Glueball plus pion production in hadron collisions

Using a non--relativistic gluon bound--state model for glueballs (G), we compute the subprocess $q\,\bar q\, \to\, G\,\pi$, and we therefrom derive the yield of the overall reaction $p\,\bar p\, \to\, G\,\pi X$, assuming the glueball and the pion to be emitted with their transverse momenta large, opposite and approximately equal. Numerical results are presented in the form of $p_T$ spectra for various glueball candidates and their possible quantum states, assuming those particles to be produced, in the type of reactions here considered, at high--energy $p\,\bar p$ colliders such as the CERN Sp\=pS.Comment: 14 pages + 8 figures, REVTeX 3.0, figures appended as uuencoded, compressed postscript file. To appear in Zeit. Phys.

Evidence for J and H-band excess in classical T Tauri stars and the implications for disk structure and estimated ages

We argue that classical T Tauri stars (cTTs) possess significant non- photospheric excess in the J and H bands. We first show that normalizing the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of cTTs to the J-band leads to a poor fit of the optical fluxes, while normalizing the SEDs to the Ic-band produces a better fit to the optical bands and in many cases reveals the presence of a considerable excess at J and H. NIR spectroscopic veiling measurements from the literature support this result. We find that J and H-band excesses correlate well with the K-band excess, and that the J-K and H-K colors of the excess emission are consistent with that of a black body at the dust sublimation temperature (~ 1500-2000 K). We propose that this near-IR excess originates at a hot inner rim, analogous to those suggested to explain the near-IR bump in the SEDs of Herbig Ae/Be stars. To test our hypothesis, we use the model presented by Dullemond et al. (2001) to fit the photometry data between 0.5 um and 24 um of 10 cTTs associated with the Chamaeleon II molecular cloud. The models that best fit the data are those where the inner radius of the disk is larger than expected for a rim in thermal equilibrium with the photospheric radiation field alone. In particular, we find that large inner rims are necessary to account for the mid infrared fluxes (3.6-8.0 um) obtained by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Finally, we argue that deriving the stellar luminosities of cTTs by making bolometric corrections to the J-band fluxes systematically overestimates these luminosities. The overestimated luminosities translate into underestimated ages when the stars are placed in the H-R diagram. Thus, the results presented herein have important implications for the dissipation timescale of inner accretion disks.Comment: 45 pages, 13 figure

Experiences of Home-living Vulnerable Older Adults with Clinical Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: Little is known about the diversity of older adults’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We therefore investigated the pandemic experiences of home-living vulnerable older adults with depression, an understudied subpopulation. Methods: We conducted unstructured interviews with N= 20 older (60+ years) adults with clinical depression receiving care in their homes in June and again in December 2020. Interviews were coded according to the grounded theory approach. Results: We identified eight themes. Participants described feeling disconnected before and during the pandemic, which they attributed to their physical impairments and old age. Their social relations with family, medical providers, and caregivers helped them feel connected. Participants did not feel significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they missed social and physical contact. During the pandemic, isolation was normalized. Participants therefore experienced loneliness due to their isolation, but also a sense of togetherness with the rest of society. Isolation within the home was re-framed as cocooning, which provided a sense of autonomy. Participants nevertheless expressed resignation. Conclusions: Home-living vulnerable older adults with depression experienced loneliness but also a degree of relief during the pandemic. Clinical implications: Positively re-framing isolation and the stability of formal caregiving helped participants endure feeling disconnected during the pandemic

Insertion-Removal Tool for Low-Profile Modular CWDM Micro-Optics Assembly

CWDM micro-optics are small and can be easily contaminated. Disclosed is an insertion/removal tool with self-locating features to engage with the connector for a low-profile CWDM micro-optics assembly which is to be installed onto, or removed from, a mating socket on a substrate

Predicting Patient Patterns in Veterans Administration Emergency Departments

Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospitals represent a unique patient population within the healthcare system; for example, they have few female and pediatric patients, typically do not see many trauma cases and often do not accept ambulance runs. As such, veteran-specific studies are required to understand the particular needs and stumbling blocks of VA emergency department (ED) care. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the demographics of patients served at VA EDs and compare them to the national ED population at large. Our analysis reveals that the VA population exhibits a similar set of common chief complaints to the national ED population (and in similar proportions) and yet differs from the general population in many ways. For example, the VA treats an older, predominantly male population, and encounters a much lower incidence of trauma. Perhaps most significantly, the incidence of psychiatric disease at the VA is more than double that of the general population (10% vs. 4%) and accounts for a significant proportion of admissions (23%). Furthermore, the overall admission percentage at the VA hospital is nearly three times that of the ED population at large (36% versus 13%). This paper provides valuable insight into the make-up of a veteran’s population and can guide staffing and resource allocation accordingly