Observation of the parallel-magnetic-field-induced superconductor-insulator transition in thin amorphous InO films

We study the response of a thin superconducting amorphous InO film with variable oxygen content to a parallel magnetic field. A field-induced superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) is observed that is very similar to the one in normal magnetic fields. As the boson-vortex duality, which is the key-stone of the theory of the field-induced SIT, is obviously absent in the parallel configuration, we have to draw conclusion about the theory insufficiency.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Pyoderma gangrenosum

PG is an extremely rare, neutrophilic dermatosis. It is characterized by progressive skin necrosis that may develop after surgery. In patients with extensive wounds unresponsive to antibiotics or surgical intervention PG should early be considered as diagnosis. Treatment with steroids or immunosuppressives is mandatory. This article reports a case of PG after a cesarian section and presents a survey of the PG literature found with the help of various search engines (e. g. RINZ, PubMed, Medline, Scholar). Our case demonstrates once again that PG may represent an interdisciplinary problem requiring also an interdisciplinary approach by surgeons and dermatologists.Der Artikel beschreibt eine Patientin mit Pyoderma gangraenosum nach Kaiserschnitt. Diese Diagnose macht differenzialdiagnostische Überlegungen besonders notwendig auch zu akuten Hautinfektionen. Es wurde daher eine Literaturübersicht zum Pyoderma gangraenosum mithilfe von Suchmaschinen RINZ (Russischer wissenschaftlicher Zitierungsindex), PubMed, Scholar und Medline erstellt. Das Pyoderma gangraenosum ist eine extrem seltene Krankheit und die Diagnose stellt eine Ausschlussdiagnose dar. Bei ausgedehnter Wundoberfläche, die auf Antibiotika und chirurgische Behandlung nicht anspricht, ist eine Behandlung mit Glukokortikoiden und Immunsuppressiva notwendig. In unserem Fall hat sich das Pyoderma gangraenosum als interdisziplinäres Problem dargestellt, das eine gemeinsame Patientenführung von chirurgisch tätigen Kollegen und Dermatologen fordert

Pyoderma gangrenosum

PG is an extremely rare, neutrophilic dermatosis. It is characterized by progressive skin necrosis that may develop after surgery. In patients with extensive wounds unresponsive to antibiotics or surgical intervention PG should early be considered as diagnosis. Treatment with steroids or immunosuppressives is mandatory. This article reports a case of PG after a cesarian section and presents a survey of the PG literature found with the help of various search engines (e. g. RINZ, PubMed, Medline, Scholar). Our case demonstrates once again that PG may represent an interdisciplinary problem requiring also an interdisciplinary approach by surgeons and dermatologists.Der Artikel beschreibt eine Patientin mit Pyoderma gangraenosum nach Kaiserschnitt. Diese Diagnose macht differenzialdiagnostische Überlegungen besonders notwendig auch zu akuten Hautinfektionen. Es wurde daher eine Literaturübersicht zum Pyoderma gangraenosum mithilfe von Suchmaschinen RINZ (Russischer wissenschaftlicher Zitierungsindex), PubMed, Scholar und Medline erstellt. Das Pyoderma gangraenosum ist eine extrem seltene Krankheit und die Diagnose stellt eine Ausschlussdiagnose dar. Bei ausgedehnter Wundoberfläche, die auf Antibiotika und chirurgische Behandlung nicht anspricht, ist eine Behandlung mit Glukokortikoiden und Immunsuppressiva notwendig. In unserem Fall hat sich das Pyoderma gangraenosum als interdisziplinäres Problem dargestellt, das eine gemeinsame Patientenführung von chirurgisch tätigen Kollegen und Dermatologen fordert

Emulsion sheet doublets as interface trackers for the OPERA experiment

New methods for efficient and unambiguous interconnection between electronic counters and target units based on nuclear photographic emulsion films have been developed. The application to the OPERA experiment, that aims at detecting oscillations between mu neutrino and tau neutrino in the CNGS neutrino beam, is reported in this paper. In order to reduce background due to latent tracks collected before installation in the detector, on-site large-scale treatments of the emulsions ("refreshing") have been applied. Changeable Sheet (CSd) packages, each made of a doublet of emulsion films, have been designed, assembled and coupled to the OPERA target units ("ECC bricks"). A device has been built to print X-ray spots for accurate interconnection both within the CSd and between the CSd and the related ECC brick. Sample emulsion films have been extensively scanned with state-of-the-art automated optical microscopes. Efficient track-matching and powerful background rejection have been achieved in tests with electronically tagged penetrating muons. Further improvement of in-doublet film alignment was obtained by matching the pattern of low-energy electron tracks. The commissioning of the overall OPERA alignment procedure is in progress.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figure

Measurement of the atmospheric muon charge ratio with the OPERA detector

The OPERA detector at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) was used to measure the atmospheric muon charge ratio in the TeV energy region. We analyzed 403069 atmospheric muons corresponding to 113.4 days of livetime during the 2008 CNGS run. We computed separately the muon charge ratio for single and for multiple muon events in order to select different energy regions of the primary cosmic ray spectrum and to test the charge ratio dependence on the primary composition. The measured charge ratio values were corrected taking into account the charge-misidentification errors. Data have also been grouped in five bins of the "vertical surface energy". A fit to a simplified model of muon production in the atmosphere allowed the determination of the pion and kaon charge ratios weighted by the cosmic ray energy spectrum.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure

Measurement of the cross-section ratio sigma_{psi(2S)}/sigma_{J/psi(1S)} in deep inelastic exclusive ep scattering at HERA

The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of $\psi(2S)$ and $J/\psi(1S)$ at an $ep$ centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA in the kinematic range $2 < Q^2 < 80$ GeV$^2$, $30 < W < 210$ GeV and $|t| < 1$ GeV$^2$, where $Q^2$ is the photon virtuality, $W$ is the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy and $t$ is the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex. The data for $2 < Q^2 < 5$ GeV$^2$ were taken in the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114 pb$^{-1}$. The data for $5 < Q^2 < 80$ GeV$^2$ are from both HERA I and HERA II periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb$^{-1}$. The decay modes analysed were $\mu^+\mu^-$ and $J/\psi(1S) \,\pi^+\pi^-$ for the $\psi(2S)$ and $\mu^+\mu^-$ for the $J/\psi(1S)$. The cross-section ratio $\sigma_{\psi(2S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi(1S)}$ has been measured as a function of $Q^2, W$ and $t$. The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired models of exclusive vector-meson production.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure

The detection of neutrino interactions in the emulsion/lead target of the OPERA experiment

The OPERA neutrino detector in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) was designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in appearance mode through the study of $\nu_\mu\to\nu_\tau$ oscillations. The apparatus consists of an emulsion/lead target complemented by electronic detectors and it is placed in the high energy long-baseline CERN to LNGS beam (CNGS) 730 km away from the neutrino source. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out in 2007 and 2008 with the detector fully operational with its related facilities for the emulsion handling and analysis. After a brief description of the beam and of the experimental setup we report on the collection, reconstruction and analysis procedures of first samples of neutrino interaction events

Discovering Ultra High Energy Neutrinos by Horizontal and Upward tau Air-Showers: Evidences in Terrestrial Gamma Flashes?

Ultra high energy neutrinos UHE neutrino Tau, anti-neutrino Tau, anti-neutrino electron at PeVs, and higher energy may induce tau air-showers whose detectability is million to billion times amplified by their secondaries. We considered UHE nu_{tau}- N and UHE bar\nu_{e}- e interactions beyond mountains as a source of such horizontal amplified Tau air-showers. We also consider vertical upward UHE nu_{tau}-N interaction on Earth crust leading to UHE Tau airshowers {UPTAUS} or at the horizont edges {HORTAUS} and their beaming toward high mountains gamma, X, Cherenkov detectors on mountains. We show their detectability. We notice that such rare upward Tau air-shower, UPTAUS and HORTAUS, may hit even nearby airlines, ballons, satellite and flash them by short diluted gamma-burst at the edge of Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) detection threshold. We suggest the identification of these events with recent discovered (BATSE) Terrestrial Gamma Flashes and we claim their probable UHE Tau by UHE nu_\tau origin. From these data approximated UHE nu_tau flux and Delta m_{nu_mu \nu_tau} lower bound are derived. Known X-gamma-{TeV} active galactic and extragalactic sources have been identified in most TGF arrival directions. Maximal EGRET activity in galactic Center overlap with maximal TGF flux. The UHECR AGASA an-isotropy at 10^{18} eV shows also possible correlations with TGF events. The unique UHECR triplet in AGASA clustering, pointing toward BL Lac 1ES0806+524, finds, within its error box, a corresponding TGF event, BATSE (Trigger 2444). Finally a partial TGF Galactic signature, combined with above correlations suggests an astrophysical tau origin of TGF events.Comment: 14 pages text, 13 Fig., 4 Tabs. Minor reductions to a compact form. Higher definition figures; 4Table; New Appendix A,B,C; Update Reference