Search for solar axions: CAST

The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is searching for axions produced in the Sun's core by the Primakoff process. CAST is using a decommissioned Large Hadron Collider (LHC) test magnet where axions could be converted back into X-rays with energies up to 10 keV. Analysis of the 2003 data showed no signal above background implying an upper limit for the axion-photon coupling constant gagg < 1.16 X 10 ^-10 GeV exp -1 at 95% C.L. for ma . 0.02 eV [1]. The higher quality 2004 data is presently under analysis. CAST Phase II is scheduled to start in late 2005. This will be the first step in extending CAST's sensitivity to axion rest masses up to ~ 1 eV

Detekcija periferne arterijske bolesti kod pacijenata sa tipom 2 dijabetes melitusa u ambulanti porodične medicine

Uvod. Periferna arterijska bolest (PAB) je progresivna, okluzivna, aterosklerotskabolest krvnih sudova, a pacijenati sa dijabetes melitusom (DM) imajuznačajno veći rizik za razvoj ove bolesti. Cilj ove studije je bio da se utvrdiučestalost PAB kod pacijenata sa tipom 2 DM mjerenjem pedo-brahijalnog(PB) indeksa u ambulanti porodične medicine.Metode. Studija presjeka je uključila pacijente sa tipom 2 DM registrovaneu ambulantama porodične medicine Doma zdravlja Laktaši. MjerenjePB indeksa je vršeno na oscilometrijskom aparatu “Boso ABI Mess 100“, aPAB je dijagnostikovana ako je vrijednost PB indeksa bila manja od 0,9 iliveća od 1,3.Rezultati. Ispitivanje je obuhvatilo 178 (90 muškaraca) ispitanika sa tipom2 DM preko 50 godina starosti. PAB je registrovana kod 26 (14,6%) ispitanika,sa potvrđenom značajnom razlikom u PB indeksu (lijeva/desna noga)između pacijenata sa PAB i pacijenata bez PAB (0,82/0,84 vs. 1,04/1,05; p< 0,01). Prosječno trajanje DM bilo je duže kod bolesnika sa u odnosu naone bez PAB (12 vs. 8 godina; p = 0,097), a srednje vrijednosti HbA1c subile podjednake u obje grupe (7,7% vs. 7,9% ; p = 0,634). Nije potvrđenarazlika u učestalosti hipertenzije, dislipidemije i gojaznosti između bolesnikasa, odnosno bez PAB, ali je bilo značajno više pušača među bolesnicimasa PAB (p<0,01).Zaključak. Prevalencija PAB kod ispitanih pacijenata sa tipom 2 DM jeiznosila 14,6%. Dijabetes je trajao neznačajno duže kod pacijenata sa PABi među njima je bilo značajno više pušača nego u grupi bez PAB. Edinburškiupitnik za klaudikacije je bio pozitivan kod samo trećine pacijenata sa PAB.Mjerenjem PB indeksa se može rano dijagnostikovati PAB kod mnogo većegbroja pacijenata sa tipom 2 DM nego primjenom Edinburškog upitnika

Dietary amino acid and vitamin complex protects honey bee from immunosuppression caused by Nosema ceranae

Microsporidium Nosema ceranae is well known for exerting a negative impact on honey bee health, including down-regulation of immunoregulatory genes. Protein nutrition has been proven to have beneficial effects on bee immunity and other aspects of bee health. Bearing this in mind, the aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of a dietary amino acid and vitamin complex "BEEWELL AminoPlus" to protect honey bees from immunosuppression induced by N. ceranae. In a laboratory experiment bees were infected with N. ceranae and treated with supplement on first, third, sixth and ninth day after emergence. The expression of genes for immune-related peptides (abaecin, apidaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin and vitellogenin) was compared between groups. The results revealed significantly lower (p lt 0.01 or p lt 0.001) numbers of Nosema spores in supplemented groups than in the control especially on day 12 post infection. With the exception of abacein, the expression levels of immune-related peptides were significantly suppressed (p lt 0.01 or p lt 0.001) in control group on the 12th day post infection, compared to bees that received the supplement. It was supposed that N. ceranae had a negative impact on bee immunity and that the tested amino acid and vitamin complex modified the expression of immune-related genes in honey bees compromised by infection, suggesting immune-stimulation that reflects in the increase in resistance to diseases and reduced bee mortality. The supplement exerted best efficacy when applied simultaneously with Nosema infection, which can help us to assume the most suitable period for its application in the hive

Weighing the Solar Axion

Axion helioscopes search for solar axions and axion-like particles via inverse Primakoff conversion in strong laboratory magnets pointed at the Sun. While helioscopes can always measure the axion coupling to photons, the conversion signal is independent of the mass for axions lighter than around 0.02 eV. Masses above this value on the other hand have suppressed signals due to axion-photon oscillations which destroy the coherence of the conversion along the magnet. However, the spectral oscillations present in the axion conversion signal between these two regimes are highly dependent on the axion mass. We show that these oscillations are observable given realistic energy resolutions and can be used to determine the axion mass to within percent level accuracies. Using projections for the upcoming helioscope IAXO, we demonstrate that $>3\sigma$ sensitivity to a non-zero axion mass is possible between $3 \times 10^{-3}$ and $10^{-1}$ eV for both the Primakoff and axion-electron solar fluxes.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, matches published version, code available at http://cajohare.github.io/IAXOmas