215 research outputs found
Constraining the IMF using TeV gamma ray absorption
Gamma rays of ~TeV energies from distant sources suffer attenuation due to
pair production off of ~1 micron EBL photons. We may exploit this process in
order to indirectly measure the EBL and constrain models of galaxy formation.
Here, using semi-analytic models of galaxy formation, we examine how gamma ray
absorption may be used as an indirect probe of the stellar initial mass
function (IMF), although there is a degeneracy with dust modeling. We point out
that with the new generation of gamma ray telescopes including STACEE, MAGIC,
HESS, VERITAS, and Milagro, we should soon possess a wealth of new data and a
new method for probing the nature of the IMF.Comment: contribution to "TeV Astrophysics of Extragalactic Sources" VERITAS
workshop, editors M. Catanese, J. Quinn, T. Weekes; 3 pages 1 figur
A new approach to evaluate gamma-ray measurements
Misunderstandings about the term random samples its implications may easily arise. Conditions under which the phases, obtained from arrival times, do not form a random sample and the dangers involved are discussed. Watson's U sup 2 test for uniformity is recommended for light curves with duty cycles larger than 10%. Under certain conditions, non-parametric density estimation may be used to determine estimates of the true light curve and its parameters
The dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes: How to assess it in clinical practice?
International audienceAIM : The study was aimed at determining whether the dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be predicted and quantified using simple and easily accessible glucose determinations.METHODS : A total of 210 non-insulin-treated persons with T2D underwent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The dawn phenomenon was quantified as the absolute increment from the nocturnal glucose nadir to the pre-breakfast value (Îdawn, mg/dL). Pre-lunch (preL) and pre-dinner (preD) glucose, and their averaged values (preLD), were compared with the nocturnal nadir. These pre-meal values were subtracted from the pre-breakfast values. The differences obtained (Îpre-mealL, Îpre-meal D and Îpre-meal LD) were correlated with Îdawn values. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to select the optimal Îpre-meal value that best predicted a dawn phenomenon, set at a threshold of 20mg/dL.RESULTS : All pre-meal glucose levels and differences from pre-breakfast values (Îpre-meal) significantly correlated (P<0.0001) with the nocturnal nadir and Îdawn values, respectively. The strongest correlations were observed for the parameters averaged at preL and preD time points: r=0.83 for preLD and r=0.58 for Îpre-meal LD. ROC curve analysis indicated that the dawn phenomenon at a threshold of 20mg/dL can be significantly predicted by a Îpre-meal LD cut off value of 10mg/dL. The relationship between Îdawn (Y, mg/dL) and Îpre-meal LD (X, mg/dL) was Y=0.49 X+15.CONCLUSION : The self-monitoring of preprandial glucose values at the three main mealtimes can predict the presence/absence of the dawn phenomenon, and permits reliable assessment of its magnitude without requiring continuous overnight glucose monitoring
Color Screening and the Suppression of the Charmonium State Yield in Nuclear Reactions
We discuss the new data for the production of the meson in pA
collisions at 450 GeV at CERN-SPS (of the NA50-collaboration) [1]. We extract
from the CERN data mb under the assumption that the
is produced as a result of the space-time evolution of a point-like
pair which expands with time to the full size of the charmonium
state. In the analysis we assume the existence of a relationship between the
distribution of color in a hadron and the cross section of its interaction with
a nucleon. However, our result is rather sensitive to the pattern of the
expansion of the wave packet and significantly larger values of are not ruled out by the data. We show that recent CERN data confirm the
suggestion of [2] that color fluctuations of the strengths in
charmonium-nucleon interaction are the major source of suppression of the
yield as observed at CERN in both pA and AA collisions.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures (one with color
A Pair Polarimeter for Linearly Polarized High Energy Photons
A high quality beam of linearly polarized photons of several GeV will become
available with the coherent bremsstrahlung technique at JLab. We have developed
a polarimeter which requires about two meters of the beam line, has an
analyzing power of 20% and an efficiency of 0.02%. The layout and first results
of a polarimeter test on the laser back-scattering photon beam at SPring-8/LEPS
are presented
Flare energetics
In this investigation of flare energetics, researchers sought to establish a comprehensive and self-consistent picture of the sources and transport of energy within a flare. To achieve this goal, they chose five flares in 1980 that were well observed with instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission, and with other space-borne and ground-based instruments. The events were chosen to represent various types of flares. Details of the observations available for them and the corresponding physical parameters derived from these data are presented. The flares were studied from two perspectives, the impulsive and gradual phases, and then the results were compared to obtain the overall picture of the energics of these flares. The role that modeling can play in estimating the total energy of a flare when the observationally determined parameters are used as the input to a numerical model is discussed. Finally, a critique of the current understanding of flare energetics and the methods used to determine various energetics terms is outlined, and possible future directions of research in this area are suggested
J/\Psi production, polarization and Color Fluctuations
The hard contributions to the heavy quarkonium-nucleon cross sections are
calculated based on the QCD factorization theorem and the nonrelativistic
quarkonium model. We evaluate the nonperturbative part of these cross sections
which dominates at GeV at the Cern Super Proton
Synchrotron (SPS) and becomes a correction at TeV at
the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). \J production at the CERN SPS is well
described by hard QCD, when the larger absorption cross sections of the
states predicted by QCD are taken into account. We predict an -dependent
polarization of the states. The expansion of small wave packets is
discussed.Comment: 13 pages REVTEX, 1 table, 2 PostScript, corrected some typo
Changes in Prandial Glucagon Levels After a 2-Year Treatment With Vildagliptin or Glimepiride in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled With Metformin Monotherapy
OBJECTIVE - To determine if the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor vildagliptin more effectively inhibits glucagon levels than the sulfonylurea glimepiride during a meal. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Glucagon responses to a standard meal were measured at baseline and study end point (mean 1.8 years) in a trial evaluating add-on therapy to metformin with 50 mg vildagliptin bid. compared with glimepiride up to 6 mg q.d. in type 2 diabetes (baseline MC 7.3 +/- 0.6%). RESULTS - A1C and prandial glucose area under the curve (AUC)(0-2 h) were reduced similarly in both groups, whereas prandial insulin AUC(0-2 h) increased to a greater extent by glimepiride. Prandial glucagon AUC(0-2 h) (baseline 66.6 +/- 2.3 pmol . h(-1) . l(-1)) decreased by 3.4 +/- 1.6 pmol . h(-1) . l(-1) by vildagliptin (n = 137) and increased by 3.8 +/- 1.7 pmol . h(-1) . l(-1) by glimepiride (n = 121). The between-group difference was 7.3 +/- 2.1 pmol . h(-1) . l(-1) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS - Vildagliptin therapy but not glimepiride improves postprandial a-cell function, which persists for at least 2 years
Meson-induced correlations of nucleons in nuclear Compton scattering
The non-resonant (seagull) contribution to the nuclear Compton amplitude at
low energies is strongly influenced by nucleon correlations arising from meson
exchange. We study this problem in a modified Fermi gas model, where nuclear
correlation functions are obtained with the help of perturbation theory. The
dependence of the mesonic seagull amplitude on the nuclear radius is
investigated and the influence of a realistic nuclear density on this amplitude
is dicussed. We found that different form factors appear for the static part
(proportional to the enhancement constant ) of the mesonic seagull
amplitude and for the parts, which contain the contribution from
electromagnetic polarizabilities.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, epsf.sty, 9 eps figures
Search for a new gauge boson in the Experiment (APEX)
We present a search at Jefferson Laboratory for new forces mediated by
sub-GeV vector bosons with weak coupling to electrons. Such a
particle can be produced in electron-nucleus fixed-target scattering and
then decay to an pair, producing a narrow resonance in the QED trident
spectrum. Using APEX test run data, we searched in the mass range 175--250 MeV,
found no evidence for an reaction, and set an upper limit of
. Our findings demonstrate that fixed-target
searches can explore a new, wide, and important range of masses and couplings
for sub-GeV forces.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, references adde
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