Nuclear Photoabsorption at Photon Energies between 300 and 850 Mev

We construct the formula for the photonuclear total absorption cross section using the projection method and the unitarity relation. Our treatment is very effective when interference effects in the absorption processes on a nucleon are strong. The disappearance of the peak around the position of the $D_{13}$ resonance in the nuclear photoabsorption can be explained with the cooperative effect of the interference in two-pion production processes,the Fermi motion, the collision broadenings of $\Delta$ and $N^*$, and the pion distortion in the nuclear medium. The change of the interference effect by the medium plays an important role.Comment: 22pages,7figures,revtex

Measuring the νμ\nu_{\mu} to νμˉ\bar{\nu_{\mu}} Ratio in a High Statistics Atmospheric Neutrino Experiment

By exploiting differences in muon lifetimes it is possible to distinguish $\nu_{\mu}$ from $\bar{\nu_{\mu}}$ charged current interactions in underground neutrino detectors. Such observations would be a useful tool in understanding the source of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly.Comment: 6 pages no figure

Constraints on diffuse neutrino background from primordial black holes

We calculated the energy spectra and the fluxes of electron neutrino emitted in the process of evaporation of primordial black holes (PBHs) in the early universe. It was assumed that PBHs are formed by a blue power-law spectrum of primordial density fluctuations. We obtained the bounds on the spectral index of density fluctuations assuming validity of the standard picture of gravitational collapse and using the available data of several experiments with atmospheric and solar neutrinos. The comparison of our results with the previous constraints (which had been obtained using diffuse photon background data) shows that such bounds are quite sensitive to an assumed form of the initial PBH mass function.Comment: 18 pages,(with 7 figures

Extension of the sum rule for the transition rates between multiplets to the multiphoton case

The sum rule for the transition rates between the components of two multiplets, known for the one-photon transitions, is extended to the multiphoton transitions in hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions. As an example the transitions 3p-2p, 4p-3p and 4d-3d are considered. The numerical results are compared with previous calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 table

Global trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services from 1900 to 2050

Despite the scientific consensus on the extinction crisis and its anthropogenic origin, the quantification of historical trends and of future scenarios of biodiversity and ecosystem services has been limited, due to the lack of inter-model comparisons and harmonized scenarios. Here, we present a multi-model analysis to assess the impacts of land-use and climate change from 1900 to 2050. During the 20th century provisioning services increased, but biodiversity and regulating services decreased. Similar trade-offs are projected for the coming decades, but they may be attenuated in a sustainability scenario. Future biodiversity loss from land-use change is projected to keep up with historical rates or reduce slightly, whereas losses due to climate change are projected to increase greatly. Renewed efforts are needed by governments to meet the 2050 vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments and CP violation in the lepton sector

We discuss possibilities to investigate the effects of CP (and T) violation in the lepton sector in neutrino oscillation experiments. We consider the effects of CP violation in the framework of two schemes of mixing of four massive neutrinos that can accommodate the results of all neutrino oscillation experiments. Using the constraints on the mixing parameters that follow from the results of short-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, we derive rather strong upper bounds on the effects of CP violation in nu_munu_e transitions in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. We show that the effects of CP violation in nu_munu_tau transitions in long-baseline oscillation experiments can be as large as is allowed by the unitarity of the mixing matrix. The matter effects, which complicate the problem of searching for CP violation in long-baseline experiments, are discussed in detail. We consider the T-odd asymmetries whose measurement could allow to reveal T and CP violation in the lepton sector independently from matter effects.Comment: 31 pages, including 5 figure

Guidelines for chemotherapy of biliary tract and ampullary carcinomas

Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large numbers of patients have been conducted to date in patients with biliary tract cancer, and standard chemotherapy has not been established yet. In this article we review previous studies and clinical trials regarding chemotherapy for unresectable biliary tract cancer, and we present guidelines for the appropriate use of chemotherapy in patients with biliary tract cancer. According to an RCT comparing chemotherapy and best supportive care for these patients, survival was significantly longer and quality of life was significantly better in the chemotherapy group than in the control group. Thus, chemotherapy for patients with biliary tract cancer seems to be a significant treatment of choice. However, chemotherapy for patients with biliary tract cancer should be indicated for those with unresectable, locally advanced disease or distant metastasis, or for those with recurrence after resection. That is why making the diagnosis of unresectable disease should be done with greatest care. As a rule, pathological diagnosis, including cytology or histopathological diagnosis, is preferable. Chemotherapy is recommended in patients with a good general condition, because in patients with general deterioration, such as those with a performance status of 2 or 3 or those with insufficient biliary decompression, the benefit of chemotherapy is limited. As chemotherapy for unresectable biliary tract cancer, the use of gemcitabine or tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil potassium is recommended. As postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, no effective adjuvant therapy has been established at the present time. It is recommended that further clinical trials, especially large multi-institutional RCTs (phase III studies) using novel agents such as gemcitabine should be performed as soon as possible in order to establish a standard treatment

Classification of Supernovae

The current classification scheme for supernovae is presented. The main observational features of the supernova types are described and the physical implications briefly addressed. Differences between the homogeneous thermonuclear type Ia and similarities among the heterogeneous core collapse type Ib, Ic and II are highlighted. Transforming type IIb, narrow line type IIn, supernovae associated with GRBs and few peculiar objects are also discussed.Comment: 16 Pages, 4 figures, to be published in "Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters," ed. Kurt W. Weile