BackgroundPreclinical models of pediatric cancers are essential for testing new chemotherapeutic combinations for clinical trials. The most widely used ...Full Text Available
BackgroundLiquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is one of the major techniques for the quantification of metabolites in complex biological samples. Peak modeling is one...Full Text Available
BackgroundOver the past decade, many investigators have used sophisticated time series tools for the analysis of genomic sequences. Specifically, the correlation of the nucleotide...Full Text Available
BackgroundHealth service databases of administrative type can be a useful tool for the study of progression of a disease, but the data reported in such sources could be affected...Full Text Available
BackgroundStatistical autoregressive analyses of direct and delayed density dependence are widespread in ecological research. The models suggest that changes in ecological factors...Full Text Available
BackgroundSwine is an important agricultural commodity and biomedical model. Manipulation of the pig genome provides opportunity to improve production efficiency, enhance disease...Full Text Available
BackgroundMutations that disrupt the conversion of prelamin A to mature lamin A cause the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and a group of laminopathies....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes is a decisive event in apoptosis or necrosis culminating in cell death. One fundamental mechanism by which...Full Text Available
BackgroundMultiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy associated with the development of a destructive osteolytic bone disease.ResultsMathematical...Full Text Available
A phase transition of gas-liquid type with an upper critical point is examined which arises in a model of charges of one sign on compensating background (OCP). The phase transition parameters are dependent on the detailed assumptions about the compressibility of the background, but the occurrence of this transition is independent on the background equation of state. In the electron-gas model ('jellium'), this transition appears to rule out Wigner crystallization. A variational principle in statistical mechanics is used to derive so-called Double-OCP model for a superposition of two one-component plasma models for charges of opposite sign. The free energy of this model sets an upper bound to that of a real plasma. Situations are discussed where this transition should manifest itself in anomalies in the approximate ...
Properties of the multi-species electromagnetic Weibel and electrostatic two-stream instabilities are investigated for an intense ion beam propagating through background plasma. Assuming that the background plasma electrons provide complete charge and current neutralization, detailed linear stability properties are calculated within the framework of a macroscopic cold-fluid model for a wide range of system parameters.
I summarize the extant direct and indirect data on the sky background SNAP will see at the North Ecliptic Pole over the wavelength range 0.4 < {lambda} < 1.7 {micro}m. At the spatial resolution of SNAP the sky background due to stars and galaxies is resolved, so the only source considered is zodiacal light. Several models are explored to provide interpolation in wavelength between the broadband data from HST and COBE observations. I believe the input data are now established well enough that the accuracy of the sky background presented here is sufficient for SNAP simulations, and that it will stand up to scrutiny by reviewers.
BackgroundIn prognostic studies model instability and missing data can be troubling factors. Proposed methods for handling these situations are bootstrapping (B) and Multiple imputation...Full Text Available
BackgroundComplex etiology and pathogenesis of pathophysiological components of the cardio-metabolic syndrome have been demonstrated in humans and animal models.Methodology/Principal...Full Text Available
BackgroundModeling of a complex biological process can explain the results of experimental studies and help predict its characteristics. Among such processes is transcription in...Full Text Available
The state of the art of our understanding of combustible cartridge cases is presented. The report, after a background section, discusses the models that exist today and presents new models of combustible cartridge case burning. Following a summary of expe...
Major forecast errors on the background error covariance from initial conditions, atmospheric forcing, model open boundary conditions, and the river discharges are examined in a coastal model of northern South China Sea. The analysis of background error covariance matrix produced by model ensemble shows that the perturbations of the initial conditions and atmospheric forcing play major roles in producing and maintaining the amplitude of ensemble spread except for the sea surface height (SSH) field. The perturbation of model open boundary conditions can influence ensemble spread of all variables and covariance between temperature and velocity or between temperature and SSH. The perturbation of river discharge mainly affects the covariance of salinity in river estuary. A data assimilation ex...
BackgroundEpilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent electrophysiological activities, known as seizures. Without the appropriate detection strategies,...Full Text Available
BackgroundIsoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice has been used in a number of studies to model human cardiac disease. In this study, we compared the transcriptional response...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe pathogenesis of visceral hypersensitivity, a characteristic pathophysiological feature of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), remains elusive. Recent studies suggest a...Full Text Available
BackgroundFood supply from the ocean is constrained by the shortage of domesticated and selected fish. Development of genomic models of economically important fishes should assist...Full Text Available
BackgroundEfficient and safe transection of biological tissue in liver surgery is strongly dependent on the ability to address both parenchymal division and hemostasis simultaneously....Full Text Available
BackgroundStudies using transthoracic thermodilution have demonstrated increased extravascular lung water (EVLW) measurements attributed to progression of edema and...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn survey studies on health-state valuations, ordinal ranking exercises often are used as precursors to other elicitation methods such as the time trade-off (TTO) or standard...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeasonal influenza A infection affects a significant cohort of the global population annually, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn this study we investigated the predictability of three thermodynamic quantities related to complex formation. As a model system we chose the host-guest complexes of...Full Text Available
BackgroundRetinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by progressive night blindness, visual field loss, altered vascular permeability and loss of central vision. Currently there...Full Text Available
Background:Nicotine alters auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in rodents and humans and is an effective treatment for smoking cessation. Less is known about the effects of...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe zebrafish is recognized as a versatile cancer and drug screening model. However, it is not known whether the estrogen-responsive genes and signaling pathways that are...Full Text Available
BackgroundApolipoprotein E (ApoE), a cholesterol carrier associated with atherosclerosis, is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The low-density lipoprotein receptor...Full Text Available
BackgroundIntegration of medical care across clinicians and settings could enhance the quality of care for patients. To date, there is limited data on the levels of integration in...Full Text Available
BackgroundApproximately 80% of all new HIV-1 infections are acquired through sexual contact. Currently, there is no clinically approved microbicide, indicating a clear and...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlzheimer's disease, known to be associated with the gradual loss of memory, is characterized by low concentration of acetylcholine in the hippocampus and cortex part of...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn recent years, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has emerged as a critical model organism for comparative genomics and developmental biology. Although...Full Text Available
BackgroundAnimals carrying genetic mutations have provided powerful insights into the role of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in motility. One classic model is...Full Text Available
BackgroundDue to the high morbidity and mortality of fulminant hepatitis, early diagnosis followed by early effective treatment is the key for prognosis improvement. So far, little...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral diseases, many of which nowadays pandemic, consist of multifactorial pathologies. Paradigmatic examples come from the immune response to pathogens, in which cases...Full Text Available
BackgroundSevere sepsis and septic shock are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In experimental sepsis there is prominent apoptosis of various cell types, and genetic...Full Text Available
BackgroundNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the foremost cause of cancer-related death in Western countries, which is due partly to the propensity of NSCLC cells to metastasize....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe western African clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis is an anuran amphibian species now used as model in vertebrate comparative genomics. It provides the...Full Text Available
BackgroundProfessionalism is a difficult construct to define in medical students but aspects of this concept may be important in predicting the risk of postgraduate misconduct. For...Full Text Available
BackgroundNeuropathic pain (NP) is partially mediated by neuroinflammatory mechanisms, and also modulates local neurogenic inflammation. Dietary lipids, in particular the total amount...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is an ever increasing rate of data made available on genetic variation, transcriptomes and proteomes. Similarly, a growing variety of bioinformatic programs are becoming...Full Text Available
BackgroundThough long known to affect smooth muscle biology, recent studies indicate that phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) is also expressed in myocardium. Recognizing that the regulation...Full Text Available
BackgroundStudies conducted in developed countries using economic models show that individual- and household- level variables are important determinants of health insurance ownership....Full Text Available
BackgroundManagement of nightlife in UK cities focuses on creating safe places for individuals to drink. Little is known about intoxication levels as measuring total alcohol consumption...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn mammals, vasopressin (AVP) is released from magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus when osmotic pressure exceeds a fixed set-point. AVP participates to the hydromineral...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn cancer research, most clinical variables have already been investigated and are now well established. The use of transcriptomic variables has raised two problems: restricting...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is no consensus as to the prognostic model for brachytherapy of tongue carcinoma. This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic factors for local control based...Full Text Available
BackgroundMolecular docking methods are commonly used for predicting binding modes and energies of ligands to proteins. For accurate complex geometry and binding energy estimation,...Full Text Available
BackgroundMutations of the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) are found in familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and some lead to the elevated production...Full Text Available
BackgroundBacterial constituents, such as Gram-negative derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can initiate inflammatory bone loss through induction of host-derived inflammatory...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity is one of the principal causative factors involved in the development of metabolic syndrome. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that regulates...Full Text Available
BackgroundParents of chronically ill children are at risk for a lower Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Insight in the dynamics of factors influencing parental HRQoL is necessary...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe Emergency Care Summary (ECS) was introduced in 2006 to allow aspects of the general practitioner (GP; family doctor, equivalent to primary care physician) medical record...Full Text Available
BackgroundStorage of RBCs is necessary for an adequate blood supply. However, reports have identified potential negative sequelae of transfusing stored RBCs. An animal...Full Text Available
A prescription is given for computing anomalous dimensions of single trace operators in SYM at strong coupling and large $N$ using a reduced model of matrix quantum mechanics. The method involves treating some parts of the operators as "BPS condensates" which, in certain limit, have a dual description as null geodesics on the $S^5$. In the gauge theory, the condensate is similar to a representative of the chiral ring and it is described by a background of commuting matrices. Excitations around these condensates correspond to excitations around this background and take the form of ``string bits" which are dual to the "giant magnons" of Hofman and Maldacena. In fact, the matrix model approach gives a {\\it quantum} description of these string configurations and explains why the infinite momentum limit suppresses the quantum effects. This method allows, not only to derive part of the classical sigma ...
This report describs the input modelling for subchannel analysis of CANFLEX fuel bundle using CASS(Candu thermalhydraulic Analysis by Subchannel approacheS) code which has been developed for subchannel analysis of CANDU fuel channel. CASS code can give the different calculation results according to users' input modelling. Hence, the objective of this report provide the background information of input modelling, the accuracy of input data and gives the confidence of calculation results. (author). 11 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.
AbstractBackground: The dinitrofluorobenzene/dinitrosulfonic acid (DNFB/DNS) model was originally described as an experimental model of intestinal inflammation resembling human ulcerative colitis (UC). Due to the absence of acceptable UC experimental models for pharmacological preclinical assays, here we examine the immune response induced in this model. Methods: Balb/c mice were sensitized by skin application of DNFB on day 1, followed by an intrarectal challenge with DNS on day 5. We further expanded this model by administering a second DNS challenge on day 15. The features of colonic inflammation and immune response were evaluated. Results: The changes observed in colonic tissue corresponded, in comparison to the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis model, to a mild mucosal effe...
The successful installation of the Europipe 16/11E Riser jacket in July 1994 and the coming installation of Sleipner T jacket in spring 1996 proves that suction installed skirted plate foundations (buckets), may not only be a competitive alternative to piles, but also a complementary foundation solution both for noncohesive and cohesive soils. This paper presents the background for the design analyses of the Europipe 16/11E and Sleipner T foundations in terms of the performed field and model tests, as well as the theoretical models and practical analysis tools utilized for design.
We study fluctuation properties of strength function phenomena by employing a quantum mechanical model where a single parent state couples with a large number of background states. The background system is devised in such a way that the classical dynamics of the system may show a regular, an irregular, or a chaotic character as a function of a single parameter. The coupling of the parent state to the background states produces a fragmentation of the parent state, giving rise to a strength function phenomenon. We study various measures of the strength function that characterize its bulk structure or fluctuation properties. They include energy moments, strength distribution, fractal dimensions of the strength function, and Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function. Some of these measures, such as strength distribution or Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function, reflect characteristic ...
BACKGROUND: Calibration by inverse modelling was performed with the MACRO transport and fate model using long-term (>10 years) drainflow and isoproturon (IPU) data from western France. Two lack-of-fit (LOF) indices were used to control the inverse modelling: sum of squares (SS) and an alternative statistic called the vertical-horizontal distance integrator (VHDI), which is designed to account for offsets in observed and predicted arrival times of peak IPU concentration. With these data, SS was artificially inflated because it is limited to comparison of predicted and observed IPU concentrations that are concurrent in time. The LOFs were used along with the index of agreement (d) and the correlation coefficient (r) to ascertain the fit of the calibrated models. RESULTS: Predicted arrival ti...
The future e"+e"- linear colliders can also operate in the e#gamma# or #gamma##gamma# modes. In the context of the top-color assisted technicolor (TC2) model, we study the single charged top-pion production process #gamma##gamma# #-># tb-bar#PI#_t"-. The results show that the production rates can reach the level of tens fb with reasonable parameter values. So one can expect that enough signals could be produced in future high-energy linear collider experiments. Furthermore, the flavor-changing (FC) decay mode #PI#_t"- #-># bc-bar is the best channel to detect the charged top pion due to the clean standard modelbackground. With a large number of events and the clean background, the charged top pion should be observable at future linear colliders operating in #gamma##gamma# mode at the TeV energy scale
The NATural GAS model is an integrated model of the European wholesale gas market providing long-run projections of supply, transport, storage and consumption patterns in the model region, aggregated in 5-year periods, distinguishing two seasons (winter and summer). Model results include levels of investment in the various branches, output and consumption, depletion of reserves and price levels. The NATGAS model computes long-term effects of policy measures on future gas production and gas prices in Europe. NATGAS is an equilibrium model describing behaviour of gas producers, investors in infrastructure (pipeline, LNG capacity, as well as storage), traders and consumers. NATGAS covers the main European demand regions, including the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. Moreover, it covers the main origins of supply on the European market, such as ...
The problem in perturbation theory in general relativity is finding a natural gauge which simplifies the equations considerably. We solved the first and second order perturbation equations in the ''Lorentz gauge'' using the two-timing method. The equations were deduced from the equations of Einstein in the presence of a matter energy-momentum tensor of a perfect fluid with equation of state p = (#gamma#-1) rho. It is found that the 0--0 component of the first order equations together with the gauge conditions are consistent with the Bianchi type V model, without axial symmetry. It represents a ''ground state'' situation of the Bianchi type IX model (Mixmaster model.) The second order equations, describing the reaction back of the gravitational waves on the slowly varying background, give rise to rotation and will disturb the isotropization mechanism. The numerical solutions show all the features which ...
Dark Matter annihilation (DMA) may yield an excess of gamma rays and antimatter particles, like antiprotons and positrons, above the background from cosmic ray interactions. The excess of diffuse Galactic Gamma Rays from EGRET shows all the features expected from DMA. The new precise measurements of the antiproton and positron fractions from PAMELA are compared with the EGRET excess. It is shown that the charged particles are strongly dependent on the propagation model used. The usual propagation models with isotropic propagation models are incompatible with the recently observed convection in our Galaxy. Convection leads to an order of magnitude uncertainty in the yield of charged particles from DMA, since even a rather small convection will let drift the charged particles in the halo to outer space. It is shown that such anisotropic propagation models including convection prefer a ...
Abstract BACKGROUND: Dietary plant materials have attracted much attention because of their health benefits to humans. Acrylamide is found in various heated carbohydrate-rich foods. Our previous results showed that crude aqueous extracts from diverse dietary plants and some phenolic compounds could mitigate acrylamide formation in an asparagine-glucose model system. Based on our previous study, several plant materials were selected to further investigate their inhibitory effects on acrylamide formation in cookies and starch-based model systems. RESULTS: Addition of raw powders from selected dietary plants and their crude aqueous extracts could considerably reduce acrylamide formation in both cookie and potato starch-based models. Aqueous extracts of clove at 4% caused the largest reduction...
A possibility of geophysical measurements using the large scale laser interferometrical gravitational wave antenna is discussed. An interferometer with suspended mirrors can be used as a gradiometer measuring variations of an angle between gravity force vectors acting on the spatially separated suspensions. We analyze restrictions imposed by the atmospheric noises on feasibility of such measurements. Two models of the atmosphere are invoked: a quiet atmosphere with a hydrostatic coupling of pressure and density and a dynamic model of moving region of the density anomaly (cyclone). Both models lead to similar conclusions up to numerical factors. Besides the hydrostatic approximation, we use a model of turbulent atmosphere with the pressure fluctuation spectrum f^{-7/3} to explore the Newtonian noise in a higher frequency domain (up to 10 Hz) predicting the gravitational noise ...
BackgroundDespite the diffusion into practice of percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS), the benefits have not been demonstrated,...Full Text Available
BackgroundCholera has persisted in Ghana since its introduction in the early 70's. From 1999 to 2005, the Ghana Ministry of Health officially reported a total of 26,924 cases and...Full Text Available
We describe exact cosmological solutions with rotation and expansion in the low-energy effective string theory. These models are spatially homogeneous (closed Bianchi type IX) and they belong to the family of shear-free metrics which are causal (no closed timelike curves are allowed), admit no parallax effects and do not disturb the isotropy of the background radiation. The dilaton and the axion fields are nontrivial, in general, and we consider both cases with and without the central charge (effective cosmological constant)
We describe exact cosmological solutions with rotation and expansion in the low-energy effective string theory. These models are spatially homogeneous (closed Bianchi type IX) and they belong to the family of shear-free metrics which are causal (no closed timelike curves are allowed), admit no parallax effects and do not disturb the isotropy of the background radiation. The dilaton and the axion fields are nontrivial, in general, and we consider both cases with and without the central charge (effective cosmological constant).
Concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K measured in bauxite waste, local building materials, and soils are presented and used in model equations to estimate the effective gamma dose-equivalent increments over background in the center of a standard-sized room in a prototype house. Calculated and measured values compare reasonably well.
BackgroundInformal payments for health care are common in most former communist countries. This paper explores the demand side of these payments in Albania. By using data from the...Full Text Available
We propose a basic strategy to obtain a consistent on-shell effective action of open-string tachyons, on the background where closed-string tachyons are already condensed. We use sigma-model approach, basically. We regard D-instanton-like objects with appropriate weight as closed-string tachyon tadpoles, and we insert them into worldsheets to analyze the effect of closed-string tachyons.
BackgroundThermostable bacterial lipases occupy a place of prominence among biocatalysts owing to their novel, multifold applications and resistance to high temperature and other...Full Text Available
The MiniBooNE Collaboration reports first results of a search for {upsilon}{sub e} appearance in a {upsilon}{sub {mu}} beam. With two largely independent analyses, we observe no significant excess of events above background for reconstructed neutrino energies above 475 MeV. The data are consistent with no oscillations within a two neutrino appearance-only oscillation model.
Stochastic simulation has been employed in petroleum reservoir characterization as a modeling tool able to reconcile information from several different sources. It has the ability to preserve the variability of the modeled phenomena and permits transference of geological knowledge to numerical models of flux, whose predictions on reservoir constitute the main basis for reservoir management decisions. Several stochastic models have been used and/or suggested, depending on the nature of the phenomena to be described. Markov Random Fields (MRFs) appear as an alternative for the modeling of discrete variables, mainly reservoirs with mosaic architecture of facies. In this dissertation, the reader is introduced to the stochastic modeling by MRFs in a generic sense. The main aspects of the technique are reviewed. MRF Conceptual Background is ...
The authors have made new and improved measurements of the neutron capture and total cross sections of {sup 88}Sr at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA). Improvements over previous measurements include a wider incident neutron energy range, the use of metallic rather than carbonate samples, better background subtraction, reduced sensitivity to sample-dependent backgrounds, and better pulse-height weighting functions. Because of its small cross section, the {sup 88}Sr(n,{gamma}) reaction is an important bottleneck during the s-process nucleosynthesis. Hence, an accurate determination of this rate is needed to better constrain the neutron exposure in s-process models and to more fully exploit the recently discovered isotopic anomalies in certain meteorites. They describe the experimental procedures, compare the results to previous data, and discuss their astrophysical impact.
Background vibration in a CANDU plant can be used to determine the dynamic characteristics of major items of equipment, such as calandria, the fuelling machines and the primary heat transport pumps. These dynamic characteristics can then be used to verify the seismic response of the equipment which, at present, is based on theoretical models only. The feasibility and basic theory of this new approach (which uses accelerations measured at several points on a structure and does not require knowledge of the source of excitation) was established in Phase I of the study. This report is based on Phase II in which the methods of analysis developed in Phase I were improved and verified experimentally. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm was incorporated and an interactive curve fitting technique was developed to obtain the dynamic characteristics in the form of natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios. The method is now available for ...
Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), the most frequent mitochondrial disorder, is mostly due to three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in respiratory chain complex I subunit genes: 3460/ND1, 11778/ND4 and 14484/ND6. Despite considerable clinical evidences, a genetic modifying role of the mtDNA haplogroup background in the clinical expression of LHON remains experimentally unproven. We investigated the effect of mtDNA haplogroups on the assembly of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes in transmitochondrial hybrids (cybrids) harboring the three common LHON mutations. The steady-state levels of respiratory chain complexes appeared normal in mutant cybrids. However, an accumulation of low molecular weight subcomplexes suggested a complex I assembly/stability defect, which was ...
The detection of a stochastic background of gravitational waves could significantly impact our understanding of the physical processes that shaped the early Universe. The challenge lies in separating the cosmological signal from other stochastic processes such as instrument noise and astrophysical foregrounds. One approach is to build two or more detectors and cross correlate their output, thereby enhancing the common gravitational wave signal relative to the uncorrelated instrument noise. When only one detector is available, as will likely be the case with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), alternative analysis techniques must be developed. Here we show that models of the noise and signal transfer functions can be used to tease apart the gravitational and instrument noise contributions. We discuss the role of gravitational wave insensitive "null channels" formed from particular combinations of the time delay interferometry, and ...
We investigate the signatures of antimatter in cosmic rays that would result from annihilations of the scalar dark matter candidate of the Inert Doublet Model. We consider three benchmark candidates, all consistent with the WMAP cosmic abundance and existing direct detection experiments, and confront the predictions of the model with the recent PAMELA, ATIC and HESS data. For a light IDM WIMP candidate, M_{DM} = 10 GeV, we argue that the positron and antiproton fluxes are large, but consistent with expected backgrounds, unless there is an enhancement in the local density of dark matter. For an IDM WIMP candidate with M_{DM} = 70 GeV, the contribution is lower than the expected backgrounds unless there is a large boost factor. However, the candidate is enable to explain the excesses observed by the recent experiments. Finally, for an IDM WIMP candidate with M_{DM}=10 TeV, it is possible to fit the PAMELA ...
The COBE data on cosmic background radiation (CBR) isotropy and spectrum are generally considered to be explicable only in the context of the Big Bang theory and to be confirmation of that theory. However, this data can also be explained by an alternative, non-Big Bang model which hypothesizes an intergalactic radio-absorbing and scattering medium. Dense, force-free magnetic filaments generated by quasars, active galactic nuclei and Herbig-Haro objects can remain stable in the intergalactic medium for many Gy. They will be opaque to radiation with wavelengths longer than 100--400 microns, and essentially transparent to shorter wavelengths. They are thus capable of thermalizing and isotropizing the cosmic background radiation, and of accounting for the observed decrease of radio luminosity of galaxies within increasing distance from earth. A simple, inhomogeneous model of such an absorbing medium can ...
BackgroundPeritoneal metastasis occurs in up to 30% of patients with gastric cancer. The aim of this experimental study is to develop and validate a novel ex vivo model of the human peritoneum to better identify factors involved in the development of peritoneal metastasis in order to improve its management and prognosis. MethodsPeritoneal discs harvested from hernia sacs obtained at inguinal hernia surgery were suspended in media using Teflon rings. Viability of the tissue was investigated using MTS assay, light and scanning electron microscopy (LM and SEM) over 72 h. To assess validity of the model, phenotypic changes in tumor cells were investigated. Changes in matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 activities in HGC and AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells after co-culture were investigat...
Background Fracture healing in osteoporosis is delayed. Quality and speed of fracture healing in osteoporotic fractures are crucial with regard to the outcome of patients. The question arises whether established antiosteoporotic drugs can further improve fracture healing. Materials and methods Osteoporosis manifests predominantly in the metaphyseal bone. Nevertheless, an established metaphyseal fracture model is lacking. A standardized metaphyseal fracture-healing model with stable plate fixation was developed for rat tibiae. The healing process was analyzed by biomechanical, gene expression, and histomorphometric methods in ovariectomized (OVX) and sham-operated rats (SHAM), compared to standardized estrogen (E)- and raloxifene (R)-supplemented diets. Results Estrogen and raloxifene impro...
Abstract Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects health and quality of life and it has great impact on both health-care costs and costs to the society. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop a model to analyse the cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizing cream as maintenance therapy compared with no treatment after initial treatment with betamethasone valerate in adult patients with AD in Sweden. A further aim was to apply a similar health-economic analysis for Denmark, Norway and Finland. Methods A Markov simulation model was developed including data from three sources: (i) efficacy data from a randomized controlled trial including patients with moderate AD treated with either a moisturizing cream or no treatment, (ii) resource utilization and quality of...
The next decade promises an observational revolution which will change cosmology forever. The precise measurement of the angular anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background should specify to a few percent all of the parameters of the cosmological model which effect astrophysics. The growth of structure will then be determined (but not yet observed) until gravitational collapse becomes highly non-linear and stars, galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGN) form. These processes are hard to model with basic physics because they are complex and allow a rich variety of expression. Instead observations will determine when the first stars and quasars formed, and how and when galaxies assembled. If we can reconcile the numerous contradictions which characterize the subject today, cosmology will become a mature subject, founded on the agreement between detailed, inclusive and realistic models, which make ...
Background There is some evidence that a patient?s pre-operative condition influences short-term and long-term post-operative outcomes. The aim of the present study is to compare the physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) models in the prediction of post-operative outcome, both short term and long term, in patients undergoing resection of oesophago-gastric cancer. Patients and Methods Patients who underwent curative resection for oesophago-gastric cancer from January 2005 to May 2009 and who had data to score the POSSUM, P-POSSUM, O-POSSUM and mGPS models were included in the study. Observed morbidity and mortality rates were compared with predicted outcome in different risk groups. Bot...
We present a method for optimising experimental cuts in order to place the strongest constraints (upper limits) on theoretical signal models. The method relies only on signal and background expectations derived from Monte-Carlo simulations, so no bias is introduced by looking at actual data, for instance by setting a limit based on expected signal above the ``last remaining data event.'' After discussing the concept of the ``average upper limit,'' based on the expectation from an ensemble of repeated experiments with no true signal, we show how the best model rejection potential is achieved by optimising the cuts to minimise the ratio of this ``average upper limit'' to the expected signal from the model. As an example, we use this technique to determine the limit sensitivity of kilometre scale neutrino detectors to extra-terrestrial neutrino fluxes from a variety of models, e.g. ...
Many data mining tools cannot be used directly to analyze the complex sets of relations which are found in large database systems. In our experience, data miners rely on a well-defined data model, or the knowledge of a data expert, to isolate and extract candidate data sets prior to mining the data. For many databases, typically large legacy systems, a reliable data model is often unavailable and access to the data expert can be limited. In this paper we use reverse engineering techniques to infer a model of the database. Reverse engineering a database can be seen as knowledge discovery in its own right and the resulting data model may be made available to data mining tools as background knowledge. In addition, minable data sets can be produced from the inferred data model and analyzed using conventional data mining tools. Our approach reduces the data miner`s ...
Constraints on the original Cardassian model and the modified polytropic Cardassian model are examined from the latest derived 397 Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia) data, the size of baryonic acoustic oscillation peak from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the position of first acoustic peak of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) from the five years Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), the x-ray gas mass fractions in clusters of galaxies, and the observational H(z) data. In the original Cardassian model with these combined data set, we find $\\Omega_{m0}=0.271^{+0.014}_{-0.014}, n=0.035^{+0.049}_{-0.049}$ at $1 \\sigma$ confidence level. And in the modified polytropic Cardassian model, we find that $\\Omega_{m0}=0.271^{+0.014}_{-0.015}$, $n=-0.091^{+0.331}_{-1.908}$ and $\\beta=0.824^{+0.750}_{-0.622}$ within $1\\sigma$ confidence level. According to these ...
Data processing method was studied for mise-a-la-masse survey. Mise-a-la-masse method using wells as current sources measures resultant ground surface potential difference, and detects underground local resistivity anomaly. To extract resistivity anomaly largely different from surroundings, the anomaly is extracted as difference between the estimated value of regular resistivity structure (background) and potential difference or apparent resistivity. The following three approximations were attempted to estimate the background: the theoretical equation assuming isotropic homogeneous resistivity structure, that assuming horizontal multi-layered structure and the exponential function of distance from linear electrode for apparent resistivity, and these were compared with each other by numerical model experiment. The data processing method which determines the resistivity structure of the background and the ...
The aetiology of childhood leukaemia remains generally unknown, although exposure to moderate and high levels of ionising radiation, such as was experienced during the atomic bombings of Japan or from radiotherapy, is an established cause. Risk models based primarily upon studies of the Japanese A-bomb survivors imply that low-level exposure to ionising radiation, including to ubiquitous natural background radiation, also raises the risk of childhood leukaemia. In a recent paper (Wakeford et al 2009 Leukaemia 23 770-6) we estimated the proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain attributable to natural background radiation to be about 20%. In this paper we employ the two sets of published leukaemia risk models used previously, but use recently published revised estimates of natural background radiation doses received by the red bone marrow of British children to ...
Although experimental results so far agree with predictions of the standard model, it is widely felt to be incomplete. Many prospective theories beyond the standard model predict extra neutral gauge bosons, denoted by Z', which might be light enough to be accessible at the LHC. Observables sensitive to the properties of these extra gauge bosons might be used to discriminate between the different theories beyond the standard model. In the present work several of these observables (total decay width, leptonic cross-section and forward-backward asymmetries) are studied at generation level and with a full simulation in the ATLAS detector. The Z' {yields} e{sup +}e{sup -} decay channel was chosen and 2 values for the mass of Z': 1.5 TeV and 4 TeV. Background is studied as well and it is confirmed that a Z' boson could easily be discovered at the chosen masses. It is shown ...
The PLANCK SURVEYOR is a European Space Agency satellite mission to image the very faint anisotropies in the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation. Maynooth is actively participating in an international collaboration of scientists involved with the optical design of the High Frequency Instrument (HFI). This paper outlines research which has been undertaken in Maynooth concerned with numerical modelling of the optical characteristics of the multi-frequency array of detectors making up the HFI instrument. In the study the commercial software package ZEMAX was used to model the coupling of the focal plane HFI detectors to the PLANCK telescope. This package is particularly useful in the optical design of PLANCK because of the powerful optimisation features of the software. It is thus possible to readily determine the optimum positioning of the detectors in the focal plane of the telescope. Although the ...
Based on wind tunnel experiments, theoretical considerations and measurements the dispersion model CAR (Calculation of Air pollution from Road traffic) has been developed for determining air quality in city streets. CAR International is a simple parameterized model using readily available input data and calculating annual percentile values and average concentrations close to streets (at the kerb side) for non-reactive air pollutants and NO{sub 2}. Originally the model was set up for the Dutch situation (traffic, meteorology) with a system of fixed parameters. In order to extend its application to other countries the program has been made more flexible and user friendly. User defined system data can now be changed interactively, such as emission factors of passenger cars and trucks, fraction of directly emitted NO{sub 2}, city and regional background concentration, and average regional wind speed. The ...
The future e{sup +}e{sup -} linear colliders can also operate in the e{gamma} or {gamma}{gamma} modes. In the context of the top-color assisted technicolor (TC2) model, we study the single charged top-pion production process {gamma}{gamma} {yields} tb-bar{pi}{sub t}{sup -}. The results show that the production rates can reach the level of tens fb with reasonable parameter values. So one can expect that enough signals could be produced in future high-energy linear collider experiments. Furthermore, the flavor-changing (FC) decay mode {pi}{sub t}{sup -} {yields} bc-bar is the best channel to detect the charged top pion due to the clean standard modelbackground. With a large number of events and the clean background, the charged top pion should be observable at future linear colliders operating in {gamma}{gamma} mode at the TeV energy scale.
The top-color assisted technicolor (TC2) mode predicts the existence of a pair of charged top-pions $\\pi^{\\pm}_t$. In this paper, we study the production of the charged top-pions pair $\\pi^{\\pm}_t$ at next generation $\\gamma\\gamma$ colliders. The results show that the production rates can reach the level of $10^2$ fb with reasonable parameter space. With a large number of events and the clean background, the charged top-pion should be observable at the $\\gamma\\gamma$ colliders. Therefore, our studies can help us to search for charged top-pion, and furthermore, to test the TC2 model.
This report briefly describes the background to colliery engineering maintenance, past experience in machine condition monitoring within coal preparation and the introduction of condition-based maintenance. A role model scheme has been developed for the introduction of condition-based maintenance into coal preparation plants. The report describes the instrumentation and monitoring methods suitable for application to most mineral processing plants, the use of specialist companies to monitor, gather, process and analyse the information and the actions taken by the colliery. Examples of the benefits of operating such a scheme are given in terms of safety, performance and finance. Other problematical aspects of coal processing are examined which have a direct effect on plant condition and availability.
We investigate the chargino production process {gamma}{gamma} {yields} (W-tilde){sup +}(W-tilde){sup -} at high energy {gamma}{gamma} colliders in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). Here the high energy {gamma} beams are obtained by the backward Compton scattering of the laser flush by the electron in the basic linear TeV ee colliders. We consider the polarization of the laser photons as well as the electron beams. Appropriate beam polarization could be effective to enhance the cross section to for us extract the signal from the dominant background {gamma}{gamma} {yields} W{sup +}W{sup -}. (author).
We investigate the chargino production process #gamma##gamma# #-># (W-tilde)"+(W-tilde)"- at high energy #gamma##gamma# colliders in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). Here the high energy #gamma# beams are obtained by the backward Compton scattering of the laser flush by the electron in the basic linear TeV ee colliders. We consider the polarization of the laser photons as well as the electron beams. Appropriate beam polarization could be effective to enhance the cross section to for us extract the signal from the dominant background #gamma##gamma# #-># W"+W"-. (author).
Biogas supply to the public gas grid is a new option discussed in the most recent publication of Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (FNR) e.V. The biogas is purified, upgraded to natural gas quality and fed into an existing gas grid. Once there, it can be transported across long distances and also used for electric power generation at the consumer side. The study investigates inhowfar and in what instances this method is feasible and promising. It discusses the technical background and the regional potential of biogas. Seven model biogas systems are presented as examples. (orig.)
We present a detailed study of the anomalous single fourth generation $t'$ quark production within the dominant Standard Model(SM) decay modes at future $e^+e^-$ colliders. We calculate the signal and background cross sections in the mass range 300-800 GeV. We also discuss the limits of $t'q\\gamma$ and $t'qZ$ ($q=u,c$) anomalous couplings as well as values of attainable integrated luminosity for 3$\\sigma$ observation limit.
Non-first order (FO) kinetics models are of three types; second order (SO), general order (GO) and mixed order (MO). It is shown that all three of these have constraints in their energy level schemes and their applicable parameter values. In nature such restrictions are not expected to exist. The thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks produced by these models shift their position and change their shape as the trap occupancies change. Such characteristics are very unlike those found in samples of real materials. In these models, in general, retrapping predominates over recombination. It is shown that the quasi-equilibrium (QE) assumption implied in the derivation of the TL equation of these models is quite valid, thus disproving earlier workers' conclusion that QE cannot be held under retrapping dominant conditions. However notwithstanding their validity, they suffer from the shortcomings as stated ...
We review the current status of resolved X-ray emission associated with extragalactic radio jets and hotspots. The primary question for any particular jet is to decide if the X-rays come from the synchrotron process or from inverse Compton scattering. There is considerable evidence supporting synchrotron emission for knots in the jets of FRI galaxies. For FRII terminal hotspots detected in the X-ray band, synchrotron self-Compton emission continues to provide viable models with one possible exception (so far). Inverse Compton scattering on photons of the cosmic microwave background is indicated for a few powerful jets, and is expected to be an important contributor if not the dominating mechanism for higher redshift objects. The application of a model generally yields physical parameters and in many cases, these include the Doppler boosting factor.
Summary Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in hemorrhagic shock is life saving. However, several clinical trials have shown that blood transfusion in the critically ill patient might be associated with adverse outcomes. Furthermore, an association between prolonged blood storage and adverse effects of RBC transfusion has been postulated. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of blood storage time on resuscitation outcome, in an animal model of hemorrhagic shock. Methods: 20 Wistar rats were phlebotomized in order to induce reversible hemorrhagic shock. Half of them were resuscitated with blood stored for a short period of time (4 days), and the other ones were resuscitated with blood stored for a prolonged time (14 days). Blood samples for hemoglobin, pH, lactate, bicarb...
Abstract Objectives: This investigation reviewed experimental studies of laser irradiation of wound healing in mice and rats published from 2003 to August 2008, respectively, to assess putative stimulatory effects of this treatment. Background: Animal models, including rodents, attempt to reflect human wound healing and associated problems such as dehiscence, ischemia, ulceration, infection, and scarring. They have played a key role in furthering understanding of underlying mechanisms involved in impaired wound healing, and in testing new therapeutic strategies including laser irradiation. Method: Original research papers investigating effects of laser or monochromatic light therapy on wound healing in mice and rats and published from January 2003 to August 2008 were retrieved from library...
Background We developed a tissue-engineered biphasic cartilage bone substitute construct which has been shown to integrate with host cartilage and differs from autologous osteochondral transfer in which integration with host cartilage does not occur. Questions/purposes (1) Develop a reproducible in vitro model to study the mechanisms regulating tissue-engineered cartilage integration with host cartilage, (2) compare the integrative properties of tissue-engineered cartilage with autologous cartilage and (3) determine if chondrocytes from the in-vitro formed cartilage migrate across the integration site. Methods A biphasic construct was placed into host bovine osteochondral explant and cultured for up to 8 weeks (n?=?6 at each time point). Autologous osteochondral implants served as controls...
BACKGROUND.The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) covers the direct clinical costs of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up for medically underserved, low-income women. Personal costs are not covered. In this report, the authors estimated personal costs per woman participating in NBCCEDP mammography screening by race/ethnicity and also estimated lifetime personal costs (ages 50-74 years).METHODS.A decision analysis model was constructed and parameterized by using empiric data from a retrospective cohort survey of mammography rescreening among women ages 50 years to 64 years who participated in the NBCCEDP. Data from 1870 women were collected from 1999 to 2000. The model simulated the flow of resources incurred by a woman participat...
We consider perturbations of a particular type (homogeneous of Bianchi type IX) from a closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model. By considering a perfect fluid, we obtain closed-form solutions for the perturbations in three interesting cases: stiff matter, radiation, and dust. As a cosmological application, we obtain an upper limit on the relative shear, (sigma/theta)_0 < b/sub 0exp/, if the microwave background radiation was last scattered at a mean red-shift element of [7,10"3] and the density parameter is #OMEGA# element of (1,10), where b/sub 0exp/ is the relative root-mean-square deviation of the temperature over the whole sky.
The main goals of nuclear astrophysics have been to probe the interiors of stars, stellar explosions, the early moments of cosmic expansion, and the formation and evolution of galaxies and cosmic structure by measurement and application of the relevant nuclear physics. The approach to these goals have generally been from three directions: 1) Careful measurements of the relevant nuclear reactions; 2) Detailed computer models of the relevant astrophysical environments; and 3) Observations of the relevant terrestrial and extra-terrestrial atomic and isotopic abundances. These approaches provide not only insight into the formation and evolution of the elements, but are also pillars upon which a variety of cosmological models as well as models for physics beyond the standard model of particle physics can stand or fall. At present there is a very exciting frontier on all three of these approaches. The ...
The problem in perturbation theory in general relativity is finding a natural gauge which simplifies the equations considerably. We solved the first and second order perturbation equations in the ''Lorentz gauge'' using the two-timing method. The equations were deduced from the equations of Einstein in the presence of a matter energy-momentum tensor of a perfect fluid with equation of state p = (..gamma..-1) rho. It is found that the 0--0 component of the first order equations together with the gauge conditions are consistent with the Bianchi type V model, without axial symmetry. It represents a ''ground state'' situation of the Bianchi type IX model (Mixmaster model.) The second order equations, describing the reaction back of the gravitational waves on the slowly varying background, give rise to rotation and will disturb the ...
Propagation of an intense charged particle beam pulse through a background plasma is a common problem in astrophysics and plasma applications. The plasma can effectively neutralize the charge and current of the beam pulse, and thus provides a convenient medium for beam transport. The application of a small solenoidal magnetic field can drastically change the self-magnetic and self- electric fields of the beam pulse, thus allowing effective control of the beam transport through the background plasma. An analytic model is developed to describe the self-magnetic field of a finite- length ion beam pulse propagating in a cold background plasma in a solenoidal magnetic field. The analytic studies show that the solenoidal magnetic field starts to infuence the self-electric and self-magnetic fields when ?ce > ?pe?b, where ?ce = e?/mec is the electron gyrofrequency, ?pe is the electron plasma frequency, and ...
This report forms part of an independent review of the specifications, execution and results of Task 6 of the Aespoe Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes, which is seeking to provide a bridge between site characterization (SC) and performance assessment (PA) approaches to solute transport in fractured rock. The present report is concerned solely with Task 6C, which relates to the construction and parametrisation of a block-scale hydrostructural model of the TRUE Block Scale region of the Aespoe Hard Rock laboratory. The task objectives, specifications and outcome are summarised and reviewed. Also, consideration is given to how the hydrostructural model might affect the outcomes of Task 6D and 6E. The main conclusions of this review are summarised below: The Task 6C hydrostructural model is a more comprehensive approach to quantitatively describing a volume of fractured ...
The short review of complete tree level calculations for three particle final states production at the future e"+e"-, #gamma#e and #gamma##gamma# colliders is presented. The results obtained with the help of CompHEP system for total cross sections and other characteristics of processes in the energy range 0.1-2 TeV are summarized and their comparison with the results of different approaches is discussed. In particular we are interested in the processes of W, Z and H boson production. The reactions under consideration are especially interesting in connection with probing of new couplings, searching for new particle signals and as an important backgrounds to these experiments. The main subjects described are basic reactions rates (sections 2,3), Higgs production in #gamma#e collisions (section 4), the possibilities of testing some four vector bosons interaction vertices and Higgs-fermion coupling (section 5), the process of excited neutrino production with the ...
Background: Recent studies have developed a murine model of IgE-mediated food allergy based on oral coadministration of antigen and cholera toxin (CT) to establish a maximal response for studying immunopathogenic mechanisms and immunotherapeutic strategies. However, for studying subtle immunomodulating factors or factors effective during response initiation, this maximal response-based model is less suitable due to a lack of sensitivity. Therefore, in attempts to identify essential parameters to fine-tune the immune response towards a submaximal level, potentially more sensitive, we were interested in characterizing the individual effects of the parameters in the CT-based model: CT dose, antigen type and dose, and number of immunizations. Methods: BALB/c mice were orally sensitized weekly for 3 or 7 weeks with graded doses of CT and various food antigens (soy-trypsin inhibitor, ovalbumin or ovomucoid). ...
The microbial transport simulator (MTS) is a three-dimensional, three-phase, multiple-component numerical model that permits the study of the transport of microorganisms and nutrients in porous media. Microbial parameters incorporated into MTS include: Microbial growth and decay, microbial deposition, chemotaxis, diffusion, convective dispersion, tumbling, and nutrient consumption. Governing equations for microbial and nutrient transport are coupled with continuity and flow equations under conditions appropriate for a black oil reservoir. The model`s mathematical formulations and preparation procedures of data files for conducting simulations using MTS are described. A general background of microbial transport simulation is given in Section I and the governing equations, mechanisms, and numerical solutions of MTS are given in Section II. Explanations for preparing an input data file with reservoir and microbial transport ...
A model-base expert system is presented for the processing of alarm messages in power networks' control centers. This alarm processor, called GESTAL, generates concise diagnoses identifying the causes(s) of network disturbances and describing the operation of the protection and alarm systems which operate to isolate faulty components. Essentially, the alarm processor is an agenda driven expert system which is composed of a model of the power network's alarm and protection systems as well as several sets of rules. Based on the nextwork model, graph structures are constructed which represent relationships between alarms as they are received. These graph structures are then analysed in order to diagnose the disturbances(s). The alarm processor has been developed using the ART 3.0 programming language in a Symbolics Lisp-machine environment. Background material on expert systems, electric ...
Optical measurement of the Doppler shift of laser backscatter, using a near-IR, visible, or ultraviolet laser, is potentially more robust and field reliable than coherent, heterodyne measurement with an IR laser. The direct measurement of the displacement of Fabry-Perot interference fringes is possible, but entails expensive, technically challenging, imaging detectors. The 'edge technique' permits Doppler shift measurements with relatively simple detectors and detector electronics, and has been implemented with Fabry-Perot etalons and with atomic line filters. Simple analytical models of the fringe imaging and edge detection techniques are presented, permitting ready calculation of the potential performance of either, for various atmospheric conditions and for various lidar hardware configurations. The predictions of the analytical models are confirmed by computer models, which in turn allow more detailed considerations of ...
We present a new method based on the N-point probability distribution (pdf) to study non-Gaussianity in cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps. Likelihood and Bayesian estimation are applied to a local non-linear perturbed model up to third order, characterized by a linear term which is described by a Gaussian N-pdf, and a second and third order terms which are proportional to the square and the cube of the linear one. We also explore a set of model selection techniques (the Akaike and the Bayesian Information Criteria, the minimum description length, the Bayesian Evidence and the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test) and their application to decide whether a given data set is better described by the proposed local non-Gaussian model, rather than by the standard Gaussian temperature distribution. As an application, we consider the analysis of the WMAP 5-year data at a resolution of around 2 degrees. At ...
We revisit our original papers on the burst mode of accretion by incorporating a detailed energy balance equation into a thin-disk model for the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks around low-mass protostars. Our model includes the effect of radiative cooling, viscous and shock heating, and heating due to stellar and background irradiation. Following the collapse from the prestellar phase allows us to model the early embedded phase of disk formation and evolution. During this time, the disk is susceptible to fragmentation, depending upon the properties of the initial prestellar core. Globally, we find that higher initial core angular momentum and mass content favors more fragmentation, but higher levels of background radiation can moderate the tendency to fragment. A higher rate of mass infall onto the disk than that onto the star is a necessary but not a sufficient ...
Plasma neutralization of an intense ion pulse is of interest for many applications, including plasma lenses, heavy ion fusion, cosmic ray propagation, etc. An analytical electron fluid model has been developed based on the assumption of long charge bunches (l{sub b} >> r{sub b}). Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of calculations utilizing a particle-in-cell (PIC) code. The cold electron fluid results agree well with the PIC simulations for ion beam propagation through a background plasma. The analytical predictions for the degree of ion beam charge and current neutralization also agree well with the results of the numerical simulations. The model predicts very good charge neutralization (>99%) during quasi-steady-state propagation, provided the beam pulse duration {tau}{sub b} is much longer than the electron plasma period 2{pi}/{omega}{sub p}, where {omega}{sub p} = (4{pi}e{sup ...
A method is presented for estimating the background at a given location on a sky map by interpolating the estimated background from a set of concentric annuli which surround this location. If the background is nonuniform but smoothly varying, this method provides a more accurate (though less precise) estimate than can be obtained with a single annulus. Several applications of multi-annulus background estimation are discussed, including direct testing for point sources in the presence of a nonuniform background, the generation of "surrogate maps" for characterizing false alarm rates, and precise testing of the null hypothesis that the background is uniform.
Over the last few years, string theory has changed profoundly. Most importantly, novel duality relations have emerged which involve gauge theories of brane excitations on one side and various closed string backgrounds on the other. In this lecture, we introduce the fundamental ingredients of modern string theory and explain how they are modeled through 2D (boundary) conformal field theory. This so-called `microscopic description' of strings and branes is an active research area with new results ranging from the classification and construction of boundary conditions to studies of 2D renormalization group flows. We shall provide an overview of such developments before concluding the lecture with an extensive outlook on some research that is motivated by current problems in string theory. This includes investigations of non-rational and non-unitary conformal field theories.
SummaryBackground Intracellular transport via processive kinesin, dynein, and myosin molecular motors plays an important role in maintaining cell structure and function. In many cases, cargoes move distances longer than expected for single motors; there is significant evidence that this increased travel is in part due to multiple motors working together to move the cargoes. Although we understand single motors experimentally and theoretically, our understanding of multiple motors working together is less developed. Results We theoretically investigate how multiple kinesin motors function. Our model includes stochastic fluctuations of each motor as it proceeds through its enzymatic cycle. Motors dynamically influence each other and function in the presence of thermal noise and viscosity. We...
BackgroundSince implementation of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD), the number of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantations (SLKT) has increased in the United States. However, predictors and survival benefit of SLKT compared to liver transplantation alone (LTA) are not well defined. MethodsOrgan Procurement and Transplantation Network data of patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 who had not been on dialysis while on the waiting list and underwent liver transplantation between 2002 and 2008 were analyzed. To identify predictors of undergoing SLKT versus LTA, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the association between...
In this work we examine a five-dimensional brane-world model with brane structure driven by a real scalar field. From the deformation of a kink-like defect we find a new class of brane solutions containing internal structures which have implications for the way the background space-time is constructed and the way its curvature behaves. Initially, for spin 0 scalar field, we find a zero mode which can be localized on the deformed brane. However, this result can change by the gravitational interaction with the brane internal structure. Analyzing the massive modes of the scalar field, using two different methods, we find resonance structures similar to those found in the study of gravity localization. The main objective here is to observe the contributions of the deformation procedure to the resonances and to the well known field localization methods.
ERDMANN A.L., DE ANDRADE S.R., FERREIRA DE MELLO A.L., KLOCK P., DO NASCIMENTO K.C., SANTOS KOERICH M. & STEIN BACKES D. (2011) Practices for caring in nursing: Brazilian research groups. International Nursing Review58, 379-385 Background:- The present study considers the production of knowledge and the interactions in the environment of research and their relationships in the system of caring in nursing and health. Aim:- To elaborate a theoretical model of the organization of the practices used for caring, based on the experiences made by the research groups of administration and management in nursing, in Brazil. Methods:- The study is based on grounded theory. Twelve leaders of research groups, working as professors in public universities in the south and the south-east of Brazil, distri...
The AdS/CFT correspondence is a powerful tool to study the properties of conformal QCD at strong coupling in terms of a higher dimensional dual gravity theory. The power-law falloff of scattering amplitudes in the non-perturbative regime and calculable hadron spectra follow from holographic models dual to QCD with conformal behavior at short distances and confinement at large distances. String modes and fluctuations about the AdS background are identified with QCD degrees of freedom and orbital excitations at the AdS boundary limit. A description of form factors in space and time-like regions and the behavior of light-front wave functions can also be understood in terms of a dual gravity description in the interior of AdS.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is well established that cytochrome P450 2J (CYP2J) enzymes are expressed preferentially in the heart, and that ebastine is a substrate for CYP2J, but it is not known whether ebastine is metabolized in myocardium. Therefore, we investigated its pharmacokinetics in the rat isolated perfused heart. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rat isolated hearts were perfused in the recirculating mode with ebastine for 130-min. The concentrations of ebastine and its metabolites, hydroxyebastine and carebastine, were measured using liquid chromatography with a tandem mass spectrometry. The data were analysed by a compartmental model. The time course of negative inotropic response was linked to ebastine concentration to determine the concentration-effect relationship. KEY RESULTS Ebastine w...
Background, aim, and scope Soil as a landscape body contains wide ranges of physical, chemical, morphological, and mineralogical properties, both laterally and vertically. Soils with similar properties and environments are expected to behave similarly. A statement on land use potential will depend in part on the precision and accuracy of the statements that can be made about the soils. This information has some practical applications in optimizing land management and productivity improvement. The spatial patterns and dependence of some selected physicochemical properties of brackish marsh and surrounding soils were investigated using a 2-D kriging analysis in conjunction with a geostatistical (GS+, Michigan) model. Materials and methods Composite (four subsamples) surface samples (0?20?cm)...
Background Identifying susceptibility genes for endophenotypes by studying analogous behaviors across species is an important strategy for understanding the pathophysiology underlying psychiatric disorders. This approach provides novel biological pathways plus validated animal models critical for selective drug development. One such endophenotype is avoidance behavior. Methods In the present study, novel automated registration methods for longitudinal behavioral assessment in home cages are used to screen a panel of recently generated mouse chromosome substitution strains that are very powerful in quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection of complex traits. In this way, we identified chromosomes regulating avoidance behavior (increased sheltering preference) independent of motor activity lev...
In the international study of IEA Annex 27 `Demonstration and evaluation of domestic ventilation systems` a number of simple tools to gain insight into the characteristics of ventilation systems for dwellings are presented. The assessment is made with respect to e.g. indoor air quality, comfort, noise, energy, costs and reliability. In three articles the results of Annex 27 will be discussed. In the first article background information of IEA Annex 27 was given as well as applications in the Netherlands. In this second article attention is paid to the assessment models (`simplified tools`) for indoor air quality, thermal comfort and noise. 6 refs.
The collisions of high energy photons produced at an electron-positron collider provide a comprehensive laboratory for testing QCD, electroweak interactions, and extensions of the standard model. The luminosity and energy of the colliding photons produced by backscattering laser beams is expected to be comparable to that of the primary e"+e"- collisions. In this overview, we shall focus on tests of electroweak theory in photon-photon annihilation, particularly #gamma##gamma##->#W"+W"-, #gamma##gamma##->#Higgs bosons, and higher-order loop processes, such as #gamma##gamma##->##gamma##gamma#, Z#gamma# and ZZ. Since each photon can be resolved into a W"+W"- pair, high energy photon-photon collisions can also provide a remarkably background-free laboratory for studying WW collisions and annihilation. We also review high energy #gamma##gamma# tests of quantum chromodynamics, such as the scaling of the photon structure function, tt ...
BACKGROUND Hypermethylation of CpG islands is a common epigenetic alteration associated with cancer. Tumor suppressor genes retinoic acid receptor beta (RARb) and PDLIM4 are hypermethylated and silenced in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues and PCa cell lines compared to normal prostate cells. METHODS In this study, a benign prostate epithelial cell line RWPE1 was used as a model to study the epigenetic regulation of Myc on the RARb and PDLIM4 promoters. Forced Myc overexpression inhibited the RARb and PDLIM4 expression. RESULTS Pyrosequencing study showed that Myc overexpression increased methylation in several CpG sites of both promoters. A DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2prime-deoxycytidine reversed the epigenetic alteration effect of Myc on both RARb and PDLIM4. CONCLUSION The epigenetic r...
BACKGROUND: It was previously reported that dendrosomes, i.e. neutral, biodegradable, covalent or self-assembled, hyperbranched, spheroidal nano-particles with a size ranging from 15 to 100 nm, provide a convenient and efficient means of gene delivery into various kinds of cells such as human hepatoma and kidney cells as well as animal models.RESULTS: New studies via circular dichroism show that hydrophilic and amphipathic dendrosomes either do not affect the DNA structure or moderately transform it from B- to A-conformation. Gene delivery into human liver, kidney, and endothelial cells as well as other animal cells like Bowes, U-937, Raw, CCRF-CEM, MOLT-4, K562, Huh-7 and VERO reveal that the genes are efficiently expressed and in comparison with other gene porters like Lipofectin or bact...
We consider a minimal model of GUT scalar dark matter (DM) stabilized by the discrete gauge matter parity $P_{X}$ that arises from breaking of $SO(10)$. The dark sector comprises the complex singlet $S$ and the inert doublet $H_{2}$. GUT scale parameters are evaluated to the electroweak scale via Renormalization Group Equations (RGEs). Experimental and theoretical constraints limit the DM mass to the 80 GeV to 2 TeV range. The EW symmetry breaking is radiative and can occur via RGE running and 1-loop matching corrections from integrating out DM. Because the next-to-lightest scalar is almost degenerate with DM, it gives a background free displaced decay vertex at the LHC.
Gravitational lensing distorts the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization fields and encodes valuable information on distances and growth rates at intermediate redshifts into the lensed power spectra. The non-Gaussian bandpower covariance induced by the lenses is negligible to l=2000 for all but the B polarization field where it increases the net variance by up to a factor of 10 and favors an observing strategy with 3 times more area than if it were Gaussian. To quantify the cosmological information, we introduce two lensing observables, characterizing nearly all of the information, which simplify the study of non-Gaussian impact, parameter degeneracies, dark energy models, and complementarity with other cosmological probes. Information on the intermediate redshift parameters rapidly becomes limited by constraints on the cold dark matter density and initial amplitude of fluctuations as observations improve. Extraction of ...
This summary report outlines the work that was performed to gain a more complete understanding of denting corrosion of steam generators in PWRs. Background laboratory and plant data on denting were compiled, reviewed and correlated to determine how various exposure conditions affect denting. Two high-temperature chemistry analytical models were reviewed and evaluated by experimental simulation of impurity concentration in the heat transfer and isothermal capsule tests. Simulation of impurity concentration for three cooling waters (lake, river, and cooling tower) was evaluated. The effects of species concentration (Cu/sup + +/, Cl/sup -/, O/sub 2/, and H/sup +/), contaminant thresholds (established by isothermal and heat transfer tests), and heat flux as indicated by superheat on denting were examined. A discussion of several pertinent observations and conclusions drawn from these tasks (as they pertain to plant operation) is presented.
AbstractBACKGROUND: The authors chose to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident colorectal cancer across the spectrum of BMI, including underweight persons, because detailed prospective cohort data on this topic in Asians is scarce, as is data on underweight persons (BMI, <18.5 kg/m2) in any population. METHODS: Analysis of the Singapore Chinese Health Study included 51,251 men and women aged 45-74 years enrolled in 1993-1998 and followed through 2007. Incident cancer cases and deaths among cohort members were identified through record linkage, and 980 cases were identified. Cox regression models were used to investigate the association of baseline BMI with risk of incident colorectal cancer during a mean of 11.5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant, U-sha...
Background: Cardio-respiratory interactions are weak at the earliest stages of human development, suggesting that assessment of their presence and integrity may be an important indicator of development in infants. Despite the valuable research devoted to infant development, there is still a need for specifically targeted standards and methods to assess cardiopulmonary functions in the early stages of life. We present a new methodological framework for the analysis of cardiovascular variables in preterm infants. Our approach is based on a set of mathematical tools that have been successful in quantifying important cardiovascular control mechanisms in adult humans, here specifically adapted to reflect the physiology of the developing cardiovascular system.Methods: We applied our methodology ...
Background/Purpose Early detection and intervention of psychosis is clinically important. This study aimed to test the applicability of the Chinese version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (CPQ) for identifying prodromal states of psychosis. Methods This is a two-group cross-sectional comparative study. The Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) was translated into traditional Chinese based on Brislins Revised Model. Like the PQ, the CPQ provides results on four subscales: (1) positive symptoms, (2) negative symptoms, (3) disorganized symptoms, and (4) general symptoms. An expert panel of five senior psychiatrists established the content validity of the CPQ. The experimental group was a sample of 100 first-visit patients to a psychiatric outpatient department (FVPOD). The comparison group comprised 98...
Background The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and the prevalence of distal colorectal polyps and adenocarcinoma and (b) to analyse genetic alterations representing different molecular pathways of the colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods A total of 623 asymptomatic male (mean age: 53 years; 50?65) car factory workers were included. Information on smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were collected followed by a 60 cm colonoscopy. APC and KRAS mutations and microsatellite status were determined in colorectal lesions (colorectal carcinoma (CRC), hyperplastic (HP) and adenomatous polyps (AP)). Data were analysed using unconditional multiple logistic regression models. Results Smokers had a higher prevalence of AP (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2?3.6;...
BACKGROUND: Glyphosate resistance has been confirmed in 58 populations of Lolium rigidum (Gaud.), a major weed of crops in southern Australia. Extensive use of glyphosate in conjunction with minimal soil disturbance has been identified as high risk for resistance to that herbicide. Land managers need a simple method for rapid assessment of the risk of resistance occurring as a result of past and proposed future management practices. Modelled on risk assessment nomographs, a simple calculator for indicating the risk of evolved glyphosate resistance in L. rigidum is described.RESULTS: The calculator uses the generations since first use and the frequency of use of glyphosate in combination with historical cultivation levels as critical factors for determining the risk of glyphosate resistance...
The purpose of this column is to present the results of the 2007 Professional Practice Analysis (PPA) of the field of nurse anesthesia, conducted by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. The PPA used survey and rating scale methodologies to collect data regarding the relative emphasis of various aspects of the nurse anesthesia knowledge domain and competencies. A total of 3,805 survey responses were analyzed using the Rasch rating scale model, which aggregates and transforms ordinal (rating scale) responses into linear measures of relative importance and frequency. Summaries of respondent demographics and educational and professional background are provided, as well as descriptions of how the survey results are used to develop test specifications. The results of this analysis provide evidence for the content outline and test specifications (content percentages) and thus serve as a basis of content validation for the National ...
Tritium occurs in nature in trace amounts, but its concentration is changing due to natural and artificial sources. Studies focusing on natural tritium have to take into account the effect of artificial sources. Also, the impact of tritium is an important issue in environmental protection, e.g. in connection with the emissions from nuclear power plants. The present work focuses on the rain washout of tritium emitted from the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary. Rainwater collectors were placed around the plant and after a period of precipitation, rainwater was collected and analysed for tritium content. Samples were analysed using low-level liquid scintillation counting, with some also subject to the more accurate "3He ingrowth method. The results clearly show the trace of the tritium plume emitted from the plant; however, values are only about one order of magnitude higher than environmental background levels. A washout model was devised to ...
One of the keystones of the canceled BTeV experiment (proposed at Fermilab's Tevatron) was its sophisticated three-level trigger. The trigger was designed to reject 99.9% of light-quark background events and retain a large number of B decays. The BTeV Pixel Detector provided a 3-dimensional, high resolution tracking system to detect B signatures. The Level 1 pixel detector trigger was proposed as a two stage process, a track-segment finder and a vertex finder which analyzed every accelerator crossing. In simulations the track-segment finder stage outputs an average of 200 track-segments per accelerator crossing (2.5MHz). The vertexing stage finds vertices and associates track-segments with the vertices found. This paper proposes a novel adaptive pattern recognition model to find the number and the estimated location of vertices, and to cluster track-segments around those vertices. The track clustering and vertex finding is done in ...
We present a forward modelling technique for calculating the surface X-ray spectra for a variety of lunar terrains. Our calculations considered variations in solar fluxes from solar quiescent condition to large flare activity (M1 flare), and expected elemental concentrations in the target, as well as yield, instrumental, and viewing geometry parameters for X-ray induced fluorescence from the lunar surface. Additionally, we present estimates of anticipated XRF signals from prominent Ka lines observable by a collimated 14cm2 X-ray detector from a 100km lunar orbit with 20km spatial resolution. Our results show that Mg, Al and Si characteristic Ka lines can be observed for all solar conditions. The Ca Ka lines line can be differentiated from a fixed background during more energetic solar cond...
The measurement of the brightness temperature fluctuations of neutral hydrogen 21 cm lines from the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) is expected to be a powerful tool for revealing the reionisation process. We study the 21 cm cross-correlation with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature anisotropies, focusing on the effect of the patchy reionisation. We calculate, up to second order, the angular power spectrum of the cross-correlation between 21 cm fluctuations and the CMB kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (kSZ) from the EoR, using an analytical reionisation model. We show that the kSZ and the 21 cm fluctuations are anti-correlated on the scale corresponding to the typical size of an ionised bubble at the observed redshift of the 21 cm fluctuations. The amplitude of the angular power spectrum of the cross-correlation depends on the fluctuations of the ionised fraction. Especially, in a highly inhomogeneous reionisation ...
Background The relationships between coffee, tea, and sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drink consumption and colon cancer risk remain unresolved. Methods We investigated prospectively the association between coffee, tea, and sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drink consumption and colon cancer risk in a pooled analysis of primary data from 13 cohort studies. Among 731 441 participants followed for up to 6-20 years, 5604 incident colon cancer case patients were identified. Study-specific relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled using a random-effects model. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Compared with nonconsumers, the pooled multivariable relative risks were 1.07 (95% CI = 0.89 to 1.30, Ptrend = ...
CDS Invenio is the web-based integrated digital library system developed at CERN. It is a suite of applications which provides the framework and tools for building and managing an autonomous digital library server. Within this framework, the goal of this project is to implement new ranking methods based on the bibliographic citation graph extracted from the CDS Invenio database. As a first step, we implemented the Citation Count as a baseline ranking method. The major disadvantage of this method is that all citations are treated equally, disregarding their importance and their publication date. To overcome this drawback, we consider two different approaches: a link-based approach which extends the PageRank model to the bibliographic citation graph and a time-dependent approach which takes into account time in the citation counts. In addition, we also combined these two approaches in a hybrid model based on a time-dependent PageRank. In the ...
The electricity industry in the US today is at a crossroads. The restructuring debate going on in most regions has made it clear that the traditional model of vertically integrated firms serving defined franchise areas and regulated by state commissions may not be the pattern for the future. The demands of large customers seeking direct access to power markets, the entry of new participants, and proposed reforms of the regulatory process all signify a momentum for fundamental change in the organization of the industry. This paper addresses electricity restructuring from the perspective of bulk power markets. The authors focus attention on the organization of electricity trade and the various ways it has been and might be conducted. Their approach concentrates on conceptual models and empirical case studies, not on specific proposals made by particular utilities or commissions. They review literature in economics and power system engineering ...
Primordial black holes are unique probes of cosmology, general relativity, quantum gravity and non standard particle physics. They can be considered as the ultimate particle accelerator in their last (explosive) moments since they are supposed to reach, very briefly, the Planck temperature. Upper limits on the primordial black hole number density of mass $M_{\\star} = 5 10^{14}$ g, the Hawking mass (born in the big-bang terminating their life presently), is determined comparing their predicted cumulative $\\gamma$-ray emission, galaxy-wise, to the one observed by the EGRET satellite, once corrected for non thermal $\\gamma$-ray background emission induced by cosmic ray protons and electrons interacting with light and matter in the Milky Way. A model with free gas emissivities is used to map the Galaxy in the 100 MeV photon range, where the peak of the primordial black hole emission is expected. The best gas emissivities and additional ...
SummaryIntended Outputs: Documentation demonstrating an improved biophysical understanding of the role of forests on low flows in the arid zone regions of India through the development and outputs from hydrological models such as Hyluc and SWAT.A documented analysis of the impacts on the poor of historical and current water management policies, including the investigation through PRA techniques of people's perceptions and beliefs of land-use/hydrological interactions, and the implications o [continued...]ObjectivesTo establish a better understanding of forest impacts on low flows and the social impact of water resources management in arid zone regions of India, and to develop tools which allow this improved understanding to be disseminated directly to stakeholders.DescriptionProject Background: Reducing river flows and groundwater tables, especially during the dry season, constitutes a major problem causing great hardship to large numbers of ...
The perturbations of the L.R.S. class A spatially homogeneous spacetimes are treated using Hamiltonian methods in conjunction with techniques from the theory of Lie group harmonic analysis. These latter techniques lead to a simple way of handling any set of tensor equations on these background spacetimes which has the same symmetry group as the space-time metric. Once this approach is developed, the Hamiltonian formulation is used to recover in a clean way the Bonanos equations for the perturbations of the perfect fluid models of the class of spacetimes under consideration. The conserved quantities associated with the four-dimensional symmetry group are evaluated and their role in the linearized Hamiltonian dynamics is discussed. The time-dependent linear canonical transformation of the linearized vacuum gravitational phase space adapted to Moncrief's gauge invariant decomposition is described in general for these models ...
With an objective to discuss applicability of resistivity imaging using electromagnetic migration to detection of underground cavity, an applicability test was carried out on calculation of a numerical model and measurement data. By using the numerical model, a calculation was performed on a hypothetical case that a cubic cavity with sides each at 40 m exists in a homogenous medium of 200 ohm-m, with the cavity top located 20 m below the ground surface. As a result, it was possible to structure in a very short calculation time an image of the cavity which cannot be identified by one-dimensional inverse analysis. In the case of this cavity, a center of the image was structured on its lower face. It was shown that a location to indicate the image must be changed according to difference in the measurement locations. In a test on data measured in an underground cavity in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, it was found that the result may ...
Antideuterons are among the most promising galactic cosmic ray-related targets for dark matter indirect detection. Currently only upper limits exist on the flux, but the development of new experiments, such as GAPS and AMS-02, provides exciting perspectives for a positive measurement in the near future. In this Paper, we present a novel and updated calculation of both the secondary and primary antideuteron fluxes. We employ a two-zone diffusion model which successfully reproduces cosmic-ray nuclear data and the observed antiproton flux. We review the nuclear and astrophysical uncertainties and provide an up to date secondary (i.e. background) antideuteron flux. The primary (i.e. signal) contribution is calculated for generic WIMPs annihilating in the galactic halo: we explicitly consider and quantify the various sources of uncertainty in the theoretical evaluations. Propagation uncertainties, as is the case of antiprotons, are sizeable. ...
The work presented in this report is a continuation and expansion of a previous study. The aim of the work is to provide background information about pitting corrosion of copper for a safety analysis of copper canisters for final deposition of radioactive waste. A mathematical model for the propagation of corrosion pits is used to estimate the conditions required for stationary propagation of a localised anodic corrosion process. The model uses equilibrium data for copper and its corrosion products and parameters for the aqueous mass transport of dissolved species. In the present work we have, in the model, used a more extensive set of aqueous and solid compounds and equilibrium data from a different source. The potential dependence of pitting in waters with different compositions is studied in greater detail. More waters have been studied and single parameter variations in the composition of the water ...
In this paper, we present an iterative filtering method to estimate the background of noisy spectroscopic data. The proposed method avoids the calculation of the average full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the whole spectrum and the peak regions, and it can estimate the background efficiently, especially for spectroscopic data with the Compton continuum.
BackgroundThis study investigated the knowledge of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background,...Full Text Available
The mass generation in the Standard Model of Particles Physics relies on a spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism. Its implementation is recalled, along with its constraints, both theoretical (Naturalness, Stability, Triviality, Unitarity) and experimental (limits of direct and indirect searches, prospects). Calculation techniques for observables evaluation in Perturbative Field Theory are described, particularly Helicity Amplitude method, which is given in details: fermions and vector bosons, massless and massive. Monte-Carlo integration, and structure functions approximations (which allows non-perturbative calculations) are also detailed. With these tools, a process giving to Physics beyond the Standard Model is studied: it leads to an experimental prediction for the LEP collision ring, taking the classical background into account. Technical aspects of a future photon linear collider are reviewed. The production of heavy ...
We have made preliminary estimates of charged particles background at the 100x100 GeV Photon Linear Collider with ultimate luminosity. The charged particles background due to electromagnetic processes is located mainly in the small-angle range of the detector. At large angles, the number of background particles is much smaller. Analysis of the background (at least, in the range under consideration) shows that background conditions for the VLEPP-based Photon Linear Collider are better than at the VLEPP electron-positron collider. ((orig.)).
BackgroundA large and increasing part of the European population has a history of migration. Germany, for example, is home to about 15 million people with migrant background, which...Full Text Available
In this report, we estimated the temperature of the pump rooms and reviewed the operability of the components under the loss of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition) system. The issues relevant to the HVAC system in the PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) FT (Fault Tree) model are as follows: (1) Does the loss of the HVAC system bring about a function failure of other components? (2) Can the operator take action to reduce the temperature of the room in case of a HVAC function failure? At present, we do not know whether a component will lose its function or not under the loss of the HVAC. ASME Standard describes that a recovery action can be credited if the related recovery action is included in the procedure or there are similar recovery experiences in the plant. However, there is no description about the recovery action of the HVAC in the EOP (Emergency Operation Procedure) of the UCN3, 4 under the situation of a loss of the HVAC. Even though we ...
An Eulerian/Langrangian model was developed to study the two-phase flow in a two-dimensional, axisymmetric, direct-injection diesel engine, under motored and firing conditions. The liquid phase was tracked in a Lagrangian sense using discrete droplet packets (DDP). The gaseous phase was solved using an implicit, iterative, finite-difference, scheme of the control volume variety. Gaseous-phase turbulence was modeled using a compressible two-equation k/epsilon model. Turbulence effects on the liquid phase were modeled by superimposing a randomly oriented turbulent eddy velocity proportional to the root of the turbulent kinetic energy, on each packet's mean relative velocity. Droplet-droplet interactions were neglected. The general knowledge obtained during validation studies, was used to simulate the direct-injection two-stroke diesel engine under motored conditions. The simulation showed that by ...
Data produced by large scale scientific simulations, experiments, and observations can easily reach tera-bytes in size. The ability to examine data-sets of this magnitude, even in moderate detail, is problematic at best. Generally this scientific data consists of multivariate field quantities with complex inter-variable correlations and spatial-temporal structure. To provide scientists and engineers with the ability to explore and analyze such data sets we are using a twofold approach. First, we model the data with the objective of creating a compressed yet manageable representation. Second, with that compressed representation, we provide the user with the ability to query the resulting approximation to obtain approximate yet sufficient answers; a process called adhoc querying. This paper is concerned with a wavelet modeling technique that seeks to capture the important physical characteristics of the target scientific data. Our approach is ...
We review the current status of Andreev reflection spectroscopy on the heavy fermions, mostly focusing on the case of CeCoIn5, a heavy-fermion superconductor with a critical temperature of 2.3 K. This is a well-established technique to investigate superconducting order parameters via measurements of the differential conductance from nanoscale metallic junctions. Andreev reflection is clearly observed in CeCoIn5 as in other heavy-fermion superconductors. Considering the large mismatch in Fermi velocities, this observation seemingly appears to disagree with the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) theory. The measured Andreev signal is highly reduced to the order of maximum ?13% compared to the theoretically predicted value (100%). The background conductance exhibits a systematic evolution in its asymmetry over a wide temperature range from above the heavy-fermion coherence temperature down to well below the superconducting transition temperature. Analysis of the ...
Previous karyotypic studies have indicated a possible series of non-random chromosomal events involved in the progression of melanoma. We sought to define a model of melanocyte tumorigenesis by studying allelic deletions of polymorphic simple tandem repeat markers mapping to chromosome 1, 6q, 7, 9p, 10, 11, 17, and 21 in thirty matched pairs of melanoma and constitutional DNAs. The most frequent and earliest deletions were found on 9p (57%) and 10q (32%) and with the exception of one case, no sample has loss of markers on another chromosome without concomitant loss of markers on 9p and/or 10q. Losses on 6q were also a frequent (32%) event that sometimes occurred in primary melanomas, whereas losses of loci on distal 1p (26%) or 11q (26%) occurred only in metastic melanomas. A background rate (0-17%) of allele loss was seen on chromosomes 7, 17, and 21. Homozygous deletions in a panel of 31 melanoma cell lines were only detected for markers on ...
Background: The difficulty of directly measuring cellular dose is a significant obstacle to application of target tissue dosimetry for nanoparticle and microparticle toxicity assessment. As a consequence, the target tissue paradigm for dosimetry and hazard assessment of nanoparticles has largely been ignored in favor of using metrics of exposure (e.g. ?g particle/mL culture medium, particle surface area/mL, particle number/mL). We have developed a computational model of solution particokinetics (sedimentation, diffusion) and dosimetry for non-interacting spherical particles and their agglomerates in monolayer cell culture systems. Particle transport to cells is calculated by simultaneous solution of Stokes Law (sedimentation) and the Stokes-Einstein equation (diffusion). Results: The In vitro Sedimentation, Diffusion and Dosimetry model (ISDD) was tested against measured transport rates or cellular doses for multiple sizes ...
A balloon-borne instrument has measured the cosmic-ray antiproton flux between 130 and 320 MeV and searched for antihelium between 130 and 370 MeV per nuclear. These particles were selected from the background of normal-matter cosmic rays by combining a selective trigger with a detailed spark chamber visualization of each recorded event. Antiprotons are identified by their characteristic annihilatin radiation. Residue from background processes meeting the selection criteria is small. The observed 14 antiprotons yield a measured differential flux of 1.7 +- 0.5 x 10/sup -4/ antiprotons m/sup -2/ sr/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ MeV/sup -1/ at the top of the atmosphere. The corresponding antiproton/proton ratio is 2.2 +- 0.6 x 10/sup -4/,, only slightly smaller than the ratio observed by other experiments at higher energies. Thus the antiprotons have a spectral shape similar to the protons, at least down to about 100 MeV. The expected flux of these particles ...
The present thesis presents two different aspects of my work in the L3 experiment, which are on one side the search for supersymmetric particles, the scalar leptons, in two different topologies 'electron + X + E' and '2 leptons + 2 photons + E', each of them being related to two theoretical SUSY models, m-SUGRA and GMSB. On the other side my work has been completed by the study of the BGO crystal electromagnetic calorimeter of L3, and the calibration of the electromagnetic calorimeter EGAP. After the essential motivations being reviewed, the production and disintegration modes are detailed concerning the scalar lepton sector at LEP. Then one presents the analysis techniques which I used to perform my selection, and also the results obtained from the data collected by L3 for center of mass energies between {radical} S =183 GeV and 202 GeV. The selection criteria that allow to isolate the events I looked for, including efficiencies ...
Blade fatigue life is an important element in determining the economic viability of the Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). A principal source of blade fatigue is thought to be the stochastic (i.e., random) aerodynamic loads created by atmospheric turbulence. This report describes the theoretical background of the VAWT Stochastic Aerodynamic Loads (VAWT-SAL) computer code, whose purpose is to numerically simulate these random loads, given the rotor geometry, operating conditions, and assumed turbulence properties. A Double-Multiple-Stream Tube (DMST) analysis is employed to model the rotor's aerodynamic response. The analysis includes the effects of Reynolds number variations, different airfoil sections and chord lengths along the blade span, and an empirical model for dynamic stall effects. The mean ambient wind is assumed to have a shear profile which is described by either a power law or a logarithmic variation ...
Objectives: To minimize movement artifacts during tracer imaging studies, the animals are generally sedated. Although many reports describe the effect of barbiturates on brain function, less is published about the general impact on the extracerebral metabolism and tracer biodistribution. This report describes the influence of pentobarbital on tumor uptake of ["1"2"3I]-2-iodo-L-phenylalanine (["1"2"3I]-2I-L-PA) using dissection and nuclear imaging. Methods: R1M tumor-bearing athymic mice were divided into two populations: untreated and pentobarbital-treated. Each group was subjected to dynamic and static planar imaging and organ dissection after ["1"2"3I]-2I-L-PA injection. Two-compartment blood modeling was performed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), t test and clustered boxplot analyses were used to compare the results between the treatment groups and between the data acquisition methods. Results: Two-compartment blood modeling demonstrated that ...
In this report, I surveyed physics potential of the {gamma}{gamma} option of a linear e{sup +}e{sup -} collider with the following questions in mind: What new discovery can be expected at a {gamma}{gamma} collider in addition to what will be learned at its 'parent' e{sup +}e{sup -} linear collider? By taking account of the hard energy spectrum and polarization of colliding photons, produced by Compton back-scattering of laser light off incoming e{sup -} beams, we find that a {gamma}{gamma} collider is most powerful when new physics appears in the neutral spin-zero channel at an invariant mass below about 80% of the c.m. energy of the colliding e{sup -}e{sup -} system. If a light Higgs boson exists, its properties can be studied in detail, and if its heavier partners or a heavy Higgs boson exists in the above mass range, they may be discovered at a {gamma}{gamma} collider. CP property of the scalar sector can be explored in detail by making use of linear polarization ...
In this report, I surveyed physics potential of the #gamma##gamma# option of a linear e"+e"- collider with the following questions in mind: What new discovery can be expected at a #gamma##gamma# collider in addition to what will be learned at its 'parent' e"+e"- linear collider? By taking account of the hard energy spectrum and polarization of colliding photons, produced by Compton back-scattering of laser light off incoming e"- beams, we find that a #gamma##gamma# collider is most powerful when new physics appears in the neutral spin-zero channel at an invariant mass below about 80% of the c.m. energy of the colliding e"-e"- system. If a light Higgs boson exists, its properties can be studied in detail, and if its heavier partners or a heavy Higgs boson exists in the above mass range, they may be discovered at a #gamma##gamma# collider. CP property of the scalar sector can be explored in detail by making use of linear polarization of the colliding photons, decay angular correlations ...
The recently observed X-ray synchrotron emission from four supernova remnants (SNRs) has strengthened the evidence that cosmic-ray electrons are accelerated in SNRs. We show that if this is indeed the case, the local electron spectrum will be strongly time-dependent, at least above roughly 30 GeV. The time dependence stems from the Poisson fluctuations in the number of SNRs within a certain volume and within a certain time interval. As far as cosmic-ray electrons are concerned, the Galaxy looks like actively bubbling Swiss cheese rather than a steady, homogeneously filled system. Our finding has important consequences for studies of the Galactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, for which a strong excess over model predictions above 1 GeV has recently been reported. While these models relied on an electron injection spectrum with index 2.4 (chosen to fit the local electron flux up to 1 TeV), we show that an electron injection index of around 2.0 ...
The detector for retrospective radon exposure measurements is developed. The detector consists of the multilayer package of solid-state nuclear track detectors LR-115 type. Nitrocellulose films works both as {alpha}-particle detector and as absorber decreasing the energy of {alpha}-particles. The uncertainties of implanted {sup 210}Pb measurements by two- and three-layer detectors are assessed in dependence on surface {sup 210}Po activity and gross background activity of the glass. The generalized compartment behavior model of radon decay products in the room atmosphere was developed and verified. It is shown that the most influencing parameters on the value of conversion coefficient from {sup 210}Po surface activity to average radon concentration are aerosol particles concentration, deposition velocity of unattached {sup 218}Po and air exchange rate. It is demonstrated that with the use of additional information on surface to volume room ...
Tremendous progress in the science of extrasolar planets has been achieved since the discovery of a Jupiter orbiting the nearby Sun-like star 51 Pegasi in 1995. Theoretical models have now reached enough maturity to predict the characteristic properties of these new worlds, mass, radius, atmospheric signatures, and can be confronted with available observations. We review our current knowledge of the physical properties of exoplanets, internal structure and composition, atmospheric signatures, including expected biosignatures for exo-Earth planets, evolution, and the impact of tidal interaction and stellar irradiation on these properties for the short-period planets. We discuss the most recent theoretical achievements in the field and the still pending questions. We critically analyze the different solutions suggested to explain abnormally large radii of a significant fraction of transiting exoplanets. Special attention is devoted to the recently discovered ...
In this paper, we calculated the radioactive concentration distribution of radioactive waste water, the temperature distribution of drained cooling water and the effect of implement from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant on nearby waters range, discussed and analysed some problems of computational results and computation with Alternating Direction Implicit Method (ADI). The contents of the article included: the establishment of two-dimension tidal current equation, radioactive waste water pollutant dispersion equation and cooling water heat convection diffusion equation, the numerical difference calculation model of tidal current field, concentration field as well as temperature field, effect impingement with ADI method, numerical calculation results. The result of research showed that: when the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant is on normal operation and after the low level radioactive waste water and low temperature cooling water have been drained off into the sea, it ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE`s Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EBP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising EV propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the US economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R&D contracts on advanced battery and fuel cell technologies for DOE-EBP. This report summarizes the objectives, background, technical progress, and status of ANL electric vehicle battery R&D tasks for DOE-EHP during the period of October 1, 1990 through December 31, 1990. The work is organized into the following six task areas: 1.0 Project Management; ...
The Electrochemical Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE`s Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EHP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising electric-vehicle (EV) propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby. significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R&D contracts on advanced battery and fuel cell technologies for DOE-EHP. This report summarizes the battery-related activities undertaken during the period of October 1, 1991 through March 31, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. These tasks are structured into the following task ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE's Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EBP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising EV propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the US economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R D contracts on advanced battery and fuel cell technologies for DOE-EBP. This report summarizes the objectives, background, technical progress, and status of ANL electric vehicle battery R D tasks for DOE-EHP during the period of October 1, 1990 through December 31, 1990. The work is organized into the following six task areas: 1.0 Project Management; ...
The Electrochemical Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE's Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EHP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising electric-vehicle (EV) propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby. significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R D contracts on advanced battery and fuel cell technologies for DOE-EHP. This report summarizes the battery-related activities undertaken during the period of October 1, 1991 through March 31, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. These tasks are structured into the following ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE`s Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EHP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising electric-vehicle (EV) propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R&D contracts on advanced battery technologies for DOE-EHP. This report summarizes the battery-related activities undertaken during the period of July 1, 1992 through September 30, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. The work is organized into the following task areas: ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides technical and programmatic support to DOE's Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division (DOE-EHP). The goal of DOE-EHP is to advance promising electric-vehicle (EV) propulsion technologies to levels where industry will continue their commercial development and thereby significantly reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector of the economy. In support of this goal, ANL provides research, development, testing/evaluation, post-test analysis, modeling, database management, and technical management of industrial R D contracts on advanced battery technologies for DOE-EHP. This report summarizes the battery-related activities undertaken during the period of July 1, 1992 through September 30, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. The work is organized into the following task ...
This thesis is divided up into five chapters as outlined below. Chapter 1 gives the background to the techniques used in this thesis including X-ray structure determination and ab initio methods. An overview of some recent studies using ab initio methods to study transition metal complexes is also given. Chapter 2 investigates structural trans influence in a number of transition metal and p-block complexes. The database and ab initio studies showed that the classical trans influence model based on Pt(II) chemistry does not always hold. For some systems (eg. d sup 1 sup 0 s sup 0 for Sb sup V and Sn sup I sup V) the cis influence is of similar magnitude to the trans influence. For other systems (d sup 0), the trans influence is not as powerful as usually assumed. Chapter 3 is an investigation into the bridging chloride unit. A database study was performed on three systems (M-CI-M', M-CI...H and M-CI...Li/Na/K). Reaction pathway analysis was ...
Within the context of space-time (D-particle) foam in string/brane-theory it is demonstrated that it is possible to generate non-extensive statistics. The D-particle foam model involves point-like brane defects (D-particles), which provide the topologically non-trivial foamy structures of space-time. The D-particles can capture and emit stringy matter and this leads to a recoil of D-particles. It is indicated how one effect of such a recoil of D-particles is a back reaction on the space-time metric of Finsler type which is stochastic. We show that such a type of stochastic space-time foam can lead to cosmological effects similar to those induced by modifications of particle distributions within the framework of Tsallis entropies. The restrictions placed on the free parameters of the Finsler type metric are obtained from solving the Boltzmann equation in this background for relic abundances of a Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP) dark matter ...
We investigate the sparticle production processes e{gamma} {yields} e tilde(Z tilde){sub 1} and {gamma}{gamma} {yields} (f tilde)(f tilde and bar) at high energy e{gamma} and {gamma}{gamma} colliders in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). It will be shown that the e{gamma} colliders would be more suitable in searching for the heavy selectrons than ee colliders because of the low mass threshold of the process e{gamma} {yields} (e tilde)(Z tilde){sub 1}. We show that the standard background processes e{gamma} {yields} {nu}W and eZ can be suppressed in terms of initial beam polarization as well as the kinematical cuts on the energy and angle of the final electron. Moreover, it will be argued that the experimental measurements of the cross sections for the processes e{gamma} {yields} (e tilde)(Z tilde){sub 1} and {gamma}{gamma} {yields} (f tilde and bar)(f tilde) could enable us to constrain the basic parameters in ...
We investigate the sparticle production processes e#gamma# #-># e tilde(Z tilde)_1 and #gamma##gamma# #-># (f tilde)(f tilde and bar) at high energy e#gamma# and #gamma##gamma# colliders in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). It will be shown that the e#gamma# colliders would be more suitable in searching for the heavy selectrons than ee colliders because of the low mass threshold of the process e#gamma# #-># (e tilde)(Z tilde)_1. We show that the standard background processes e#gamma# #-># #nu#W and eZ can be suppressed in terms of initial beam polarization as well as the kinematical cuts on the energy and angle of the final electron. Moreover, it will be argued that the experimental measurements of the cross sections for the processes e#gamma# #-># (e tilde)(Z tilde)_1 and #gamma##gamma# #-># (f tilde and bar)(f tilde) could enable us to constrain the basic parameters in the MSSM. This is ...
In conducting aircraft surveys for uranium, it is found that temperature inversions can give spurious results because they promote accumulation of radon gas in the atmosphere. The "2"1"4Bi (daughter product of radon) gamma-rays detected from the atmosphere-borne radon are difficult to separate from the "2"1"4Bi gamma-rays originating from the ground, and providing a signature for uranium deposits. The purpose of the present study was to examine the feasibility of making remote temperature soundings of the atmosphere below a low-flying aircraft (140 m or less above ground) by the inversion of radiance measurements taken in the 15-micron carbon dioxide absorption band. Such measurements would identify those temperature inversion conditions possibly leading to an unacceptably large background of gamma-rays from the atmospheric radon. Thus, the incidence of spurious aerial survey data could be greatly reduced. An atmospheric model was set up and ...
Application of electromagnetic forces to materials processing, so-called {open_quotes}electromagnetic processing of materials (EPM){close_quotes} has been recognized as cutting edge technology, especially in the fields of steelmaking and advanced materials processing in Japan. The history of EPM in Japan is mentioned and the background to promote EPM is described. The current status of research and development of EPM is shown briefly introducing several examples. Regarding the application of high-frequency magnetic field, two topics are dealt with. The first is the improvement of the surface quality of cast steel where an alternating magnetic field is imposed on the molten steel from the outside of the mold, and the second is the induction cold crucible where a considerably large amount of molten intermetallic compound is levitated. Examples of the application of DC magnetic field are the control of molten steel flow in a mold and the suppression of the mixing of ...
The Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen, #betta#-D-Gal-(1->3)-#alpha#-D-GalNAc, is exposed in reactive form on many human adenocarcinomata, but not on corresponding benign tissues. Peanut lectin (PNA) has a strong binding affinity for the T antigen and reportedly binds preferentially to certain malignant tissues. We investigated the potential of radio-labelled PNA as a tumour localising agent in an animal model system using a mouse lymphoma (RI) shown to bind fluorescein-labelled PNA in vitro. The radio-iodinated lectin showed good tumour localisation and rapid blood clearance. Clear images of tumours were obtained, in serial scintigraphic imaging, by 24 and 48 h. No blood background subtraction was necessary. Biodistribution studies revealed tumour to blood ratios in mice were 6:1 (at 24 h) and 17:1 (at 48 h), and tumour to muscle ratios were 34:1 (at 24 h) and 40:1 (at 48 h). Rapid in vivo breakdown of _1_2_5I-PNA led to some localisation of ...
This report is a summary of the contribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in the eutrophication process of inland and coastal waters. Special attention was paid to the mechanisms of these nutrients in regulating biological processes and to the methods available in estimating their effects in the eutrophication of water bodies. The report includes five chapters which are entitled: Introduction, which is a general background to the subject with special attention to the requirements of the Finnish Water Act. Phosphorus and nitrogen as factors regulating biological processes. The topics included are: definition of eutrophication, forms of phosphorus and nitrogen and their sources to inland and coastal waters, effects of these nutrients as growth factors of phytoplankton and macrophytes and consequences of eutrophication. Estimation of the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen. The topics discussed from the point of view of the tasks of the National Board of Waters and the ...
Recent measurements of cosmic ray leptons by PAMELA, ATIC, HESS and Fermi revealed interesting excesses. Many authors suggested particle Dark Matter (DM) annihilations could be at the origin of these effects. In this paper, we critically assess this interpretation by reviewing some results questioning the naturalness and robustness of such an interpretation. Natural values for the DM particle parameters lead to a poor leptons production so that models often require signal enhancement effects that we constrain here. Considering DM annihilations are likely to produce antiprotons as well, we use the PAMELA antiproton to proton ratio measurements to constrain a possible exotic contribution. We also consider the possibility of an enhancement due to a nearby clump of DM. This scenario appears unlikely when compared to the state-of-the-art cosmological N-body simulations. We conclude that the bulk of the observed signals most likely has no link with DM and is rather a ...
The work reported here encompasses analyses of specific potential spill scenarios for oil exploration activity planned offshore of Namibia. The analyses are carried out with the SINTEF Oil Spill Contingency and Response (OSCAR) 3-dimensional model systems. A spill scenario using 150 m{sup 3} of marine diesel demonstrates the rapidity with which such a spill will dissipate naturally, even in light winds. Vertical and horizontal mixing bring subsurface hydrocarbon concentrations to background levels within a few days. A hypothetical 10 day blowout scenario releasing 11,000 bbl per day of light crude oil is investigated in terms of the potential for delivering oil to selected bird and marine mammal areas along the Namibian coast. Worst case scenarios are selected to investigate the potential mitigating effects of planned oil spill response actions. Mechanical recovery significantly reduces, and in some cases eliminates, potential environmental ...
Hot gas trapped in a dark matter halo will produce a decrement in the surface brightness of the microwave background, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. While massive clusters produce the strongest central SZ decrements, we point out that a local galaxy halo, specifically the halo of M31, may be one of the brightest integrated SZ sources in the sky. For various realistic gas distributions consistent with current X-ray limits, we show that the integrated SZ decrement from M31 will be comparable to decrements already detected in more distant sources, provided its halo contains an appreciable quantity of hot gas. A measurement of this decrement would provide direct information on the mass, spatial distribution and thermodynamic state of hot gas in a low-mass halo, and could place important constraints on current models of galaxy formation. Detecting such an extended (~ 10 degree), low-amplitude signal will be challenging, but should be possible ...
The Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS) and the NRAO/VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) were used to determine an upper limit to the diffuse radio flux from the nearby cluster Abell 2199. For the entire cluster, this limit is <3.25 Jy at 327 MHz from WENSS; for the inner 15' radius, the limit is <168 mJy at 1.4 GHz. These limits are used to constrain the cluster magnetic field by requiring that the radio flux be consistent with the hard X-ray (HXR) flux observed by BeppoSAX, assuming that the observed HXR excess is due to inverse Compton (IC) scattering of cosmic microwave background photons by relativistic electrons in the intracluster gas. We find that the magnetic field must be very weak (<0.073 uG) in order to avoid producing an observable radio halo. We also consider the possibility that the HXR excess is due to nonthermal bremsstrahlung (NTB) by a population of suprathermal electrons which are being accelerated to higher energies. We find that a NTB ...
We have examined the dust photoelectric heating in the intergalactic medium (IGM). The heating rate in a typical radiation field of the IGM is represented by $\\Gamma_{\\rm pe} = 1.2\\times10^{-34}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-3}$ $({\\cal D}/10^{-4})(n_{\\rm H}/10^{-5} {\\rm cm^{-3}})^{4/3} (J_{\\rm L}/10^{-21} {\\rm erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} Hz^{-1} sr^{-1}})^{2/3} (T/10^4 {\\rm K})^{-1/6}$, where ${\\cal D}$ is the dust-to-gas mass ratio, $n_{\\rm H}$ is the hydrogen number density, $J_{\\rm L}$ is the mean intensity at the hydrogen Lyman limit of the background radiation, and $T$ is the gas temperature, if we assume the new X-ray photoelectric yield model by Weingartner et al. (2006) and the dust size distribution in the Milky Way by Mathis, Rumpl, & Nordsieck (1977). This heating rate dominates the HI and HeII photoionization heating rates when the hydrogen number density is less than $\\sim10^{-6}$ cm$^{-3}$ if ${\\cal D}=10^{-4}$ which is 1% of that ...
Characteristics of inertia gravity waves associated with convection are investigated in the lower stratosphere using high-resolution radiosonde data observed from 18 June to 15 July of 2005 and 2007 in Korea. Three-dimensional ray-tracing model and reanalysis data are used to investigate the propagation and the sources of the observed waves. The observed waves associated with convections are discriminated based on the existence of convections when and where the rays reach the average height range of convective clouds. Waves observed in 2005 and 2007 show similar spectral characteristics, but wave energy in 2007 is significantly larger than in 2005. The observed waves propagate from three source regions: the northeastern, southeastern, and western regions around Korea. They show preferential propagation directions based on their sources, and convections from the western region generate larger-amplitude gravity waves than the other two regions. The spectral ...
Particle physics is driven by five great topics. Neutrino oscillations and masses are now at the fore. The standard model with extensions to supersymmetry and a Higgs to generate mass explains much of the field. The origins of CP violation are not understood. The possibility of extra dimensions has raised tantalizing new questions. A fifth topic lurking in the background is the possibility of something totally different. Many of the questions raised by these topics require powerful new accelerators. It is not an overstatement to say that for some of the issues, the accelerator is almost the experiment. Indeed some of the questions require machines beyond our present capability. As this volume attests, there are parts of the particle physics program that have been significantly advanced without the use of accelerators such as the subject of neutrino oscillations and many aspects of the particle-cosmology interface. At this stage in the ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides advanced battery R&D; technology transfer to industry; technical analyses, assessments, modeling, and databases; and independent testing and post-test analyses of advanced batteries. These capabilities and services are being offered to the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) are being negotiated for USABC-sponsored work at ANL. A small portion of DOE`s cost share for USABC projects has been provided to ANL to continue R&D and testing activities on key technologies that were previously supported directly by DOE. This report summarizes progress on these USABC projects during the period of April I through September 30, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. The work is organized into the following task areas: 1.0 ...
The Electrochemical Technology Program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) provides advanced battery R D; technology transfer to industry; technical analyses, assessments, modeling, and databases; and independent testing and post-test analyses of advanced batteries. These capabilities and services are being offered to the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) are being negotiated for USABC-sponsored work at ANL. A small portion of DOE's cost share for USABC projects has been provided to ANL to continue R D and testing activities on key technologies that were previously supported directly by DOE. This report summarizes progress on these USABC projects during the period of April I through September 30, 1992. In this report, the objective, background, technical progress, and status are described for each task. The work is organized into the following task areas: 1.0 ...
If gamma-ray bursts originate in galaxies at cosmological distances, the host galaxy should be detected if a burst error box is searched deep enough; are the host galaxies present? We present and implement a statistical methodology which evaluates whether the observed galaxy detections in a burst's error box are consistent with the presence of the host galaxy, or whether all the detections can be attributed to unrelated background galaxies. This methodology requires the model-dependent distribution of host galaxy fluxes. While our methodology was derived for galaxies in burst error boxes, it can be applied to other candidate host objects (e.g., active galaxies) and to other types of error boxes. As examples, we apply this methodology to two published studies of burst error boxes. We find that the nine error boxes observed by Larson and McLean (1997) are too large to discriminate between the presence or absence of host galaxies, while the ...
We create realistic, full-sky, half-arcminute resolution simulations of the microwave sky matched to the most recent astrophysical observations. The primary purpose of these simulations is to test the data reduction pipeline for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) experiment; however, we have widened the frequency coverage beyond the ACT bands and utilized the easily accessible HEALPix map format to make these simulations applicable to other current and near future microwave background experiments. Some of the novel features of these simulations are that the radio and infrared galaxy populations are correlated with the galaxy cluster and group populations, the primordial microwave background is lensed by the dark matter structure in the simulation via a ray-tracing code, the contribution to the thermal and kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signals from galaxy clusters, groups, and the intergalactic medium has been included, and the gas ...
As nuclear research has become more prevalent, environmental contamination from the disposal of radioactive waste has become a prominent issue. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in northern New Mexico, radioactive contamination from disposal operations has raised some very specific concerns. Material Disposal Area G (Area G) is the primary low-level radioactive waste disposal site at LANL and occupies an area adjacent to land belonging to the Native American community of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. Analyses of soil and vegetation collected from the perimeter of Area G have shown concentrations of radionuclides greater than background concentrations established for northern New Mexico. As a result, Pueblo residents had become concerned that contaminants from Area G could enter tribal lands through various ecological pathways. The residents specifically questioned the safety of consuming meat from elk and deer that forage near Area G and then migrate onto ...
BackgroundMany commercial banana varieties lack sources of resistance to pests and diseases, as a consequence of sterility and narrow genetic background. Fertile wild relatives,...Full Text Available
Before working at JPL he was the Chief Engineer for the Milstar Satellite Avionics and several Military space programs. His technical background is in ...
LUCIFER (Low-background Underground Cryogenic Installation For Elusive Rates) is a new project for the study of neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, based on the technology of scintillating bolometers. These devices promise a very efficient rejection of the alpha background, opening the way to a virtual background-free experiment if candidates with a transition energy higher than 2615 keV are investigated. The baseline candidate for LUCIFER is 82Se. This isotope will be embedded in ZnSe crystals grown with enriched selenium and operated as scintillating bolometers in a low-radioactivity underground dilution refrigerator. In this paper, the LUCIFER concept will be introduced. The sensitivity and the very promising prospects related to this project will be discussed.
Continuum events represent an eminent source of background in any e+e- experiment. As these have a higher branching ratio than BB-bar events (at BaBar this ratio is estimated to about 3.5) or ?+?- events, efficient continuum background suppression is essential in many analyses. Using Artificial Neural Networks and the Nearest Neighbor Method we developed several selectors which, based only on the global event shape variables, efficiently tag BB-bar events and ?+?- events against the continuum background. These selectors could then be combined with the channel specific information in various types of analyses. The study was done using a parametric Monte Carlo.
We entertain the idea that a suitable background of cold (very low momentum) pseudoscalar particles or condensate, may trigger a background that effectively generates Lorentz-invariance violation. This aether-like background induces a Chern-Simons modification of QED. Physics is different in different frames and, in the rest frame of the pseudoscalar background, high momentum photons can decay into pairs. The threshold for such decay depends quadratically on the rest mass of the particles. This mechanism could explain in a natural way why antiprotons are absent in recent cosmic ray measurements. A similar signal could be used as a probe of pseudoscalar condensation in heavy ion collisions.
Background: Accountability demands are increasingly pushing school leaders to explore more data and do more sophisticated analyses. Data-driven decision making (DDDM) has become an emerging field of practice for school leadership and a central focus of education policy and practice. Purpose: This study examined principals' DDDM practices and identified the factors influencing DDDM using the theoretical frame of information use environments. Participants: Participants were 183 public high school principals in a Midwestern state. Research Design: The research design was cross-sectional survey research. Data Collection and Analysis: Survey instruments were developed and administered to principals. Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine what factors significantly affect principals' DDDM practices in different leadership dimensions. Findings: Principals used data more frequently in instructional and organization operational ...
Prompt fission neutron energy spectra for "2"3"5U and "2"3"9Pu have been measured for fission neutron energies greater than the energy of the incident neutrons inducing fission. The measurements were undertaken to investigate the shape dependence of the fission neutron spectra upon both the incident neutron energy and the mass of the nucleus undergoing fission. Measurements were made for both nuclides at incident neutron energies of 0.50, 1.50, 2.50 and 3.50 MeV. The data are presented either as relative yields or as ratios of measured spectra to that of "2"3"5U at 0.50 MeV. Incident neutrons were produced by the "7Li(p,n)"7Be reaction using a pulsed, bunched proton beam from the 5.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Radiation Laboratory. Fission neutrons were detected by a thin liquid scintillator with good time resolution capabilities. Neutron energies were determined by time-of-flight techniques with pulse-shape discrimination to reduce gamma-ray ...
Effective doses from {sup 210}Po intake with caribou meat were determined for human residents in Baker Lake and Snowdrift in the Northwest Territories of Canada and compared to doses calculated from reported {sup 210}Po tissue activities in Alaskan and British residents. Effective doses were calculated to separate body tissues, using ICRP 60 human weighting factors and the ICRP 30 metabolic model for {sup 210}Po. Baker Lake and Alaskan effective doses were similar at 0.4 mSv y{sup {minus}1} and slightly higher than Snowdrift doses (0.3 mSv y{sup {minus}1}). Alaskan tissue activities indicated higher effective doses to liver, bone surfaces and red marrow and lower doses to spleen than the {sup 210}Po metabolic model (ICRP 1979a) predicts. Effective doses to Baker Lake and Snowdrift caribou and wolves, calculated from tissue activities, ranged from 7-20 mSv y{sup {minus}1} using human weighting factors for comparison to human doses only. ...
BackgroundDespite an ever-improving understanding of the molecular biology of cancer, the treatment of most cancers has not changed dramatically in the past three decades and drugs that do not discriminate between tumor cells and normal tissues remain the mainstays of anticancer therapy. Since Hsp90 is typically involved in cell proliferation and survival, this is thought to play a key role in cancer, and Hsp90 has attracted considerable interest in recent years as a potential therapeutic target.MethodsWe focused on the interaction of Hsp90 with its cofactor protein p60/Hop, and engineered a cell-permeable peptidomimetic, termed "hybrid Antp-TPR peptide", modeled on the binding interface between the molecular chaperone Hsp90 and the TPR2A domain of Hop.ResultsIt was demonstrated that this designed hybrid Antp-TPR peptide inhibited the interaction of Hsp90 with the TPR2A domain, inducing cell death of breast, pancreatic, renal, lung, prostate, ...
In the investigations reported here, a helium-jet/tape-transport system was used for the rapid transfer of fission products to a low-background environment where their aggregate beta and gamma-ray spectra were measured as a function of delay time after neutron induced fission of {sup 235}U, {sup 238}U and {sup 239}Pu. Beta and gamma-ray energy distributions have been deduced for delay times as short as 0.2 s and extending out to 100,000s. Instrumentation development during the initial phase of the project included: (1) assembly and characterization of a NaI(Tl) spectrometer for determining aggregate gamma-ray energy distributions, (2) development and characterization of a beta spectrometer (having excellent gamma-ray rejection) for measuring aggregate beta-particle energy distributions, (3) assembly and characterization of a Compton-suppressed HPGe spectrometer for determining gamma-ray intensities of individual fission products to deduce fission-product yields. ...
Three independent studies have been conducted for assessing the impact of rocket launches on the earth`s environment. These studies have addressed issues of acid rain in the troposphere, ozone depletion in the stratosphere, toxicity of chemical rocket exhaust products, and the potential impact on global warming from carbon dioxide emissions from rocket launches. Local, regional, and global impact assessments were examined and compared with both natural sources and anthropogenic sources of known atmospheric pollutants with the following conclusions: (1) Neither solid nor liquid rocket launches have a significant impact on the earth`s global environment, and there is no real significant difference between the two. (2) Regional and local atmospheric impacts are more significant than global impacts, but quickly return to normal background conditions within a few hours after launch. And (3) vastly increased space launch activities equivalent to 50 U.S. Space Shuttles or ...
...this page document analysis carried out during the policy development of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. policy, background, carbon, reduction,...commitment, energy efficiency, CRC, Policy background Spending Review Announcement In the October 2010 Spending Review, the UK Government announced that the CRC ... Revenue from the sale of CRC allowances, totalling ٟ billion a year by 2014/15, will be used to support ... The implications of this announcement for CRC are: In order to clarify the price signal to participants and to support the public ...
The most relevant aspects of research and service experience with environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) of carbon (C) and low-alloy steels (LAS) in high-temperature (HT) water are reviewed, with special emphasis on the primary pressure boundary components of boiling water reactors (BWRs). The main factors controlling the susceptibility to EAC under light water reactor (LWR) conditions are discussed with respect to crack initiation and crack growth. The adequacy and conservatism of the current BWRVIP-60 stress corrosion cracking (SCC) disposition lines (DLs), ASME III fatigue design curves, and ASME XI reference fatigue crack growth curves, as well as of the GE EAC crack growth model are evaluated in the context of recent research results. The operating experience is summarized and compared to the experimental/mechanistic background knowledge. Finally, open questions and possible topics for further research are identified. Laboratory ...
Environmental monitoring data were collected at and around the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) at the Nevada Test Site. These data are associated with radiation exposure, air, groundwater, meteorology, vadose zone, subsidence, and biota. This report summarizes the 2006 environmental data to provide an overall evaluation of RWMS performance and to support environmental compliance and performance assessment (PA) activities. Some of these data (e.g., radiation exposure, air, and groundwater) are presented in other reports (U.S. Department of Energy, 2006; Warren and Grossman, 2007; National Security Technologies, LLC, 2007). Direct radiation monitoring data indicate that exposure levels around the RWMSs are at or below background levels. Air monitoring data at the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs indicate that tritium concentrations are slightly above background levels. There is no detectable man-made radioactivity by gamma ...
The existence of a cosmic neutrino background - the analogue of the cosmic microwave background - is a fundamental prediction of standard big bang cosmology. Up to now, the observational evidence for its existence is rather indirect and rests entirely on cosmological observations of, e.g., the light elemental abundances, the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background, and the large scale distribution of matter. Here, we review more direct, weak interaction based detection techniques for the cosmic neutrino background in the present epoch and in our local neighbourhood. We show that, with current technology, all proposals are still off by some orders of magnitude in sensitivity to lead to a guaranteed detection of the relic neutrinos. The most promising laboratory search, based on neutrino capture on beta decaying nuclei, may be done in future experiments designed to measure the neutrino mass ...
Complete calculations of the accelerator related background in the muon spectrometer of the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are presented. The simulations have been performed with the STRUCT multi-turn tracking code and the MARS and FLUKA cascade codes taking into account latest information of the LHC lattice, vacuum conditions, beam cleaning system and the shielding and layout of the CMS experiment. Beam loss distributions in the interaction regions and their vicinities and their contribution to the background levels in the muon spectrometer of CMS are analyzed. The studies show that hadronic and electromagnetic components of machine background are efficiently suppressed by the proposed CMS shielding. High energy muons penetrate through the shielding, but in positions of significance they do not contribute more than a few percent compared to the background generated by the pp-collisions. It ...
The Cox proportional hazards model is the most widely used model for survival analysis because of its simplicity. The fundamental assumption in this model is the proportionality of the hazard function....Full Text Available
We present the general properties of the far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1370-1720A) continuum background over most of the sky, obtained with the Spectroscopy of Plasma Evolution from Astrophysical Radiation instrument (SPEAR, also known as FIMS), flown aboard the STSAT-1 satellite mission. We find that the diffuse FUV continuum intensity is well correlated with N_{HI}, 100 $\\mu$m, and H-alpha intensities but anti-correlated with soft X-ray. The strongest correlation is with the H-alpha emission, and the correlation of the diffuse background with the direct stellar flux is weaker than the correlation with other parameters. The continuum spectra are relatively flat. However, a weak softening of the FUV spectra toward some sight lines, mostly at high Galactic latitudes, is found not only in direct-stellar but also in diffuse background spectra. The diffuse background is relatively softer that the direct stellar ...
BackgroundBiodiesel or ethanol derived from lipids or starch produced by microalgae may overcome many of the sustainability challenges previously ascribed to petroleum-based fuels and first generation plant-based biofuels. The paucity of microalgae genome sequences, however, limits gene-based biofuel feedstock optimization studies. Here we describe the sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly for the non-model microalgae species, Dunaliella tertiolecta, and identify pathways and genes of importance related to biofuel production.ResultsNext generation DNA pyrosequencing technology applied to D. tertiolecta transcripts produced 1,363,336 high quality reads with an average length of 400 bases. Following quality and size trimming, ~ 45% of the high quality reads were assembled into 33,307 isotigs with a 31-fold coverage and 376,482 singletons. Assembled sequences and singletons were subjected to BLAST similarity searches and annotated with ...
In neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and prion disease it has been shown that host genetic background can have a significant effect on susceptibility. Indeed, human genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated several candidate genes. Understanding such genetic susceptibility is relevant to risks of developing variant CJD (vCJD) in populations exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and understanding mechanisms of neurodegeneration. In mice, aspects of prion disease susceptibility can be modelled by examining the incubation period following experimental inoculation. Quantitative trait linkage studies have already identified multiple candidate genes; however, it is also possible to take an individual candidate gene approach. Rarb and Stmn2 were selected as candidates based on the known association with vCJD. Because of the increasing overlap described between prion and Alzheimer's diseases we also chose Clu, ...
The spectral characteristics of the Cherenkov radiation have been evaluated and converted to equivalent retinal irradiance from external sources. On the basis of the conversion, electron fluxes have been estimated for 2-sec recovery times from flashblindness. The electrons are assumed to have energies greater than 6 MeV and to be delivered in one or more bursts of 1 microsecond each over 1 sec. It is important to note that very little data exists on recovery times as short as 2 sec for either photopic and scotopic conditions. This situation is a direct result of the lack of definition of the critical tasks and their sensitivity to an interruption of background adaptation. The Cherenkov radiation produced within the eye by relativistic electrons can be compared to light from external sources by the relationships: 1 rad approx. = 4.6 scotopic td-sec and 1 rad approx. = 0.55 photopic td sec. Based on these conversion factors, the following estimates can be derived by ...
Photoelectrochemical oxidation is a potentially interesting method for destroying toxic organic materials. We have studied the photoelectrocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} films made by thermal oxidation of titanium, low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD), and anodisation of titanium. Two model organic compounds have been investigated for photooxidation: methyl phosphonic acid (MPA) which is a nerve gas analogue and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) which is a chlorinated aromatic compound considered a standard for the evaluation of the TiO{sub 2} / UV processes. In addition to photoelectrochemical characterisation the films have been characterised by profilometry, XRD, AFM, photocurrent spectroscopy and Raman microscopy. Correlations have been made between the physical properties of the thin films and their catalytic activities. The most catalytic sample of thermally oxidised titanium was prepared at 400 deg C, and the presence of anatase was shown by XRD, MPA ...
Three resonances at the proton energies 7.0, 7.08, and 7.53 MeV on the target "8"8Sr were chosen to investigate the possibility of determining the amplitudes of the weak coupling experimentally. The corresponding "8"9Sr levels under investigation were 1.93 MeV ("5/_2"+), 2.00 MeV ("3/_2"+), and 2.46 MeV ("3/_2"+). Angular distributions were measured on resonance at 7.0, 7.08, and 7.53 MeV from proton inelastic scattering to the 1.84 MeV (2"+) state of "8"8Sr for differential cross section, analyzing power, spin-flip probability, and spin-flip asymmetry. A polarized beam of protons was used to obtain the analyzing power. The spin-flip probability was obtained from the coincidence of the prompt gamma rays from the (p,p'#gamma#) reaction with the scattered protons. With the polarized beam, the gamma coincidence technique was further used to obtain a spin-flip asymmetry measurement. From these measurements, the polarization was calculated, and the first clear experimental examples of the ...
We have constructed a Monte Carlo generator (the corresponding FORTRAN code can be obtained from the authors upon request) for lowest-order predictions for the processes {gamma}{gamma}{yields}4f and {gamma}{gamma}{yields}4f{gamma} in the standard model and extensions thereof by an effective {gamma}{gamma}H coupling as well as anomalous triple and quartic gauge-boson couplings. Polarization is fully supported, and a realistic photon beam spectrum can be taken into account. For the processes {gamma}{gamma}{yields}4f all helicity amplitudes are explicitly given in a compact form. The presented numerical results contain, in particular, a survey of cross sections for representative final states and their comparison to results obtained with the program package Whizard/Madgraph. The impact of a realistic beam spectrum on cross sections and distributions is illustrated. Moreover, the size of various contributions to cross sections, such as from weak charged- or ...
We have constructed a Monte Carlo generator (the corresponding FORTRAN code can be obtained from the authors upon request) for lowest-order predictions for the processes #gamma##gamma##->#4f and #gamma##gamma##->#4f#gamma# in the standard model and extensions thereof by an effective #gamma##gamma#H coupling as well as anomalous triple and quartic gauge-boson couplings. Polarization is fully supported, and a realistic photon beam spectrum can be taken into account. For the processes #gamma##gamma##->#4f all helicity amplitudes are explicitly given in a compact form. The presented numerical results contain, in particular, a survey of cross sections for representative final states and their comparison to results obtained with the program package Whizard/Madgraph. The impact of a realistic beam spectrum on cross sections and distributions is illustrated. Moreover, the size of various contributions to cross sections, such as from weak charged- or ...
Abstract Background: Aution Max AX-4030, a test strip analyzer recently introduced to the market, represents an upgrade of the Aution Max AX-4280 widely employed for urinalysis. This new instrument model can allocate two different test strips at the same time. In the present study the two instruments have been compared together with the usage of Uriflet 9UB and the recently produced Aution Sticks 10PA urine strips, the latter presenting an additional test area for the measurement of urinary creatinine. Methods: Imprecision and correlation between instruments and strips have been evaluated for chemical-physical parameters. Accuracy was evaluated for protein, glucose and creatinine by comparing the semi-quantitative results to those obtained by quantitative methods. The well-known interference effect of high ascorbic acid levels on urine glucose test strip determination was evaluated, ascorbic acid influence was also evaluated on protein and ...
The Demand 80/81 forecasts cover each sector of the economy and are conditional upon alternative assumptions concerning national economic growth, energy prices, other prices, and conservation policy. The forecasts also include forms of energy other than electricity to provide a comprehensive energy picture. Although the forecasts proceed through time in one-year increments, their primary focus is on the period from 1985 to 2000. The forecasts are based on twelve sets of alternative assumptions, or scenarios. A forecast of economic growth and nonenergy variables is used to drive the model to 12 different conditional forecasts. These represent four sets of price assumptions and three sets of non-price conservation assumptions. The price assumptions are: high, baseline, low and constant 1976, which - because of the inverse relationship between prices and consumption - represent low consumption, baseline consumption, high consumption, and extra high consumption, ...
Theatres are the most complex of all auditorium structures environmentally. They usually have high heat loads, which are of a transient nature as audiences come and go, and from lighting which changes from scene to scene, and they generally have full or nearly full occupancy. Theatres also need to perform well acoustically, both for the spoken word and for music, and as sound amplification is less used than in other auditoria, background noise control is critically important. All these factors place constraints on the ventilation design, and if this is poor, it can lead to the deterioration of indoor air quality and thermal comfort. To analyse the level of indoor air quality and thermal comfort in a typical medium-sized mechanically ventilated theatre, and to identify where improvements could typically be made, a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation study was carried out on a theatre in Belgrade. The evaluation, based on the results of monitoring (temperature, ...
We present an image of the rupture propagation of the 2004 M6.0 Parkfield earthquake using records from a dense network of local strong motion stations. We back-propagate high-frequency waveforms in 3D with a method, similar to reverse time migration, to obtain an estimate of the distribution of radiated high-frequency seismic energy in space and time. The image is forced to be coherent at the known hypocenter location and the quake origin time by applying small static time shifts obtained using waveform cross-correlation. We observe that the Parkfield earthquake radiated a distinct secondary high-frequency phase, which is located about 12.5~km northwest of the hypocenter with an onset of seismic radiation about 5~s after the rupture initiation. The time history of the back-projection suggests a rupture velocity of 2.5~km/s between hypocenter and subevent. The back-projection result is confirmed by inversion of picked arrival times of the secondary event clearly visible at some of the ...
BackgroundPolicies on waste disposal in Europe are heterogeneous and rapidly changing, with potential health implications that are largely unknown. We conducted a health impact assessment of landfilling and incineration in three European countries: Italy, Slovakia and England.MethodsA total of 49 (Italy), 2 (Slovakia), and 11 (England) incinerators were operating in 2001 while for landfills the figures were 619, 121 and 232, respectively. The study population consisted of residents living within 3 km of an incinerator and 2 km of a landfill. Excess risk estimates from epidemiological studies were used, combined with air pollution dispersion modelling for particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). For incinerators, we estimated attributable cancer incidence and years of life lost (YoLL), while for landfills we estimated attributable cases of congenital anomalies and low birth weight infants.ResultsAbout 1,000,000, 16,000, and ...
It has been proposed that a hidden conformal field theory (CFT) governs the dynamics of low frequency scattering in a general Kerr black hole background. We further investigate this correspondence by mapping higher order corrections to the massless wave equations in a Kerr background to an expansion within the CFT in terms of higher dimension operators. This implies the presence of infinite towers of CFT primary operators with positive conformal dimensions compatible with unitarity. The exact Kerr background softly breaks the conformal symmetry and the scaling dimensions of these operators run with frequency. The scale-invariant fixed point is dual to a degenerate case of flat spacetime.
In many industrialised societies, women remain underrepresented in the sciences, which can be predicted by the gender gap in math achievement at school. Using PISA 2006 data, we explore the role of family background and single-sex schooling in girls' disadvantage in maths in South Korea and Hong Kong. This disadvantage is found to be associated with single-sex schooling, but not with family background. Attending a girls' school confers a benefit only in South Korea, whereas the gendered curriculum counteracts the selectivity advantage of girls' schools in Hong Kong. We find that a gendered social structure prevalent in both societies.
BackgroundDuplications of stretches of the genome are an important source of individual genetic variation, but their unrecognized presence in laboratory organisms would be a confounding...Full Text Available
BackgroundApproximately 25% of ischemic stroke patients awaken with neurological deficits. In these patients, in whom the time from symptom onset is uncertain, brain imaging is a...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe WINPEPI computer programs for epidemiologists are designed for use in practice and research in the health field and as learning or teaching aids. The programs are free,...Full Text Available
BackgroundOxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism linking the poor placental perfusion characteristic of preeclampsia with the clinical manifestations of...Full Text Available
Background. The role of vitamin D in the body's ability to fight influenza and URI's may be dependent on regulation of specific cytokines that participate in the host inflammatory...Full Text Available
BackgroundVisual acuity, the ability of the visual system to distinguish two separate objects at a given angular distance, is influenced by the optical and neuronal properties of...Full Text Available
A new estimator of the local density of dark energy is suggested which comes from the virial theorem for non-relativistic gravitating systems embedded in the uniform dark energy background.
Background and ObjectivePulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions is associated with variable and unpredictable efficacy. Thus, alternative treatment...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA) to the pituitary is performed by ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons in collaboration with neurosurgeons but also...Full Text Available
BackgroundUse of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has increased substantially in Western countries during...Full Text Available
BackgroundIncrease in the incidence of hyperuricemia associated with gout as well as hypertension, renal diseases and cardiovascular diseases has been a public health concern. We...Full Text Available
In this survey paper, we present open problems and conjectures on visibility graphs of points, segments and polygons along with necessary backgrounds for understanding them.
BackgroundLate-onset sepsis in the premature infant is frequently revealed by severe, unusual and recurrent bradycardias. In view of the high morbidity and mortality...Full Text Available
BackgroundFeature selection is an important pre-processing task in the analysis of complex data. Selecting an appropriate subset of features can improve classification or clustering...Full Text Available
BackgroundSister species divergence and reproductive isolation commonly results from ecological adaptation. In mimetic Heliconius butterflies, shifts in colour pattern...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe evolution of eukaryotic cells is widely agreed to have proceeded through a series of endosymbiotic events between larger cells and proteobacteria or cyanobacteria,...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: This prospective and retrospective study carried out over a period of one month (50 patients) looked at the quality of hospital records of urethral catheterisation with reference to the...Full Text Available
BackgroundDiscrepancies between the conclusions of different meta-analyses (quantitative syntheses of systematic reviews) are often ascribed to methodological differences. The objective...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterization of the innate immune repertoire of extant cnidarians is of both fundamental and applied interest - it not only provides insights into the basic immunological...Full Text Available
Background:To encourage evidence-based practice, an Annals of Internal Medicine editorial called for a new professional on clinical teams: an informationist trained...Full Text Available
BackgroundProfessionalism is a critical quality for physicians to possess. Physician professionalism has received increased attention in recent years, with many authorities suggesting...Full Text Available
BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition and one the most common causes of disability in the developed nations. Anecdotally, there is a general...Full Text Available
Background:Spina bifida presents a significant cause of childhood morbidity in lower- and middle-income nations. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature examining...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe availability of multiple, essentially complete genome sequences of prokaryotes and eukaryotes spurred both the demand and the opportunity for the construction of an...Full Text Available
BackgroundBlindness due to trachoma is avoidable through Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial hygiene and Environmental improvements (SAFE). Recent surveys have shown trachoma to be a serious...Full Text Available
BackgroundUnderstanding the mechanisms that control rates of disease progression in humans and other species is an important area of research relevant to epidemiology and to translating...Full Text Available
Background/Objective:Tarlov cysts or spinal perineurial cysts are uncommon lesions. These are mostly incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging or myelograms. The...Full Text Available
Background:Prolonged mechanical ventilation is increasingly common. It is expensive and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our objective is to comprehensively characterize...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe routine removal of orthopaedic fixation devices after fracture healing remains an issue of debate. There are no evidence-based guidelines on this matter, and little...Full Text Available
BackgroundElementary schools represent both a source of childhood sun exposure and a setting for educational interventions.MethodsSun Protection...Full Text Available
BackgroundWith the exception of vertebrates, most organisms have plasma membrane associated ammonium transporters which primarily serve to import a source of nitrogen for nutritional...Full Text Available
Background:Solid pseudopapillary tumor is a rare pancreatic neoplasm with uncertain to low malignant potential. This is an uncommon neoplasm with many pseudonyms, occurring...Full Text Available
BackgroundTacrolimus (FK-506) is an immunosuppressant that binds to a specific immunophilin, resulting in the suppression of the cellular immune response during transplant rejection....Full Text Available
BackgroundCystic neoplasms of the pancreas are less common than solid tumors, and portend a better prognosis. They can be divided into serous and mucinous subtypes, with the former...Full Text Available
BackgroundTo identify the differential tuberculosis (TB) characteristics within the immigrant population with respect to natives in Spain.Methodology/Principal...Full Text Available
BackgroundTo investigate the significance of Aurora B expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsThe Aurora B and Aurora...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlternative splicing is an important mechanism mediating the diversified functions of genes in multicellular organisms, and such event occurs in around 40-60% of human...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction....Full Text Available
BackgroundNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used to treat postoperative and chronic pain. Animal studies suggest these drugs act in part by blocking...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost reports of scientific misconduct have been focused on principal investigators and other scientists (e.g., biostatisticians) involved in the research...Full Text Available
Background The Internet is becoming an increasingly important resource for health-information seekers. However, consumers often do not use effective search...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: An approach to the study of the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the lung is to measure their concentrations in bronchial biopsy specimens. The main criticism of this technique is that bronchial...Full Text Available
BackgroundBrucellosis is a zoonosis of veterinary, public health and economic significance in most developing countries. Human brucellosis is a severely debilitating disease that...Full Text Available
BackgroundProvision of consumer information and patient education are considered an essential part of chronic disease management programmes developed for patients with heart failure....Full Text Available
BackgroundWhether psychological resilience correlates with neurocognitive performance is largely unknown. Therefore, we assessed association between neurocognitive...Full Text Available
BackgroundOrthology analysis is an important part of data analysis in many areas of bioinformatics such as comparative genomics and molecular phylogenetics. The ever-increasing flood...Full Text Available
Background/Aim:To assess the prognostic indicators preoperatively presenting and influencing the mortality rate following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.Full Text Available
BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardant compounds that are persistent and bioaccumulative and therefore have become ubiquitous environment...Full Text Available
BackgroundBisphenol A (BPA) is a high-production-volume chemical commonly used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic. Low-level concentrations of BPA in animals and possibly...Full Text Available
BackgroundEmphysematous cholecystitis is a variant of acute cholecystitis which is generally caused by gas-forming organisms. Emphysematous cholecystitis may cause gas spreading...Full Text Available
BackgroundPlasmodium falciparum is the most malignant agent of human malaria. It belongs to the taxon Laverania, which includes other ape-infecting Plasmodium...Full Text Available
BackgroundSection Calochroi is one of the most species-rich lineages in the genus Cortinarius (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) and is widely distributed...Full Text Available
BackgroundPhotorhabdus luminescens is a Gram-negative luminescent enterobacterium and a symbiote to soil nematodes belonging to the species Heterorhabditis...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe monolignol biosynthetic pathway interconnects with the biosynthesis of other secondary phenolic metabolites, such as cinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoids and condensed...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: New surgical procedures designed to assist in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancy were sought. BACKGROUND: Decisions regarding the treatment of cancer depend on the anatomic location...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested an association between periodontal disease and prematurity but this finding has not been consistently observed.MethodsCase...Full Text Available
Background:Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) has gained an increasing acceptance as an alternative to the conventional surgical tracheostomy (ST). In experienced hands, and with...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:In adults, it is well known that high levels of pain catastrophizing are related to increased pain and disability as well as to heightened anxiety and depression. However,...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Despite increasing attention to the epidemiology of pain, relatively little is known about the association between pain and health in children. In particular, no studies...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenetic predisposition to scrapie in sheep is associated with several variations in the peptide sequence of the prion protein gene (PRNP). DNA-based tests...Full Text Available
BackgroundMedication errors are common among inpatients and many are preventable with computerized prescribing. Relatively little is known about outpatient prescribing errors or...Full Text Available
BackgroundTitanium and titanium alloys are widely used for fabrication of dental implants. Since the material composition and the surface topography of a biomaterial play a fundamental...Full Text Available
BackgroundBisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, including infant formula bottles.ObjectivesBased on the...Full Text Available
BackgroundPrior research links optimism to physical health, but the strength of the association has not been systematically evaluated.PurposeFull Text Available
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated, in a large, heterogeneous population, the outcome of open cholecystectomy as it is currently practiced. SUMMARY BACKGROUND AND DATA: Although cholecystectomy has been...Full Text Available
BackgroundSoft tissue foreign bodies are a common cause of orthopedic consultation in emergency departments. It is difficult to confirm their existence because conventional radiology...Full Text Available
BackgroundChanges in levels of estradiol and progesterone that occur with the transition to reproductive senescence may influence nociception or affect.Full Text Available
BackgroundMovement regularities are inherently present in automated goal-directed motions of the primate's arm system. They can provide important signatures of intentional behaviours...Full Text Available
BackgroundCo-flowering plant species frequently share pollinators. Pollinator sharing is often detrimental to one or more of these species, leading to competition for pollination....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe ongoing epidemiological transition in Mexico minimizes the relative impact of neurocysticercosis (NC) on public health. However, hard data on the disease frequency...Full Text Available
... and support cost, and post-retirement disposal cost) of ... from reactors, and the reactors and other ... the ship's hull and reactor compartment enough to ...
Background and PurposeHemodynamic insults at arterial bifurcations are hypothesized to play a key role in intracranial aneurysm formation. This study investigates...Full Text Available
Background: The nail gun is a commonly utilized tool in carpentry and construction. When used properly with appropriate safety precautions, it can facilitate production and boost efficiency;...Full Text Available
BackgroundMucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas is basically cystic epithelial neoplasm, unilocular or multilocular, occurring almost exclusively in women.Case...Full Text Available
BackgroundStump and phantom pains are debilitating sequelae of amputations that are often resistant to treatment. The efficacy of pharmacologic therapies, including...Full Text Available
BackgroundBorrelia lonestari infects Amblyomma americanum, the tick species that is the most common cause of tick bites in southeast...Full Text Available
BackgroundMolecular genetic studies of Bombyx mori have led to profound advances in our understanding of the regulation of development. Bombyx mori brain,...Full Text Available
BackgroundAs long-term nursing home care is likely to increase with the aging of the population, identifying chronic medical conditions is of particular interest. Although need factors...Full Text Available
Background: Contamination of autologous grafts unfortunately occurs in plastic surgery, but the literature provides no guidance for management of such incidents. Methods: American...Full Text Available
Background. The coexistence of neoplasm and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presents a real management challenge. This paper reviews the literature on the prevalence, diagnosis,...Full Text Available
BackgroundMalaria is one of the most important tropical diseases that affects people globally. The influence of environmental conditions in the patterns of temporal distribution...Full Text Available
Effective localization of small magnets against a noisy, real world background can involve various methods to first identify the magnetic fields produced by the magnet of interest, then to filter out background noise, and then to analyze the available magnetic field data to localize the magnet. Here we discuss low cost techniques which allow localization of small magnets with field strengths in the milliGauss range against real world background fields in the range of hundreds of mG, which may be fluctuating by up to tens of mG. Such techniques allow magnet tracking to be used to localize catheters in place of more invasive and expensive methods, e.g. fluoroscopy, for a variety of applications, including drug infusion with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), laser ablation (TMR, PTMR) and introduction of pacemaker leads.
BackgroundAlthough local excision (ampullectomy) was first described by Halsted in 1899, its adequacy as an alternative surgical treatment for the ampullary tumors is still a matter...Full Text Available
BackgroundLymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease characterised by progressive airflow obstruction. No effective medical treatment is available but therapy with sirolimus...Full Text Available
Background and AimsIt is well known that genome size differs among species. However, information on the variation and dynamics of genome size in wild populations and on the early...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is well established that Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne pathogen; by contrast, the mode of Helicobacter pylori transmission...Full Text Available
BackgroundFloating knee injuries are usually associated with other significant injuries. Do these injuries have implications on the management of the floating knee and the final...Full Text Available
Background An increasing number of people have access to the Internet, and more people are seeking tobacco cessation resources online every year. Despite the...Full Text Available
• Background and Aims The occurrence of stomata in seed coats is uncommon and there is limited information about their function(s). The aim of this study was to verify the distribution...Full Text Available
BackgroundMany molecules of interest are flexible and undergo significant shape deformation as part of their function, but most existing methods of molecular shape comparison (MSC)...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhereas there is increasing evidence that loss of expression and/or function of the thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) could result in a selective advantage for tumor development,...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlterations in protein composition and oxidative damage of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) have been proposed to impair the cardioprotective properties of...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn biomedical ontologies, mereological relations have always been subject to special interest due to their high relevance in structural descriptions of anatomical entities,...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo assess the utility of gracilis muscle transposition in the treatment of iatrogenic rectourethral fistula.Summary Background DataIatrogenic...Full Text Available
BackgroundRecent studies have shown associations between size and body proportions at birth and health outcomes throughout the life cycle, but there are few data...Full Text Available
BackgroundGender is a critically important moderator of psychopathology. However, gender similarities and differences in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have received...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (fsrt) has evolved with technical advances in noninvasive immobilization, radiation delivery, and image guidance....Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral fractal and non-fractal parameters have been considered for the quantitative assessment of the vascular architecture, using a variety of test specimens and of computational...Full Text Available
Background and AimsAnnonaceae are one of the largest families of Magnoliales. This study investigates the comparative floral development of 15 species to understand the basis for...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: Despite potential significance of fatigue and its underlying components in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, epidemiologic data showing the link are virtually limited....Full Text Available
BackgroundSenescence is integral to the flowering plant life-cycle. Senescence-like processes occur also in non-angiosperm land plants, algae and photosynthetic prokaryotes. Increasing...Full Text Available
BackgroundEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a standard immunoassay to estimate a protein's concentration in a sample. Deploying ELISA in a microarray format permits simultaneous...Full Text Available
This article examines how politics and science interacted against a background of uncertainty to shape policy in the case of environmental contamination by polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) in Michigan....Full Text Available
BackgroundThrough differentiation processes, keratinocytes provide a physical barrier to our bodies and control skin features such as moisturization, wrinkles and pigmentation. Keratinocyte...Full Text Available
Background:Since first reported in 1996, endoscopic minimally invasive surgery of the cervical region has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of benign thyroid and...Full Text Available
Background:People with severe and persistent mental illness need help in most aspects of their lives, as the disability associated with these diseases can be debilitating....Full Text Available
BackgroundTo investigate the effects of intravenous lignocaine infusions (IV lignocaine) in fibromyalgia.MethodsProspective study...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe National Cancer Institute has concluded that exposure to smoking in movies causes adolescent smoking and there are similar results for young adults.Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this report was to describe duodenal obstruction caused by a rubber foreign body in a cow.Case PresentationThe clinical, biochemical...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is no data documenting the existence of a risk of infection transmission in ambulatory healthcare settings but concern remains. Our objective was to determine the...Full Text Available
BackgroundPerfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are found globally in wildlife and humans and are suspected to act as endocrine disruptors. There are no previous reports of PFAA levels in...Full Text Available
Background:Frozen shoulder (FS) is a debilitating musculoskeletal condition with an uncertain etiology and pathogenic mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate...Full Text Available
Does the cultural background influence the success with which genetically unrelated individuals cooperate in social dilemma situations? In this paper, we provide an answer by analysing the data of Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Cuba's response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has been to conduct mass testing of the population to ascertain seroprevalence, to enforce mandatory relative quarantine...Full Text Available
BackgroundInternet-based depression communities provide a forum for individuals to communicate and share information and ideas. There has been little research into the health status...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlthough advances in rehydration therapy have made cholera a treatable disease with low case-fatality in settings with appropriate medical care, cholera continues...Full Text Available
BackgroundClostridium botulinum produces seven distinct serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). The genes encoding different subtype neurotoxins of serotypes...Full Text Available
BackgroundPublicly available DNA sequence databases such as GenBank are large, and are growing at an exponential rate. The sheer volume of data being dealt with presents serious...Full Text Available
BackgroundHypertension is a common non communicable condition worldwide. In developing countries (including Nigeria), the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common....Full Text Available
BackgroundIn nuclear medicine, liquid radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes are administered to patients by using various types of syringes with different volumes....Full Text Available
BackgroundNucleotide sequences and the gene arrangements of mitochondrial genomes are effective tools for resolving phylogenetic problems. Hemipteroid insects are known to possess...Full Text Available
BackgroundAutofluorescence bronchoscopy is more sensitive than conventional bronchoscopy for detecting early airway mucosal lesions. Decreased specificity can lead...Full Text Available
BackgroundA mycovirus previously identified in brown discolored fruiting bodies of the cultivated mushroom Flammulina velutipes was characterized. We tentatively...Full Text Available
Background:Cemented hip arthroplasty is an established treatment for femoral neck fracture in the mobile elderly. Cement pressurization raises intramedullary pressure and...Full Text Available
Background Increasing numbers of cancer patients are using the Internet, but little is known about their attitudes toward online health care.Full Text Available
BackgroundCystinuria is the most common inherited cause of urinary tract stones in children. It can lead to obstructive uropathy, which is a major cause of renal...Full Text Available
Background:To determine nutrient requirements by the carbon oxidation techniques, it is necessary to know the fraction of carbon dioxide produced during the oxidative...Full Text Available
BackgroundOsseointegration is crucial for the long-term success of dental implants and depends on the tissue reaction at the tissue-implant interface. Mechanical properties and biocompatibility...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe metagenomic analysis of microbial communities holds the potential to improve our understanding of the role of microbes in clinical conditions. Recent, dramatic improvements...Full Text Available
BackgroundMeasures of attachment style are often used to appraise social and emotional health. In developmental literature, the concept of attachment is used to explain...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe purpose of this research was to examine whether waterpipe smokers experience increased risk of motor vehicle crashes.MethodsIn a telephone...Full Text Available
BackgroundArtificial duplicates from pyrosequencing reads may lead to incorrect interpretation of the abundance of species and genes in metagenomic studies. Duplicated reads were...Full Text Available
BackgroundObsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with a relevant impairment in social and interpersonal functioning and severe disability. This seems to be particularly true...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity and mechanism of action of Noscapine alone and in combination with Doxorubicin against triple negative...Full Text Available
Background"Nubiotics" are synthetic oligonucleotides and nucleotides with nuclease-resistant backbones, and are fully protonated for enhanced ability to be taken up by bacterial...Full Text Available
BackgroundArtocarpus communis is used traditionally in Cameroon to treat several ailments, including infectious and associated diseases. This work was therefore...Full Text Available
BackgroundPoliovirus, the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and a member of the family of Picornaviridae and among the most rapidly evolving viruses known....Full Text Available
BackgroundHearing loss is a common sensory disorder, yet prospective data on potentially modifiable risk factors are limited. Regularly used analgesics, the most...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe function of a cylinder allowing simultaneous measurements of the opposition axis of the index finger and thumb of the hand and the magnitude of pinch force is described.Full Text Available
Background:Antimicrobial agents have been used as a chemotherapeutic agent to improve oral health. This in vitro study was carried out to determine the antimicrobial activity...Full Text Available
BackgroundFunction exertion of specific proteins are key factors in disease progression, thus the systematical identification of those specific proteins is a prerequisite to understand...Full Text Available
Background/Objectives:Imaging technology is an important part of the diagnosis and management of spinal trauma. Indications and findings in post-traumatic imaging of the vertebral...Full Text Available
SummaryBackgroundMalaria, a non-fatal disease if detected promptly and treated properly, still causes many deaths in malaria-endemic countries with...Full Text Available
Background:Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated form of hair loss that occurs in all ethnic groups, ages, and both sexes. Helicobacter pylori has...Full Text Available
BackgroundGhana has not conducted a national tuberculin survey or tuberculosis prevalence survey since the establishment of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme. The primary...Full Text Available
BackgroundMultilevelness is a defining characteristic of complex systems. For example, in the intestinal tissue the epithelial lining is organized into crypts that are maintained...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe evaluation of interventions and policies designed to promote resilience, and research to understand the determinants and associations, require reliable and valid measures...Full Text Available
BackgroundMany difficult problems in evolutionary genomics are related to mutations that have weak effects on fitness, as the consequences of mutations with large effects are often...Full Text Available
BackgroundAmino-terminal signal peptides (SPs) are short regions that guide the targeting of secretory proteins to the correct subcellular compartments in the cell. They are cleaved...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdnexal masses are not uncommon in patients with breast cancer. Breast cancer and ovarian malignancies are known to be associated. In patients with breast cancer and co-existing...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdequate pain assessment is critical for evaluating the efficacy of analgesic treatment in clinical practice and during the development of new therapies. Yet the currently...Full Text Available
BackgroundMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis causes systemic infection and chronic intestinal inflammation in many species including...Full Text Available
BackgroundMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is being analyzed by an increasing number of laboratories in order to investigate its potential role as an active marker of tumorigenesis...Full Text Available
Institutional and organizational models ... Review individual centre institutional and organizational models in the light of the tasks to be performed by
We study a variant of the Penner-Distler-Vafa model, proposed as a c = 1 quantum gravity: quenched' matrix model with logarithmic potential. The model is exactly soluble, and exhibits a two-cut branching as observed in multicritical unitary matrix models and multicut Hermitian matrix models. Using analytic continuation of the power in the conventional polynomial potential, we also show that both the Penner-Distler-Vafa model and our quenched' matrix model satisfy Virasoro algebra constraints.
The role of natural enemies in the regulation of populations is one of the major questions facing population ecologists. Simplification have led to two theoretical ways of incorporating the role of natural enemies in single ecological models: diffusion models and patch-type models. The predictions of the models are different because of the way variability is incorporated. Three equations are presented for diffusion models and one for patch models. Since the two types of models apply at different combinations of spatial and temporal scales, the right model(s) to choose for a particular study requires careful assessment. A continuing dialogue between experimentalists and theoreticians will lead to a better understanding of natural systems such as those that occur in biological control.
We investigate the possibility of observing strong interactions of longitudinally polarized weak vector bosons in the process {gamma}{gamma}{yields}ZZ at a photon linear collider. We make use of polarization of the photon beams and cuts on the decay products of the Z bosons to enhance the signal relative to the background of transversely polarized ZZ pairs. We find that the background overwhelms the signal unless there are strong resonant effects, as for instance from a technicolor analogue of the hadronic f{sub 2}(1270) meson. ((orig.)).
We investigate the possibility of observing strong interactions of longitudinally polarized weak vector bosons in the process {gamma}{gamma} {yields} ZZ at a photon linear collider. We make use of polarization of the photon beams and cuts on the decay products of the Z bosons to enhance the signal relative to the background of transversely polarized ZZ pairs. We find that the background overwhelms the signal unless there are strong resonant effects, as for instance from a technicolor analogue of the hadronic f{sub 2}(1270) meson.
In embodiments, spectroscopic monitor monitors modulated light signals to detect low levels of contaminants and other compounds in the presence of background interference. The monitor uses a spectrometer that includes a transmissive modulator capable of causing different frequency ranges to move onto and off of the detector. The different ranges can include those with the desired signal and those selected to subtract background contributions from those with the desired signal. Embodiments of the system are particularly useful for monitoring metal concentrations in combustion effluent.
This report revises estimates of population exposure to external natural background made by D. T. Oakley in 1972. The revisions include more recent estimates of dose equivalents from cosmic rays, use of 1970 U.S. census data, and corrections for building shielding and for self-shielding in the body. The dose equivalents calculated are those from cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation, and do not include doses from natural radioactive materials in the body.
To suppress space charge blowup in an ion beam passing through a photoneutralizer, it is necessary to introduce some background gas. An analysis is presented of the neutralization of a high-energy, >200-keV negative deuterium ion beam, exposed to photodetachment while in the presence of deuterium. With a gas thickness of <0.01 Torr.cm, the neutral fraction in the output beam is found to be about the same as that gotten from the photoneutralizer operating in vacuum. Neutral atom beam injection for plasma heating is discussed.
We study certain supersymmetry breaking deformations of linear dilaton backgrounds in different dimensions. In some cases, the deformed theory has bulk closed strings tachyons. In other cases there are no bulk tachyons, but there are localized tachyons. The real time condensation of these localized tachyons is described by an exactly solvable worldsheet CFT. We also find some stable, non-supersymmetric backgrounds.
Ramsar, a city in the northern Iran, has the highest level of natural background radiation in the world. It has been clearly shown that low doses of ionising radiation can induce resistance to subsequent higher exposures. This phenomenon is termed radioadaptive response. We have compared induction of cytogenetic radioadaptive response by High Natural Background Radiation (HNBR) in Ramsar and X-ray occupational exposure as conditioning doses in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. 30 healthy control individuals, living in Ramsar but in normal background radiation areas, 15 healthy individuals from Talesh Mahalleh, a region with extraordinary high level of background radiation, and 7 X-ray radiographers working in Ramsar hospital located in normal natural background ionising radiation area were evaluated. Peripheral blood samples were prepared and exposed to challenge dose of 0 and 2 ...
We explain how to obtain Klabanov-Strassler solution in the low-energy limit of type IIB superstring theory and describe slow-roll inflation on the system of parallely-separated D3-brane and D3bar-brane in the Klebanov-Strassler background.
The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population.
None of the materials presently in common use for polarized proton targets has a pure carbon nuclear background. The alcohols and diols contain some oxygen, and the ammonia and amine-based materials contain nitrogen and/or other noncarbon species. In the latter cases the noncarbon nuclei are measurably polarized as a concomitant of the process used to polarize the hydrogen nuclei. The relative simplicity of a pure carbon background would be advantageous for most types of scattering experiments and perhaps crucial for some. In addition to simplifying the kinematics of background events, pure carbon is relatively easy to prepare as a dummy'' target for background subtraction. Also, in such a target material, [sup 13]C-enrichment would yield a clean polarized [sup 13]C material. In this note I explore the possibilities for such materials, touching upon only what I consider to be the ...
A previously studied theory of gravitation in flat space-time is applied to homogeneous and isotropic cosmological models. There exist two different classes of models without singularities: (i) ever-expanding models, (ii) oscillating models. The first class contains models with hot big bang. For these models there exist at the beginning of the universe-in contrast to Einstein's theory-very high but finite densities of matter and radiation with a big bang of very short duration. After short time these models pass into the homogeneous and isotropic models of Einstein's theory with spatial curvature equal to zero and cosmological constant ALPHA >= O.
terms of 11) numerical models, 2D SPH simulations, and analytic models. The 1D model was useful for determining the evolution over very long timescales. ...
Models can be useful at many different levels when considering complex issues such as biological control of mosquitoes. At an early stage, exploratory models are valuable in exploring the characteristics...Full Text Available
A new supersymmetric gauge-invariant model is proposed. It is shown that the hidden-symmetry algebra for this model is the Kac-Moody algebra without a center.
Engine model: An engine and governor model adapted from a heavy lift helicopter simulation provides a restistic time delay between aerodynamic rotor ...
This report describes the results from acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic monitoring of the Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment (APSE) at SKB's Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), Sweden. The APSE is being undertaken to demonstrate the current capability to predict spalling in a fractured rock mass using numerical modelling techniques, and to demonstrate the effect of backfill and confining pressure on the propagation of micro-cracks in rock adjacent to deposition holes within a repository. An ultrasonic acquisition system has provided acoustic emission and ultrasonic survey monitoring throughout the various phases of the experiment. Results from the entire data set are provided with this document so that they can be effectively compared to several numerical modelling studies, and to mechanical and thermal measurements conducted around the pillar volume, in an 'integrated analysis' performed by SKB staff. This document ...
The first analysis of inelastic J/{psi} meson production in photoproduction (Q{sup 2}<2.5 GeV{sup 2}) of the H1 experiment for the second phase of HERA (HERA II) is presented. The analysis is carried out at low and medium elasticities. The production of heavy quarks (charm, or bottom) is of special interest since the mass of the quarks provides a hard scale for the application of perturbative QCD. The muonic decay channel is used to select the J/{psi} mesons. The data was collected by the H1 detector during the period 2003-2005, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 133 pb{sup -1}. However only a subset of this data could be analysed. At the start of HERA II the trigger system was affected by a sizeable background. Then a fault was introduced in the trigger software during the summer 2004 and was only discovered and solved in April 2006. This means that approximately 80 % of the triggered events at medium elasticities and 65 % at low elasticities ...
Background and purpose: The low density of lung tissue causes a reduced attenuation of photons and an increased range of secondary electrons, which is inaccurately predicted by the algorithms incorporated in some commonly available treatment planning systems (TPSs). This study evaluates the differences in dose in normal lung tissue computed using a simple and a more correct algorithm. We also studied the consequences of these differences on the dose-effect relations for radiation-induced lung injury. Materials and methods: The treatment plans of 68 lung cancer patients initially produced in a TPS using a calculation model that incorporates the equivalent-pathlength (EPL) inhomogeneity-correction algorithm, were recalculated in a TPS with the convolution-superposition (CS) algorithm. The higher accuracy of the CS algorithm is well-established. Dose distributions in lung were compared using isodoses, dose-volume histograms (DVHs), the mean lung ...
This thesis describes the analysis of the semileptonic decay D{sup 0} {yields} {bar K}{sup 0} {pi}{sup -} {mu}{sup +}{nu} using FOCUS data. FOCUS is a fixed target experiment at Fermilab that studies the physics of the charm quark. Particles containing charm are produced by photon-gluon fusion from the collision of a photon beam on a BeO target. The experiment is characterized by excellent vertex resolution and particle identification. The spectrometer consists of three systems for track reconstruction (two silicon systems and one multiwire proportional chamber system) and two magnets of opposite polarity. The polarity of the magnet is such that the events of e{sup +}e{sup -} pairs produced in the target (which constitutes the main background) travel through a central opening in the detectors without interactions. Particle momentum is measured from the deflection angle in the magnets. Three multicell Cerenkov counters are used for charged particle identification ...
The suggestion has often been made that an additional radiation exposure imposed on humanity as a result of some important activity such as electricity generation would be acceptable if the exposure was 'small' compared to the natural background. In order to make this concept quantitative and objective, we propose that 'small compared with the natural background' be interpreted as the standard deviation (weighted with the exposed population) of the natural background. We believe that this use of the variation in natural background radiation is less arbitrary and requires fewer unfounded assumptions than some current approaches to standard-setting. The standard deviation is an easily calculated statistic that is small compared with the mean value for natural exposures of populations. It is an objectively determined quantity and its significance is generally understood. Its determination does not omit any ...
The Inner Model Hypothesis (IMH) and the Strong Inner Model Hypothesis (SIMH) were introduced by the first author in ``Internal consistency and the inner model hypothesis'', Bulletin of Symbolic Logic, December 2006. In this article we establish some upper and lower bounds for their consistency strength.
This 1978 annual report contains the results of ''Seismic testing of Wolsung-1 steam generator model'' which was initiated in 1977 as a part of a study on nuclear components testing. Model 78, improved version of Model 77 which did not take into account f...
Development of mouse models representing human spontaneous ovarian cancer has been hampered by the lack of understanding of the etiology of this very complex disease. Mouse models representing the different...Full Text Available
Cardiovascular modelling has been a major research subject for the last decades. Different cardiac models have been developed at a cellular level as well as at the whole organ level. Most of...Full Text Available
... trees, data showing a better fit to a power model than to a negative exponential model. Invading Pinus ... power law models were significantly negative. The inverse power model accounted for a considerabl...
In recent years the modelling of interannual climate variability has been studied, the atmospheric energy and water cycles, and climate simulations with the ECHAM3 model. In addition, the climate simulations of several models have been compared with special emphasis in the area of northern Europe
processes, we construct a stochastic dynamic model for air- craft counts in ... Also , queueing models for the arrival of aircraft at ... A queueing model has also been used to study ...... Assignment and Aircraft-Sequencing Algorithms in Terminal ...
Purpose/Objective: At present, treatment verification between portal and reference images is performed based on manually-identified features by radiation oncologist, which is both time-consuming and potentially error-prone. There is a demand for the computerized verification procedure in clinical application. The purpose of this study is to develop a computerized portal verification scheme for pelvic treatment fields. Materials/Methods: The automated verification system involves image acquisition, image feature extraction, feature matching between reference and portal images and quantitative evaluation of patient setup. Electronic portal images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 and 12 bit gray levels were acquired using a liquid matrix electronic portal imaging device. Simulation images were acquired by digitizing simulation films using a TV camera into images with 256 x 256 matrix and 8 bit gray levels. Initially a Canny edge detector is applied to identify the field edges and an ...
This paper presents research work concerning the mathematical modelling of air pollution in the Athens basin. A mathematical model based on aerodynamics and conservation equations together with turbulence modelling in body-fitted coordinates is used to provide the necessary input information to a similar but more detailed (i.e. small scale) model around Athens. Both models consist of solving the full Navier-Stokes equations and take into account the precise topography of the region. Different roughness heights are used for sea, coastal regions and land. The smaller scale model makes use of a two-equation turbulence model ({kappa}-{epsilon}) and the large scale model assumes a constant turbulence viscosity. The pollutant sources used in these models are based on actual emissions in the Athens area and ...
... a way to model a munition's terminal effects in a ... following attributes are handled in a stochastic fashion ... be improved by managing a queue of buffers ...
... They comprise of a power model for the representation of the electric system, a fluid model that represents the cooling fluid flow, three layers of ...
Non-linear autoregressive Markov regime-switching models are intuitive. Time-series approaches for the modelling of electricity spot prices are frequently proposed. In this paper, such models are compared with an ordinary linear autoregressive model with regard to their forecast performances. The study is carried out using German daily spot-prices from the European Energy Exchange in Leipzig. Four non-linear models are used for the forecast study. The results of the study suggest that Markov regime-switching models provide better forecasts than linear models. (author)
Non-linear autoregressive Markov regime-switching models are intuitive. Time-series approaches for the modelling of electricity spot prices are frequently proposed. In this paper, such models are compared with an ordinary linear autoregressive model with regard to their forecast performances. The study is carried out using German daily spot-prices from the European Energy Exchange in Leipzig. Four non-linear models are used for the forecast study. The results of the study suggest that Markov regime-switching models provide better forecasts than linear models. (author)
The penetrance of Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (Pin vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively pathogenic mutation that cosegregated with G11778A in these two pedigrees. Our results suggest that the variable penetrance of LHON in the two Chinese families is independent of both their mtDNA haplotype background and a seconda...
Consideration is given to the stability of negative ion beams which are neutralized through ionization of a background gas. Two types of instabilities are examined. First, beam-plasma instabilities are analyzed with the dispersion relation showing that they are unimportant if the beam velocity is less than the electron thermal velocity. Second, results of a computer simulation on the flow of a cylindrical beam and the resulting background plasma show that when the background neutral gas density is less than or approximately equal to a critical density as instability occurs. This critical density is the density that would be needed to space-charge neutralize the beam if the positive ions were not retarded by the beam. An approximate dispersion relation indicates that the nature of the instability is a transverse positive-ion acoustic wave which couples to the beam.
An ionization chamber with fast timing properties was built at CERN for measuring fission cross-sections of minor actinides at the n(_)TOF neutron beam. The design of this new chamber and of the front-end electronics was optimized to match the innovative features of the n(_)TOF facility, in particular the high instantaneous neutron flux and low background. For the most radioactive isotopes, a special version of the chamber, designed according to the ISO2919 standards, was built in order to comply with the radioprotection requirements at CERN. The detector and front-end electronics are here described, together with the simulated and measured response to fission fragments and #alpha#-particles. The performances of the chamber during the first measurement campaign at n(_)TOF are presented, focusing in particular on the fast time response, the good background rejection capability, low-background and high detection efficiency.
Decision-making is strongly based on modelling in two of our water supply projects concerning artificial ground water. The model used is a 2-dimensional flow and transport model using the element method. Due to sharp variations in Finnish soils, the modelling process is based on careful and detailed evaluation of basic hydrogeological data before and during model calibration.
The concept of frailty offers a convenient way to introduce unobserved heterogeneity and associations into models for survival data. In its simplest form, frailty is an unobserved random proportionality factor that modifies the hazard function of an individual or a group of related individuals. "Frailty Models in Survival Analysis" presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamental approaches in the area of frailty models. The book extensively explores how univariate frailty models can represent unobserved heterogeneity. It also emphasizes correlated frailty models as extensions of
BackgroundThe presence of enthesitis (insertional inflammation) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is difficult to establish clinically and may influence classification...Full Text Available
Background:Smokeless tobacco is found to be as addictive and harmful as smoking but have not been explored into, especially among youth.Objectives:This...Full Text Available
BackgroundPlasmodium falciparum morbid and fatal risks are considerably higher in areas supporting parasite prevalence ≥25%, when compared with low transmission...Full Text Available
BackgroundSensitization to house dust mite allergens is strongly correlated with asthma. Der p 7 elicits strong IgE antibody and T-cell responses in mite allergic...Full Text Available
BackgroundPlaster ingestion forming gastric bezoar is a strange way to attempt suicide and this method has not yet been reported. It may lead to a mechanical obstruction of the gut,...Full Text Available
BackgroundBlood sampling through heel lancing is the most common invasive painful procedure performed on newborn infants.Case PresentationWe report...Full Text Available
BackgroundMale infertility is a common cause of reproductive failure in humans. In mice, targeted deletions of the genes coding for FKBP6 or FKBP52, members of the FK506 binding...Full Text Available