Using Pearson’s System of Curves to Approximate the Distributions of the Difference between Two Correlated Estimates of Signal-to-Noise Ratios: The Cases of Bivariate Normal and Bivariate Lognormal Distributions

Background: The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is recognized as an index of measurements reproducibility. We derive the maximum likelihood estimators of SNR and discuss confidence interval construction on the difference between two correlated SNRs when the readings are from bivariate normal and bivariate lognormal distribution. We use the Pearsons system of curves to approximate the difference between the two estimates and use the bootstrap methods to validate the approximate distributions of the statistic of interest. Methods: The paper uses the delta method to find the first four central moments, and hence the skewness and kurtosis which are important in the determination of the parameters of the Pearsons distribution. Results: The approach is illustrated in two examples;one from veterinary microbiology and food safety data and the other on data from clinical medicine. We derived the four central moments of the target statistics, together with the bootstrap method to evaluate the parameters of Pearsons distribution. The fitted Pearsons curves of Types I and II were recommended based on the available data. The R-codes are also provided to be readily used by the readers.

Acquisition Practice of High Signal-to-Noise Ratio in YTB Block of Sichuan Basin

YTB block in Sichuan basin is a favorable area to exploit oil and gas in shallow tight rock. 3D seismic project of this zone has two characteristics. Firstly, it has high requirements for the tolerance rate of the construction process and the acquisition of high signal-to-noise ratio seismic data;Second, there are widely obstacles and noises that lead to difficult acquisition construction organization. In acquisition practice, high signal-to-noise ratio seismic data was obtained by reasonable design of construction scheme, optimization of excitation parameters, improvement of receiving conditions and optimization of obstacle crossing observation system. .

Intoxication Induced by Urea Containing Diets in Broiler Chickens: Effect on Weight Gain, Feed Conversion Ratio, Hematological and Biochemical Profiles

Urea as a source of cheap non-protein nitrogen is used to adulterate fish and meat meals which are basic components of broiler diets. The present study was carried out to elucidate the effects of urea on weight gain, and hematological and biochemical profiles. A total of 48 broiler chicks were randomly allotted into 4 groups, designated Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 of 12 birds each. Birds in Groups 2, 3 and 4 were fed on diets containing urea at the levels of 1%, 2.5% and 4%, respectively. Birds in Group 1 served as control and were not exposed to urea. Experimentation period was for 3 weeks and experiment was terminated when birds were 42 days of age. Body weight of all intoxicated birds at the various intervals was significantly decreased in comparison with that of the untreated control. Compared with control, all intoxicated broilers manifested significant (P ≤ 0.05) decrease in all hematological parameters involving erythrocytic and total leucocytic counts, Hemoglobin (Hb) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) on a dose- and time-pattern. In comparison with the control levels, biochemical profile of the intoxicated birds disclosed significant decrease in blood glucose level and significant increase in serum uric acid, urea, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. Based upon the present data, it was concluded that the addition of urea to broiler diets bears serious sequences concerning the general health condition, performance, weight gain, and hematological and biochemical profiles.

Effective DOA Estimation Under Low Signal-to-Noise Ratio Based on Multi-Source Information Meta Fusion

Efficiently performing high-resolution direction of arrival(DOA)estimation under low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)conditions has always been a challenge task in the literatures.Obvi-ously,in order to address this problem,the key is how to mine or reveal as much DOA related in-formation as possible from the degraded array outputs.However,it is certain that there is no per-fect solution for low SNR DOA estimation designed in the way of winner-takes-all.Therefore,this paper proposes to explore in depth the complementary DOA related information that exists in spa-tial spectrums acquired by different basic DOA estimators.Specifically,these basic spatial spec-trums are employed as the input of multi-source information fusion model.And the multi-source in-formation fusion model is composed of three heterogeneous meta learning machines,namely neural networks(NN),support vector machine(SVM),and random forests(RF).The final meta-spec-trum can be obtained by performing a final decision-making method.Experimental results illus-trate that the proposed information fusion based DOA estimation method can really make full use of the complementary information in the spatial spectrums obtained by different basic DOA estim-ators.Even under low SNR conditions,promising DOA estimation performance can be achieved.

Noises and Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Nanosize EIS and ISFET Biosensors

The results of comparative theoretical analyzes of the behavior of internal low-frequency noises, signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity to DNA molecules for EIS and ISFET based nanosize biosensors are presented. It is shown that EIS biosensor is more sensitive to the presence of DNA molecules in aqueous solution than ISFET sensor. Internal electrical noises level decreases with the increase of concentration of DNA molecules in aqueous solution. In the frequency range 10−3 - 103 Hz noises level for EIS sensor about in three orders is higher than for ISFET sensor. In the other hand, signal-to-noise ratio for capacitive EIS biosensor is much higher than for ISFET sensor.

Signal-to-noise ratio of lensless ghost interference with thermal incoherent light

Factors influencing the signal-to-noise ratio （SNR） of lensless ghost interference with thermal incoherent light are investigated. Our result shows that the SNR of lensless ghost interference is related to the transverse length of the object, the position of the object in the imaging system and the transverse size of the light source. Furthermore, the effects of these factors on the SNR are discussed in detail by numerical simulations.

Enhancement of signal-to-noise ratio of ultracold polar NaCs molecular spectra by phase locking detection

We report a method of high-sensitively detecting the weak signal in photoassociation （PA） spectra of ultracold NaCs molecules by phase sensitive-demodulated trap-loss spectra of Na atoms from a photomultiplier tube. We find that the signal-to-noise ratio （SNR） of the PA spectra is strongly dependent on the integration time and the sensitivity of the lock-in amplifier, and our results show reasonable agreement with the theoretical analyses of the SNR with the demodulation parameters. Meanwhile, we investigate the effect of the interaction time of the PA laser with the colliding Na-Cs atom pairs on the SNR of the PA spectra. The atom loss rate is dependent on both the PA-induced atom loss and the loading of the MOT. The high-sensitive detection of the excited ultracold NaCs molecules lays a solid foundation for further study of the formation and application of ultracold NaCs molecules.

Signal-to-noise ratio of Raman signal measured by multichannel detectors

Raman spectroscopy has been widely used to characterize the physical properties of two-dimensional materials(2DMs).The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR or S/N ratio)of Raman signal usually serves as an important indicator to evaluate the instrumental performance rather than Raman intensity itself.Multichannel detectors with outstanding sensitivity,rapid acquisition speed and low noise level have been widely equipped in Raman instruments for the measurement of Raman signal.In this mini-review,we first introduce the recent advances of Raman spectroscopy of 2DMs.Then we take the most commonly used CCD detector and IGA array detector as examples to overview the various noise sources in Raman measurements and analyze their potential influences on SNR of Raman signal in experiments.This overview can contribute to a better understanding on the SNR of Raman signal and the performance of multichannel detector for numerous researchers and instrumental design for industry,as well as offer practical strategies for improving spectral quality in routine measurement.

Signal-to-noise ratio comparison of angular signal radiography and phase stepping method

Grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging has the potential to be applied in future medical applications as it is compatible with both laboratory and synchrotron source. However, information retrieval methods are important because acquisition speed, scanning mode, image quality, and radiation dose depend on them. Phase-stepping （PS） is a widely used method to retrieve information, while angular signal radiography （ASR） is a newly established method. In this manuscript, signal-to-noise ratios （SNRs） of ASR are compared with that of PS. Numerical experiments are performed to validate theoretical results. SNRs comparison shows that for refraction and scattering images ASR has higher SNR than PS method, while for absorption image both methods have same SNR. Therefore, our conclusions would have guideline in future preclinical and clinical applications.

Local Correlated Noise Improvement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio Gain in an Ensemble of Noisy Neuron

We theoretically investigate the collective response of an ensemble of leaky integrate-and-fire neuron units to a noisy periodic signal by including local spatially correlated noise. By using the linear response theory, we obtained the analytic expression of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Numerical simulation results show that the rms amplitude of internal noise can be increased up to?an optimal value where the output SNR reaches a maximum value. Due to the existence of the local spatially correlated noise in the units of the ensemble, the SNR gain of the collective ensemble response can exceed unity and can be optimized when the nearest-neighborhood correlation is negative. This nonlinear collective phenomenon of SNR gain amplification in an ensemble of leaky integrate-and-fire neuron units can be related to the array stochastic resonance (SR) phenomenon. Furthermore, we also show that the SNR gain can also be optimized by tuning the number of neuron units, frequency and?amplitude of the weak periodic signal. The present study illustrates the potential to utilize the local spatially correlation noise and the number of ensemble units for optimizing the collective response of the neuron to inputs, as well as a guidance in the design of information processing devices to weak signal detection.

Effects of Temperature and Catalyst to Oil Weight Ratio on the Catalytic Conversion of Heavy Oil to Propylene Using ZSM-5 and USY Catalysts

It is useful for practical operation to study the rules of production of propylene by the catalytic conversion of heavy oil in FCC （fluid catalytic cracking）. The effects of temperature and C/O ratio （catalyst to oil weight ratio） on the distribution of the product and the yield of propylene were investigated on a micro reactor unit with two model catalysts, namely ZSM-5/Al2O3 and USY/Al2O3, and Fushun vacuum gas oil （VGO） was used as the feedstock. The conversion of heavy oil over ZSM-5 catalyst can be comparable to that of USY catalyst at high temperature and high C/O ratio. The rate of conversion of heavy oil using the ZSM-5 equilibrium catalyst is lower compared with the USY equilibrium catalyst under the general FCC conditions and this can be attributed to the poor steam ability of the ZSM-5 equilibrium catalyst. The difference in pore topologies of USY and ZSM-5 is the reason why the principal products for the above two catalysts is different, namely gasoline and liquid petroleum gas （LPG）, repspectively. So the LPG selectivity, especially the propylene selectivity, may decline if USY is added into the FCC catalyst for maximizing the production of propylene. Increasing the C/O ratio is the most economical method for the increase of LPG yield than the increase of the temperature of the two model catalysts, because the loss of light oil is less in the former case. There is an inverse correlation between HTC （hydrogen transfer coefficient） and the yield of propylene, and restricting the hydrogen transfer reaction is the more important measure in increasing the yield of propylene of the ZSM-5 catalyst. The ethylene yield of ZSM-5/A1203 is higher, but the gaseous side products with low value are not enhanced when ZSM-5 catalyst is used. Moreover, for LPG and the end products, dry gas and coke, their ranges of reaction conditions to which their yields are dependent are different, and that of end products is more severe than that of LPG. So it is clear that maximizing LPG and propylene and restricting dry gas and coke can be both achieved via increasing the severity of reaction conditions among the range of reaction conditions which LPG yield is sensitive to.

Graft-to-recipient weight ratio lower to 0.7% is safe without portal pressure modulation in right-lobe living donor liver transplantation with favorable conditions

BACKGROUND: The low graft-to-recipient weight ratio(GRWR) in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation(LDLT) is one of the major risk factors affecting graft survival. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the lower limit of the GRWR can be safely reduced without portal pressure modulation in right-lobe LDLT. METHODS: From 2005 to 2011, 317 consecutive patients from a single institute underwent LDLT with right-lobe grafts without portal pressure modulation. Of these, 23 had a GRWR of less than 0.7%(group A), 27 had a GRWR of ≥0.7%, 【0.8%(group B), and 267 had a GRWR of more than and equal to 0.8%(group C). Medical records, including recipient, donor, operation factors, laboratory findings and complications were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The baseline demographics showed low model for end-stage liver disease score(mean 16.3±8.9) and high percentage of hepatocellular carcinoma(231 patients, 72.9%). Three groups by GRWR demonstrated similar characteristics except recipient body mass index and donor gender. For smallforsize syndrome, there were 3(13.0%) in group A, 1(3.7%) in group B, and 2 patients(0.7%) in group C(P【0.001). Hepatic artery thrombosis was more frequently observed in group A than in groups B and C(8.7% vs 3.7% vs 1.9%, P=0.047). However, among the three groups, graft survival rates at 1 year(100% vs 96.3% vs 93.6%) and 3 years(91.7% vs 73.2% vs 88.1%) were not different(P=0.539). In laboratory measurements,there was no group difference in total bilirubin and albumin. However, prothrombin time was longer in group A within postoperative 1 week and platelet count was lower in groups A and B within postoperative 1 month. CONCLUSION: A GRWR lower to 0.7% is safe and does not need to modulate portal pressure in adult-to-adult LDLT using the right-lobe in favorable conditions including low model for end-stage liver disease score.

Therapeutic effect of nerve growth factor on cerebral infarction in dogs using the hemisphere anomalous volume ratio of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

A model of focal cerebral ischemic infarction was established in dogs through middle cerebral artery occlusion of the right side.Thirty minutes after occlusion,models were injected with nerve growth factor adjacent to the infarct locus.The therapeutic effect of nerve growth factor against cerebral infarction was assessed using the hemisphere anomalous volume ratio,a quantitative index of diffusion-weighted MRI.At 6 hours,24 hours,7 days and 3 months after modeling,the hemisphere anomalous volume ratio was significantly reduced after treatment with nerve growth factor. Hematoxylin-eosin staining,immunohistochemistry,electron microscopy and neurological function scores showed that infarct defects were slightly reduced and neurological function significantly improved after nerve growth factor treatment.This result was consistent with diffusion-weighted MRI measurements.Experimental findings indicate that nerve growth factor can protect against cerebral infarction,and that the hemisphere anomalous volume ratio of diffusion-weighted MRI can be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Feasibility study on buoyancy-weight ratios of a submerged floating tunnel prototype subjected to hydrodynamic loads

The research progress of a novel traffic solution,a submerged floating tunnel（SFT）,is reviewed in terms of a study approach and loading scenario.Among existing publications,the buoyancy-weight ratio（BWR） is usually predefined.However,BWR is a critical structural parameter that tremendously affects the dynamic behaviour of not only the tunnel tube itself but also the cable system.In the context of a SFT prototype（SFTP） project in Qiandao Lake（Zhejiang Province,China）,the importance of BWR is illustrated by finite element analysis and subsequently,an optimized BWR is proposed within a reasonable range in the present study.In the numerical model,structural damping is identified to be of importance.Rayleigh damping and the corresponding Rayleigh coefficients are attained through a sensitivity study,which shows that the adopted damping ratios are fairly suitable for SFTP.Lastly,the human sense of security is considered by quantifying the comfort index,which helps further optimize BWR in the SFTP structural parameter design.

Dynamic genetic analysis for body weight and main length ratio in turbot Scophthalmus maximus

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of body width(BW)to body length(BL)ratio(BW/BL)and of body weight traits(BWT)in turbot,and to elucidate the genetic mechanism of the two traits during ontogeny by dynamic genetic analysis.From 3 to 27 months,BW,BL and BWT of each communally stocked fish were measured every 3 months.The BW/BL ratio was measured at different sampling ages.A twotrait animal model was used for genetic evaluation of traits.The results showed that the heritability values of BW/BL ratio ranged from 0.2168 to 0.3148,corresponding to moderate heritability.The BWT heritability values ranged from 0.2702 to 0.3479 corresponding to moderate heritability.The heritability of BW/BL ratio was lower than that of BWT,except at 3 months of age.Genetic correlation between BW/BL ratio and BWT decreased throughout the measurement period.Genetic correlations were higher than the phenotypic correlations.The current results for estimating genetic parameters demonstrate that the BW/BL ratio could be used as a phenotypic marker of fast-growing turbot,and the BW/BL ratio and BWT could be improved simultaneously through selective breeding.

Successful living donor liver transplantation with a graft-to-recipient weight ratio of 0.41 without portal flow modulation:A case report

BACKGROUND There have been numerous efforts to lower the limit of minimum graft size to meet the metabolic demand of recipients in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).We experienced a successful case of LDLT using a verysmall-for-size graft without portal flow modulation such as splenectomy or portocaval shunt.CASE SUMMARY A 49-year-old man(weighing 91 kg)suffering hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied with hepatitis B virus related cirrhosis underwent LDLT.The one and only voluntary donor was his 17-year-old daughter whose body weight was 50 kg with a body mass index(BMI)of 18.3.The procured right liver graft was 411 g with a real graft-to-recipient weight ratio(GRWR)of 0.41%,the smallest to be reported in the literature.Both the recipient and donor had an uneventful recovery and were discharged on days 15 and 8,respectively,with normal liver function.The father and daughter have had no complication so far and are still in good health with normal liver function 81 mo after LDLT.CONCLUSION Satisfactory outcomes can be achieved in LDLT with a GRWR as low as 0.41%even without using portal flow modulation in highly selected patients.

Effects of Fiber Weight Ratio, Structure and Fiber Modification onto Flexural Properties of Luffa-Polyester Composites

The effect of chemical modification, reinforcement structure and fiber weight ratio on the flexural proprieties of Luffa-polyester composites was studied. A unsaturated polyester matrix reinforced with a mat of Luffa external wall fibers (ComLEMat), a short Luffa external wall fibers(ComLEBC) and a short Luffa core fi-bers (ComLCBC) was fabricated under various conditions of fibers treatments (combined process, acetylat-ing and cyanoethylating) and fiber weight ratio. It resorts that acetylating and cyanoethylating enhance the flexural strength and the flexural modulus. The fiber weight ratio influenced the flexural properties of com-posites. Indeed, a maximum value of strength and strain is observed over a 10% fiber weight ratio. The uses of various reinforcement structures were investigated. The enhancement of elongation at break and the strain values of the composite reinforced by natural mat was proved.

Minimum MSE Weighted Estimator to Make Inferences for a Common Risk Ratio across Sparse Meta-Analysis Data

The paper aims to discuss three interesting issues of statistical inferences for a common risk ratio (RR) in sparse meta-analysis data. Firstly, the conventional log-risk ratio estimator encounters a number of problems when the number of events in the experimental or control group is zero in sparse data of a 2 × 2 table. The adjusted log-risk ratio estimator with the continuity correction points based upon the minimum Bayes risk with respect to the uniform prior density over (0, 1) and the Euclidean loss function is proposed. Secondly, the interest is to find the optimal weights of the pooled estimate that minimize the mean square error (MSE) of subject to the constraint on where , , . Finally, the performance of this minimum MSE weighted estimator adjusted with various values of points is investigated to compare with other popular estimators, such as the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) estimator and the weighted least squares (WLS) estimator (also equivalently known as the inverse-variance weighted estimator) in senses of point estimation and hypothesis testing via simulation studies. The results of estimation illustrate that regardless of the true values of RR, the MH estimator achieves the best performance with the smallest MSE when the study size is rather large and the sample sizes within each study are small. The MSE of WLS estimator and the proposed-weight estimator adjusted by , or , or are close together and they are the best when the sample sizes are moderate to large (and) while the study size is rather small.

Effect of Fiber Weight Ratio and Fiber Modification on Flexural Properties of Posidonia-Polyester Composites

The main objective of this research is to study the effect of fiber weight ratio and chemical fiber modification on flexural properties of composites reinforced with Posidonia fiber. An unsaturated polyester matrix reinforced with untreated and treated Posidonia fibers was fabricated under various fiber weight ratios. Results showed that the combined chemical treatment provided better mechanical properties of composites in comparison with untreated fiber. The fiber weight ratio influenced the flexural properties of composites. Indeed, a maximum value of flexural modulus was observed for 10% fiber weight ratio for composites reinforced with treated fibers. SEM photographs revealed a different fracture surface between Posidonia fibers reinforced polyester composites.

Experimental Investigation of Multi-Mode Vortex-Induced Vibration of Flexible Risers with Different Mass Ratios

Experiments were conducted on risers with different mass ratios to study the effect of mode conversion and spanwise correlation. The slenderness ratio of the riser model was set as 169, and the Reynolds numbers are 1600-14400. The dynamic responses of riser models versus reduced velocity were analyzed, and the spanwise displacement, frequency,and trajectory of the mode conversion from the lower to the higher mode were explored. The results revealed that the riser model with a higher mass ratio excites a higher number of modes. The conversion region of multi-mode competition exists and narrows with the increasing mass ratio. Mode conversion is continuous and manifests as the transmission of peaks and troughs in mode shape: the peaks and troughs of mode shape move up in the mode stable development region and move down in the mode conversion region. The single-mode dominating vibration exhibits a standing wave feature, and the traveling wave feature is significant in the mode conversion region. Furthermore, the frequency jump is always transmitted from the trough to the peak of the mode shape, and finally, all the axial positions vibrate at the same frequency. The trajectory in the mode conversion region deviates from the 8-shape and recovers the standard8-shape at the middle and late stages of the mode stable development region.