Emission patterns of neutral pions in 40 A MeV Ta+Au reactions

Differential cross sections of neutral pions emitted in 181Ta + 197Au collisions at a beam energy of 39.5A MeV have been measured with the photon spectrometer TAPS. The kinetic energy and transverse momentum spectra of neutral pions cannot be properly described in the framework of the thermal model, nor when the reabsorption of pions is accounted for in a phenomenological model. However, high energy and high momentum tails of the pion spectra can be well fitted through thermal distributions with unexpectedly soft temperature parameters below 10 MeV.Comment: 16 pages (double-spaced), 5 figures; corrections after referee's comments and suggestion

The interrelation between the electronic parameters of nitrogen atom and intramolecular interactions in ammonia derivatives

The electronic parameters and intramolecular interactions in the ground and transition states of inversion of the amines H₂NXHn (XHn=CH₃, NH₂, OH, F, SiH₃, PH₂, SH, Cl) were calculated using DFT (PBE96/def2-tzvpp) method. It was established that the electronacceptor properties of the XHn substituents has a prevailing influence on the change of the electronic parameters of nitrogen atom. Its increase leads to both a decrease of the charge on the nitrogen atom and an increase of the s-character and population of nitrogen lone pair (LP). All parameters under consideration correlate with the χ- and σᵢ-constants of the XHn substituents. The correlation coefficients increase when amines that contain X atoms only from one period are considered separately. It was found that the ρ values for amines containing X atoms from the second or third period are substantially different. The changes of the donor-acceptor interaction energies, s-character and LP population cannot be probable causes for different sensitivity of the electronic parameters of amines containing X atoms from different periods to the change of electron-acceptor properties of the XHn substituents. It was established that the mentioned parameters has only a subordinated influence in comparison with the influence of electron-acceptor ability of the XHn substituents. The negative charge on the nitrogen atom decreases with the increase of s-character and LP population and also with the decrease of energies of donor-acceptor interactions which lead to the withdrawal of electron density from the nitrogen atom. The s-character and LP population increase with the decrease of energies of donor-acceptor interactions which result in the reduction of electron density on the nitrogen atom. The total positive charges of the XHn groups and hydrogen atoms at the nitrogen atom decrease with increasing the electron-acceptor ability of the XHn substituents. The representation of the electron-acceptor properties of the substituents was shown to be more valid by using the χ-constants than by using the σᵢ-constants. The chlorine atom is a weak electron acceptor in comparison with an amino group

Site-based and remote sensing methods for monitoring indicators of vegetation condition: An Australian review

Native vegetation around the world is under threat from historical and ongoing clearance, overgrazing, invasive species, increasing soil and water salinity, altered fire regimes, poor land management and other factors, resulting in a degradation of natural ecosystem services. Consequently, maintaining and improving native vegetation condition is a target frequently adopted by natural resource managers and government agencies world-wide. Adequate monitoring of vegetation condition remains a prerequisite for environmental decision-making and for tracking progress towards management goals. Throughout we consider vegetation condition to include the compositional, structural and functional attributes of vegetation relative to undisturbed vegetation of the same type. Site-based methods have long been used to assess compositional, structural and functional attributes as indicators of vegetation condition, and these methods continue to be used widely today. With developing technologies, remote sensing methods are being employed increasingly for monitoring a range of remotely detectable properties of vegetation, and there is now a growing demand to explicitly integrate the two approaches for mapping and monitoring vegetation condition across a range of scales. Here we review the attributes of vegetation identified as important for monitoring vegetation condition, those indicators that are best measured using traditional site-based methods and those that are more readily detectable using remote sensing methods, including their application in operational programmes within Australia. Further to this we review recent literature on the integration of the two approaches for monitoring indicators of vegetation condition. We find that remote sensing methods have the advantage of offering broad scale automated and repeatable methods for monitoring indicators of vegetation condition, but when combined with detailed ecological site-based data, together can improve monitoring for answering ecological questions across a range of scales. Further work, however, is required to effectively integrate the two approaches for mapping and monitoring vegetation condition

Forest cover changes in lao tropical forests: physical and socio-economic factors are the most important drivers

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) has been experiencing significant forest depletion since the 1980s, but there is little evidence to demonstrate the major causes and underlying drivers for the forest cover changes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between forest cover decrease and increase in the south of Lao PDR between 2006 and 2012 and selected physical and socio-economic factors. We used a map of forest cover changes derived from analysis of Landsat ETM+ imagery in 2006 and 2012, together with socio-economic and physical environmental data from the national authorities. The study area has experienced noticeable forest cover changes: both forest decreases and increases were unevenly distributed throughout the region. Logistic regression models were used to test relationships between forest cover decrease or increase and selected physical and socio-economic factors. Forest clearance was associated strongly with elevation, distance to main roads and shifting cultivation practices. Meanwhile, forest cover increase was more likely to correlate with rubber plantations. Native forest and shifting cultivation lands were vulnerable to being converted into rubber plantations. This research provides much-needed information on which to base forestry policy and decision making to minimize and prevent current deforestation, as well as manage potential risks in the future.Chittana Phompila, Megan Lewis, Bertram Ostendorf and Kenneth Clark

Applying the global disturbance index for detecting vegetation changes in Lao tropical forests

Land cover change is a major challenge for many developing countries. Spatiotemporal information on this change is essential for monitoring global terrestrial ecosystem carbon, climate and biosphere exchange, and land use management. A combination of LST and the EVI indices in the global disturbance index (DI) has been proven to be useful for detecting and monitoring of changes in land covers at continental scales. However, this model has not been adequately applied or assessed in tropical regions. We aimed to demonstrate and evaluate the DI algorithm used to detect spatial change in land covers in Lao tropical forests. We used the land surface temperature and enhanced vegetation index of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer time-se- ries products from 2006-2012. We used two dates Google Earth™ images in 2006 and 2012 as ground truth data for accuracy assessment of the model. This research demonstrated that the DI was capable of detecting vegetation changes during seven-year periods with high overall accuracy; however, it showed low accuracy in detecting vegetation decrease.Chittana Phompila, Megan Lewis, Kenneth Clarke, Bertram Ostendor

German Lexical Personality Factors: Relations with the HEXACO Model

We correlated the scales of the HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO-PI) with adjective scale markers of factors previously obtained in indigenous lexical studies of personality structure in the German language. Self-ratings obtained from a sample of 323 German participants showed a pattern of strong convergent and weak discriminant correlations, supporting the content-based interpretation of the German lexical factors in terms of the HEXACO dimensions. Notably, convergent correlations were strong for both the broader and the narrower variants of the Honesty-Humility factor as observed in German lexical studies. Also, convergent correlations for HEXACO Openness to Experience were, as expected, stronger for German adjectives describing a creative and intellectual orientation than for German adjectives describing intellectual ability. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Deterministic delivery of externally cold and precisely positioned single molecular ions

We present the preparation and deterministic delivery of a selectable number of externally cold molecular ions. A laser cooled ensemble of Mg^+ ions subsequently confined in several linear Paul traps inter-connected via a quadrupole guide serves as a cold bath for a single or up to a few hundred molecular ions. Sympathetic cooling embeds the molecular ions in the crystalline structure. MgH^+ ions, that serve as a model system for a large variety of other possible molecular ions, are cooled down close to the Doppler limit and are positioned with an accuracy of one micrometer. After the production process, severely compromising the vacuum conditions, the molecular ion is efficiently transfered into nearly background-free environment. The transfer of a molecular ion between different traps as well as the control of the molecular ions in the traps is demonstrated. Schemes, optimized for the transfer of a specific number of ions, are realized and their efficiencies are evaluated. This versatile source applicable for broad charge-to-mass ratios of externally cold and precisely positioned molecular ions can serve as a container-free target preparation device well suited for diffraction or spectroscopic measurements on individual molecular ions at high repetition rates (kHz).Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Infra-Red Asymptotic Dynamics of Gauge Invariant Charged Fields: QED versus QCD

The freedom one has in constructing locally gauge invariant charged fields in gauge theories is analyzed in full detail and exploited to construct, in QED, an electron field whose two-point function W(p), up to the fourth order in the coupling constant, is normalized with on-shell normalization conditions and is, nonetheless, infra-red finite; as a consequence the radiative corrections vanish on the mass shell $p^2=\mu^2$ and the free field singularity is dominant, although, in contrast to quantum field theories with mass gap, the eigenvalue $\mu^2$ of the mass operator is not isolated. The same construction, carried out for the quark in QCD, is not sufficient for cancellation of infra-red divergences to take place in the fourth order. The latter divergences, however, satisfy a simple factorization equation. We speculate on the scenario that could be drawn about infra-red asymptotic dynamics of QCD, should this factorization equation be true in any order of perturbation theory.Comment: 30 pages, RevTex, 8 figures included using graphic

Current and projected heatwave-attributable occupational injuries, illnesses, and associated economic burden in Australia

Introduction: The costs of global warming are substantial. These include expenses from occupational illnesses and injuries (OIIs), which have been associated with increases during heatwaves. This study estimated retrospective and projected future heatwave-attributable OIIs and their costs in Australia. Materials and methods: Climate and workers’ compensation claims data were extracted from seven Australian capital cities representing OIIs from July 2005 to June 2018. Heatwaves were defined using the Excess Heat Factor. OIIs and associated costs were estimated separately per city and pooled to derive national estimates. Results were projected to 2030 (2016–2045) and 2050 (2036–2065). Results: The risk of OIIs and associated costs increased during heatwaves, with the risk increasing during severe and particularly extreme heatwaves. Of all OIIs, 0.13% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 0.11–0.16%) were heatwave-attributable, equivalent to 120 (95%eCI:70–181) OIIs annually. 0.25% of costs were heatwaveattributable (95%eCI: 0.18–0.34%), equal to $AU4.3 (95%eCI: 1.4–7.4) million annually. Estimates of heatwaveattributable OIIs by 2050, under Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP]4.5 and RCP8.5, were 0.17% (95% eCI: 0.10–0.27%) and 0.23% (95%eCI: 0.13–0.37%), respectively. National costs estimates for 2030 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were 0.13% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.66-0.60), respectively. These estimates for extreme heatwaves were 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.02–0.06%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01–0.07), respectively. Cost-AFs in 2050 were, under RCP4.5, 0.127% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46) for all heatwaves and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01-0.09%) for extreme heatwaves. Attributable fractions were approximately similar to baseline when assuming theoretical climate adaptation. Discussion: Heatwaves represent notable and preventable portions of preventable OIIs and economic burden. OIIs are likely to increase in the future, and costs during extreme heatwaves in 2030. Workplace and public health policies aimed at heat adaptation can reduce heat-attributable morbidity and costs.Matthew A. Borg, Jianjun Xiang, Olga Anikeeva, Bertram Ostendorf, Blesson Varghese, Keith Dear, Dino Pisaniello, Alana Hansen, Kerstin Zander, Malcolm R. Sim, Peng B

Daratumumab for the treatment of refractory ANCA-associated vasculitis

OBJECTIVE: Treatment-refractory antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a life-threatening condition without evidence-based treatment options. One emerging treatment option for several antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases is the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab, which depletes autoantibody-secreting plasma cells. METHODS: We treated two patients with severe life-threatening AAV with renal and pulmonary manifestation despite induction therapy with rituximab and cyclophosphamide with four to eight doses of 1800 mg daratumumab. We followed clinical and immunological responses. RESULTS: The first patient with myeloperoxidase-ANCA-positive microscopic polyangiitis had resolution of pneumonitis and pleuritis and stabilisation of kidney function after daratumumab. The second patient with proteinase 3-ANCA-positive granulomatosis with polyangiitis, diffuse alveolar haemorrhage necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and acute kidney failure, requiring kidney replacement therapy, was weaned off ECMO, mechanical ventilation and dialysis and discharged home after daratumumab. Clinical improvement was paralleled by a strong reduction in serum ANCA levels as well as total IgG, indicating depletion of plasma cells. Apart from the depletion of CD38(+) natural killer cells, blood leucocyte levels were not notably influenced by daratumumab. Only mild adverse events, such as hypogammaglobulinaemia and an upper respiratory tract infection occurred. CONCLUSION: Daratumumab was safe and effective in inducing remission in two patients with severe treatment-refractory AAV, warranting prospective clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy