, Maria; Tzoulaki, Ioanna; Tsilidis, Konstantinos K; Ioannidis, John PA; Campbell, Harry; Theodoratou, Evropi

2017-06-07

Objective  To map the diverse health outcomes associated with serum uric acid (SUA) levels. Design  Umbrella review. Data sources  Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and screening of citations and references. Eligibility criteria  Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies that examined associations between SUA level and health outcomes, meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials that investigated health outcomes related to SUA lowering treatment, and Mendelian randomisation studies that explored the causal associations of SUA level with health outcomes. Results  57 articles reporting 15 systematic reviews and144 meta-analyses of observational studies (76 unique outcomes), 8 articles reporting 31 meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (20 unique outcomes), and 36 articles reporting 107 Mendelian randomisation studies (56 unique outcomes) met the eligibility criteria. Across all three study types, 136 unique health outcomes were reported. 16 unique outcomes in meta-analyses of observational studies had P<10 -6 , 8 unique outcomes in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials had P<0.001, and 4 unique outcomes in Mendelian randomisation studies had P<0.01. Large between study heterogeneity was common (80% and 45% in meta-analyses of observational studies and of randomised controlled trials, respectively). 42 (55%) meta-analyses of observational studies and 7 (35%) meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials showed evidence of small study effects or excess significance bias. No associations from meta-analyses of observational studies were classified as convincing; five associations were classified as highly suggestive (increased risk of heart failure, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose or diabetes, chronic kidney disease, coronary heart disease mortality with high SUA levels). Only one outcome from randomised controlled trials (decreased risk of nephrolithiasis recurrence with SUA lowering treatment

Maternal psychiatric disease and epigenetic evidence suggest a common biology for poor fetal growth.

PubMed

Ciesielski, Timothy H; Marsit, Carmen J; Williams, Scott M

2015-08-25

We sought to identify and characterize predictors of poor fetal growth among variables extracted from perinatal medical records to gain insight into potential etiologic mechanisms. In this process we reevaluated a previously observed association between poor fetal growth and maternal psychiatric disease. We evaluated 449 deliveries of >36 weeks gestation that occurred between 9/2008 and 9/2010 at the Women and Infants Hospital in Providence Rhode Island. This study group was oversampled for Small-for-Gestational-Age (SGA) infants and excluded Large-for-Gestational-Age (LGA) infants. We assessed the associations between recorded clinical variables and impaired fetal growth: SGA or Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) diagnosis. After validating the previously observed association between maternal psychiatric disease and impaired fetal growth we addressed weaknesses in the prior studies by explicitly considering antidepressant use and the timing of symptoms with respect to pregnancy. We then evaluated DNA methylation levels at 27 candidate loci in placenta from a subset of these deliveries (n = 197) to examine if epigenetic variation could provide insight into the mechanisms that cause this co-morbidity. Infants of mothers with prenatal psychiatric disease (Depression, Anxiety, OCD/Panic) had increased odds of poor fetal growth (ORadjusted = 3.36, 95%CI: 1.38-8.14). This relationship was similar among those who were treated with antidepressants (ORadjusted = 3.69, 95%CI: 1.31-10.45) and among those who were not (ORadjusted = 3.19, 95%CI: 1.30-7.83). Among those with a history of psychiatric disease but no active disease in pregnancy the ORadjusted was 0.45 (95%CI: 0.09-2.35). A locus near the transcription start site of the leptin receptor (cg21655790) had methylation levels that were decreased in the presence of: 1) SGA/IUGR, and 2) active but not resolved psychiatric disease (among mothers not on antidepressants). These results validate and

Observational Evidence of Shallow Origins for the Magnetic Fields of Solar Cycles - a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Sara F.

2018-05-01

Observational evidence for the origin of active region magnetic fields has been sought from published information on extended solar cycles, statistical distributions of active regions and ephemeral regions, helioseismology results, positional relationships to supergranules, and fine-scale magnetic structure of active regions and their sunspots during their growth. Statistical distributions of areas of ephemeral and active regions blend together to reveal a single power law. The shape of the size distribution in latitude of all active regions is independent of time during the solar cycle, yielding further evidence that active regions of all sizes belong to the same population. Elementary bipoles, identified also by other names, appear to be the building blocks of active regions; sunspots form from elementary bipoles and are therefore deduced to develop from the photosphere downward, consistent with helioseismic detection of downflows to 3-4 Mm below sunspots as well as long-observed downflows from chromospheric/coronal arch filaments into sunspots from their earliest appearance. Time-distance helioseismology has been effective in revealing flows related to sunspots to depths of 20 Mm. Ring diagram analysis shows a statistically significant preference for upflows to precede major active region emergence and downflows after flux emergence but both are often observed together or sometimes not detected. From deep-focus helioseismic techniques for seeking magnetic flux below the photosphere prior major active regions, there is evidence of acoustic travel-time perturbation signatures rising in the limited range of depths of 42-75 Mm but these have not been verified or found at more shallow depths by helioseismic holographic techniques. The development of active regions from clusters of elementary bipoles appears to be the same irrespective of how much flux an active region eventually develops. This property would be consistent with the magnetic fields of large active

Evidentiality and suggestibility: a new research venue.

PubMed

Aydin, Cağla; Ceci, Stephen J

2009-01-01

Recent research suggests that acquisition of mental-state language may influence conceptual development. We examine this possibility by investigating the conceptual links between evidentiality in language and suggestibility. Young children are disproportionately suggestible and tend to change their reports or memories when questioned. The authors discuss the extent to which components of mental-state understanding, specifically representational understanding and understanding origins of knowledge, are implicated in improvements in resistance to suggestions and comprehending evidentiality. The authors also review social-psychological evidence that has implications for evidential understanding. Integration of the literature on both topics is followed by suggestions for new research directions.

The Role of Selective Attention in Matching Observed and Executed Actions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Trevor T.-J.; Cunnington, Ross; Williams, Mark A.; Mattingley, Jason B.

2009-01-01

Substantial evidence suggests that observed actions can engage their corresponding motor representations within the observer. It is currently believed that this process of observation-execution matching occurs relatively automatically, without the need for top-down control. In this study we tested the susceptibility of the observation-execution…

Evidences Suggesting Involvement of Viruses in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Gupta, Kanupriya; Metgud, Rashmi

2013-01-01

Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers and it constitutes a major health problem particularly in developing countries. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents the most frequent of all oral neoplasms. Several risk factors have been well characterized to be associated with OSCC with substantial evidences. The etiology of OSCC is complex and involves many factors. The most clearly defined potential factors are smoking and alcohol, which substantially increase the risk of OSCC. However, despite this clear association, a substantial proportion of patients develop OSCC without exposure to them, emphasizing the role of other risk factors such as genetic susceptibility and oncogenic viruses. Some viruses are strongly associated with OSCC while the association of others is less frequent and may depend on cofactors for their carcinogenic effects. Therefore, the exact role of viruses must be evaluated with care in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of OSCC. Although a viral association within a subset of OSCC has been shown, the molecular and histopathological characteristics of these tumors have yet to be clearly defined. PMID:24455418

Vitamin K status and vascular calcification: evidence from observational and clinical studies.

PubMed

Shea, M Kyla; Holden, Rachel M

2012-03-01

Vascular calcification occurs when calcium accumulates in the intima (associated with atherosclerosis) and/or media layers of the vessel wall. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) reflects the calcium burden within the intima and media of the coronary arteries. In population-based studies, CAC independently predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. A preventive role for vitamin K in vascular calcification has been proposed based on its role in activating matrix Gla protein (MGP), a calcification inhibitor that is expressed in vascular tissue. Although animal and in vitro data support this role of vitamin K, overall data from human studies are inconsistent. The majority of population-based studies have relied on vitamin K intake to measure status. Phylloquinone is the primary dietary form of vitamin K and available supplementation trials, albeit limited, suggest phylloquinone supplementation is relevant to CAC. Yet observational studies have found higher dietary menaquinone, but not phylloquinone, to be associated with less calcification. Vascular calcification is highly prevalent in certain patient populations, especially in those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and it is plausible vitamin K may contribute to reducing vascular calcification in patients at higher risk. Subclinical vitamin K deficiency has been reported in CKD patients, but studies linking vitamin K status to calcification outcomes in CKD are needed to clarify whether or not improving vitamin K status is associated with improved vascular health in CKD. This review summarizes the available evidence of vitamin K and vascular calcification in population-based studies and clinic-based studies, with a specific focus on CKD patients.

Evidence for Buried "Pre-Noachian" Crust Pre-Dating the Oldest Observed Surface Units on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H. V.; Frey, E. L.; Hartmann, W. K.; Tanaka, K. L. T.

2004-01-01

MOLA gridded data shows clear evidence for Quasi-Circular Depressions not visible on images in Early Noachian (EN) terrain units on Mars. We suggest these are buried impact basins that pre-date the superimposed craters whose high density makes these EN units the oldest visible at the surface of Mars. There is crust older than the oldest visible terrain units on Mars, and these EN units cannot date from 4.6 BYA. These and other Noachian units have similar total (visible + buried) crater retention ages, suggesting a common "pre-Noachian" crustal age OR crater saturation beyond which we cannot see.

Observations and modeling of northern mid-latitude recurring slope lineae (RSL) suggest recharge by a present-day martian briny aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stillman, David E.; Michaels, Timothy I.; Grimm, Robert E.; Hanley, Jennifer

2016-02-01

Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5-5 m) dark features on Mars that incrementally lengthen down steep slopes, fade in colder seasons, and recur annually. These features have been identified from the northern to southern mid-latitudes. Here, we describe how observations of northern mid-latitude RSL in northern Chryse Planitia and southwestern Acidalia Planitia (CAP) suggest that brines start flowing before northern spring equinox and continue for more than half a Mars-year (490 ± 40 sols, spanning solar longitude 337° ± 11°-224° ± 20°). All CAP RSL are found on the steep slopes of craters and their source zones are at or below the elevation of the surrounding plains. Spacecraft-derived surface temperature observations cannot resolve individual RSL, so thermal modeling was used to determine that CAP RSL have a freezing temperature of 238-252 K, freeze and melt diurnally, and flow only occurs within the top ∼8 cm of the regolith. Furthermore, we calculate that a typical CAP RSL has a water budget of 1.5-5.6 m3/m of headwall. Therefore, such a large water budget makes annual recharge via atmospheric or subsurface diffusion sources unlikely. Alternatively, we hypothesize that the most plausible RSL source is a briny aquifer with a freezing temperature less than or equal to the mean annual CAP surface temperature (220-225 K). The annual cycle is as follows: in late autumn, the shallowest part of the brine feeding the source zone freezes, forming an ice dam. As spring approaches, temperatures rise and the dam is breached. Brine is discharged and the RSL initially lengthens rapidly (>1.86 m/sol), the lengthening rate then slows considerably, to ∼0.25 m/sol. Eventually, the losses equal the discharge rate and the RSL reaches its equilibrium phase. As brine flows in the RSL some of the water is lost to the atmosphere, therefore the freezing temperature of the brine within the RSL is higher (238-252 K) as the brine transitions to a super-eutectic salt

Eating under observation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on laboratory measured energy intake.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric; Hardman, Charlotte A; Halford, Jason C G; Jones, Andrew

2015-08-01

Laboratory paradigms are commonly used to study human energy intake. However, the extent to which participants believe their eating behavior is being measured may affect energy intake and is a methodologic factor that has received little consideration. Our main objective was to examine available evidence for the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on energy intake in a laboratory setting. We systematically reviewed laboratory studies that allowed for experimental examination of the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on energy intake. From these experimental studies we combined effect estimates using inverse variance meta-analysis, calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) in energy intake between heightened-awareness and control conditions and qualitatively synthesized potential moderators of this effect. Nine studies, providing 22 comparisons, were eligible for inclusion. These studies largely sampled young women and examined the energy intake of energy-dense snack foods. Evidence indicated that heightened awareness of observation was associated with reduced energy intake when compared with the control condition (random-effects SMD: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.66; P < 0.0001). We found little evidence that the type of experimental manipulation used to heighten awareness moderated the overall effect. The available evidence to date suggests that heightened awareness of observation reduces energy intake in a laboratory setting. These findings suggest that laboratory studies should attempt to minimize the degree to which participants are aware that their eating behavior is being measured. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Observational evidence for volcanic impact on sea level and the global water cycle

PubMed Central

Grinsted, A.; Moore, J. C.; Jevrejeva, S.

2007-01-01

It has previously been noted that there are drops in global sea level (GSL) after some major volcanic eruptions. However, observational evidence has not been convincing because there is substantial variability in the global sea level record over periods similar to those at which we expect volcanoes to have an impact. To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions we average monthly GSL data from 830 tide gauge records around five major volcanic eruptions. Surprisingly, we find that the initial response to a volcanic eruption is a significant rise in sea level of 9 ± 3 mm in the first year after the eruption. This rise is followed by a drop of 7 ± 3 mm in the period 2–3 years after the eruption relative to preeruption sea level. These results are statistically robust and no particular volcanic eruption or ocean region dominates the signature we find. Neither the drop nor especially the rise in GSL can be explained by models of lower oceanic heat content. We suggest that the mechanism is a transient disturbance of the water cycle with a delayed response of land river runoff relative to ocean evaporation and global precipitation that affects global sea level. The volcanic impact on the water cycle and sea levels is comparable in magnitude to that of a large El Niño–La Niña cycle, amounting to ≈5% of global land precipitation. PMID:18056644

Observational evidence for volcanic impact on sea level and the global water cycle.

PubMed

Grinsted, A; Moore, J C; Jevrejeva, S

2007-12-11

It has previously been noted that there are drops in global sea level (GSL) after some major volcanic eruptions. However, observational evidence has not been convincing because there is substantial variability in the global sea level record over periods similar to those at which we expect volcanoes to have an impact. To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions we average monthly GSL data from 830 tide gauge records around five major volcanic eruptions. Surprisingly, we find that the initial response to a volcanic eruption is a significant rise in sea level of 9 +/- 3 mm in the first year after the eruption. This rise is followed by a drop of 7 +/- 3 mm in the period 2-3 years after the eruption relative to preeruption sea level. These results are statistically robust and no particular volcanic eruption or ocean region dominates the signature we find. Neither the drop nor especially the rise in GSL can be explained by models of lower oceanic heat content. We suggest that the mechanism is a transient disturbance of the water cycle with a delayed response of land river runoff relative to ocean evaporation and global precipitation that affects global sea level. The volcanic impact on the water cycle and sea levels is comparable in magnitude to that of a large El Niño-La Niña cycle, amounting to approximately 5% of global land precipitation.

An XMM-Newton Observation of 4U1755-33 in Quiescence: Evidence for a Fossil X-Ray Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angelini, Lorella; White, Nicholas E.

2003-01-01

We report an XMM-Newton observation of the Low mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) and black hole candidate 4U1755-33. This source had been a bright persistent source for at least 25 yrs, but in 1995 entered an extended quiescent phase. 4U1755-33 was not detected with an upper limit to the 2-10 keV luminosity of 5 x 10(exp 31) d(sup 2) (sub 4kpc) ergs per second (where d(sub 4kpc) is the distance in units of 4 kpc) - consistent with the luminosity of other black hole candidates in a quiescent state. An unexpected result is the discovery of a narrow 7 arc min long X-ray jet centered on the position of 4Ul755-33. The spectrum of the jet is similar to that of jets observed from other galactic and extragalactic sources, and may have been ejected from 4Ul755-33 when it was bright. Jets are a feature of accreting black holes, and the detection of a fossil jet provides additional evidence supporting the black hole candidacy of 4U1755-33. The spectral properties of three bright serendipitous sources in the field are reported and it is suggested these are background active galactic nuclei sources.

Observational evidence for cloud cover enhancement over western European forests

PubMed Central

Teuling, Adriaan J.; Taylor, Christopher M.; Meirink, Jan Fokke; Melsen, Lieke A.; Miralles, Diego G.; van Heerwaarden, Chiel C.; Vautard, Robert; Stegehuis, Annemiek I.; Nabuurs, Gert-Jan; de Arellano, Jordi Vilà-Guerau

2017-01-01

Forests impact regional hydrology and climate directly by regulating water and heat fluxes. Indirect effects through cloud formation and precipitation can be important in facilitating continental-scale moisture recycling but are poorly understood at regional scales. In particular, the impact of temperate forest on clouds is largely unknown. Here we provide observational evidence for a strong increase in cloud cover over large forest regions in western Europe based on analysis of 10 years of 15 min resolution data from geostationary satellites. In addition, we show that widespread windthrow by cyclone Klaus in the Landes forest led to a significant decrease in local cloud cover in subsequent years. Strong cloud development along the downwind edges of larger forest areas are consistent with a forest-breeze mesoscale circulation. Our results highlight the need to include impacts on cloud formation when evaluating the water and climate services of temperate forests, in particular around densely populated areas. PMID:28074840

Observational evidence for cloud cover enhancement over western European forests.

PubMed

Teuling, Adriaan J; Taylor, Christopher M; Meirink, Jan Fokke; Melsen, Lieke A; Miralles, Diego G; van Heerwaarden, Chiel C; Vautard, Robert; Stegehuis, Annemiek I; Nabuurs, Gert-Jan; de Arellano, Jordi Vilà-Guerau

2017-01-11

Forests impact regional hydrology and climate directly by regulating water and heat fluxes. Indirect effects through cloud formation and precipitation can be important in facilitating continental-scale moisture recycling but are poorly understood at regional scales. In particular, the impact of temperate forest on clouds is largely unknown. Here we provide observational evidence for a strong increase in cloud cover over large forest regions in western Europe based on analysis of 10 years of 15 min resolution data from geostationary satellites. In addition, we show that widespread windthrow by cyclone Klaus in the Landes forest led to a significant decrease in local cloud cover in subsequent years. Strong cloud development along the downwind edges of larger forest areas are consistent with a forest-breeze mesoscale circulation. Our results highlight the need to include impacts on cloud formation when evaluating the water and climate services of temperate forests, in particular around densely populated areas.

Observational Evidence for a Dark Side to NGC 5128's Globular Cluster System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Matthew A.; Puzia, Thomas H.; Gomez, Matias; Woodley, Kristin A.

2015-05-01

We present a study of the dynamical properties of 125 compact stellar systems (CSSs) in the nearby giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128, using high-resolution spectra (R ≈ 26, 000) obtained with Very Large Telescope/FLAMES. Our results provide evidence for a new type of star cluster, based on the CSS dynamical mass scaling relations. All radial velocity (vr) and line-of-sight velocity dispersion (σlos) measurements are performed with the penalized pixel fitting (ppxf ) technique, which provided σppxf estimates for 115 targets. The σppxf estimates are corrected to the 2D projected half-light radii, σ1/2, as well as the cluster cores, σ0, accounting for observational/aperture effects and are combined with structural parameters, from high spatial resolution imaging, in order to derive total dynamical masses ({{M}dyn}) for 112 members of NGC 5128’s star cluster system. In total, 89 CSSs have dynamical masses measured for the first time along with the corresponding dynamical mass-to-light ratios (\\Upsilon Vdyn). We find two distinct sequences in the \\Upsilon Vdyn-{{M}dyn} plane, which are well approximated by power laws of the forms \\Upsilon Vdyn\\propto Mdyn0.33+/- 0.04 and \\Upsilon Vdyn\\propto Mdyn0.79+/- 0.04. The shallower sequence corresponds to the very bright tail of the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF), while the steeper relation appears to be populated by a distinct group of objects that require significant dark gravitating components such as central massive black holes and/or exotically concentrated dark matter distributions. This result would suggest that the formation and evolution of these CSSs are markedly different from the “classical” globular clusters in NGC 5128 and the Local Group, despite the fact that these clusters have luminosities similar to the GCLF turnover magnitude. We include a thorough discussion of myriad factors potentially influencing our measurements. Based on observations collected under program 081.D-0651 (PI

Mariner 9 observations of the south polar cap of Mars - Evidence for residual CO2 frost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paige, D. A.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Murray, B. C.

1990-01-01

The first spacecraft observations of the south residual polar cap of Mars were obtained by the Mariner 9 orbiter during the Martian southern summer season, 1971-1972. Analyses of Viking orbiter observations obtained 3 Mars years later have shown that residual carbon dioxide frost was present at the south polar cap in 1977. In this study, Mariner 9 infrared interferometer spectrometer spectra and television camera images are used in conjuction with multispectral thermal emission models to constrain the temperatures of dark bare ground and bright frost regions within the south residual cap. The results provide strong evidence that carbon dioxide frost was present throughout the summer season despite the fact that the residual frost deposits observed by Mariner 9 were less extensive than those observed by Viking.

Observational Evidence for Enhanced Greenhouse Effect Reinforcing Wintertime Arctic Amplification and Sea Ice Melting Onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Y.; Liang, S.

2017-12-01

Despite an apparent hiatus in global warming, the Arctic climate continues to experience unprecedented changes. Summer sea ice is retreating at an accelerated rate, and surface temperatures in this region are rising at a rate double that of the global average, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. Although a lot of efforts have been made, the causes this unprecedented phenomenon remain unclear and are subjects of considerable debate. In this study, we report strong observational evidence, for the first time from long-term (1984-2014) spatially complete satellite records, that increased cloudiness and atmospheric water vapor in winter and spring have caused an extraordinary downward longwave radiative flux to the ice surface, which may then amplify the Arctic wintertime ice-surface warming. In addition, we also provide observed evidence that it is quite likely the enhancement of the wintertime greenhouse effect caused by water vapor and cloudiness has advanced the time of onset of ice melting in mid-May through inhibiting sea-ice refreezing in the winter and accelerating the pre-melting process in the spring, and in turn triggered the positive sea-ice albedo feedback process and accelerated the sea ice melting in the summer.

Evidence for the Buried "Pre-Noachian" Crust Pre-Dating the Oldest Observed Surface Units on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H. V.; Frey, E. L.; Hartmann, W. K.; Tanaka, K. L. T.

2003-01-01

MOLA gridded data shows clear evidence for Quasi-Circular Depressions not visible on images in Early Noachian (EN) terrain units on Mars. We suggest these are buried impact basins that pre-date the superimposed craters whose high density makes these EN units the oldest visible at the surface of Mars. There is crust older than the oldest visible terrain units on Mars, and these EN units cannot date from 4.6 BYA. These and other Noa-chian units have similar total (visible + buried) crater retention ages, suggesting a common "pre-Noachian" crustal age OR crater saturation beyond which we cannot see.

Fatal infectious mononucleosis with evidence suggestive of the development of B cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Hiroshima, Kenzo; Iyoda, Akira; Isobe, Kouichi; Ishii, Genichiro; Toyozaki, Tetsuya; Shibuya, Kiyoshi; Shimamura, Fumihiko; Haga, Yukiko; Okimoto, Yuri; Horie, Hiroshi; Harigaya, Kenichi; Ohwada, Hidemi

2003-09-01

A 4-year-old girl presented to a local hospital in August 1999 with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy. A diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was made and the patient was treated with corticosteroids. One month later she developed dyspnea secondary to tonsilar swelling, and underwent tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Her dyspnea increased, however, and by mid September she required mechanical ventilation. Six weeks later, she was transferred to Chiba Children's Hospital (Chiba, Japan). Despite vigorous treatment, she died within four weeks of admission. At autopsy, microscopic examination revealed numerous histiocytes with frequent hemophagocytosis in her lungs, liver, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes. The tentative diagnosis was EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EBVAHS). A proliferation of atypical lymphocytes was observed in the lymph nodes, the majority of which stained positive with CD79a antibody. A whitish nodule, 8 mm in diameter, was noted in her right ovary. It consisted of a proliferation of pleomorphic lymphoid cells expressing CD79a antigen. In situ hybridization detected EBV RNA within CD79a antigen-positive cells in the lungs, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the right ovary. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of DNA from the ovarian nodule demonstrated a monoclonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene indicating that it consisted of a clone of B lymphocytes. We suggest that EBVAHS develops into polyclonal and monoclonal lymphoproliferative disorder in a short period, and that EBVAHS is a preneoplastic condition that may result in B cell lymphoma.

Adapting to an Uncertain World: Cognitive Capacity and Causal Reasoning with Ambiguous Observations

PubMed Central

Shou, Yiyun; Smithson, Michael

2015-01-01

Ambiguous causal evidence in which the covariance of the cause and effect is partially known is pervasive in real life situations. Little is known about how people reason about causal associations with ambiguous information and the underlying cognitive mechanisms. This paper presents three experiments exploring the cognitive mechanisms of causal reasoning with ambiguous observations. Results revealed that the influence of ambiguous observations manifested by missing information on causal reasoning depended on the availability of cognitive resources, suggesting that processing ambiguous information may involve deliberative cognitive processes. Experiment 1 demonstrated that subjects did not ignore the ambiguous observations in causal reasoning. They also had a general tendency to treat the ambiguous observations as negative evidence against the causal association. Experiment 2 and Experiment 3 included a causal learning task requiring a high cognitive demand in which paired stimuli were presented to subjects sequentially. Both experiments revealed that processing ambiguous or missing observations can depend on the availability of cognitive resources. Experiment 2 suggested that the contribution of working memory capacity to the comprehensiveness of evidence retention was reduced when there were ambiguous or missing observations. Experiment 3 demonstrated that an increase in cognitive demand due to a change in the task format reduced subjects’ tendency to treat ambiguous-missing observations as negative cues. PMID:26468653

A visual processing advantage for young-adolescent deaf observers: Evidence from face and object matching tasks

PubMed Central

Megreya, Ahmed M.; Bindemann, Markus

2017-01-01

It is unresolved whether the permanent auditory deprivation that deaf people experience leads to the enhanced visual processing of faces. The current study explored this question with a matching task in which observers searched for a target face among a concurrent lineup of ten faces. This was compared with a control task in which the same stimuli were presented upside down, to disrupt typical face processing, and an object matching task. A sample of young-adolescent deaf observers performed with higher accuracy than hearing controls across all of these tasks. These results clarify previous findings and provide evidence for a general visual processing advantage in deaf observers rather than a face-specific effect. PMID:28117407

Response to "No Evidence for Iris"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, Ming-Dah; Lindzen, Richard S.; Hou, Arthur Y.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Hartmann and Michelsen claimed that there was no evidence for the negative relation between the high-level clouds and the sea surface temperature as suggested by Lindzen et al. The assertion made by Hartmann and Michelsen that there is a need for clouds thousands of kilometers away from the equator to be connected to convection at the equator does not seem to have any validity. Nor does their suggestion that the causes of the observational relations shown in Lindzen et al. do not involve detrainment.

Ulysses radio and plasma wave observations in the Jupiter environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, R. G.; Pedersen, B. M.; Harvey, C. C.; Canu, P.; Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N.; Desch, M. D.; De Villedary, C.; Fainberg, J.; Farrell, W. M.; Goetz, K.

1992-01-01

The Unified Radio and Plasma Wave (URAP) experiment has produced new observations of the Jupiter environment, owing to the unique capabilities of the instrument and the traversal of high Jovian latitudes. Broad-band continuum radio emission from Jupiter and in situ plasma waves have proved valuable in delineating the magnetospheric boundaries. Simultaneous measurements of electric and magnetic wave fields have yielded new evidence of whistler-mode radiation within the magnetosphere. Observations of auroral-like hiss provided evidence of a Jovian cusp. The source direction and polarization capabilities of URAP have demonstrated that the outer region of the Io plasma torus supported at least five separate radio sources that reoccurred during successive rotations with a measurable corotation lag. Thermal noise measurements of the Io torus densities yielded values in the densest portion that are similar to models suggested on the basis of Voyager observations of 13 years ago. The URAP measurements also suggest complex beaming and polarization characteristics of Jovian radio components. In addition, a new class of kilometer-wavelength striated Jovian bursts has been observed.

Expanding the Evidence Base: Comparing Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Studies of Statins.

PubMed

Atar, Dan; Ong, Seleen; Lansberg, Peter J

2015-01-01

It is widely accepted that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for demonstrating the efficacy of a given therapy (results under ideal conditions). Observational studies, on the other hand, can complement this by demonstrating effectiveness (results under real-world conditions). To examine the role that observational studies can play in complementing data from RCTs, we reviewed published studies for statins, a class of drugs that have been widely used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. RCTs have consistently demonstrated the benefits of statin treatment in terms of CV risk reduction and have demonstrated that more intensive statin therapy has incremental benefits over less intensive treatment. Observational studies of statin use in 'real-world' populations have served to augment the evidence base generated from statin RCTs in preselected populations of patients who are often at high CV risk and have led to similar safety and efficacy findings. They have also raised questions about factors affecting medication adherence, under-treatment, switching between statins, and failure to reach low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target levels, questions for which the answers could lead to improved patient care.

Evaluation of and Suggested Improvements to the WSM6 Microphysics in WRF- ARW Using Synthetic and Observed GOES-13 Imagery

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

Grasso, Lewis; Lindsey, Daniel T.; Lim, Kyo-Sun

Synthetic satellite imagery can be employed to evaluate simulated cloud fields. Past studies have revealed that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) WRF Single-Moment 6-class (WSM6) microphysics in WRF-ARW produces less upper level ice clouds within synthetic images compared to observations. Synthetic Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-13 imagery at 10.7 μm of simulated cloud fields from the 4 km National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) WRF-ARW is compared to observed GOES-13 imagery. Histograms suggest that too few points contain upper level simulated ice clouds. In particular, side-by-side examples are shown of synthetic and observed convective anvils. Such images illustrate the lackmore » of anvil cloud associated with convection produced by the NSSL WRF-ARW. A vertical profile of simulated hydrometeors suggests that too much cloud water mass may be converted into graupel mass, effectively reducing the main source of ice mass in a simulated anvil. Further, excessive accretion of ice by snow removes ice from an anvil by precipitation settling. Idealized sensitivity tests reveal that a 50% reduction of the conversion of cloud water mass to graupel and a 50% reduction of the accretion rate of ice by snow results in a significant increase in anvil ice of a simulated storm. Such results provide guidance as to which conversions could be reformulated, in a more physical manner, to increase simulated ice mass in the upper troposphere.« less

Genetic evidence suggests a widespread distribution of native North American populations of reed canarygrass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reed canarygrass is an important agricultural crop thought to be native to Europe, Asia, and North America. However, it is one of the worst wetland invaders in North American wetlands. The native North American status has been supported by the circumstantial evidence of early botanical records and t...

Biosynthesis of 1α-hydroxycorticosterone in the winter skate Leucoraja ocellata: evidence to suggest a novel steroidogenic route.

PubMed

Wiens, J; Ho, R; Brassinga, A K; Deck, C A; Walsh, P J; Ben, R N; Mcclymont, K; Charlton, T; Evans, A N; Anderson, W G

2017-07-01

The present study explores the ability of intracellular bacteria within the renal-inter-renal tissue of the winter skate Leucoraja ocellata to metabolize steroids and contribute to the synthesis of the novel elasmobranch corticosteroid, 1α-hydroxycorticosterone (1α-OH-B). Despite the rarity of C1 hydroxylation noted in the original identification of 1α-OH-B, literature provides evidence for steroid C1 hydroxylation by micro-organisms. Eight ureolytic bacterial isolates were identified in the renal-inter-renal tissue of L. ocellata, the latter being the site of 1α-OH-B synthesis. From incubations of bacterial isolates with known amounts of potential 1α-OH-B precursors, one isolate UM008 of the genus Rhodococcus was seen to metabolize corticosteroids and produce novel products via HPLC analysis. Cations Zn 2+ and Fe 3+ altered metabolism of certain steroid precursors, suggesting inhibition of Rhodococcus steroid catabolism. Genome sequencing of UM008 identified strong sequence and structural homology to that of Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4. A complete enzymatic pathway for steroid-ring oxidation as documented within other Actinobacteria was identified within the UM008 genome. This study highlights the potential role of Rhodococcus bacteria in steroid metabolism and proposes a novel alternative pathway for 1α-OH-B synthesis, suggesting a unique form of mutualism between intracellular bacteria and their elasmobranch host. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Treating ADHD With Suggestion: Neurofeedback and Placebo Therapeutics.

PubMed

Thibault, Robert T; Veissière, Samuel; Olson, Jay A; Raz, Amir

2018-06-01

We propose that clinicians can use suggestion to help treat conditions such as ADHD. We use EEG neurofeedback as a case study, alongside evidence from a recent pilot experiment utilizing a sham MRI scanner to highlight the therapeutic potential of suggestion-based treatments. The medical literature demonstrates that many practitioners already prescribe treatments that hardly outperform placebo comparators. Moreover, the sham MRI experiment showed that, even with full disclosure of the procedure, suggestion alone can reduce the symptomatology of ADHD. Non-deceptive suggestion-based treatments, especially those drawing on accessories from neuroscience, may offer a safe complement and potential alternative to current standard of care for individuals with ADHD.

Short- and Long-Term Feedbacks on Vegetation Water Use: Unifying Evidence from Observations and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, D. S.

2001-05-01

Recent efforts to measure and model the interacting influences of climate, soil, and vegetation on soil water and nutrient dynamics have identified numerous important feedbacks that produce nonlinear responses. In particular, plant physiological factors that control rates of transpiration respond to soil water deficits and vapor pressure deficits (VPD) in the short-term, and to climate, nutrient cycling and disturbance in the long-term. The starting point of this presentation is the observation that in many systems, in particular forest ecosystems, conservative water use emerges as a result of short-term closure of stomata in response to high evaporative demand, and long-term vegetative canopy development under nutrient limiting conditions. Evidence for important short-term controls is presented from sap flux measurements of stand transpiration, remote sensing, and modeling of transpiration through a combination of physically-based modeling and Monte Carlo analysis. A common result is a strong association between stomatal conductance (gs) and the negative evaporative gain (∂ gs/∂ VPD) associated with the sensitivity of stomatal closure to rates of water loss. The importance of this association from the standpoint of modeling transpiration depends on the degree of canopy-atmosphere coupling. This suggests possible simplifications to future canopy component models for use in watershed and larger-scale hydrologic models for short-term processes. However, further results are presented from theoretical modeling, which suggest that feedbacks between hydrology and vegetation in current long-term (inter-annual to century) models may be too simple, as they do not capture the spatially variable nature of slow nutrient cycling in response to soil water dynamics and site history. Memory effects in the soil nutrient pools can leave lasting effects on more rapid processes associated with soil, vegetation, atmosphere coupling.

Observational Evidence for Mixing and Dust Condensation in Core-Collapse Supernovae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, Diane; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Recent findings of isotopic anomalies of Ca-44 (the decay product of Ti-44) and the enhanced ratio of Si-28/Si-30 in SiC grains X, TiC subgrains, and graphite dust grains within primitive meteorites provides strong evidence that these presolar grains came from core-collapse supernovae. The chemical composition of the presolar grains requires macroscopic mixing of newly nucleo-synthesized elements from explosive silicon burning at the innermost zone of the ejects to higher velocities where C exists and where C/O > 1 in either the outer edge of the oxygen zone or in the He-C zone. To date, the only core-collapse supernova observed to form dust is the brightest supernova of the past four centuries, SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Observations of SN1987A confirm large scale macroscopic mixing occurs in the explosions of massive stars. Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities macroscopically mix most of the ejects into regions which are still chemically homogeneous and which cool with different time scales. Only small clumps in the ejects are microscopically mixed. Observations show that dust condensed in the ejects of SN1987A after approx.500 days in the Fe-rich gas. Neither silicates nor SiC grains were seen in the dust emission spectrum of SN1987A. SN1987A, the Rosetta Stone of core-collapse supernovae, shows that while the mixing required to explain presolar grains occurs, the rapid cooling of the Fe zone and the sustained high temperatures of the O-Si, O-C, and He-C zones favor the formation of iron-rich rather than oxygen- or carbon-rich grains.

Observations of a Newly "Captured" Magnetosheath Field Line: Evidence for "Double Reconnection"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandler, Michael O.; Avanov, Levon A.; Craven, Paul D.; Mozer, Forrest S.; Moore, Thomas E.

2007-01-01

We have begun an investigation of the nature of the low-latitude boundary layer in the mid-altitude cusp region using data from the Polar spacecraft. This region has been routinely sampled for about three months each year for the periods 1999-2001 and 2004-2006. The low-to-mid-energy ion instruments frequently observed dense, magnetosheath-like plasma deep (in terms of distance from the magnetopause and in invariant latitude) in the magnetosphere. One such case, taken during a period of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), shows magnetosheath ions within the magnetosphere with velocity distributions resulting from two separate merging sites along the same field lines. Cold ionospheric ions were also observed counterstreaming along the field lines, evidence that these field lines were closed. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that double merging can produce closed field .lines populated by solar wind plasma. Through the use of individual cases such as this and statistical studies of a broader database we seek to understand the morphology of the LLBL as it projects from the sub-solar region into the cusp. We will present preliminary results of our ongoing study.

Event-related potential evidence suggesting voters remember political events that never happened

PubMed Central

Federmeier, Kara D.; Gonsalves, Brian D.

2014-01-01

Voters tend to misattribute issue positions to political candidates that are consistent with their partisan affiliation, even though these candidates have never explicitly stated or endorsed such stances. The prevailing explanation in political science is that voters misattribute candidates’ issue positions because they use their political knowledge to make educated but incorrect guesses. We suggest that voter errors can also stem from a different source: false memories. The current study examined event-related potential (ERP) responses to misattributed and accurately remembered candidate issue information. We report here that ERP responses to misattributed information can elicit memory signals similar to that of correctly remembered old information—a pattern consistent with a false memory rather than educated guessing interpretation of these misattributions. These results suggest that some types of voter misinformation about candidates may be harder to correct than previously thought. PMID:23202775

Cusp observation at Saturn's high-latitude magnetosphere by the Cassini spacecraft.

PubMed

Jasinski, J M; Arridge, C S; Lamy, L; Leisner, J S; Thomsen, M F; Mitchell, D G; Coates, A J; Radioti, A; Jones, G H; Roussos, E; Krupp, N; Grodent, D; Dougherty, M K; Waite, J H

2014-03-16

We report on the first analysis of magnetospheric cusp observations at Saturn by multiple in situ instruments onboard the Cassini spacecraft. Using this we infer the process of reconnection was occurring at Saturn's magnetopause. This agrees with remote observations that showed the associated auroral signatures of reconnection. Cassini crossed the northern cusp around noon local time along a poleward trajectory. The spacecraft observed ion energy-latitude dispersions-a characteristic signature of the terrestrial cusp. This ion dispersion is "stepped," which shows that the reconnection is pulsed. The ion energy-pitch angle dispersions suggest that the field-aligned distance from the cusp to the reconnection site varies between ∼27 and 51 R S . An intensification of lower frequencies of the Saturn kilometric radiation emissions suggests the prior arrival of a solar wind shock front, compressing the magnetosphere and providing more favorable conditions for magnetopause reconnection. We observe evidence for reconnection in the cusp plasma at SaturnWe present evidence that the reconnection process can be pulsed at SaturnSaturn's cusp shows similar characteristics to the terrestrial cusp.

Observational evidence of a long-term increase in precipitation due to urbanization effects and its implications for sustainable urban living.

PubMed

Wai, K M; Wang, X M; Lin, T H; Wong, M S; Zeng, S K; He, N; Ng, E; Lau, K; Wang, D H

2017-12-01

Although projected precipitation increases in East Asia due to future climate change have aroused concern, less attention has been paid by the scientific community and public to the potential long-term increase in precipitation due to rapid urbanization. A ten-year precipitation dataset was analysed for both a rapidly urbanized megacity and nearby suburban/rural stations in southern China. Rapid urbanization in the megacity was evident from satellite observations. A statistically significant, long-term, increasing trend of precipitation existed only at the megacity station (45.6mm per decade) and not at the other stations. The increase was attributed to thermal and dynamical modifications of the tropospheric boundary layer related to urbanization, which was confirmed by the results of our WRF-SLUCM simulations. The results also suggested that a long-term regional increase in precipitation, caused by greenhouse gas-induced climate change, for instance, was not evident within the study period. The urbanization-induced increase was found to be higher than the precipitation increase (18.3mm per decade) expected from future climate change. The direct climate impacts due to rapid urbanization is highlighted with strong implications for urban sustainable development and the planning of effective adaptation strategies for issues such as coastal defenses, mosquito-borne disease spread and heat stress mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypnotic suggestibility predicts the magnitude of the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect in a non-hypnotic context.

PubMed

Parris, Benjamin A; Dienes, Zoltan

2013-09-01

The present study investigated how the magnitude the word blindness suggestion effect on Stroop interference depended on hypnotic suggestibility when given as an imaginative suggestion (i.e. not post-hypnotic suggestion) and under conditions in which hypnosis was not mentioned. Hypnotic suggestibility is shown to be a significant predictor of the magnitude of the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect under these conditions. This is therefore the first study to show a linear relationship between the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect and hypnotic suggestibility across the whole hypnotizability spectrum. The results replicate previous findings showing that highs respond to the word blindness suggestion to a greater extent than lows but extend previous work by showing that the advantage for those higher on the hypnotizability spectrum occurs even in a non-hypnotic context. Negative attitudes about hypnosis may not explain the failure to observe similar effects of the word blindness suggestion in less hypnotizable individuals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kame deltas provide evidence for a new glacial lake and suggest early glacial retreat from central Lower Michigan, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaetzl, Randall J.; Lepper, Kenneth; Thomas, Sarah E.; Grove, Leslie; Treiber, Emma; Farmer, Alison; Fillmore, Austin; Lee, Jordan; Dickerson, Bethany; Alme, Kayleigh

2017-03-01

In association with an undergraduate Honors Seminar at Michigan State University, we studied two small kame deltas in north-central Lower Michigan. These recently identified deltas provide clear evidence for a previously unknown proglacial lake (Glacial Lake Roscommon) in this large basin located in an interlobate upland. Our first goal was to document and characterize the geomorphology of these deltas. Because both deltas are tied to ice-contact ridges that mark the former position of the retreating ice margin within the lake, our second goal was to establish the age of one of the deltas, thereby constraining the timing of ice retreat in this part of Michigan, for which little information currently exists. Both deltas are composed of well-sorted fine and medium sands with little gravel, and have broad, nearly flat surfaces and comparatively steep fronts. Samples taken from the upper 1.5 m of the deltas show little spatial variation in texture, aside from a general fining toward their outer margins. Gullies on the outer margins of both deltas probably postdate the formation of the deltas proper; we suggest that they formed by runoff during a permafrost period, subsequent to lake drawdown. We named the ice lobe that once covered this area the Mackinac Lobe, because it had likely advanced into the region across the Mackinac Straits area. Five of six optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from one of the deltas had minimal scatter and were within ± 1000 years of one another, with a mean age of 23.1 ± 0.4 ka. These ages suggest that the Mackinac Lobe had started to retreat from the region considerably earlier than previously thought, even while ice was near its maximum extent in Illinois and Indiana, and the remainder of Michigan was ice-covered. This early retreat, which appears to coincide with a short-lived warm period indicated from the Greenland ice core, formed an "opening" that was at least occasionally flooded. Thick and deep, fine-textured deposits

Mixed signals? Morphological and molecular evidence suggest a color polymorphism in some neotropical polythore damselflies.

PubMed

Sánchez Herrera, Melissa; Kuhn, William R; Lorenzo-Carballa, Maria Olalla; Harding, Kathleen M; Ankrom, Nikole; Sherratt, Thomas N; Hoffmann, Joachim; Van Gossum, Hans; Ware, Jessica L; Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo; Beatty, Christopher D

2015-01-01

The study of color polymorphisms (CP) has provided profound insights into the maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations. We here offer the first evidence for an elaborate wing polymorphism in the Neotropical damselfly genus Polythore, which consists of 21 described species, distributed along the eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. These damselflies display highly complex wing colors and patterning, incorporating black, white, yellow, and orange in multiple wing bands. Wing colors, along with some components of the male genitalia, have been the primary characters used in species description; few other morphological traits vary within the group, and so there are few useful diagnostic characters. Previous research has indicated the possibility of a cryptic species existing in P. procera in Colombia, despite there being no significant differences in wing color and pattern between the populations of the two putative species. Here we analyze the complexity and diversity of wing color patterns of individuals from five described Polythore species in the Central Amazon Basin of Peru using a novel suite of morphological analyses to quantify wing color and pattern: geometric morphometrics, chromaticity analysis, and Gabor wavelet transformation. We then test whether these color patterns are good predictors of species by recovering the phylogenetic relationships among the 5 species using the barcode gene (COI). Our results suggest that, while highly distinct and discrete wing patterns exist in Polythore, these "wingforms" do not represent monophyletic clades in the recovered topology. The wingforms identified as P. victoria and P. ornata are both involved in a polymorphism with P. neopicta; also, cryptic speciation may have taking place among individuals with the P. victoria wingform. Only P. aurora and P. spateri represent monophyletic species with a single wingform in our molecular phylogeny. We discuss the implications of this polymorphism, and the

Mixed Signals? Morphological and Molecular Evidence Suggest a Color Polymorphism in Some Neotropical Polythore Damselflies

PubMed Central

Harding, Kathleen M.; Ankrom, Nikole; Sherratt, Thomas N.; Hoffmann, Joachim; Van Gossum, Hans; Ware, Jessica L.; Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo

2015-01-01

The study of color polymorphisms (CP) has provided profound insights into the maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations. We here offer the first evidence for an elaborate wing polymorphism in the Neotropical damselfly genus Polythore, which consists of 21 described species, distributed along the eastern slopes of the Andes in South America. These damselflies display highly complex wing colors and patterning, incorporating black, white, yellow, and orange in multiple wing bands. Wing colors, along with some components of the male genitalia, have been the primary characters used in species description; few other morphological traits vary within the group, and so there are few useful diagnostic characters. Previous research has indicated the possibility of a cryptic species existing in P. procera in Colombia, despite there being no significant differences in wing color and pattern between the populations of the two putative species. Here we analyze the complexity and diversity of wing color patterns of individuals from five described Polythore species in the Central Amazon Basin of Peru using a novel suite of morphological analyses to quantify wing color and pattern: geometric morphometrics, chromaticity analysis, and Gabor wavelet transformation. We then test whether these color patterns are good predictors of species by recovering the phylogenetic relationships among the 5 species using the barcode gene (COI). Our results suggest that, while highly distinct and discrete wing patterns exist in Polythore, these “wingforms” do not represent monophyletic clades in the recovered topology. The wingforms identified as P. victoria and P. ornata are both involved in a polymorphism with P. neopicta; also, cryptic speciation may have taking place among individuals with the P. victoria wingform. Only P. aurora and P. spateri represent monophyletic species with a single wingform in our molecular phylogeny. We discuss the implications of this polymorphism, and

Observations of circumstellar carbon monoxide and evidence for multiple ejections in red giants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernat, A. P.

1981-01-01

Observations of the fundamental 4.6 micron band of CO in nine red giants are presented. A common feature is multiple absorption lines which are identified as products of separate components or shells. Column densities are derived; the relative values should be free of the uncertainties inherent in determining the absolute scale. These column densities are well fitted by single excitation temperatures for each absorption component; these excitation temperatures are identified with the local kinetic temperatures. There is no correlation of CO column density with either gas or dust column density nor of the expansion velocity of the component with its distance from the star. The evidence is reviewed, and it is concluded that mass loss from red giants is most likely episodic in nature.

Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis.

PubMed

Shen, Jenny I; Lum, Erik L; Chang, Tara I

2016-09-01

Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial, we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, whereas low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis

PubMed Central

Shen, Jenny I.; Lum, Erik L.; Chang, Tara I.

2016-01-01

Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, while low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. PMID:27207819

Mechanisms of eyewitness suggestibility: tests of the explanatory role hypothesis.

PubMed

Rindal, Eric J; Chrobak, Quin M; Zaragoza, Maria S; Weihing, Caitlin A

2017-10-01

In a recent paper, Chrobak and Zaragoza (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 142(3), 827-844, 2013) proposed the explanatory role hypothesis, which posits that the likelihood of developing false memories for post-event suggestions is a function of the explanatory function the suggestion serves. In support of this hypothesis, they provided evidence that participant-witnesses were especially likely to develop false memories for their forced fabrications when their fabrications helped to explain outcomes they had witnessed. In three experiments, we test the generality of the explanatory role hypothesis as a mechanism of eyewitness suggestibility by assessing whether this hypothesis can predict suggestibility errors in (a) situations where the post-event suggestions are provided by the experimenter (as opposed to fabricated by the participant), and (b) across a variety of memory measures and measures of recollective experience. In support of the explanatory role hypothesis, participants were more likely to subsequently freely report (E1) and recollect the suggestions as part of the witnessed event (E2, source test) when the post-event suggestion helped to provide a causal explanation for a witnessed outcome than when it did not serve this explanatory role. Participants were also less likely to recollect the suggestions as part of the witnessed event (on measures of subjective experience) when their explanatory strength had been reduced by the presence of an alternative explanation that could explain the same outcome (E3, source test + warning). Collectively, the results provide strong evidence that the search for explanatory coherence influences people's tendency to misremember witnessing events that were only suggested to them.

Observational Evidence for Small-Scale Mixture of Weak and Strong Fields in the Quiet Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Socas-Navarro, H.; Lites, B. W.

2004-11-01

Three different maps of the quiet Sun, observed with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter (ASP) and the Diffraction-Limited Stokes Polarimeter (DLSP), show evidence of strong (~=1700 G) and weak (<500 G) fields coexisting within the resolution element at both network and internetwork locations. The angular resolution of the observations is of 1" (ASP) and 0.6" (DLSP). Even at the higher DLSP resolution, a significant fraction of the network magnetic patches harbor a mixture of strong and weak fields. Internetwork elements that exhibit kG fields when analyzed with a single-component atmosphere are also shown to harbor considerable amounts of weak fields. Only those patches for which a single-component analysis yields weak fields do not show this mixture of field strengths. Finally, there is a larger fractional area of weak fields in the convective upflows than in the downflows.

NuSTAR Observations of the Black Hole GS 1354-645: Evidence of Rapid Black Hole Spin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Batal, A. M.; Miller, J. M.; Reynolds, M. T.; Boggs, S. E.; Chistensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Fuerst, F.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Stern, D. K.; Tomsick, J.; Walton, D. J.; Zhang, W. W.

2016-07-01

We present the results of a NuSTAR study of the dynamically confirmed stellar-mass black hole GS 1354-645. The source was observed during its 2015 “hard” state outburst; we concentrate on spectra from two relatively bright phases. In the higher-flux observation, the broadband NuSTAR spectra reveal a clear, strong disk reflection spectrum, blurred by a degree that requires a black hole spin of a={cJ}/{{GM}}2≥slant 0.98 (1σ statistical limits only). The fits also require a high inclination: θ ≃ 75{(2)}\\circ . Strong “dips” are sometimes observed in the X-ray light curves of sources viewed at such an angle; these are absent, perhaps indicating that dips correspond to flared disk structures that only manifest at higher accretion rates. In the lower flux observation, there is evidence of radial truncation of the thin accretion disk. We discuss these results in the context of spin in stellar-mass black holes, and inner accretion flow geometries at moderate accretion rates.

NuSTAR Observations of the Black Hole GS 1354-645: Evidence of Rapid Black Hole Spin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Batal, A. M.; Miller, J. M.; Reynolds, M. T.; Boggs, S. E.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Fuerst, F.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Stern, D. K.;

Global Warming: Evidence from Satellite Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R.; Yoo, J.-M.; Dalu, G.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Observations made in Channel 2 (53.74 GHz) of the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) radiometer, flown onboard sequential, sun-synchronous, polar-orbiting NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) operational satellites, indicate that the mean temperature of the atmosphere over the globe increased during the period 1980 to 1999. In this study, we have minimized systematic errors in the time series introduced by satellite orbital drift in an objective manner. This is done with the help of the onboard warm-blackbody temperature, which is used in the calibration of the MSU radiometer. The corrected MSU Channel 2 observations of the NOAA satellite series reveal that the vertically-weighted global-mean temperature of the atmosphere, with a peak weight near the mid troposphere, warmed at the rate of 0.13 +/- 0.05 K/decade during 1980 to 1999. The global warming deduced from conventional meteorological data that have been corrected for urbanization effects agrees reasonably with this satellite-deduced result.

Global Warming: Evidence from Satellite Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Yoo, J.-M.

2001-01-01

Observations made in Channel 2 (53.74 GHz) of the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) radiometer, flown on-board sequential, sun-synchronous, polar orbiting NOAA operational satellites, indicate that the mean temperature of the atmosphere over the globe increased during the period 1980 to 1999. In this study we have minimized systematic errors in the time series introduced by the satellite orbital drift in an objective manner. This is done with the help the onboard warm black body temperature, which is used in the calibration of the MSU radiometer. The corrected MSU Channel 2 observations of the NOAA satellite series reveal that the vertically weighted global mean temperature of the atmosphere, with a peak weight near the mid-troposphere, warmed at the rate of 0.13 K per decade (with an uncertainty of 0.05 K per decade) during 1980 to 1999. The global warming deduced from conventional meteorological data that have been corrected for urbanization effects agrees reasonably with this satellite deuced result.

Lessons to be Learned from Evidence-based Medicine: Practice and Promise of Evidence-based Medicine and Evidence-based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Fredric M.

2000-01-01

Presents statistics of deaths caused by medical errors and argues the effects of misconceptions in diagnosis and treatment. Suggests evidence-based medicine to enhance the quality of practice and minimize error rates. Presents 10 evidence-based lessons and discusses the possible benefits of evidence-based medicine to evidence-based education and…

Population-based familial aggregation of eosinophilic esophagitis suggests a genetic contribution.

PubMed

Allen-Brady, Kristina; Firszt, Rafael; Fang, John C; Wong, Jathine; Smith, Ken R; Peterson, Kathryn A

2017-10-01

Prior familial clustering studies have observed an increased risk of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) mostly among first-degree relatives, suggesting a genetic contribution to EoE, and twin studies have suggested a powerful contribution from environmental factors. This study sought to clarify the contribution of genetic factors to EoE through estimation of familial aggregation and risk of EoE in extended relatives. The Utah Population Database, a population-based genealogy resource linked to electronic medical records for health care systems across the state of Utah, was used to identify EoE cases and age, sex, and birthplace-matched controls at a 5:1 ratio. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of EoE among relatives of EoE probands compared with the odds of EoE among relatives of controls. There were 4,423 EoE cases and 24,322 controls. The population-attributable risk of EoE was 31% (95% CI, 28% to 34%), suggesting a relatively strong genetic contribution. Risks of EoE were significantly increased among first-degree relatives (odds ratio [OR], 7.19; 95% CI, 5.65-9.14), particularly first-degree relatives of EoE cases diagnosed <18 years of age (OR, 16.3; 95% CI, 9.4-28.3); second-degree relatives (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.49-2.65); and first cousins (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.03-1.77), providing evidence of a genetic contribution. However, spouses of EoE probands were observed to be at increased risk of EoE (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.31-6.25), suggesting either positive assortative mating or a shared environmental contribution to EoE. This study supports a significant genetic contribution to EoE as evidenced by increased risk of EoE in distant relatives. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interpretation and use of evidence in state policymaking: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Apollonio, Dorie E; Bero, Lisa A

2017-01-01

Introduction Researchers advocating for evidence-informed policy have attempted to encourage policymakers to develop a greater understanding of research and researchers to develop a better understanding of the policymaking process. Our aim was to apply findings drawn from studies of the policymaking process, specifically the theory of policy windows, to identify strategies used to integrate evidence into policymaking and points in the policymaking process where evidence was more or less relevant. Methods Our observational study relied on interviews conducted with 24 policymakers from the USA who had been trained to interpret scientific research in multiple iterations of an evidence-based workshop. Participants were asked to describe cases where they had been involved in making health policy and to provide examples in which research was used, either successfully or unsuccessfully. Interviews were transcribed, independently coded by multiple members of the study team and analysed for content using key words, concepts identified by participants and concepts arising from review of the texts. Results Our results suggest that policymakers who focused on health issues used multiple strategies to encourage evidence-informed policymaking. The respondents used a strict definition of what constituted evidence, and relied on their experience with research to discourage the use of less rigorous research. Their experience suggested that evidence was less useful in identifying problems, encouraging political action or ensuring feasibility and more useful in developing policy alternatives. Conclusions Past research has suggested multiple strategies to increase the use of evidence in policymaking, including the development of rapid-response research and policy-oriented summaries of data. Our findings suggest that these strategies may be most relevant to the policymaking stream, which develops policy alternatives. In addition, we identify several strategies that policymakers and

Observational evidence of aging processes in comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meech, Karen J.

1991-10-01

Emphasis was on searching for systematic differences among two groups of comets: periodic comets which spend most of their time in the vicinity of the inner Solar System and the new comets which are believed to be passing through the inner Solar System for the first time. Such differences are expected, but have never been observed, in part because there has never been a systematic observational program aimed at addressing this question. Understanding possible physical and compositional differences between these two groups will lead to a better understanding of the cometary formation conditions in the early Solar System. The employed method studies the activity in the comets as a function of distance by obtaining charge coupled device (CCD) observations of the comets at frequent intervals on both the pre- and post-perihelion legs of their orbits in order to ascertain the distances at the onset and turn-off of activity through comparison with sublimation models.

From Blickets to Synapses: Inferring Temporal Causal Networks by Observation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernando, Chrisantha

2013-01-01

How do human infants learn the causal dependencies between events? Evidence suggests that this remarkable feat can be achieved by observation of only a handful of examples. Many computational models have been produced to explain how infants perform causal inference without explicit teaching about statistics or the scientific method. Here, we…

Landform elevation suggests ecohydrologic footprints in subsurface geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watts, A. C.; Watts, D.; Kaplan, D. A.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Heffernan, J. B.; Martin, J. B.; Murray, A.; Osborne, T.; Cohen, M. J.; Kobziar, L. N.

2012-12-01

Many landscapes exhibit patterns in their arrangement of biota, or in their surface geomorphology as a result of biotic activity. Examples occur around the globe and include northern peatlands, Sahelian savannas, and shallow marine reefs. Such self-organized patterning is strongly suggestive of coupled, reciprocal feedbacks (i.e. locally positive, and distally negative) among biota and their environment. Much research on patterned landscapes has concerned emergent biogeomorphologic surfaces such as those found in peatlands, or the influence of biota on soil formation or transport. Our research concerns ecohydrologic feedbacks hypothesized to produce patterned occurrence of depressions in a subtropical limestone karst landscape. Our findings show strong evidence of self-organized patterning, in the form of overdispersed dissolution basins. Distributions of randomized bedrock elevation measurements on the landscape are bimodal, with means clustered about either higher- or lower-elevation modes. Measurements on the thin mantle of soil overlying this landscape, however, display reduced bimodality and mode separation. These observations indicate abiotic processes in diametric opposition to the biogenic forces which may be responsible for generating landscape pattern. Correlograms show higher spatial autocorrelation among soil measurements compared to bedrock measurements, and measurements of soil-layer thickness show high negative correlation with bedrock elevation. Our results are consistent with predictions of direct ecohydrologic feedbacks that would produce patterned "footprints" directly on bedrock, and of abiotic processes operating to obfuscate this pattern. The study suggests new steps to identify biogeochemical mechanisms for landscape patterning: an "ecological drill" by which plant communities modify geology.

Secular Evolution in Barred Galaxies: Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrifield, M.

2002-12-01

This paper describes a framework for studying galaxy morphology, particularly bar strength, in a quantitative manner, and presents applications of this approach that reveal observational evidence for secular evolution in bar morphology. The distribution of bar strength in galaxies is quite strongly bimodal, suggesting that barred and unbarred systems are distinct entities, and that any evolution between these two states must occur on a relatively rapid timescale. Bars' strengths appear to be correlated with their pattern speeds, implying that these structures weaken as they start to slow, and disappear entirely before the bars have slowed significantly. There is also tantalizing evidence that bars are rare beyond a redshift of z ~ 0.7, indicating that galaxies have only recently evolved to a point where bars can readily form.

Observations by a university anatomy teacher and a suggestion for curricular change: integrative anatomy for undergraduates.

PubMed

Darda, David M

2010-01-01

The observation that anatomical course offerings have decreased in undergraduate biology curricula is supported by a survey of undergraduate institutions in the state of Washington. This reduction, due partially to increased emphasis in other areas of the biology curriculum, along with the lack of anatomy prerequisites for admission to most medical and dental schools, has resulted in many biology majors who have little or no exposure to the anatomical sciences. This is a disservice to our students who need to understand organismal form and function to better connect our rapidly expanding knowledge of life at the cell and molecular level to our understanding of the role of organisms in ecosystems and as the primary target of natural selection in evolutionary change. Undergraduate anatomical courses can also serve as an extension of the anatomy curriculum in professional healthcare programs, where anatomical sciences are also experiencing a reduced allocation of instructional time. Given the importance of anatomical knowledge along with the many demands and constraints on biology curricula, what can we do? One suggestion, a course in integrative anatomy for undergraduates, is proposed and discussed. Copyright 2010 American Association of Anatomists.

“Mucosal healing” in ulcerative colitis: Between clinical evidence and market suggestion

PubMed Central

Pagnini, Cristiano; Menasci, Francesca; Festa, Stefano; Rizzatti, Gianenrico; Fave, Gianfranco Delle

2014-01-01

In recent decades, the prominent role of endoscopy in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been translated into the concept of mucosal healing (MH) as a fundamental therapeutic end-point. This is partially the consequence of growing evidence of a positive prognostic role of MH on the disease course and partially due to market cues indicating a higher rate of MH in patients treated by novel potent biologic agents. The aim of the present review is to clarify the current knowledge of MH in UC, analyzing the definition, the putative prognostic role and the association of MH with the current drugs used to treat UC patients. Because solid data about the management of UC patients based solely on the healing of the mucosa are not yet available, a tailored approach for individual patients thatconsiders the natural history of UC and the presence of prognostic indicators of aggressive disease is desirable. Consequently, unnecessary examinations and treatment would be avoided and restricted to UC patients who require the maximum amount of effort to affect the disease course in the short and long term. PMID:24891976

Atmospheric CO2 observations and models suggest strong carbon uptake by forests in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinkamp, Kay; Mikaloff Fletcher, Sara E.; Brailsford, Gordon; Smale, Dan; Moore, Stuart; Keller, Elizabeth D.; Baisden, W. Troy; Mukai, Hitoshi; Stephens, Britton B.

2017-01-01

A regional atmospheric inversion method has been developed to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of CO2 sinks and sources across New Zealand for 2011-2013. This approach infers net air-sea and air-land CO2 fluxes from measurement records, using back-trajectory simulations from the Numerical Atmospheric dispersion Modelling Environment (NAME) Lagrangian dispersion model, driven by meteorology from the New Zealand Limited Area Model (NZLAM) weather prediction model. The inversion uses in situ measurements from two fixed sites, Baring Head on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island (41.408° S, 174.871° E) and Lauder from the central South Island (45.038° S, 169.684° E), and ship board data from monthly cruises between Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. A range of scenarios is used to assess the sensitivity of the inversion method to underlying assumptions and to ensure robustness of the results. The results indicate a strong seasonal cycle in terrestrial land fluxes from the South Island of New Zealand, especially in western regions covered by indigenous forest, suggesting higher photosynthetic and respiratory activity than is evident in the current a priori land process model. On the annual scale, the terrestrial biosphere in New Zealand is estimated to be a net CO2 sink, removing 98 (±37) Tg CO2 yr-1 from the atmosphere on average during 2011-2013. This sink is much larger than the reported 27 Tg CO2 yr-1 from the national inventory for the same time period. The difference can be partially reconciled when factors related to forest and agricultural management and exports, fossil fuel emission estimates, hydrologic fluxes, and soil carbon change are considered, but some differences are likely to remain. Baseline uncertainty, model transport uncertainty, and limited sensitivity to the northern half of the North Island are the main contributors to flux uncertainty.

Interrogative suggestibility in patients with conversion disorders.

PubMed

Foong, J; Lucas, P A; Ron, M A

1997-09-01

We tested the hypothesis that increased interrogative suggestibility may contribute to the shaping and maintaining of conversions symptoms. Interrogative suggestibility was measured in 12 patients with conversion disorder and 10 control patients with confirmed neurological disease matched for age, premorbid intelligence, and as closely as possible in terms of their neurological symptoms to the patients with conversion disorder. Our observations do not support the contention that individual differences in interrogative suggestibility are of importance in the etiology of conversion disorders.

Genomic and archaeological evidence suggest a dual origin of domestic dogs.

PubMed

Frantz, Laurent A F; Mullin, Victoria E; Pionnier-Capitan, Maud; Lebrasseur, Ophélie; Ollivier, Morgane; Perri, Angela; Linderholm, Anna; Mattiangeli, Valeria; Teasdale, Matthew D; Dimopoulos, Evangelos A; Tresset, Anne; Duffraisse, Marilyne; McCormick, Finbar; Bartosiewicz, László; Gál, Erika; Nyerges, Éva A; Sablin, Mikhail V; Bréhard, Stéphanie; Mashkour, Marjan; Bălăşescu, Adrian; Gillet, Benjamin; Hughes, Sandrine; Chassaing, Olivier; Hitte, Christophe; Vigne, Jean-Denis; Dobney, Keith; Hänni, Catherine; Bradley, Daniel G; Larson, Greger

2016-06-03

The geographic and temporal origins of dogs remain controversial. We generated genetic sequences from 59 ancient dogs and a complete (28x) genome of a late Neolithic dog (dated to ~4800 calendar years before the present) from Ireland. Our analyses revealed a deep split separating modern East Asian and Western Eurasian dogs. Surprisingly, the date of this divergence (~14,000 to 6400 years ago) occurs commensurate with, or several millennia after, the first appearance of dogs in Europe and East Asia. Additional analyses of ancient and modern mitochondrial DNA revealed a sharp discontinuity in haplotype frequencies in Europe. Combined, these results suggest that dogs may have been domesticated independently in Eastern and Western Eurasia from distinct wolf populations. East Eurasian dogs were then possibly transported to Europe with people, where they partially replaced European Paleolithic dogs. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Large-scale adverse effects related to treatment evidence standardization (LAERTES): an open scalable system for linking pharmacovigilance evidence sources with clinical data.

PubMed

2017-03-07

Integrating multiple sources of pharmacovigilance evidence has the potential to advance the science of safety signal detection and evaluation. In this regard, there is a need for more research on how to integrate multiple disparate evidence sources while making the evidence computable from a knowledge representation perspective (i.e., semantic enrichment). Existing frameworks suggest well-promising outcomes for such integration but employ a rather limited number of sources. In particular, none have been specifically designed to support both regulatory and clinical use cases, nor have any been designed to add new resources and use cases through an open architecture. This paper discusses the architecture and functionality of a system called Large-scale Adverse Effects Related to Treatment Evidence Standardization (LAERTES) that aims to address these shortcomings. LAERTES provides a standardized, open, and scalable architecture for linking evidence sources relevant to the association of drugs with health outcomes of interest (HOIs). Standard terminologies are used to represent different entities. For example, drugs and HOIs are represented in RxNorm and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine -- Clinical Terms respectively. At the time of this writing, six evidence sources have been loaded into the LAERTES evidence base and are accessible through prototype evidence exploration user interface and a set of Web application programming interface services. This system operates within a larger software stack provided by the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics clinical research framework, including the relational Common Data Model for observational patient data created by the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership. Elements of the Linked Data paradigm facilitate the systematic and scalable integration of relevant evidence sources. The prototype LAERTES system provides useful functionality while creating opportunities for further research. Future work will

Desired attributes of evidence assessments for evidence-based practices.

PubMed

Leff, H Stephen; Conley, Jeremy A

2006-11-01

In this paper we describe three approaches to assessing evidence for stakeholders interested in evidence-based practices: narrative reviews, systematic reviews (including meta-analyses), and registries. We then compare the approaches in terms of the degree to which they posses desired attributes of evidence assessments. Our review suggests that hybrid approaches that combined the best features of all three should be pursued to further the use of evidence-based practices, and that such hybrids are possible given the capacity of the World Wide Web. We conclude by stressing the need for empirical research on evidence assessments.

XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant IC 443. II. Evidence of stellar ejecta in the inner regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troja, E.; Bocchino, F.; Miceli, M.; Reale, F.

2008-07-01

Aims: We investigate the spatial distribution of the physical and chemical properties of the hot X-ray emitting plasma of the supernova remnant IC 443, to derive important constraints on its ionization stage, on the progenitor supernova explosion, on the age of the remnant, and its physical association with a close pulsar wind nebula. Methods: We present XMM-Newton images of IC 443, a median photon energy map, silicon and sulfur equivalent width maps, and a spatially resolved spectral analysis of a set of homogeneous regions. Results: The hard X-ray thermal emission (1.4-5.0 keV) of IC 443 displays a centrally-peaked morphology, its brightness peaks being associated with hot (kT > 1 keV) X-ray emitting plasma. A ring-shaped structure, characterized by high values of equivalent widths and median photon energy, encloses the PWN. Its hard X-ray emission is spectrally characterized by a collisional ionization equilibrium model, and strong emission lines of Mg, Si, and S, requiring oversolar metal abundances. Dynamically, the location of the ejecta ring suggests an SNR age of ~4000 yr. The presence of overionized plasma in the inner regions of IC 443, addressed in previous works, is much less evident in our observations.

Is high hypnotic suggestibility necessary for successful hypnotic pain intervention?

PubMed

Milling, Leonard S

2008-04-01

Hypnotic suggestibility is a trait-like, individual difference variable reflecting the general tendency to respond to hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions. Research with standardized measures of hypnotic suggestibility has demonstrated that there are substantial individual differences in this variable. Higher suggestibility has been found to be associated with greater relief from hypnotic pain interventions. Although individuals in the high suggestibility range show the strongest response to hypnotic analgesia, people of medium suggestibility, who represent approximately one third of the population, also have been found to obtain significant relief from hypnosis. Thus, high hypnotic suggestibility is not necessary for successful hypnotic pain intervention. However, the available evidence does not support the efficacy of hypnotic pain interventions for people who fall in the low hypnotic suggestibility range. However, some studies suggest that these individuals may benefit from imaginative analgesia suggestions, or suggestions for pain reduction that are delivered while the person is not in hypnosis.

Effects of subliminally presented auditory suggestions of itching on scratching behavior.

PubMed

Mitchell, C W

1995-02-01

This study investigated effects of masked verbal suggestions of itching, utilizing a design closely analogous to commercially available subliminal audiotapes. Students participated in 1 of 3 groups (n = 21): an experimental group listened to an audiotape with music masking suggestions of itching, Control Group 1 listened to an audiotape with music only, and Control Group 2 listened to suggestions of itching presented supraliminally. Dependent variables included both behavioral and self-report measures of itching. There was no evidence of influence from subliminal suggestion; however, results assessing the influence of supraliminally presented suggestions were mixed for self-report and behavioral measures.

The Action Observation System when Observing Hand Actions in Autism and Typical Development.

PubMed

Pokorny, Jennifer J; Hatt, Naomi V; Colombi, Costanza; Vivanti, Giacomo; Rogers, Sally J; Rivera, Susan M

2015-06-01

Social impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be in part due to difficulty perceiving and recognizing the actions of others. Evidence from imitation studies, which involves both observation and execution of an action, suggests differences, in individuals with ASD, between the ability to imitate goal-directed actions involving objects (transitive actions) and the ability to imitate actions that do not involve objects (intransitive actions). In the present study, we examined whether there were differences in how ASD adolescents encoded transitive and intransitive actions compared to typically developing (TD) adolescents, by having participants view videos of a hand reaching across a screen toward an object or to where an object would be while functional magnetic resonance images were collected. Analyses focused on areas within the action observation network (AON), which is activated during the observation of actions performed by others. We hypothesized that the AON would differentiate transitive from intransitive actions only in the ASD group. However, results revealed that object presence modulated activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus of the TD group, a differentiation that was not seen in the ASD group. Furthermore, there were no significant group differences between the TD and ASD groups in any of the conditions. This suggests that there is not a global deficit of the AON in individuals with ASD while observing transitive and intransitive actions. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Saturn's Rings and Associated Ring Plasma Cavity: Evidence for Slow Ring Erosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Kurth, W. S.; Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; MacDowall, R. J.

2017-01-01

We re-examine the radio and plasma wave observations obtained during the Cassini Saturn orbit insertion period, as the spacecraft flew over the northern ring surface into a radial distance of 1.3 Rs (over the C-ring). Voyager era studies suggest the rings are a source of micro-meteoroid generated plasma and dust, with theorized peak impact-created plasma outflows over the densest portion of the rings (central B-ring). In sharp contrast, the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) observations identify the presence of a ring-plasma cavity located in the central portion of the B-ring, with little evidence of impact-related plasma. While previous Voyager era studies have predicted unstable ion orbits over the C- ring, leading to field-aligned plasma transport to Saturns ionosphere, the Cassini RPWS observations do not reveal evidence for such instability-created plasma fountains. Given the passive ring loss processes observed by Cassini, we find that the ring lifetimes should extend >10(exp 9) years, and that there is limited evidence for prompt destruction (loss in <100 Myrs).

Saturn's rings and associated ring plasma cavity: Evidence for slow ring erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrell, W. M.; Kurth, W. S.; Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; MacDowall, R. J.

2017-08-01

We re-examine the radio and plasma wave observations obtained during the Cassini Saturn orbit insertion period, as the spacecraft flew over the northern ring surface into a radial distance of 1.3 Rs (over the C-ring). Voyager era studies suggest the rings are a source of micro-meteoroid generated plasma and dust, with theorized peak impact-created plasma outflows over the densest portion of the rings (central B-ring). In sharp contrast, the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) observations identify the presence of a ring-plasma cavity located in the central portion of the B-ring, with little evidence of impact-related plasma. While previous Voyager era studies have predicted unstable ion orbits over the C-ring, leading to field-aligned plasma transport to Saturn's ionosphere, the Cassini RPWS observations do not reveal evidence for such instability-created plasma 'fountains'. Given the passive ring loss processes observed by Cassini, we find that the ring lifetimes should extend >109 years, and that there is limited evidence for prompt destruction (loss in <100 Myrs).

On the Uncertainties of the Hot Oxygen Geocorona: Ground-based 732.0-nm Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, B. J.; Makela, J. J.; Meriwether, J. W.

2017-12-01

Although it is well established that Venus and Mars both have a significant hot oxygen geocorona, the evidence for a hot oxygen geocorona on Earth is sparse. Recent theoretical estimates suggest the concentration of hot oxygen at the exobase is 0.1-1% of the thermal oxygen concentration, while the observational evidence (largely from the 1980s) suggests 1-20%. There is also disagreement about the effective temperature of the hot atoms (1500-6000 K). Hot oxygen is known to affect satellite drag, ambient thermospheric temperature and circulation, and ion temperature. We show results from a recent effort to replicate the initial observation of the hot oxygen geocorona [Yee et al., 1980], using ground-based observations of the shadow height variation of the 732-nm O+ emission. Yee, J., Meriwether, J. W., & Hays, P. B. (1980). Detection of a corona of fast oxygen atoms during solar maximum. Journal of Geophysical Research, 85(80), 3396-3400.

Suggestibility and suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect.

PubMed

Kirsch, Irving

2011-06-01

Although the induction of a hypnotic state does not seem necessary for suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect, this important phenomenon has seemed to be dependent on the subject's level of hypnotic suggestibility. Raz and Campbell's (2011) study indicates that suggestion can modulate the Stroop effect substantially in very low suggestible subjects, as well as in those who are highly suggestible. This finding casts doubt on the presumed mechanism by which suggestive modulation is brought about. Research aimed at uncovering the means by which low suggestible individuals are able to modulate the Stroop effect would be welcome, as would assessment of this effect in moderately suggestible people. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cytogenetic and molecular evidence suggest multiple origins and geographical parthenogenesis in Nothoscordum gracile (Alliaceae).

PubMed

Souza, Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues; Crosa, Orfeo; Speranza, Pablo; Guerra, Marcelo

2012-04-01

Nothoscordum gracile is an apomitic tetraploid widely distributed throughout the Americas and naturalized in many temperate regions of other continents. It has been suggested to form a species complex with sexual and apomictic N. nudicaule and N. macrostemon. Tetraploids of these species also share a structurally heterozygous chromosome complement 2n = 19 (13M + 6A). In this work, the origin of N. gracile and its relationships with its related species was investigated based on cytological and molecular data. Cytogenetic analyses were based on meiotic behaviour, CMA bands, localization of 5S and 45S rDNA sites, and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Nuclear ITS and plastidial trnL-trnF sequences were also obtained for most individuals. Proximal CMA bands were observed in the long arms of all acrocentrics of 2x and 4x N. macrostemon but not in diploid and some tetraploid cytotypes of N. nudicaule. Samples of N. gracile showed a variable number of CMA bands in the long arms of acrocentrics. Analysis of ITS sequences, dot-blot, GISH, and 5S and 45S rDNA sites, revealed no differentiation among the three species. The trnL-trnF cpDNA fragment showed variation with a trend to geographical structuring irrespective of morphospecies and fully congruent with karyotype variation. The 2n = 19 karyotype was probably formed by a centric fusion event occurring in N. nudicaule and later transmitted to tetraploid cytotypes of N. macrostemon. Diploids of N. nudicaule and N. macrostemon appeared as consistent recently diverged species, whereas tetraploid apomicts seem to constitute an assemblage of polyploid hybrids originating from multiple independent hybridization events between them, part of which are morphologically recognizable as N. gracile.

Observation of the ankle and evidence for a high-energy break in the cosmic ray spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R.; Abuzayyad, T.; Amman, J.; Archbold, G.; Atkins, R.; Bellido, J.; Belov, K.; Belz, J.; Benzvi, S.; Bergman, D.

2005-07-01

We have measured the cosmic ray spectrum at energies above $10^{17}$ eV using the two air fluorescence detectors of the High Resolution Fly's Eye experiment operating in monocular mode. We describe the detector, PMT and atmospheric calibrations, and the analysis techniques for the two detectors. We fit the spectrum to models describing galactic and extragalactic sources. Our measured spectrum gives an observation of a feature known as the ``ankle'' near $3\\times 10^{18}$ eV, and strong evidence for a suppression near $6\\times 10^{19}$ eV.

Observation of multi-channel non-local transport in J-TEXT plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yuejiang; Chen, Zhongyong; Yang, Zhoujun; Shi, Peng; Zhao, Kaijun; Diamond, Patrick H.; Kwon, JaeMin; Yan, Wei; Zhou, Hao; Pan, Xiaoming; Cheng, Zhifeng; Chen, Zhiping; Yang, SeongMoo; Zhang, Chi; Li, Da; Dong, Yunbo; Wang, Lu; Ding, YongHua; Liang, Yunfeng; Hahn, SangHee; Jhang, HoGun; Na, Yong-Su

2018-04-01

In cold pulse experiments in J-TEXT, not only are rapid electron temperature increases in the core observed, but also steep rises in the inner density are found. Moreover, some evidence of acceleration of the core toroidal rotation is also observed during the non-local transport process of electron temperature. These new findings of cold pulse experiments in J-TEXT suggest that turbulence spreading is a possible mechanism for the non-local transport dynamics.

Electroencephalographic neurofeedback: Level of evidence in mental and brain disorders and suggestions for good clinical practice.

PubMed

Micoulaud-Franchi, J-A; McGonigal, A; Lopez, R; Daudet, C; Kotwas, I; Bartolomei, F

2015-12-01

The technique of electroencephalographic neurofeedback (EEG NF) emerged in the 1970s and is a technique that measures a subject's EEG signal, processes it in real time, extracts a parameter of interest and presents this information in visual or auditory form. The goal is to effectuate a behavioural modification by modulating brain activity. The EEG NF opens new therapeutic possibilities in the fields of psychiatry and neurology. However, the development of EEG NF in clinical practice requires (i) a good level of evidence of therapeutic efficacy of this technique, (ii) a good practice guide for this technique. Firstly, this article investigates selected trials with the following criteria: study design with controlled, randomized, and open or blind protocol, primary endpoint related to the mental and brain disorders treated and assessed with standardized measurement tools, identifiable EEG neurophysiological targets, underpinned by pathophysiological relevance. Trials were found for: epilepsies, migraine, stroke, chronic insomnia, attentional-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, addictive disorders, psychotic disorders. Secondly, this article investigates the principles of neurofeedback therapy in line with learning theory. Different underlying therapeutic models are presented didactically between two continua: a continuum between implicit and explicit learning and a continuum between the biomedical model (centred on "the disease") and integrative biopsychosocial model of health (centred on "the illness"). The main relevant learning model is to link neurofeedback therapy with the field of cognitive remediation techniques. The methodological specificity of neurofeedback is to be guided by biologically relevant neurophysiological parameters. Guidelines for good clinical practice of EEG NF concerning technical issues of electrophysiology and of learning are suggested. These require validation by

Observational studies of regions of massive star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Heather Danielle Blythe

2013-03-01

Massive stars have a profound influence on their surroundings. However, relatively little is known about their formation. The study of massive star formation is hindered by a lack of observational evidence, primarily due to difficulties observing massive stars at early stages in their development. The Red MSX Source survey (RMS survey) is a valuable tool with which to address these issues. Near-infrared H- and K-band spectra were taken for 247 candidate massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), selected from the RMS survey. 195 (∼80%) of the targets are YSOs, of which 131 are massive YSOs (LBOL>5E3L⊙, M>8 M⊙). This is the largest spectroscopic study of massive YSOs to date. This study covers minimally obscured objects right through to very red, dusty sources. Almost all YSOs show some evidence for emission lines, though there is a wide variety of observed properties, with HI, H2 Fe II, and CO among the most commonly observed lines. Evidence for disks and outflows was frequently seen. Comparisons of Brγ and H2 emission with low mass YSOs suggest that the emission mechanism for these lines is the same for low-, intermediate-, and high-mass YSOs, i.e. high-mass YSOs appear to resemble scaled-up versions of low-mass YSOs. It was found that the YSOs form an evolutionary sequence, based on their spectra, consistent with the existing theoretical models. Type I YSOs have strong H2 emission, no ionized lines, and are redder than the other two subtypes. As such, these are considered to be the youngest sources. The Type III sources are bluest, and therefore considered to be the oldest subtype. They have strong H I lines and fluorescent Fe II 1.6878 μm emission. They may also have weak H2 emission. Type III sources may even be beginning to form a mini-H II region. XSHOOTER data from 10 Herbig Be stars were analysed. The evidence suggests that winds and disks are common among Herbig stars, as they are among their main sequence classical Be star counterparts. Line

Tip of the Tongue States Increase Under Evaluative Observation.

PubMed

James, Lori E; Schmank, Christopher J; Castro, Nichol; Buchanan, Tony W

2018-02-01

We tested the frequent assumption that the difficulty of word retrieval increases when a speaker is being observed and evaluated. We modified the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) so that participants believed that its evaluative observation components continued throughout the duration of a subsequent word retrieval task, and measured participants' reported tip of the tongue (TOT) states. Participants in this TSST condition experienced more TOTs than participants in a comparable, placebo TSST condition in which there was no suggestion of evaluative observation. This experiment provides initial evidence confirming the assumption that evaluative observation by a third party can be disruptive to word retrieval. We interpret our findings by proposing an extension to a well-supported theoretical model of TOTs.

On the Nature of the Compact Object in SS 433: Observational Evidence of X-ray Photon Index Saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev

2010-10-01

We present an analysis of the X-ray spectral properties observed from the black hole candidate (BHC) binary SS 433. We have analyzed Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data from this source, coordinated with Green Bank Interferometer/RATAN-600. We show that SS 433 undergoes an X-ray spectral transition from the low hard state to the intermediate state (IS). We show that the X-ray broadband energy spectra during all spectral states are well fitted by a sum of the so-called bulk motion Comptonization (BMC) component and by two (broad and narrow) Gaussians for the continuum and line emissions, respectively. In addition to these spectral model components, we also find a strong feature that we identify as a "blackbody-like (BB)" component in which the color temperature is in the range of 4-5 keV in 24 IS spectra during the radio outburst decay in SS 433. Our observational results on the "high-temperature BB" bump lead us to suggest the presence of gravitationally redshifted annihilation line emission in this source. In fact, this spectral feature has been recently reproduced in Monte Carlo simulations by Laurent & Titarchuk. We have also established the photon index saturation at about 2.3 in index versus mass accretion correlation. This index-mass accretion correlation allows us to evaluate the low limit of the black hole (BH) mass of the compact object in SS 433, M_{{bh}}≳ 2 solar masses, using the scaling method using BHC GX 339 - 4 as a reference source. Our estimate of the BH mass in SS 433 is consistent with the recent BH mass measurement using the radial velocity measurements of the binary system by Hillwig & Gies, who find that Mx = (4.3 ± 0.8) solar masses. This is the smallest BH mass found up to now among all BH sources. Moreover, the index saturation effect versus mass accretion rate revealed in SS 433, as in a number of other BH candidates, is strong observational evidence for the presence of a BH in SS 433.

On the Nature of the Compact Object in SS 433. Observational Evidence of X-Ray Photon Index Saturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev

2010-01-01

We present an analysis of the X-ray spectral properties observed from black hole , candidate (BHC) binary SS 433. We have analyzed Rossi X-ray Time Explorer (RXTE) data from this source, coordinated with Green Bank Interferometer/RATAN-600. We show that SS 433 undergoes a X-ray spectral transition from the low hard state (LHS) to the intermediate state (IS). We show that the X-ray broad-band energy spectra during all spectral states are well fit by a sum of so called "Bulk Motion Comptonization (BMC) component" and by two (broad and narrow) Gaussians for the continuum and line emissions respectively. In addition to these spectral model components we also find a strong feature that we identify as a" blackbody-like (BB)" component which color temperature is in the range of 4-5 keV in 24 IS spectra during the radio outburst decay in SS 433. Our observational results on the "high temperature BB" bump leads us to suggest the presence of gravitationally redshifted annihilation line emission in this source. In fact this spectral feature has been recently reproduced in Monte Carlo simulations by Laurent and Titarchuk. We have also established the photon index saturation at about 2.3 in index vs mass accretion correlation. This index-mass accretion correlation allows us to evaluate the low limit of black hole (BH) mass of compact object in SS 433, M(sub bh) approximately > 2 solar masses, using the scaling method using BHC GX 339-4 as a reference source. Our estimate of the BH mass in SS 433 is consistent with recent BH mass measurement using the radial-velocity measurements of the binary system by Hillwig & Gies who find that M(sub x)( = (4.3 +/- 0.8) solar masses. This is the smallest BH mass found up to now among all BH sources. Moreover, the index saturation effect versus mass accretion rate revealed in SS 433, like in a number of other BH candidates, is the strong observational evidence for the presence of a BH in SS 433.

Gamma Ray Pulsars: Multiwavelength Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, David J.

2004-01-01

High-energy gamma rays are a valuable tool for studying particle acceleration and radiation in the magnetospheres of energetic pulsars. The seven or more pulsars seen by instruments on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) show that: the light curves usually have double-peak structures (suggesting a broad cone of emission); gamma rays are frequently the dominant component of the radiated power; and all the spectra show evidence of a high-energy turnover. For all the known gamma-ray pulsars, multiwavelength observations and theoretical models based on such observations offer the prospect of gaining a broad understanding of these rotating neutron stars. The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), now in planning for a launch in 2006, will provide a major advance in sensitivity, energy range, and sky coverage.

Possible evidence for the existence of antimatter on a cosmological scale in the universe.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Morgan, D. L., Jr.; Bredekamp, J.

1971-01-01

Initial results of a detailed calculation of the cosmological gamma-ray spectrum from matter-antimatter annihilation in the universe. The similarity between the calculated spectrum and the present observations of the gamma-ray background spectrum above 1 MeV suggests that such observations may be evidence of the existence of antimatter on a large scale in the universe.

Pre- and Post-Perihelion Observations of C/2009 P1 (Garradd): Evidence for an Oxygen-Rich Heritage?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiSanti, Michael A.; Villanueva, G. L.; Paganini, L.; Bonev, B. P.; Keane, J. V.; Meech, K. J.; Mumma, M. J.

2013-10-01

We present pre- and post-perihelion observations of Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd), on UT 2011 October 13 (heliocentric distance Rh = 1.83 AU) and 2012 January 8 (Rh = 1.57 AU), respectively, using the high-resolution infrared spectrometer (NIRSPEC) on the Keck II 10-m telescope on Mauna Kea, HI. On October 13, we obtained production rates for nine primary volatiles (native ices): H2O, CO, CH3OH, CH4, C2H6, HCN, C2H2, H2CO, and NH3. On January 8, we obtained production rates for three of these (H2O, CH4, and HCN) and sensitive upper limits for three others (C2H2, H2CO, and NH3). CO was enriched and C2H2 was depleted, yet C2H6 and CH3OH were close to their current mean values as measured in a dominant group of Oort cloud comets. We compare the composition of Garradd with other CO-rich comets C/1999 T1 (McNaught-Hartley), C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), and C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), and with other comets in our database. We discuss possible implications regarding the processing history of its pre-cometary ices. Our measurements of C/2009 P1 indicate consistent pre- and post-perihelion abundance ratios for trace species relative to H2O, suggesting we were measuring a homogeneous composition to the depths sampled in the nucleus. The overall gas production was lower post-perihelion despite its smaller heliocentric distance on January 8. This is qualitatively consistent with other studies of C/2009 P1. On October 13, the water profile showed a pronounced excess towards the Sun-facing hemisphere that was not seen in other molecules nor in the dust continuum. Inter-comparison of profiles from October 13 permitted us to estimate the fraction of all H2O released in the coma and contained within our slit. We attribute this excess H2O to release from relatively pure, water-rich icy grains. Similar evidence for extended release was not observed on January 8 and this, together with its overall lower gas production post-perihelion, suggests loss of one or more active regions on the nucleus

Shrub growth and expansion in the Arctic tundra: an assessment of controlling factors using an evidence-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Andrew C.; Jeffers, Elizabeth S.; Petrokofsky, Gillian; Myers-Smith, Isla; Macias-Fauria, Marc

2017-08-01

Woody shrubs have increased in biomass and expanded into new areas throughout the Pan-Arctic tundra biome in recent decades, which has been linked to a biome-wide observed increase in productivity. Experimental, observational, and socio-ecological research suggests that air temperature—and to a lesser degree precipitation—trends have been the predominant drivers of this change. However, a progressive decoupling of these drivers from Arctic vegetation productivity has been reported, and since 2010, vegetation productivity has also been declining. We created a protocol to (a) identify the suite of controls that may be operating on shrub growth and expansion, and (b) characterise the evidence base for controls on Arctic shrub growth and expansion. We found evidence for a suite of 23 proximal controls that operate directly on shrub growth and expansion; the evidence base focused predominantly on just four controls (air temperature, soil moisture, herbivory, and snow dynamics). 65% of evidence was generated in the warmest tundra climes, while 24% was from only one of 28 floristic sectors. Temporal limitations beyond 10 years existed for most controls, while the use of space-for-time approaches was high, with 14% of the evidence derived via experimental approaches. The findings suggest the current evidence base is not sufficiently robust or comprehensive at present to answer key questions of Pan-Arctic shrub change. We suggest future directions that could strengthen the evidence, and lead to an understanding of the key mechanisms driving changes in Arctic shrub environments.

Do males pay for sex? Sex-specific selection coefficients suggest not.

PubMed

Prokop, Zofia M; Prus, Monika A; Gaczorek, Tomasz S; Sychta, Karolina; Palka, Joanna K; Plesnar-Bielak, Agata; Skarboń, Magdalena

2017-03-01

Selection acting on males can reduce mutation load of sexual relative to asexual populations, thus mitigating the twofold cost of sex, provided that it seeks and destroys the same mutations as selection acting on females, but with higher efficiency. This could happen due to sexual selection-a potent evolutionary force that in most systems predominantly affects males. We used replicate populations of red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum) to study sex-specific selection against deleterious mutations introduced with ionizing radiation. We found no evidence for selection being stronger in males than in females; in fact, we observed a nonsignificant trend in the opposite direction. This suggests that selection on males does not reduce mutation load below the level expected under the (hypothetical) scenario of asexual reproduction. Additionally, we employed a novel approach, based on a simple model, to quantify the relative contributions of sexual and offspring viability selection to the overall selection observed in males. We found them to be similar in magnitude; however, only the offspring viability component was statistically significant. In summary, we found no support for the hypothesis that selection on males in general, and sexual selection in particular, contributes to the evolutionary maintenance of sex. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

An international observational study suggests that artificial intelligence for clinical decision support optimizes anemia management in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Barbieri, Carlo; Molina, Manuel; Ponce, Pedro; Tothova, Monika; Cattinelli, Isabella; Ion Titapiccolo, Jasmine; Mari, Flavio; Amato, Claudia; Leipold, Frank; Wehmeyer, Wolfgang; Stuard, Stefano; Stopper, Andrea; Canaud, Bernard

2016-08-01

Managing anemia in hemodialysis patients can be challenging because of competing therapeutic targets and individual variability. Because therapy recommendations provided by a decision support system can benefit both patients and doctors, we evaluated the impact of an artificial intelligence decision support system, the Anemia Control Model (ACM), on anemia outcomes. Based on patient profiles, the ACM was built to recommend suitable erythropoietic-stimulating agent doses. Our retrospective study consisted of a 12-month control phase (standard anemia care), followed by a 12-month observation phase (ACM-guided care) encompassing 752 patients undergoing hemodialysis therapy in 3 NephroCare clinics located in separate countries. The percentage of hemoglobin values on target, the median darbepoetin dose, and individual hemoglobin fluctuation (estimated from the intrapatient hemoglobin standard deviation) were deemed primary outcomes. In the observation phase, median darbepoetin consumption significantly decreased from 0.63 to 0.46 μg/kg/month, whereas on-target hemoglobin values significantly increased from 70.6% to 76.6%, reaching 83.2% when the ACM suggestions were implemented. Moreover, ACM introduction led to a significant decrease in hemoglobin fluctuation (intrapatient standard deviation decreased from 0.95 g/dl to 0.83 g/dl). Thus, ACM support helped improve anemia outcomes of hemodialysis patients, minimizing erythropoietic-stimulating agent use with the potential to reduce the cost of treatment. Copyright © 2016 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observations of a Two-Stage Solar Eruptive Event (SEE): Evidence for Secondary Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Yang; Dennis, Brian R.; Holman, Gordon D.; Wang, Tongjiang; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Savage, Sabrina; Veronig, Astrid

2012-01-01

We present RHESSI, SDO/AIA, SOHO/LASCO, STEREO, and GOES observations of a partially occulted solar eruptive event (SEE) that occurred at the South-West limb on 8 March, 2011. The GOES X-ray light curve shows two peaks separated by almost two hours that we interpret as two stages of a single event associated with the delayed eruption of a CME. A hot flux rope formed during the first stage and continued expanding and rising throughout the event. The speed of the flux rope decreased from approx.120 to 14 km/s during the decay phase of the first stage and increased again during the second stage to become the CME with a speed of approx.516 km/s. RHESSI and GOES data analyses show that the plasma temperature reached over 20 MK in the first stage, then decreased to approx.10 MK and increased to 15 MK in the second stage. This event provides clear evidence for a secondary heating phase. The enhanced EUV and X-ray emission came from the high corona ( approx.60 arcsec above the limb) in the second stage, approx.40 arcsec higher than the site of the initial flare emission. STEREO-A on-disk observations indicate that the post-flare loops during this stage were of larger scale sizes and spatially distinct from those in the first stage.

Direct evidence for homologous recombination in mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) mitochondrial DNA.

PubMed

Ladoukakis, E D; Zouros, E

2001-07-01

The assumption that animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) does not undergo homologous recombination is based on indirect evidence, yet it has had an important influence on our understanding of mtDNA repair and mutation accumulation (and thus mitochondrial disease and aging) and on biohistorical inferences made from population data. Recently, several studies have suggested recombination in primate mtDNA on the basis of patterns of frequency distribution and linkage associations of mtDNA mutations in human populations, but others have failed to produce similar evidence. Here, we provide direct evidence for homologous mtDNA recombination in mussels, where heteroplasmy is the rule in males. Our results indicate a high rate of mtDNA recombination. Coupled with the observation that mammalian mitochondria contain the enzymes needed for the catalysis of homologous recombination, these findings suggest that animal mtDNA molecules may recombine regularly and that the extent to which this generates new haplotypes may depend only on the frequency of biparental inheritance of the mitochondrial genome. This generalization must, however, await evidence from animal species with typical maternal mtDNA inheritance.

Interpretation and use of evidence in state policymaking: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Apollonio, Dorie E; Bero, Lisa A

2017-02-20

Researchers advocating for evidence-informed policy have attempted to encourage policymakers to develop a greater understanding of research and researchers to develop a better understanding of the policymaking process. Our aim was to apply findings drawn from studies of the policymaking process, specifically the theory of policy windows, to identify strategies used to integrate evidence into policymaking and points in the policymaking process where evidence was more or less relevant. Our observational study relied on interviews conducted with 24 policymakers from the USA who had been trained to interpret scientific research in multiple iterations of an evidence-based workshop. Participants were asked to describe cases where they had been involved in making health policy and to provide examples in which research was used, either successfully or unsuccessfully. Interviews were transcribed, independently coded by multiple members of the study team and analysed for content using key words, concepts identified by participants and concepts arising from review of the texts. Our results suggest that policymakers who focused on health issues used multiple strategies to encourage evidence-informed policymaking. The respondents used a strict definition of what constituted evidence, and relied on their experience with research to discourage the use of less rigorous research. Their experience suggested that evidence was less useful in identifying problems, encouraging political action or ensuring feasibility and more useful in developing policy alternatives. Past research has suggested multiple strategies to increase the use of evidence in policymaking, including the development of rapid-response research and policy-oriented summaries of data. Our findings suggest that these strategies may be most relevant to the policymaking stream, which develops policy alternatives. In addition, we identify several strategies that policymakers and researchers can apply to encourage evidence

The functional anatomy of suggested limb paralysis.

PubMed

Deeley, Quinton; Oakley, David A; Toone, Brian; Bell, Vaughan; Walsh, Eamonn; Marquand, Andre F; Giampietro, Vincent; Brammer, Michael J; Williams, Steven C R; Mehta, Mitul A; Halligan, Peter W

2013-02-01

Suggestions of limb paralysis in highly hypnotically suggestible subjects have been employed to successfully model conversion disorders, revealing similar patterns of brain activation associated with attempted movement of the affected limb. However, previous studies differ with regard to the executive regions involved during involuntary inhibition of the affected limb. This difference may have arisen as previous studies did not control for differences in hypnosis depth between conditions and/or include subjective measures to explore the experience of suggested paralysis. In the current study we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the functional anatomy of left and right upper limb movements in eight healthy subjects selected for high hypnotic suggestibility during (i) hypnosis (NORMAL) and (ii) attempted movement following additional left upper limb paralysis suggestions (PARALYSIS). Contrast of left upper limb motor function during NORMAL relative to PARALYSIS conditions revealed greater activation of contralateral M1/S1 and ipsilateral cerebellum, consistent with the engagement of these regions in the completion of movements. By contrast, two significant observations were noted in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions. In conjunction with reports of attempts to move the paralysed limb, greater supplementary motor area (SMA) activation was observed, a finding consistent with the role of SMA in motor intention and planning. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, BA 24) was also significantly more active in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions - suggesting that ACC (BA 24) may be implicated in involuntary, as well as voluntary inhibition of prepotent motor responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First observational evidence for the connection between the meteoric activity and occurrence of equatorial counter electrojet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vineeth, C.; Mridula, N.; Muralikrishna, P.; Kumar, K. K.; Pant, T. K.

2016-09-01

This paper presents the first direct observational evidence for the possible role of meteoric activity in the generation of the equatorial Counter Electrojets (CEJ), an enigmatic daytime electrodynamical process over the geomagnetic equatorial upper atmosphere. The investigation carried out using the data from Proton Precession Magnetometer and Meteor Wind Radar over a geomagnetic dip equatorial station, Trivandrum (8.5°N, 77°E, 0.5°N dip lat.) in India, revealed that the occurrence of the afternoon CEJ events during a month is directly proportional to the average monthly meteor counts over this location. The observation is found to be very consistent during the considered period of study, i.e the years 2006 and 2007. The study vindicates that the meteor showers play a major role in setting up the background condition conducive for the generation of CEJ by reducing the strength of the upward polarization field.

SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF AN EVOLVING FLARE RIBBON SUBSTRUCTURE SUGGESTING ORIGIN IN CURRENT SHEET WAVES

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

Brannon, S. R.; Longcope, D. W.; Qiu, J.

2015-09-01

We present imaging and spectroscopic observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph of the evolution of the flare ribbon in the SOL2014-04-18T13:03 M-class flare event, at high spatial resolution and time cadence. These observations reveal small-scale substructure within the ribbon, which manifests as coherent quasi-periodic oscillations in both position and Doppler velocities. We consider various alternative explanations for these oscillations, including modulation of chromospheric evaporation flows. Among these, we find the best support for some form of wave localized to the coronal current sheet, such as a tearing mode or Kelvin–Helmholtz instability.

Identification of Nonfatal Strangulation by 911 Dispatchers: Suggestions for Advances Toward Evidence-Based Prosecution.

PubMed

Reckdenwald, Amy; Nordham, Chelsea; Pritchard, Adam; Francis, Brielle

2017-06-01

Research highlights the need for systematic law enforcement training on nonfatal strangulation in domestic violence situations to improve evidence-based prosecution of these violent felonies. However, most of this research focuses on the role of police officers in the safety response. Although often overlooked, this research examines the role of 911 dispatchers, who are many times the first person the victim calls for assistance. This study examines official domestic violence records, gathered through a partnership with a County Sheriff's agency, to determine whether domestic violence strangulation is being adequately identified and documented by first responders. This research highlights the need for considering 911 dispatchers as having a potentially critical role in a comprehensive response to domestic violence strangulation from initial screening to eventual prosecution.

Mitochondrial genomes suggest that hexapods and crustaceans are mutually paraphyletic

PubMed Central

Cook, Charles E; Yue, Qiaoyun; Akam, Michael

2005-01-01

For over a century the relationships between the four major groups of the phylum Arthropoda (Chelicerata, Crustacea, Hexapoda and Myriapoda) have been debated. Recent molecular evidence has confirmed a close relationship between the Crustacea and the Hexapoda, and has included the suggestion of a paraphyletic Hexapoda. To test this hypothesis we have sequenced the complete or near-complete mitochondrial genomes of three crustaceans (Parhyale hawaiensis, Squilla mantis and Triops longicaudatus), two collembolans (Onychiurus orientalis and Podura aquatica) and the insect Thermobia domestica. We observed rearrangement of transfer RNA genes only in O. orientalis, P. aquatica and P. hawaiensis. Of these, only the rearrangement in O. orientalis, an apparent autapomorphy for the collembolan family Onychiuridae, was phylogenetically informative. We aligned the nuclear and amino acid sequences from the mitochondrial protein-encoding genes of these taxa with their homologues from other arthropod taxa for phylogenetic analysis. Our dataset contains many more Crustacea than previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of the arthropods. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian posterior probabilities all suggest that crustaceans and hexapods are mutually paraphyletic. A crustacean clade of Malacostraca and Branchiopoda emerges as sister to the Insecta sensu stricto and the Collembola group with the maxillopod crustaceans. Some, but not all, analyses strongly support this mutual paraphyly but statistical tests do not reject the null hypotheses of a monophyletic Hexapoda or a monophyletic Crustacea. The dual monophyly of the Hexapoda and Crustacea has rarely been questioned in recent years but the idea of both groups' paraphyly dates back to the nineteenth century. We suggest that the mutual paraphyly of both groups should seriously be considered. PMID:16024395

ALMA Observations of Starless Core Substructure in Ophiuchus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, H.; Dunham, M. M.; Di Francesco, J.; Johnstone, D.; Offner, S. S. R.; Sadavoy, S. I.; Tobin, J. J.; Arce, H. G.; Bourke, T. L.; Mairs, S.; Myers, P. C.; Pineda, J. E.; Schnee, S.; Shirley, Y. L.

2017-04-01

Compact substructure is expected to arise in a starless core as mass becomes concentrated in the central region likely to form a protostar. Additionally, multiple peaks may form if fragmentation occurs. We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Cycle 2 observations of 60 starless and protostellar cores in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. We detect eight compact substructures which are > 15\\prime\\prime from the nearest Spitzer young stellar object. Only one of these has strong evidence for being truly starless after considering ancillary data, e.g., from Herschel and X-ray telescopes. An additional extended emission structure has tentative evidence for starlessness. The number of our detections is consistent with estimates from a combination of synthetic observations of numerical simulations and analytical arguments. This result suggests that a similar ALMA study in the Chamaeleon I cloud, which detected no compact substructure in starless cores, may be due to the peculiar evolutionary state of cores in that cloud.

Expert opinion vs. empirical evidence

PubMed Central

Herman, Rod A; Raybould, Alan

2014-01-01

Expert opinion is often sought by government regulatory agencies when there is insufficient empirical evidence to judge the safety implications of a course of action. However, it can be reckless to continue following expert opinion when a preponderance of evidence is amassed that conflicts with this opinion. Factual evidence should always trump opinion in prioritizing the information that is used to guide regulatory policy. Evidence-based medicine has seen a dramatic upturn in recent years spurred by examples where evidence indicated that certain treatments recommended by expert opinions increased death rates. We suggest that scientific evidence should also take priority over expert opinion in the regulation of genetically modified crops (GM). Examples of regulatory data requirements that are not justified based on the mass of evidence are described, and it is suggested that expertise in risk assessment should guide evidence-based regulation of GM crops. PMID:24637724

Physical Therapy Observation and Assessment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Eilish; Campbell, Suzann K.

2013-01-01

This article presents the elements of the Observation and Assessment section of the Infant Care Path for Physical Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The types of physical therapy assessments presented in this path are evidence-based and the suggested timing of these assessments is primarily based on practice knowledge from expert…

Evidence for recombination in scorpion mitochondrial DNA (Scorpiones: Buthidae).

PubMed

Gantenbein, Benjamin; Fet, Victor; Gantenbein-Ritter, Iris A; Balloux, François

2005-04-07

There has been very little undisputed evidence for recombination in animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) provided so far. Previous unpublished results suggestive of mtDNA recombination in the scorpion family Buthidae, together with cytological evidence for a unique mechanism of mitochondrial fusion in that family, prompted us to investigate this group in more details. First, we sequenced the complete mtDNA genome of Mesobuthus gibbosus, and chose two genes opposing each other (16S and coxI). We then sequenced 150 individuals from the natural populations of four species of Buthidae (Old World genera Buthus and Mesobuthus). We observed strong evidence for widespread recombination through highly significant negative correlations between linkage disequilibrium and physical distance in three out of four species. The evidence is further confirmed when using five other tests for recombination and by the presence of a high amount of homoplasy in phylogenetic trees.

The Practice of Using Evidence in Kindergarten: The Role of Purposeful Observation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monteira, Sabela F.; Jiménez-Aleixandre, María Pilar

2016-01-01

This article examines kindergarten children's (5-6 years old) engagement in scientific practices, with a focus on generating and using evidence to support claims, during a 5-month project about snails. The research questions are as follows: (1) what meanings do kindergarteners construct for what constitutes evidence? How are those meanings…

A note on the observational evidence for the existence of event horizons in astrophysical black hole candidates.

PubMed

Bambi, Cosimo

2013-01-01

Black holes have the peculiar and intriguing property of having an event horizon, a one-way membrane causally separating their internal region from the rest of the Universe. Today, astrophysical observations provide some evidence for the existence of event horizons in astrophysical black hole candidates. In this short paper, I compare the constraint we can infer from the nonobservation of electromagnetic radiation from the putative surface of these objects with the bound coming from the ergoregion instability, pointing out the respective assumptions and limitations.

PORTAAL: A Classroom Observation Tool Assessing Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Active Learning in Large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classes

PubMed Central

Eddy, Sarah L.; Converse, Mercedes; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

There is extensive evidence that active learning works better than a completely passive lecture. Despite this evidence, adoption of these evidence-based teaching practices remains low. In this paper, we offer one tool to help faculty members implement active learning. This tool identifies 21 readily implemented elements that have been shown to increase student outcomes related to achievement, logic development, or other relevant learning goals with college-age students. Thus, this tool both clarifies the research-supported elements of best practices for instructor implementation of active learning in the classroom setting and measures instructors’ alignment with these practices. We describe how we reviewed the discipline-based education research literature to identify best practices in active learning for adult learners in the classroom and used these results to develop an observation tool (Practical Observation Rubric To Assess Active Learning, or PORTAAL) that documents the extent to which instructors incorporate these practices into their classrooms. We then use PORTAAL to explore the classroom practices of 25 introductory biology instructors who employ some form of active learning. Overall, PORTAAL documents how well aligned classrooms are with research-supported best practices for active learning and provides specific feedback and guidance to instructors to allow them to identify what they do well and what could be improved. PMID:26033871

Breast-feeding and cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in later life: evidence from epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Owen, Christopher G; Whincup, Peter H; Cook, Derek G

2011-11-01

This paper considers the body of observational evidence examining the association of being breast-fed to cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in later life, and whether any potentially advantageous findings are causal. Early cardiovascular consequences/correlates of breast-feeding, compared to being formula fed, include markedly higher levels of total blood cholesterol, lower levels of pre-prandial blood glucose and insulin and lower levels of adiposity. However, a key issue is whether these early differences at a period of rapid development programme/influence cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in later life. Evidence of long-term effects of early feeding, largely from observational studies, has shown that those breast-fed have lower levels of blood total cholesterol, lower risk of type-2 diabetes and marginally lower levels of adiposity and blood pressure in adult life. There is no strong evidence to suggest effects of early feeding on adult levels of blood glucose, blood insulin and CHD outcomes, although further data are needed. However, the influence of confounding factors, such as maternal body size, maternal smoking and socio-demographic factors, and exclusivity of early feeding on these potentially beneficial associations needs to be considered before inferring any causal effects. Moreover, fewer studies have examined whether duration of exclusive breast-feeding has a graded influence on these risk factors and outcomes; such data would help further in deciding upon causal associations. While strong observational evidence suggests nutritional programming of adult cholesterol levels, associations with other markers of cardiometabolic risk and their consequences in later life need to be confirmed in well-conducted observational and experimental studies.

Bayesian evidences for dark energy models in light of current observational data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonappan, Anto. I.; Kumar, Sumit; Ruchika; Dinda, Bikash R.; Sen, Anjan A.

2018-02-01

We do a comprehensive study of the Bayesian evidences for a large number of dark energy models using a combination of latest cosmological data from SNIa, CMB, BAO, strong lensing time delay, growth measurements, measurements of Hubble parameter at different redshifts and measurements of angular diameter distance by Megamaser Cosmology Project. We consider a variety of scalar field models with different potentials as well as different parametrizations for the dark energy equation of state. Among 21 models that we consider in our study, we do not find strong evidences in favor of any evolving dark energy model compared to Λ CDM . For the evolving dark energy models, we show that purely nonphantom models have much better evidences compared to those models that allow both phantom and nonphantom behaviors. Canonical scalar field with exponential and tachyon field with square potential have highest evidences among all the models considered in this work. We also show that a combination of low redshift measurements decisively favors an accelerating Λ CDM model compared to a nonaccelerating power law model.

Evidence suggesting a stimulatory role for interleukin-10 in erythropoiesis in vitro.

PubMed

Wang, C Q; Udupa, K B; Lipschitz, D A

1996-02-01

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing macrophage proliferation and inhibiting cytokine production. In this study we show that in the presence of erythropoietin (EPO), the addition of IL-10 results in a significant dose-dependent increase in both Burst Forming Unit-Erythroid (BFU-E) and Colony Forming Unit-Erythroid (CFU-E) colony growth in both serum-containing and serum-free murine cultures in vitro. IL-10 acts at the later stages of erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation as the increase in colony number was greater in CFU-E than in BFU-E, and was similar when IL-10 was added to BFU-E cultures at the time of culture initiation as when its addition to culture was delayed for 7 days. Furthermore, no increase in BFU-E colony number was noted when IL-10, added at the time of culture initiation, was neutralized by the addition to culture of a monoclonal anti-IL-10 antibody up to 7 days later. The increases in BFU-E by IL-10 addition were not the result of prolongation of BFU-E colony lifespan, which was not significantly different in IL-10 treated and control cultures, respectively. Rather IL-10 stimulated the proliferation of erythroid clusters that were now large enough to be recognized as colonies. IL-10-induced stimulation of erythropoiesis appeared to be independent of its inhibitory effects on macrophage function, as stimulation of erythroid colony growth was similar in macrophage-containing and depleted cultures. Studies to determine if the IL-10 effect was direct or indirect yielded equivocal results. A limiting dilution assay suggested a direct effect. However, a log/log dose response curve with IL-10 did not pass through the origin suggesting an indirect effect. These studies indicate that IL-10 acts synergistically with EPO to significantly increase stimulation of erythroid differentiation and proliferation in vitro and may be involved in the regulation of normal erythropoiesis in vivo.

Recognition errors suggest fast familiarity and slow recollection in rhesus monkeys

PubMed Central

Basile, Benjamin M.; Hampton, Robert R.

2013-01-01

One influential model of recognition posits two underlying memory processes: recollection, which is detailed but relatively slow, and familiarity, which is quick but lacks detail. Most of the evidence for this dual-process model in nonhumans has come from analyses of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in rats, but whether ROC analyses can demonstrate dual processes has been repeatedly challenged. Here, we present independent converging evidence for the dual-process model from analyses of recognition errors made by rhesus monkeys. Recognition choices were made in three different ways depending on processing duration. Short-latency errors were disproportionately false alarms to familiar lures, suggesting control by familiarity. Medium-latency responses were less likely to be false alarms and were more accurate, suggesting onset of a recollective process that could correctly reject familiar lures. Long-latency responses were guesses. A response deadline increased false alarms, suggesting that limiting processing time weakened the contribution of recollection and strengthened the contribution of familiarity. Together, these findings suggest fast familiarity and slow recollection in monkeys, that monkeys use a “recollect to reject” strategy to countermand false familiarity, and that primate recognition performance is well-characterized by a dual-process model consisting of recollection and familiarity. PMID:23864646

Modifications to the Water Vapor Continuum in the Microwave Suggested by Ground-Based 150-GHz Observations

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

Turner, D. D.; Cadeddu, M. P.; Lohnert, U.

2009-10-01

Abstract—Ground-based observations from two different radiometers are used to evaluate commonly used microwave/ millimeter-wave propagation models at 150 GHz. This frequency has strong sensitivity to changes in precipitable water vapor (PWV) and cloud liquid water. The observations were collected near Hesselbach, Germany, as part of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program’s support of the General Observing Period and the Convective and Orographic Precipitation Study. The observations from the two radiometers agree well with each other, with a slope of 0.993 and a mean bias of 0.12 K. The observations demonstrate that the relative sensitivity of the different absorption models to PWVmore » in clear-sky conditions at 150 GHz is significant and that four models differ significantly from the observed brightness temperature. These models were modified to get agreement with the 150-GHz observations, where the PWV ranged from 0.35 to 2.88 cm. The models were modified by adjusting the strength of the foreign- and self-broadened water vapor continuum coefficients, where the magnitude was model dependent. In all cases, the adjustment to the two components of the water vapor continuum was in opposite directions (i.e., increasing the contribution from the foreign-broadened component while decreasing contribution from the self-broadened component or vice versa). While the original models had significant disagreements relative to each other, the resulting modified models show much better agreement relative to each other throughout the microwave spectrum. The modified models were evaluated using independent observations at 31.4 GHz.« less

Evidence for glaciation in Elysium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Duwayne M.

1987-01-01

Evidence for the existence of permafrost and the surface modification due to frost effects and the presence of ice on Mars dates from early observations. Later analysis of the Viking Orbiter imagery produced evidence suggesting the former presence of ice sheets that could have played a part in shaping the surface of Mars. Similarities were pointed out between a number of streamlined Martian channel features and similar streamlined landforms created by Antarctic ice sheet movement. A study of Viking Orbiter imagery of Granicus Valles and the surrounding terrain in Elysium has produced further evidence of glaciation on Mars. Volcanism has played an important role in developing the landscapes of the Elysium region. A possible explanation is that subsidence occurred during formation of the Martian moberg ridges due to the melting of ground ice near the eruption area while at a distance most of the ground ice in the permafrost is still present and the original elevation was preserved. Meltwater during and following eruptions might be suddenly released during subglacial volcanism into Granicus Valles in one case and into Hrad Valles in the other. Fluvial erosion thus could have played a role in shaping both.

Observations of Intermediate-mass Black Holes and Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E. J. M.

2003-12-01

I will review various observations that suggest that intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) with masses ˜102-104 M⊙ exist in our Universe. I will also discuss some of the limitations of these observations. HST Observations of excess dark mass in globular cluster cores suggest IMBHs may be responsible, and some mass estimates from lensing experiments are nearly in the IMBH range. The intriguing Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources (ULXs, or IXOs) are off-nuclear X-ray point sources with X-ray luminosities LX ≳ 1039 erg s-1. ULXs are typically rare (1 in every 5 galaxies), and the nature of their ultra-luminous emission is currently debated. I will discuss the evidence for IMBHs in some ULXs, and briefly outline some phenomenology. Finally, I will discuss future observations that can be made to search for IMBHs.

Synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomax, O.; Whitworth, A. P.

2018-04-01

Observations of protostars are often compared with synthetic observations of models in order to infer the underlying physical properties of the protostars. The majority of these models have a single protostar, attended by a disc and an envelope. However, observational and numerical evidence suggests that a large fraction of protostars form as multiple systems. This means that fitting models of single protostars to observations may be inappropriate. We produce synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems undergoing realistic, non-continuous accretion. These systems consist of multiple protostars with episodic luminosities, embedded self-consistently in discs and envelopes. We model the gas dynamics of these systems using smoothed particle hydrodynamics and we generate synthetic observations by post-processing the snapshots using the SPAMCART Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. We present simulation results of three model protostellar multiple systems. For each of these, we generate 4 × 104 synthetic spectra at different points in time and from different viewing angles. We propose a Bayesian method, using similar calculations to those presented here, but in greater numbers, to infer the physical properties of protostellar multiple systems from observations.

Wind modulation of upwelling at the shelf-break front off Patagonia: Observational evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carranza, M. M.; Gille, S. T.; Piola, A. R.; Charo, M.; Romero, S. I.

2017-03-01

The South-Atlantic Patagonian shelf is the largest chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) hot spot in Southern Ocean color images. While a persistent 1500 km long band of high Chl-a along the shelf-break front (SBF) is indicative of upwelling, the mechanisms that drive it are not entirely known. Along-front wind oscillations can enhance upwelling and provide a nutrient pumping mechanism at shelf-break fronts of western boundary currents. Here we assess wind-induced upwelling at the SBF off Patagonia from daily satellite Chl-a and winds, historical hydrographic observations, cross-shelf Chl-a fluorescence transects from two cruises, and in situ winds and water column structure from a mooring site. Satellite Chl-a composites segregated by along-front wind direction indicate that surface Chl-a is enhanced at the SBF with southerly winds and suppressed with northerly winds. Northerly winds also result in enhanced Chl-a further offshore (˜25-50 km). Synoptic transects as well as mean hydrographic sections segregated by along-front winds show isopycnals tilted upward for southerly winds. Spring observations from the mooring also suggest that southerly winds destratify the water column and northerly winds restratify, in agreement with Ekman transport interacting with the front. Moreover, changes in water column temperature lag along-front wind forcing by 2-4 days. Our results suggest that oscillations in along-front winds, on timescales typical of atmospheric storms (2-10 days), can significantly modulate the upwelling and Chl-a concentrations at the SBF off Patagonia, revealing the importance of wind-induced upwelling for shelf-slope exchange at shelf-break fronts of western boundary currents.

Observational goals for Max '91 to identify the causative agent for impulsive bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batchelor, D. A.

1989-01-01

Recent studies of impulsive hard x ray and microwave bursts suggest that a propagating causative agent with a characteristic velocity of the order of 1000 km/s is responsible for these bursts. The results of these studies are summarized and observable distinguishing characteristics of the various possible agents are highlighted, with emphasis on key observational goals for the Max '91 campaigns. The most likely causative agents suggested by the evidence are shocks, thermal conduction fronts, and propagating modes of magnetic reconnection in flare plasmas. With new instrumentation planned for Max '91, high spatial resolution observations of hard x ray sources have the potential to identify the agent by revealing detailed features of source spatial evolution. Observations with the Very Large Array and other radio imaging instruments are of great importance, as well as detailed modeling of coronal loop structures to place limits on their density and temperature profiles. With the combined hard x ray and microwave imaging observations, aided by loop model results, the simplest causative agent to rule out would be the propagating modes of magnetic reconnection. To fit the observational evidence, reconnection modes would need to travel at approximately the same velocity (the Alfven velocity) in different coronal structures that vary in length by a factor of 10(exp 3). Over such a vast range in loop lengths, it is difficult to believe that the Alfven velocity is constant. Thermal conduction fronts would be suggested by sources that expand along the direction of B and exhibit relatively little particle precipitation. Particle acceleration due to shocks could produce more diverse radially expanding source geometries with precipitation at loop footprints.

Affective Evaluations of Objects Are Influenced by Observed Gaze Direction and Emotional Expression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayliss, Andrew P.; Frischen, Alexandra; Fenske, Mark J.; Tipper, Steven P.

2007-01-01

Gaze direction signals another person's focus of interest. Facial expressions convey information about their mental state. Appropriate responses to these signals should reflect their combined influence, yet current evidence suggests that gaze-cueing effects for objects near an observed face are not modulated by its emotional expression. Here, we…

RADIO DETECTION PROSPECTS FOR A BULGE POPULATION OF MILLISECOND PULSARS AS SUGGESTED BY FERMI-LAT OBSERVATIONS OF THE INNER GALAXY

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

Calore, F.; Weniger, C.; Mauro, M. Di

The dense stellar environment of the Galactic center has been proposed to host a large population of as-yet undetected millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Recently, this hypothesis has found support in an analysis of gamma-rays detected using the Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi satellite, which revealed an excess of diffuse GeV photons in the inner 15 deg about the Galactic center. The excess can be interpreted as the collective emission of thousands of MSPs in the Galactic bulge, with a spherical distribution strongly peaked toward the Galactic center. In order to fully establish the MSP interpretation, it is essential to findmore » corroborating evidence in multi-wavelength searches, most notably through the detection of radio pulsations from individual bulge MSPs. Based on globular cluster observations and gamma-ray emission from the inner Galaxy, we investigate the prospects for detecting MSPs in the Galactic bulge. While previous pulsar surveys failed to identify this population, we demonstrate that upcoming large-area surveys of this region should lead to the detection of dozens of bulge MSPs. Additionally, we show that deep targeted searches of unassociated Fermi sources should be able to detect the first few MSPs in the bulge. The prospects for these deep searches are enhanced by a tentative gamma-ray/radio correlation that we infer from high-latitude gamma-ray MSPs. Such detections would constitute the first clear discoveries of field MSPs in the Galactic bulge, with far-reaching implications for gamma-ray observations, the formation history of the central Milky Way, and strategy optimization for future deep radio pulsar surveys.« less

Observational Signatures of Parametric Instability at 1AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, T. A.; Bale, S. D.; Badman, S.

2017-12-01

Observations and simulations of inertial compressive turbulence in the solar wind are characterized by density structures anti-correlated with magnetic fluctuations parallel to the mean field. This signature has been interpreted as observational evidence for non-propagating pressure balanced structures (PBS), kinetic ion acoustic waves, as well as the MHD slow mode. Recent work, specifically Verscharen et al. (2017), has highlighted the unexpected fluid like nature of the solar wind. Given the high damping rates of parallel propagating compressive fluctuations, their ubiquity in satellite observations is surprising and suggests the presence of a driving process. One possible candidate for the generation of compressive fluctuations in the solar wind is the parametric instability, in which large amplitude Alfvenic fluctuations decay into parallel propagating compressive waves. This work employs 10 years of WIND observations in order to test the parametric decay process as a source of compressive waves in the solar wind through comparing collisionless damping rates of compressive fluctuations with growth rates of the parametric instability. Preliminary results suggest that generation of compressive waves through parametric decay is overdamped at 1 AU. However, the higher parametric decay rates expected in the inner heliosphere likely allow for growth of the slow mode-the remnants of which could explain density fluctuations observed at 1AU.

ASCA Observations of "Type 2" LINERs Evidence for a Stellar Source of Ionization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terashima, Yuichi; Ho, Luis C.; Ptak, Andrew F.; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Serlemitsos, Peter J.; Yaqoob, Tahir; Kunieda, Hideyo

1999-01-01

We present ASCA observations of LINERs without broad H.alpha emission in their optical spectra. The sample of "type 2" LINERs consists of NGC 404, 4111, 4192, 4457, and 4569. We have detected X-ray emission from all the objects except for NGC 404; among the detected objects are two so-called transition objects (NGC 4192 and NGC 4569), which have been postulated to be composite nuclei having both an H II region and a LINER component. The images of NGC 4111 and NGC 4569 in the soft (0.5-2 keV) and hard (2-7 keV) X-ray bands are extended on scales of several kpc. The X-ray spectra of NGC 4111, NGC 4457 and NGC 4569 are well fitted by a two-component model that consists of soft thermal emission with kT approximately 0.65 keV and a hard component represented by a power law (photon index approximately 2) or by thermal bremsstrahlung emission (kT approximately several keV). The extended hard X-rays probably come from discrete sources, while the soft emission most likely originates from hot gas produced by active star formation in the host galaxy. We have found no clear evidence for the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the sample. Using black hole masses estimated from host galaxy bulge luminosities, we obtain an upper limit on the implied Eddington ratios less than 5 x 10(exp -5). If an AGN component is the primary ionization source of the optical emission lines, then it must be heavily obscured with a column density significantly larger than 10(exp 23)/sq cm, since the observed X-ray luminosity is insufficient to drive the luminosities of the optical emission lines. Alternatively, the optical emission could be ionized by a population of exceptionally hot stars. This interpretation is consistent with the small [O I] lambda6300/H.alpha ratios observed in these sources, the ultraviolet spectral characteristics in the cases where such information exists, and the X-ray results reported here. We also analyze the X-ray properties of NGC 4117, a low

The relationship of intelligence and memory to interrogative suggestibility: the importance of range effects.

PubMed

Gudjonsson, G H

1988-05-01

This paper looks at the relationship between intelligence, memory and interrogative suggestibility, particularly with reference to range effects. The subjects were 60 normal subjects and 100 forensic patients who had completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Clear range effects of IQ and memory were evident in their relationship with suggestibility.

More frequent showers and thunderstorms under a warming climate: evidence observed in Northern Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, H.; Fetzer, E. J.; Wong, S.; Lambrigtsen, B.; Wang, T.; Chen, L. L.; Von, D.

2015-12-01

This study uses historical records of synoptic observations over northern Eurasia to examine changing frequency of precipitation associated with large synoptic events versus convective and thunderstorm activities. We found days associated with showers and precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms have been increasing in general during the study period of 1966-2000 while the total wet day frequency has been decreasing in all seasons. This study suggests increasing convective and severe weather-related precipitation events may be a significant contributor to higher intensity and more extreme precipitation under a warming climate.

Hypnosis, suggestion, and suggestibility: an integrative model.

PubMed

Lynn, Steven Jay; Laurence, Jean-Roch; Kirsch, Irving

2015-01-01

This article elucidates an integrative model of hypnosis that integrates social, cultural, cognitive, and neurophysiological variables at play both in and out of hypnosis and considers their dynamic interaction as determinants of the multifaceted experience of hypnosis. The roles of these variables are examined in the induction and suggestion stages of hypnosis, including how they are related to the experience of involuntariness, one of the hallmarks of hypnosis. It is suggested that studies of the modification of hypnotic suggestibility; cognitive flexibility; response sets and expectancies; the default-mode network; and the search for the neurophysiological correlates of hypnosis, more broadly, in conjunction with research on social psychological variables, hold much promise to further understanding of hypnosis.

Evidence of a complex shallow reservoir network from micro-textural observations of the scoria products of the 1085 AD Sunset Crater eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfano, F.; Pioli, L.; Clarke, A. B.; Ort, M. H.; Roggensack, K.; Self, S.

2014-12-01

Sunset Crater volcano is the youngest scoria cone of the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF). The >300-m-high Sunset Crater, located ~25 km northeast of Flagstaff, erupted about 1085 AD and is a remarkable example of a highly explosive basaltic eruption. The explosive activity produced a tephra sequence of at least eight main fall units associated with major explosive phases. The total cumulative volume is ~0.3 km3 DRE. The volume of individual fall units varies between 0.02 and 0.08 km3 DRE, and an associated column height was up to 20 km high. The products have uniform chemical composition (~47 wt.% SiO2), with phenocrysts of plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene that represent about the 6 vol% of the samples. Despite the uniform chemical and crystal-phase characteristics of the products, the textures are very heterogeneous. Two textural endmembers, intimately intermingled at the mm-scale within a single clast, were identified: one endmember (sideromelane) is characterized by higher vesicularity (~66%), with large regular sub-spherical vesicles (modal diameter 0.6 mm), a glass-rich groundmass (> 95 vol%) and evidence of post-fragmentation vesicle expansion; the second endmember texture (tachylite) is characterized by lower vesicularity (~32%), with small highly irregular vesicles (modal diameter 0.3 mm) that result in a higher vesicle number density than the sideromelane, and a groundmass rich in microcrysts (> 95 vol%), mainly Fe-oxides. Textural characteristics suggest interaction between magmas stored at different depths. The tachylitic texture is present in different proportions in the products of the different eruptive phases, while some small-scale variability seems to suggest variation in the crystallization conditions. However, given the uniform phenocryst composition, these small-scale variations are probably due to differences in the residence time rather than to different storage depths. As a result, our observations suggest the temporary storage of

Of blind men and elephants: suggesting SDM-MASS as a compound measure for shared decision making integrating patient, physician and observer views.

PubMed

Geiger, Friedemann; Kasper, Jürgen

2012-01-01

Shared decision making (SDM) between patient and physician is an interpersonal process. Most SDM measures use the view of one party (patient, physician or observer) as a proxy to capture this process although these views typically diverge. This study suggests the compound measure SDM(MASS) (SDM Meeting its concept's ASSumptions) integrating these three perspectives in one single index. SDM(MASS) was derived theoretically and compared empirically to unilateral perspectives of patients, physicians and observers by application to a data set of 10 physicians (40 consultations) receiving an SDM training. The constituting parts of SDM(MASS) were highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha .94; interrater reliability .74-.87). Unilateral appraisal of training effects was divergent. SDM(MASS) revealed no effect. SDM(MASS) combines noteworthy information about SDM processes from different viewpoints and thereby delivers plausible assessments. It could overcome immanent shortcomings of unilateral approaches. However, it is a complex measure needing further validation. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Towards a Transparent, Credible, Evidence-Based Decision-Making Process of New Drug Listing on the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Drug Formulary: Challenges and Suggestions.

PubMed

Wong, Carlos King Ho; Wu, Olivia; Cheung, Bernard M Y

2018-02-01

The aim of this article is to describe the process, evaluation criteria, and possible outcomes of decision-making for new drugs listed in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Drug Formulary in comparison to the health technology assessment (HTA) policy overseas. Details of decision-making processes including the new drug listing submission, Drug Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting, and procedures prior to and following the meeting, were extracted from the official Hong Kong Hospital Authority drug formulary management website and manual. Publicly-available information related to the new drug decision-making process for five HTA agencies [the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), the Australia Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), and the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC)] were reviewed and retrieved from official documents from public domains. The DAC is in charge of systemically and critically appraising new drugs before they are listed on the formulary, reviewing submitted applications, and making the decision to list the drug based on scientific evidence to which safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness are the primary considerations. When compared with other HTA agencies, transparency of the decision-making process of the DAC, the relevance of clinical and health economic evidence, and the lack of health economic and methodological input of submissions are the major challenges to the new-drug listing policy in Hong Kong. Despite these challenges, this review provides suggestions for the establishment of a more transparent, credible, and evidence-based decision-making process in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Drug Formulary. Proposals for improvement in the listing of new drugs in the formulary should be a priority of healthcare reforms.

Mirror neuron system and observational learning: behavioral and neurophysiological evidence.

PubMed

Lago-Rodriguez, Angel; Lopez-Alonso, Virginia; Fernández-del-Olmo, Miguel

2013-07-01

Three experiments were performed to study observational learning using behavioral, perceptual, and neurophysiological data. Experiment 1 investigated whether observing an execution model, during physical practice of a transitive task that only presented one execution strategy, led to performance improvements compared with physical practice alone. Experiment 2 investigated whether performing an observational learning protocol improves subjects' action perception. In experiment 3 we evaluated whether the type of practice performed determined the activation of the Mirror Neuron System during action observation. Results showed that, compared with physical practice, observing an execution model during a task that only showed one execution strategy does not provide behavioral benefits. However, an observational learning protocol allows subjects to predict more precisely the outcome of the learned task. Finally, intersperse observation of an execution model with physical practice results in changes of primary motor cortex activity during the observation of the motor pattern previously practiced, whereas modulations in the connectivity between primary and non primary motor areas (PMv-M1; PPC-M1) were not affected by the practice protocol performed by the observer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence for ammonium-bearing minerals in Ceres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, T. V. V.; Clark, R. N.; Calvin, W. M.; Sherman, D. M.; Swayze, G. A.; Brown, R. H.

1991-01-01

Evidence for ammonium-bearing minerals was found on the surface of the largest asteroid Ceres. The presence of ammonium-bearing clays suggests that Ceres has experienced a period of alteration by substantial amounts of an ammonium-bearing fluid. The presence of the ammonium-bearing clays does not preclude Ceres maintaining a volatile inventory in the core or in a volatile-rich zone at some distance below the surface. Telescopic observations of Ceres, using the 3.0 meter NASA Infrared telescope facility prompted this reevaluation of its surface mineralogy.

The quest for stable circumbinary companions to post-common envelope sdB eclipsing binaries. Does the observational evidence support their existence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulley, D.; Faillace, G.; Smith, D.; Watkins, A.; von Harrach, S.

2018-03-01

Context. Period variations have been detected in a number of eclipsing close compact binary subdwarf B stars (sdBs) and these have often been interpreted as being caused by circumbinary massive planets or brown dwarfs. According to canonical binary models, the majority of sdB systems are produced from low mass stars with degenerate cores where helium is ignited in flashes. Various evolutionary scenarios have been proposed for these stars, but a definite mechanism remains to be established. Equally puzzling is the formation of these putative circumbinary objects which must have formed from the remaining post-common envelope circumbinary disk or survived its evolution. Aim. In this paper we review the eclipse time variations (ETVs) exhibited by seven such systems (EC 10246-2707, HS 0705+6700, HS 2231+2441, J08205+0008, NSVS 07826147, NSVS 14256825, and NY Vir) and explore whether there is conclusive evidence that the ETVs observed over the last two decades can reliably predict the presence of one or more circumbinary bodies. Methods: We report 246 new observations of the seven sdB systems made between 2013 September and 2017 July using a worldwide network of telescopes. We combined our new data with previously published measurements to analyse the ETVs of these systems. Results: Our data show that period variations cannot be modelled simply on the basis of circumbinary objects. This implies that more complex processes may be taking place in these systems. These difficulties are compounded by the secondary star not being spectroscopically visible. From ETVs, it has historically been suggested that five of the seven binary systems reported here had circumbinary objects. Based on our recent observations and analysis, only three systems remain serious contenders. We find agreement with other observers that at least a decade of observations is required to establish reliable ephemerides. With longer observational baselines it is quite conceivable that the data will support

Eyewitness Identification Reforms: Are Suggestiveness-Induced Hits and Guesses True Hits?

PubMed

Wells, Gary L; Steblay, Nancy K; Dysart, Jennifer E

2012-05-01

Research-based reforms for collecting eyewitness identification evidence (e.g., unbiased pre-lineup instructions, double-blind administration) have been proposed by psychologists and adopted in increasing numbers of jurisdictions across the United States. It is well known that reducing rates of mistaken identifications can also reduce accurate identification rates (hits). But the reforms are largely designed to reduce the suggestiveness of the procedures they are meant to replace. Accordingly, we argue that it is misleading to label any hits obtained because of suggestive procedures as "hits" and then saddle reforms with the charge that they reduce the rate of these illegitimate hits. Eyewitness identification evidence should be based solely on the independent memory of the witness, not aided by biased instructions, cues from lineup administrators, or the use of lineup fillers who make the suspect stand out. Failure to call out these hits as being illegitimate can give solace to those who are motivated to preserve the status quo. © The Author(s) 2012.

A dangerous method? The German discourse on hypnotic suggestion therapy around 1900

PubMed Central

Maehle, Andreas-Holger

2017-01-01

In the late nineteenth century, German-speaking physicians and psychiatrists intensely debated the benefits and risks of treatment by hypnotic suggestion. While practitioners of the method sought to provide convincing evidence for its therapeutic efficacy in many medical conditions, especially nervous disorders, critics pointed to dangerous side effects, including the triggering of hysterical attacks or deterioration of nervous symptoms. Other critics claimed that patients merely simulated hypnotic phenomena in order to appease their therapist. A widespread concern was the potential for abuses of hypnosis, either by giving criminal suggestions or in the form of sexual assaults on hypnotized patients. Official inquiries by the Prussian Minister for Religious, Educational and Medical Affairs in 1902 and 1906 indicated that relatively few doctors practised hypnotherapy, whereas the method was increasingly used by lay healers. Although the Ministry found no evidence for serious harm caused by hypnotic treatments, whether performed by doctors or by lay healers, many German doctors seem to have regarded hypnotic suggestion therapy as a problematic method and abstained from using it.

A Review of Experimental Evidence Linking Neurotoxic Organophosphorus Compounds and Inflammation

PubMed Central

Banks, Christopher N.; Lein, Pamela J.

2012-01-01

Organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents and pesticides inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and this is thought to be a primary mechanism mediating the neurotoxicity of these compounds. However, a number of observations suggest that mechanisms other than or in addition to AChE inhibition contribute to OP neurotoxicity. There is significant experimental evidence that acute OP intoxication elicits a robust inflammatory response, and emerging evidence suggests that chronic repeated low-level OP exposure also upregulates inflammatory mediators. A critical question that is just beginning to be addressed experimentally is the pathophysiologic relevance of inflammation in either acute or chronic OP intoxication. The goal of this article is to provide a brief review of the current status of our knowledge linking inflammation to OP intoxication, and to discuss the implications of these findings in the context of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches to OP neurotoxicity. PMID:22342984

The limits of evidence: evidence based policy and the removal of gamete donor anonymity in the UK.

PubMed

Frith, Lucy

2015-03-01

This paper will critically examine the use of evidence in creating policy in the area of reproductive technologies. The use of evidence in health care and policy is not a new phenomenon. However, codified strategies for evidence appraisal in health care technology assessments and attempts to create evidence based policy initiatives suggest that the way evidence is used in practice and policy has changed. This paper will examine this trend by considering what is counted as 'good' evidence, difficulties in translating evidence into policy and practice and how evidence interacts with principles. To illustrate these points the removal of gamete donor anonymity in the UK in 2005 and the debates that preceded this change in the law will be examined. It will be argued that evidence will only ever take us so far and attention should also be paid to the underlying principles that guide policy. The paper will conclude with suggestions for how underlying principles can be more rigorously used in policy formation.

Evidence for arrested bone formation during spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. T.; Bobyn, J. D.; Duvall, P.; Morey, E. R.; Baylink, D. J.; Spector, M.

1982-01-01

Addressing the question of whether the bone formed in space is unusual, the morphology of bone made at the tibial diaphysis of rats before, during, and after spaceflight is studied. Evidence of arrest lines in the bone formed in space is reported suggesting that bone formation ceases along portions of the periosteum during spaceflight. Visualized by microradiography, the arrest lines are shown to be less mineralized than the surrounding bone matrix. When viewed by scanning electron microscopy, it is seen that bone fractures more readily at the site of an arrest line. These observations are seen as suggesting that arrest lines are a zone of weakness and that their formation may result in decreased bone strength in spite of normalization of bone formation after flight. The occurrence, location, and morphology of arrest lines are seen as suggesting that they are a visible result of the phenomenon of arrested bone formation.

Varicose Veins, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Haemorrhoids: Epidemiology and Suggested Aetiology

PubMed Central

Burkitt, Denis P.

1972-01-01

Current concepts on the aetiology of varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, and haemorrhoids have been examined and, in the light of epidemiological evidence, found wanting. It is suggested that the fundamental cause of these disorders is faecal arrest which is the result of a low-residue diet. PMID:5032782

Using Certification to Promote Uptake of Real-World Evidence by Payers.

PubMed

Segal, Jodi B; Kallich, Joel D; Oppenheim, Emma R; Garrison, Louis P; Iqbal, Sheikh Usman; Kessler, Marla; Alexander, G Caleb

2016-03-01

Most randomized controlled trials are unable to generate information about a product's real-world effectiveness. Therefore, payers use real-world evidence (RWE) generated in observational studies to make decisions regarding formulary inclusion and coverage. While some payers generate their own RWE, most cautiously rely on RWE produced by manufacturers who have a strong financial interest in obtaining coverage for their products. We propose a process by which an independent body would certify observational studies as generating valid and unbiased estimates of the effectiveness of the intervention under consideration. This proposed process includes (a) establishing transparent criteria for assessment, (b) implementing a process for receipt and review of observational study protocols from interested parties, (c) reviewing the submitted protocol and requesting any necessary revisions, (d) reviewing the study results, (e) assigning a certification status to the submitted evidence, and (f) communicating the certification status to all who seek to use this evidence for decision making. Accrediting organizations such as the National Center for Quality Assurance and the Joint Commission have comparable goals of providing assurance about quality to those who look to their accreditation results. Although we recognize potential barriers, including a slowing of evidence generation and costs, we anticipate that processes can be streamlined, such as when familiar methods or familiar datasets are used. The financial backing for such activities remains uncertain, as does identification of organizations that might serve this certification function. We suggest that the rigor and transparency that will be required with such a process, and the unassailable evidence that it will produce, will be valuable to decision makers.

Social class, leaders and leadership: a critical review and suggestions for development.

PubMed

Martin, Sean R; Innis, Benjamin D; Ward, Ray G

2017-12-01

The consideration of social class in leadership research presents many exciting directions for research. In this review, we describe and summarize how social class research has been applied to the study of leaders and the leadership process, noting that while evidence suggests those from higher social classes are more likely to occupy formal leader roles in organizations, there is little evidence suggesting that they are more effective in these roles than those from lower social classes. We conclude with a discussion of important, unanswered theoretical questions about how social class relates to the process of leadership-most notably, whether those from different classes internalize different beliefs and expectations about how people in leader and follower roles should act, and how matches or mismatches in those beliefs and expectations shape leader-follower interactions and outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

No evidence for inbreeding avoidance in a natural population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia).

PubMed

Keller, L F; Arcese, P

1998-09-01

We studied mate choice and inbreeding avoidance a natural population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) on Mandarte Island, Canada. Inbreeding occurred regularly: 59% all matings were between known relatives. We tested for inbreeding avoidance by comparing the observed levels of inbreeding to those expected if mate choice had been random with respect to relatedness. Independent of our assumptions about the availability of mates in the random mating model, we found that the expected and observed distributions of inbreeding coefficients were similar, as was the expected and observed frequency of close (f >/= 0.125) inbreeding. Furthermore, there was no difference in relatedness observed pairs and those that would have resulted had birds mated instead with their nearest neighbors. The only evidence to suggest any inbreeding avoidance was a reduced rate of parent-offspring matings as compared to one random mating model but not the other. Hence, despite substantial inbreeding depression in this population, we found little evidence for inbreeding avoidance through mate choice. We present a simple model to suggest that variation in inbreeding avoidance behaviors in birds may arise from differences in survival rates: in species with low survival rates, the costs of forfeiting matings to avoid inbreeding may exceed the costs of inbreeding.

Exacerbated in vivo metabolic changes suggestive of a spontaneous muscular vaso-occlusive crisis in exercising muscle of a sickle cell mouse.

PubMed

Chatel, Benjamin; Messonnier, Laurent A; Bendahan, David

2017-06-01

While sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by frequent vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), no direct observation of such an event in skeletal muscle has been performed in vivo. The present study reported exacerbated in vivo metabolic changes suggestive of a spontaneous muscular VOC in exercising muscle of a sickle cell mouse. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy of phosphorus 31, phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate concentrations and intramuscular pH were measured throughout two standardized protocols of rest - exercise - recovery at two different intensities in ten SCD mice. Among these mice, one single mouse presented divergent responses. A statistical analysis (based on confidence intervals) revealed that this single mouse presented slower phosphocreatine resynthesis and inorganic phosphate disappearance during the post-stimulation recovery of one of the protocols, what could suggest an ischemia. This study described, for the first time in a sickle cell mouse in vivo, exacerbated metabolic changes triggered by an exercise session that would be suggestive of a live observation of a muscular VOC. However, no evidence of a direct cause-effect relationship between exercise and VOC has been put forth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Is Peromyscus? Evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences suggests the need for a new classification

PubMed Central

Platt, Roy N.; Amman, Brian R.; Keith, Megan S.; Thompson, Cody W.; Bradley, Robert D.

2015-01-01

The evolutionary relationships between Peromyscus, Habromys, Isthmomys, Megadontomys, Neotomodon, Osgoodomys, and Podomys are poorly understood. In order to further explore the evolutionary boundaries of Peromyscus and compare potential taxonomic solutions for this diverse group and its relatives, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1-I2), beta fibrinogen (Fgb-I7), interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (Rbp3), and cytochrome-b (Cytb). Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes produced similar topologies although levels of nodal support varied. The best-supported topology was obtained by combining nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. No monophyletic Peromyscus clade was supported. Instead, support was found for a clade containing Habromys, Megadontomys, Neotomodon, Osgoodomys, Podomys, and Peromyscus suggesting paraphyly of Peromyscus and confirming previous observations. Our analyses indicated an early divergence of Isthmomys from Peromyscus (approximately 8 million years ago), whereas most other peromyscine taxa emerged within the last 6 million years. To recover a monophyletic taxonomy from Peromyscus and affiliated lineages, we detail 3 taxonomic options in which Habromys, Megadontomys, Neotomodon, Osgoodomys, and Podomys are retained as genera, subsumed as subgenera, or subsumed as species groups within Peromyscus. Each option presents distinct taxonomic challenges, and the appropriate taxonomy must reflect the substantial levels of morphological divergence that characterize this group while maintaining the monophyletic relationships obtained from genetic data. PMID:26937047

What Is Peromyscus? Evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences suggests the need for a new classification.

PubMed

Platt, Roy N; Amman, Brian R; Keith, Megan S; Thompson, Cody W; Bradley, Robert D

2015-08-03

The evolutionary relationships between Peromyscus , Habromys , Isthmomys , Megadontomys , Neotomodon , Osgoodomys , and Podomys are poorly understood. In order to further explore the evolutionary boundaries of Peromyscus and compare potential taxonomic solutions for this diverse group and its relatives, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from alcohol dehydrogenase ( Adh 1-I2), beta fibrinogen ( Fgb -I7), interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein ( Rbp 3), and cytochrome- b ( Cytb ). Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes produced similar topologies although levels of nodal support varied. The best-supported topology was obtained by combining nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. No monophyletic Peromyscus clade was supported. Instead, support was found for a clade containing Habromys , Megadontomys , Neotomodon , Osgoodomys , Podomys , and Peromyscus suggesting paraphyly of Peromyscus and confirming previous observations. Our analyses indicated an early divergence of Isthmomys from Peromyscus (approximately 8 million years ago), whereas most other peromyscine taxa emerged within the last 6 million years. To recover a monophyletic taxonomy from Peromyscus and affiliated lineages, we detail 3 taxonomic options in which Habromys , Megadontomys , Neotomodon , Osgoodomys , and Podomys are retained as genera, subsumed as subgenera, or subsumed as species groups within Peromyscus . Each option presents distinct taxonomic challenges, and the appropriate taxonomy must reflect the substantial levels of morphological divergence that characterize this group while maintaining the monophyletic relationships obtained from genetic data.

Current Evidence Regarding the Treatment of Pediatric Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Report From the Scoliosis Research Society Evidence Based Medicine Committee.

PubMed

Crawford, Charles H; Larson, A Noelle; Gates, Marilyn; Bess, R Shay; Guillaume, Tenner J; Kim, Han Jo; Oetgen, Matthew E; Ledonio, Charles G; Sanders, James; Burton, Douglas C

2017-09-01

Structured literature review. The Scoliosis Research Society requested an assessment of the current state of peer-reviewed evidence regarding pediatric lumbar spondylolisthesis to identify what is known and what research remains essential to further understanding. Pediatric lumbar spondylolisthesis is common, yet no formal synthesis of the published literature regarding treatment has been previously performed. A comprehensive literature search was performed. From 6600 initial citations with abstract, 663 articles underwent full-text review. The best available evidence regarding surgical and medical/interventional treatment was provided by 51 studies. None of the studies were graded Level I or II evidence. Eighteen of the studies were Level III, representing the current best available evidence. Thirty-three of the studies were Level IV. Although studies suggest a benign course for "low grade" (<50% slip) isthmic spondylolisthesis, extensive literature suggests that a substantial number of patients present for treatment with pain and activity limitations. Pain resolution and return to activity is common with both medical/interventional and operative treatment. The role of medical/interventional bracing is not well established. Uninstrumented posterolateral fusion has been reported to produce good clinical results, but concerns regarding nonunion exist. Risk of slip progression is a specific concern in the "high grade" or dysplastic type. Although medical/interventional observation has been reported to be reasonable in a small series of asymptomatic high-grade slip patients, surgical treatment is commonly recommended to prevent progression. There is Level III evidence that instrumentation and reduction lowers the risk of nonunion, and that circumferential fusion is superior to posterior-only or anterior-only fusion. There is Level III evidence that patients with a higher slip angle are more likely to fail medical/interventional treatment of high

Pinhole imaging in Legg-Perthes disease: further observations.

PubMed

Danigelis, J A

1976-01-01

Fifty-nine patients with Legg-Perthes disease and 12 others were studied using 99mTc-polyphosphate and the pinhole collimator imaging technique. Radiographs of both hips were correlated with images in each patient. In the Legg-Perthes patients, a radionuclide uptake deficiency of variable size was observed in the proximal femoral epiphysis (EOC), which we believe is related to varying degrees of impaired blood supply. During later disease stages, adjacent zones of increased radionuclide activity of revascularization were observed that would replace the uptake defect eventually. Unless radiographic evidence of new bone formation was observed in the EOC, it was impossible to predict either the presence or extent of revascularization until bone imaging was done. Those patients with revascularization activity in the EOC exhibited a relatively short time interval (average, 3.2 months) before evidence of new bone formation radiographically. Others with increased radionuclide concentration limited to the growth plate and/or metaphysis averaged a much longer 7.8 months. In two patients there was a reversal of the initially increased activity in the growth plate, suggesting another vascular insult. There were no false-negative bone-image findings in the 12 cases that clinically and/or radiologically simulated Legg-Perthes disease. Our image studies correlate well with published histopathologic investigations, indicating to us that assessment of extent of pathologic involvement and of the disease course is facilitated by this technique. Subsequently, this could influence treatment selection and provide a more objective baseline from which to judge treatment results. Continued experience suggests pinhole bone imaging has useful clinical application in Legg-Perthes disease and other childhood hip disorders.

Use of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) in Japan

PubMed Central

TAKASAKI, Hiroshi; ELKINS, Mark R.; MOSELEY, Anne M.

2016-01-01

Background: The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) may help users to overcome some obstacles to evidence-based physiotherapy. Understanding the extent to which Japanese physiotherapists access research evidence via the PEDro website may suggest strategies to enhance evidence-based physiotherapy in Japan. Objectives: To quantify usage of PEDro in Japan, to compare this to usage in other countries, and to examine variations in PEDro usage within Japan. Design: An observational study of PEDro usage with geographic analysis. Methods: Data about visits to the home-page and searches of the database were recorded for 4 years. These data were analysed by each region of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, each country in the Asia Western Pacific region, and each prefecture in Japan. Results: From 2010 to 2013, users of PEDro made 2.27 million visits to the home-page and ran 6.28 million searches. Usage (ie, number of searches normalised by population) was highest in Europe, followed by North America Carribean, South America, Asia Western Pacific, and Africa. Within the Asia Western Pacific region, population-normalised usage was highest in Australia, then New Zealand and Singapore. Japan ranked 10 among the 26 countries in the region. Within Japan, the highest population-normalised usage was in the Nagano, Kumamoto and Aomori prefectures, which was ten-fold higher usage than in some other prefectures. Conclusions: Although Japan has higher PEDro usage than many other countries in the Asia Western Pacific region, some prefectures had very low usage, suggesting that evidence-based practice may not be being adopted uniformly across Japan. PMID:28289582

Types of suggestibility: Relationships among compliance, indirect, and direct suggestibility.

PubMed

Polczyk, Romuald; Pasek, Tomasz

2006-10-01

It is commonly believed that direct suggestibility, referring to overt influence, and indirect suggestibility, in which the intention to influence is hidden, correlate poorly. This study demonstrates that they are substantially related, provided that they tap similar areas of influence. Test results from 103 students, 55 women and 48 men, were entered into regression analyses. Indirect suggestibility, as measured by the Sensory Suggestibility Scale for Groups, and compliance, measured by the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale, were predictors of direct suggestibility, assessed with the Barber Suggestibility Scale. Spectral analyses showed that indirect suggestibility is more related to difficult tasks on the BSS, but compliance is more related to easy tasks on this scale.

Evidence of 3-D Reconnection at Null Point from the Observations of Circular Flares and Homologous Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haimin; Liu, C.

2012-05-01

In recent studies by Pariat, Antiochos and DeVore (2009, 2010), fan-separatrix topology and magnetic reconnection at the null-point were simulated and found to produce homologous jets. This motivates us to search for axisymmetric magnetic structure and associated flaring/jetting activity. Using high-resolution ( 0.15" per pixel) and high-cadence ( 15 s) H-alpha center/offband observations obtained from the recently digitized films of Big Bear Solar Observatory, we were able to identify five large circular flares with associated surges. All the events exhibit a central parasite magnetic field surrounded by opposite polarity, forming a circular polarity inversion line (PIL). Consequently, a compact flare kernel at the center is surrounded by a circular ribbon, and together with the upward ejecting dark surge, these seem to depict a dome-like magnetic structure. Very interestingly, (1) the circular ribbon brightens sequentially rather than simultaneously, (2) the central compact flare kernel shows obvious motion, and (3) a remote elongated, co-temporal flare ribbon at a region with the same polarity as the central parasite site is seen in the series of four homologous events on 1991 March 17 and 18. The remote ribbon is 120" away from the jet location. Moreover, magnetic reconnection across the circular PIL is evident from the magnetic flux cancellation. These rarely observed homologous surges with circular as well as central and remote flare ribbons provide valuable evidence concerning the dynamics of magnetic reconnection in a null-point topology. This study is dedicated to Professor Hal Zirin, the founder of Big Bear Solar Observatory, who passed away on January 3, 2012.

Psychological stress and fibromyalgia: a review of the evidence suggesting a neuroendocrine link

PubMed Central

Gupta, Anindya; Silman, Alan J

2004-01-01

The present review attempts to reconcile the dichotomy that exists in the literature in relation to fibromyalgia, in that it is considered either a somatic response to psychological stress or a distinct organically based syndrome. Specifically, the hypothesis explored is that the link between chronic stress and the subsequent development of fibromyalgia can be explained by one or more abnormalities in neuroendocrine function. There are several such abnormalities recognised that both occur as a result of chronic stress and are observed in fibromyalgia. Whether such abnormalities have an aetiologic role remains uncertain but should be testable by well-designed prospective studies. PMID:15142258

Association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and sitespecific cancer risk: evidence from observational studies.

PubMed

Xie, Li; Mo, Miao; Jia, Hui-Xun; Liang, Fei; Yuan, Jing; Zhu, Ji

2016-08-30

Epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent findings on the association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and cancer risk. We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies to summarize available evidence on the association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and cancer risk from published prospective and case-control studies. PubMed database was searched to identify eligible publications through April 30th, 2016. Study-specific relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) from individual studies were pooled by using random- or fixed- model, and heterogeneity and publication bias analyses were conducted. Data from 62 observational studies, 49 studies for nitrates and 51 studies for nitrites, including a total of 60,627 cancer cases were analyzed. Comparing the highest vs. lowest levels, dietary nitrate intake was inversely associated with gastric cancer risk (RR = 0.78; 95%CI = 0.67-0.91) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 42.3%). In contrast, dietary nitrite intake was positively associated with adult glioma and thyroid cancer risk with pooled RR of 1.21 (95%CI = 1.03-1.42) and 1.52 (95%CI = 1.12-2.05), respectively. No significant associations were found between dietary nitrate/nitrite and cancers of the breast, bladder, colorectal, esophagus, renal cell, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ovarian, and pancreas. The present meta-analysis provided modest evidence that positive associations of dietary nitrate and negative associations of dietary nitrite with certain cancers.

Volatile Transport on Pluto: First Results from the 2013 Observing Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buratti, B. J.; Dalba, P. A.; Hicks, M.; Chu, D.; O'Neill, A.; Chesley, J. P.

2013-12-01

With the New Horizons spacecraft due to encounter Pluto in slightly less than two years, close scrutiny of this dwarf ice planet has begun in earnest. Ground-based observations are especially critical for context and for a larger temporal excursion. Seasonal transport of volatiles should occur on Pluto, and this transport should be detectable through changes in its rotational light curve, once all variations due to viewing geometry have been modeled. Giving the steady increase observed in Pluto's atmospheric pressure over the past two decades, associated sublimation of frost from the surface has likely occurred, as predicted by volatile transport models. Rotational light curves of Pluto through time have been created for static frost models based on images from the Hubble Space Telescope. These models, which account for changes in viewing geometry, have been compared with observed light curves obtained between 1950 and 2013. No evidence for transport was evident prior to 2000. Observations from 2002 (Buie et al., 2010, Astron. J. 139, 1128) and 2007-2008 (Hicks et al. 2008, B.A.A.S. 40, 460) suggest changes in the frost pattern on Pluto's surface. New observations of Pluto's light curve from the 2013 season from Table Mountain Observatory show no evidence for the large transport of volatiles on Pluto's surface. Our data are the first measurement of a large opposition surge on Pluto similar to that seen on other icy bodies. Both Buie et al. (2010) and our observations from the 2012-2013 seasons show that Pluto is becoming more red in color. This observation makes sense if nitrogen is being removed from the surface to uncover a red, photolyzed substrate of methane. Funded by NASA.

Observational Evidence of Impacts of Aerosols on Seasonal-to-Interannual Variability of the Asian Monsoon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, K.-M.; Kim, K.-M.; Hsu, N. C.

2006-01-01

Observational evidences are presented showing that the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions are subject to heavy loading of absorbing aerosols (dust and black carbon), with strong seasonality closely linked to the monsoon annual rainfall cycle. Increased loading of absorbing aerosols over the Indo-Gangetic Plain in April-May is associated with a) increased heating of the upper troposphere over the Tibetan Plateau, b) an advance of the monsoon rainy season, and c) subsequent enhancement of monsoon rainfall over the South Asia subcontinent, and reduction over East Asia. Also presented are radiative transfer calculations showing how differential solar absorption by aerosols over bright surface (desert or snow cover land) compared to dark surface (vegetated land and ocean), may be instrumental in triggering an aerosol-monsoon large-scale circulation and water cycle feedback, consistent with the elevated heat pump hypothesis (Lau et al. 2006).

Dietary options and behavior suggested by plant biomarker evidence in an early human habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magill, Clayton R.; Ashley, Gail M.; Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Freeman, Katherine H.

2016-03-01

The availability of plants and freshwater shapes the diets and social behavior of chimpanzees, our closest living relative. However, limited evidence about the spatial relationships shared between ancestral human (hominin) remains, edible resources, refuge, and freshwater leaves the influence of local resources on our species' evolution open to debate. Exceptionally well-preserved organic geochemical fossils-biomarkers-preserved in a soil horizon resolve different plant communities at meter scales across a contiguous 25,000 m2 archaeological land surface at Olduvai Gorge from about 2 Ma. Biomarkers reveal hominins had access to aquatic plants and protective woods in a patchwork landscape, which included a spring-fed wetland near a woodland that both were surrounded by open grassland. Numerous cut-marked animal bones are located within the wooded area, and within meters of wetland vegetation delineated by biomarkers for ferns and sedges. Taken together, plant biomarkers, clustered bone debris, and hominin remains define a clear spatial pattern that places animal butchery amid the refuge of an isolated forest patch and near freshwater with diverse edible resources.

Preliminary evidence of early bone resorption in a sheep model of acute burn injury: an observational study.

PubMed

Klein, Gordon L; Xie, Yixia; Qin, Yi-Xian; Lin, Liangjun; Hu, Minyi; Enkhbaatar, Perenlei; Bonewald, Lynda F

2014-03-01

Treatment with bisphosphonates within the first 10 days of severe burn injury completely prevents bone loss. We therefore postulated that bone resorption occurs early post burn and is the primary explanation for acute bone loss in these patients. Our objective was to assess bone for histological and biomechanical evidence of early resorption post burn. We designed a randomized controlled study utilizing a sheep model of burn injury. Three sheep received a 40 % total body surface area burn under isoflurane anesthesia, and three other sheep received cotton-smoke inhalation and served as control. Burned sheep were killed 5 days post procedure and controls were killed 2 days post procedure. Backscatter scanning electron microscopy was performed on iliac crests obtained immediately postmortem along with quantitative histomorphometry and compression testing to determine bone strength (Young's modulus). Blood ionized Ca was also determined in the first 24 h post procedure as was urinary CTx. Three of three sheep killed at 5 days had evidence of scalloping of the bone surface, an effect of bone resorption, whereas none of the three sheep killed at 2 days post procedure had scalloping. One of the three burned sheep killed at 5 days showed quantitative doubling of the eroded surface and halving of the bone volume compared to sham controls. Mean values of Young's modulus were approximately one third lower in the burned sheep killed at 5 days compared to controls, p = 0.08 by unpaired t test, suggesting weaker bone. These data suggest early post-burn bone resorption. Urine CTx normalized to creatinine did not differ between groups at 24 h post procedure because the large amounts of fluids received by the burned sheep may have diluted urine creatinine and CTx and because the urine volume produced by the burned sheep was threefold that of the controls. We calculated 24 h urinary CTx excretion, and with this calculation CTx excretion/24 h in the burned sheep was

Zika Virus Infection and Microcephaly: Evidence for a Causal Link.

PubMed

Wang, Jin-Na; Ling, Feng

2016-10-20

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus related to the Dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses. Since the explosive outbreaks of ZIKV in Latin America in 2015, a sudden increase in the number of microcephaly cases has been observed in infants of women who were pregnant when they contracted the virus. The severity of this condition raises grave concerns, and extensive studies on the possible link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly have been conducted. There is substantial evidence suggesting that there is a causal link between ZIKV and microcephaly, however, future studies are warranted to solidify this association. To summarize the most recent evidence on this issue and provide perspectives for future studies, we reviewed the literature to identify existing evidence of the causal link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly within research related to the epidemics, laboratory diagnosis, and possible mechanisms.

A nutrition and conditioning intervention for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: observations and suggestions.

PubMed

Gentil, Paulo

2015-01-01

Bodybuilding is full of myths and practices that are contrary to the scientific literature, which can lead to health problems. Adopting a scientifically designed approach is very important, as it may help bodybuilders to achieve better results while preserving their health. However, I have some criticism regarding some practices adopted in the referred article as ad libitum ingestion of sugar-free cordial and flavored tea and the performance of the exercise in fasted state, as it seems to bring no benefit and have some potential problems. Some suggestion are made in order to preserve FFM, like changing training split and exercise selection; increasing carbohydrate ingestion and decreasing protein intake; changing the resistance training stimuli and reducing the volume of aerobic exercises and increase its intensity.

Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) II: evidence for compact outflow regions from HST [OIII] imaging observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadhunter, C.; Zaurín, J. Rodríguez; Rose, M.; Spence, R. A. W.; Batcheldor, D.; Berg, M. A.; Ramos Almeida, C.; Spoon, H. W. W.; Sparks, W.; Chiaberge, M.

2018-05-01

The true importance of the warm, AGN-driven outflows for the evolution of galaxies remains uncertain. Measurements of the radial extents of the outflows are key for quantifying their masses and kinetic powers, and also establishing whether the AGN outflows are galaxy-wide. Therefore, as part of a larger project to investigate the significance of warm, AGN-driven outflows in the most rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe, here we present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrow-band [OIII]λ5007 observations of a complete sample of 8 nearby ULIRGs with optical AGN nuclei. Combined with the complementary information provided by our ground-based spectroscopy, the HST images show that the warm gas outflows are relatively compact for most of the objects in the sample: in three objects the outflow regions are barely resolved at the resolution of HST (0.065 < R[OIII] < 0.12 kpc); in a further four cases the outflows are spatially resolved but with flux weighted mean radii in the range 0.65 < R[OIII] < 1.2 kpc; and in only one object (Mrk273) is there clear evidence for a more extended outflow, with a maximum extent of R[OIII] ˜ 5 kpc. Overall, our observations show little evidence for the galaxy-wide outflows predicted by some models of AGN feedback.

Sexual health and older adults: suggestions for social science research.

PubMed

Hinchliff, Sharron

2016-11-01

The body of evidence on older adults' sexual health is beginning to grow. However, it remains an under-researched area particularly within the social sciences. This viewpoint outlines four considerations for those who carry out social science research in this area: 1. defining the age category "older adults"; 2. being clear about the types of sex under research; 3. capturing a range of diverse voices; and 4. considering the use of qualitative research methods to explore the topic in depth. These suggestions are aimed at helping researchers to avoid some of the pitfalls of research in this area, as well as improving the evidence base in order to advance recognition of the issues and drive change in service provision. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Evidence Based Medicine to Medicine Based Evidence.

PubMed

Horwitz, Ralph I; Hayes-Conroy, Allison; Caricchio, Roberto; Singer, Burton H

2017-11-01

Evidence based medicine, using randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses as the major tools and sources of evidence about average results for heterogeneous groups of patients, developed as a reaction against poorly designed observational treatment research and physician reliance on personal experience with other patients as a guide to decision-making about a patient at hand. However, these tools do not answer the clinician's question: "Will a given therapeutic regimen help my patient at a given point in her/his clinical course?" We introduce fine-grained profiling of the patient at hand, accompanied by comparative evidence of responses from approximate matches to this patient on whom a contemplated treatment has/has not been administered. This represents medicine based evidence that is tuned to decision-making for the particular patient. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence for a subsurface ocean on Europa.

PubMed

Carr, M H; Belton, M J; Chapman, C R; Davies, M E; Geissler, P; Greenberg, R; McEwen, A S; Tufts, B R; Greeley, R; Sullivan, R; Head, J W; Pappalardo, R T; Klaasen, K P; Johnson, T V; Kaufman, J; Senske, D; Moore, J; Neukum, G; Schubert, G; Burns, J A; Thomas, P; Veverka, J

1998-01-22

Ground-based spectroscopy of Jupiter's moon Europa, combined with gravity data, suggests that the satellite has an icy crust roughly 150 km thick and a rocky interior. In addition, images obtained by the Voyager spacecraft revealed that Europa's surface is crossed by numerous intersecting ridges and dark bands (called lineae) and is sparsely cratered, indicating that the terrain is probably significantly younger than that of Ganymede and Callisto. It has been suggested that Europa's thin outer ice shell might be separated from the moon's silicate interior by a liquid water layer, delayed or prevented from freezing by tidal heating; in this model, the lineae could be explained by repetitive tidal deformation of the outer ice shell. However, observational confirmation of a subsurface ocean was largely frustrated by the low resolution (>2 km per pixel) of the Voyager images. Here we present high-resolution (54 m per pixel) Galileo spacecraft images of Europa, in which we find evidence for mobile 'icebergs'. The detailed morphology of the terrain strongly supports the presence of liquid water at shallow depths below the surface, either today or at some time in the past. Moreover, lower-resolution observations of much larger regions suggest that the phenomena reported here are widespread.

Evidence for a subsurface ocean on Europa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.; Belton, M.J.S.; Chapman, C.R.; Davies, M.E.; Geissler, P.; Greenberg, R.; McEwen, A.S.; Tufts, B.R.; Greeley, R.; Sullivan, R.; Head, J.W.; Pappalardo, R.T.; Klaasen, K.P.; Johnson, T.V.; Kaufman, J.; Senske, D.; Moore, J.; Neukum, G.; Schubert, G.; Burns, J.A.; Thomas, P.; Veverka, J.

1998-01-01

Ground-based spectroscopy of Jupiter's moon Europa, combined with gravity data, suggests that the satellite has an icy crust roughly 150 km thick and a rocky interior. In addition, images obtained by the Voyager spacecraft revealed that Europa's surface is crossed by numerous intersecting ridges and dark bands (called lineae) and is sparsely cratered, indicating that the terrain is probably significantly younger than that of Ganymede and Callisto. It has been suggested that Europa's thin outer ice shell might be separated from the moon's silicate interior by a liquid water layer, delayed or prevented from freezing by tidal heating; in this model, the lineae could be explained by repetitive tidal deformation of the outer ice shell. However, observational confirmation of a subsurface ocean was largely frustrated by the low resolution (>2 km per pixel) of the Voyager images. Here we present high-resolution (54 m per pixel) Galileo spacecraft images of Europa, in which we find evidence for mobile 'icebergs'. The detailed morphology of the terrain strongly supports the presence of liquid water at shallow depths below the surface, either today or at some time in the past. Moreover, lower- resolution observations of much larger regions suggest that the phenomena reported here are widespread.

Language deficits, localization, and grammar: evidence for a distributive model of language breakdown in aphasic patients and neurologically intact individuals.

PubMed

Dick, F; Bates, E; Wulfeck, B; Utman, J A; Dronkers, N; Gernsbacher, M A

2001-10-01

Selective deficits in aphasic patients' grammatical production and comprehension are often cited as evidence that syntactic processing is modular and localizable in discrete areas of the brain (e.g., Y. Grodzinsky, 2000). The authors review a large body of experimental evidence suggesting that morpho-syntactic deficits can be observed in a number of aphasic and neurologically intact populations. They present new data showing that receptive agrammatism is found not only over a range of aphasic groups, but is also observed in neurologically intact individuals processing under stressful conditions. The authors suggest that these data are most compatible with a domain-general account of language, one that emphasizes the interaction of linguistic distributions with the properties of an associative processor working under normal or suboptimal conditions.

Scrutinizing the evidence for N ( 1685 )

DOE PAGES

Anisovich, A. V.; Burkert, V.; Klempt, E.; ...

2017-03-30

The helicity-dependent observable E for the reaction γd → ηn(p) with a spectator proton was recently measured in this paper by the A2 Collaboration at MAMI in Mainz. The data were interpreted as further evidence for a narrow resonance with spin and parity J P = 1/2 + (P 11 wave). However, a full partial-wave analysis without any narrow resonance leads to an excellent description of the data. Finally, imposing a narrow resonance with the properties suggested by the A2 Collaboration leads to a significant deterioration of the fit quality: there is no need for a narrow resonance.

Vertical linear feeder to elliptical igneous saucer-shaped sills: evidences from structural observations, geochemistry and experimental modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galerne, C. Y.; Galland, O.; Neumann, E. R.; Planke, S.

2009-12-01

The structural relationships between sills and their feeders are poorly documented because they are rarely observed in the field and difficult to image on seismic data. For instance, it is unclear whether sills are fed by pipes, dikes or other sills. Nevertheless, the geometrical relationships between sills and their feeders provide first-order constraints on magma emplacement mechanisms. Here, we investigate the structural and geochemical relationships between sills and potential feeder dikes in a remarkably well-preserved and exposed sill complex, the Golden Valley Sill Complex (GVSC), Karoo Basin, South Africa. The GVSC consists of five major saucer-shaped sills and six dikes. The Golden Valley sill itself is an elliptical saucer, with a N-S trend. A one meter thick dike (D4) crops out underneath the southern tip of the Golden Valley sill. The strike of this dike is parallel to the long axis of the Golden Valley sill. Detailed sampling and geochemical analyses of the GVSC show that each sill and dike exhibits a specific geochemical signature. The Golden Valley sill and its underlying dike D4 have identical signatures. Although there is no clear structural evidence, the consistent geometrical and geochemical relationships between the Golden Valley sill and the D4 dike suggest that this vertical linear structure is the feeder of the overlying saucer-shaped sill. In order to investigate the relationships between sills and feeders, we resorted to scaled laboratory experiments. The experiments consisted of a low-viscosity vegetable oil representing magma and a cohesive fine-grained silica flour representing brittle rocks. We placed a horizontal weak layer into the silica flour, just above the top of the inlet, to simulate strata. Such a weak layer controlled the formation of horizontal sill that subsequently turned into a transgressive sheet leading to the formation of a saucer geometry. We ran experiments with varying inlet shapes: 1) a point inlet representing a

Observational evidence for turbulent effects on total suspended matter within the Pearl River plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chunhua, Qiu; Danyi, Su; Huabin, Mao; Jiaxue, Wu; Yongsheng, Cui; Dongxiao, Wang

2017-12-01

We observed the structure of the Pearl River plume and its turbulent characteristics, and investigated the turbulent effect on total suspended matter (TSM) within its ;far-field; region, based on in situ and satellite data collected in June 2015. A significant northeastward plume was created under southern monsoonal conditions. The in situ data provided the width, depth, and velocity of the plume, as inferred by salinity. Weaker turbulence occurred at the front surface position than in the plume zone. Stronger turbulence induced greater turbidity in the bottom boundary layer; however, the surface mixed layer differed. By estimating the turbidity budget, we found the lateral fluxes term was the largest term in the plume, turbulent fluxes comprised the second largest term, and the settling terms comprised the smallest term. We quantified the turbulent mechanisms and found that stronger river discharge induced greater TSM turbidity. Tidal and buoyancy fluxes had minor regulatory effects on TSM. Our observations suggest that TSM in the ;far field; region originated from the Pearl River and the coastal region.

Evidence-based dentistry.

PubMed

Chambers, David W

2010-01-01

Both panegyric and criticism of evidence-based dentistry tend to be clumsy because the concept is poorly defined. This analysis identifies several contributions to the profession that have been made under the EBD banner. Although the concept of clinicians integrating clinical epidemiology, the wisdom of their practices, and patients' values is powerful, its implementation has been distorted by a too heavy emphasis of computerized searches for research findings that meet the standards of academics. Although EBD advocates enjoy sharing anecdotal accounts of mistakes others have made, faulting others is not proof that one's own position is correct. There is no systematic, high-quality evidence that EBD is effective. The metaphor of a three-legged stool (evidence, experience, values, and integration) is used as an organizing principle. "Best evidence" has become a preoccupation among EBD enthusiasts. That overlong but thinly developed leg of the stool is critiqued from the perspectives of the criteria for evidence, the difference between internal and external validity, the relationship between evidence and decision making, the ambiguous meaning of "best," and the role of reasonable doubt. The strongest leg of the stool is clinical experience. Although bias exists in all observations (including searches for evidence), there are simple procedures that can be employed in practice to increase useful and objective evidence there, and there are dangers in delegating policy regarding allowable treatments to external groups. Patient and practitioner values are the shortest leg of the stool. As they are so little recognized, their integration in EBD is problematic and ethical tensions exist where paternalism privileges science over patient's self-determined best interests. Four potential approaches to integration are suggested, recognizing that there is virtually no literature on how the "seat" of the three-legged stool works or should work. It is likely that most dentists

Low-energy (< 200 eV) electron acceleration by ULF waves in the plasmaspheric boundary layer: Van Allen Probes observation

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

Ren, Jie; Zong, Q. G.; Miyoshi, Y.

Here, we report observational evidence of cold plamsmaspheric electron (< 200 eV) acceleration by ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves in the plasmaspheric boundary layer on 10 September 2015. Strongly enhanced cold electron fluxes in the energy spectrogram were observed along with second harmonic mode waves with a period of about 1 minute which lasted several hours during two consecutive Van Allen Probe B orbits. Cold electron (<200 eV) and energetic proton (10-20 keV) bi-directional pitch angle signatures observed during the event are suggestive of the drift-bounce resonance mechanism. The correlation between enhanced energy fluxes and ULF waves leads to the conclusions thatmore » plasmaspheric dynamics is strongly affected by ULF waves. Van Allen Probe A and B, GOES 13, GOES 15 and MMS 1 observations suggest ULF waves in the event were strongest on the dusk-side magnetosphere. Measurements from MMS 1 contain no evidence of an external wave source during the period when ULF waves and injected energetic protons with a bump-on-tail distribution were detected by Van Allen Probe B. This suggests that the observed ULF waves were probably excited by a localized drift-bounce resonant instability, with the free energy supplied by substorm-injected energetic protons. The observations by Van Allen Probe B suggest that energy transfer between particle species in different energy ranges can take place through the action of ULF waves, demonstrating the important role of these waves in the dynamical processes of the inner magnetosphere.« less

Low-energy (< 200 eV) electron acceleration by ULF waves in the plasmaspheric boundary layer: Van Allen Probes observation

DOE PAGES

Ren, Jie; Zong, Q. G.; Miyoshi, Y.; ...

2017-08-30

Here, we report observational evidence of cold plamsmaspheric electron (< 200 eV) acceleration by ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves in the plasmaspheric boundary layer on 10 September 2015. Strongly enhanced cold electron fluxes in the energy spectrogram were observed along with second harmonic mode waves with a period of about 1 minute which lasted several hours during two consecutive Van Allen Probe B orbits. Cold electron (<200 eV) and energetic proton (10-20 keV) bi-directional pitch angle signatures observed during the event are suggestive of the drift-bounce resonance mechanism. The correlation between enhanced energy fluxes and ULF waves leads to the conclusions thatmore » plasmaspheric dynamics is strongly affected by ULF waves. Van Allen Probe A and B, GOES 13, GOES 15 and MMS 1 observations suggest ULF waves in the event were strongest on the dusk-side magnetosphere. Measurements from MMS 1 contain no evidence of an external wave source during the period when ULF waves and injected energetic protons with a bump-on-tail distribution were detected by Van Allen Probe B. This suggests that the observed ULF waves were probably excited by a localized drift-bounce resonant instability, with the free energy supplied by substorm-injected energetic protons. The observations by Van Allen Probe B suggest that energy transfer between particle species in different energy ranges can take place through the action of ULF waves, demonstrating the important role of these waves in the dynamical processes of the inner magnetosphere.« less

Optical observations of MAXI J1820+070 suggest it is a black hole X-ray binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baglio, M. Cristina; Russell, Dave M.; Lewis, Fraser

2018-03-01

We report on optical observations of the newly discovered transient MAXI J1820+070 (ATel #11399, #11400, #11403, #11404, #11406). We performed optical (g', i') observations of the field with the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) 1-m robotic telescope located at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile, on March 13th, 2018 (MJD 58190.38) obtaining one 200-second integration image of the field for each filter.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF DUSTY FILAMENTS IN HERCULES A: EVIDENCE FOR ENTRAINMENT

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

O'Dea, C. P.; Kharb, P.; Baum, S. A.

2013-07-01

We present U-, V-, and I-band images of the host galaxy of Hercules A (3C 348) obtained with HST/WFC3/UVIS. We find a network of dusty filaments which are more complex and extended than seen in earlier Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. The filaments are associated with a faint blue continuum light (possibly from young stars) and faint H{alpha} emission. It seems likely that the cold gas and dust has been stripped from a companion galaxy now seen as a secondary nucleus. There are dusty filaments aligned with the base of the jets on both eastern and western sides of themore » galaxy. The morphology of the filaments is different on the two sides-the western filaments are fairly straight, while the eastern filaments are mainly in two loop-like structures. We suggest that despite the difference in morphologies, both sets of filaments have been entrained in a slow-moving boundary layer outside the relativistic flow. As suggested by Fabian et al., magnetic fields in the filaments may stabilize them against disruption. We consider a speculative scenario to explain the relation between the radio source and the shock and cavities in the hot intracluster medium seen in the Chandra data. We suggest that the radio source originally ({approx}60 Myr ago) propagated along a position angle of {approx}35 Degree-Sign where it created the shock and cavities. The radio source axis changed to its current orientation ({approx}100 Degree-Sign ) possibly due to a supermassive black hole merger and began its current epoch of activity about 20 Myr ago.« less

Hydrogen and major element concentrations on 433 Eros: Evidence for an L- or LL-chondrite-like surface composition.

PubMed

Peplowski, Patrick N; Bazell, David; Evans, Larry G; Goldsten, John O; Lawrence, David J; Nittler, Larry R

2015-03-01

A reanalysis of NEAR X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer (XGRS) data provides robust evidence that the elemental composition of the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros is consistent with the L and LL ordinary chondrites. These results facilitated the use of the gamma-ray measurements to produce the first in situ measurement of hydrogen concentrations on an asteroid. The measured value, 1100-700+1600 ppm, is consistent with hydrogen concentrations measured in L and LL chondrite meteorite falls. Gamma-ray derived abundances of hydrogen and potassium show no evidence for depletion of volatiles relative to ordinary chondrites, suggesting that the sulfur depletion observed in X-ray data is a surficial effect, consistent with a space-weathering origin. The newfound agreement between the X-ray, gamma-ray, and spectral data suggests that the NEAR landing site, a ponded regolith deposit, has an elemental composition that is indistinguishable from the mean surface. This observation argues against a pond formation process that segregates metals from silicates, and instead suggests that the differences observed in reflectance spectra between the ponds and bulk Eros are due to grain size differences resulting from granular sorting of ponded material.

Synchrony and motor mimicking in chimpanzee observational learning

PubMed Central

Fuhrmann, Delia; Ravignani, Andrea; Marshall-Pescini, Sarah; Whiten, Andrew

2014-01-01

Cumulative tool-based culture underwrote our species' evolutionary success, and tool-based nut-cracking is one of the strongest candidates for cultural transmission in our closest relatives, chimpanzees. However the social learning processes that may explain both the similarities and differences between the species remain unclear. A previous study of nut-cracking by initially naïve chimpanzees suggested that a learning chimpanzee holding no hammer nevertheless replicated hammering actions it witnessed. This observation has potentially important implications for the nature of the social learning processes and underlying motor coding involved. In the present study, model and observer actions were quantified frame-by-frame and analysed with stringent statistical methods, demonstrating synchrony between the observer's and model's movements, cross-correlation of these movements above chance level and a unidirectional transmission process from model to observer. These results provide the first quantitative evidence for motor mimicking underlain by motor coding in apes, with implications for mirror neuron function. PMID:24923651

Synchrony and motor mimicking in chimpanzee observational learning.

PubMed

Fuhrmann, Delia; Ravignani, Andrea; Marshall-Pescini, Sarah; Whiten, Andrew

2014-06-13

Cumulative tool-based culture underwrote our species' evolutionary success, and tool-based nut-cracking is one of the strongest candidates for cultural transmission in our closest relatives, chimpanzees. However the social learning processes that may explain both the similarities and differences between the species remain unclear. A previous study of nut-cracking by initially naïve chimpanzees suggested that a learning chimpanzee holding no hammer nevertheless replicated hammering actions it witnessed. This observation has potentially important implications for the nature of the social learning processes and underlying motor coding involved. In the present study, model and observer actions were quantified frame-by-frame and analysed with stringent statistical methods, demonstrating synchrony between the observer's and model's movements, cross-correlation of these movements above chance level and a unidirectional transmission process from model to observer. These results provide the first quantitative evidence for motor mimicking underlain by motor coding in apes, with implications for mirror neuron function.

OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE OF BACK REACTION ON THE SOLAR SURFACE ASSOCIATED WITH CORONAL MAGNETIC RESTRUCTURING IN SOLAR ERUPTIONS

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

Wang Haimin; Liu Chang, E-mail: haimin.wang@njit.ed, E-mail: chang.liu@njit.ed

2010-06-20

Most models of solar eruptions assume that coronal field lines are anchored in the dense photosphere and thus the photospheric magnetic fields would not have rapid, irreversible changes associated with eruptions resulted from the coronal magnetic reconnection. Motivated by the recent work of Hudson et al. on quantitatively evaluating the back reaction due to energy release from the coronal fields, in this Letter we synthesize our previous studies and present analysis of new events about flare-related changes of photospheric magnetic fields. For the 11 X-class flares where vector magnetograms are available, we always find an increase of transverse field atmore » the polarity inversion line (PIL) although only four events had measurements with 1 minute temporal resolution. We also discuss 18 events with 1 minute cadence line-of-sight magnetogram observation, which all show prominent changes of magnetic flux contained in the flaring {delta} spot region. Except in one case, the observed limbward flux increases while diskward flux decreases rapidly and irreversibly after flares. This observational evidence provides support, either directly or indirectly, for the theory and prediction of Hudson et al. that the photospheric magnetic fields must respond to coronal field restructuring and turn to a more horizontal state near the PIL after eruptions.« less

No Evidence for a Low Linear Energy Transfer Adaptive Response in Irradiated RKO Cells

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

Sowa, Marianne B.; Goetz, Wilfried; Baulch, Janet E.

2011-01-06

It has become increasingly evident from reports in the literature that there are many confounding factors that are capable of modulating radiation induced non-targeted responses such as the bystander effect and the adaptive response. In this paper we examine recent data that suggest that the observation of non-targeted responses may not be universally observable for differing radiation qualities. We have conducted a study of the adaptive response following low LET exposures for human colon carcinoma cells and failed to observe adaption for the endpoints of clonogenic survival or micronucleus formation.

Enhancing business intelligence by means of suggestive reviews.

PubMed

Qazi, Atika; Raj, Ram Gopal; Tahir, Muhammad; Cambria, Erik; Syed, Karim Bux Shah

2014-01-01

Appropriate identification and classification of online reviews to satisfy the needs of current and potential users pose a critical challenge for the business environment. This paper focuses on a specific kind of reviews: the suggestive type. Suggestions have a significant influence on both consumers' choices and designers' understanding and, hence, they are key for tasks such as brand positioning and social media marketing. The proposed approach consists of three main steps: (1) classify comparative and suggestive sentences; (2) categorize suggestive sentences into different types, either explicit or implicit locutions; (3) perform sentiment analysis on the classified reviews. A range of supervised machine learning approaches and feature sets are evaluated to tackle the problem of suggestive opinion mining. Experimental results for all three tasks are obtained on a dataset of mobile phone reviews and demonstrate that extending a bag-of-words representation with suggestive and comparative patterns is ideal for distinguishing suggestive sentences. In particular, it is observed that classifying suggestive sentences into implicit and explicit locutions works best when using a mixed sequential rule feature representation. Sentiment analysis achieves maximum performance when employing additional preprocessing in the form of negation handling and target masking, combined with sentiment lexicons.

Simultaneous Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer and Optical Observations of Ad Leonis: Evidence for Large Coronal Loops and the Neupert Effect in Stellar Flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, Suzanne L.; Fisher, George H.; Simon, Theodore; Cully, Scott L.; Deustua, Susana E.; Jablonski, Marek; Johns-Krull, Christopher; Pettersen, Bjorn R.; Smith, Verne; Spiesman, William J.;

90 GHz Observations of M87 and Hydra A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotton, W. D.; Mason, B. S.; Dicker, S. R.; Korngut, P. M.; Devlin, M. J.; Aquirre, J.; Benford, D. J.; Moseley, S. H.; Staguhn, J. G.; Irwin, K. D.;

Surface of Venus - Evidence of diverse landforms from radar observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, M. C.; Saunders, R. S.

1977-01-01

Radar images seem to indicate that some regions of Venus have remained little altered since a period of intense bombardment similar to that recorded by the many large impact craters on the moon. On the other hand, there is evidence in other regions that Venus has been a geologically active planet, forming diverse landforms, and perhaps rivaling the earth in the breadth of features portrayed on its surface

The Evidence-Based Manifesto for School Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd, Ross

2008-01-01

School Library Journal's 2007 Leadership Summit, "Where's the Evidence? Understanding the Impact of School Libraries," focused on the topic of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based school librarianship is a systematic approach that engages research-derived evidence, school librarian-observed evidence, and user-reported evidence in the processes…

X-ray spectral observations of clusters of galaxies undergoing merger events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henriksen, Mark J.

1993-09-01

We have analyzed the HEAO 1 A2 observations of two clusters whose optical and X-ray isophotes are suggestive of merging subclusters, A119 and A754, and find evidence of nonisothermal X-ray emission from both clusters. The X-ray spectrum of both clusters, when fitted with a single isothermal model, shows residual soft X-ray emission. There is a statistically significant reduction in chi-squared (98 percent probability based on the F-test) when a second temperature component is added. If the asymmetric isophotes seen in the soft X-ray image are indicative of merging subclusters, then our analysis of the Einstein IPC spectra and Solid State Spectrometer observations of A754, which provide some spatial and spectral resolution, suggests that the two temperature components seen in the HEAO 1 A2 spectra are associated with gas trapped in the subcluster potential wells. The implied subcluster isothermal masses suggest that a more massive cluster is accreting a less massive companion in A754. The present observations cannot rule out the alternative possibility that the cooler gas is associated with the outer cluster atmosphere rather than individual subclusters, as appears to be the case for A119. Astro D observations will be necessary to distinguish between these two possibilities for both clusters.

Corticospinal excitability during the observation of social behavior.

PubMed

Bucchioni, Giulia; Cavallo, Andrea; Ippolito, Davide; Marton, Gianluca; Castiello, Umberto

2013-03-01

Evidence suggests that the observation of an action induces in the observers an enhancement of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded by the observer's muscles corresponding to those involved in the observed action. Although this is a well-studied phenomenon, it remains still unclear how the viewer's motor facilitation is influenced by the social content characterizing the observed scene. In the present study we investigated the facilitation of the corticospinal system during the observation of either an action that does not imply a social interaction (i.e., an actor throwing a ball against a wall), or an action which implies a social interaction (i.e., an actor passing a ball to a partner). Results indicate that MEPs amplitude is enhanced during the observation of a social rather than an individual action. We contend that the increase in MEPs activation might reflect an enhancement of the simulative activity stemming from the mirror system during the observation of social interactions. Altogether these findings show that the human corticospinal system is sensitive to social interactions and may support the role of the mirror neurons system in social cognition. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence for online processing during causal learning.

PubMed

Liu, Pei-Pei; Luhmann, Christian C

2015-03-01

Many models of learning describe both the end product of learning (e.g., causal judgments) and the cognitive mechanisms that unfold on a trial-by-trial basis. However, the methods employed in the literature typically provide only indirect evidence about the unfolding cognitive processes. Here, we utilized a simultaneous secondary task to measure cognitive processing during a straightforward causal-learning task. The results from three experiments demonstrated that covariation information is not subject to uniform cognitive processing. Instead, we observed systematic variation in the processing dedicated to individual pieces of covariation information. In particular, observations that are inconsistent with previously presented covariation information appear to elicit greater cognitive processing than do observations that are consistent with previously presented covariation information. In addition, the degree of cognitive processing appears to be driven by learning per se, rather than by nonlearning processes such as memory and attention. Overall, these findings suggest that monitoring learning processes at a finer level may provide useful psychological insights into the nature of learning.

Analysis of the Arctic system for freshwater cycle intensification: Observations and expectations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rawlins, M.A.; Steele, M.; Holland, M.M.; Adam, J.C.; Cherry, J.E.; Francis, J.A.; Groisman, P.Y.; Hinzman, L.D.; Huntington, T.G.; Kane, D.L.; Kimball, J.S.; Kwok, R.; Lammers, R.B.; Lee, C.M.; Lettenmaier, D.P.; McDonald, K.C.; Podest, E.; Pundsack, J.W.; Rudels, B.; Serreze, Mark C.; Shiklomanov, A.; Skagseth, O.; Troy, T.J.; Vorosmarty, C.J.; Wensnahan, M.; Wood, E.F.; Woodgate, R.; Yang, D.; Zhang, K.; Zhang, T.

2010-01-01

Hydrologic cycle intensification is an expected manifestation of a warming climate. Although positive trends in several global average quantities have been reported, no previous studies have documented broad intensification across elements of the Arctic freshwater cycle (FWC). In this study, the authors examine the character and quantitative significance of changes in annual precipitation, evapotranspiration, and river discharge across the terrestrial pan-Arctic over the past several decades from observations and a suite of coupled general circulation models (GCMs). Trends in freshwater flux and storage derived from observations across the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas are also described. With few exceptions, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and river discharge fluxes from observations and the GCMs exhibit positive trends. Significant positive trends above the 90% confidence level, however, are not present for all of the observations. Greater confidence in the GCM trends arises through lower interannual variability relative to trend magnitude. Put another way, intrinsic variability in the observations tends to limit confidence in trend robustness. Ocean fluxes are less certain, primarily because of the lack of long-term observations. Where available, salinity and volume flux data suggest some decrease in saltwater inflow to the Barents Sea (i.e., a decrease in freshwater outflow) in recent decades. A decline in freshwater storage across the central Arctic Ocean and suggestions that large-scale circulation plays a dominant role in freshwater trends raise questions as to whether Arctic Ocean freshwater flows are intensifying. Although oceanic fluxes of freshwater are highly variable and consistent trends are difficult to verify, the other components of the Arctic FWC do show consistent positive trends over recent decades. The broad-scale increases provide evidence that the Arctic FWC is experiencing intensification. Efforts that aim to develop an adequate

Evidence for Precise Calendrical Observations in the 17th Century at the `Bruchhauser Steine', Olsberg, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinrücken, B.

The `Bruchhauser Steine', four large rocks of volcanic origin in southern Westphalia, form perfect foresights for calendrical observations from the surrounding country. The ancient walls and embankments on the `Istenberg' with the rocks as cornerstones were built 500 BC. In the landscape are placed shrines with images of Christian saints, erected in the late 17th and the early 18th century. The positions of these shrines can be interpreted as observing sites with respect to the stones. The foresights reach several degrees to the sky, so variations in the astronomical refraction are strongly suppressed. The most impressive observing site with a shrine of 1699 (8o31'13'' E, 51o18'49'' N) is exactly at the position to observe the summer solstice sunrise at the topmost rock, the `Feldstein'. The solstice sun rises between two stones and grazes the Feldstein at 6:20 CEST. Today the sun is obstructed 2'-3' by the stone. Taking into account the slight variation of the obliquity of the ecliptic of 2' since 1699 the grazing procedure at the time of erection was perfect, without any obstruction of the suns disc. Similar shrines are placed at positions to observe the sunrise on May 1st in the identical manner (8o29'39'' E, 51o18'41'' N) and the lunar declination minimum on the meridian (8o32'44'' E, 51o20'33'' N). Some evidence indicates a prehistoric origin of this calendrical system.

Chemosensory responses to sugar and fat by the omnivorous lizard Gallotia caesaris: with behavioral evidence suggesting a role for gustation.

PubMed

Cooper, W E; Pérez-Mellado, V

2001-07-01

Many lizards can identify food using only chemical cues, as indicated by tongue-flicking for chemical sampling and biting, but the effectiveness of the chemical components of food are unknown, as is the relationship between response strength and concentration. We investigated responses by the omnivorous lizard Gallotia caesaris to representatives of two major categories of organic food chemicals, lipids and carbohydrates. The stimuli, pork fat and sucrose solutions of varying concentration, were presented to lizards on cotton swabs and their lingual and biting behaviors were observed during 60-s tests. In the first experiment, fat elicited more tongue-flicks and bites than saturated sucrose or water (odorless control), biting being limited to the fat condition. Lizards licked at high rates, but exclusively in response to sucrose. A lick was a lingual protrusion in which the dorsal surface of the tongue contacted the swab, in contrast to the anteroventral contact made during tongue-flicks. In a second experiment, the number of licks, but not the number of tongue-flicks, increased with the concentration of sucrose. The results indicate that lipids contribute to prey chemical discrimination and are adequate to release some attacks, but are not as effective as releasers of attack as mixtures of prey chemicals obtained from prey surfaces. The findings with respect to licking are novel, and suggest that licking may be a response to gustatory stimulation by sugar, in contrast to previously observed prey chemical discriminations shown to require vomerolfaction.

Creating and synthesizing evidence with decision makers in mind: integrating evidence from clinical trials and other study designs.

PubMed

Atkins, David

2007-10-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remain the accepted "gold standard" for determining the efficacy of new drugs or medical procedures. Randomized trials alone, however, cannot provide all the relevant information decision makers need to determine the relative risks and benefits when choosing the best treatment of individual patients or weighing the implications of particular policies affecting medical therapies. To demonstrate the limitations of RCTs in providing the information needed by medical decision makers, and to show how information from observational studies can supplement evidence from RCTs. Qualitative description of the limitations of RCTs in providing the information needed by medical decision makers, and demonstration of how evidence from additional sources can aid in decision making, using the examples of deciding whether a 60-year-old woman with mildly elevated blood pressure should take daily low-dose aspirin, and whether a hospital network should implement carotid artery surgery for asymptomatic patients. Even the most rigorously designed RCTs leave many questions central to medical decision making unanswered. Research using cohort and case-control designs, disease and intervention registries, and outcomes studies based on administrative data can all shed light on who is most likely to benefit from the treatment, and what the important tradeoffs are. This suggests the need to revise the traditional evidence hierarchy, whereby evidence progresses linearly from basic research to rigorous RCTs. This revised hierarchy recognizes that other research designs can provide important evidence to strengthen our understanding of how to apply research findings in practice.

Observational Word Learning: Beyond Propose-But-Verify and Associative Bean Counting.

PubMed

Roembke, Tanja; McMurray, Bob

2016-04-01

Learning new words is difficult. In any naming situation, there are multiple possible interpretations of a novel word. Recent approaches suggest that learners may solve this problem by tracking co-occurrence statistics between words and referents across multiple naming situations (e.g. Yu & Smith, 2007), overcoming the ambiguity in any one situation. Yet, there remains debate around the underlying mechanisms. We conducted two experiments in which learners acquired eight word-object mappings using cross-situational statistics while eye-movements were tracked. These addressed four unresolved questions regarding the learning mechanism. First, eye-movements during learning showed evidence that listeners maintain multiple hypotheses for a given word and bring them all to bear in the moment of naming. Second, trial-by-trial analyses of accuracy suggested that listeners accumulate continuous statistics about word/object mappings, over and above prior hypotheses they have about a word. Third, consistent, probabilistic context can impede learning, as false associations between words and highly co-occurring referents are formed. Finally, a number of factors not previously considered in prior analysis impact observational word learning: knowledge of the foils, spatial consistency of the target object, and the number of trials between presentations of the same word. This evidence suggests that observational word learning may derive from a combination of gradual statistical or associative learning mechanisms and more rapid real-time processes such as competition, mutual exclusivity and even inference or hypothesis testing.

Evidence against observational spatial memory for cache locations of conspecifics in marsh tits Poecile palustris.

PubMed

Urhan, A Utku; Emilsson, Ellen; Brodin, Anders

2017-01-01

Many species in the family Paridae, such as marsh tits Poecile palustris , are large-scale scatter hoarders of food that make cryptic caches and disperse these in large year-round territories. The perhaps most well-known species in the family, the great tit Parus major , does not store food itself but is skilled in stealing caches from the other species. We have previously demonstrated that great tits are able to memorise positions of caches they have observed marsh tits make and later return and steal the food. As great tits are explorative in nature and unusually good learners, it is possible that such "memorisation of caches from a distance" is a unique ability of theirs. The other possibility is that this ability is general in the parid family. Here, we tested marsh tits in the same experimental set-up as where we previously have tested great tits. We allowed caged marsh tits to observe a caching conspecific in a specially designed indoor arena. After a retention interval of 1 or 24 h, we allowed the observer to enter the arena and search for the caches. The marsh tits showed no evidence of such observational memorization ability, and we believe that such ability is more useful for a non-hoarding species. Why should a marsh tit that memorises hundreds of their own caches in the field bother with the difficult task of memorising other individuals' caches? We argue that the close-up memorisation procedure that marsh tits use at their own caches may be a different type of observational learning than memorisation of caches made by others. For example, the latter must be done from a distance and hence may require the ability to adopt an allocentric perspective, i.e. the ability to visualise the cache from the hoarder's perspective. Members of the Paridae family are known to possess foraging techniques that are cognitively advanced. Previously, we have demonstrated that a non-hoarding parid species, the great tit P. major , is able to memorise positions of caches

Endometriosis education in schools: A New Zealand model examining the impact of an education program in schools on early recognition of symptoms suggesting endometriosis.

PubMed

Bush, Deborah; Brick, Emily; East, Michael C; Johnson, Neil

2017-08-01

Menstrual morbidity plays a significant role in adolescent females' lives. There are no studies to date reporting such data from menstrual health education programs in schools. The aim of our study was to report results from an audit of a menstrual health and endometriosis education program in secondary schools and observe age patterns of young women presenting for menstrual morbidity care. Audit data from education in secondary schools and audit data of patients from an Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Coaching clinic operating in a private endometriosis specialised centre are reported. In a region of consistent delivery of the education program, student awareness of endometriosis was 32% in 2015. Overall in 2015, 13% of students experienced distressing menstrual symptoms and 27% of students sometimes or always missed school due to menstrual symptoms. Further, in one region of consistent delivery of the menstrual health education program, data show an increase in younger patients attending for specialised endometriosis care. There is strong suggestive evidence that consistent delivery of a menstrual health education program in schools increases adolescent student awareness of endometriosis. In addition, there is suggestive evidence that in a geographical area of consistent delivery of the program, a shift in earlier presentation of young women to a specialised health service is observed. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Theories of Suggestion.

PubMed

Brown, W

1928-02-01

The word "suggestion" has been used in educational, scientific and medical literature in slightly different senses. In psychological medicine the use of suggestion has developed out of the earlier use of hypnotic influence.Charcot defined hypnosis as an artificial hysteria, Bernheim as an artificially increased suggestibility. The two definitions need to be combined to give an adequate account of hypnosis. Moreover, due allowance should be made for the factors of dissociation and of rapport in hypnotic phenomena.The relationships between dissociation, suggestibility, and hypnotizability.Theories of suggestion propounded by Pierre Janet, Freud, McDougall, Pawlow and others. Ernest Jones's theory of the nature of auto-suggestion. Janet explains suggestion in terms of ideo-motor action in which the suggested idea, because of the inactivity of competing ideas, produces its maximum effect. Freud explains rapport in terms of the sex instinct "inhibited in its aim" (transference) and brings in his distinction of "ego" and "ego-ideal" (or "super-ego") to supplement the theory. Jones explains auto-suggestion in terms of narcissism. McDougall explains hypnotic suggestion in terms of the instinct of self-abasement. But different instincts may supply the driving power to produce suggestion-effects in different circumstances. Such instincts as those of self-preservation (fear) and gregariousness may play their part. Auto-suggestion as a therapeutic factor is badly named. It supplements, but does not supplant the will, and makes complete volition possible.

Constraints on vertical transport near the polar summer mesopause from PMC observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilms, H.; Rapp, M.; Kirsch, A.

2016-12-01

The comparison of microphysical simulations of polar mesospheric cloud properties with ground based and satellite borne observations suggests that vertical wind variance imposed by gravity waves is an important prerequisite to realistically model PMC properties. This paper reviews the available observational evidence of vertical wind measurements at the polar summer mesopause (including their frequency content). Corresponding results are compared to vertical wind variance from several global models and implications for the transport of trace constituents in this altitude region are discussed.

Priming of reach trajectory when observing actions: Hand-centred effects

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Debra; Tipper, Steven P.

2009-01-01

When another person's actions are observed it appears that these actions are simulated, such that similar motor processes are triggered in the observer. Much evidence suggests that such simulation concerns the achievement of behavioural goals, such as grasping a particular object, and is less concerned with the specific nature of the action, such as the path the hand takes to reach the goal object. We demonstrate that when observing another person reach around an obstacle, an observer's subsequent reach has an increased curved trajectory, reflecting motor priming of reach path. This priming of reach trajectory via action observation can take place under a variety of circumstances: with or without a shared goal, and when the action is seen from a variety of perspectives. However, of most importance, the reach path priming effect is only evoked if the obstacle avoided by another person is within the action (peripersonal) space of the observer. PMID:19731190

LADEE/LDEX observations of lunar pickup ion distribution and variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppe, A. R.; Halekas, J. S.; Szalay, J. R.; Horányi, M.; Levin, Z.; Kempf, S.

2016-04-01

We report fortuitous observations of low-energy lunar pickup ion fluxes near the Moon while in the solar wind by the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) on board the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE). We describe the method of observation and the empirical calibration of the instrument for ion observations. LDEX observes several trends in the exospheric ion production rate, including a scale height of approximately 100 km, a positive, linear correlation with solar wind flux, and evidence of a slight enhancement near 7-8 h local time. We compare the LDEX observations to both LADEE Neutral Mass Spectrometer ion mode observations and theoretical models. The LDEX data are best fit by total exospheric ion production rates of ≈6 × 103 m-3 s-1 with dominant contributions from Al+, CO+, and Ar+, although the LDEX data suggest that the aluminum neutral density and corresponding ion production rate are lower than predicted by recent models.

Enhancing Business Intelligence by Means of Suggestive Reviews

PubMed Central

Qazi, Atika

2014-01-01

Appropriate identification and classification of online reviews to satisfy the needs of current and potential users pose a critical challenge for the business environment. This paper focuses on a specific kind of reviews: the suggestive type. Suggestions have a significant influence on both consumers' choices and designers' understanding and, hence, they are key for tasks such as brand positioning and social media marketing. The proposed approach consists of three main steps: (1) classify comparative and suggestive sentences; (2) categorize suggestive sentences into different types, either explicit or implicit locutions; (3) perform sentiment analysis on the classified reviews. A range of supervised machine learning approaches and feature sets are evaluated to tackle the problem of suggestive opinion mining. Experimental results for all three tasks are obtained on a dataset of mobile phone reviews and demonstrate that extending a bag-of-words representation with suggestive and comparative patterns is ideal for distinguishing suggestive sentences. In particular, it is observed that classifying suggestive sentences into implicit and explicit locutions works best when using a mixed sequential rule feature representation. Sentiment analysis achieves maximum performance when employing additional preprocessing in the form of negation handling and target masking, combined with sentiment lexicons. PMID:25054188

Evidence of redshifts in the average solar line profiles of C IV and Si IV from OSO-8 observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roussel-Dupre, D.; Shine, R. A.

1982-01-01

Line profiles of C IV and Si V obtained by the Colorado spectrometer on OSO-8 are presented. It is shown that the mean profiles are redshifted with a magnitude varying from 6-20 km/s, and with a mean of 12 km/s. An apparent average downflow of material in the 50,000-100,000 K temperature range is measured. The redshifts are observed in the line center positions of spatially and temporally averaged profiles and are measured either relative to chromospheric Si I lines or from a comparison of sun center and limb profiles. The observations of 6-20 km/s redshifts place constraints on the mechanisms that dominate EUV line emission since it requires a strong weighting of the emission in regions of downward moving material, and since there is little evidence for corresponding upward moving materials in these lines.

VLA Observation of Seyfert Galaxy MRK 6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, C.; Baum, S. A.; O'Dea, C.; Colbert, E. J. M.

1997-12-01

We have obtained deep radio observation of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Mrk6 with all VLA configurations at 6 and 20 cm. We confirm the existence of two pairs of diffuse low surface brightness radio lobes at different scales and orientations. The larger pair of lobes extend ( ~ 40" or 20 kpc) ~ 30(deg) NW-SE, and is evidence of starburst-driven superwind as suggested in Baum et. al (1993). The outer lobes are roughly perpendicular to a set of inner lobes which extend ( ~ 4" or 2 kpc) E-W and are in turn perpendicular to the inner jets imaged by Kukula et. al (1996). Both pairs of lobes appear to have shell-like structures, as implied by the observed anti-symmetric emission morphology which might be due to limb brightening as a result of increasing optical depth at the line of sight. The width of each structure is comparable to the length of the next smaller structure suggesting a "self-similar" (and possibly dynamical) relationship between these structures. These nested "bubble-like" structures with different orientations pose a challenge to the current paradigm of energy transport in Seyfert galaxies.

Observation of flow processes in the vadose zone using ERT on different space and time scales: results, obstacles, and suggestions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noell, Ursula; Ganz, Christina; Lamparter, Axel; Duijnisveld, Wilhelmus; Bachmann, Jörg

2013-04-01

deteriorates with depth. The resolution depends on the electrode distances and the depth resolution can be increased by using borehole electrodes. However, if one ha of land is to be observed with a reasonable number of electrodes (some 100) the resolution will be some 10 m. The structures, however, that influence the infiltration process, might be much smaller. Therefore, it is suggested to use ERT as the tool to observe and quantify the infiltration process with regard to time and space on a scale of some meters. For independent proof local TDR devices should be inserted within the investigated area for calibration. These results should then be used to establish a physical soil model that grasps the observed process correctly in time and space. The next step would then be to repeat these local measurements at different locations where the similarity of the processes is at doubt. Only when this is confirmed or discarded, further upscaling steps can be done reliably.

Theories of Suggestion

PubMed Central

Brown, William

1928-01-01

The word “suggestion” has been used in educational, scientific and medical literature in slightly different senses. In psychological medicine the use of suggestion has developed out of the earlier use of hypnotic influence. Charcot defined hypnosis as an artificial hysteria, Bernheim as an artificially increased suggestibility. The two definitions need to be combined to give an adequate account of hypnosis. Moreover, due allowance should be made for the factors of dissociation and of rapport in hypnotic phenomena. The relationships between dissociation, suggestibility, and hypnotizability. Theories of suggestion propounded by Pierre Janet, Freud, McDougall, Pawlow and others. Ernest Jones's theory of the nature of auto-suggestion. Janet explains suggestion in terms of ideo-motor action in which the suggested idea, because of the inactivity of competing ideas, produces its maximum effect. Freud explains rapport in terms of the sex instinct “inhibited in its aim” (transference) and brings in his distinction of “ego” and “ego-ideal” (or “super-ego”) to supplement the theory. Jones explains auto-suggestion in terms of narcissism. McDougall explains hypnotic suggestion in terms of the instinct of self-abasement. But different instincts may supply the driving power to produce suggestion-effects in different circumstances. Such instincts as those of self-preservation (fear) and gregariousness may play their part. Auto-suggestion as a therapeutic factor is badly named. It supplements, but does not supplant the will, and makes complete volition possible. PMID:19986306

Toward More Evidence-Based Practice

PubMed Central

Hotelling, Barbara A.

2005-01-01

Childbirth educators are responsible for providing expectant parents with evidence-based information. In this column, the author suggests resources where educators can find evidence-based research for best practices. Additionally, the author describes techniques for childbirth educators to use in presenting research-based information in their classes. A sample of Web sites and books that offer evidence-based resources for expectant parents is provided. PMID:17273422

Evidence for glaciation in Elysium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Duwayne M.; Brandstrom, Gary W.

1987-01-01

It is suggested that certain landforms in the Elysium region of Mars provide strong evidence for glaciation. Landscapes related to subglacial volcanism suggest that ice was a primary agent in the development of Elysium.

Signatures of solar wind latitudinal structure in interplanetary Lyman-alpha emissions - Mariner 10 observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, S.; Broadfoot, A. L.

1979-01-01

A detailed analysis is conducted which shows that signatures in the interplanetary Lyman-alpha emissions observed in three different data sets from Mariner 10 (corresponding to different locations of the spacecraft) provide firm evidence that the intensity departures are correlated with a decrease in solar wind flux with increasing latitude. It is suggested that observations of the interplanetary emission can be used to monitor average solar wind activity at high latitudes. The asymmetry in the solar radiation field as a source of observed departures in L-alpha data is considered and attention is given to the interstellar hydrogen and helium density.

Cross-cultural and cross-ecotype production of a killer whale 'excitement' call suggests universality.

PubMed

Rehn, Nicola; Filatova, Olga A; Durban, John W; Foote, Andrew D

2011-01-01

Facial and vocal expressions of emotion have been found in a number of social mammal species and are thought to have evolved to aid social communication. There has been much debate about whether such signals are culturally inherited or are truly biologically innate. Evidence for the innateness of such signals can come from cross-cultural studies. Previous studies have identified a vocalisation (the V4 or 'excitement' call) associated with high arousal behaviours in a population of killer whales in British Columbia, Canada. In this study, we compared recordings from three different socially and reproductively isolated ecotypes of killer whales, including five vocal clans of one ecotype, each clan having discrete culturally transmitted vocal traditions. The V4 call was found in recordings of each ecotype and each vocal clan. Nine independent observers reproduced our classification of the V4 call from each population with high inter-observer agreement. Our results suggest the V4 call may be universal in Pacific killer whale populations and that transmission of this call is independent of cultural tradition or ecotype. We argue that such universality is more consistent with an innate vocalisation than one acquired through social learning and may be linked to its apparent function of motivational expression.

Cross-cultural and cross-ecotype production of a killer whale `excitement' call suggests universality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehn, Nicola; Filatova, Olga A.; Durban, John W.; Foote, Andrew D.

2011-01-01

Facial and vocal expressions of emotion have been found in a number of social mammal species and are thought to have evolved to aid social communication. There has been much debate about whether such signals are culturally inherited or are truly biologically innate. Evidence for the innateness of such signals can come from cross-cultural studies. Previous studies have identified a vocalisation (the V4 or `excitement' call) associated with high arousal behaviours in a population of killer whales in British Columbia, Canada. In this study, we compared recordings from three different socially and reproductively isolated ecotypes of killer whales, including five vocal clans of one ecotype, each clan having discrete culturally transmitted vocal traditions. The V4 call was found in recordings of each ecotype and each vocal clan. Nine independent observers reproduced our classification of the V4 call from each population with high inter-observer agreement. Our results suggest the V4 call may be universal in Pacific killer whale populations and that transmission of this call is independent of cultural tradition or ecotype. We argue that such universality is more consistent with an innate vocalisation than one acquired through social learning and may be linked to its apparent function of motivational expression.

Observer aging and long-term avian survey data quality

PubMed Central

Farmer, Robert G; Leonard, Marty L; Mills Flemming, Joanna E; Anderson, Sean C

2014-01-01

Long-term wildlife monitoring involves collecting time series data, often using the same observers over multiple years. Aging-related changes to these observers may be an important, under-recognized source of error that can bias management decisions. In this study, we used data from two large, independent bird surveys, the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (“OBBA”) and the North American Breeding Bird Survey (“BBS”), to test for age-related observer effects in long-term time series of avian presence and abundance. We then considered the effect of such aging phenomena on current population trend estimates. We found significantly fewer detections among older versus younger observers for 13 of 43 OBBA species, and declines in detection as an observer ages for 4 of 6 vocalization groups comprising 59 of 64 BBS species. Consistent with hearing loss influencing this pattern, we also found evidence for increasingly severe detection declines with increasing call frequency among nine high-pitched bird species (OBBA); however, there were also detection declines at other frequencies, suggesting important additional effects of aging, independent of hearing loss. We lastly found subtle, significant relationships between some species' published population trend estimates and (1) their corresponding vocalization frequency (n ≥ 22 species) and (2) their estimated declines in detectability among older observers (n = 9 high-frequency, monotone species), suggesting that observer aging can negatively bias long-term monitoring data for some species in part through hearing loss effects. We recommend that survey designers and modelers account for observer age where possible. PMID:25360286

Open to Suggestion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Reading, 1987

1987-01-01

Offers (1) suggestions for improving college students' study skills; (2) a system for keeping track of parent, teacher, and community contacts; (3) suggestions for motivating students using tic tac toe; (4) suggestions for using etymology to improve word retention; (5) a word search grid; and (6) suggestions for using postcards in remedial reading…

Science, truth, and forensic cultures: the exceptional legal status of DNA evidence.

PubMed

Lynch, Michael

2013-03-01

Many epistemological terms, such as investigation, inquiry, argument, evidence, and fact were established in law well before being associated with science. However, while legal proof remained qualified by standards of 'moral certainty', scientific proof attained a reputation for objectivity. Although most forms of legal evidence (including expert evidence) continue to be treated as fallible 'opinions' rather than objective 'facts', forensic DNA evidence increasingly is being granted an exceptional factual status. It did not always enjoy such status. Two decades ago, the scientific status of forensic DNA evidence was challenged in the scientific literature and in courts of law, but by the late 1990s it was being granted exceptional legal status. This paper reviews the ascendancy of DNA profiling, and argues that its widely-heralded objective status is bound up with systems of administrative accountability. The 'administrative objectivity' of DNA evidence rests upon observable and reportable bureaucratic rules, records, recording devices, protocols, and architectural arrangements. By highlighting administrative sources of objectivity, this paper suggests that DNA evidence remains bound within the context of ordinary organisational and practical routines, and is not a transcendent source of 'truth' in the criminal justice system. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PORTAAL: A Classroom Observation Tool Assessing Evidence-Based Teaching Practices for Active Learning in Large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Classes.

PubMed

Eddy, Sarah L; Converse, Mercedes; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

There is extensive evidence that active learning works better than a completely passive lecture. Despite this evidence, adoption of these evidence-based teaching practices remains low. In this paper, we offer one tool to help faculty members implement active learning. This tool identifies 21 readily implemented elements that have been shown to increase student outcomes related to achievement, logic development, or other relevant learning goals with college-age students. Thus, this tool both clarifies the research-supported elements of best practices for instructor implementation of active learning in the classroom setting and measures instructors' alignment with these practices. We describe how we reviewed the discipline-based education research literature to identify best practices in active learning for adult learners in the classroom and used these results to develop an observation tool (Practical Observation Rubric To Assess Active Learning, or PORTAAL) that documents the extent to which instructors incorporate these practices into their classrooms. We then use PORTAAL to explore the classroom practices of 25 introductory biology instructors who employ some form of active learning. Overall, PORTAAL documents how well aligned classrooms are with research-supported best practices for active learning and provides specific feedback and guidance to instructors to allow them to identify what they do well and what could be improved. © 2015 S. L. Eddy et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Plasmoid growth and expulsion revealed by two-point ARTEMIS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Angelopoulos, V.; Runov, A.; kiehas, S.

2012-12-01

On 12 October 2011, the two ARTEMIS probes, in lunar orbit ~7 RE north of the neutral sheet, sequentially observed a tailward-moving, expanding plasmoid. Their observations reveal a multi-layered plasma sheet composed of tailward-flowing hot plasma within the plasmoid proper enshrouded by earthward-flowing, less energetic plasma. Prior observations of similar earthward flow structures ahead of or behind plasmoids have been interpreted as earthward outflow from a continuously active distant-tail neutral line (DNL) opposite an approaching plasmoid. However, no evidence of active DNL reconnection was observed by the probes as they traversed the plasmoid's leading and trailing edges, penetrating to slightly above its core. We suggest an alternate interpretation: compression of the ambient plasma by the tailward-moving plasmoid propels the plasma lobeward and earthward, i.e., over and above the plasmoid. Using the propagation velocity obtained from timing analysis, we estimate the average plasmoid size to be 9 RE and its expansion rate to be ~ 7 RE/min at the observation locations. The velocity inside the plasmoid proper was found to be non-uniform; the core likely moves as fast as 500 km/s, yet the outer layers move more slowly (and reverse direction), possibly resulting in the observed expansion. The absence of lobe reconnection, in particular on the earthward side, suggests that plasmoid formation and expulsion result from closed plasma sheet field line reconnection.

Association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and site-specific cancer risk: evidence from observational studies

PubMed Central

Jia, Hui-Xun; Liang, Fei; Yuan, Jing; Zhu, Ji

2016-01-01

Epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent findings on the association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and cancer risk. We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies to summarize available evidence on the association between dietary nitrate and nitrite intake and cancer risk from published prospective and case-control studies. PubMed database was searched to identify eligible publications through April 30th, 2016. Study-specific relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) from individual studies were pooled by using random- or fixed- model, and heterogeneity and publication bias analyses were conducted. Data from 62 observational studies, 49 studies for nitrates and 51 studies for nitrites, including a total of 60,627 cancer cases were analyzed. Comparing the highest vs. lowest levels, dietary nitrate intake was inversely associated with gastric cancer risk (RR = 0.78; 95%CI = 0.67-0.91) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 42.3%). In contrast, dietary nitrite intake was positively associated with adult glioma and thyroid cancer risk with pooled RR of 1.21 (95%CI = 1.03-1.42) and 1.52 (95%CI = 1.12-2.05), respectively. No significant associations were found between dietary nitrate/nitrite and cancers of the breast, bladder, colorectal, esophagus, renal cell, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ovarian, and pancreas. The present meta-analysis provided modest evidence that positive associations of dietary nitrate and negative associations of dietary nitrite with certain cancers. PMID:27486968

Evidence for acoustic communication among bottom foraging humpback whales

PubMed Central

Parks, Susan E.; Cusano, Dana A.; Stimpert, Alison K.; Weinrich, Mason T.; Friedlaender, Ari S.; Wiley, David N.

2014-01-01

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), a mysticete with a cosmopolitan distribution, demonstrate marked behavioural plasticity. Recent studies show evidence of social learning in the transmission of specific population level traits ranging from complex singing to stereotyped prey capturing behaviour. Humpback whales have been observed to employ group foraging techniques, however details on how individuals coordinate behaviour in these groups is challenging to obtain. This study investigates the role of a novel broadband patterned pulsed sound produced by humpback whales engaged in bottom-feeding behaviours, referred to here as a ‘paired burst' sound. Data collected from 56 archival acoustic tag deployments were investigated to determine the functional significance of these signals. Paired burst sound production was associated exclusively with bottom feeding under low-light conditions, predominantly with evidence of associated conspecifics nearby suggesting that the sound likely serves either as a communicative signal to conspecifics, a signal to affect prey behaviour, or possibly both. This study provides additional evidence for individual variation and phenotypic plasticity of foraging behaviours in humpback whales and provides important evidence for the use of acoustic signals among foraging individuals in this species. PMID:25512188

Evidence for acoustic communication among bottom foraging humpback whales.

PubMed

Parks, Susan E; Cusano, Dana A; Stimpert, Alison K; Weinrich, Mason T; Friedlaender, Ari S; Wiley, David N

2014-12-16

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), a mysticete with a cosmopolitan distribution, demonstrate marked behavioural plasticity. Recent studies show evidence of social learning in the transmission of specific population level traits ranging from complex singing to stereotyped prey capturing behaviour. Humpback whales have been observed to employ group foraging techniques, however details on how individuals coordinate behaviour in these groups is challenging to obtain. This study investigates the role of a novel broadband patterned pulsed sound produced by humpback whales engaged in bottom-feeding behaviours, referred to here as a 'paired burst' sound. Data collected from 56 archival acoustic tag deployments were investigated to determine the functional significance of these signals. Paired burst sound production was associated exclusively with bottom feeding under low-light conditions, predominantly with evidence of associated conspecifics nearby suggesting that the sound likely serves either as a communicative signal to conspecifics, a signal to affect prey behaviour, or possibly both. This study provides additional evidence for individual variation and phenotypic plasticity of foraging behaviours in humpback whales and provides important evidence for the use of acoustic signals among foraging individuals in this species.

Rényi entropies and observables.

PubMed

Lesche, Bernhard

2004-01-01

Evidence is given that Rényi entropies of macroscopic thermodynamic systems defined on the bases of probabilities of microstates cannot be related to observables. The notion of observable is clarified.

Observational evidence of a suppressed planetary boundary layer in northern Gale Crater, Mars as seen by the Navcam instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moores, John E.; Lemmon, Mark T.; Kahanpää, Henrik; Rafkin, Scot C. R.; Francis, Raymond; Pla-Garcia, Jorge; Bean, Keri; Haberle, Robert; Newman, Claire; Mischna, Michael; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; de la Torre Juárez, Manuel; Rennó, Nilton; Bell, Jim; Calef, Fred; Cantor, Bruce; Mcconnochie, Timothy H.; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, Maria; Wong, Michael H.; Smith, Michael D.; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Zorzano, María-Paz; Kemppinen, Osku; McCullough, Emily

2015-03-01

The Navigation Cameras (Navcam) of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, have been used to examine two aspects of the planetary boundary layer: vertical dust distribution and dust devil frequency. The vertical distribution of dust may be obtained by using observations of the distant crater rim to derive a line-of-sight optical depth within Gale Crater and comparing this optical depth to column optical depths obtained using Mastcam observations of the solar disc. The line of sight method consistently produces lower extinctions within the crater compared to the bulk atmosphere. This suggests a relatively stable atmosphere in which dust may settle out leaving the air within the crater clearer than air above and explains the correlation in observed column opacity between the floor of Gale Crater and the higher elevation Meridiani Planum. In the case of dust devils, despite an extensive campaign only one optically thick vortex (τ = 1.5 ± 0.5 × 10-3) was observed compared to 149 pressure events >0.5 Pa observed in REMS pressure data. Correcting for temporal coverage by REMS and geographic coverage by Navcam still suggests 104 vortices should have been viewable, suggesting that most vortices are dustless. Additionally, the most intense pressure excursions observed on other landing sites (pressure drop >2.5 Pa) are lacking from the observations by the REMS instrument. Taken together, these observations are consistent with pre-landing circulation modeling of the crater showing a suppressed, shallow boundary layer. They are further consistent with geological observations of dust that suggests the northern portion of the crater is a sink for dust in the current era.

Evidence Suggesting that the Buccal and Zygomatic Branches of the Facial Nerve May Contain Parasympathetic Secretomotor Fibers to the Parotid Gland by Means of Communications from the Auriculotemporal Nerve.

PubMed

Tansatit, Tanvaa; Apinuntrum, Prawit; Phetudom, Thavorn

2015-12-01

, supplying the branches of the parotid duct within the loop of the two main divisions of the parotid gland. A single cutaneous zygomatic branch arising from the auriculotemporal nerve in some specimens, the intraparotid communications with the zygomatic and the buccal trunks of the facial nerve, the retromandibular communications with the superficial temporal-maxillary periarterial plexuses, and the periductal autonomic plexus between the loop of the two main facial divisions lead to the suggestion that these communications of the auriculotemporal nerve convey the secretomotor to the zygomatic and buccal branches of the facial nerve. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Observational evidence of planetary wave influences on ozone enhancements over upper troposphere North Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengistu Tsidu, Gizaw; Ture, Kassahun; Sivakumar, V.

2013-07-01

MOZAIC instrument measured enhanced ozone on two occasions in February, 1996 and 1997 at cruise altitude over North Africa. The cause and source of ozone enhancements over the region are investigated using additional reanalysis data from ERA-Interim. The ERA-Interim reprocessed GOME ozone indicated existence of enhancement as well. Both observational data revealed that the increase in ozone has wider latitudinal coverage extending from North Europe upto North Africa. The geopotential heights and zonal wind from ERA-Interim have indicated existence of planetary-scale flow that allowed meridional airmass exchanges between subtropics and higher latitudes. The presence of troughs-ridge pattern are attributable to large amplitude waves of zonal wavenumber 1-5 propagating eastward in the winter hemisphere westerly current as determined from Hayashi spectra as well as local fractional variance spectra determined from Multitaper Method-Singular Value Decomposition (MTM-SVD) spectral method. MTM-SVD is also used to understand the role of these waves on ozone enhancement and variability during the observation period in a mechanistic approach. A joint analysis of driving field, such as wind and potential vorticity (PV) for which only signals of the dominant zonal wavenumbers of prevailing planetary waves are retained, has revealed strong linkage between wave activity and ozone enhancement over the region at a temporal cycle of 5.8 days. One of these features is the displacement of the polar vortex southward during the enhancements, allowing strong airmass, energy and momentum exchanges. Evidence of cutoff laws that are formed within the deep trough, characteristics of Rossby wave breaking, is also seen in the ozone horizontal distribution at different pressure levels during the events. The reconstruction of signals with the cycle of 5.8 days has shown that the time and strength of enhancement depend on the circulation patterns dictated by planetary-scale flow relative to the

Suggested posthypnotic amnesia in psychiatric patients and normals.

PubMed

Frischholz, Edward J; Lipman, Laurie S; Braun, Bennett G; Sachs, Roberta

2015-01-01

The present study examined both quantitative and qualitative hypnotizability differences among four psychiatric patient groups (dissociative disorder (n = 17), schizophrenic (n = 13), mood disorder (n = 14), and anxiety disorder (n = 14) patients), and normals (college students (n = 63)). Dissociative disorder patients earned significantly higher corrected total scores on the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (mean = 7.94), than all other groups. Likewise, dissociative disorder patients initially recalled significantly fewer items when the posthypnotic amnesia suggestion was in effect (mean = .41) and reversed significantly more items when the suggestion was canceled (mean = 3.82) than all other groups. In contrast, schizophrenic patients recalled significantly fewer items when the amnesia suggestion was in effect (mean = 1.85) and reversed significantly fewer items when it was canceled (mean = .77) than the remaining groups. This qualitative difference between schizophrenic patients and the other groups on the suggested posthypnotic amnesia item was observed even though there were no significant quantitative differences between groups in overall hypnotic responsivity.

Evidence suggesting a point source exposure in an outbreak of bovine abortion due to neosporosis.

PubMed

McAllister, M M; Huffman, E M; Hietala, S K; Conrad, P A; Anderson, M L; Salman, M D

1996-07-01

A Holstein dairy farm suffered an abortion outbreak due to neosporosis. Abortion losses were > 18%. Cows with the highest Neospora antibody titers were at the greatest risk of aborting. Mummified fetuses were found after the 43rd day of the outbreak. The epidemic curve was suggestive of a point source exposure, which is consistent with the hypothesis that Neospora can be spread by a definitive host.

The Tropopause Inversion Layer: New Observations, New Theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tandon, N.; Randel, W. J.; Pan, L.; Son, S.; Polvani, L. M.

2009-12-01

There is now great interest in the tropopause inversion inversion layer (TIL), a 1-2 km region just above the tropopause where there is a spike in static stability. Radio occultation data from the COSMIC GPS mission are providing an unprecedented level of spatial and temporal resolution with which to analyze the TIL. We start by showing the agreement between GPS data and radiosondes. We then examine the causes and consequences of the TIL. Observations from the ACE satellite and fixed dynamical heating calculations suggest strong roles for water vapor and ozone in the formation and modulation of the TIL. This agrees with observations showing a large TIL in the polar winter, where water vapor levels are persistently high. It is also clear that TIL strength is related to vorticity, but observations and models have important differences that need to be reconciled. These dynamical considerations dovetail with observations showing high TIL variability in the storm-track regions. Finally there is evidence from ozonesonde data that the TIL may be coupled to transport across the tropopause.

Emergent lineages of mumps virus suggest the need for a polyvalent vaccine.

PubMed

May, Meghan; Rieder, Courtney A; Rowe, Rebecca J

2018-01-01

Mumps outbreaks among vaccinated patients have become increasingly common in recent years. While there are multiple conditions driving this re-emergence, convention has suggested that these outbreaks are associated with waning immunity rather than vaccine escape. Molecular evidence from both the ongoing American and Dutch outbreaks in conjunction with recent structural biology studies challenge this convention, and suggest that emergent lineages of mumps virus exhibit key differences in antigenic epitopes from the vaccine strain employed: Jeryl-Lynn 5. The American and Dutch 2016-2017 outbreak lineages were examined using computational biology through the lens of diversity in immunogenic epitopes. Findings are discussed and the laboratory evidence indicating neutralization of heterologous mumps strains by serum from vaccinated individuals is reviewed. Taken together, it is concluded that the number of heterologous epitopes occurring in mumps virus in conjunction with waning immunity is facilitating small outbreaks in vaccinated patients, and that consideration of a polyvalent mumps vaccine is warranted. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 2: evidence for cavity flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fandel, Christina L.; Lippmann, Thomas C.; Foster, Diane L.; Brothers, Laura L.

2017-01-01

Pockmark flow circulation patterns were investigated through current measurements along the rim and center of two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine. Observed time-varying current profiles have a complex vertical and directional structure that rotates significantly with depth and is strongly dependent on the phase of the tide. Observations of the vertical profiles of horizontal velocities in relation to relative geometric parameters of the pockmark are consistent with circulation patterns described qualitatively by cavity flow models (Ashcroft and Zhang 2005). The time-mean behavior of the shear layer is typically used to characterize cavity flow, and was estimated using vorticity thickness to quantify the growth rate of the shear layer horizontally across the pockmark. Estimated positive vorticity thickness spreading rates are consistent with cavity flow predictions, and occur at largely different rates between the two pockmarks. Previously modeled flow (Brothers et al. 2011) and laboratory measurements (Pau et al. 2014) over pockmarks of similar geometry to those examined herein are also qualitatively consistent with cavity flow circulation, suggesting that cavity flow may be a good first-order flow model for pockmarks in general.

Advancing Implementation of Evidence-Based Public Health in China: An Assessment of the Current Situation and Suggestions for Developing Regions.

PubMed

Shi, Jianwei; Jiang, Chenghua; Tan, Duxun; Yu, Dehua; Lu, Yuan; Sun, Pengfei; Pan, Ying; Zhang, Hanzhi; Wang, Zhaoxin; Yang, Beilei

2016-01-01

Objective. Existing research shows a serious scarcity of EBPH practice in China and other developing regions; as an exploratory study, this study aimed to assess the current EBPH implementation status in Shanghai of China qualitatively. Methods. Using semistructured key informant interviews, we examined the status of and impediments to the lagging EBPH in China. Data were analyzed based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Results. Chinese public health practitioners knew more about evidence-based medicine but less about EBPH. The situation was worse in community healthcare centers. Participants perceived that evidence sources were limited and the quality of evidence was low. Concerning the inner setting factors, the structural characteristics, networks and communications, implementation climate, and leadership engagement were confronted with many problems. Among the outer setting factors, external government policies and incentives and low patient compliance were the key problems. Additionally, public health practitioners in Shanghai lacked sufficient awareness of EBPH. Furthermore, the current project-based EBPH lacks a systematic implementation system. Conclusions. Existing practical perspectives on EBPH indicate a lag in the advocacy of this new ideology in China. It would be advisable for healthcare institutions to take the initiative to explore feasible and multiple methods of EBPH promotion.

Review of the Evidence from Epidemiology, Toxicology, and Lung Bioavailability on the Carcinogenicity of Inhaled Iron Oxide Particulates.

PubMed

Pease, Camilla; Rücker, Thomas; Birk, Thomas

2016-03-21

Since the iron-age and throughout the industrial age, humans have been exposed to iron oxides. Here, we review the evidence from epidemiology, toxicology, and lung bioavailability as to whether iron oxides are likely to act as human lung carcinogens. Current evidence suggests that observed lung tumors in rats result from a generic particle overload effect and local inflammation that is rat-specific under the dosing conditions of intratracheal instillation. This mode of action therefore, is not relevant to human exposure. However, there are emerging differences seen in vitro, in cell uptake and cell bioavailability between "bulk" iron oxides and "nano" iron oxides. "Bulk" particulates, as defined here, are those where greater than 70% are >100 nm in diameter. Similarly, "nano" iron oxides are defined in this context as particulates where the majority, usually >95% for pure engineered forms of primary particulates (not agglomerates), fall in the range 1-100 nm in diameter. From the weight of scientific evidence, "bulk" iron oxides are not genotoxic/mutagenic. Recent evidence for "nano" iron oxide is conflicting regarding genotoxic potential, albeit genotoxicity was not observed in an in vivo acute oral dose study, and "nano" iron oxides are considered safe and are being investigated for biomedical uses; there is no specific in vivo genotoxicity study on "nano" iron oxides via inhalation. Some evidence is available that suggests, hypothetically due to the larger surface area of "nano" iron oxide particulates, that toxicity could be exerted via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cell. However, the potential for ROS generation as a basis for explaining rodent tumorigenicity is only apparent if free iron from intracellular "nano" scale iron oxide becomes bioavailable at significant levels inside the cell. This would not be expected from "bulk" iron oxide particulates. Furthermore, human epidemiological evidence from a number of studies suggests that

Observation intervention: time for an overview.

PubMed

Kettles, A M; Addo, M A

2009-11-01

This paper aims to illustrate the nature and extent of research and development work related to observation practice over the last 28 years. It aims to show both local Scottish work and the National picture, how there is still a lack of research evidence despite all the work that has taken place and what needs to be performed to explore observation practice for the future. It is not intended to be a literature review in the traditional sense. Observation has not been studied enough to know the continuing ever-changing picture of what goes on in the reality of practice. There are now studies examining observation but none of these are 'gold standard' randomized controlled trials; some are quantitative and some are qualitative audit or guidelines all based at a lower level in research evidence terms. The time has come to take the evidence base to the next level through evaluative research.

Observational Learning without a Model Is Influenced by the Observer's Possibility to Act: Evidence from the Simon Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iani, Cristina; Rubichi, Sandro; Ferraro, Luca; Nicoletti, Roberto; Gallese, Vittorio

2013-01-01

We assessed whether observational learning in perceptual-motor tasks is affected by the visibility of an action producing perceived environmental effects and by the observer's possibility to act during observation. To this end, we conducted three experiments in which participants were required to observe a spatial compatibility task in which only…

The Interaction Between Thyroid and Kidney Disease: An Overview of the Evidence

PubMed Central

Rhee, Connie M.

2016-01-01

Purpose of Review Hypothyroidism is highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, including those receiving dialysis. This review examines potential mechanistic links between thyroid and kidney disease; current evidence for hypothyroidism as a risk factor for de novo CKD and CKD progression; and studies of thyroid functional disorders, cardiovascular disease, and death in the CKD population. Recent Findings Epidemiologic data have demonstrated an incrementally higher prevalence of hypothyroidism with increasing severity of kidney dysfunction. Various thyroid functional test abnormalities are also commonly observed in CKD, due to alterations in thyroid hormone synthesis, metabolism, and regulation. While the mechanistic link between thyroid and kidney disease remains unclear, observational studies suggest hypothyroidism is associated with abnormal kidney structure and function. Previously thought to be a physiologic adaptation, recent studies show that hypothyroidism is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death in CKD. Summary A growing body of evidence suggests that hypothyroidism is a risk factor for incident CKD, CKD progression, and higher death risk in kidney disease patients. Rigorous studies are needed to determine impact of thyroid hormone replacement upon kidney disease progression, cardiovascular disease, and mortality, which may shed light into the causal implications of hypothyroidism in CKD. PMID:27428519

Intraplate triggered earthquakes: Observations and interpretation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hough, S.E.; Seeber, L.; Armbruster, J.G.

2003-01-01

We present evidence that at least two of the three 1811-1812 New Madrid, central United States, mainshocks and the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake triggered earthquakes at regional distances. In addition to previously published evidence for triggered earthquakes in the northern Kentucky/southern Ohio region in 1812, we present evidence suggesting that triggered events might have occurred in the Wabash Valley, to the south of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, and near Charleston, South Carolina. We also discuss evidence that earthquakes might have been triggered in northern Kentucky within seconds of the passage of surface waves from the 23 January 1812 New Madrid mainshock. After the 1886 Charleston earthquake, accounts suggest that triggered events occurred near Moodus, Connecticut, and in southern Indiana. Notwithstanding the uncertainty associated with analysis of historical accounts, there is evidence that at least three out of the four known Mw 7 earthquakes in the central and eastern United States seem to have triggered earthquakes at distances beyond the typically assumed aftershock zone of 1-2 mainshock fault lengths. We explore the possibility that remotely triggered earthquakes might be common in low-strain-rate regions. We suggest that in a low-strain-rate environment, permanent, nonelastic deformation might play a more important role in stress accumulation than it does in interplate crust. Using a simple model incorporating elastic and anelastic strain release, we show that, for realistic parameter values, faults in intraplate crust remain close to their failure stress for a longer part of the earthquake cycle than do faults in high-strain-rate regions. Our results further suggest that remotely triggered earthquakes occur preferentially in regions of recent and/or future seismic activity, which suggests that faults are at a critical stress state in only some areas. Remotely triggered earthquakes may thus serve as beacons that identify regions of

Mercury's Seasonal Sodium Exosphere: MESSENGER Orbital Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassidy, Timothy A.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Burger, Matthew H.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.

2014-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury provides the first close-up look at the planet's sodium exosphere. UVVS has observed the exosphere from orbit almost daily for over 10 Mercury years. In this paper we describe and analyze a subset of these data: altitude profiles taken above the low-latitude dayside and south pole. The observations show spatial and temporal variation but there is little or no year-to-year variation; we do not see the episodic variability reported by ground-based observers. We used these altitude profiles to make estimates of sodium density and temperature. The bulk of the exosphere is about 1200 K, much warmer than Mercury's surface. This value is consistent with some ground-based measurements and suggests that photon-stimulated desorption is the primary ejection process. We also observe a tenuous energetic component but do not see evidence of the predicted thermalized (or partially thermalized) sodium near Mercury's surface temperature. Overall we do not see the variable mixture of temperatures predicted by most Monte Carlo models of the exosphere.

Long-Term Empirical and Observational Evidence of Practical Helicoverpa zea Resistance to Cotton With Pyramided Bt Toxins.

PubMed

Reisig, Dominic D; Huseth, Anders S; Bacheler, Jack S; Aghaee, Mohammad-Amir; Braswell, Lewis; Burrack, Hannah J; Flanders, Kathy; Greene, Jeremy K; Herbert, D Ames; Jacobson, Alana; Paula-Moraes, Silvana V; Roberts, Phillip; Taylor, Sally V

2018-04-16

Evidence of practical resistance of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Bt cotton in the United States is debatable, supported with occasional reports of boll damage in the field. Our objective was to provide both empirical and long-term observational evidence of practical resistance by linking both in-season and end-of-season measurements of H. zea damage to pyramided Bt cotton bolls and to provide Cry1Ac diet-based bioassay data in support of these damage estimates. In-season boll damage from H. zea was highly correlated to end-of-season damaged bolls. Across North Carolina, Bt cotton fields with end-of-season bolls damaged by H. zea increased during 2016 compared to previous years. Elevated damage was coupled with an increase in field sprays targeting H. zea during 2016, but not related to an increase in H. zea abundance. Bioassay data indicated that there was a range of Cry1Ac susceptibility across the southeastern United States. Given the range of susceptibility to Cry1Ac across the southeastern United States, it is probable that resistant populations are common. Since H. zea is resistant to cotton expressing pyramided Cry toxins, the adoption of new cotton varieties expressing Vip3Aa will be rapid. Efforts should be made to delay resistance of H. zea to the Vip3Aa toxin to avoid foliar insecticide use.

Weak interspecific interactions in a sagebrush steppe? Conflicting evidence from observations and experiments.

PubMed

Adler, Peter B; Kleinhesselink, Andrew; Giles, Hooker; Taylor, J Bret; Teller, Brittany; Ellner, Stephen P

2018-04-28

Stable coexistence requires intraspecific limitations to be stronger than interspecific limitations. The greater the difference between intra- and interspecific limitations, the more stable the coexistence, and the weaker the competitive release any species should experience following removal of competitors. We conducted a removal experiment to test whether a previously estimated model, showing surprisingly weak interspecific competition for four dominant species in a sagebrush steppe, accurately predicts competitive release. Our treatments were 1) removal of all perennial grasses and 2) removal of the dominant shrub, Artemisia tripartita. We regressed survival, growth and recruitment on the locations, sizes, and species identities of neighboring plants, along with an indicator variable for removal treatment. If our "baseline" regression model, which accounts for local plant-plant interactions, accurately explains the observed responses to removals, then the removal coefficient should be non-significant. For survival, the removal coefficients were never significantly different from zero, and only A. tripartita showed a (negative) response to removals at the recruitment stage. For growth, the removal treatment effect was significant and positive for two species, Poa secunda and Pseudoroegneria spicata, indicating that the baseline model underestimated interspecific competition. For all three grass species, population models based on the vital rate regressions that included removal effects projected 1.4 to 3-fold increases in equilibrium population size relative to the baseline model (no removal effects). However, we found no evidence of higher response to removal in quadrats with higher pretreatment cover of A. tripartita, or by plants experiencing higher pre-treatment crowding by A. tripartita, raising questions about the mechanisms driving the positive response to removal. While our results show the value of combining observations with a simple removal experiment

Integrating the Desegregated School: Some Observations and Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virag, Wayne F.

The problem of the desegregation process in public schools, beginning with the Supreme Court decision Brown v the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, is that it is conceived of as an artificial climate imposed by ratios and busing rather than a learning situation wherein ethnocentricity is developed as a positive attribute. Integration, however,…

Cassini evidence for rapid interchange transport at Saturn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rymer, A. M.; Mauk, B. H.; Hill, T. W.; André, N.; Mitchell, D. G.; Paranicas, C.; Young, D. T.; Smith, H. T.; Persoon, A. M.; Menietti, J. D.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Coates, A. J.; Dougherty, M. K.

2009-12-01

During its tour Cassini has observed numerous plasma injection events in Saturn's inner magnetosphere. Here, we present a case study of one "young" plasma bubble observed when Cassini was in the equatorial plane. The bubble was observed in the equatorial plane at ˜7 Saturn radii from Saturn and had a maximum azimuthal extent of ˜0.25 Rs (Rs=Saturn radius ˜60330 km). We show that the electron density inside the event is lower by a factor ˜3 and the electron temperature higher by over an order of magnitude compared to its surroundings. The injection contains slightly increased magnetic field magnitude of 49 nT compared with a background field of 46 nT. Modelling of pitch angle distributions inside the plasma bubble and measurements of plasma drift provide a novel way to estimate that the bubble originated between 9< L<11 and had an average radial propagation speed of ˜260+60/-70 km s -1. An independent estimate of the speed of the injection following theoretical work of Pontius et al. [1986. Steady State Plasma transport in a Corotation-Dominated Magnetosphere. Geophys. Res. Lett. 13(11), 1097-1100] based on the mass per unit flux gives a maximum radial propagation speeds of 140 km s -1. These results are similar to those found by Thorne et al. [1997. Galileo evidence for rapid interchange transport in the Io torus. Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 2131] for one event observed in Jupiter's magnetosphere near Io. We therefore suggest this is evidence of the same process operating at both planets.

Water and ice on Mars: Evidence from Valles Marineris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucchitta, B. K.

1987-01-01

An important contribution to the volatile history of Mars comes from a study of Valles Marineris, where stereoimages and a 3-D view of the upper Martian crust permit unusual insights. The evidence that ground water and ice existed until relatively recently or still exist in the equatorial area comes from observations of landslides, wall rock, and dark volcanic vents. Valles Marineris landslides are different in efficiency from large catastrophic landslides on Earth. One explanation for the difference might be that the Martian slides are lubricated by water. A comparison of landslide speeds also suggests that the Martian slides contain water. That Valles Marineris wall rock contained water or ice is further suggested by its difference from the interior layered deposits. Faults and fault zones in Valles Marineris also shed light on the problem of water content in the walls. Because the main evidence for water and ice in the wall rock comes from slides, their time of emplacement is important. The slides in Valles Marineris date from the time of late eruptions of the Tharsis volcanoes and thus were emplaced after the major activity of Martian outflow channels.

Placebo-suggestion modulates conflict resolution in the Stroop Task.

PubMed

Magalhães De Saldanha da Gama, Pedro A; Slama, Hichem; Caspar, Emilie A; Gevers, Wim; Cleeremans, Axel

2013-01-01

Here, we ask whether placebo-suggestion (without any form of hypnotic induction) can modulate the resolution of cognitive conflict. Naïve participants performed a Stroop Task while wearing an EEG cap described as a "brain wave" machine. In Experiment 1, participants were made to believe that the EEG cap would either enhance or decrease their color perception and performance on the Stroop task. In Experiment 2, participants were explicitly asked to imagine that their color perception and performance would be enhanced or decreased (non-hypnotic imaginative suggestion). We observed effects of placebo-suggestion on Stroop interference on accuracy: interference was decreased with positive suggestion and increased with negative suggestion compared to baseline. Intra-individual variability was also increased under negative suggestion compared to baseline. Compliance with the instruction to imagine a modulation of performance, on the other hand, did not influence accuracy and only had a negative impact on response latencies and on intra-individual variability, especially in the congruent condition of the Stroop Task. Taken together, these results demonstrate that expectations induced by a placebo-suggestion can modulate our ability to resolve cognitive conflict, either facilitating or impairing response accuracy depending on the suggestion's contents. Our results also demonstrate a dissociation between placebo-suggestion and non-hypnotic imaginative suggestion.

Meaningful use of health information technology: evidence suggests benefits and challenges lie ahead.

PubMed

Furukawa, Michael F; Poon, Eric

2011-12-01

Less than 3 years into the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, measurable results are emerging. For example, in the first 11 months during which healthcare providers ("eligible professionals") and acute care hospitals ("eligible hospitals") had the opportunity to demonstrate stage 1 "Meaningful Use" of Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), more than 20,000 "eligible professionals" and 750 "eligible hospitals" have done so. In the current issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, we showcase examples of HITECH's potential impact, as well as illustrate the opportunities and challenges ahead. Two studies in this issue illustrate how HIT can improve the capacity of our healthcare system to manage chronic illnesses. The study by Vollmer et al describes how an interactive voice recognition system can improve adherence to inhaled corticosteroids among individuals with asthma in a large health maintenance organization. Shelley's study shows that the combination of electronic medical records, clinical decision support, and performance feedback can improve the rate of blood pressure control in patients with hypertension who receive care in community health centers. Together, these studies provide hope that the nation's investment in HIT could one day yield clinical dividends. Three other studies in this issue suggest that success for HIT will require attention to both technological and sociological factors. The study by Millery et al attributes the success of an HIT-based intervention to a multi-faceted approach that involves a combination of decision support tools, systematic provider feedback, implementation support, and leadership. Results from Abramson's study suggest that the full error-reduction potential of e-prescribing may only be reached with the combination of on-line clinical decision support and support for clinicians. The study by

Observational evidence of dust evolution in galactic extinction curves

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

Cecchi-Pestellini, Cesare; Casu, Silvia; Mulas, Giacomo

Although structural and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbons are known to respond to varying physical conditions, most conventional extinction models are basically curve fits with modest predictive power. We compare an evolutionary model of the physical properties of carbonaceous grain mantles with their determination by homogeneously fitting observationally derived Galactic extinction curves with the same physically well-defined dust model. We find that a large sample of observed Galactic extinction curves are compatible with the evolutionary scenario underlying such a model, requiring physical conditions fully consistent with standard density, temperature, radiation field intensity, and average age of diffuse interstellar clouds.more » Hence, through the study of interstellar extinction we may, in principle, understand the evolutionary history of the diffuse interstellar clouds.« less

Waddell non-organic signs: new evidence suggests somatic amplification among outpatient chronic pain patients.

PubMed

Wygant, Dustin B; Arbisi, Paul A; Bianchini, Kevin J; Umlauf, Robert L

2017-04-01

Waddell et al. identified a set of eight non-organic signs in 1980. There has been controversy about their meaning, particularly with respect to their use as validity indicators. The current study examined the Waddell signs in relation to measures of somatic amplification or over-reporting in a sample of outpatient chronic pain patients. We examined the degree to which these signs were associated with measures of over-reporting. This study examined scores on the Waddell signs in relation to over-reporting indicators in an outpatient chronic pain sample. We examined 230 chronic pain patients treated at a multidisciplinary pain clinic. The majority of these patients presented with primary back or spinal injuries. The outcome measures used in the study were Waddell signs, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, Pain Disability Index, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form. We examined Waddell signs using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), receiver operating characteristic analysis, classification accuracy, and relative risk ratios. Multivariate analysis of variance and ANOVA showed a significant association between Waddell signs and somatic amplification. Classification analyses showed increased odds of somatic amplification at a Waddell score of 2 or 3. Our results found significant evidence of an association between Waddell signs and somatic over-reporting. Elevated scores on the Waddell signs (particularly scores higher than 2 and 3) were associated with increased odds of exhibiting somatic over-reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Breaking bad news in the emergency room: Suggestions and future challenges].

PubMed

Landa-Ramírez, Edgar; López-Gómez, Antonio; Jiménez-Escobar, Irma; Sánchez-Sosa, Juan José

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe educational programs that reportedly teach how to break bad news in the emergency department. We also suggest some recommendations on how to communicate bad news based on the research of evidence available in the field. The examined evidence points toward six major components with which physicians should familiarize when communicating bad news: 1) doctor-patient empathic communication, 2) establishing a proper space to give the news, 3) identifying characteristics of the person who receives the news, 4) essential aspects for communicating the news; 5) emotional support, and 6) medical and administrative aspects of the encounter. Finally, we point out several limitations in the studies in the field and future challenges identified in the communication of bad news in emergency room facilities.

Discrete response patterns in the upper range of hypnotic suggestibility: A latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Terhune, Devin Blair

2015-05-01

High hypnotic suggestibility is a heterogeneous condition and there is accumulating evidence that highly suggestible individuals may be comprised of discrete subtypes with dissimilar cognitive and phenomenological profiles. This study applied latent profile analysis to response patterns on a diverse battery of difficult hypnotic suggestions in a sample of individuals in the upper range of hypnotic suggestibility. Comparisons among models indicated that a four-class model was optimal. One class was comprised of very highly suggestible (virtuoso) participants, two classes included highly suggestible participants who were alternately more responsive to inhibitory cognitive suggestions or posthypnotic amnesia suggestions, and the fourth class consisted primarily of medium suggestible participants. These results indicate that there are discrete response profiles in high hypnotic suggestibility. They further provide a number of insights regarding the optimization of hypnotic suggestibility measurement and have implications for the instrumental use of hypnosis for the modeling of different psychological conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mercury's Seasonal Sodium Exosphere: MESSENGER Orbital Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassidy, Timothy A.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2014-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury provides the first close-up look at the planet's sodium exosphere. UVVS has observed the exosphere from orbit almost daily for over 10 Mercury years. In this paper we describe and analyze a subset of these data: altitude profiles taken above the low-latitude dayside and south pole. The observations show spatial and temporal variations, but there are no obvious year-to-year variations in most of the observations. We do not see the episodic variability reported by some ground-based observers. We used these altitude profiles to make estimates of sodium density and temperature. The bulk of the exosphere, at about 1200 K, is much warmer than Mercury's surface. This value is consistent with some ground-based measurements and suggests that photon-stimulated desorption is the primary ejection process. We also observe a tenuous energetic component but do not see evidence of the predicted thermalized (or partially thermalized) sodium near Mercury's surface temperature. Overall we do not see the variable mixture of temperatures predicted by most Monte Carlo models of the exosphere.

Income inequality, poverty, and population health: evidence from recent data for the United States.

PubMed

Ram, Rati

2005-12-01

In this study, state-level US data for the years 2000 and 1990 are used to provide additional evidence on the roles of income inequality and poverty in population health. Five main points are noted. First, contrary to the suggestion made in several recent studies, the income inequality parameter is observed to be quite robust and carries statistical significance in mortality equations estimated from several observation sets and a fairly wide variety of specificational choices. Second, the evidence does not indicate that significance of income inequality is lost when education variables are included. Third, similarly, the income inequality parameter shows significance when a race variable is added, and also when both race and urbanization terms are entered. Fourth, while poverty is seen to have some mortality-increasing consequence, the role of income inequality appears stronger. Fifth, income inequality retains statistical significance when a quadratic income term is added and also if the log-log version of a fairly inclusive model is estimated. I therefore suggest that the recent skepticism articulated by several scholars in regard to the robustness of the income inequality parameters in mortality equations estimated from the US data should be reconsidered.

Direct observation limits on antimatter gravitation

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

Fischler, Mark; Lykken, Joe; Roberts, Tom

2008-06-01

The proposed Antihydrogen Gravity experiment at Fermilab (P981) will directly measure the gravitational attraction g between antihydrogen and the Earth, with an accuracy of 1% or better. The following key question has been asked by the PAC: Is a possible 1% difference between g and g already ruled out by other evidence? This memo presents the key points of existing evidence, to answer whether such a difference is ruled out (a) on the basis of direct observational evidence; and/or (b) on the basis of indirect evidence, combined with reasoning based on strongly held theoretical assumptions. The bottom line is thatmore » there are no direct observations or measurements of gravitational asymmetry which address the antimatter sector. There is evidence which by indirect reasoning can be taken to rule out such a difference, but the analysis needed to draw that conclusion rests on models and assumptions which are in question for other reasons and are thus worth testing. There is no compelling evidence or theoretical reason to rule out such a difference at the 1% level.« less

HiRISE Observations of the Polar Regions of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herkenhoff, K. E.; Byrne, S.; Fishbaugh, K.; Russell, P.; Fortezzo, C.; McEwen, A.

2008-12-01

Digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from MRO HiRISE stereo images allow meter-scale topographic measurements in the north polar layered deposits (NPLD) and distinction of slope vs. albedo effects on apparent brightness of individual layers. HiRISE images do not show thin layers at the limit of resolution. Rather, fine layering, if it exists, appears to have been obscured by a more dust-rich mantling deposit which shows signs of eolian erosion and slumping. Stratigraphic sequences within the NPLD appear to be repeated within exposures observed by HiRISE, indicative of a record of periodic climate changes. Granular flows sourced from within the dark, basal unit are suggestive of, but do not require, the presence of water during their formation. Active mass wasting of frost and dust has been observed on steep NPLD scarps in early spring, similar to dry, loose snow avalanches on terrestrial slopes. Bright and dark streaks are seen to evolve during the northern summer, evidence for active eolian redistribution of frost and perhaps dark (non- volatile) material. Relatively dark reddish patches observed within the north polar residual cap during the summer indicate that the cap is very thin (<1 m) or more transparent in places. HiRISE images of exposures of the south polar layered deposits (SPLD) show rectilinear fractures that are continuous across several layers and whose orientation is not affected by the topography of the exposure, suggesting that they were formed before erosion of the SPLD. They appear to extend laterally and vertically through the SPLD, like a joint set. While NPLD tectonism appears limited to isolated grabens, several faults have been observed by HiRISE in the SPLD, showing structural details including reverse fault splays that merge into bedding planes and possible evidence for thrust duplication. The faults may be the result of basal sliding (decollements) ramping into thrust faults near the margin of the SPLD.

Biomechanical evidence suggests extensive eggshell thinning during incubation in the Sanagasta titanosaur dinosaurs

PubMed Central

Taborda, Jeremías R. A.; Fiorelli, Lucas E.; Grellet-Tinner, Gerald

2018-01-01

The reproduction of titanosaur dinosaurs is still a complex and debated topic. Their Late Cretaceous nesting sites are distributed worldwide and their eggs display substantial morphological variations according to the parent species. In contrast to the typical 1.3–2.0 mm thick shells common to eggs of most titanosaur species (e.g., those that nested in Auca Mahuevo, Tama, Toteşti or Boseong), the Cretaceous Sanagasta eggs of Argentina display an unusual shell thickness of up to 7.9 mm. Their oviposition was synchronous with a palaeogeothermal process, leading to the hypothesis that their extra thick eggshell was an adaptation to this particular nesting environment. Although this hypothesis has already been supported indirectly through several investigations, the mechanical implications of developing such thick shells and how this might have affected the success of hatching remains untested. Finite element analyses estimate that the breaking point of the thick-shelled Sanagasta eggs is 14–45 times higher than for other smaller and equally sized titanosaur eggs. The considerable energetic disadvantage for piping through these thick eggshells suggests that their dissolution during incubation would have been paramount for a successful hatching.

Placebo-Suggestion Modulates Conflict Resolution in the Stroop Task

PubMed Central

Caspar, Emilie A.; Gevers, Wim; Cleeremans, Axel

2013-01-01

Here, we ask whether placebo-suggestion (without any form of hypnotic induction) can modulate the resolution of cognitive conflict. Naïve participants performed a Stroop Task while wearing an EEG cap described as a “brain wave” machine. In Experiment 1, participants were made to believe that the EEG cap would either enhance or decrease their color perception and performance on the Stroop task. In Experiment 2, participants were explicitly asked to imagine that their color perception and performance would be enhanced or decreased (non-hypnotic imaginative suggestion). We observed effects of placebo-suggestion on Stroop interference on accuracy: interference was decreased with positive suggestion and increased with negative suggestion compared to baseline. Intra-individual variability was also increased under negative suggestion compared to baseline. Compliance with the instruction to imagine a modulation of performance, on the other hand, did not influence accuracy and only had a negative impact on response latencies and on intra-individual variability, especially in the congruent condition of the Stroop Task. Taken together, these results demonstrate that expectations induced by a placebo-suggestion can modulate our ability to resolve cognitive conflict, either facilitating or impairing response accuracy depending on the suggestion’s contents. Our results also demonstrate a dissociation between placebo-suggestion and non-hypnotic imaginative suggestion. PMID:24130735

Using suggestion to model different types of automatic writing.

PubMed

Walsh, E; Mehta, M A; Oakley, D A; Guilmette, D N; Gabay, A; Halligan, P W; Deeley, Q

2014-05-01

Our sense of self includes awareness of our thoughts and movements, and our control over them. This feeling can be altered or lost in neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in phenomena such as "automatic writing" whereby writing is attributed to an external source. Here, we employed suggestion in highly hypnotically suggestible participants to model various experiences of automatic writing during a sentence completion task. Results showed that the induction of hypnosis, without additional suggestion, was associated with a small but significant reduction of control, ownership, and awareness for writing. Targeted suggestions produced a double dissociation between thought and movement components of writing, for both feelings of control and ownership, and additionally, reduced awareness of writing. Overall, suggestion produced selective alterations in the control, ownership, and awareness of thought and motor components of writing, thus enabling key aspects of automatic writing, observed across different clinical and cultural settings, to be modelled. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Kepler K2 observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, M. R.; Clark, C. J.; Voisin, G.; Breton, R. P.

2018-06-01

For 80 d in 2017, the Kepler Space Telescope continuously observed the transitional millisecond pulsar system PSR J1023+0038 in its accreting state. We present analyses of the 59-s cadence data, focusing on investigations of the orbital light curve of the irradiated companion star and of flaring activity in the neutron star's accretion disc. The underlying orbital modulation from the companion star retains a similar amplitude and asymmetric heating profile as seen in previous photometric observations of the system in its radio pulsar state, suggesting that the heating mechanism has not been affected by the state change. We also find tentative evidence that this asymmetry may vary with time. The light curve also exhibits `flickering' activity, evident as short time-scale flux correlations throughout the observations, and periods of rapid mode-switching activity on time-scales shorter than the observation cadence. Finally, the system spent ˜ 20 per cent of the observations in a flaring state, with the length of these flares varying from <2 min up to several hours. The flaring behaviour is consistent with a self-organized criticality mechanism, most likely related to the build-up and release of mass at the inner edge of the accretion disc.

Child witnesses: a study of memory and suggestibility.

PubMed

Grattagliano, I; Berlingerio, I; Lisi, A; Carabellese, F; Catanesi, R

2013-01-01

To investigate the influence of various factors on the ability of primary school children (aged 6-9 years) to refer an event that occurred during their life. The factors analyzed were: the time since the event occurred; the role the child had in the event; the type of questions asked to elicit the account. The results of this research indicate that 52.4% of 6-year old children are able to describe the main elements of the event if they are allowed to give a free account. Asking direct questions does not improve the quality of the narrative. By contrast, in 9-year-old children the quantity of data collected is improved if direct questions are asked. A role as a participant in the event improves the quality of the child's evidence but only in the group of children aged 9, whereas in younger children the difference is not significant. At the age of 9, the child's resistance to leading questions is already quite good (40.7%), whereas children of 6 are much more suggestible. The Authors conclude this work by making some reflections on the possible use of these findings in Law Courts, and on the need for a highly specific training of experts involved in the task of collecting evidence from young children.

Hitting Is Contagious in Baseball: Evidence from Long Hitting Streaks

PubMed Central

Bock, Joel R.; Maewal, Akhilesh; Gough, David A.

2012-01-01

Data analysis is used to test the hypothesis that “hitting is contagious”. A statistical model is described to study the effect of a hot hitter upon his teammates’ batting during a consecutive game hitting streak. Box score data for entire seasons comprising streaks of length games, including a total observations were compiled. Treatment and control sample groups () were constructed from core lineups of players on the streaking batter’s team. The percentile method bootstrap was used to calculate confidence intervals for statistics representing differences in the mean distributions of two batting statistics between groups. Batters in the treatment group (hot streak active) showed statistically significant improvements in hitting performance, as compared against the control. Mean for the treatment group was found to be to percentage points higher during hot streaks (mean difference increased points), while the batting heat index introduced here was observed to increase by points. For each performance statistic, the null hypothesis was rejected at the significance level. We conclude that the evidence suggests the potential existence of a “statistical contagion effect”. Psychological mechanisms essential to the empirical results are suggested, as several studies from the scientific literature lend credence to contagious phenomena in sports. Causal inference from these results is difficult, but we suggest and discuss several latent variables that may contribute to the observed results, and offer possible directions for future research. PMID:23251507

Observations and Numerical Models of Solar Coronal Heating Associated with Spicules

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

Pontieu, B. De; Martinez-Sykora, J.; Moortel, I. De

Spicules have been proposed as significant contributors to the mass and energy balance of the corona. While previous observations have provided a glimpse of short-lived transient brightenings in the corona that are associated with spicules, these observations have been contested and are the subject of a vigorous debate both on the modeling and the observational side. Therefore, it remains unclear whether plasma is heated to coronal temperatures in association with spicules. We use high-resolution observations of the chromosphere and transition region (TR) with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and of the corona with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board themore » Solar Dynamics Observatory to show evidence of the formation of coronal structures associated with spicular mass ejections and heating of plasma to TR and coronal temperatures. Our observations suggest that a significant fraction of the highly dynamic loop fan environment associated with plage regions may be the result of the formation of such new coronal strands, a process that previously had been interpreted as the propagation of transient propagating coronal disturbances. Our observations are supported by 2.5D radiative MHD simulations that show heating to coronal temperatures in association with spicules. Our results suggest that heating and strong flows play an important role in maintaining the substructure of loop fans, in addition to the waves that permeate this low coronal environment.« less

Genomewide Linkage Scan of 409 European-Ancestry and African American Families with Schizophrenia: Suggestive Evidence of Linkage at 8p23.3-p21.2 and 11p13.1-q14.1 in the Combined Sample

PubMed Central

Suarez, Brian K.; Duan, Jubao; Sanders, Alan R.; Hinrichs, Anthony L.; Jin, Carol H.; Hou, Cuiping; Buccola, Nancy G.; Hale, Nancy; Weilbaecher, Ann N.; Nertney, Deborah A.; Olincy, Ann; Green, Susan; Schaffer, Arthur W.; Smith, Christopher J.; Hannah, Dominique E.; Rice, John P.; Cox, Nancy J.; Martinez, Maria; Mowry, Bryan J.; Amin, Farooq; Silverman, Jeremy M.; Black, Donald W.; Byerley, William F.; Crowe, Raymond R.; Freedman, Robert; Cloninger, C. Robert; Levinson, Douglas F.; Gejman, Pablo V.

2006-01-01

We report the clinical characteristics of a schizophrenia sample of 409 pedigrees—263 of European ancestry (EA) and 146 of African American ancestry (AA)—together with the results of a genome scan (with a simple tandem repeat polymorphism interval of 9 cM) and follow-up fine mapping. A family was required to have a proband with schizophrenia (SZ) and one or more siblings of the proband with SZ or schizoaffective disorder. Linkage analyses included 403 independent full-sibling affected sibling pairs (ASPs) (279 EA and 124 AA) and 100 all-possible half-sibling ASPs (15 EA and 85 AA). Nonparametric multipoint linkage analysis of all families detected two regions with suggestive evidence of linkage at 8p23.3-q12 and 11p11.2-q22.3 (empirical Z likelihood-ratio score [Zlr] threshold ⩾2.65) and, in exploratory analyses, two other regions at 4p16.1-p15.32 in AA families and at 5p14.3-q11.2 in EA families. The most significant linkage peak was in chromosome 8p; its signal was mainly driven by the EA families. Zlr scores >2.0 in 8p were observed from 30.7 cM to 61.7 cM (Center for Inherited Disease Research map locations). The maximum evidence in the full sample was a multipoint Zlr of 3.25 (equivalent Kong-Cox LOD of 2.30) near D8S1771 (at 52 cM); there appeared to be two peaks, both telomeric to neuregulin 1 (NRG1). There is a paracentric inversion common in EA individuals within this region, the effect of which on the linkage evidence remains unknown in this and in other previously analyzed samples. Fine mapping of 8p did not significantly alter the significance or length of the peak. We also performed fine mapping of 4p16.3-p15.2, 5p15.2-q13.3, 10p15.3-p14, 10q25.3-q26.3, and 11p13-q23.3. The highest increase in Zlr scores was observed for 5p14.1-q12.1, where the maximum Zlr increased from 2.77 initially to 3.80 after fine mapping in the EA families. PMID:16400611

Genomewide linkage scan of 409 European-ancestry and African American families with schizophrenia: suggestive evidence of linkage at 8p23.3-p21.2 and 11p13.1-q14.1 in the combined sample.

PubMed

Suarez, Brian K; Duan, Jubao; Sanders, Alan R; Hinrichs, Anthony L; Jin, Carol H; Hou, Cuiping; Buccola, Nancy G; Hale, Nancy; Weilbaecher, Ann N; Nertney, Deborah A; Olincy, Ann; Green, Susan; Schaffer, Arthur W; Smith, Christopher J; Hannah, Dominique E; Rice, John P; Cox, Nancy J; Martinez, Maria; Mowry, Bryan J; Amin, Farooq; Silverman, Jeremy M; Black, Donald W; Byerley, William F; Crowe, Raymond R; Freedman, Robert; Cloninger, C Robert; Levinson, Douglas F; Gejman, Pablo V

2006-02-01

We report the clinical characteristics of a schizophrenia sample of 409 pedigrees--263 of European ancestry (EA) and 146 of African American ancestry (AA)--together with the results of a genome scan (with a simple tandem repeat polymorphism interval of 9 cM) and follow-up fine mapping. A family was required to have a proband with schizophrenia (SZ) and one or more siblings of the proband with SZ or schizoaffective disorder. Linkage analyses included 403 independent full-sibling affected sibling pairs (ASPs) (279 EA and 124 AA) and 100 all-possible half-sibling ASPs (15 EA and 85 AA). Nonparametric multipoint linkage analysis of all families detected two regions with suggestive evidence of linkage at 8p23.3-q12 and 11p11.2-q22.3 (empirical Z likelihood-ratio score [Z(lr)] threshold >/=2.65) and, in exploratory analyses, two other regions at 4p16.1-p15.32 in AA families and at 5p14.3-q11.2 in EA families. The most significant linkage peak was in chromosome 8p; its signal was mainly driven by the EA families. Z(lr) scores >2.0 in 8p were observed from 30.7 cM to 61.7 cM (Center for Inherited Disease Research map locations). The maximum evidence in the full sample was a multipoint Z(lr) of 3.25 (equivalent Kong-Cox LOD of 2.30) near D8S1771 (at 52 cM); there appeared to be two peaks, both telomeric to neuregulin 1 (NRG1). There is a paracentric inversion common in EA individuals within this region, the effect of which on the linkage evidence remains unknown in this and in other previously analyzed samples. Fine mapping of 8p did not significantly alter the significance or length of the peak. We also performed fine mapping of 4p16.3-p15.2, 5p15.2-q13.3, 10p15.3-p14, 10q25.3-q26.3, and 11p13-q23.3. The highest increase in Z(lr) scores was observed for 5p14.1-q12.1, where the maximum Z(lr) increased from 2.77 initially to 3.80 after fine mapping in the EA families.

Evidence of the Solar EUV Hot Channel as a Magnetic Flux Rope from Remote-sensing and In Situ Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SONG, H. Q.; CHEN, Y.; ZHANG, J.; CHENG, X.; Wang, B.; HU, Q.; LI, G.; WANG, Y. M.

2015-07-01

Hot channels (HCs), high-temperature erupting structures in the lower corona of the Sun, have been proposed as a proxy of magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) since their initial discovery. However, it is difficult to provide definitive proof given the fact that there is no direct measurement of the magnetic field in the corona. An alternative method is to use the magnetic field measurement in the solar wind from in situ instruments. On 2012 July 12, an HC was observed prior to and during a coronal mass ejection (CME) by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly high-temperature images. The HC is invisible in the EUVI low-temperature images, which only show the cooler leading front (LF). However, both the LF and an ejecta can be observed in the coronagraphic images. These are consistent with the high temperature and high density of the HC and support that the ejecta is the erupted HC. Meanwhile, the associated CME shock was identified ahead of the ejecta and the sheath through the COR2 images, and the corresponding ICME was detected by the Advanced Composition Explorer, showing the shock, sheath, and magnetic cloud (MC) sequentially, which agrees with the coronagraphic observations. Further, the MC average Fe charge state is elevated, containing a relatively low-ionization-state center and a high-ionization-state shell, consistent with the preexisting HC observation and its growth through magnetic reconnection. All of these observations support that the MC detected near the Earth is the counterpart of the erupted HC in the corona for this event. The study provides strong observational evidence of the HC as an MFR.

Evidence of the Solar EUV Hot Channel as a Magnetic Flux Rope from Remote-sensing and in situ Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, H.

2015-12-01

Hot channels (HCs), high-temperature erupting structures in the lower corona of the Sun, have been proposed as a proxy of magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) since their initial discovery. However, it is difficult to provide definitive proof given the fact that there is no direct measurement of the magnetic field in the corona. An alternative method is to use the magnetic field measurement in the solar wind from in situ instruments. On 2012 July 12, an HC was observed prior to and during a coronal mass ejection (CME) by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly high-temperature images. The HC is invisible in the EUVI low-temperature images, which only show the cooler leading front (LF). However, both the LF and an ejecta can be observed in the coronagraphic images. These are consistent with the high temperature and high density of the HC and support that the ejecta is the erupted HC. Meanwhile, the associated CME shock was identified ahead of the ejecta and the sheath through the COR2 images, and the corresponding ICME was detected by the Advanced Composition Explorer, showing the shock, sheath, and magnetic cloud (MC) sequentially, which agrees with the coronagraphic observations. Further, the MC average Fe charge state is elevated, containing a relatively low-ionization-state center and a high-ionization-state shell, consistent with the preexisting HC observation and its growth through magnetic reconnection. All of these observations support that the MC detected near the Earth is the counterpart of the erupted HC in the corona for this event. The study provides strong observational evidence of the HC as an MFR.

Observation of two-center interference effects for electron impact ionization of N2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaluvadi, Hari; Nur Ozer, Zehra; Dogan, Mevlut; Ning, Chuangang; Colgan, James; Madison, Don

2015-08-01

In 1966, Cohen and Fano (1966 Phys. Rev. 150 30) suggested that one should be able to observe the equivalent of Young’s double slit interference if the double slits were replaced by a diatomic molecule. This suggestion inspired many experimental and theoretical studies searching for double slit interference effects both for photon and particle ionization of diatomic molecules. These effects turned out to be so small for particle ionization that this work proceeded slowly and evidence for interference effects were only found by looking at cross section ratios. Most of the early particle work concentrated on double differential cross sections for heavy particle scattering and the first evidence for two-center interference for electron-impact triple differential cross section (TDCS) did not appear until 2006 for ionization of H2. Subsequent work has now firmly established that two-center interference effects can be seen in the TDCS for electron-impact ionization of H2. However, in spite of several experimental and theoretical studies, similar effects have not been found for electron-impact ionization of N2. Here we report the first evidence for two-center interference for electron-impact ionization of N2.

Radiosonde observational evidence of the influence of extreme SST gradient upon atmospheric meso-scale circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishikawa, H.; Tachibana, Y.; Udagawa, Y.

2012-12-01

area of the ageostrophic anticyclonic circulation. In addition, the location of the cold dome in the atmospheric marine-boundary layer is in accordance with that of the large SST gradient. The cold dome with denser air than the surroundings probably strengthened the high pressure associated with subsidence over the cold dome. The downward direction of the sensible heat flux estimated by surface meteorological observation suggests that the cold dome was formed by the cooling by the cold sea. During the observation period around this area, the synoptic-scale sea level pressure field hardly changed. No reanalysis data sets resolve this anticyclonic circulation in this area. Therefore, we can conclude that the meso-scale anticyclone was formed by the influence of this cold SST and its large gradient.

Synthesis, grading, and presentation of evidence in guidelines: article 7 in Integrating and coordinating efforts in COPD guideline development. An official ATS/ERS workshop report.

PubMed

Guyatt, Gordon; Akl, Elie A; Oxman, Andy; Wilson, Kevin; Puhan, Milo A; Wilt, Timothy; Gutterman, David; Woodhead, Mark; Antman, Elliott M; Schünemann, Holger J

2012-12-01

Professional societies, like many other organizations around the world, have recognized the need to use more rigorous processes to ensure that health care recommendations are informed by the best available research evidence. This is the seventh of a series of 14 articles that were prepared to advise guideline developers in respiratory and other diseases on approaches for guideline development. This article focuses on synthesizing, rating, and presenting evidence in guidelines. In this review we addressed the following questions. (1) What evidence should guideline panels use to inform their recommendations? (2) How should they rate the quality of the evidence they use? (3) How should they grade evidence regarding diagnostic tests? (4) What should they do when quality of evidence differs across outcomes? (5) How should they present the evidence in a guideline? We did not conduct systematic reviews ourselves. We relied on prior evaluations of electronic databases and systematic reviews suggesting that the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group (GRADE) approach includes the desired features of a system for grading quality of evidence, including provision of models for presenting evidence for guideline panels, and for the consumers of practice guidelines. This article describes the GRADE approach to grading the quality of evidence and presenting evidence. Available evidence, the practice of leading guideline developers, and workshop discussions provide the basis for our conclusions. GRADE rates the quality of evidence for each outcome across studies rather than for each study. In the GRADE approach randomized trials start as high-quality evidence and observational studies as low-quality evidence, but both can be rated down or up. Five factors may lead to rating down the quality of evidence: study limitations or risk of bias, inconsistency of results, indirectness of evidence, imprecision, and publication bias. Three factors may

Interpersonal motor resonance in autism spectrum disorder: evidence against a global "mirror system" deficit.

PubMed

Enticott, Peter G; Kennedy, Hayley A; Rinehart, Nicole J; Bradshaw, John L; Tonge, Bruce J; Daskalakis, Zafiris J; Fitzgerald, Paul B

2013-01-01

The mirror neuron hypothesis of autism is highly controversial, in part because there are conflicting reports as to whether putative indices of mirror system activity are actually deficient in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent evidence suggests that a typical putative mirror system response may be seen in people with an ASD when there is a degree of social relevance to the visual stimuli used to elicit that response. Individuals with ASD (n = 32) and matched neurotypical controls (n = 32) completed a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment in which the left primary motor cortex (M1) was stimulated during the observation of static hands, individual (i.e., one person) hand actions, and interactive (i.e., two person) hand actions. Motor-evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded from the contralateral first dorsal interosseous, and used to generate an index of interpersonal motor resonance (IMR; a putative measure of mirror system activity) during action observation. There was no difference between ASD and NT groups in the level of IMR during the observation of these actions. These findings provide evidence against a global mirror system deficit in ASD, and this evidence appears to extend beyond stimuli that have social relevance. Attentional and visual processing influences may be important for understanding the apparent role of IMR in the pathophysiology of ASD.

Observational evidence for the aerosol impact on ice cloud properties regulated by cloud/aerosol types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, B.; Gu, Y.; Liou, K. N.; Jiang, J. H.; Li, Q.; Liu, X.; Huang, L.; Wang, Y.; Su, H.

2016-12-01

The interactions between aerosols and ice clouds (consisting only of ice) represent one of the largest uncertainties in global radiative forcing from pre-industrial time to the present. The observational evidence for the aerosol impact on ice cloud properties has been quite limited and showed conflicting results, partly because previous observational studies did not consider the distinct features of different ice cloud and aerosol types. Using 9-year satellite observations, we find that, for ice clouds generated from deep convection, cloud thickness, cloud optical thickness (COT), and ice cloud fraction increase and decrease with small-to-moderate and high aerosol loadings, respectively. For in-situ formed ice clouds, however, the preceding cloud properties increase monotonically and more sharply with aerosol loadings. The case is more complicated for ice crystal effective radius (Rei). For both convection-generated and in-situ ice clouds, the responses of Rei to aerosol loadings are modulated by water vapor amount in conjunction with several other meteorological parameters, but the sensitivities of Rei to aerosols under the same water vapor amount differ remarkably between the two ice cloud types. As a result, overall Rei slightly increases with aerosol loading for convection-generated ice clouds, but decreases for in-situ ice clouds. When aerosols are decomposed into different types, an increase in the loading of smoke aerosols generally leads to a decrease in COT of convection-generated ice clouds, while the reverse is true for dust and anthropogenic pollution. In contrast, an increase in the loading of any aerosol type can significantly enhance COT of in-situ ice clouds. The modulation of the aerosol impacts by cloud/aerosol types is demonstrated and reproduced by simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Adequate and accurate representations of the impact of different cloud/aerosol types in climate models are crucial for reducing the

Observational evidence for the aerosol impact on ice cloud properties regulated by cloud/aerosol types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, B.; Gu, Y.; Liou, K. N.; Jiang, J. H.; Li, Q.; Liu, X.; Huang, L.; Wang, Y.; Su, H.

2017-12-01

The interactions between aerosols and ice clouds (consisting only of ice) represent one of the largest uncertainties in global radiative forcing from pre-industrial time to the present. The observational evidence for the aerosol impact on ice cloud properties has been quite limited and showed conflicting results, partly because previous observational studies did not consider the distinct features of different ice cloud and aerosol types. Using 9-year satellite observations, we find that, for ice clouds generated from deep convection, cloud thickness, cloud optical thickness (COT), and ice cloud fraction increase and decrease with small-to-moderate and high aerosol loadings, respectively. For in-situ formed ice clouds, however, the preceding cloud properties increase monotonically and more sharply with aerosol loadings. The case is more complicated for ice crystal effective radius (Rei). For both convection-generated and in-situ ice clouds, the responses of Rei to aerosol loadings are modulated by water vapor amount in conjunction with several other meteorological parameters, but the sensitivities of Rei to aerosols under the same water vapor amount differ remarkably between the two ice cloud types. As a result, overall Rei slightly increases with aerosol loading for convection-generated ice clouds, but decreases for in-situ ice clouds. When aerosols are decomposed into different types, an increase in the loading of smoke aerosols generally leads to a decrease in COT of convection-generated ice clouds, while the reverse is true for dust and anthropogenic pollution. In contrast, an increase in the loading of any aerosol type can significantly enhance COT of in-situ ice clouds. The modulation of the aerosol impacts by cloud/aerosol types is demonstrated and reproduced by simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Adequate and accurate representations of the impact of different cloud/aerosol types in climate models are crucial for reducing the

Kinematic diversity suggests expanded roles for fly halteres

PubMed Central

Hall, Joshua M.; McLoughlin, Dane P.; Kathman, Nicholas D.; Yarger, Alexandra M.; Mureli, Shwetha; Fox, Jessica L.

2015-01-01

The halteres of flies are mechanosensory organs that provide information about body rotations during flight. We measured haltere movements in a range of fly taxa during free walking and tethered flight. We find a diversity of wing–haltere phase relationships in flight, with higher variability in more ancient families and less in more derived families. Diverse haltere movements were observed during free walking and were correlated with phylogeny. We predicted that haltere removal might decrease behavioural performance in those flies that move them during walking and provide evidence that this is the case. Our comparative approach reveals previously unknown diversity in haltere movements and opens the possibility of multiple functional roles for halteres in different fly behaviours. PMID:26601682

Observing golden-mean universality class in the scaling of thermal transport.

PubMed

Xiong, Daxing

2018-02-01

We address the issue of whether the golden-mean [ψ=(sqrt[5]+1)/2≃1.618] universality class, as predicted by several theoretical models, can be observed in the dynamical scaling of thermal transport. Remarkably, we show strong evidence that ψ appears to be the scaling exponent of heat mode correlation in a purely quartic anharmonic chain. This observation seems to somewhat deviate from the previous expectation and we explain it by the unusual slow decay of the cross correlation between heat and sound modes. Whenever the cubic anharmonicity is included, this cross correlation gradually dies out and another universality class with scaling exponent γ=5/3, as commonly predicted by theories, seems recovered. However, this recovery is accompanied by two interesting phase transition processes characterized by a change of symmetry of the potential and a clear variation of the dynamic structure factor, respectively. Due to these transitions, an additional exponent close to γ≃1.580 emerges. All this evidence suggests that, to gain a full prediction of the scaling of thermal transport, more ingredients should be taken into account.

Observing golden-mean universality class in the scaling of thermal transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Daxing

2018-02-01

We address the issue of whether the golden-mean [ψ =(√{5 }+1 ) /2 ≃1.618 ] universality class, as predicted by several theoretical models, can be observed in the dynamical scaling of thermal transport. Remarkably, we show strong evidence that ψ appears to be the scaling exponent of heat mode correlation in a purely quartic anharmonic chain. This observation seems to somewhat deviate from the previous expectation and we explain it by the unusual slow decay of the cross correlation between heat and sound modes. Whenever the cubic anharmonicity is included, this cross correlation gradually dies out and another universality class with scaling exponent γ =5 /3 , as commonly predicted by theories, seems recovered. However, this recovery is accompanied by two interesting phase transition processes characterized by a change of symmetry of the potential and a clear variation of the dynamic structure factor, respectively. Due to these transitions, an additional exponent close to γ ≃1.580 emerges. All this evidence suggests that, to gain a full prediction of the scaling of thermal transport, more ingredients should be taken into account.

Suggestive evidence of a vesicle-mediated mode of cell degranulation in chromaffin cells. A high-resolution scanning electron microscopy investigation

PubMed Central

Crivellato, Enrico; Solinas, Paola; Isola, Raffaella; Ribatti, Domenico; Riva, Alessandro

2010-01-01

In this study we used a modified osmium maceration method for high-resolution scanning electron microscopy to study some ultrastructural details fitting the schema of piecemeal degranulation in chromaffin cells. Piecemeal degranulation refers to a particulate pattern of cell secretion that is accomplished by vesicle-mediated extracellular transport of granule-stored material. We investigated adrenal samples from control and angiotensin II-treated rats, and identified a variable proportion of smooth, 30–60-nm-diameter vesicles in the cytoplasm of chromaffin cells. A percentage of these vesicles were interspersed in the cytosol among chromaffin granules but the majority appeared to be attached to granules. Remarkably, the number of unattached cytoplasmic vesicles was greatly increased in chromaffin cells from angiotensin II-treated animals. Vesicles of the same structure and dimension were detected close to or attached to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane; these, too, were increased in number in chromaffin cells from rats stimulated with angiotensin II. In specimens shaken with a rotating agitator during maceration, the cytoplasmic organelles could be partially removed and the fine structure of the vesicular interaction with the inner side of the plasma membrane emerged most clearly. A proportion of chromaffin granules showed protrusions that we interpreted as vesicular structures budding from the granular envelope. In some instances, the transection plane intersected granules with putative vesicles emerging from the surfaces. In these cases, the protrusions of budding vesicles could be observed from the internal side. This study provides high-resolution scanning electron microscopy images compatible with a vesicle-mediated degranulation mode of cell secretion in adrenal chromaffin cells. The data indicating an increase in the number of vesicles observed in chromaffin cells after stimulation with the chromaffin cell secretagogue angiotensin II suggests

Personalized and not general suggestion produces false autobiographical memories and suggestion-consistent behavior.

PubMed

Scoboria, Alan; Mazzoni, Giuliana; Jarry, Josée L; Bernstein, Daniel M

2012-01-01

Suggesting false childhood events produces false autobiographical beliefs, memories and suggestion-consistent behavior. The mechanisms by which suggestion affects behavior are not understood, and whether false beliefs and memories are necessary for suggestions to impact behavior remains unexplored. We examined the relative effects of providing a personalized suggestion (suggesting that an event occurred to the person in the past), and/or a general suggestion (suggesting that an event happened to others in the past). Participants (N=122) received a personalized suggestion, a general suggestion, both or neither, about childhood illness due to spoiled peach yogurt. The personalized suggestion resulted in false beliefs, false memories, and suggestion-consistent behavioral intentions immediately after the suggestion. One week or one month later participants completed a taste test that involved eating varieties of crackers and yogurts. The personalized suggestion led to reduced consumption of only peach yogurt, and those who reported a false memory showed the most eating suppression. This effect on behavior was equally strong after one week and one month, showing a long lived influence of the personalized suggestion. The general suggestion showed no effects. Suggestions that convey personal information about a past event produce false autobiographical memories, which in turn impact behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence-based medicine and epistemological imperialism: narrowing the divide between evidence and illness.

PubMed

Crowther, Helen; Lipworth, Wendy; Kerridge, Ian

2011-10-01

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been rapidly and widely adopted because it claims to provide a method for determining the safety and efficacy of medical therapies and public health interventions more generally. However, as others have noted, EBM may be riven through with cultural bias, both in the generation of evidence and in its translation. We suggest that technological and scientific advances in medicine accentuate and entrench these cultural biases, to the extent that they may invalidate the evidence we have about disease and its treatment. This creates a significant ethical, epistemological and ontological challenge for medicine. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Kinetic Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Due to Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, W.; Andre, M.; Khotainstev, Yu. V.; Vaivads, A.; Graham, D. B.; Toledo-Redondo, S.; Norgren, C.; Henri, P.; Wang, C.; Tang, B. B.;

Observations of ETI under dielectric-overcoated aluminum pulsed to hundreds of Tesla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, Trevor; Bauer, Bruno; Fuelling, Stephan; Yates, Kevin; Awe, Thomas; Yelton, Graham

2016-10-01

MagLIF is an inertial confinement concept that takes advantage of relaxed fusion criteria due to premagnetized and preheated fuel. The drive surface is particularly susceptible to highly azimuthally correlated magneto-Rayleigh Taylor (MRT) instabilities, which section the liner wall and compromise confinement. This degree of azimuthal correlation is not due to residual lathe machining or surface roughness and a growing body of evidence suggest electrothermal instabilities (ETI) seed the MRT instability and allow for levels of azimuthal correlation that have been observed experimentally. Implementation of dielectric coatings on Sandia's Z accelerator has reduced MRT amplitudes by at least a factor of ten, which simulations suggest is due to mass tamping of the ETI. However, neither ETI nor its theorized suppression via an applied dielectric overcoat has been experimentally observed on a thick wire. We will report on experimental observations of ETI on the surface of 500 um radius aluminum rods with a 70 um parylene-N overcoat pulsed with 1 MA in 100 ns. This work was funded in part by Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (Project No. 178661).

Diagnosing dehydration? Blend evidence with clinical observations.

PubMed

Armstrong, Lawrence E; Kavouras, Stavros A; Walsh, Neil P; Roberts, William O

2016-11-01

The purpose of the review is to provide recommendations to improve clinical decision-making based on the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used hydration biomarkers and clinical assessment methods. There is widespread consensus regarding treatment, but not the diagnosis of dehydration. Even though it is generally accepted that a proper clinical diagnosis of dehydration can only be made biochemically rather than relying upon clinical signs and symptoms, no gold standard biochemical hydration index exists. Other than clinical biomarkers in blood (i.e., osmolality and blood urea nitrogen/creatinine) and in urine (i.e., osmolality and specific gravity), blood pressure assessment and clinical symptoms in the eye (i.e., tear production and palpitating pressure) and the mouth (i.e., thirst and mucous wetness) can provide important information for diagnosing dehydration. We conclude that clinical observations based on a combination of history, physical examination, laboratory values, and clinician experience remain the best approach to the diagnosis of dehydration.

Observational evidence of EHP effects on the melting of snowpack over the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M.; Lau, W. K.; Kim, K.; Lee, W.

2012-12-01

Observational evidences are presented showing that the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) regions, bounded by the high altitude Himalayan mountains, are subject to heavy loading of absorbing aerosols, i.e., black carbon and dust, which can lead to widespread enhancement warming over the Tibetan Plateau and accelerated snowmelt in the western Tibetan Plateau (WTP) and Himalayas. The two pre-monsoon seasons of 2004 and 2005 were strikingly contrasting in terms of the aerosol loading over IGP. The warming of the TP in 2004 relative to 2005 was widespread, covering most of the WTP and Himalayas. This warming is closely linked to patterns of the snow melt. Consistent with the Elevated Heat Pump hypothesis, we find that increased loading of absorbing aerosols over IGP in the pre-monsoon season is associated with increased heating of the upper troposphere by dynamical feedback induced by aerosol heating, and enhances the rate of snowmelt over Himalayas and the WTP in April-May. Composite analysis with more contrasting years also shows that the heating of the troposphere by elevated dust and black carbon aerosols in the boreal sping can lead to widespread enhanced land-atmosphere warming, and accelated snow melt in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau.

Observational Evidence of EHP Effects on the Melting of Snowpack over the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Maeng-Ki; Lau, William K. M.; Kim, Kyu-Myong; Lee, Woo-Seop

2012-01-01

Observational evidences are presented showing that the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) regions, bounded by the high altitude Himalayan mountains, are subject to heavy loading of absorbing aerosols, i.e., black carbon and dust, which can lead to widespread enhancement warming over the Tibetan Plateau and accelerated snowmelt in the western Tibetan Plateau (WTP) and Himalayas. The two pre-monsoon seasons of 2004 and 2005 were strikingly contrasting in terms of the aerosol loading over IGP. The warming of the TP in 2004 relative to 2005 was widespread, covering most of the WTP and Himalayas. This warming is closely linked to patterns of the snow melt. Consistent with the Elevated Heat Pump hypothesis, we find that increased loading of absorbing aerosols over IGP in the pre-monsoon season is associated with increased heating of the upper troposphere by dynamical feedback induced by aerosol heating, and enhances the rate of snowmelt over Himalayas and the WTP in April-May. Composite analysis with more contrasting years also shows that the heating of the troposphere by elevated dust and black carbon aerosols in the boreal spring can lead to widespread enhanced land-atmosphere warming, and accelerated snow melt in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau.

A post-Rosetta understanding of polarimetric observations of comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levasseur-Regourd, A. Chantal; Ciarletti, Valérie; Hadamcik, Edith; Lasue, Jérémie; Mannel, Thurid

2017-04-01

Numerous polarimetric observations of solar light scattered by dust in cometary comae have been obtained by various teams, providing phase angle and wavelength dependences for many comets and revealing different classes of comets [e.g., 1]. Besides, numerical and experimental simulations have suggested interpretations for such observations. The Rosetta long duration rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (thereafter 67P/C-G) now allows us to compare our understanding of the polarimetric properties of cometary dust with the ground-truth provided by the Rosetta mission, at least for two typical results. First, some comets present a highly-polarized positive branch, the most conspicuous case being that of new comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp [2], while other comets suffering a partial fragmentation or a total disruption, such as C/1995 S4 LINEAR [3], present a significant increase in polarization. We will discuss these observations in the context of evidence for changes between the porosity (and possibly the dust/ice ratio) of the subsurface and of the interior of 67P/C-G, a periodic Jupiter Family Comet, as derived from analyses [4] of the CONSERT bi-static radar measurements on board Rosetta and Philae. Secondly, numerical simulations of the phase and wavelength dependence of polarimetric observations of some comets (extensively observed on a wide range of wavelengths and phase angles) have suggested the presence of fractal, likely-porous aggregates and of compact particles within their comae [e.g., 5]. We will review such results in the context of evidence for porous and compact aggregates of submicron-sized grains in the inner coma of 67P/C-G [6], as given by 3D images (with a resolution down to tens of nanometers) of the MIDAS atomic force microscope on board Rosetta. References: [1] Kiselev et al., 2015, In Polarization of stars and planetary systems, CUP 379-404. [2] Levasseur-Regourd & Hadamcik, 2003, JQSRT 79-80, 903-910. [3] Hadamcik & Levasseur

The relationship between defecation and feeding in nestling birds: observational and experimental evidence.

PubMed

Quan, Rui-Chang; Li, Huan; Wang, Bo; Goodale, Eben

2015-01-01

Adult birds clean the nest by consuming or transporting feces, which is thought to be important in order to lower the levels of parasites, pathogens and predation at the nest. If nestlings were to defecate when parents were absent, however, feces could accumulate in the nest. To understand the mechanism by which nest sanitation is maintained, we studied the timing of defecation in nestling birds of common passerine species in southwest China. In 159 nests of 8 species at the nestling stage during 779 randomly timed observations, we never found fecal sacs present. Video recordings, totaling 455 h at five Pycnonotus jocosus nests in the field, showed almost all defecation after feedings, and only nestlings that were fed defecated. Six translocated P. jocosus nests were taken into captivity in order to manipulate the frequency of feeding. These nestlings defecated only after feeding, even when feeding intervals were extended to 60 and 120 min. The fecal sac weight also increased with extended feeding intervals, demonstrating a remarkable plasticity for nestlings to wait for feedings. The evidence allows two major conclusions: 1) defecation in the nest occurs at a time that ensures nest sanitation, stimulated by feeding, rather than there being a set time of gut processing between feeding and excretion; 2) the strong plasticity in the timing of defecation and the possibility of negative repercussions (if defecation occurs when parents are absent) are important mechanisms underlying the efficiency of the feeding-defecation system.

Observational evidence for thermal wave fronts in solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, D. M.; Simnett, G. M.; Smith, D. F.

1985-01-01

Images in 3.5-30 keV X-rays obtained during the first few minutes of seven solar flares show rapid motions. In each case X-ray emission first appeared at one end of a magnetic field structure, and then propagated along the field at a velocity between 800 and 1700 km/s. The observed X-ray structures were 45,000-230,000 km long. Simultaneous H-alpha images were available in three cases; they showed brightenings when the fast-moving fronts arrived at the chromosphere. The fast-moving fronts are interpreted as electron thermal conduction fronts since their velocities are consistent with conduction at the observed temperatures of 1-3 x 10 to the 7th K. The inferred conductive heat flux of up to 10-billion ergs/s sq cm accounts for most of the energy released in the flares, implying that the flares were primarily thermal phenomena.

Hypnosis, hypnotic suggestibility, memory, and involvement in films.

PubMed

Maxwell, Reed; Lynn, Steven Jay; Condon, Liam

2015-05-01

Our research extends studies that have examined the relation between hypnotic suggestibility and experiential involvement and the role of an hypnotic induction in enhancing experiential involvement (e.g., absorption) in engaging tasks. Researchers have reported increased involvement in reading (Baum & Lynn, 1981) and music-listening (Snodgrass & Lynn, 1989) tasks during hypnosis. We predicted a similar effect for film viewing: greater experiential involvement in an emotional (The Champ) versus a non-emotional (Scenes of Toronto) film. We tested 121 participants who completed measures of absorption and trait dissociation and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility and then viewed the two films after either an hypnotic induction or a non-hypnotic task (i.e., anagrams). Experiential involvement varied as a function of hypnotic suggestibility and film clip. Highly suggestible participants reported more state depersonalization than less suggestible participants, and depersonalization was associated with negative affect; however, we observed no significant correlation between hypnotic suggestibility and trait dissociation. Although hypnosis had no effect on memory commission or omission errors, contrary to the hypothesis that hypnosis facilitates absorption in emotionally engaging tasks, the emotional film was associated with more commission and omission errors compared with the non-emotional film. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Ethical Use of Evidence in Biomedicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellegrino, Edmund D.

1999-01-01

Examines the ethics of data collection and dissemination, suggesting criteria for the morally responsible treatment of evidence collection, dissemination, and use. Comments on the importance of V. Mike's proposal of an "ethics of evidence." (SLD)

Chandra Observations of Magnetic White Dwarfs and their Theoretical Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musielak, Z. E.; Noble, M.; Porter, J. G.; Winget, D. E.

2003-01-01

Observations of cool DA and DB white dwarfs have not yet been successful in detecting coronal X-ray emission, but observations of late-type dwarfs and giants show that coronae are common for these stars. To produce coronal X-rays, a star must have dynamo-generated surface magnetic fields and a well-developed convection zone. There is some observational evidence that the DA star LHS 1038 and the DB star GD 358 have weak and variable surface magnetic fields. It has been suggested that such fields can be generated by dynamo action, and since both stars have well-developed convection zones, theory predicts detectable levels of coronal X-rays from these white dwarfs. However, we present analysis of Chandra observations of both stars showing no detectable X-ray emission. The derived upper limits for the X-ray fluxes provide strong constraints on theories of formation of coronae around magnetic white dwarfs. Another important implication of our negative Chandra observations is the possibility that the magnetic fields of LHS 1038 and GD 358 are fossil fields.

Observations of M87 and Hydra A at 90 GHz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotton, W. D.; Mason, B. S.; Dicker, S.; Korngut, P.; Devlin, M. J.; Aquirre, J.; Benford, D.; Moseley, H.; Staguhn, J.; Irwin, K.;

ANALYSES OF RESPONSE–STIMULUS SEQUENCES IN DESCRIPTIVE OBSERVATIONS

PubMed Central

Samaha, Andrew L; Vollmer, Timothy R; Borrero, Carrie; Sloman, Kimberly; Pipkin, Claire St. Peter; Bourret, Jason

2009-01-01

Descriptive observations were conducted to record problem behavior displayed by participants and to record antecedents and consequences delivered by caregivers. Next, functional analyses were conducted to identify reinforcers for problem behavior. Then, using data from the descriptive observations, lag-sequential analyses were conducted to examine changes in the probability of environmental events across time in relation to occurrences of problem behavior. The results of the lag-sequential analyses were interpreted in light of the results of functional analyses. Results suggested that events identified as reinforcers in a functional analysis followed behavior in idiosyncratic ways: after a range of delays and frequencies. Thus, it is possible that naturally occurring reinforcement contingencies are arranged in ways different from those typically evaluated in applied research. Further, these complex response–stimulus relations can be represented by lag-sequential analyses. However, limitations to the lag-sequential analysis are evident. PMID:19949537

Evidence for rare capsular switching in Streptococcus agalactiae.

PubMed

Martins, Elisabete Raquel; Melo-Cristino, José; Ramirez, Mário

2010-03-01

The polysaccharide capsule is a major antigenic factor in Streptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield group B streptococcus [GBS]). Previous observations suggest that exchange of capsular loci is likely to occur rather frequently in GBS, even though GBS is not known to be naturally transformable. We sought to identify and characterize putative capsular switching events, by means of a combination of phenotypic and genotypic methods, including pulsed-field gel electrophoretic profiling, multilocus sequence typing, and surface protein and pilus gene profiling. We show that capsular switching by horizontal gene transfer is not as frequent as previously suggested. Serotyping errors may be the main reason behind the overestimation of capsule switching, since phenotypic techniques are prone to errors of interpretation. The identified putative capsular transformants involved the acquisition of the entire capsular locus and were not restricted to the serotype-specific central genes, the previously suggested main mechanism underlying capsular switching. Our data, while questioning the frequency of capsular switching, provide clear evidence for in vivo capsular transformation in S. agalactiae, which may be of critical importance in planning future vaccination strategies against this pathogen.

Evidence for Rare Capsular Switching in Streptococcus agalactiae▿

PubMed Central

Martins, Elisabete Raquel; Melo-Cristino, José; Ramirez, Mário

2010-01-01

The polysaccharide capsule is a major antigenic factor in Streptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield group B streptococcus [GBS]). Previous observations suggest that exchange of capsular loci is likely to occur rather frequently in GBS, even though GBS is not known to be naturally transformable. We sought to identify and characterize putative capsular switching events, by means of a combination of phenotypic and genotypic methods, including pulsed-field gel electrophoretic profiling, multilocus sequence typing, and surface protein and pilus gene profiling. We show that capsular switching by horizontal gene transfer is not as frequent as previously suggested. Serotyping errors may be the main reason behind the overestimation of capsule switching, since phenotypic techniques are prone to errors of interpretation. The identified putative capsular transformants involved the acquisition of the entire capsular locus and were not restricted to the serotype-specific central genes, the previously suggested main mechanism underlying capsular switching. Our data, while questioning the frequency of capsular switching, provide clear evidence for in vivo capsular transformation in S. agalactiae, which may be of critical importance in planning future vaccination strategies against this pathogen. PMID:20023016

The planes of satellite galaxies problem, suggested solutions, and open questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlowski, Marcel S.

2018-02-01

Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way and of the Andromeda galaxy have been found to preferentially align in significantly flattened planes of satellite galaxies, and available velocity measurements are indicative of a preference of satellites in those structures to co-orbit. There is an increasing evidence that such kinematically correlated satellite planes are also present around more distant hosts. Detailed comparisons show that similarly anisotropic phase-space distributions of sub-halos are exceedingly rare in cosmological simulations based on the ΛCDM paradigm. Analogs to the observed systems have frequencies of ≤ 0.5% in such simulations. In contrast to other small-scale problems, the satellite planes issue is not strongly affected by baryonic processes because the distribution of sub-halos on scales of hundreds of kpc is dominated by gravitational effects. This makes the satellite planes one of the most serious small-scale problems for ΛCDM. This review summarizes the observational evidence for planes of satellite galaxies in the Local Group and beyond, and provides an overview of how they compare to cosmological simulations. It also discusses scenarios which aim at explaining the coherence of satellite positions and orbits, and why they all are currently unable to satisfactorily resolve the issue.

Observations of disconnection of open coronal magnetic structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccomas, D. J.; Phillips, J. L.; Hundhausen, A. J.; Burkepile, J. T.

1991-01-01

The solar maximum mission coronagraph/polarimeter observations are surveyed for evidence of magnetic disconnection of previously open magnetic structures and several sequences of images consistent with this interpretation are identified. Such disconnection occurs when open field lines above helmet streamers reconnect, in contrast to previously suggested disconnections of CMEs into closed plasmoids. In this paper a clear example of open field disconnection is shown in detail. The event, on June 27, 1988, is preceded by compression of a preexisting helmet streamer and the open coronal field around it. The compressed helmet streamer and surrounding open field region detach in a large U-shaped structure which subsequently accelerates outward from the sun. The observed sequence of events is consistent with reconnection across the heliospheric current sheet and the creation of a detached U-shaped magnetic structure. Unlike CMEs, which may open new magnetic flux into interplanetary space, this process could serve to close off previously open flux, perhaps helping to maintain the roughly constant amount of open magnetic flux observed in interplanetary space.

[Therapy and suggestion].

PubMed

Barrucand, D; Paille, F

1986-12-01

Therapy and suggestion are closely related. That is clear for the ancient time: primitive medicine gives a good place to the Word. In plant, animal or mineral remedies, the suggestion is clearly preponderant. Towards the end of the 19th century, the "Ecole de Nancy" sets up a real theory of the suggestion, and Bernheim, its leader, bases hypnosis, then psychotherapy on this concept. Thereafter Coué will bring up the "conscious autosuggestion". Today, despite the progress of scientific medicine, the part of suggestion is still very important in medical therapy (with or without drugs), or in chirurgical therapy; this part is also very important in psychotherapies, whatever has been said in this field. This has to be known and used consciously in the doctor-patient relation, which is always essential in the therapeutic effectiveness.

Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence.

PubMed

Marx, Wolfgang; Moseley, Genevieve; Berk, Michael; Jacka, Felice

2017-11-01

Mental illness, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, accounts for a significant proportion of global disability and poses a substantial social, economic and heath burden. Treatment is presently dominated by pharmacotherapy, such as antidepressants, and psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy; however, such treatments avert less than half of the disease burden, suggesting that additional strategies are needed to prevent and treat mental disorders. There are now consistent mechanistic, observational and interventional data to suggest diet quality may be a modifiable risk factor for mental illness. This review provides an overview of the nutritional psychiatry field. It includes a discussion of the neurobiological mechanisms likely modulated by diet, the use of dietary and nutraceutical interventions in mental disorders, and recommendations for further research. Potential biological pathways related to mental disorders include inflammation, oxidative stress, the gut microbiome, epigenetic modifications and neuroplasticity. Consistent epidemiological evidence, particularly for depression, suggests an association between measures of diet quality and mental health, across multiple populations and age groups; these do not appear to be explained by other demographic, lifestyle factors or reverse causality. Our recently published intervention trial provides preliminary clinical evidence that dietary interventions in clinically diagnosed populations are feasible and can provide significant clinical benefit. Furthermore, nutraceuticals including n-3 fatty acids, folate, S-adenosylmethionine, N-acetyl cysteine and probiotics, among others, are promising avenues for future research. Continued research is now required to investigate the efficacy of intervention studies in large cohorts and within clinically relevant populations, particularly in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders.

Local and Global Auditory Processing: Behavioral and ERP Evidence

PubMed Central

Sanders, Lisa D.; Poeppel, David

2007-01-01

Differential processing of local and global visual features is well established. Global precedence effects, differences in event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited when attention is focused on local versus global levels, and hemispheric specialization for local and global features all indicate that relative scale of detail is an important distinction in visual processing. Observing analogous differential processing of local and global auditory information would suggest that scale of detail is a general organizational principle of the brain. However, to date the research on auditory local and global processing has primarily focused on music perception or on the perceptual analysis of relatively higher and lower frequencies. The study described here suggests that temporal aspects of auditory stimuli better capture the local-global distinction. By combining short (40 ms) frequency modulated tones in series to create global auditory patterns (500 ms), we independently varied whether pitch increased or decreased over short time spans (local) and longer time spans (global). Accuracy and reaction time measures revealed better performance for global judgments and asymmetric interference that were modulated by amount of pitch change. ERPs recorded while participants listened to identical sounds and indicated the direction of pitch change at the local or global levels provided evidence for differential processing similar to that found in ERP studies employing hierarchical visual stimuli. ERP measures failed to provide evidence for lateralization of local and global auditory perception, but differences in distributions suggest preferential processing in more ventral and dorsal areas respectively. PMID:17113115

Responding to hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions: performance standards, imaginative suggestibility, and response expectancies.

PubMed

Meyer, Eric C; Lynn, Steven Jay

2011-07-01

This study examined the relative impact of hypnotic inductions and several other variables on hypnotic and nonhypnotic responsiveness to imaginative suggestions. The authors examined how imaginative suggestibility, response expectancies, motivation to respond to suggestions, and hypnotist-induced performance standards affected participants' responses to both hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions and their suggestion-related experiences. Suggestions were administered to 5 groups of participants using a test-retest design: (a) stringent performance standards; (b) lenient performance standards; (c) hypnosis test-retest; (d) no-hypnosis test-retest; and (e) no-hypnosis/hypnosis control. The authors found no support for the influence of a hypnotic induction or performance standards on responding to suggestions but found considerable support for the role of imaginative suggestibility and response expectancies in predicting responses to both hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions.

Kinematic diversity suggests expanded roles for fly halteres.

PubMed

Hall, Joshua M; McLoughlin, Dane P; Kathman, Nicholas D; Yarger, Alexandra M; Mureli, Shwetha; Fox, Jessica L

2015-11-01

The halteres of flies are mechanosensory organs that provide information about body rotations during flight. We measured haltere movements in a range of fly taxa during free walking and tethered flight. We find a diversity of wing-haltere phase relationships in flight, with higher variability in more ancient families and less in more derived families. Diverse haltere movements were observed during free walking and were correlated with phylogeny. We predicted that haltere removal might decrease behavioural performance in those flies that move them during walking and provide evidence that this is the case. Our comparative approach reveals previously unknown diversity in haltere movements and opens the possibility of multiple functional roles for halteres in different fly behaviours. © 2015 The Author(s).

Pervasive faint Fe XIX emission from a solar active region observed with EUNIS-13: Evidence for nanoflare heating

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

Brosius, Jeffrey W.; Daw, Adrian N.; Rabin, D. M., E-mail: Jeffrey.W.Brosius@nasa.gov

2014-08-01

We present spatially resolved EUV spectroscopic measurements of pervasive, faint Fe XIX 592.2 Å line emission in an active region observed during the 2013 April 23 flight of the Extreme Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrograph (EUNIS-13) sounding rocket instrument. With cooled detectors, high sensitivity, and high spectral resolution, EUNIS-13 resolves the lines of Fe XIX at 592.2 Å (formed at temperature T ≈ 8.9 MK) and Fe XII at 592.6 Å (T ≈ 1.6 MK). The Fe XIX line emission, observed over an area in excess of 4920 arcsec{sup 2} (2.58 × 10{sup 9} km{sup 2}, more than 60% of themore » active region), provides strong evidence for the nanoflare heating model of the solar corona. No GOES events occurred in the region less than 2 hr before the rocket flight, but a microflare was observed north and east of the region with RHESSI and EUNIS during the flight. The absence of significant upward velocities anywhere in the region, particularly the microflare, indicates that the pervasive Fe XIX emission is not propelled outward from the microflare site, but is most likely attributed to localized heating (not necessarily due to reconnection) consistent with the nanoflare heating model of the solar corona. Assuming ionization equilibrium we estimate Fe XIX/Fe XII emission measure ratios of ∼0.076 just outside the AR core and ∼0.59 in the core.« less

New evidence from observations of progressions of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx): a multilevel or non-nested society?

PubMed

Hongo, Shun

2014-10-01

African papionins are well known for the diversity of their social systems, ranging from multilevel societies based on one-male-multifemale units (OMUs) to non-nested societies. However, the characteristics of Mandrillus societies are still unclear due to difficult observational conditions in the dense forests of central Africa. To elucidate the characteristics of mandrill societies and their social systems, I analysed the age-sex compositions, behaviours, and progression patterns of their horde/subgroups using videos of them crossing open places. The progressions were very cohesive, and the very large aggregations (169-442 individuals) had only 3-6 adult males (1.4-1.8 % of all individuals) and 11-32 subadult males (6.5-7.2 %). No herding behaviours were observed in the males, and most of the small clusters within the progressions were not analogous to the OMUs of a multilevel society but instead consisted of only adult females and immatures. The progressions of alert mandrills showed patterns similar to those observed in a non-nested social system: females with dependent infants were concentrated toward the rear and adult and subadult males toward the front. These results suggest that cohesive aggregations and a female-biased sex ratio are common characteristics of mandrill species. Mandrills may form female-bonded and non-nested societies, although their fission-fusion dynamics may be different from those typical of savannah baboons.

Observations by a University Anatomy Teacher and a Suggestion for Curricular Change: Integrative Anatomy for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darda, David M.

2010-01-01

The observation that anatomical course offerings have decreased in undergraduate biology curricula is supported by a survey of undergraduate institutions in the state of Washington. This reduction, due partially to increased emphasis in other areas of the biology curriculum, along with the lack of anatomy prerequisites for admission to most…

Suicidality and interrogative suggestibility.

PubMed

Pritchard-Boone, Lea; Range, Lillian M

2005-01-01

All people are subject to memory suggestibility, but suicidal individuals may be especially so. The link between suicidality and suggestibility is unclear given mixed findings and methodological weaknesses of past research. To test the link between suicidality and interrogative suggestibility, 149 undergraduates answered questions about suicidal thoughts and reasons for living, and participated in a direct suggestibility procedure. As expected, suggestibility correlated with suicidality but accounted for little overall variance (4%). Mental health professionals might be able to take advantage of client suggestibility by directly telling suicidal persons to refrain from suicidal thoughts or actions.

The Substructure of the Solar Corona Observed in the Hi-C Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winebarger, A.; Cirtain, J.; Golub, L.; DeLuca, E.; Savage, S.; Alexander, C.; Schuler, T.

2014-01-01

In the summer of 2012, the High-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) flew aboard a NASA sounding rocket and collected the highest spatial resolution images ever obtained of the solar corona. One of the goals of the Hi-C flight was to characterize the substructure of the solar corona. We therefore calculate how the intensity scales from a low-resolution (AIA) pixels to high-resolution (Hi-C) pixels for both the dynamic events and "background" emission (meaning, the steady emission over the 5 minutes of data acquisition time). We find there is no evidence of substructure in the background corona; the intensity scales smoothly from low-resolution to high-resolution Hi-C pixels. In transient events, however, the intensity observed with Hi-C is, on average, 2.6 times larger than observed with AIA. This increase in intensity suggests that AIA is not resolving these events. This result suggests a finely structured dynamic corona embedded in a smoothly varying background.

Characterization of early follicular cDNA library suggests evidence for genetic polymorphisms in the inbred strain C108 of Bombyx mori.

PubMed

Mills, D R; Goldsmith, M R

2000-04-01

Recent work towards the completion of a saturated molecular genetic linkage map for the lepidopteran silkworm, Bombyx mori (n = 28), has provided evidence for existing polymorphisms in the inbred strain C108. Two inbred parental strains, p50 and C108, were crossed to produce the F1 (P/C) hybrid offspring. The populations used in this project were comprised of a combination of 29 F2 (F1 x F1) and 31 reciprocal backcross (P/C x C/C, P/C x P/P) progeny. All restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) for the initial analysis were hybridized with anonymous probes derived from a random early follicular cDNA (Rcf) library from Bombyx. A total of 19 Rcf probes were selected as showing scorable codominant polymorphic patterns when screened against F2 and backcross DNAs digested with the restriction enzymes EcoRI, HindIII, or PstI, and Southern blotted to nylon membranes for hybridization. Of the newly reported Rcf probes, 7 (37%) were characterized as producing 'simple' polymorphic patterns, while 12 (63%) were characterized as producing 'complex' polymorphic patterns. Further characterization of the complex patterns subdivided this group into two general classes: polymorphisms that contained an additional allele, and multiple bands that contained an easily scored two banded polymorphism. Because the extra allele class was limited to the (P/C x C/C) backcross progeny, it is suggested that the inbred parental strain C108 harbors polymorphic loci that are inherited in a simple Mendelian fashion. A genetic analysis discussing plausible origins and maintenance of these polymorphisms is presented.

OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE AGAINST LONG-LIVED SPIRAL ARMS IN GALAXIES

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

Foyle, K.; Rix, H.-W.; Walter, F.

2011-07-10

We test whether the spiral patterns apparent in many large disk galaxies should be thought of as dynamical features that are stationary in a corotating frame for {approx}> t{sub dyn}, as implied by the density wave approach for explaining spiral arms. If such spiral arms have enhanced star formation (SF), observational tracers for different stages of the SF sequence should show a spatial ordering, from upstream to downstream in the corotating frame: dense H I, CO, tracing molecular hydrogen gas, 24 {mu}m emission tracing enshrouded SF, and UV emission tracing unobscured young stars. We argue that such a spatial orderingmore » should be reflected in the angular cross-correlation (CC, in polar coordinates) using all azimuthal positions among pairs of these tracers; the peak of the CC should be offset from zero, in different directions inside and outside the corotation radius. Recent spiral SF simulations by Dobbs and Pringle show explicitly that for the case of a stationary spiral arm potential such angular offsets between gas and young stars of differing ages should be observable as cross-correlation offsets. We calculate the angular cross-correlations for different observational SF sequence tracers in 12 nearby spiral galaxies, drawing on a data set with high-quality maps of the neutral gas (H I, THINGS) and molecular gas (CO, HERACLES), along with 24 {mu}m emission (Spitzer, SINGS); we include FUV images (GALEX) and 3.6 {mu}m emission (Spitzer, IRAC) for some galaxies, tracing aging stars and longer timescales. In none of the resulting tracer cross-correlations for this sample do we find systematic angular offsets, which would be expected for a stationary dynamical spiral pattern of well-defined pattern speed. This result indicates that spiral density waves in their simplest form are not an important aspect of explaining spirals in large disk galaxies.« less

Observational evidence of crystalline iron oxides on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, James F., III; Mccord, Thomas B.; Owensby, Pamela D.

1990-01-01

A series of new spectral observations of Mars was obtained at Mauna Kea Observatory in the 0.4-1.0-micron wavelength range during the extremely favorable 1988 opposition, which yielded new spectral reflectance and relative reflectance data for a number of distinct spots on the Martian surface at 500-600 km spatial resolution. The new spectra revealed absorptions at 0.62-0.72 micron and at 0.81-0.94 micron, both seen clearly for the first time. These absorption features are interpreted as Fe(3+) electronic transition bands that indicate the presence of crystalline ferric oxide or hydroxide minerals on the Martian surface.

Satellite Observation of El Nino Effects on Amazon Forest Phenology and Productivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asner, Gregory P.; Townsend, Alan R.; Braswell, Bobby H.

2000-01-01

Climate variability may affect the functioning of Amazon moist tropical forests, and recent modeling analyses suggest that the carbon dynamics of the region vary interannually in response to precipitation and temperature anomalies. However, due to persistent orbital and atmospheric artifacts in the satellite record, remote sensing observations have not provided quantitative evidence that climate variation affects Amazon forest phenology or productivity, We developed a method to minimize and quantify non-biological artifacts in NOAA AVHRR satellite data, providing a record of estimated forest phenological variation from 1982-1993. The seasonal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) amplitude (a proxy for phenology) increased throughout much of the basin during El Nino periods when rainfall was anomalously low. Wetter La Nina episodes brought consistently smaller NDVI amplitudes. Using radiative transfer and terrestrial biogeochemical models driven by these satellite data, we estimate that canopy-energy absorption and net primary production of Amazon forests varied interannually by as much as 21% and 18%, respectively. These results provide large-scale observational evidence for interannual sensitivity to El Nino of plant phenology and carbon flux in Amazon forests.

Reading comprehension and immersion schooling: evidence from component skills.

PubMed

Hansen, Laura Birke; Morales, Julia; Macizo, Pedro; Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni; Saldaña, David; Carreiras, Manuel; Fuentes, Luis J; Bajo, M Teresa

2017-01-01

The present research aims to assess literacy acquisition in children becoming bilingual via second language immersion in school. We adopt a cognitive components approach, assessing text-level reading comprehension, a complex literacy skill, as well as underlying cognitive and linguistic components in 144 children aged 7 to 14 (72 immersion bilinguals, 72 controls). Using principal component analysis, a nuanced pattern of results was observed: although emergent bilinguals lag behind their monolingual counterparts on measures of linguistic processing, they showed enhanced performance on a memory and reasoning component. For reading comprehension, no between-group differences were evident, suggesting that selective benefits compensate costs at the level of underlying cognitive components. Overall, the results seem to indicate that literacy skills may be modulated by emerging bilingualism even when no between-group differences are evident at the level of complex skill, and the detection of such differences may depend on the focus and selectivity of the task battery used. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting the Unpredictable: 75 Years of Experimental Evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radin, Dean I.

2011-11-01

From time immemorial, people have reported foreknowledge of future events. To determine whether such experiences are best understood via conventional explanations, or whether a retrocausal phenomenon might be involved in some instances, researchers have conducted hundreds of controlled laboratory experiments over the past 75 years. These studies fall into four general classes, and each class has generated repeatable evidence consistent with retrocausation. The statistical results for a class of forced-choice studies is associated with odds against chance of about 1024; for a class of free-response studies, odds about 1020; for psychophysiological-based studies, odds about 1017; and for implicit decision studies, odds about 1010. Effect sizes observed in the latter three classes are nearly identical, indicating replication of similar underlying effects. These effects are also in close agreement with the average effect size across 25,000 conventional social psychology experiments conducted over the last century, suggesting that retrocausal phenomena may not be especially unique, at least not in terms of the magnitude of effect. Bayesian analyses of the most recent classes of experiments confirm that the evidence is strongly in favor of a genuine effect, with Bayes Factors ranging from 13,669 to 1 for implicit decision experiments, to 2.9×1013 to 1 for psychophysiological designs. For the two most recent classes of studies examining retrocausal effects via unconscious physiological or behavioral measures, 85 of 101 studies (84%) reported by 25 different laboratories from the United States, Italy, Spain, Holland, Austria, Sweden, England, Scotland, Iran, Japan, and Australia, have produced results in the direction predicted by a retrocausal effect (odds against chance = 1.3×1012, via a sign test). Assessment of the methodologies used in these studies has not identified plausible conventional alternatives for the observed outcomes, suggesting the existence of a

Is there evidence for the existence of nonlinear behavior within the interplanetary solar sector structure?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, A. G.; Francis, N. M.; Broomhead, D. S.; Cannon, P. S.; Akram, A.

1999-06-01

Using data from the Sweden and Britain Radar Experiment (SABRE) VHF coherent radar, Yeoman et al. [1990] found evidence for two and four sector structures during the declining phase of solar cycle (SC) 21. No such obvious harmonic features were present during the ascending phase of SC 22. It was suggested that the structure of the heliospheric current sheet might exhibit nonlinear behavior during the latter period. A direct test of this suggestion, using established nonlinear methods, would require the computation of the fractal dimension of the data, for example. However, the quality of the SABRE data is insufficient for this purpose. Therefore we have tried to answer a simpler question: Is there any evidence that the SABRE data was generated by a (low-dimensional) nonlinear process? If this were the case, it would be a powerful indicator of nonlinear behavior in the solar current sheet. Our approach has been to use a system of orthogonal linear filters to separate the data into linearly uncorrelated time series. We then look for nonlinear dynamical relationships between these time series, using radial basis function models (which can be thought of as a class of neural networks). The presence of such a relationship, indicated by the ability to model one filter output given another, would equate to the presence of nonlinear properties within the data. Using this technique, evidence is found for the presence of low-level nonlinear behavior during both phases of the solar cycle investigated in this study. The evidence for nonlinear behavior is stronger during the descending phase of SC 21. However, it is not possible to distinguish between nonlinear dynamics and a nonlinearly transformed colored Gaussian noise process in either instance, using the available data. Therefore, in conclusion, we find insufficient evidence within the SABRE data set to support the suggestion of increased nonlinear dynamical behavior during the ascending phase of SC 22. In fact, nonlinear

Statins and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism: pooled analysis of published observational cohort studies.

PubMed

Kunutsor, Setor K; Seidu, Samuel; Khunti, Kamlesh

2017-05-21

There have been suggestions that statins may have a potential role in secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) [which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)], but the evidence is inconsistent. We aimed to evaluate the association between statin use and risk of recurrent VTE. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies. All relevant studies which reported associations between statin use and recurrent VTE outcomes were identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and manual search of bibliographies from inception to January 2017. Study specific relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals were aggregated using random effects models. Eight eligible studies comprising of 103 576 participants and 13 168 recurrent VTE outcomes were included in the pooled analysis. In pooled analysis of 7 studies, the RR for recurrent VTE was 0.73 (0.68-0.79) when comparing statin use with no use. There was no evidence of heterogeneity between contributing studies (I2=0%, 0-71%; P = 0.93). The RRs for recurrent PE (three studies) and DVT (two studies) comparing statin use with no statin use were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.58-0.96) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.60-0.71) respectively. Available evidence from observational cohort studies suggests a beneficial effect of statin use on VTE recurrence. Well-designed intervention studies are needed to corroborate these findings. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Intratemporal facial nerve ultrastructure in patients with idiopathic facial paralysis: viral infection evidence study.

PubMed

Florez, Rosangela Aló Maluza; Lang, Raquel; Veridiano, Adriano Mora; Zanini, Renato de Oliveira; Calió, Pedro Luiz; Simões, Ricardo Dos Santos; Testa, José Ricardo Gurgel

2010-01-01

The etiology of idiopathic peripheral facial palsy (IPFP) is still uncertain; however, some authors suggest the possibility of a viral infection. to analyze the ultrastructure of the facial nerve seeking viral evidences that might provide etiological data. We studied 20 patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP), with moderate to severe FP, of both genders, between 18-60 years of age, from the Clinic of Facial Nerve Disorders. The patients were broken down into two groups - Study: eleven patients with IPFP and Control: nine patients with trauma or tumor-related PFP. The fragments were obtained from the facial nerve sheath or from fragments of its stumps - which would be discarded or sent to pathology exam during the facial nerve repair surgery. The removed tissue was fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde, and studied under Electronic Transmission Microscopy. In the study group we observed an intense repair cellular activity by increased collagen fibers, fibroblasts containing developed organelles, free of viral particles. In the control group this repair activity was not evident, but no viral particles were observed. There were no viral particles, and there were evidences of intense activity of repair or viral infection.

Discourse analysis of an 'observation levels' nursing policy.

PubMed

Horsfall, J; Cleary, M

2000-11-01

The practice of special observation (or constant observation) is widely used in inpatient psychiatric facilities for the care of people who are suicidal. In this study, the policy of special observation was examined using a discourse analysis method to discern prevailing ideas and practices highlighted within the policy. After reading, studying and analysing the special observation nursing policy, the authors briefly describe the document and outline the terms and phrases prevalent within the document. These recurrent ideas are then organized into five categories: professional responsibilities, suicidality, the patient's immediate context, the patient's observable behaviour and the nursing checklist. In discussion of the policy document, the invisibility of the authors, target audience and patients is noted. The authors attempt to elicit evidence for the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship in the document. In the analysis of patient, nurse and doctor roles and responsibilities, it is evident that the policy document reinforces the traditional medical hierarchy of power relations. Some assumptions that underpin the document are postulated. Questions regarding the nature of risk assessment and the evidence base for the medical prescription of special observation are raised. As well as ideas and themes evident in the document, the absence of some relevant issues is explored. While the need for succinctness and clarity in policy documents is acknowledged, the fact that patient rights, therapeutic processes and ethical dilemmas are absent is deemed significant.

Potential Line Structure Variability in DIB Features Observed in Pathfinder tres Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, Charles; Milisavljevic, Dan; Crabtree, Kyle N.; Johansen, Sommer Lynn

2017-06-01

The Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs) are hundreds of spectral lines observed in sightlines towards many stars in the optical and near-infrared. Although most of these transitions remain unassigned, four of them have recently been assigned to C_{60}^{+} and C_{70}^{+}. In earlier observations of the visible spectrum of the extragalactic supernova SN 2012ap, we observed changes in the equivalent widths of DIBs on the timescale of its light curve, which indicated that some DIB carriers might exist closer to massive stars then previously believed. Motivated by these findings, we undertook a pathfinder survey of 17 massive stars with the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph at Fred L. Whipple Observatory in search of temporal variability in DIBs. In 3 of the 17 stars, we found possible evidence for variation in line substructure of DIBs λ5797 and λ6614. In this talk, we will discuss our efforts to model λ5797 toward MT-59 using contour simulations based on previously published spectral models from higher resolution observations. Although the SNR of this spectrum was only 5-15, our preliminary results suggest that the variations in molecular spectra over time might arise from changes in carrier temperature. These early results demonstrate the need for higher SNR spectra taken at multiple epochs to further explore potential temporal variability. If successful, time-variation could provide additional evidence to assist in identifying DIB carriers.

Illusory Memories of Emotionally Charged Words in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Further Evidence for Atypical Emotion Processing outside the Social Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaigg, Sebastian B.; Bowler, Dermot M.

2009-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that individuals with ASD may not accumulate distinct representations of emotional information throughout development. On the basis of this observation we predicted that such individuals would not be any less likely to falsely remember emotionally significant as compared to neutral words when such "illusory memories" are…

High-Resolution Infrared Imaging of FSC 10214+4724: Evidence for Gravitational Lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, James R.; Liu, Michael C.

1995-08-01

We present near-infrared observations of the ultraluminous high-redshift (z = 2.286) IRAS source FSC 10214+4724 obtained in 0."4 seeing at the W. M. Keck telescope. These observations show that FSC 10214+4724 consists of a highly symmetric circular arc centered on a second weaker source. The arc has an angular extent of about 140 deg and is probably unresolved in the transverse direction. This morphology constitutes compelling prima facie evidence for a gravitationally lensed system. Our images also contain evidence for the faint counterimage predicted by the lens hypothesis. The morphology of FSC 10214+4724 can be explained in terms of a gravitationally lensed background source if the object at the center of curvature of the arc is an L* galaxy at z ~ 0.7. If FSC 10214+4724 is lensed, then there is significant magnification and its luminosity has been overestimated by a large factor. Our results suggest that FSC 10214+4724 is not a uniquely luminous object but ranks among the most powerful quasars and ultraluminous IRAS galaxies.

Evidence from Opportunity's Microscopic Imager for water on Meridiani Planum.

PubMed

Herkenhoff, K E; Squyres, S W; Arvidson, R; Bass, D S; Bell, J F; Bertelsen, P; Ehlmann, B L; Farrand, W; Gaddis, L; Greeley, R; Grotzinger, J; Hayes, A G; Hviid, S F; Johnson, J R; Jolliff, B; Kinch, K M; Knoll, A H; Madsen, M B; Maki, J N; McLennan, S M; McSween, H Y; Ming, D W; Rice, J W; Richter, L; Sims, M; Smith, P H; Soderblom, L A; Spanovich, N; Sullivan, R; Thompson, S; Wdowiak, T; Weitz, C; Whelley, P

2004-12-03

The Microscopic Imager on the Opportunity rover analyzed textures of soils and rocks at Meridiani Planum at a scale of 31 micrometers per pixel. The uppermost millimeter of some soils is weakly cemented, whereas other soils show little evidence of cohesion. Rock outcrops are laminated on a millimeter scale; image mosaics of cross-stratification suggest that some sediments were deposited by flowing water. Vugs in some outcrop faces are probably molds formed by dissolution of relatively soluble minerals during diagenesis. Microscopic images support the hypothesis that hematite-rich spherules observed in outcrops and soils also formed diagenetically as concretions.

Energy metabolism of the untrained muscle of elite runners as observed by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy: evidence suggesting a genetic endowment for endurance exercise.

PubMed Central

Park, J H; Brown, R L; Park, C R; Cohn, M; Chance, B

1988-01-01

program, the maximum voluntary contractile force for the control subjects had declined to less than 60% of the initial value. This decline could be explained best by exhaustion of the glycolytic contribution to muscle contraction. Therefore, the residual maximum strength provided a measure of the oxidative capacity to support contraction, as is discussed. In conclusion, we suggest that a greater oxidative capacity relative to glycolytic capacity for support of contraction in untrained muscle of world-class runners reflects a genetic endowment for physical endurance. Additional systemic effects of training cannot be completely excluded. 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides a noninvasive method for assessing this endowment. PMID:3194388

Observations of magnetospheric ionization enhancements using upper-hybrid resonance noise band data from the RAE-1 satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mosier, S. R.

1975-01-01

Noise bands associated with the upper-hybrid resonance were used to provide direct evidence for the existence of regions of enhanced density in the equatorial magnetosphere near L = 2. Density enhancements ranging from several percent to as high as 45 percent are observed with radial dimensions of several hundred kilometers. The enhancement characteristics strongly suggest their identification as magnetospheric whistler ducts.

High-latitude observations of solar wind streams and coronal holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricket, B. J.; Sime, D. G.; Crockett, W. R.; Tousey, R.; Sheeley, N. R., Jr.

1976-01-01

Interplanetary scintillation observations of the solar wind velocity during 1973 and the first part of 1974 reveal several corotating high-speed streams. These streams, of heliographic latitudes from +40 deg to -60 deg, have been mapped back to the vicinity of the sun and have been compared with coronal holes identified in wide band XUV solar images taken during the manned portions of the Skylab mission. There is some evidence that the high-speed streams are preferentially associated with coronal holes and that they can spread out from the hole boundaries up to about 20 deg in latitude. However, this association is not one to one; streams are observed which do not map back to coronal holes, and holes are observed which do not lie at the base of streams. To the extent that a statistical interpretation is possible the association is not highly significant, but individual consideration of streams and holes suggests that the statistical result is biased somewhat against a strong correlation.

The effect of modeled absolute timing variability and relative timing variability on observational learning.

PubMed

Grierson, Lawrence E M; Roberts, James W; Welsher, Arthur M

2017-05-01

There is much evidence to suggest that skill learning is enhanced by skill observation. Recent research on this phenomenon indicates a benefit of observing variable/erred demonstrations. In this study, we explore whether it is variability within the relative organization or absolute parameterization of a movement that facilitates skill learning through observation. To do so, participants were randomly allocated into groups that observed a model with no variability, absolute timing variability, relative timing variability, or variability in both absolute and relative timing. All participants performed a four-segment movement pattern with specific absolute and relative timing goals prior to and following the observational intervention, as well as in a 24h retention test and transfers tests that featured new relative and absolute timing goals. Absolute timing error indicated that all groups initially acquired the absolute timing, maintained their performance at 24h retention, and exhibited performance deterioration in both transfer tests. Relative timing error revealed that the observation of no variability and relative timing variability produced greater performance at the post-test, 24h retention and relative timing transfer tests, but for the no variability group, deteriorated at absolute timing transfer test. The results suggest that the learning of absolute timing following observation unfolds irrespective of model variability. However, the learning of relative timing benefits from holding the absolute features constant, while the observation of no variability partially fails in transfer. We suggest learning by observing no variability and variable/erred models unfolds via similar neural mechanisms, although the latter benefits from the additional coding of information pertaining to movements that require a correction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion transport its regulation in the endolymphatic sac: suggestions for clinical aspects of Meniere's disease.

PubMed

Mori, Nozomu; Miyashita, Takenori; Inamoto, Ryuhei; Matsubara, Ai; Mori, Terushige; Akiyama, Kosuke; Hoshikawa, Hiroshi

2017-04-01

Ion transport and its regulation in the endolymphatic sac (ES) are reviewed on the basis of recent lines of evidence. The morphological and physiological findings demonstrate that epithelial cells in the intermediate portion of the ES are more functional in ion transport than those in the other portions. Several ion channels, ion transporters, ion exchangers, and so on have been reported to be present in epithelial cells of ES intermediate portion. An imaging study has shown that mitochondria-rich cells in the ES intermediate portion have a higher activity of Na + , K + -ATPase and a higher Na + permeability than other type of cells, implying that molecules related to Na + transport, such as epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), Na + -K + -2Cl - cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) and thiazide-sensitive Na + -Cl - cotransporter (NCC), may be present in mitochondria-rich cells. Accumulated lines of evidence suggests that Na + transport is most important in the ES, and that mitochondria-rich cells play crucial roles in Na + transport in the ES. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that aldosterone may regulate Na + transport in ES, resulting in endolymph volume regulation. The presence of molecules related to acid/base transport, such as H + -ATPase, Na + -H + exchanger (NHE), pendrin (SLC26A4), Cl - -HCO 3 - exchanger (SLC4A2), and carbonic anhydrase in ES epithelial cells, suggests that acid/base transport is another important one in the ES. Recent basic and clinical studies suggest that aldosterone may be involved in the effect of salt-reduced diet treatment in Meniere's disease.

Mitochondrial DNA Suggests a Western Eurasian Origin for Ancient (Proto-) Bulgarians.

PubMed

Nesheva, D V; Karachanak-Yankova, S; Lari, M; Yordanov, Y; Galabov, A; Caramelli, D; Toncheva, D

2015-01-01

Ancient (proto-) Bulgarians have long been thought of as a Turkic population. However, evidence found in the past three decades shows that this is not the case. Until now, this evidence has not included ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis. To fill this void, we collected human remains from the 8th to the 10th century AD located in three necropolises in Bulgaria: Nojarevo (Silistra region) and Monastery of Mostich (Shumen region), both in northeastern Bulgaria, and Tuhovishte (Satovcha region) in southwestern Bulgaria. The phylogenetic analysis of 13 ancient DNA samples (extracted from teeth) identified 12 independent haplotypes, which we further classified into mtDNA haplogroups found in present-day European and western Eurasian populations. Our results suggest a western Eurasian matrilineal origin for proto-Bulgarians, as well as a genetic similarity between proto- and modern Bulgarians. Our future work will provide additional data that will further clarify proto-Bulgarian origins, thereby adding new clues to the current understanding of European genetic evolution.

A systematic review of suggestive seizure induction for the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

PubMed

Popkirov, Stoyan; Grönheit, Wenke; Wellmer, Jörg

2015-09-01

Suggestive seizure induction is a widely used method for diagnosing psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Despite seven decades of multidisciplinary research, however, there is still no unified protocol, no definitive agreement on the ethical framework and no consensus on diagnostic utility. This systematic review surveys the evidence at hand and addresses clinically relevant aspects of suggestive seizure induction. In addition to its use for facilitating the diagnostic process, its mechanism of action and utility in elucidating the psychopathology of PNES will be discussed. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observations of quasi-periodic phenomena associated with a large blowout solar jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morton, R. J.; Srivastava, A. K.; Erdélyi, R.

2012-06-01

Aims: A variety of periodic phenomena have been observed in conjunction with large solar jets. We aim to find further evidence for (quasi-)periodic behaviour in solar jets and determine what the periodic behaviour can tell us about the excitation mechanism and formation process of the large solar jet. Methods: Using the 304 Å (He-II), 171 Å (Fe IX), 193 Å (Fe XII/XXIV) and 131 Å (Fe VIII/XXI) filters onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), we investigate the intensity oscillations associated with a solar jet. Results: Evidence is provided for multiple magnetic reconnection events occurring between a pre-twisted, closed field and open field lines. Components of the jet are seen in multiple SDO/AIA filters covering a wide range of temperatures, suggesting the jet can be classified as a blowout jet. Two bright, elongated features are observed to be co-spatial with the large jet, appearing at the jet's footpoints. Investigation of these features reveal they are defined by multiple plasma ejections. The ejecta display (quasi-)periodic behaviour on timescales of 50 s and have rise velocities of 40-150 km s-1 along the open field lines. Due to the suggestion that the large jet is reconnection-driven and the observed properties of the ejecta, we further propose that these ejecta events are similar to type-II spicules. The bright features also display (quasi)-periodic intensity perturbations on the timescale of 300 s. Possible explanations for the existence of the (quasi-)periodic perturbations in terms of jet dynamics and the response of the transition region are discussed. Movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Observing Shared Attention Modulates Gaze Following

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockler, Anne; Knoblich, Gunther; Sebanz, Natalie

2011-01-01

Humans' tendency to follow others' gaze is considered to be rather resistant to top-down influences. However, recent evidence indicates that gaze following depends on prior eye contact with the observed agent. Does observing two people engaging in eye contact also modulate gaze following? Participants observed two faces looking at each other or…

Prosecutors' Perspectives on Biological Evidence and Injury Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases.

PubMed

Alderden, Megan; Cross, Theodore P; Vlajnic, Maja; Siller, Laura

2018-06-01

Little prior research has explored how prosecutors perceive and utilize biological and injury evidences in sexual assault cases. In this qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with assistant district attorneys (ADAs) working in an urban district attorney's office in the northeastern United States. ADAs were asked to describe how biological and injury evidences could be probative and their strategies for using this evidence. The interviews suggest that prosecutors perceive the probative value of biological and injury evidences on a continuum, varying based on case characteristics. Prosecutors felt that undergoing a forensic medical examination in itself supported victims' credibility. Biological evidence bolstered victims' credibility if it matched the victim's account better than the defendant's. They perceived DNA evidence as helpful when it identified unknown suspects, confirmed identification of suspects by other means, or rebutted defendants' denial of sexual contact. DNA evidence was also helpful when victims were incapacitated, too traumatized to recall or talk about the assault, or too young to identify assailants, and when police used the information in interrogating suspects. The biggest limitation to biological evidence prosecutors cited was overcoming the consent defense. The ADAs reported they used DNA evidence even when it was not particularly probative, because it confirms the correct person is being prosecuted, it communicates the victim's and prosecution's seriousness, and it meets jury expectations in trials. Prosecutors found injury evidence useful because it corroborated victims' accounts and helped refute defendant claims of consensual sex. The findings may assist in educating others about biological and injury evidences in these cases, and could inspire professionals and advocates to work to develop and support a broad range of investigative methods.

Are Dysphoric Individuals More Suggestible or Less Suggestible Than Nondysphoric Individuals?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Wendy L.; Morris, Steven J.

1998-01-01

Dysphoric individuals are shown to be susceptible to interrogative suggestion, whether in the form of leading questions or interrogative pressure. The association of a clinically relevant condition of dysphoria (depression) with relatively high levels of suggestibility was investigated in a college student population (N=139). Applicability to…

Synchronous Endometrial and Ovarian Carcinomas: Evidence of Clonality.

PubMed

Anglesio, Michael S; Wang, Yi Kan; Maassen, Madlen; Horlings, Hugo M; Bashashati, Ali; Senz, Janine; Mackenzie, Robertson; Grewal, Diljot S; Li-Chang, Hector; Karnezis, Anthony N; Sheffield, Brandon S; McConechy, Melissa K; Kommoss, Friedrich; Taran, Florin A; Staebler, Annette; Shah, Sohrab P; Wallwiener, Diethelm; Brucker, Sara; Gilks, C Blake; Kommoss, Stefan; Huntsman, David G

2016-06-01

Many women with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma present with concurrent endometrial carcinoma. Organ-confined and low-grade synchronous endometrial and ovarian tumors (SEOs) clinically behave as independent primary tumors rather than a single advanced-stage carcinoma. We used 18 SEOs to investigate the ancestral relationship between the endometrial and ovarian components. Based on both targeted and exome sequencing, 17 of 18 patient cases of simultaneous cancer of the endometrium and ovary from our series showed evidence of a clonal relationship, ie, primary tumor and metastasis. Eleven patient cases fulfilled clinicopathological criteria that would lead to classification as independent endometrial and ovarian primary carcinomas, including being of FIGO stage T1a/1A, with organ-restricted growth and without surface involvement; 10 of 11 of these cases showed evidence of clonality. Our observations suggest that the disseminating cells amongst SEOs are restricted to physically accessible and microenvironment-compatible sites yet remain indolent, without the capacity for further dissemination. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Occlusion and posture: is there evidence of correlation?].

PubMed

Michelotti, A; Manzo, P; Farella, M; Martina, R

1999-11-01

The observation that the masticatory system and the postural body regulating system are anatomically and functionally related, has led to postulate several hypotheses of correlation between occlusal and postural disturbances. In the last decade, these arguments have gained a great social impact, also because they have been broadly spread by the mass-media. As a consequence, there has been a growing number of patients seeking concomitant occlusal and postural treatments. The aim of this study was to review critically the current evidence of correlation between the two systems; this in order to address clinical issues for the management of patients. Methodology of the studies reviewed has been evaluated according to the criteria suggested by Storey and Rugh 20 rif. Although there are some evidences of correlation between occlusion and posture, this appears limited to the cranio-cervical tract of the column and tends to disappear when descending in cranio-caudal direction. On the basis of this review of the literature, it's not advisable to treat postural imbalance by means of occlusal treatment or vice versa, particularly if the therapeutic modalities are irreversible.

Observational Evidence of a Flux Rope within a Sunspot Umbra

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

Guglielmino, Salvo L.; Zuccarello, Francesca; Romano, Paolo, E-mail: salvo.guglielmino@oact.inaf.it

We observed an elongated filamentary bright structure inside the umbra of the big sunspot in active region NOAA 12529, which differs from the light bridges usually observed in sunspots for its morphology, magnetic configuration, and velocity field. We used observations taken with the Solar Dynamic Observatory satellite to characterize this feature. Its lifetime is 5 days, during which it reaches a maximum length of about 30″. In the maps of the vertical component of the photospheric magnetic field, a portion of the feature has a polarity opposite to that of the hosting sunspot. At the same time, in the entiremore » feature the horizontal component of the magnetic field is about 2000 G, substantially stronger than in the surrounding penumbral filaments. Doppler velocity maps reveal the presence of both upward and downward plasma motions along the structure at the photospheric level. Moreover, looking at the chromospheric level, we noted that it is located in a region corresponding to the edge of a small filament that seems rooted in the sunspot umbra. Therefore, we interpreted the bright structure as the photospheric counterpart of a flux rope touching the sunspot and giving rise to penumbral-like filaments in the umbra.« less

A suggested model for physical examination and conservative treatment of athletic pubalgia.

PubMed

Hegedus, Eric J; Stern, Ben; Reiman, Michael P; Tarara, Dan; Wright, Alexis A

2013-02-01

Athletic pubalgia (AP) is a chronic debilitating syndrome that affects many athletes. As a syndrome, AP is difficult to diagnose both with clinical examination and imaging. AP is also a challenge for conservative intervention with randomized controlled trials showing mixed success rates. In other syndromes where clinical diagnosis and conservative treatment have been less than clear, a paradigm has been suggested as a framework for clinical decision making. To propose a new clinical diagnostic and treatment paradigm for the conservative management of AP. Relevant studies were viewed with regard to diagnosis and intervention and where a gap in evidence existed, clinical expertise was used to fill that gap and duly noted. A new paradigm is proposed to assist with clinical diagnosis and non-surgical intervention in patients suffering with AP. The level of evidence supporting this paradigm, according to the SORT taxonomy, is primarily level 2B. Further testing is warranted but following the suggested paradigm should lead to a clearer diagnosis of AP and allow more meaningful research into homogeneous patient populations within the AP diagnostic cluster. Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): 2B. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing global climate anomalies suggest potential disease risks for 2006-2007.

PubMed

Anyamba, Assaf; Chretien, Jean-Paul; Small, Jennifer; Tucker, Compton J; Linthicum, Kenneth J

2006-12-28

El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related climate anomalies have been shown to have an impact on infectious disease outbreaks. The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA/CPC) has recently issued an unscheduled El Niño advisory, indicating that warmer than normal sea surface temperatures across the equatorial eastern Pacific may have pronounced impacts on global tropical precipitation patterns extending into the northern hemisphere particularly over North America. Building evidence of the links between ENSO driven climate anomalies and infectious diseases, particularly those transmitted by insects, can allow us to provide improved long range forecasts of an epidemic or epizootic. We describe developing climate anomalies that suggest potential disease risks using satellite generated data. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the equatorial east Pacific ocean have anomalously increased significantly during July - October 2006 indicating the typical development of El Niño conditions. The persistence of these conditions will lead to extremes in global-scale climate anomalies as has been observed during similar conditions in the past. Positive Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) anomalies, indicative of severe drought conditions, have been observed across all of Indonesia, Malaysia and most of the Philippines, which are usually the first areas to experience ENSO-related impacts. This dryness can be expected to continue, on average, for the remainder of 2006 continuing into the early part of 2007. During the period November 2006 - January 2007 climate forecasts indicate that there is a high probability for above normal rainfall in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Islands, the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida, northern South America and equatorial east Africa. Taking into consideration current observations and climate forecast information, indications are that the following regions are at increased

Low microchimeric cell density in tumors suggests alternative antineoplastic mechanism.

PubMed

Jolis, Timothy W; Brucker, Brenna M; Schorl, Christoph; Butera, James N; Quesenberry, Peter J

2017-04-01

Microchimerism has generally been shown to protect against cancer (Gilmore et al. in Exp Hematol 36(9):1073-1077, 2008). The mechanism of how this occurs is an area of intense study, as it may lead to new cancer treatments. The leading theory is that microchimeric cells perform immune surveillance by directly fighting cancerous cells and that they also act as stem cells, repairing damaged tissue (Khosrotehrani et al. in JAMA 292:75-80, 2004). However, there is conflicting evidence to support this theory. Several small studies have found few microchimeric cells in tumor tissue (Gadi in Breast Cancer Res Treat 121(1):241-244, 2010; Cirello et al. in Int J Cancer 126:2874-2878, 2010), while another study contradicted these findings by showing microchimeric cells clustered around tumor tissue (O'Donoghue et al. in Reprod Biomed Online 16:382-390, 2008). To date, we have designed the largest and broadest study to investigate this question of whether microchimeric cells really do cluster at tumor tissue. We analyzed 245 samples from a broad range of cancer types. Using PCR for the male chromosome marker TSPY1, we identified only 12 out of 245 samples with microchimerism for a rate of 4.9% (95% confidence interval 2.2-7.6%). Five of these samples were confirmed using Y fluorescence in situ hybridization. This rate of 4.9% microchimerism is the lowest reported in any study. The low percentage of microchimerism observed in our broad study suggests that microchimeric cells do not invade tumors to fight off neoplasm.

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy: Advantages and Challenges.

PubMed

Cook, Sarah C; Schwartz, Ann C; Kaslow, Nadine J

2017-07-01

Evidence-based psychotherapies have been shown to be efficacious and cost-effective for a wide range of psychiatric conditions. Psychiatric disorders are prevalent worldwide and associated with high rates of disease burden, as well as elevated rates of co-occurrence with medical disorders, which has led to an increased focus on the need for evidence-based psychotherapies. This chapter focuses on the current state of evidence-based psychotherapy. The strengths and challenges of evidence-based psychotherapy are discussed, as well as misperceptions regarding the approach that may discourage and limit its use. In addition, we review various factors associated with the optimal implementation and application of evidence-based psychotherapies. Lastly, suggestions are provided on ways to advance the evidence-based psychotherapy movement to become truly integrated into practice.

Simultaneous Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and very large array observations of solar active regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, K. R.

1986-01-01

The research deals mainly with Very Large Array and Solar Maximum Mission observations of the ubiquitous coronal loops that dominate the structure of the low corona. As illustrated, the observations of thermal cyclotron lines at microwave wavelengths provide a powerful new method of accurately specifying the coronal magnetic field strength. Processes are delineated that trigger solar eruptions from coronal loops, including preburst heating and the magnetic interaction of coronal loops. Evidence for coherent burst mechanisms is provided for both the Sun and nearby stars, while other observations suggest the presence of currents that may amplify the coronal magnetic field to unexpectedly high levels. The existence is reported of a new class of compact, variable moving sources in regions of apparently weak photospheric field.

Dynamic auroral storms on Saturn as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.

PubMed

Nichols, J D; Badman, S V; Baines, K H; Brown, R H; Bunce, E J; Clarke, J T; Cowley, S W H; Crary, F J; Dougherty, M K; Gérard, J-C; Grocott, A; Grodent, D; Kurth, W S; Melin, H; Mitchell, D G; Pryor, W R; Stallard, T S

2014-05-28

We present observations of significant dynamics within two UV auroral storms observed on Saturn using the Hubble Space Telescope in April/May 2013. Specifically, we discuss bursts of auroral emission observed at the poleward boundary of a solar wind-induced auroral storm, propagating at ∼330% rigid corotation from near ∼01 h LT toward ∼08 h LT. We suggest that these are indicative of ongoing, bursty reconnection of lobe flux in the magnetotail, providing strong evidence that Saturn's auroral storms are caused by large-scale flux closure. We also discuss the later evolution of a similar storm and show that the emission maps to the trailing region of an energetic neutral atom enhancement. We thus identify the auroral form with the upward field-aligned continuity currents flowing into the associated partial ring current.

Dynamic auroral storms on Saturn as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

PubMed Central

Nichols, J D; Badman, S V; Baines, K H; Brown, R H; Bunce, E J; Clarke, J T; Cowley, S W H; Crary, F J; Dougherty, M K; Gérard, J-C; Grocott, A; Grodent, D; Kurth, W S; Melin, H; Mitchell, D G; Pryor, W R; Stallard, T S

2014-01-01

We present observations of significant dynamics within two UV auroral storms observed on Saturn using the Hubble Space Telescope in April/May 2013. Specifically, we discuss bursts of auroral emission observed at the poleward boundary of a solar wind-induced auroral storm, propagating at ∼330% rigid corotation from near ∼01 h LT toward ∼08 h LT. We suggest that these are indicative of ongoing, bursty reconnection of lobe flux in the magnetotail, providing strong evidence that Saturn's auroral storms are caused by large-scale flux closure. We also discuss the later evolution of a similar storm and show that the emission maps to the trailing region of an energetic neutral atom enhancement. We thus identify the auroral form with the upward field-aligned continuity currents flowing into the associated partial ring current. PMID:26074636

The highs and lows of cloud radiative feedback: Comparing observational data and CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenney, A.; Randall, D. A.

2014-12-01

Clouds play a complex role in the climate system, and remain one of the more difficult aspects of the future climate to predict. Over subtropical eastern ocean basins, particularly next to California, Peru, and Southwest Africa, low marine stratocumulus clouds (MSC) help to reduce the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface by reflecting incident sunlight. The climate feedback associated with these clouds is thought to be positive. This project looks at CMIP5 models and compares them to observational data from CERES and ERA-Interim to try and find observational evidence and model agreement for low, marine stratocumulus cloud feedback. Although current evidence suggests that the low cloud feedback is positive (IPCC, 2014), an analysis of the simulated relationship between July lower tropospheric stability (LTS) and shortwave cloud forcing in MSC regions suggests that this feedback is not due to changes in LTS. IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1535 pp.

Osteoporosis therapies: evidence from health-care databases and observational population studies.

PubMed

Silverman, Stuart L

2010-11-01

Osteoporosis is a well-recognized disease with severe consequences if left untreated. Randomized controlled trials are the most rigorous method for determining the efficacy and safety of therapies. Nevertheless, randomized controlled trials underrepresent the real-world patient population and are costly in both time and money. Modern technology has enabled researchers to use information gathered from large health-care or medical-claims databases to assess the practical utilization of available therapies in appropriate patients. Observational database studies lack randomization but, if carefully designed and successfully completed, can provide valuable information that complements results obtained from randomized controlled trials and extends our knowledge to real-world clinical patients. Randomized controlled trials comparing fracture outcomes among osteoporosis therapies are difficult to perform. In this regard, large observational database studies could be useful in identifying clinically important differences among therapeutic options. Database studies can also provide important information with regard to osteoporosis prevalence, health economics, and compliance and persistence with treatment. This article describes the strengths and limitations of both randomized controlled trials and observational database studies, discusses considerations for observational study design, and reviews a wealth of information generated by database studies in the field of osteoporosis.

Evidence for explosive chromospheric evaporation in a solar flare observed with SMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zarro, D. M.; Saba, J. L. R.; Strong, K. T.; Canfield, R. C.; Metcalf, T.

1986-01-01

SMM soft X-ray data and Sacramento Peak Observatory H-alpha observations are combined in a study of the impulsive phase of a solar flare. A blue asymmetry, indicative of upflow motions, was observed in the coronal Ca XIX line during the soft X-ray rise phase. H-alpha redshifts, indicative of downward motions, were observed simultaneously in bright flare kernels during the period of hard X-ray emission. It is shown that, to within observational errors, the impulsive phase momentum transported by the upflowing soft X-ray plasma is equivalent to that of the downward moving chromospheric material.

Neurophysiological evidence for the influence of past experience on figure-ground perception.

PubMed

Trujillo, Logan T; Allen, John J B; Schnyer, David M; Peterson, Mary A

2010-02-10

A fundamental aspect of perceptual organization entails segregating visual input into shaped figures presented against shapeless backgrounds; an outcome termed "figure-ground perception" or "shape assignment." The present study examined how early in processing past experience exerts an influence on shape assignment. Event-related potential (ERP) measures of brain activity were recorded while observers viewed silhouettes of novel objects that differed in whether or not a familiar shape was suggested on the outside-the groundside-of their bounding edges (experimental versus control silhouettes, respectively). Observers perceived both types of silhouettes as novel shapes and were unaware of the familiar shape suggested on the groundside of experimental silhouettes. Nevertheless, we expected that the familiar shape would be implicitly identified early in processing and would compete for figural status with the novel shape on the inside. Early (106-156 ms) ERPs were larger for experimental silhouettes than for control silhouettes lacking familiarity cues. The early ERP difference occurred during a time interval within which edge-segmentation-dependent response differences have been observed in previous neurophysiological investigations of figure-ground perception. These results provide the first neurophysiological evidence for an influence of past experience during the earliest stages of shape assignment.

Intergroup differences in the sharing of emotive states: neural evidence of an empathy gap.

PubMed

Gutsell, Jennifer N; Inzlicht, Michael

2012-06-01

Empathy facilitates prosocial behavior and social understanding. Here, however, we suggest that the most basic mechanism of empathy--the intuitive sharing of other's emotional and motivational states--is limited to those we like. Measuring electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha oscillations as people observed ingroup vs outgroup members, we found that participants showed similar activation patterns when feeling sad as when they observed ingroup members feeling sad. In contrast, participants did not show these same activation patterns when observing outgroup members and even less so the more they were prejudiced. These findings provide evidence from brain activity for an ingroup bias in empathy: empathy may be restricted to close others and, without active effort, may not extend to outgroups, potentially making them likely targets for prejudice and discrimination.

Evidence review of hydroxyurea for the prevention of sickle cell complications in low-income countries.

PubMed

Mulaku, Mercy; Opiyo, Newton; Karumbi, Jamlick; Kitonyi, Grace; Thoithi, Grace; English, Mike

2013-11-01

Hydroxyurea is widely used in high-income countries for the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) in children. In Kenyan clinical guidelines, hydroxyurea is only recommended for adults with SCD. Yet many deaths from SCD occur in early childhood, deaths that might be prevented by an effective, disease modifying intervention. The aim of this review was to summarise the available evidence on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of hydroxyurea in the management of SCD in children below 5 years of age to support guideline development in Kenya. We undertook a systematic review and used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to appraise the quality of identified evidence. Overall, available evidence from 1 systematic review (n=26 studies), 2 randomised controlled trials (n=354 children), 14 observational studies and 2 National Institute of Health reports suggest that hydroxyurea may be associated with improved fetal haemoglobin levels, reduced rates of hospitalisation, reduced episodes of acute chest syndrome and decreased frequency of pain events in children with SCD. However, it is associated with adverse events (eg, neutropenia) when high to maximum tolerated doses are used. Evidence is lacking on whether hydroxyurea improves survival if given to young children. Majority of the included studies were of low quality and mainly from high-income countries. Overall, available limited evidence suggests that hydroxyurea may improve morbidity and haematological outcomes in SCD in children aged below 5 years and appears safe in settings able to provide consistent haematological monitoring.

Ultraviolet spectrometer observations of Uranus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broadfoot, A. L.; Herbert, F.; Holberg, J. B.; Hunten, D. M.; Kumar, S.; Sandel, B. R.; Shemansky, D. E.; Dessler, A. J.; Linick, S.; Springer, R.

1986-01-01

The Voyager 2 UV spectrometer was used to scan the Uranus atmosphere at wavelengths from 500-1700 A with a field of view of 0.1 x 0.86 deg. The temperature and composition of the upper atmosphere were determined through occultations of light from gamma Pegasi, nu Geminorum and the sun. The data indicated a substantial gas density (100 million H atoms/cu cm) at about 28,000 km from the Uranus center, suggesting that gas drag plays a significant role in ring evolution. The distributions of CH4 and C2H2 in the lower atmosphere were also estimated. An electroglow emission was detected on the sunlit side, and attributed to emissions from atomic and molecular hydrogen excited by low energy electrons. An auroral glow was also observed, and exhibited evidence of an energy input equal to that of the electroglow. Finally, estimates of the C2H2 mixing ratio and the vertical column abundance of H2 are calculated.

Rip current evidence by hydrodynamic simulations, bathymetric surveys and UAV observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benassai, Guido; Aucelli, Pietro; Budillon, Giorgio; De Stefano, Massimo; Di Luccio, Diana; Di Paola, Gianluigi; Montella, Raffaele; Mucerino, Luigi; Sica, Mario; Pennetta, Micla

2017-09-01

The prediction of the formation, spacing and location of rip currents is a scientific challenge that can be achieved by means of different complementary methods. In this paper the analysis of numerical and experimental data, including RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft systems) observations, allowed us to detect the presence of rip currents and rip channels at the mouth of Sele River, in the Gulf of Salerno, southern Italy. The dataset used to analyze these phenomena consisted of two different bathymetric surveys, a detailed sediment analysis and a set of high-resolution wave numerical simulations, completed with Google EarthTM images and RPAS observations. The grain size trend analysis and the numerical simulations allowed us to identify the rip current occurrence, forced by topographically constrained channels incised on the seabed, which were compared with observations.

Anticipating syntax during reading: Evidence from the boundary change paradigm.

PubMed

Brothers, Trevor; Traxler, Matthew J

2016-12-01

Previous evidence suggests that grammatical constraints have a rapid influence during language comprehension, particularly at the level of word categories (noun, verb, preposition). These findings are in conflict with a recent study from Angele, Laishley, Rayner, and Liversedge (2014), in which sentential fit had no early influence on word skipping rates during reading. In the present study, we used a gaze-contingent boundary change paradigm to manipulate the syntactic congruity of an upcoming noun or verb outside of participants' awareness. Across 3 experiments (total N = 148), we observed higher skipping rates for syntactically valid previews (The admiral would not confess . . .), when compared with violation previews (The admiral would not surgeon . . .). Readers were less likely to skip an ungrammatical continuation, even when that word was repeated within the same sentence (The admiral would not admiral . . .), suggesting that word-class constraints can take precedence over lexical repetition effects. To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence for an influence of syntactic context during parafoveal word recognition. On the basis of the early time-course of this effect, we argue that readers can use grammatical constraints to generate syntactic expectations for upcoming words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Evidence, discovery and justification: the case of evidence-based medicine.

PubMed

Gaeta, Rodolfo; Gentile, Nelida

2016-08-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop some thoughts on philosophical issues surrounding evidence-based medicine (EBM), especially related to its epistemological dimensions. After considering the scope of several philosophical concepts that are relevant to the discussion, and drawing some distinctions among different aspects of EBM, we evaluate the status of EBM and suggest that EBM is mainly a meta-methodology. Then, we outline an evaluation of the thesis that EBM is a 'new paradigm' in the practice of medicine. We argue that EBM does not seem to have arisen in the way Kuhn imagined paradigms to arise but as a conscious, deliberate proposal, more as programme than as a reality. Furthermore, there is something paradoxical about appealing to evidence or to the best evidence as a way of promoting a new paradigm. For the proposal seems to assume that there is something that by its own virtue is the best evidence for a given time. But this idea would have been rejected by Kuhn. If EBM involves a genuine new alternative in the field of medicine and shows a way in which the discipline will endure henceforth, this indicates that it is not what Kuhn once called a 'paradigm' and even, paradoxically, it is good evidence that scientific paradigms do not exist, at least in medicine. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Continued Analysis of EUVE Solar System Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladstone, G. Randall

2001-01-01

This is the final report for this project. We proposed to continue our work on extracting important results from the EUVE (Extreme UltraViolet Explorer) archive of lunar and jovian system observations. In particular, we planned to: (1) produce several monochromatic images of the Moon at the wavelengths of the brightest solar EUV emission lines; (2) search for evidence of soft X-ray emissions from the Moon and/or X-ray fluorescence at specific EUV wavelengths; (3) search for localized EUV and soft X-ray emissions associated with each of the Galilean satellites; (4) search for correlations between localized Io Plasma Torus (IPT) brightness and volcanic activity on Io; (5) search for soft X-ray emissions from Jupiter; and (6) determine the long term variability of He 58.4 nm emissions from Jupiter, and relate these to solar variability. However, the ADP review panel suggested that the work concentrate on the Jupiter/IPT observations, and provided half the requested funding. Thus we have performed no work on the first two tasks, and instead concentrated on the last three. In addition we used funds from this project to support reduction and analysis of EUVE observations of Venus. While this was not part of the original statement of work, it is entirely in keeping with extracting important results from EUVE solar system observations.

Review of the evidence linking protein and energy to mental development.

PubMed

Grantham-McGregor, Sally; Baker-Henningham, Helen

2005-10-01

To examine the evidence as to whether the relationship between undernutrition and poor child development is causal. Selected studies from developing countries were discussed. Observational studies were first considered then experimental studies of preventative and remedial supplementation. The type of functions affected, the presence of sensitive periods and the role of protein and energy versus that of micronutrients were reviewed. Childhood undernutrition is generally associated with concurrent and longer term deficits in cognition, behaviour and motor skills, although the relationship is likely to be confounded by socio-economic factors. Supplementation trials have had many design problems. However, those beginning at any age from pregnancy up to 24 months have consistently had concurrent benefits suggesting a causal relationship. Supplement begun in older children had little or no effect, albeit there are too few studies to conclude with confidence. The limited evidence suggests that benefits are more likely to be sustained if supplementation begins in late pregnancy or at birth and is continued until the child is at least 24 months old. Deficits in cognition tend to be global and there is insufficient evidence of specific deficits. There is some evidence that the first 2 years of life are most sensitive to the effects of undernutrition. Most studies have failed to separate the effects of energy and protein from those of micronutrients. One study showed that energy and/or protein affects children's development. Psychosocial stimulation has had consistent benefits on undernourished children's development. Public health nutrition programmes should include a component in which children who are at risk are targeted during the first 2 years of life with combined interventions involving nutrition, health care and early stimulation.

Appraising the evidence for public health policy components using the quality and impact of component evidence assessment.

PubMed

Barbero, Colleen; Gilchrist, Siobhan; Schooley, Michael W; Chriqui, Jamie F; Luke, Douglas A; Eyler, Amy A

2015-03-01

An essential strategy expected to reduce the global burden of chronic and cardiovascular disease is evidence-based policy. However, it is often unknown what specific components should constitute an evidence-based policy intervention. We have developed an expedient method to appraise and compare the strengths of the evidence bases suggesting that individual components of a policy intervention will contribute to the positive public health impact of that intervention. Using a new definition of "best available evidence," the Quality and Impact of Component (QuIC) Evidence Assessment analyzes dimensions of evidence quality and evidence of public health impact to categorize multiple policy component evidence bases along a continuum of "emerging," "promising impact," "promising quality," and "best." QuIC was recently applied to components from 2 policy interventions to prevent and improve the outcomes of cardiovascular disease: public-access defibrillation and community health workers. Results illustrate QuIC's utility in international policy practice and research. Copyright © 2015 World Heart Federation (Geneva). All rights reserved.

Gas Cavities inside Dust Cavities in Disks Inferred from ALMA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Marel, Nienke; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Bruderer, Simon; Pinilla, Paola; van Kempen, Tim; Perez, Laura; Isella, Andrea

2016-01-01

Protoplanetary disks with cavities in their dust distribution, also named transitional disks, are expected to be in the middle of active evolution and possibly planet formation. In recent years, millimeter-dust rings observed by ALMA have been suggested to have their origin in dust traps, caused by pressure bumps. One of the ways to generate these is by the presence of planets, which lower the gas density along their orbit and create pressure bumps at the edge. We present spatially resolved ALMA Cycle 0 and Cycle 1 observations of CO and CO isotopologues of several famous transitional disks. Gas is found to be present inside the dust cavities, but at a reduced level compared with the gas surface density profile of the outer disk. The dust and gas emission are quantified using the physical-chemical modeling code DALI. In the majority of these disks we find clear evidence for a drop in gas density of at least a factor of 10 inside the cavity, whereas the dust density drops by at least a factor 1000. The CO isotopologue observations reveal that the gas cavities are significantly smaller than the dust cavities. These gas structures suggest clearing by one or more planetary-mass companions.

Educating Providers in Return-to-Play Suggested Guidelines Postconcussion.

PubMed

Bires, Angela Macci; Leonard, Amanda L; Thurber, Brandon

As the awareness of concussions increases, it is imperative to be able to evaluate, diagnose, and treat concussed individuals properly to prevent further complications or death. The primary purpose of this study was to compare a provider's current awareness and comfort level as it relates to the return-to-play guidelines for concussions. A secondary aim was to evaluate current protocols that are in use and determine whether they coincide with the suggested guidelines. An educational intervention was implemented to assess the knowledge and confidence of health care providers. The study design was a quantitative, convenient sample, pretest/posttest questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to participants who were nurse practitioners prior to an educational PowerPoint presentation. At 8 weeks, the posttest was administered. Approximately 19% of individuals were not aware of a graded return-to-play protocols. The findings suggest that the educational intervention increased their confidence levels in making a diagnosis of a concussion, in assessing danger signs, and in understanding when to refer to a specialist. Additional supporting evidence from this study indicates that the educational intervention allowed the participants to achieve a greater comfort level in finding appropriate resources for them and their patients.

Testing spatial uniformity of the CR spectrum in the local ISM with γ-ray observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokhorov, D. A.; Colafrancesco, S.

2018-05-01

Gamma-ray observations of nearby radio-line-emitting gas structures in the interstellar medium allow us to probe the spectrum of cosmic rays (CRs). In this paper, we analysed Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) γ-ray observations of three such structures located near each other to check if their CR spectra are compatible with that of the CR background or might provide evidence for a population of "fresh" CRs. We found that the shape of the γ-ray spectrum in the Aquarius HI shell is consistent with the previously published stacked γ-ray spectrum of the Gould Belt molecular clouds. We also found that assumptions on the diffuse Galactic γ-ray background affect the spectral shapes of CRs derived in the R Coronae Australis and ρ Ophiuchi molecular clouds in which spectral deviations had previously been suggested. These two facts provide evidence to support the hypothesis of uniformity of the shapes of cosmic ray spectra in the local Galaxy environment.

Interpersonal motor resonance in autism spectrum disorder: evidence against a global “mirror system” deficit

PubMed Central

Enticott, Peter G.; Kennedy, Hayley A.; Rinehart, Nicole J.; Bradshaw, John L.; Tonge, Bruce J.; Daskalakis, Zafiris J.; Fitzgerald, Paul B.

2013-01-01

The mirror neuron hypothesis of autism is highly controversial, in part because there are conflicting reports as to whether putative indices of mirror system activity are actually deficient in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent evidence suggests that a typical putative mirror system response may be seen in people with an ASD when there is a degree of social relevance to the visual stimuli used to elicit that response. Individuals with ASD (n = 32) and matched neurotypical controls (n = 32) completed a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment in which the left primary motor cortex (M1) was stimulated during the observation of static hands, individual (i.e., one person) hand actions, and interactive (i.e., two person) hand actions. Motor-evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded from the contralateral first dorsal interosseous, and used to generate an index of interpersonal motor resonance (IMR; a putative measure of mirror system activity) during action observation. There was no difference between ASD and NT groups in the level of IMR during the observation of these actions. These findings provide evidence against a global mirror system deficit in ASD, and this evidence appears to extend beyond stimuli that have social relevance. Attentional and visual processing influences may be important for understanding the apparent role of IMR in the pathophysiology of ASD. PMID:23734121

A combined whelk watch suggests repeated TBT desorption pulses.

PubMed

Ruiz, J M; Albaina, N; Carro, B; Barreiro, R

2015-01-01

Environmental quality in coastal Europe has improved since the complete 2003 ban on the use of tributyltin (TBT) in antifouling paints. However, there is evidence that TBT is entering the water column, presumably from illegal practices. We determined the concentration of butyltins (BTs: TBT and derivatives) in populations of two gastropods, the rock snail Nucella lapillus (n=17) and the mud snail Nassarius reticulatus (n=18) at regular intervals from pre-ban times until 2009 and 2011, respectively, in NW Spain. Although a substantial decline in TBT occurred shortly after the ban, no significant changes were observed in either species over the last 3-year period of study. In addition, the proportion of TBT relative to the sum of BTs (a marker of recent pollution) in the most recent rock snail samples unexpectedly increased; this proportion therefore showed a generally decreasing but oscillatory trend over time. The results are consistent with the theoretical expectation of BT desorption from sediments; however, this natural phenomenon is now interpreted as a recurrent episode rather than a unique, transient event. Evidence of this subtle input improves our understanding of TBT persistence in the environment in Europe and worldwide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and heart failure in type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies.

PubMed

Li, Ling; Li, Sheyu; Liu, Jiali; Deng, Ke; Busse, Jason W; Vandvik, Per Olav; Wong, Evelyn; Sohani, Zahra N; Bala, Malgorzata M; Rios, Lorena P; Malaga, German; Ebrahim, Shanil; Shen, Jiantong; Zhang, Longhao; Zhao, Pujing; Chen, Qunfei; Wang, Yingqiang; Guyatt, Gordon H; Sun, Xin

2016-05-11

The effect of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) receptor agonists on heart failure remains uncertain. We therefore conducted a systematic review to assess the possible impact of GLP-1 agonists on heart failure or hospitalization for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that addressed the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists in adults with type 2 diabetes, and explicitly reported heart failure or hospitalization for heart failure. Two paired reviewers screened reports, collected data, and assessed the risk of bias. We pooled data from RCTs and observational studies separately, and used the GRADE approach to rate the quality of evidence. We identified 25 studies that were eligible for our review; 21 RCTs (n = 18,270) and 4 observational studies (n = 111,029). Low quality evidence from 20 RCTs suggested, if anything, a lower incidence of heart failure between GLP-1 agonists versus control (17/7,441 vs. 19/4,317; odds ratio (OR) 0.62, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.31 to 1.22; risk difference (RD) 19 fewer, 95 % CI 34 fewer to 11 more per 1000 over 5 years). Three cohort studies comparing GLP-1 agonists to alternative agents provided very low quality evidence that GLP-1 agonists do not increase the incidence of heart failure. One RCT provided moderate quality evidence that GLP-1 agonists were not associated with hospitalization for heart failure (lixisenatide vs placebo: 122/3,034 vs. 127/3,034; adjusted hazard ratio 0.96, 95 % CI 0.75 to 1.23; RD 4 fewer, 95 % CI 25 fewer to 23 more per 1000 over 5 years) and a case-control study provided very low quality evidence also suggesting no association (GLP-1 agonists vs. other anti-hyperglycemic drugs: 1118 cases and 17,626 controls, adjusted OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.32 to 1.42). The current evidence suggests that GLP-1 agonists do not

Plasmaspheric Erosion via Plasmasphere Coupling to Ring Current Plasmas: EUV Observations and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adrian, M. L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Khazanov, G. V.; Chsang, S. W.; Liemohn, M. W.; Perez, J. D.; Green, J. L.; Sandel, B. R.; Mitchell, D. G.; Mende, S. B.;

Classification of hadith into positive suggestion, negative suggestion, and information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faraby, Said Al; Riviera Rachmawati Jasin, Eliza; Kusumaningrum, Andina; Adiwijaya

2018-03-01

As one of the Muslim life guidelines, based on the meaning of its sentence(s), a hadith can be viewed as a suggestion for doing something, or a suggestion for not doing something, or just information without any suggestion. In this paper, we tried to classify the Bahasa translation of hadith into the three categories using machine learning approach. We tried stemming and stopword removal in preprocessing, and TF-IDF of unigram, bigram, and trigram as the extracted features. As the classifier, we compared between SVM and Neural Network. Since the categories are new, so in order to compare the results of the previous pipelines, we created a baseline classifier using simple rule-based string matching technique. The rule-based algorithm conditions on the occurrence of words such as “janganlah, sholatlah, and so on” to determine the category. The baseline method achieved F1-Score of 0.69, while the best F1-Score from the machine learning approach was 0.88, and it was produced by SVM model with the linear kernel.

Evidence of separate subgroups of juvenile southern bluefin tuna.

PubMed

Chambers, Mark S; Sidhu, Leesa A; O'Neill, Ben; Sibanda, Nokuthaba

2017-11-01

Archival tagging studies of southern bluefin tuna (SBT , Thunnus maccoyii ) have revealed that juveniles residing in the Great Australian Bight (GAB) over the austral summer undertake seasonal cyclic migrations to the southeast Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea during winter. However, there remains disagreement about the extent of mixing between juvenile SBT regularly caught by longline fleets south of Africa and those observed in the GAB. Some researchers have argued that archival tag recoveries indicate most juveniles reside in the GAB over the austral summer. Others have suggested that recoveries of conventional and archival tags are better explained by a juvenile population consisting of separate groups on the eastern and western sides of the Indian Ocean with limited intermixing. We present analyses of catch and tag recovery data and re-examine archival tagging studies. The evidence provided strongly favors the hypothesis of separate juvenile subgroups, or contingents, with limited intermixing. We draw some tentative conclusions about the nature of the putative contingents and discuss some implications of these findings for the interpretation of existing datasets and future research priorities. We also provide the first evidence that the migration choices of juveniles that summer in the GAB are influenced by fidelity to winter feeding grounds and suggest this helps explain the collapse of the surface fishery off New South Wales in the 1980s.

Evidence of Fanning in the Ophiuchus Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sesar, Branimir; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Cohen, Judith G.; Rix, Hans-Walter; Pearson, Sarah; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Bernard, Edouard J.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Slater, Colin T.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Flewelling, Heather; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Waters, Christopher

2016-01-01

The Ophiuchus stellar stream presents a dynamical puzzle: its old stellar populations (˜12 Gyr) cannot be reconciled with (1) its orbit in a simple model for the Milky Way potential and (2) its short angular extent, both of which imply that the observed stream formed within the last \\lt 1 {{Gyr}}. Recent theoretical work has shown that streams on chaotic orbits may abruptly fan out near their apparent ends; stars in these fans are dispersed in both position and velocity and may be difficult to associate with the stream. Here we present the first evidence of such stream-fanning in the Ophiuchus stream, traced by four blue horizontal branch stars beyond the apparent end of the stream. These stars stand out from the background by their high velocities ({v}{{los}}\\gt 230 km s-1) against ˜40 other stars: their velocities are comparable to those of the stream, but would be exceptional if they were unrelated halo stars. Their positions and velocities are, however, inconsistent with simple extrapolation of the observed cold, high-density portion of the stream. These observations suggest that stream-fanning may be a real, observable effect and, therefore, that Ophiuchus may be on a chaotic orbit. They also show that the Ophiuchus stream is more extended and hence dynamically older than previously thought, easing the stellar population versus dynamical age tension.

Evidence against the temporal subsampling account of illusory motion reversal

PubMed Central

Kline, Keith A.; Eagleman, David M.

2010-01-01

An illusion of reversed motion may occur sporadically while viewing continuous smooth motion. This has been suggested as evidence of discrete temporal sampling by the visual system in analogy to the sampling that generates the wagon–wheel effect on film. In an alternative theory, the illusion is not the result of discrete sampling but instead of perceptual rivalry between appropriately activated and spuriously activated motion detectors. Results of the current study demonstrate that illusory reversals of two spatially overlapping and orthogonal motions often occur separately, providing evidence against the possibility that illusory motion reversal (IMR) is caused by temporal sampling within a visual region. Further, we find that IMR occurs with non-uniform and non-periodic stimuli—an observation that is not accounted for by the temporal sampling hypothesis. We propose, that a motion aftereffect is superimposed on the moving stimulus, sporadically allowing motion detectors for the reverse direction to dominate perception. PMID:18484852

FOXSI-2 Observations and Coronal Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christe, S.; Glesener, L.; Krucker, S.; Ramsey, B.; Ishikawa, S. N.; Buitrago Casas, J. C.; Takahashi, T.; Foster, N.

2015-12-01

Energy release and particle acceleration on the Sun is a frequent occurrence associated with a number of different solar phenomenon including but not limited to solar flares, coronal mass ejections and nanoflares. The exact mechanism through which particles are accelerated and energy is released is still not well understood. This issue is related to the unsolved coronal heating problem, the mystery of the heating mechanism for the million degree solar corona. One prevalent theory posits the existence of a multitude of small flares, dubbed nanoflares. Recent observations of active region AR11890 by IRIS (Testa et al. 2014) are consistent with numerical simulations of heating by impulsive beams of nonthermal electrons, suggesting that nanoflares may be similar to large flares in that they accelerate particles. Furthermore, observations by the EUNIS sounding rocket (Brosius et al. 2014) of faint Fe XIX (592.2 Angstrom) emission in an active region is indicative of plasma at temperatures of at least 8.9 MK providing further evidence of nanoflare heating. One of the best ways to gain insight into accelerated particles on the Sun and the presence of hot plasma is by observing the Sun in hard X-rays (HXR). We present on observations taken during the second successful flight of the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI-2). FOXSI flew on December 11, 2014 with upgraded optics as well as new CdTe strip detectors. FOXSI-2 observed thermal emission (4-15 keV) from at least three active regions (AR#12234, AR#12233, AR#12235) and observed regions of the Sun without active regions. We present on using FOXSI observations to test the presence of hot temperatures in and outside of active regions.

Association of circulating total bilirubin with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational evidence.

PubMed

Nano, J; Muka, T; Cepeda, M; Voortman, T; Dhana, K; Brahimaj, A; Dehghan, A; Franco, O H

2016-12-01

Emerging evidence suggests that bilirubin levels might be associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), although the nature of the association remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the relationship between total plasma bilirubin and the risk of MetS and T2D. Relevant studies were identified using five databases (Embase, Medline [Ovid], Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar), with the last search done on 21 October 2015. Study references were checked and authors contacted to identify additional studies. Randomized controlled trials, and cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies of adults examining the association between blood bilirubin levels and MetS and T2D were included, irrespective of language and date of publication. Abstract and full-text selection was done by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer available in case of disagreement. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers using a predesigned data collection form. MetS and T2D. Summary estimates were obtained by random-effects meta-analysis. Of the 2313 searched references, 16 observational studies (11 cross-sectional, two prospective, one that was both cross-sectional and prospective, two retrospective and one national survey) met our inclusion criteria. Overall, data were available for 175,911 non-overlapping participants, including 7414 MetS cases and 9406 T2D cases. In the meta-analysis of seven cross-sectional studies, the pooled odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for MetS in a comparison of extreme tertiles of serum bilirubin levels was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.78), whereas no significant association was found for the pooled estimated relative risk between two prospective studies (0.57, 95% CI: 0.11, 2.94). The corresponding estimate was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.87) for T2D from four cross-sectional studies. The available evidence, mainly from cross-sectional studies, supports an inverse association

Improving Air Quality Forecasts with AURA Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newchurch, M. J.; Biazer, A.; Khan, M.; Koshak, W. J.; Nair, U.; Fuller, K.; Wang, L.; Parker, Y.; Williams, R.; Liu, X.

2008-01-01

Past studies have identified model initial and boundary conditions as sources of reducible errors in air-quality simulations. In particular, improving the initial condition improves the accuracy of short-term forecasts as it allows for the impact of local emissions to be realized by the model and improving boundary conditions improves long range transport through the model domain, especially in recirculating anticyclones. During the August 2006 period, we use AURA/OMI ozone measurements along with MODIS and CALIPSO aerosol observations to improve the initial and boundary conditions of ozone and Particulate Matter. Assessment of the model by comparison of the control run and satellite assimilation run to the IONS06 network of ozonesonde observations, which comprise the densest ozone sounding campaign ever conducted in North America, to AURA/TES ozone profile measurements, and to the EPA ground network of ozone and PM measurements will show significant improvement in the CMAQ calculations that use AURA initial and boundary conditions. Further analyses of lightning occurrences from ground and satellite observations and AURA/OMI NO2 column abundances will identify the lightning NOx signal evident in OMI measurements and suggest pathways for incorporating the lightning and NO2 data into the CMAQ simulations.

Meta-analyses including data from observational studies.

PubMed

O'Connor, Annette M; Sargeant, Jan M

2014-02-15

Observational studies represent a wide group of studies where the disease or condition of interest is naturally occurring and the investigator does not control allocation to interventions or exposures. Observational studies are used to test hypotheses about the efficacy of interventions or about exposure-disease relationships, to estimate incidence or prevalence of conditions, and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic assays. Experimental-study designs and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can also contribute to the body of evidence about such questions. Meta-analyses (either with or without systematic reviews) aim to combine information from primary research studies to better describe the entire body of work. The aim of meta-analyses may be to obtain a summary effect size, or to understand factors that affect effect sizes. In this paper, we discuss the role of observational studies in meta-analysis questions and some factors to consider when deciding whether a meta-analysis should include results from such studies. Our suggestion is that one should only include studies that are not at high risk of inherent bias when calculating a summary effect size. Study design however can be a meaningful variable in assessment of outcome heterogeneity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrophysiological evidence of enhanced performance monitoring in recently abstinent alcoholic men

PubMed Central

Padilla, Mayra L.; Sullivan, Edith V.; Mayer, Benjamin Z.; Turlington, Sharon R.; Hoffman, Lindsay R.; Wagstaff, Amanda E.; Pfefferbaum, Adolf

2010-01-01

Rationale Chronic alcoholism is associated with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Under certain conditions, impairment can be ameliorated by invoking compensatory processes. Objective To identify electrophysiological mechanisms of such compensation that would be required to resolve response conflict. Methods 14 abstinent alcoholic men and 14 similarly aged control men performed a variation of the Eriksen flanker task during an electroencephalography (EEG) recording to examine whether alcoholics could achieve and maintain control-level performance and whether EEG markers could identify evidence for the action of compensatory processes in the alcoholics. Monitoring processes engaged following a response were indexed by the correct related negativity (CRN) and error related negativity (ERN), two medial–frontal negative event-related potentials. Results The alcoholics were able to perform at control levels on accuracy and reaction time (RT). Alcoholics generated larger ERN amplitudes following incorrect responses and larger CRNs following correct responses than controls. Both groups showed evidence of post-error slowing. Larger CRN amplitudes in the alcoholics were related to longer RTs. Also observed in the alcoholics was an association between smaller CRN amplitudes and length of sobriety, suggesting a normalization of monitoring activity with extended abstinence. Conclusions To the extent that greater amplitude of these electrophysiological markers of performance monitoring indexes greater resource allocation and performance compensation, the larger amplitudes observed in the alcoholic than control group support the view that elevated performance monitoring enables abstinent alcoholics to overcome response conflict, as was evident in their control-level performance. PMID:20941595

Agriculture and nutrition in India: mapping evidence to pathways.

PubMed

Kadiyala, Suneetha; Harris, Jody; Headey, Derek; Yosef, Sivan; Gillespie, Stuart

2014-12-01

In India, progress against undernutrition has been slow. Given its importance for income generation, improving diets, care practices, and maternal health, the agriculture sector is widely regarded as playing an important role in accelerating the reduction in undernutrition. This paper comprehensively maps existing evidence along agriculture-nutrition pathways in India and assesses both the quality and coverage of the existing literature. We present a conceptual framework delineating six key pathways between agriculture and nutrition. Three pathways pertain to the nutritional impacts of farm production, farm incomes, and food prices. The other three pertain to agriculture-gender linkages. After an extensive search, we found 78 research papers that provided evidence to populate these pathways. The literature suggests that Indian agriculture has a range of important influences on nutrition. Agriculture seems to influence diets even when controlling for income, and relative food prices could partly explain observed dietary changes in recent decades. The evidence on agriculture-gender linkages to nutrition is relatively weak. Sizeable knowledge gaps remain. The root causes of these gaps include an interdisciplinary disconnect between nutrition and economics/agriculture, a related problem of inadequate survey data, and limited policy-driven experimentation. Closing these gaps is essential to strengthening the agriculture sector's contribution to reducing undernutrition. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Precise Synaptic Efficacy Alignment Suggests Potentiation Dominated Learning.

PubMed

Hartmann, Christoph; Miner, Daniel C; Triesch, Jochen

2015-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that parallel synapses from the same axonal branch onto the same dendritic branch have almost identical strength. It has been proposed that this alignment is only possible through learning rules that integrate activity over long time spans. However, learning mechanisms such as spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) are commonly assumed to be temporally local. Here, we propose that the combination of temporally local STDP and a multiplicative synaptic normalization mechanism is sufficient to explain the alignment of parallel synapses. To address this issue, we introduce three increasingly complex models: First, we model the idealized interaction of STDP and synaptic normalization in a single neuron as a simple stochastic process and derive analytically that the alignment effect can be described by a so-called Kesten process. From this we can derive that synaptic efficacy alignment requires potentiation-dominated learning regimes. We verify these conditions in a single-neuron model with independent spiking activities but more realistic synapses. As expected, we only observe synaptic efficacy alignment for long-term potentiation-biased STDP. Finally, we explore how well the findings transfer to recurrent neural networks where the learning mechanisms interact with the correlated activity of the network. We find that due to the self-reinforcing correlations in recurrent circuits under STDP, alignment occurs for both long-term potentiation- and depression-biased STDP, because the learning will be potentiation dominated in both cases due to the potentiating events induced by correlated activity. This is in line with recent results demonstrating a dominance of potentiation over depression during waking and normalization during sleep. This leads us to predict that individual spine pairs will be more similar after sleep compared to after sleep deprivation. In conclusion, we show that synaptic normalization in conjunction with coordinated

Climate change: the evidence and our options.

PubMed

Thompson, Lonnie G

2010-01-01

Glaciers serve as early indicators of climate change. Over the last 35 years, our research team has recovered ice-core records of climatic and environmental variations from the polar regions and from low-latitude high-elevation ice fields from 16 countries. The ongoing widespread melting of high-elevation glaciers and ice caps, particularly in low to middle latitudes, provides some of the strongest evidence to date that a large-scale, pervasive, and, in some cases, rapid change in Earth's climate system is underway. This paper highlights observations of 20th and 21st century glacier shrinkage in the Andes, the Himalayas, and on Mount Kilimanjaro. Ice cores retrieved from shrinking glaciers around the world confirm their continuous existence for periods ranging from hundreds of years to multiple millennia, suggesting that climatological conditions that dominate those regions today are different from those under which these ice fields originally accumulated and have been sustained. The current warming is therefore unusual when viewed from the millennial perspective provided by multiple lines of proxy evidence and the 160-year record of direct temperature measurements. Despite all this evidence, plus the well-documented continual increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, societies have taken little action to address this global-scale problem. Hence, the rate of global carbon dioxide emissions continues to accelerate. As a result of our inaction, we have three options: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering.

Climate Change: The Evidence and Our Options

PubMed Central

Thompson, Lonnie G

2010-01-01

Glaciers serve as early indicators of climate change. Over the last 35 years, our research team has recovered ice-core records of climatic and environmental variations from the polar regions and from low-latitude high-elevation ice fields from 16 countries. The ongoing widespread melting of high-elevation glaciers and ice caps, particularly in low to middle latitudes, provides some of the strongest evidence to date that a large-scale, pervasive, and, in some cases, rapid change in Earth's climate system is underway. This paper highlights observations of 20th and 21st century glacier shrinkage in the Andes, the Himalayas, and on Mount Kilimanjaro. Ice cores retrieved from shrinking glaciers around the world confirm their continuous existence for periods ranging from hundreds of years to multiple millennia, suggesting that climatological conditions that dominate those regions today are different from those under which these ice fields originally accumulated and have been sustained. The current warming is therefore unusual when viewed from the millennial perspective provided by multiple lines of proxy evidence and the 160-year record of direct temperature measurements. Despite all this evidence, plus the well-documented continual increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, societies have taken little action to address this global-scale problem. Hence, the rate of global carbon dioxide emissions continues to accelerate. As a result of our inaction, we have three options: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. PMID:22532707

The tactile motion aftereffect suggests an intensive code for speed in neurons sensitive to both speed and direction of motion

PubMed Central

Birznieks, I.; Vickery, R. M.; Holcombe, A. O.; Seizova-Cajic, T.

2016-01-01

Neurophysiological studies in primates have found that direction-sensitive neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) generally increase their response rate with increasing speed of object motion across the skin and show little evidence of speed tuning. We employed psychophysics to determine whether human perception of motion direction could be explained by features of such neurons and whether evidence can be found for a speed-tuned process. After adaptation to motion across the skin, a subsequently presented dynamic test stimulus yields an impression of motion in the opposite direction. We measured the strength of this tactile motion aftereffect (tMAE) induced with different combinations of adapting and test speeds. Distal-to-proximal or proximal-to-distal adapting motion was applied to participants' index fingers using a tactile array, after which participants reported the perceived direction of a bidirectional test stimulus. An intensive code for speed, like that observed in SI neurons, predicts greater adaptation (and a stronger tMAE) the faster the adapting speed, regardless of the test speed. In contrast, speed tuning of direction-sensitive neurons predicts the greatest tMAE when the adapting and test stimuli have matching speeds. We found that the strength of the tMAE increased monotonically with adapting speed, regardless of the test speed, showing no evidence of speed tuning. Our data are consistent with neurophysiological findings that suggest an intensive code for speed along the motion processing pathways comprising neurons sensitive both to speed and direction of motion. PMID:26823511

Differential frontal-parietal phase synchrony during hypnosis as a function of hypnotic suggestibility.

PubMed

Terhune, Devin Blair; Cardeña, Etzel; Lindgren, Magnus

2011-10-01

Spontaneous dissociative alterations in awareness and perception among highly suggestible individuals following a hypnotic induction may result from disruptions in the functional coordination of the frontal-parietal network. We recorded EEG and self-reported state dissociation in control and hypnosis conditions in two sessions with low and highly suggestible participants. Highly suggestible participants reliably experienced greater state dissociation and exhibited lower frontal-parietal phase synchrony in the alpha2 frequency band during hypnosis than low suggestible participants. These findings suggest that highly suggestible individuals exhibit a disruption of the frontal-parietal network that is only observable following a hypnotic induction. Copyright © 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Paleomagnetism of Cretaceous limestones from western Tarim basin suggests negligible latitudinal offset yet significant clockwise rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, X.; Gilder, S.; Chen, Y.; Cogné, J. P.; Courtillot, V. E.; Cai, J.

2017-12-01

Large northward translation of central Asian crustal blocks has been reported from paleomagnetism of Cretaceous and Tertiary terrestrial sediments. This motion was initially taken as evidence of deformation occurred in the Asian interior as a result of indentation of the Indian Plate. However, because the amount of motion is far greater than geological observations, accuracy of the paleomagnetic record has become a controversial issue. To solve the problem, it has been shown that the latitudinal offset can be entirely attributed to inclination shallowing during deposition and compaction processes (Tan et al., 2003; Tauxe and Kent, 2004). On the other hand, coeval volcanic rocks from central Asia did record steeper paleomagnetic inclinations than terrestrial rocks (Gilder et al., 2003). To extend the effort of solving the controversy, we report paleomagnetic results of Cretaceous limestones from western Tarim basin. Our results show that the majority of our collections have been overprinted. Fortunately, a special type of limestones preserved stable characteristic remanence. Fold tests suggest a primary origin of the magnetization. Comparison of the paleomagnetic direction with the coeval expected direction from reference poles indicates a negligible amount of northward movement consistent with previous result of inclination correction based on magnetic fabrics, and a pattern of clockwise rotation symmetric with the style observed in the western flank of the Pamir ranges. Rock magnetic data will also be presented to support the accurate paleomagnetic record.

No Evidence for Emotional Empathy in Chickens Observing Familiar Adult Conspecifics

PubMed Central

Edgar, Joanne L.; Paul, Elizabeth S.; Harris, Lauren; Penturn, Sarah; Nicol, Christine J.

2012-01-01

The capacity of animals to empathise is of high potential relevance to the welfare of group-housed domestic animals. Emotional empathy is a multifaceted and multilayered phenomenon which ranges from relatively simple processes such as emotional matching behaviour to more complex processes involving interaction between emotional and cognitive perspective taking systems. Our previous research has demonstrated that hens show clear behavioural and physiological responses to the mild distress of their chicks. To investigate whether this capacity exists outside the mother/offspring bond, we conducted a similar experiment in which domestic hens were exposed to the mild distress of unrelated, but familiar adult conspecifics. Each observer hen was exposed to two replicates of four conditions, in counterbalanced order; control (C); control with noise of air puff (CN); air puff to conspecific hen (APC); air puff to observer hen (APH). During each test, the observer hens' behaviour and physiology were measured throughout a 10 min pre-treatment and a 10 min treatment period. Despite showing signs of distress in response to an aversive stimulus directed at themselves (APH), and using methodology sufficiently sensitive to detect empathy-like responses previously, observer hens showed no behavioural or physiological responses to the mild distress of a familiar adult conspecific. The lack of behavioural and physiological response indicates that hens show no basis for emotional empathy in this context. PMID:22348100

The Life of Suggestions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Cathie

2010-01-01

Using the notion of a suggestion, or rather charting the life of suggestions, this article considers the happenings of chance and embodiment as the "problems that got away." The life of suggestions helps us to ask how connectivities are made, how desire functions, and how "immanence" rather than "transcendence" can open up the politics and ethics…

Poor quality evidence suggests that failure rates for atraumatic restorative treatment and conventional amalgam are similar.

PubMed