186 research outputs found
J/Psi suppression in colliding nuclei: statistical model analysis
We consider the suppression at a high energy heavy ion collision. An
ideal gas of massive hadrons in thermal and chemical equilibrium is formed in
the central region. The finite-size gas expands longitudinally in accordance
with Bjorken law. The transverse expansion in a form of the rarefaction wave is
taken into account. We show that suppression in such an environment,
when combined with the disintegration in nuclear matter, gives correct
evaluation of NA38 and NA50 data in a broad range of initial energy densities.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
WDHA syndrome caused by pheochromocytoma: report of a case.
A case in which a pheochromocytoma secreted vasoactive intestinal peptide, causing WDHA syndrome, is reported. The patient, a 43-year-old woman, was seen because of intractable watery diarrhea, hypokalemia and weight loss. She was found to have a mass in the right adrenal area. Preoperatively, vasoactive intestinal peptide levels were elevated, and the diagnosis of WDHA syndrome was entertained. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a tumor of the right adrenal gland, measuring 15 x 15 cm, which was resected. Histologic examination revealed it to be a pheochromocytoma. Postoperatively, vasoactive intestinal peptide returned to normal. The patient had complete remission of symptoms, and has remained well since
Quark exchange model for charmonium dissociation in hot hadronic matter
A diagrammatic approach to quark exchange processes in meson-meson scattering
is applied to the case of inelastic reactions of the type
(Q\barQ)+(q\barq)\rightarrow (Q\barq) + (q\barQ), where and refer to
heavy and light quarks, respectively. This string-flip process is discussed as
a microscopic mechanism for charmonium dissociation (absorption) in hadronic
matter. The cross section for the reaction is
calculated using a potential model, which is fitted to the meson mass spectrum.
The temperature dependence of the relaxation time for the \J/Psi distribution
in a homogeneous thermal pion gas is obtained. The use of charmonium for the
diagnostics of the state of hot hadronic matter produced in ultrarelativistic
nucleus-nucleus collisions is discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 3 tables, 7 figure
Comparison of breast and bowel cancer screening uptake patterns in a common cohort of South Asian women in England
Background: Inequalities in uptake of cancer screening by ethnic minority populations are well documented in a
number of international studies. However, most studies to date have explored screening uptake for a single cancer
only. This paper compares breast and bowel cancer screening uptake for a cohort of South Asian women invited to
undertake both, and similarly investigates these women's breast cancer screening behaviour over a period of fifteen
years.
Methods: Screening data for rounds 1, 2 and 5 (1989-2004) of the NHS breast cancer screening programme and for
round 1 of the NHS bowel screening pilot (2000-2002) were obtained for women aged 50-69 resident in the English
bowel screening pilot site, Coventry and Warwickshire, who had been invited to undertake breast and bowel cancer
screening in the period 2000-2002. Breast and bowel cancer screening uptake levels were calculated and compared
using the chi-squared test.
Results: 72,566 women were invited to breast and bowel cancer screening after exclusions. Of these, 3,539 were South
Asian and 69,027 non-Asian; 18,730 had been invited to mammography over the previous fifteen years (rounds 1 to 5).
South Asian women were significantly less likely to undertake both breast and bowel cancer screening; 29.9% (n =
1,057) compared to 59.4% (n = 40,969) for non-Asians (p < 0.001). Women in both groups who consistently chose to
undertake breast cancer screening in rounds 1, 2 and 5 were more likely to complete round 1 bowel cancer screening.
However, the likelihood of completion of bowel cancer screening was still significantly lower for South Asians; 49.5% vs.
82.3% for non-Asians, p < 0.001. South Asian women who undertook breast cancer screening in only one round were
no more likely to complete bowel cancer screening than those who decided against breast cancer screening in all
three rounds. In contrast, similar women in the non-Asian population had an increased likelihood of completing the
new bowel cancer screening test. The likelihood of continued uptake of mammography after undertaking screening in
round 1 differed between South Asian religio-linguistic groups. Noticeably, women in the Muslim population were less
likely to continue to participate in mammography than those in other South Asian groups.
Conclusions: Culturally appropriate targeted interventions are required to reduce observed disparities in cancer
screening uptakes
Dose and energy dependence of mechanical properties of focused electron beam induced pillar deposits from Cu(C5HF6O2)2
Bending and vibration tests performed inside the scanning electron microscope
were used to mechanically characterize high-aspect pillars grown by focused
electron-beam (FEB) induced deposition from the precursor Cu(C5HF6O2)2.
Supported by finite element (FE) analysis the Young's modulus was determined
from load-deflection measurements using cantilever-based force sensing and the
material density from additional resonance vibration analysis. The pillar
material consisted of a carbonaceous (C, O, F, H containing) matrix which
embeds 5...10 at. % Cu deposited at 5 keV and 20 keV primary electron energy
and 100 pA beam current, depending on primary electron energy. Young's moduli
of the FEB deposits increased from 17+/-6 GPa to 25+/-8 GPa with increasing
electron dose. The density of the carbonaceous matrix shows a dependence on the
primary electron energy: 1.2+/-0.3 g cm-3 (5 keV) and 2.2+/-0.5 g cm-3 (20
keV). At a given primary energy a correlation with the irradiation dose is
found. Quality factors determined from the phase relation at resonance of the
fundamental pillar vibration mode were in the range of 150 to 600 and
correlated to the deposited irradiation energy.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
Anomalous J/psi suppression and charmonium dissociation cross sections
We study suppression in Pb+Pb collisions at CERN-SPS energies in
hadronic matter with energy- and temperature-dependent charmonium dissociation
cross sections calculated in the quark-interchange model of Barnes and Swanson.
We find that the variation of J/ survival probability from peripheral to
central collisions can be explained as induced by hadronic matter absorption in
central collisions.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures, LaTex, changed for the latest NA50 dat
Transposing tirtha: Understanding religious reforms and locative piety in early modern Hinduism
The paper deals with a historical and hitherto obscure case of de-commercialisation of sacred geography of India. Sahajanand Swami, an eighteenth century religious leader from Gujarat who became popular as Bhagwan Swaminarayan took an initiative to eliminate corruption in Dwarka, one of the most sacred destination in Hindu imagination. He also attempted to transpose the piety of Dwarka and recreate a parallel religious experience at Vadtal, an important site in Swaminarayan Hinduism. This process of making sacred sites more egalitarian is classified here as a 'religious reform'. The paper assesses this bivalent pursuit as an institutional reform within religion as well as a religious process in the context of piety, authority and orthodoxy. Through the example of Sahajanand Swami, it is argued to calibrate the colonial paradigm of reform that was largely contextual to social issues and western thought and failed to appreciate the religious reforms of that era. By constructing a nuanced typology of 'religious reform' distinct from 'social reforms', the paper eventually calls for a reassessment of religious figures who have significantly contributed in reforming the Hindu tradition in the medieval and modern era
The feasibility and results of a population-based approach to evaluating prostate-specific antigen screening for prostate cancer in men with a raised familial risk
The feasibility of a population-based evaluation of screening for prostate cancer in men with a raised familial risk was investigated by studying reasons for non-participation and uptake rates according to postal recruitment and clinic contact. The levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the positive predictive values (PPV) for cancer in men referred with a raised PSA and in those biopsied were analysed. First-degree male relatives (FDRs) were identified through index cases (ICs): patients living in two regions of England and diagnosed with prostate cancer at age ⩽65 years from 1998 to 2004. First-degree relatives were eligible if they were aged 45–69 years, living in the UK and had no prior diagnosis of prostate cancer. Postal recruitment was low (45 of 1687 ICs agreed to their FDR being contacted: 2.7%) but this was partly due to ICs not having eligible FDRs. A third of ICs in clinic had eligible FDRs and 49% (192 out of 389) agreed to their FDR(s) being contacted. Of 220 eligible FDRs who initially consented, 170 (77.3%) had a new PSA test taken and 32 (14.5%) provided a previous PSA result. Among the 170 PSA tests, 10% (17) were ⩾4 ng ml−1 and 13.5% (23) tests above the age-related cutoffs. In 21 men referred, five were diagnosed with prostate cancer (PPV 24%; 95% CI 8, 47). To study further the effects of screening, patients with a raised familial risk should be counselled in clinic about screening of relatives and data routinely recorded so that the effects of screening on high-risk groups can be studied
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