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Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: application to 3MI and MSPI
The vertical distribution of cloud cover has a significant impact on a large number of meteorological and climatic processes. Cloud top altitude and cloud geometrical thickness are then essential. Previous studies established the possibility of retrieving those parameters from multi-angular oxygen A-band measurements. Here we perform a study and comparison of the performances of future instruments. The 3MI (Multi-angle, Multi-channel and Multi-polarization Imager) instrument developed by EUMETSAT, which is an extension of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, and MSPI (Multi-angles Spectro-Polarimetric Imager) develoloped by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will measure total and polarized light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere–surface system in several spectral bands (from UV to SWIR) and several viewing geometries. Those instruments should provide opportunities to observe the links between the cloud structures and the anisotropy of the reflected solar radiation into space. Specific algorithms will need be developed in order to take advantage of the new capabilities of this instrument. However, prior to this effort, we need to understand, through a theoretical Shannon information content analysis, the limits and advantages of these new instruments for retrieving liquid and ice cloud properties, and especially, in this study, the amount of information coming from the A-Band channel on the cloud top altitude (CTOP) and geometrical thickness (CGT). We compare the information content of 3MI A-Band in two configurations and that of MSPI. Quantitative information content estimates show that the retrieval of CTOP with a high accuracy is possible in almost all cases investigated. The retrieval of CGT seems less easy but possible for optically thick clouds above a black surface, at least when CGT > 1–2 km
Cosmic Rays as Probes of Large Extra Dimensions and TeV Gravity
If there are large extra dimensions and the fundamental Planck scale is at
the TeV scale, then the question arises of whether ultra-high energy cosmic
rays might probe them. We study the neutrino-nucleon cross section in these
models. The elastic forward scattering is analyzed in some detail, hoping to
clarify earlier discussions. We also estimate the black hole production rate.
We study energy loss from graviton mediated interactions and conclude that they
can not explain the cosmic ray events above the GZK energy limit. However,
these interactions could start horizontal air showers with characteristic
profile and at a rate higher than in the Standard Model.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; minor changes, replaced with version to be
published in Phys. Rev.
Exact Gravitational Shockwaves and Planckian Scattering on Branes
We obtain a solution describing a gravitational shockwave propagating along a
Randall-Sundrum brane. The interest of such a solution is twofold: on the one
hand, it is the first exact solution for a localized source on a
Randall-Sundrum three-brane. On the other hand, one can use it to study forward
scattering at Planckian energies, including the effects of the continuum of
Kaluza-Klein modes. We map out the different regimes for the scattering
obtained by varying the center-of-mass energy and the impact parameter. We also
discuss exact shockwaves in ADD scenarios with compact extra dimensions.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures. v2: references added, minor improvements and
small errors correcte
Cartography with Accelerators: Locating Fermions in Extra Dimensions at Future Lepton Colliders
In the model of Arkani-Hamed and Schmaltz the various chiral fermions of the
Standard Model(SM) are localized at different points on a thick wall which
forms an extra dimension. Such a scenario provides a way of understanding the
absence of proton decay and the fermion mass hierarchy in models with extra
dimensions. In this paper we explore the capability of future lepton colliders
to determine the location of these fermions in the extra dimension through
precision measurements of conventional scattering processes both below and on
top of the lowest lying Kaluza-Klein gauge boson resonance. We show that for
some classes of models the locations of these fermions can be very precisely
determined while in others only their relative positions can be well measured.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figs, LaTe
Efficacy and safety of abatacept or infliximab vs placebo in ATTEST: a phase III, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to methotrexate
Angular Dependence of Neutrino Flux in KM3 Detectors in Low Scale Gravity Models
Cubic kilometer neutrino telescopes are capable of probing fundamental
questions of ultra-high energy neutrino interactions. There is currently great
interest in neutrino interactions caused by low-scale, extra dimension models.
Above 1 PeV the cross section in low scale gravity models rises well above the
total Standard Model cross section. We assess the observability of this effect
in the 1 PeV - 100 PeV energy range of kilometer-scale detectors with several
new points of emphasis that hinge on enhanced neutral current cross sections. A
major point is the importance of ``feed-down'' regeneration of upward neutrino
flux, driven by new-physics neutral current interactions in the flux evolution
equations. Feed-down is far from negligible, and it is essential to include its
effect. We then find that the angular distribution of events has high
discriminating value in separating models. In particular the ``up-to-down''
ratio between upward and downward-moving neutrino fluxes is a practical
diagnostic tool which can discriminate between models in the near future. The
slope of the angular distribution, in the region of maximum detected flux, is
also substantially different in low-scale gravity and the Standard Model. These
observables are only weakly dependent on astrophysical flux uncertainties. We
conclude that angular distributions can reveal a breakdown of the Standard
Model and probe the new physics beyond, as soon as data become available.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, discussion of calculations expanded, references
adde
Experimental Probes of Localized Gravity: On and Off the Wall
The phenomenology of the Randall-Sundrum model of localized gravity is
analyzed in detail for the two scenarios where the Standard Model (SM) gauge
and matter fields are either confined to a TeV scale 3-brane or may propagate
in a slice of five dimensional anti-deSitter space. In the latter instance, we
derive the interactions of the graviton, gauge, and fermion Kaluza-Klein (KK)
states. The resulting phenomenological signatures are shown to be highly
dependent on the value of the 5-dimensional fermion mass and differ
substantially from the case where the SM fields lie on the TeV-brane. In both
scenarios, we examine the collider signatures for direct production of the
graviton and gauge KK towers as well as their induced contributions to
precision electroweak observables. These direct and indirect signatures are
found to play a complementary role in the exploration of the model parameter
space. In the case where the SM field content resides on the TeV-brane, we show
that the LHC can probe the full parameter space and hence will either discover
or exclude this model if the scale of electroweak physics on the 3-brane is
less than 10 TeV. We also show that spontaneous electroweak symmetry breaking
of the SM must take place on the TeV-brane.Comment: 62 pages, Latex, 22 figure
Top Quarks as a Window to String Resonances
We study the discovery potential of string resonances decaying to
final state at the LHC. We point out that top quark pair production is a
promising and an advantageous channel for studying such resonances, due to
their low Standard Model background and unique kinematics. We study the
invariant mass distribution and angular dependence of the top pair production
cross section via exchanges of string resonances. The mass ratios of these
resonances and the unusual angular distribution may help identify their
fundamental properties and distinguish them from other new physics. We find
that string resonances for a string scale below 4 TeV can be detected via the
channel, either from reconstructing the semi-leptonic
decay or recent techniques in identifying highly boosted tops.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure
Circulating adrenomedullin estimates survival and reversibility of organ failure in sepsis: the prospective observational multinational Adrenomedullin and Outcome in Sepsis and Septic Shock-1 (AdrenOSS-1) study
Background: Adrenomedullin (ADM) regulates vascular tone and endothelial permeability during sepsis. Levels of circulating biologically active ADM (bio-ADM) show an inverse relationship with blood pressure and a direct relationship with vasopressor requirement. In the present prospective observational multinational Adrenomedullin and Outcome in Sepsis and Septic Shock 1 (, AdrenOSS-1) study, we assessed relationships between circulating bio-ADM during the initial intensive care unit (ICU) stay and short-term outcome in order to eventually design a biomarker-guided randomized controlled trial. Methods: AdrenOSS-1 was a prospective observational multinational study. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included organ failure as defined by Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, organ support with focus on vasopressor/inotropic use, and need for renal replacement therapy. AdrenOSS-1 included 583 patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis or septic shock. Results: Circulating bio-ADM levels were measured upon admission and at day 2. Median bio-ADM concentration upon admission was 80.5 pg/ml [IQR 41.5-148.1 pg/ml]. Initial SOFA score was 7 [IQR 5-10], and 28-day mortality was 22%. We found marked associations between bio-ADM upon admission and 28-day mortality (unadjusted standardized HR 2.3 [CI 1.9-2.9]; adjusted HR 1.6 [CI 1.1-2.5]) and between bio-ADM levels and SOFA score (p < 0.0001). Need of vasopressor/inotrope, renal replacement therapy, and positive fluid balance were more prevalent in patients with a bio-ADM > 70 pg/ml upon admission than in those with bio-ADM ≤ 70 pg/ml. In patients with bio-ADM > 70 pg/ml upon admission, decrease in bio-ADM below 70 pg/ml at day 2 was associated with recovery of organ function at day 7 and better 28-day outcome (9.5% mortality). By contrast, persistently elevated bio-ADM at day 2 was associated with prolonged organ dysfunction and high 28-day mortality (38.1% mortality, HR 4.9, 95% CI 2.5-9.8). Conclusions: AdrenOSS-1 shows that early levels and rapid changes in bio-ADM estimate short-term outcome in sepsis and septic shock. These data are the backbone of the design of the biomarker-guided AdrenOSS-2 trial. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02393781. Registered on March 19, 2015
A New 5-Flavour LO Analysis and Parametrization of Parton Distributions in the Real Photon
New, radiatively generated, LO quark (u,d,s,c,b) and gluon densities in a
real, unpolarized photon are presented. We perform a global 3-parameter fit,
based on LO DGLAP evolution equations, to all available data for the structure
function F2^gamma(x,Q^2). We adopt a new theoretical approach called ACOT(chi),
originally introduced for the proton, to deal with the heavy-quark thresholds.
This defines our basic model (CJKL model), which gives a very good description
of the experimental data on F2^gamma(x,Q^2), for both Q^2 and x dependences.
For comparison we perform a standard fit using the Fixed Flavour-Number Scheme
(FFNS_CJKL model), updated with respect to the previous fits of this type. We
show the superiority of the CJKL fit over the FFNS_CJKL one and other LO fits
to the F2^gamma(x,Q^2) data. The CJKL model gives also the best description of
the LEP data on the Q^2 dependence of the F2^gamma, averaged over various
x-regions, and the F_2,c^gamma, which were not used directly in the fit.
Finally, a simple analytic parametrization of the resulting parton densities
obtained with the CJKL model is given.Comment: 43 pages, RevTeX4 using axodraw style, 3 tex and 12 postscript
figures, version submitted to Phys. Rev. D, small text changes, one reference
added, FORTRAN program available at http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~pjank/param.html
and at http://www-zeuthen.desy.de/~alorca/id4.htm
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