J/ψJ/\psi production in PHENIX

Heavy quarkonia production is expected to be sensitive to the formation of a quark gluon plasma (QGP). The PHENIX experiment has measured $J/\psi$ production at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$~200 GeV in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions, as well as in reference p+p and d+Au runs. $J/\psi$'s were measured both at mid ($|y|<0.35$) and forward ($1.2<|y|<2.2$) rapidity. In this letter, we present the A+A preliminary results and compare them to normal cold nuclear matter expectations derived from PHENIX d+Au and p+p measurements as well as to theoretical models including various effects (color screening, recombination, sequential melting...).Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures. To appear in the proceedings of Hot Quarks 2006: Workshop for Young Scientists on the Physics of Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Villasimius, Italy, 15-20 May 200

Efeito da adição de uréia e sulfato de amônio sobre o pH e nitrificação em um solo ácido

The variation of pH and the production of nitrate were studied in a Dark Red Latosol, Guamium séries, in function of the addition of 200 and 400 ppm of N, as urea and ammonium sulphate in the presence and absence of Ca(0H)2, for a period of 30 days. The results obtained showed that the pH decreased with ammonium sulphate and increased with urea. The variations were observed even in the presence of Ca(0H)2. The production of nitrate increased with pH considering the same level and source of nitrogen.A variação do pH e a produção de nitrato foram estudados em um Latossolo Vermelho Escuro, Série Guamium, em função da adição de 200 e 400 ppm de N nas formas de uréia e sulfato de amônio, em presença e ausência de Ca(OH)2 por um período de 30 dias. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o pH decresceu com o sulfato de amônio e aumentou com a uréia. As variações foram observadas mesmo empresença de Ca(0H)2. A produção de nitrato aumentou com o pH, considerando o mesmo nível e fonte de nitrogênio. Não foi observado no conjunto uma relação entre pH e produção de nitrato

Benchmark Parameters for CMB Polarization Experiments

The recently detected polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) holds the potential for revealing the physics of inflation and gravitationally mapping the large-scale structure of the universe, if so called B-mode signals below 10^{-7}, or tenths of a uK, can be reliably detected. We provide a language for describing systematic effects which distort the observed CMB temperature and polarization fields and so contaminate the B-modes. We identify 7 types of effects, described by 11 distortion fields, and show their association with known instrumental systematics such as common mode and differential gain fluctuations, line cross-coupling, pointing errors, and differential polarized beam effects. Because of aliasing from the small-scale structure in the CMB, even uncorrelated fluctuations in these effects can affect the large-scale B modes relevant to gravitational waves. Many of these problems are greatly reduced by having an instrumental beam that resolves the primary anisotropies (FWHM << 10'). To reach the ultimate goal of an inflationary energy scale of 3 \times 10^{15} GeV, polarization distortion fluctuations must be controlled at the 10^{-2}-10^{-3} level and temperature leakage to the 10^{-4}-10^{-3} level depending on effect. For example pointing errors must be controlled to 1.5'' rms for arcminute scale beams or a percent of the Gaussian beam width for larger beams; low spatial frequency differential gain fluctuations or line cross-coupling must be eliminated at the level of 10^{-4} rms.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR

Trackly:A Customisable and Pictorial Self-Tracking App to Support Agency in Multiple Sclerosis Self-Care

Self-tracking is an important part of self-care. However, predefined self-tracking approaches can impede people's agency in managing their health. We investigated a customisable and pictorial self-tracking approach in multiple sclerosis self-management by implementing and conducting a field study of Trackly: a prototype app that supports people in defining and colouring pictorial trackers, such as body shapes. We found that participants utilised the elements of Trackly designed to support agentive behaviour: they defined personally meaningful tracking parameters in their own words, and particularly valued being able to flexibly colour in and make sense of their pictorial trackers. Having been able to support their individual self-care intentions with Trackly, participants reported a spectrum of interrelated experiences of agency, including a sense of ownership, identity, self-awareness, mindfulness, and control. Our findings demonstrate the importance of supporting people's individual needs and creative capacities to foster mindful and personally meaningful engagement with health and wellbeing data

A Year in the Life of the EU-CardioRNA COST Action: CA17129 Catalysing Transcriptomics Research in Cardiovascular Disease

The EU-CardioRNA Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action is a European-wide consortium established in 2018 with 31 European country members and four associate member countries to build bridges between translational researchers from academia and industry who conduct research on non-coding RNAs, cardiovascular diseases and similar research areas. EU-CardioRNA comprises four core working groups (WG1-4). In the first year since its launch, EU-CardioRNA met biannually to exchange and discuss recent findings in related fields of scientific research, with scientific sessions broadly divided up according to WG. These meetings are also an opportunity to establish interdisciplinary discussion groups, brainstorm ideas and make plans to apply for joint research grants and conduct other scientific activities, including knowledge transfer. Following its launch in Brussels in 2018, three WG meetings have taken place. The first of these in Lisbon, Portugal, the second in Istanbul, Turkey, and the most recent in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Each meeting includes a scientific session from each WG. This meeting report briefly describes the highlights and key take-home messages from each WG session in this first successful year of the EU-CardioRNA COST Action. © 2020 by the authors

Toward an internally consistent astronomical distance scale

Accurate astronomical distance determination is crucial for all fields in astrophysics, from Galactic to cosmological scales. Despite, or perhaps because of, significant efforts to determine accurate distances, using a wide range of methods, tracers, and techniques, an internally consistent astronomical distance framework has not yet been established. We review current efforts to homogenize the Local Group's distance framework, with particular emphasis on the potential of RR Lyrae stars as distance indicators, and attempt to extend this in an internally consistent manner to cosmological distances. Calibration based on Type Ia supernovae and distance determinations based on gravitational lensing represent particularly promising approaches. We provide a positive outlook to improvements to the status quo expected from future surveys, missions, and facilities. Astronomical distance determination has clearly reached maturity and near-consistency.Comment: Review article, 59 pages (4 figures); Space Science Reviews, in press (chapter 8 of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age

Moscas-das-frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) em um pomar de goiabeira, no semiárido brasileiro

As moscas-das-frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) são pragas-chave na cultura da goiabeira Psidium guajava L., com predominância de diferentes espécies de acordo com a região produtora no Brasil. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram conhecer a diversidade e analisar parâmetros faunísticos das moscas-das-frutas obtidas em um pomar de goiabeira, no município de Cruzeta, Rio Grande do Norte, situado no semiárido brasileiro. As moscas-das-frutas foram coletadas semanalmente, com auxílio de armadilhas McPhail, tendo como atrativo proteína hidrolisada a 5% v/v. Foram registradas cinco espécies no pomar estudado: Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi, Anastrepha sororcula Zucchi, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) e Anastrepha dissimilis Stone. Ceratitis capitata foi a espécie mais frequente, constante e dominante, considerada como uma praga invasiva, potencial em pomares de goiabeira no semiárido brasileiro