The excitation of O2 in auroras

Newly measured electron impact cross sections for excitation of the a 1 Delta g and b 1 Sigma g+ electronic states of O2 were employed to predict the absolute volume emission rates from these states under auroral conditions. A secondary electron electron flux typical of an IBC II nighttime aurora was used and the most important quenching processes were included in the calculations. The new excitation cross sections for the a 1 Delta g and b 1 Sigma g+ states are more than an order of magnitude larger than previous estimates, and lead to correspondingly greater intensities in the atmospheric and IR-atmospheric band systems. The calculated intensity ratios of the volume emission rates of 7621 A and 1.27 microns to that for 3914 A are smaller than obtained from aircraft observations and recent rocket experiments

Best Practices for Online Theological Ministry Preparation: A Delphi Method Study

John Beck Cartwright, Jr., Ed.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 This doctoral thesis intended to provide a clear vision of best practices in the area of online theological ministry training at the graduate level by consulting experts in the field. The research question that needed to be answered was, "What are the best practices for ministry preparation in online theological education?" Despite tremendous growth in online learning even among theological institutions, casual observations suggest that the decision to offer online programs may not always have been rooted in deep pedagogical or theological reflection. In other words, in the quest to utilize online education as a viable option for degree preparation, has serious thought been given to the uniqueness of the online learning environment and the potential impact of those differences to how ministry training is accomplished? Or has the choice been driven primarily by pragmatic considerations? A review of the literature revealed that research was needed that would establish consensus among the experts on best practices for online theological ministry training. This research would build on established practices of both online and theological education. This thesis was a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design that utilized the Delphi method in order to establish consensus among the experts on best practices for online theological ministry training. Seventeen experts were recruited that are involved in either the administrative oversight or teaching with seminary or graduate online theological ministry training degree programs. In an anonymous study, each expert answered eight open-ended questions about online theological ministry training. These answers were analyzed for emergent themes and served as the foundation for a Likert-type survey where forty-three statements were then analyzed as to their level of importance related to successfully meeting the four learning outcomes for the Master of Divinity for the Association of Theological Schools. These results were examined for consensus and another survey was given using only those items that achieved consensus. The findings were evaluated from both a consensus and non-consensus perspective. Results of the mixed method Delphi study provided thirty statements of best practices for online theological ministry preparation for which there was consensus. Statements achieving consensus were obtained in all four areas of learning outcomes for the Master of Divinity for the Association of Theological Schools: Religious heritage, cultural context, personal and spiritual formation, and capacity for ministerial and public leadership. Finally, the implications of these findings were discussed along with suggestions for further research

Pion-Muon Asymmetry Revisited

Long ago an unexpected and unexplainable phenomena was observed. The distribution of muons from positive pion decay at rest was anisotropic with an excess in the backward direction relative to the direction of the proton beam from which the pions were created. Although this effect was observed by several different groups with pions produced by different means, the result was not accepted by the physics community, because it is in direct conflict with a large set of other experiments indicating that the pion is a pseudoscalar particle. It is possible to satisfy both sets of experiments if helicity-zero vector particles exist and the pion is such a particle. Helicity-zero vector particles have direction but no net spin. For the neutral pion to be a vector particle requires an additional modification to conventional theory as discussed herein. An experiment is proposed which can prove that the asymmetry in the distribution of muons from pion decay is a genuine physical effect because the asymmetry can be modified in a controllable manner. A positive result will also prove that the pion is NOT a pseudoscalar particle.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

The impact of low erythrocyte density in human blood on the fitness and energetic reserves of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

Background Anaemia is a common health problem in the developing world. This condition is characterized by a reduction in erythrocyte density, primarily from malnutrition and/or infectious diseases such as malaria. As red blood cells are the primary source of protein for haematophagous mosquitoes, any reduction could impede the ability of mosquito vectors to transmit malaria by influencing their fitness or that of the parasites they transmit. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of differences in the density of red blood cells in human blood on malaria vector (Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto) fitness. The hypotheses tested are that mosquito vector energetic reserves and fitness are negatively influenced by reductions in the red cell density of host human blood meals commensurate with those expected from severe anaemia. Methods Mosquitoes (An. gambiae s.s.) were offered blood meals of different packed cell volume(PCV) of human blood consistent with those arising from severe anaemia (15%) and normalPCV (50%). Associations between mosquito energetic reserves (lipid, glucose and glycogen)and fitness measures (reproduction and survival) and blood meal PCV were investigated. Results The amount of protein that malaria vectors acquired from blood feeding (indexed by haematin excretion) was significantly reduced at low blood PCV. However, mosquitoes feeding on blood of low PCV had the same oviposition rates as those feeding on blood of normal PCV, and showed an increase in egg production of around 15%. The long-term survival of An. gambiae s.s was reduced after feeding on low PCV blood, but PCV had no significant impact on the proportion of mosquitoes surviving through the minimal period required to develop and transmit malaria parasites (estimated as 14 days post-blood feeding). The impact of blood PCV on the energetic reserves of mosquitoes was relatively minor. Conclusions These results suggest that feeding on human hosts whose PCV has been depleted due to severe anaemia does not significantly reduce the fitness or transmission potential of malaria vectors, and indicates that mosquitoes may be able exploit resources for reproduction more efficiently from blood of low rather than normal PCV

Epidemiology and natural history of central venous access device use and infusion pump function in the NO16966 trial

Background: Central venous access devices in fluoropyrimidine therapy are associated with complications; however, reliable data are lacking regarding their natural history, associated complications and infusion pump performance in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.<p></p> Methods: We assessed device placement, use during treatment, associated clinical outcomes and infusion pump perfomance in the NO16966 trial.<p></p> Results: Device replacement was more common with FOLFOX-4 (5-fluorouracil (5-FU)+oxaliplatin) than XELOX (capecitabine+oxaliplatin) (14.1% vs 5.1%). Baseline device-associated events and post-baseline removal-/placement-related events occurred more frequently with FOLFOX-4 than XELOX (11.5% vs 2.4% and 8.5% vs 2.1%). Pump malfunctions, primarily infusion accelerations in 16% of patients, occurred within 1.6–4.3% of cycles. Fluoropyrimidine-associated grade 3/4 toxicity was increased in FOLFOX-4-treated patients experiencing a malfunction compared with those who did not (97 out of 155 vs 452 out of 825 patients), predominantly with increased grade 3/4 neutropenia (53.5% vs 39.8%). Febrile neutropenia rates were comparable between patient cohorts±malfunction. Efficacy outcomes were similar in patient cohorts±malfunction.<p></p> Conclusions: Central venous access device removal or replacement was common and more frequent in patients receiving FOLFOX-4. Pump malfunctions were also common and were associated with increased rates of grade 3/4 haematological adverse events. Oral fluoropyrimidine-based regimens may be preferable to infusional 5-FU based on these findings

Background Light in Potential Sites for the ANTARES Undersea Neutrino Telescope

The ANTARES collaboration has performed a series of {\em in situ} measurements to study the background light for a planned undersea neutrino telescope. Such background can be caused by $^{40}$K decays or by biological activity. We report on measurements at two sites in the Mediterranean Sea at depths of 2400~m and 2700~m, respectively. Three photomultiplier tubes were used to measure single counting rates and coincidence rates for pairs of tubes at various distances. The background rate is seen to consist of three components: a constant rate due to $^{40}$K decays, a continuum rate that varies on a time scale of several hours simultaneously over distances up to at least 40~m, and random bursts a few seconds long that are only correlated in time over distances of the order of a meter. A trigger requiring coincidences between nearby photomultiplier tubes should reduce the trigger rate for a neutrino telescope to a manageable level with only a small loss in efficiency.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

Efficiency in a forced contribution threshold public good game

We contrast and compare three ways of predicting efficiency in a forced contribution threshold public good game. The three alternatives are based on ordinal potential, quantal response and impulse balance theory. We report an experiment designed to test the respective predictions and find that impulse balance gives the best predictions. A simple expression detailing when enforced contributions result in high or low efficiency is provided

Depositional constraints from detrital zircon geochronology of strata from multiple lithotectonic belts in south-central Maine, USA

The bedrock geology of south-central Maine is characterized by a series of fault-bounded lithotectonic terranes that were accreted onto the Laurentian margin during Silurian-Devonian orogenesis.  The multiple phases of deformation and metamorphism associated with this tectonism obscured most primary features in the protolith rocks, leading to uncertainties in their pre-accretionary history. Here we present the results of detrital zircon geochronology from five of these terranes and make interpretations on their depositional ages, sediment provenance, and tectonic setting of deposition.Detrital zircon from Silurian rocks of the Vassalboro Group in the eastern-most portion of the Central Maine basin indicate sediment input in an extensional setting from both Laurentian and Ordovician sources.  Results from Ordovician rocks of the Casco Bay Group of the Liberty-Orrington belt support earlier findings that these rocks have strong peri-Gondwanan affinities.  Detrital zircon from the Appleton Ridge Formation and Ghent phyllite of the Fredericton trough are consistent with a peri-Gondwanan sediment source with no evidence of Laurentian sediment input.  These findings are consistent with that of Dokken et al. (2018) for older Fredericton trough strata (i.e., Digdeguash Formation) east of the Fredericton fault in southern New Brunswick.  Two samples from the Jam Brook complex reveal extreme differences in depositional age (Ordovician vs. Mesoproterozoic) and tectonic affinity and support the hypothesis that this narrow belt represents a fault complex containing a wide variety of stratigraphic units.  Detrital zircon from Ordovician rocks of the Benner Hill Sequence indicate a peri-Gondwanan sediment source with no Laurentian input.Collectively, the pre-Silurian rocks of the Liberty-Orrington belt, Jam Brook complex, Benner Hill Sequence, and Late Ordovician-Early Silurian strata from the Appleton Ridge and Ghent phyllite in the Fredericton trough show peri-Gondwanan affinities with no evidence of Laurentian sediment input.  This suggests a barrier exisited between the Laurentian margin and these peri-Gondwanan terranes prior to about 435 Ma.  In contrast, Silurian strata from the eastern portion of the Central Maine basin do show evidence of a Laurentian sediment source, along with deposition in an extensional setting (lacking in all other samples), thus signaling a fundamental change in tectonic regime