Energy dependence of pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions

Measurements of charged pion and kaon production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40, 80 and 158 AGeV are presented. These are compared with data at lower and higher energies as well as with results from p+p interactions. The mean pion multiplicity per wounded nucleon increases approximately linearly with s_NN^1/4 with a change of slope starting in the region 15-40 AGeV. The change from pion suppression with respect to p+p interactions, as observed at low collision energies, to pion enhancement at high energies occurs at about 40 AGeV. A non-monotonic energy dependence of the ratio of K^+ to pi^+ yields is observed, with a maximum close to 40 AGeV and an indication of a nearly constant value at higher energies.The measured dependences may be related to an increase of the entropy production and a decrease of the strangeness to entropy ratio in central Pb+Pb collisions in the low SPS energy range, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a transient state of deconfined matter is created above these energies. Other interpretations of the data are also discussed

High-contrast dark resonance on the D2 - line of 87Rb in a vapor cell with different directions of the pump - probe waves

We propose a novel method enabling to create a high-contrast dark resonance in the 87Rb vapor D2-line. The method is based on an optical pumping of atoms into the working states by a two-frequency, linearly-polarized laser radiation propagating perpendicularly to the probe field. This new scheme is compared to the traditional scheme involving the circularly-polarized probe beam only, and significant improvement of the dark resonance parameters is found. Qualitative considerations are confirmed by numerical calculations.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Strange Particles from NEXUS 3

After discussing conceptual problems with the conventional string model, we present a new approach, based on a theoretically consistent multiple scattering formalism. First results for strange particle production in proton-proton scattering at 158 GeV and at 200 GeV (cms) are discussed.Comment: invited talk, given at the Strange Quark Matter Conference, Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, March 12-17, 200

Direct Fragmentation of Quarkonia Including Fermi Motion Using Light-cone Wave Function

We investigate the effect of Fermi motion on the direct fragmentation of the $J/\psi$ and $\Upsilon$ states employing a light-cone wave function. Consistent with such a wave function we set up the kinematics of a heavy quark fragmenting into a quarkonia such that the Fermi motion of the constituents split into longitudinal as well as transverse direction and thus calculate the fragmentation functions for these states. In the framework of our investigation, we estimate that the fragmentation probabilities of $J/\psi$ and $\Upsilon$ may increase at least up to 14 percent when including this degree of freedom.Comment: 7 pages 5 figures Appeared in EPJC; Fig 1 and Appendix revise

Qualitative analysis of current dietary behavior and associated factors in elderly individuals in need of care

Journal Article本研究は要支援高齢者の食行動の現状と食行動に影響を及ぼしている内容をグループインタビューにより質的に分析し、要支援高齢者の栄養状態改善の支援方法を検討する基礎資料にすることを目的とした。対象者は在宅にて介護予防サービスを利用して生活している在宅要支援高齢者11名である。要支援高齢者の食行動の現状は、【食事メニューの単一化】【出されたものは我慢して食べる】【高齢者が認識する体に良くない食事内容】【高齢者が認識する身体に良い食事内容】【食生活についての意欲が弱まる1【食事管理することは健康管理だと思っている】【買い物には自由にいけない】という内容が明らかになった。 また食生活に影響を及ぼしている要因として、【悪いと認識しているが変えない価値観】【変えるつもりはない食に対する価値観】【身体機能低下による食行動への影響】【現在の購買システムと商品の変化に対応できない】【経済状況が食生活に影響する】【買い物に影響を及ぼす地理的・気候的条件】【家族構成がもたらす食行動への影響】という内容が認められた。 要支援高齢者の食行動の現状と食行動に影響を及ぼす内容をふまえながら支援をしていくことが必要であると考える。This s tudy provides, by means of group interviews, a qualitative analysis of the dietary behavior of elderly individuals in need of care and of the factors affecting their dietary behavior, and uses this analysis as basic information in discussing support methods for improving nutrition among elderly individuals in need of care. The study looks at eleven elderly individuals living at home who use preventive care services in their own home. The following factors in the dietary behavior of elderly individuals in need of care became clear: [menus tend to be lacking in variety], [they might not like what is put in front of them but they force themselves to eat it], [contents of meals that elderly people think are not good for them], [contents of meals that elderly people think are good for them], [they take less interest in what they eat], [they believe that supervising what they eat is equivalent to supervising their health], [they can't go shopping whenever they want to]. Factors which influence their diet are: [they are aware that their diet is bad, but their sense of values means that they are unable to change it], [their sense of values about food which they have no intention of changing], [influence on dietary behavior of reduction in bodily functions], [they cannot cope with the present food buying system and the change in products], [their financial situation affects their diet], [geographical and climatic conditions affect going shopping], [influence on diet of family composition]. The dietary behavior of elderly individuals in need of care must be supported on the basis of their current dietary situation and factors affecting their diet.journal articl

On tests of local realism by CP-violation parameters of K^0 mesons

Recently various papers have proposed to test local realism (LR) by considering electroweak CP-violation parameters values in neutral pseudoscalar meson systems. Considering the large interest for a conclusive test of LR and the experimental accessibility to these tests, in this paper we critically consider these results showing how they, albeit very interesting, require anyway additional assumptions and therefore cannot be considered conclusive tests of LR

Biologia de la conservació d'un ocell críticament amenaçat: la baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus

Biologia de la conservació d’un ocell críticament amenaçat: la baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus. Una de les aus marines més amenaçades de la Mediterrània és la baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus. El present article resumeix l’estudi de la seva problemàtica de conservació al dos hàbitats que ocupen: les colònies de cria a terra i les zones d’alimentació a la mar. Una anàlisi demogràfic detallat va permetre determinar que la mortalitat adulta és la principal causa del declivi poblacional. La baixa supervivència adulta (0.78, SE = 0.02) en colònies lliures de depredadors suggeria que, a part de la depredació, devia haver altres fonts de mortalitat (arts de pesca, per exemple). L’anàlisi de viabilitat de la població va mostrar que les probabilitats d’extinció de la baldritja són extremadament altes, classificant a l’espècie en Perill Crític, segons criteris de la IUCN. En relació a la seva distribució a la mar, a rel d’una anàlisi de l’hàbitat oceanogràfic d’aquesta espècie durant l’època reproductora es va proposar la delimitació d’una àrea marina protegida. Així, les àrees d’alta densitat (principalment zones d’alimentació) definirien el nucli, d’especial interès per a la seva conservació, on s’implementarien mesures de protecció rigoroses: l’àrea d’influència del riu Ebre i l’entorn del cap de la Nau. Dins l’àrea de distribució (aigües costaneres de la plataforma continental Ibèrica caracteritzades per sistemes frontals en àrees properes a les colònies de cria), s’implementarien altres mesures de protecció més difuses.Conservation biology of a critically threatened bird: the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. The Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus is one of the most threatened seabirds in the Mediterranean. This article summarises the conservation problems in the two habitats they occupy: the breeding colonies on land and the feeding areas at sea. A detailed demographic analysis indicates that adult mortality is the principal cause of population decline. The low adult survival rate (0.78, SE = 0.02) in colonies free of predators suggests that, in addition to predation, there must be other sources of mortality (fishing gears, for example). The analysis of population viability shows that the probability of extinction for the Balearic shearwater is extremely high, classifying the species as Critically Endangered according to the criteria of the IUCN. With regard to its distribution at sea, by means of an analysis of the oceanographic habitat of this species during the breeding season, a marine protected area can be proposed. The areas of high density (mainly feeding zones) would determine the core, of special conservation interest for the species, where strict protection measures would be implemented: the area of influence of the Ebro river and the sea around the cap de la Nao. Elsewhere within the foraging range of the species (coastal waters of the Iberian continental platform characterised by frontal systems in areas close to breeding colonies), more diffuse protection measures could be applied

A description of the ratio between electric and magnetic proton form factors by using space-like, time-like data and dispersion relations

We use the available information on the ratio between the electric and magnetic proton form factors coming from recently published space-like data and from the few available time-like data. We apply a dispersive procedure on these data to evaluate the behaviour of this ratio, as a complex function, for all values of q^2.Comment: 12 pages, 7 Encapsulated Postscript figures, uses epsfig, rotating, exscale, amsmath, cite, latexsym, graphics, color packages, added reference