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Analysis of spherical geometry finite element transport solutions in the thick diffusion limit
An asymptotic analysis if performed on a family of discontinuous finite element methods (DFEMs) for spherical geometry transport. It is found that transport methods of this type transition into discrete versions of the spherical geometry diffusion equation in the thick diffusion limit with boundary conditions that may, in general, be inaccurate. A linear DFEM method has been designed such that its asymptotic diffusion boundary conditions are accurate. In a related development, the asymptotic diffusion equation is used to accelerate the transport calculation and the iterative scheme is fully described. The results of the analysis are confirmed by numerical testing of the specific case of linear elements. 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab
Global Fluctuation Spectra in Big Crunch/Big Bang String Vacua
We study Big Crunch/Big Bang cosmologies that correspond to exact world-sheet
superconformal field theories of type II strings. The string theory spacetime
contains a Big Crunch and a Big Bang cosmology, as well as additional
``whisker'' asymptotic and intermediate regions. Within the context of free
string theory, we compute, unambiguously, the scalar fluctuation spectrum in
all regions of spacetime. Generically, the Big Crunch fluctuation spectrum is
altered while passing through the bounce singularity. The change in the
spectrum is characterized by a function , which is momentum and
time-dependent. We compute explicitly and demonstrate that it arises
from the whisker regions. The whiskers are also shown to lead to
``entanglement'' entropy in the Big Bang region. Finally, in the Milne orbifold
limit of our superconformal vacua, we show that and, hence, the
fluctuation spectrum is unaltered by the Big Crunch/Big Bang singularity. We
comment on, but do not attempt to resolve, subtleties related to gravitational
backreaction and light winding modes when interactions are taken into account.Comment: 68 pages, 1 figure; typos correcte
Radiosensitization of DNA in presence of Pt(II)-based compounds
X-ray irradiation of plasmid DNA in presence of platinum (II)-based compounds was carried out in order to assess the radiosensitization capabilities of these drugs. In present investigations pBR322 plasmid DNA was used to monitor effectiveness of chosen compounds in inducing strand breaks. Samples were incubated in presence of potential radiosensitisers: platinum (II) bromide and cis-diamminedibromoplatinum (II). The results were examined against a common cancer chemotherapy drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II). It was found that platinum (II) bromide can greatly increase the levels of single- and double-strand break formation observed in the irradiated samples with respect to the samples containing platinum as a radiosensitizer only, possessing very little chemotherapeutic activity. The suggested drugs exhibit much higher level of radiosensitivity than widely used cisplatin and thus may be good candidates for cancer treatment
Strings in the Extended BTZ Spacetime
We study string theory on the extended spacetime of the BTZ black hole, as
described by an orbifold of the SL(2,R) WZW model. The full spacetime has an
infinite number of disconnected boundary components, each corresponding to a
dual CFT. We discuss the computation of bulk and boundary correlation functions
for operators inserted on different components. String theory correlation
functions are obtained by analytic continuation from an orbifold of the
SL(2,C)/SU(2) coset model. This yields two-point functions for general
operators, including those describing strings that wind around the horizon of
the black hole.Comment: 35 pages, harvmac, 5 eps figures, uses epsf.tex. (v2): Extended
discussion in section 3.1, typo corrections, references adde
Planck 2015 results. XXVII. The Second Planck Catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich Sources
We present the all-sky Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) sources detected from the 29 month full-mission data. The catalogue (PSZ2) is the largest SZ-selected sample of galaxy clusters yet produced and the deepest all-sky catalogue of galaxy clusters. It contains 1653 detections, of which 1203 are confirmed clusters with identified counterparts in external data-sets, and is the first SZ-selected cluster survey containing > confirmed clusters. We present a detailed analysis of the survey selection function in terms of its completeness and statistical reliability, placing a lower limit of 83% on the purity. Using simulations, we find that the Y5R500 estimates are robust to pressure-profile variation and beam systematics, but accurate conversion to Y500 requires. the use of prior information on the cluster extent. We describe the multi-wavelength search for counterparts in ancillary data, which makes use of radio, microwave, infra-red, optical and X-ray data-sets, and which places emphasis on the robustness of the counterpart match. We discuss the physical properties of the new sample and identify a population of low-redshift X-ray under- luminous clusters revealed by SZ selection. These objects appear in optical and SZ surveys with consistent properties for their mass, but are almost absent from ROSAT X-ray selected samples
Planck intermediate results. VIII. Filaments between interacting clusters
About half of the baryons of the Universe are expected to be in the form of
filaments of hot and low density intergalactic medium. Most of these baryons
remain undetected even by the most advanced X-ray observatories which are
limited in sensitivity to the diffuse low density medium. The Planck satellite
has provided hundreds of detections of the hot gas in clusters of galaxies via
the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect and is an ideal instrument for
studying extended low density media through the tSZ effect. In this paper we
use the Planck data to search for signatures of a fraction of these missing
baryons between pairs of galaxy clusters. Cluster pairs are good candidates for
searching for the hotter and denser phase of the intergalactic medium (which is
more easily observed through the SZ effect). Using an X-ray catalogue of
clusters and the Planck data, we select physical pairs of clusters as
candidates. Using the Planck data we construct a local map of the tSZ effect
centered on each pair of galaxy clusters. ROSAT data is used to construct X-ray
maps of these pairs. After having modelled and subtracted the tSZ effect and
X-ray emission for each cluster in the pair we study the residuals on both the
SZ and X-ray maps. For the merging cluster pair A399-A401 we observe a
significant tSZ effect signal in the intercluster region beyond the virial
radii of the clusters. A joint X-ray SZ analysis allows us to constrain the
temperature and density of this intercluster medium. We obtain a temperature of
kT = 7.1 +- 0.9, keV (consistent with previous estimates) and a baryon density
of (3.7 +- 0.2)x10^-4, cm^-3. The Planck satellite mission has provided the
first SZ detection of the hot and diffuse intercluster gas.Comment: Accepted by A&
Toward a 21st-century health care system: Recommendations for health care reform
The coverage, cost, and quality problems of the U.S. health care system are evident. Sustainable health care reform must go beyond financing expanded access to care to substantially changing the organization and delivery of care. The FRESH-Thinking Project (www.fresh-thinking.org) held a series of workshops during which physicians, health policy experts, health insurance executives, business leaders, hospital administrators, economists, and others who represent diverse perspectives came together. This group agreed that the following 8 recommendations are fundamental to successful reform: 1. Replace the current fee-for-service payment system with a payment system that encourages and rewards innovation in the efficient delivery of quality care. The new payment system should invest in the development of outcome measures to guide payment. 2. Establish a securely funded, independent agency to sponsor and evaluate research on the comparative effectiveness of drugs, devices, and other medical interventions. 3. Simplify and rationalize federal and state laws and regulations to facilitate organizational innovation, support care coordination, and streamline financial and administrative functions. 4. Develop a health information technology infrastructure with national standards of interoperability to promote data exchange. 5. Create a national health database with the participation of all payers, delivery systems, and others who own health care data. Agree on methods to make de-identified information from this database on clinical interventions, patient outcomes, and costs available to researchers. 6. Identify revenue sources, including a cap on the tax exclusion of employer-based health insurance, to subsidize health care coverage with the goal of insuring all Americans. 7. Create state or regional insurance exchanges to pool risk, so that Americans without access to employer-based or other group insurance could obtain a standard benefits package through these exchanges. Employers should also be allowed to participate in these exchanges for their employees' coverage. 8. Create a health coverage board with broad stakeholder representation to determine and periodically update the affordable standard benefit package available through state or regional insurance exchanges
Radio- and photosensitization of DNA with compounds containing platinum and bromine atoms
Irradiations of plasmid DNA by both X-rays and UV light in the presence and absence of compounds containing platinum and bromine atoms were performed in order to asses the sensitization potential of these compounds. Plasmid DNA pBR322 was incubated with platinum (II) bromide, hydrogen hexabromoplatinate (IV), hydrogen hexahydroxyplatinate (IV) and sodium hexahydroxyplatinate (IV). Incubation was followed by X-ray or UV irradiations. It was found that amongst the sensitizers tested, during irradiations carried out in the presence of platinum (II) bromide, the highest levels of double strand breaks formation upon X-ray treatment were recorded. In contrast much less damage was induced by UV light. Data presented here suggests that this compound may be a promising radiosensitizer for cancer treatment
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