Inelastic Dark Matter and the SABRE Experiment

We present here the sensitivity of the SABRE (Sodium iodide with Active Background REjection) experiment to benchmark proto-philic, spin dependent, Inelastic Dark Matter models previously proposed due to their lowered tension with existing experimental results. We perform fits to cross section, mass, and mass splitting values to find the best fit to DAMA/LIBRA data for these models. In this analysis, we consider the Standard Halo Model (SHM), as well as an interesting extension upon it, the SHM+Stream distribution, to investigate the influence of the Dark Matter velocity distribution upon experimental sensitivity and whether or not its consideration may be able to help relieve the present experimental tension. Based on our analysis, SABRE should be sensitive to all the three benchmark models within 3-5 years of data taking.Comment: Adjusted for full DAMA run 1+2 efficiency. Updated to match published versio

Capture of Leptophilic Dark Matter in Neutron Stars

Dark matter particles will be captured in neutron stars if they undergo scattering interactions with nucleons or leptons. These collisions transfer the dark matter kinetic energy to the star, resulting in appreciable heating that is potentially observable by forthcoming infrared telescopes. While previous work considered scattering only on nucleons, neutron stars contain small abundances of other particle species, including electrons and muons. We perform a detailed analysis of the neutron star kinetic heating constraints on leptophilic dark matter. We also estimate the size of loop induced couplings to quarks, arising from the exchange of photons and Z bosons. Despite having relatively small lepton abundances, we find that an observation of an old, cold, neutron star would provide very strong limits on dark matter interactions with leptons, with the greatest reach arising from scattering off muons. The projected sensitivity is orders of magnitude more powerful than current dark matter-electron scattering bounds from terrestrial direct detection experiments.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, 2 appendices. Discussion extended, references added, matches JCAP published versio

Unitarisation of EFT Amplitudes for Dark Matter Searches at the LHC

We propose a new approach to the LHC dark matter search analysis within the effective field theory (EFT) framework by utilising the K-matrix unitarisation formalism. This approach provides a reasonable estimate of the dark matter production cross section at high energies, and hence allows reliable bounds to be placed on the cut-off scale of relevant operators without running into the problem of perturbative unitarity violation. We exemplify this procedure for the effective operator D5 in monojet dark matter searches in the collinear approximation. We compare our bounds to those obtained using the truncation method and identify a parameter region where the unitarisation prescription leads to more stringent bounds.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. References added and minor corrections made to match published versio

Setting limits on Effective Field Theories: the case of Dark Matter

The usage of Effective Field Theories (EFT) for LHC new physics searches is receiving increasing attention. It is thus important to clarify all the aspects related with the applicability of the EFT formalism in the LHC environment, where the large available energy can produce reactions that overcome the maximal range of validity, i.e. the cutoff, of the theory. We show that this does forbid to set rigorous limits on the EFT parameter space through a modified version of the ordinary binned likelihood hypothesis test, which we design and validate. Our limit-setting strategy can be carried on in its full-fledged form by the LHC experimental collaborations, or performed externally to the collaborations, through the Simplified Likelihood approach, by relying on certain approximations. We apply it to the recent CMS mono-jet analysis and derive limits on a Dark Matter (DM) EFT model. DM is selected as a case study because the limited reach on the DM production EFT Wilson coefficient and the structure of the theory suggests that the cutoff might be dangerously low, well within the LHC reach. However our strategy can also be applied to EFT's parametrising the indirect effects of heavy new physics in the Electroweak and Higgs sectors

Cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal and behavioral effects of intravenous lidocaine in healthy, conscious horses and evaluation of the relationship with lidocaine and monoethylglycinexylidide serum concentrations

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the serum concentrations of lidocaine/ monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and their effects on several systems in horses. Five healthy, conscious horses received a two-hour placebo intravenous infusion followed by a two-hour lidocaine infusion (bolus of 1.3 mg/kg over ten minutes followed by a continuous rate infusion of 0.05 mg/kg/min). Lidocaine and MEGX serum concentrations were sampled every ten to fifteen minutes during the experiment, and the presence of muscle fasciculations and loss of balance as well as the respiratory, digestive and cardiovascular systems of the five horses were evaluated by means of different non-invasive methods. During the lidocaine infusion, the mean (f SD) lidocaine and MEGX concentrations were respectively 768.88 +/- 93.32ng/ml and 163.08 +/- 108.98 ng/ml. The infusion of lidocaine significantly influenced the presence of fasciculations, caused a statistically but non-clinically significant decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, which were both correlated with lidocaine and MEGX serum concentrations, and it increased the duodenal contractions frequency, which was correlated with the serum lidocaine concentration. In this study, mild hypotensive and prokinetic effects of short-term lidocaine infusion were observed

Radiographic features of the dorsal condylar sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal and metatarsal bones in young Warmblood stallions

Objectives: To describe the radiographic appearance of the dorsoproximal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bone in Warmblood horses. Methods: The lateromedial radiographic projections of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joints performed on horses as a part of stallion selection were used. The dorsal aspect of the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone was divided in two areas. The appearance of the bone surface in area I was classified as normal, irregular, notch, indentation and lucency. For area II, the categories were normal, irregular, depression or lucency and flattening of the sagittal ridge. Other abnormalities at the dorsal aspect were also noted. Results: In area I, 51.5% of the ridges appeared normal, 19.3% were irregular, 8.9% had a notch, 8.1% had a lucency, and 12.2% had an indentation. In 1.2% of the horses a fragment was present, and in 1.7% a fragment was suspected. In area II, 90.6% of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joints were normal, 6.2% were irregular, 2.9% showed a depression or lucency, and the sagittal ridge in 0.2% was flattened. A fragment was present in 0.3%, and suspected in 0.4%. Clinical significance: Morphological variation is present at the dorsal aspect of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joint in young Warmblood stallions. These various aspects should be recognised and described in horses presented for prepurchase examination. However, their clinical relevance in the individual horse is unclear and needs further investigation

Numerical control matrix rotation for the LINC-NIRVANA Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics system

LINC-NIRVANA will realize the interferometric imaging focal station of the Large Binocular Telescope. A double Layer Oriented multi-conjugate adaptive optics system assists the two arms of the interferometer, supplying high order wave-front correction. In order to counterbalance the field rotation, mechanical derotation for the two ground wave-front sensors, and optical derotators for the mid-high layers sensors fix the positions of the focal planes with respect to the pyramids aboard the wave-front sensors. The derotation introduces pupil images rotation on the wavefront sensors: the projection of the deformable mirrors on the sensor consequently change. The proper adjustment of the control matrix will be applied in real-time through numerical computation of the new matrix. In this paper we investigate the temporal and computational aspects related to the pupils rotation, explicitly computing the wave-front errors that may be generated.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, presented at SPIE Symposium "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation'' conference "Adaptive Optics Systems II'',Sunday 27 June 2010, San Diego, California, US

Dissection with harmonic scalpel versus cold instruments in parotid surgery.

The harmonic scalpel (HS) has been used successfully in several head and neck surgical procedures. Some authors highlighted its advantages in reducing operative time, blood loss, and damages to surrounding tissue. In our study, we compared the results obtained during parotidectomy using the HS with the traditional approach to determine the benefits of the HS.130 patients with benign parotid tumors were enrolled and randomized into two groups for this prospective study. 63 patients underwent HS parotidectomy, and 67 patients received a parotidectomy using cold instruments and bipolar electrocautery hemostatic control (CI). 20 HS and 2 CI patients did not meet the inclusion criteria requirements, and were excluded.The admission time was significantly shorter in the HS group than the CI group (3.9 ± 1.2 days and 4.7 ± 1.4 days, respectively, p < 0.01). In the early post-operative period, 84\% of HS patients and 60\% of CI cases showed no facial nerve impairment (p = 0.01). Significantly more CI patients than HS patients showed the onset of Frey's syndrome (29\% and 9\%, respectively, p = 0.01). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis confirmed the reduction in admission length (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.62; p = 0.02) and the lower risk of Frey's syndrome (OR: 0.29; p = 0.04) in HS compared to CI parotidectomies.In parotid surgery, the HS is useful in preventing Frey's syndrome and reducing early transitory facial nerve dysfunction and admission times, and results in decreased medical costs and increased quality of life