209 research outputs found
Fusion at deep subbarrier energies: potential inversion revisited
For a single potential barrier, the barrier penetrability can be inverted
based on the WKB approximation to yield the barrier thickness. We apply this
method to heavy-ion fusion reactions at energies well below the Coulomb barrier
and directly determine the inter-nucleus potential between the colliding
nuclei. To this end, we assume that fusion cross sections at deep subbarrier
energies are governed by the lowest barrier in the barrier distribution. The
inverted inter-nucleus potentials for the O +Sm and O
+Pb reactions show that they are much thicker than phenomenological
potentials. We discuss a consequence of such thick potential by fitting the
inverted potentials with the Bass function.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Uses aipxfm.sty. A talk given at the FUSION08:
New Aspects of Heavy Ion Collisions Near the Coulomb Barrier, September
22-26, 2008, Chicago, US
Hawking Radiation on an Ion Ring in the Quantum Regime
This paper discusses a recent proposal for the simulation of acoustic black
holes with ions. The ions are rotating on a ring with an inhomogeneous, but
stationary velocity profile. Phonons cannot leave a region, in which the ion
velocity exceeds the group velocity of the phonons, as light cannot escape from
a black hole. The system is described by a discrete field theory with a
nonlinear dispersion relation. Hawking radiation is emitted by this acoustic
black hole, generating entanglement between the inside and the outside of the
black hole. We study schemes to detect the Hawking effect in this setup.Comment: 42 pages (one column), 17 figures, published revised versio
A Search for Instantons at HERA
A search for QCD instanton (I) induced events in deep-inelastic scattering
(DIS) at HERA is presented in the kinematic range of low x and low Q^2. After
cutting into three characteristic variables for I-induced events yielding a
maximum suppression of standard DIS background to the 0.1% level while still
preserving 10% of the I-induced events, 549 data events are found while
363^{+22}_{-26} (CDM) and 435^{+36}_{-22} (MEPS) standard DIS events are
expected. More events than expected by the standard DIS Monte Carlo models are
found in the data. However, the systematic uncertainty between the two
different models is of the order of the expected signal, so that a discovery of
instantons can not be claimed. An outlook is given on the prospect to search
for QCD instanton events using a discriminant based on range searching in the
kinematical region Q^2\gtrsim100\GeV^2 where the I-theory makes safer
predictions and the QCD Monte Carlos are expected to better describe the
inclusive data.Comment: Invited talk given at the Ringberg Workshop on HERA Physics on June
19th, 2001 on behalf of the H1 collaboratio
Studies of multiplicity in relativistic heavy-ion collisions
In this talk I'll review the present status of charged particle multiplicity
measurements from heavy-ion collisions. The characteristic features of
multiplicity distributions obtained in Au+Au collisions will be discussed in
terms of collision centrality and energy and compared to those of p+p
collisions. Multiplicity measurements of d+Au collisions at 200 GeV
nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy will also be discussed. The results will
be compared to various theoretical models and simple scaling properties of the
data will be identified.Comment: "Focus on Multiplicity" Internationsl Workshop on Particle
Multiplicity in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions, Bari, Italy, June 17-19,
2003, 16 pages, 15 figure
Reaction mechanisms in 24Mg+12C and 32S+24Mg
The occurence of "exotic" shapes in light N=Z alpha-like nuclei is
investigated for 24Mg+12C and 32S+24Mg. Various approaches of superdeformed and
hyperdeformed bands associated with quasimolecular resonant structures with low
spin are presented. For both reactions, exclusive data were collected with the
Binary Reaction Spectrometer in coincidence with EUROBALL IV installed at the
VIVITRON Tandem facility of Strasbourg. Specific structures with large
deformation were selectively populated in binary reactions and their associated
-decays studied. The analysis of the binary and ternary reaction
channels is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Paper presented at the Fusion08 International
Conference on New Aspects of Heavy Ion Collisions Near the Coulomb Barrier,
Chicago. Proceedings to be published by AIP Conference Proceedings Illinois,
USA, September 22-26, 200
Multidisciplinary and multifaceted outpatient management of patients with osteoarthritis: protocol for a randomised, controlled trial
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder with a need for efficient and evidence-based management strategies.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>The primary purpose of this study is to compare the effects of a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic, including a brief group-based educational programme, with a traditional individual outpatient clinic for patients with hip, knee, hand or generalized OA. A secondary purpose is to investigate the effects of a telephone follow-up call.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a pragmatic randomised single-blind controlled study with a total of 400 patients with hip, knee, hand or generalized OA between 40 and 80 years referred to an outpatient rheumatology hospital clinic. The randomisation is stratified according to the diagnostic subgroups. The experimental group is exposed to a multidisciplinary and multifaceted intervention, including a 3.5 hour group-based patient education programme about OA in addition to individual consultations with members of a multidisciplinary team. The control intervention is based on regular care with an individual outpatient consultation with a rheumatologist (treatment as usual). Primary outcomes are patient satisfaction measured at 4 months and cost-effectiveness measured at 12 months. Secondary outcomes are pain and global disease activity measured on a numeric rating scales (NRS), generic and disease specific functioning and disability using Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index 3 (WOMAC), the Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN), and a patient-generated measure of disability (Patient-Specific Functional scale, PSFS). Global perceived effect of change in health status during the study period is also reported. At 4-month follow-up, patients in both groups will be randomly allocated to a 10-minute telephone call or no follow-up ("treatment as usual"). After additional 8 months (12-month follow-up) the four groups will be compared in a secondary analysis with regard to health outcomes and health care costs.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will provide results on how multidisciplinary and multifaceted management of patients with OA affects health outcomes and health care costs.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN25778426</p
Association of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion with clinical characteristics and outcomes: results from a population-based study of prostate cancer
Background: The presence of the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene in prostate tumors has recently been associated with an aggressive phenotype, as well as recurrence and death from prostate
cancer. These associations suggest the hypothesis that the gene fusion may be used as a prognostic indicator for prostate cancer.
Methods: In this study, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assays were used to assess TMPRSS2-ERG fusion status in a group of 214 prostate cancer cases from two population-based studies. The FISH assays were designed to detect both fusion type (deletion vs. translocation) and
the number of fusion copies (single vs. multiple). Genotyping of four ERG and one TMPRSS2 SNPs using germline DNA was also performed in a sample of the cases (n = 127).
Results: Of the 214 tumors scored for the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion, 64.5% were negative and 35.5% were positive for the fusion. Cases with the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion did not exhibit reduced prostate cancer survival (HR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.22-3.93), nor was there a significant difference in causespecific survival when stratifying by translocation or deletion (HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.23-3.12) or by the number of retained fusion copies (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = .45-3.34). However, evidence for reduced prostate cancer-specific survival was apparent in those cases whose tumor had multiple
copies of the fusion. The variant T allele of the TMPRSS2 SNP, rs12329760, was positively associated with TMPRSS2-ERG fusion by translocation (p = 0.05) and with multiple copies of the gene fusion (p = 0.03).
Conclusion: If replicated, the results presented here may provide insight into the mechanism by which the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion arises and also contribute to diagnostic evaluations for determining the subset of men who will go on to develop metastatic prostate cancer.This work was supported by NIH grants RO1 CA56678, RO1 CA114524, and P50 CA97186; additional support was provided by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Intramural Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute
Effect of Operating and Sampling Conditions on the Exhaust Gas Composition of Small-Scale Power Generators
Small stationary diesel engines, like in generator sets, have limited emission control measures and are therefore responsible for 44% of the particulate matter (PM) emissions in the United States. The diesel exhaust composition depends on operating conditions of the combustion engine. Furthermore, the measurements are influenced by the used sampling method. This study examines the effect of engine loading and exhaust gas dilution on the composition of small-scale power generators. These generators are used in different operating conditions than road-transport vehicles, resulting in different emission characteristics. Experimental data were obtained for gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOC) and PM mass concentration, elemental composition and nitrate content. The exhaust composition depends on load condition because of its effect on fuel consumption, engine wear and combustion temperature. Higher load conditions result in lower PM concentration and sharper edged particles with larger aerodynamic diameters. A positive correlation with load condition was found for K, Ca, Sr, Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb adsorbed on PM, elements that originate from lubricating oil or engine corrosion. The nitrate concentration decreases at higher load conditions, due to enhanced nitrate dissociation to gaseous NO at higher engine temperatures. Dilution on the other hand decreases PM and nitrate concentration and increases gaseous VOC and adsorbed metal content. In conclusion, these data show that operating and sampling conditions have a major effect on the exhaust gas composition of small-scale diesel generators. Therefore, care must be taken when designing new experiments or comparing literature results
Inter-individual variations of human mercury exposure biomarkers: a cross-sectional assessment
BACKGROUND: Biomarkers for mercury (Hg) exposure have frequently been used to assess exposure and risk in various groups of the general population. We have evaluated the most frequently used biomarkers and the physiology on which they are based, to explore the inter-individual variations and their suitability for exposure assessment. METHODS: Concentrations of total Hg (THg), inorganic Hg (IHg) and organic Hg (OHg, assumed to be methylmercury; MeHg) were determined in whole blood, red blood cells, plasma, hair and urine from Swedish men and women. An automated multiple injection cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry analytical system for Hg analysis was developed, which provided high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. The distribution of the various mercury forms in the different biological media was explored. RESULTS: About 90% of the mercury found in the red blood cells was in the form of MeHg with small inter-individual variations, and part of the IHg found in the red blood cells could be attributed to demethylated MeHg. THg in plasma was associated with both IHg and MeHg, with large inter-individual variations in the distribution between red blood cells and plasma. THg in hair reflects MeHg exposure at all exposure levels, and not IHg exposure. The small fraction of IHg in hair is most probably emanating from demethylated MeHg. The inter-individual variation in the blood to hair ratio was very large. The variability seemed to decrease with increasing OHg in blood, most probably due to more frequent fish consumption and thereby blood concentrations approaching steady state. THg in urine reflected IHg exposure, also at very low IHg exposure levels. CONCLUSION: The use of THg concentration in whole blood as a proxy for MeHg exposure will give rise to an overestimation of the MeHg exposure depending on the degree of IHg exposure, why speciation of mercury forms is needed. THg in RBC and hair are suitable proxies for MeHg exposure. Using THg concentration in plasma as a measure of IHg exposure can lead to significant exposure misclassification. THg in urine is a suitable proxy for IHg exposure
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