461 research outputs found
First record of a white rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) off West Africa including notes on rough-toothed dolphin surface behaviour
In June 2009, a white rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) calf was photographed in a group of at least 50 dolphins in the southern Gulf of Guinea, 95 nauticol miles off the Gabon coast (01°45'S 007°29'E), West Africa. Reports of unusually pigmented cetaceans are infrequent and this record represents the first of an all-white rough-toothed dolphin. Furthermore, there is little documentation concerning rough-toothed dolphins and this note contributes to the knowledge of this species in tropical West African water
Offshore surprises: new at-sea bird records for Suriname (2013-2015)
Bird observations were collected from various types of survey vessels in Suriname’s territorial waters between 2013 and 2015. Dedicated, effort-related surveys were carried out from geophysical seismic survey vessels within an area located 80–110 km offshore (in 2013) and 165–290 km (in 2015). Opportunistic observations were recorded during fisheries surveys on a shrimp trawler operating along the 30 m depth contour, approximately 40–60 km offshore (in 2014). In total, 10 bird (sub-) species were observed during these surveys that previously were not recorded for Suriname, including Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, Ruff Calidris pugnax, South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki, Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus, Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis (ssp. acuflavidus), Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii, Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus, Black Noddy Anous minutus, Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea and Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia. In addition, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus and Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were photographed for the first time in Suriname. A Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea was recorded just outside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and therefore does not count as a new country record. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the avifauna frequenting the waters off Suriname, which historically has been poorly studied. Most of the species reported here are migratory. The timing of our sightings therefore also helps in a better understanding of their at sea distribution and migration patterns
Lattice vibrations of alpha'-NaV_2O_5 in the low-temperature phase. Magnetic bound states?
We report high resolution polarized infrared studies of the quarter-filled
spin ladder compound alpha'-NaV_2O_5 as a function of temperature (5K <= T <=
300K). Numerous new modes were detected below the temperature T_c=34K of the
phase transition into a charge ordered nonmagnetic state accompanied by a
lattice dimerization. We analyse the Brillouin zone (BZ) folding due to lattice
dimerization at T_c and show that some peculiarities of the low-temperature
vibrational spectrum come from quadruplets folded from the BZ point (1/2, 1/2,
1/4). We discuss an earlier interpretation of the 70, 107, and 133cm-1 modes as
magnetic bound states and propose the alternative interpretation as folded
phonon modes strongly interacting with charge and spin excitations.Comment: 15 pages, 13 Postscript figure
Low dose aspirin in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm labour - the APRIL study: A multicenter randomized placebo controlled trial
Background: Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks of gestation) is a major problem in obstetrics and affects an estimated 15 million pregnancies worldwide annually. A history of previous preterm birth is the strongest risk factor for preterm birth, and recurrent spontaneous preterm birth affects more than 2.5 million pregnancies each year. A recent meta-analysis showed possible benefits of the use of low dose aspirin in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth. We will assess the (cost-)effectiveness of low dose aspirin in comparison with placebo in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth in a randomized clinical trial. Methods/design: Women with a singleton pregnancy and a history of spontaneous preterm birth in a singleton pregnancy (22-37 weeks of gestation) will be asked to participate in a multicenter, randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial. Women will be randomized to low dose aspirin (80 mg once daily) or placebo, initiated from 8 to 16 weeks up to maximal 36 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome measure will be preterm birth, defined as birth at a gestational age (GA) < 37 weeks. Secondary outcomes will be a composite of adverse neonatal outcome and maternal outcomes, including subgroups of prematurity, as well as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and costs from a healthcare perspective. Preterm birth will be analyzed as a group, as well as separately for spontaneous or indicated onset. Analysis will be performed by intention to treat. In total, 406 pregnant women have to be randomized to show a reduction of 35% in preterm birth from 36 to 23%. If aspirin is effective in preventing preterm birth, we expect that there will be cost savings, because of the low costs of aspirin. To evaluate this, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed comparing preventive treatment with aspirin with placebo. Discussion: This trial will provide evidence as to whether or not low dose aspirin is (cost-) effective in reducing recurrence of spontaneous preterm birth. Trial registration: Clinical trial registration number of the Dutch Trial Register: NTR 5675. EudraCT-registration number: 2015-003220-31
Linear Collider Capabilities for Supersymmetry in Dark Matter Allowed Regions of the mSUGRA Model
Recent comparisons of minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) model predictions with
WMAP measurements of the neutralino relic density point to preferred regions of
model parameter space. We investigate the reach of linear colliders (LC) with
and 1 TeV for SUSY in the framework of the mSUGRA model. We find
that LCs can cover the entire stau co-annihilation region provided \tan\beta
\alt 30. In the hyperbolic branch/focus point (HB/FP) region of parameter
space, specialized cuts are suggested to increase the reach in this important
``dark matter allowed'' area. In the case of the HB/FP region, the reach of a
LC extends well past the reach of the CERN LHC. We examine a case study in the
HB/FP region, and show that the MSSM parameters and can be
sufficiently well-measured to demonstrate that one would indeed be in the HB/FP
region, where the lightest chargino and neutralino have a substantial higgsino
component.Comment: 29 pages, 15 EPS figures; updated version slightly modified to
conform with published versio
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde
Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset
corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected
during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the
couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and
right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary
mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b,
leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing
transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W'
boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to
the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for
masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC
data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed
coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant
improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe
Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The
analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC
from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an
integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross
section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected
exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the
standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The
analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model
Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The
largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is
observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance
of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local
significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is
estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of
this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
Measurement of the Lambda(b) cross section and the anti-Lambda(b) to Lambda(b) ratio with Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda decays in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The Lambda(b) differential production cross section and the cross section
ratio anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) are measured as functions of transverse momentum
pt(Lambda(b)) and rapidity abs(y(Lambda(b))) in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7
TeV using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measurements are
based on Lambda(b) decays reconstructed in the exclusive final state J/Psi
Lambda, with the subsequent decays J/Psi to an opposite-sign muon pair and
Lambda to proton pion, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 1.9 inverse femtobarns. The product of the cross section times
the branching ratio for Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda versus pt(Lambda(b)) falls
faster than that of b mesons. The measured value of the cross section times the
branching ratio for pt(Lambda(b)) > 10 GeV and abs(y(Lambda(b))) < 2.0 is 1.06
+/- 0.06 +/- 0.12 nb, and the integrated cross section ratio for
anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) is 1.02 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.09, where the uncertainties are
statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
Measurement of isolated photon production in pp and PbPb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV
Isolated photon production is measured in proton-proton and lead-lead
collisions at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 2.76 TeV in the
pseudorapidity range |eta|<1.44 and transverse energies ET between 20 and 80
GeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured ET spectra are found to be
in good agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions. The
ratio of PbPb to pp isolated photon ET-differential yields, scaled by the
number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions, is consistent with unity for
all PbPb reaction centralities.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
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