239 research outputs found
Sensitivity to the KARMEN Timing Anomaly at MiniBooNE
We present sensitivities for the MiniBooNE experiment to a rare exotic pion
decay producing a massive particle, Q^0. This type of decay represents one
possible explanation for the timing anomaly reported by the KARMEN
collaboration. MiniBooNE will be able to explore an area of the KARMEN signal
that has not yet been investigated
Ghrelin is not Related to Hunger or Calories Consumed at Breakfast in Lean and Obese Women
poster abstractBackground: The mechanisms that result in greater caloric intake in obese individuals
are incompletely understood. Ghrelin administration increases ad lib food intake in
humans. We investigated the relationship of ghrelin to calorie consumption and hunger
at breakfast on two separate occasions in lean and obese women.
Methods: 23 lean (BMI 22.3±0.5 kg/m2, 26.5±1.0 yr) and 25 obese (BMI 36.9±0.7 kg/m2,
27.8±1.1 yr) women participated in a noncontiguous 2 day study. The minimum and
maximum days between visits were 6 and 43 days. Participants were given the same
breakfast on both days (turkey sausage, French toast with margarine/syrup, fruit cup,
coffee, tea, diet soda, or water) with portions adjusted to provide 20% of the daily energy
requirement for weight maintenance. Subjects were instructed to eat until full. Hunger
was evaluated on a Satiety Labeled Intensity Magnitude Scale (SLIM) before and after
the meal. Anchors were “greatest imaginable fullness” at 0 and “greatest imaginable
hunger” at 100. Blood samples were collected over 120 minutes for measurement of
active ghrelin.
Results: Lean subjects consumed an equivalent number of calories on both days
(380.0±14.6 vs 378.2±14.9 kcal), as did the obese (419.4±16.2 vs 428.8±15.4 kcal). On
average for both days, obese consumed significantly more breakfast calories than lean
(424.1±11.1 vs 379.1±10.3 kcal; P<0.01), but the same percentage of calories provided
(85.7±1.8 vs 86.1±1.7 %kcal). Lean subjects rated hunger before breakfast the same on
both days (69.2±1.6 vs 71.7±1.4), as did the obese (69.8±1.6 vs 69.6±1.8), and there
was no difference between the groups. Lean subjects rated hunger after breakfast the
same on both days (27.8±1.9 vs 30.3±2.4), as did the obese (25.0±1.7 vs 24.3±1.8).
The reduction in hunger score following breakfast was significant for both groups
(P<0.0001), with the obese reporting significantly less hunger/more fullness after
breakfast than the lean (P=0.02). Fasting ghrelin was significantly greater in the lean
than obese women (549.9±58.9 vs 231.0±29.1 pg/ml; P<0.0001). Ghrelin was
significantly reduced at 60 min following breakfast in the lean (375.8±49.2 pg/ml;
P=0.028) but not the obese (212.2±26.4 pg/ml). Ghrelin was not related to hunger score
prior to breakfast, and there was no relationship between reduction in ghrelin and hunger
score in the lean or obese.
Conclusion: Caloric intake (as a percentage provided) and hunger scores before
breakfast on two occasions were the same for both lean and obese women. Fasting
ghrelin was significantly different between lean and obese women but did not predict
hunger score or calories consumed. Our findings do not support a role for ghrelin in
driving food intake at breakfast
Prospects for Observations of Pulsars and Pulsar Wind Nebulae with CTA
The last few years have seen a revolution in very-high gamma-ray astronomy
(VHE; E>100 GeV) driven largely by a new generation of Cherenkov telescopes
(namely the H.E.S.S. telescope array, the MAGIC and MAGIC-II large telescopes
and the VERITAS telescope array). The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project
foresees a factor of 5 to 10 improvement in sensitivity above 0.1 TeV,
extending the accessible energy range to higher energies up to 100 TeV, in the
Galactic cut-off regime, and down to a few tens GeV, covering the VHE photon
spectrum with good energy and angular resolution. As a result of the fast
development of the VHE field, the number of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) detected
has increased from one PWN in the early '90s to more than two dozen firm
candidates today. Also, the low energy threshold achieved and good sensitivity
at TeV energies has resulted in the detection of pulsed emission from the Crab
Pulsar (or its close environment) opening new and exiting expectations about
the pulsed spectra of the high energy pulsars powering PWNe. Here we discuss
the physics goals we aim to achieve with CTA on pulsar and PWNe physics
evaluating the response of the instrument for different configurations.Comment: accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic
Superconducting zero temperature phase transition in two dimensions and in the magnetic field
We derive the Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson theory for the superconducting phase
transition in two dimensions and in the magnetic field. Without disorder the
theory describes a fluctuation induced first-order quantum phase transition
into the Abrikosov lattice. We propose a phenomenological criterion for
determining the transition field and discuss the qualitative effects of
disorder. Comparison with recent experiments on MoGe films is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Quantification of Myocardial Blood Flow in Absolute Terms Using (82)Rb PET Imaging: The RUBY-10 Study.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) estimates from rubidium-82 positron emission tomography ((82)Rb PET) data using 10 software packages (SPs) based on 8 tracer kinetic models.
BACKGROUND: It is unknown how MBF and MFR values from existing SPs agree for (82)Rb PET.
METHODS: Rest and stress (82)Rb PET scans of 48 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease were analyzed in 10 centers. Each center used 1 of 10 SPs to analyze global and regional MBF using the different kinetic models implemented. Values were considered to agree if they simultaneously had an intraclass correlation coefficient >0.75 and a difference <20% of the median across all programs.
RESULTS: The most common model evaluated was the Ottawa Heart Institute 1-tissue compartment model (OHI-1-TCM). MBF values from 7 of 8 SPs implementing this model agreed best. Values from 2 other models (alternative 1-TCM and Axially distributed) also agreed well, with occasional differences. The MBF results from other models (e.g., 2-TCM and retention) were less in agreement with values from OHI-1-TCM.
CONCLUSIONS: SPs using the most common kinetic model-OHI-1-TCM-provided consistent results in measuring global and regional MBF values, suggesting that they may be used interchangeably to process data acquired with a common imaging protocol
Demystifying an unidentified EGRET source by VHE gamma-ray observations
In a novel approach in observational high-energy gamma-ray astronomy,
observations carried out by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes provide
necessary templates to pinpoint the nature of intriguing, yet unidentified
EGRET gamma-ray sources. Using GeV-photons detected by CGRO EGRET and taking
advantage of high spatial resolution images from H.E.S.S. observations, we were
able to shed new light on the EGRET observed gamma-ray emission in the
Kookaburra complex, whose previous coverage in the literature is somewhat
contradictory. 3EGJ1420-6038 very likely accounts for two GeV gamma-ray sources
(E>1 GeV), both in positional coincidence with the recently reported pulsar
wind nebulae (PWN) by HESS in the Kookaburra/Rabbit complex. PWN associations
at VHE energies, supported by accumulating evidence from observations in the
radio and X-ray band, are indicative for the PSR/plerionic origin of spatially
coincident, but still unidentified Galactic gamma-ray sources from EGRET. This
not only supports the already suggested connection between variable, but
unidentified low-latitude gamma-ray sources with pulsar wind nebulae
(3EGJ1420-6038 has been suggested as PWN candidate previoulsy), it also
documents the ability of resolving apparently confused EGRET sources by
connecting the GeV emission as measured from a large-aperture space-based
gamma-ray instrument with narrow field-of-view but superior spatial resolution
observations by ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, a very promising
identification technique for achieving convincing individual source
identifications in the era of GLAST-LAT.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and
Space Science, Proc. of "The Multi-Messenger Approach to High-Energy
Gamma-ray Sources (Third Workshop on the Nature of Unidentified High-Energy
Sources)", Barcelona, July 4-7, 2006, one typo correcte
The spiritual organization: critical reflections on the instrumentality of workplace spirituality
Authors' draft of article. Final version published by Routledge in Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion available online at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/14766086.aspThis paper offers a theoretical contribution to the current debate on workplace spirituality by: (a) providing a selective critical review of scholarship, research and corporate practices which treat workplace spirituality in performative terms, that is, as a resource or means to be manipulated instrumentally and appropriated for economic ends; (b) extending Ezioni’s analysis of complex organizations and proposing a new category, the ‘spiritual organization’, and; (c) positing three alternative positions with respect to workplace spirituality that follow from the preceding critique. The spiritual organization can be taken to represent the development of a trajectory of social technologies that have sought, incrementally, to control the bodies, minds, emotions and souls of employees. Alternatively, it might be employed to conceptualize the way in which employees use the workplace as a site for pursuing their own spiritualities (a reverse instrumentalism). Finally, we consider the possible incommensurability of ‘work organization’ and ‘spirituality’ discourses
Mediation of foundation ontology based knowledge sources
This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in the journal Computers in Industry [© Elsevier]. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Computers and Industry: www.elsevier.com/locate/compindOntologies are helpful in giving interoperable structures to sources of knowledge and information. This interoperability, however, is greatly hindered by the heterogeneity of independently developed ontologies which in turn increases the requirements for mediation systems to reconcile the differences. A core concepts ontology for a certain domain contained by a foundation ontology can be used to alleviate this problem and to facilitate the reconciliation efforts. Possible differences in the use of concepts from the core concepts to model entities in domain ontologies can be prevented by binding the domain ontology developers to some rules. These rules can be particularly useful for domain ontologies requiring some kind of traceability of their concepts in the foundation ontology. The mediation system can then use this traceability to establish similarities between two ontologies. Software applications, like the one explained in this paper, can then be developed to perform the mediation task automatically and accurately
Primary Invasive Aspergillosis of the Digestive Tract: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature
BACKGROUND: Disseminated aspergillosis is thought to occur as a result of vascular invasion from the lungs with subsequent bloodstream dissemination, and portals of entry other than sinuses and/or the respiratory tract remain speculative. METHODS: We report two cases of primary aspergillosis in the digestive tract and present a detailed review of eight of the 23 previously-published cases for which detailed data are available. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: These ten cases presented with symptoms suggestive of typhlitis, with further peritonitis requiring laparotomy and small bowel segmental resection. All cases were characterized by the absence of pulmonary disease at the time of histologically-confirmed gastrointestinal involvement with vascular invasion by branched Aspergillus hyphae. These cases suggest that the digestive tract may represent a portal of entry for Aspergillus species in immunocompromised patients
A Review of the fossil record of turtles of the clade Baenidae
The fossil record of the turtle clade Baenidae ranges from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian—Albian) to the Eocene. The group is present throughout North America during the Early Cretaceous, but is restricted to the western portions of the continents in the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. No credible remains of the clade have been reported outside of North America to date. Baenids were warmadapted freshwater aquatic turtles that supported high levels of diversity at times through niche partitioning, particularly by adapting to a broad range of dietary preferences ranging from omnivorous to molluscivorous. Current phylogenies place Baenidae near the split of crown-group Testudines. Within Baenidae three more inclusive, named clades are recognized: Baenodda, Palatobaeninae and Eubaeninae. A taxonomic review of the group concludes that of 49 named taxa, 30 are nomina valida, 12 are nomina invalida and 7 are nomina dubia
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