Measuring the NuMI Beam Flux for MINERvA

MINERvA is employing multiple tools to understand its neutrino beam flux. We utilize external hadron production data, but we also depend heavily on in situ techniques in which we reduce our hadron production uncertainties by tuning our Monte Carlo to both MINERvA detector data and muon monitor data.Comment: NuInt 2011 conference proceeding, 6 pages, 4 figure

Commercial Insurance Coverage Decline Associated with Affordable Care Act: What's Next?

BACKGROUND: A key feature of the Affordable Care Act was the establishment of insurance exchanges and subsidies to assist Americans in obtaining affordable commercial insurance. This study was undertaken to determine whether this effort has met its goal. METHODS: A review of all patients requiring surgery for maxillofacial trauma at a level 1 trauma center was undertaken for time periods before the Affordable Care Act was passed (2008 and 2009), while partially in effect (2012), and after the establishment exchanges and subsidies (2014). Insurance statuses were recorded and rates of commercial insurance coverage during each period were compared. RESULTS: A total of 1,123 patients were included. Of these, 511 were treated before passage of the Affordable Care Act, 288 were treated in 2012, and 324 were treated in 2014. Before passage, 50.5% of patients had commercial insurance. This number was virtually unchanged in 2012. However, after the insurance exchanges and subsidies were established, the percentage of patients with commercial insurance fell to 36.73% (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Surprisingly, the establishment of insurance exchanges and subsidies through the Affordable Care Act was associated with a decline in rates of commercial insurance coverage. Trends in reimbursement patterns will need to be followed if the law is repealed and replaced

Using Cold Atoms to Measure Neutrino Mass

We propose a beta decay experiment based on a sample of ultracold atomic tritium. These initial conditions enable detection of the helium ion in coincidence with the beta. We construct a two-dimensional fit incorporating both the shape of the beta-spectrum and the direct reconstruction of the neutrino mass peak. We present simulation results of the feasible limits on the neutrino mass achievable in this new type of tritium beta-decay experiment.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

An Overview of Glaucoma: Bidirectional Translation between Humans and Pre-Clinical Animal Models

Glaucoma is a multifactorial, polygenetic disease with a shared outcome of loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, which ultimately results in blindness. The most common risk factor of this disease is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), although many glaucoma patients have IOPs within the normal physiological range. Throughout disease progression, glial cells in the optic nerve head respond to glaucomatous changes, resulting in glial scar formation as a reaction to injury. This chapter overviews glaucoma as it affects humans and the quest to generate animal models of glaucoma so that we can better understand the pathophysiology of this disease and develop targeted therapies to slow or reverse glaucomatous damage. This chapter then reviews treatment modalities of glaucoma. Revealed herein is the lack of non-IOP-related modalities in the treatment of glaucoma. This finding supports the use of animal models in understanding the development of glaucoma pathophysiology and treatments

Low-Multiplicity Burst Search At The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Results are reported from a search for low-multiplicity neutrino bursts in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Such bursts could indicate the detection of a nearby core-collapse supernova explosion. The data were taken from Phase I (1999 November-2001 May), when the detector was filled with heavy water, and Phase II (2001 July-2003 August), when NaCl was added to the target. The search was a blind analysis in which the potential backgrounds were estimated and analysis cuts were developed to eliminate such backgrounds with 90% confidence before the data were examined. The search maintained a greater than 50% detection probability for standard supernovae occurring at a distance of up to 60 kpc for Phase I and up to 70 kpc for Phase II. No low-multiplicity bursts were observed during the data-taking period.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, CanadaIndustry Canada, CanadaNational Research Council, CanadaNorthern Ontario Heritage Fund, CanadaAtomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., CanadaOntario Power Generation, CanadaHigh Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory, CanadaCanada Foundation for Innovation, CanadaCanada Research Chairs, CanadaDepartment of Energy, USNational Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, USAlfred P. Sloan Foundation, USScience and Technology Facilities Council, UKFundacao para a Ciencia e a Technologia, PortugalAstronom

Low Multiplicity Burst Search at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Results are reported from a search for low-multiplicity neutrino bursts in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). Such bursts could indicate detection of a nearby core-collapse supernova explosion. The data were taken from Phase I (November 1999 - May 2001), when the detector was filled with heavy water, and Phase II (July 2001 - August 2003), when NaCl was added to the target. The search was a blind analysis in which the potential backgrounds were estimated and analysis cuts were developed to eliminate such backgrounds with 90% confidence before the data were examined. The search maintained a greater than 50% detection probability for standard supernovae occurring at a distance of up to 60 kpc for Phase I and up to 70 kpc for Phase II. No low-multiplicity bursts were observed during the data-taking period.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Ap

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB