How Hot Is Radiation?

A self-consistent approach to nonequilibrium radiation temperature is introduced using the distribution of the energy over states. We begin rigorously with ensembles of Hilbert spaces and end with practical examples based mainly on the far from equilibrium radiation of lasers. We show that very high, but not infinite, laser radiation temperatures depend on intensity and frequency. Heuristic "temperatures" derived from a misapplication of equilibrium arguments are shown to be incorrect. More general conditions for the validity of nonequilibrium temperatures are also established.Comment: 26 pages, revised, LaTeX, 3 encapsulated PostScript figure

Electroweak Theory Without Higgs Bosons

A perturbative SU(2)_L X U(1)_Y electroweak theory containing W, Z, photon, ghost, lepton and quark fields, but no Higgs or other fields, gives masses to W, Z and the non-neutrino fermions by means of an unconventional choice for the unperturbed Lagrangian and a novel method of renormalisation. The renormalisation extends to all orders. The masses emerge on renormalisation to one loop. To one loop the neutrinos are massless, the A -> Z transition drops out of the theory, the d quark is unstable and S-matrix elements are independent of the gauge parameter xi.Comment: 27 pages, LaTex, no figures; revised for publication; accepted by Int. J. Mod. Phys. A; includes biographical note on A. F. Nicholso

Anharmonic Vibrational Frequencies and Spectroscopic Constants for the Detection of Ethynol in Space

The ethynol (HCCOH) molecule has recently been shown to be present in simulated astrochemical ices possibly linking it to molecular building blocks for interstellar complex organic molecules like amino acids. The proposed reaction mechanism suggests the simultaneous formation of both ketene and ethynol from mixed carbon monoxide/water ice in simulated interstellar conditions. Rigorous anharmonic spectral data within both the IR and microwave regions are needed for possible detection of ethynol in the interstellar medium. This study provides the first such data for this molecule from high-level quantum chemical computations where experiment is currently lacking. Ethynol has a (Formula presented.) comparable to, but distinct from acetonitrile at 9,652.1 MHz and three notable infrared features with two in the hydride stretching-regions and the C–C stretch at 2,212.8 cm−1. The ketene isomer has already been detected in the interstellar medium, and the possible detection of ethynol made possible by this work may lead to a deeper understanding of the proposed ice formation mechanism involving both species and how this relates to the molecular origins of life

A New Limit on the Antiproton Lifetime

Measurements of the cosmic ray pbar/p ratio are compared to predictions from an inhomogeneous disk-diffusion model of pbar production and propagation within the Galaxy, combined with a calculation of the modulation of the interstellar cosmic ray spectra as the particles propagate through the heliosphere to the Earth. The predictions agree with the observed pbar/p spectrum. Adding a finite pbar lifetime to the model, we obtain the limit tau_pbar > 0.8 Myr (90 % C.L.).Comment: 13 pages, 3 encapsulated Postscript figures, uses AASTeX; accepted by Astrophysical Journal; minor change

The stagnation point von K\'arm\'an coefficient

On the basis of various DNS of turbulent channel flows the following picture is proposed. (i) At a height y from the y = 0 wall, the Taylor microscale \lambda is proportional to the average distance l_s between stagnation points of the fluctuating velocity field, i.e. \lambda(y) = B_1 l_s(y) with B_1 constant, for \delta_\nu << y \lesssim \delta. (ii) The number density n_s of stagnation points varies with height according to n_s = C_s y_+^{-1} / \delta_\nu^3 where C_s is constant in the range \delta_\nu << y \lesssim \delta. (iii) In that same range, the kinetic energy dissipation rate per unit mass, \epsilon = 2/3 E_+ u_\tau^3 / (\kappa_s y) where E_+ is the total kinetic energy per unit mass normalised by u_\tau^2 and \kappa_s = B_1^2 / C_s is the stagnation point von K\'arm\'an coefficient. (iv) In the limit of exceedingly large Re_\tau, large enough for the production to balance dissipation locally and for - ~ u_\tau^2 in the range \delta_\nu << y << \delta, dU_+/dy ~ 2/3 E_+/(\kappa_s y) in that same range. (v) The von K\'arm\'an coefficient \kappa is a meaningful and well-defined coefficient and the log-law holds only if E_+ is independent of y_+ and Re_\tau in that range, in which case \kappa ~ \kappa_s. The universality of \kappa_s = B_1^2 / C_s depends on the universality of the stagnation point structure of the turbulence via B_1 and C_s, which are conceivably not universal. (vi) DNS data of turbulent channel flows which include the highest currently available values of Re_\tau suggest E_+ ~ 2/3 B_4 y_+^{-2/15} and dU_+/dy_+ ~ B_4/(\kappa_s) y_+^{-1 - 2/15} with B_4 independent of y in \delta_\nu << y << \delta if the significant departure from - ~ u_\tau^2 is taken into account.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures. This version of the article has been accepted for publication in PRE. Note though that the PRE paper format is differen

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on selected inflammatory biomarkers in older adults: a secondary analysis of data from a randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Observational studies have suggested that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with inflammatory markers. Most trials reporting significant associations between vitamin D intake and inflammatory markers used specific patient groups. Thus, we aimed to determine the effect of supplementary vitamin D using secondary data from a population-based, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial (Pilot D-Health trial 2010/0423). Participants were 60- to 84-year-old residents of one of the four eastern states of Australia. They were randomly selected from the electoral roll and were randomised to one of three trial arms: placebo (n 214), 750 μg (n 215) or 1500 μg (n 215) vitamin D3, each taken once per month for 12 months. Post-intervention blood samples for the analysis of C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, IL-10, leptin and adiponectin levels were available for 613 participants. Associations between intervention group and biomarker levels were evaluated using quantile regression. There were no statistically significant differences in distributions of CRP, leptin, adiponectin, leptin:adiponectin ratio or IL-10 levels between the placebo group and either supplemented group. The 75th percentile IL-6 level was 2·8 pg/ml higher (95 % CI 0·4, 5·8 pg/ml) in the 1500 μg group than in the placebo group (75th percentiles:11·0 v. 8·2 pg/ml), with a somewhat smaller, non-significant difference in 75th percentiles between the 750 μg and placebo groups. Despite large differences in serum 25(OH)D levels between the three groups after 12 months of supplementation, we found little evidence of an effect of vitamin D supplementation on cytokine or adipokine levels, with the possible exception of IL-6

A holistic multi-methodology for sustainable renovation

A review of the barriers for building renovation has revealed a lack of methodologies, which can promote sustainability objectives and assist various stakeholders during the design stage of building renovation/retrofitting projects. The purpose of this paper is to develop a Holistic Multi-methodology for Sustainable Renovation, which aims to deal with complexity of renovation projects. It provides a framework through which to involve the different stakeholders in the design process to improve group learning and group decision-making, and hence make the building renovation design process more robust and efficient. Therefore, the paper discusses the essence of multifaceted barriers in building renovation regarding cultural changes and technological/physical changes. The outcome is a proposal for a multi-methodology framework, which is developed by introducing, evaluating and mixing methods from Soft Systems Methodologies (SSM) with Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). The potential of applying the proposed methodology in renovation projects is demonstrated through a case study

Second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) and concentrations of circulating sex hormones in adulthood

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is used as a marker of prenatal sex hormone exposure. The objective of this study was to examine whether circulating concentrations of sex hormones and SHBG measured in adulthood was associated with 2D:4D.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This analysis was based on a random sample from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. The sample consisted of of 1036 men and 620 post-menopausal women aged between 39 and 70 at the time of blood draw. Concentrations of circulating sex hormones were measured from plasma collected at baseline (1990-1994), while digit length was measured from hand photocopies taken during a recent follow-up (2003-2009). The outcome measures were circulating concentrations of testosterone, oestradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, androstenedione, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, androstenediol glucoronide for men only and oestrone sulphate for women only. Free testosterone and oestradiol were estimated using standard formulae derived empirically. Predicted geometric mean hormone concentrations (for tertiles of 2D:4D) and conditional correlation coefficients (for continuous 2D:4D) were obtained using mixed effects linear regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No strong associations were observed between 2D:4D measures and circulating concentrations of hormones for men or women. For males, right 2D:4D was weakly inversely associated with circulating testosterone (predicted geometric mean testosterone was 15.9 and 15.0 nmol/L for the lowest and highest tertiles of male right 2D:4D respectively (<it>P</it>-<it>trend </it>= 0.04). There was a similar weak association between male right 2D:4D and the ratio of testosterone to oestradiol. These associations were not evident in analyses of continuous 2D:4D.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There were no strong associations between any adult circulating concentration of sex hormone or SHGB and 2D:4D. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence indicating that 2D:4D is unrelated to adult sex hormone concentrations.</p