Exploring a Potentially Significant New(?) Mechanism for Methane Generation on Mars

An unexplored mechanism for methane production on Mars is presented here. Meteor showers have been hypothesized [1] as an explanation for episodic martian methane events [2-7], as the timing of meteor showers consistently correlates with the episodic methane events. The hypothesis [1] relied on production of methane via UV photolysis of extraterrestrial carbonaceous material [8,9] following dissemination of material into the martian atmosphere and onto the surface. Recently, new insights have emerged about an overlooked mechanism for methane production plasma methanation [10,11] of martian atmospheric CO2 in meteor plasma. This mechanism can generate methane in addition to that produced by the previously explored methods of direct thermal evolution and UV photolysis, adding to the total methane budget produced through meteor infall. It also delivers methane in a rapid manner consistent with past observations of episodic methane plumes on Mars, and at altitudes where methane is rapidly removed afterwards. Methane produced by plasma methanation occurs at high altitude, which matches observations made on Mars where measurements collected through the full thickness of the martian atmosphere are of consistently higher methane concentrations (>10 ppbv [2-6]) than those recorded on the surface by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover (<10 ppbv [7]). High-altitude methane should be detected by the ESA Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) which has not noted any methane to date. This result is puzzling regardless of the source of methane, but may be explained by the random nature of meteor shower outbursts a significant infall may simply not have occurred (yet) during the ~3-Earth-year period of TGO observations

Tactile spatial attention enhances gamma-band activity in somatosensory cortex and reduces low-frequency activity in parieto-occipital areas.

We investigated the effects of spatial-selective attention on oscillatory neuronal dynamics in a tactile delayed-match-to-sample task. Whole-head magnetoencephalography was recorded in healthy subjects while dot patterns were presented to their index fingers using Braille stimulators. The subjects’ task was to report the reoccurrence of an initially presented sample pattern in a series of up to eight test stimuli that were presented unpredictably to their right or left index finger. Attention was cued to one side (finger) at the beginning of each trial, and subjects performed the task at the attended side, ignoring the unattended side. After stimulation, high-frequency gamma-band activity (60 –95 Hz) in presumed primary somatosensory cortex (S1) was enhanced, whereas alpha- and beta-band activity were suppressed in somatosensory and occipital areas and then rebounded. Interestingly, despite the absence of any visual stimulation, we also found time-locked activation of medial occipital, presumably visual, cortex. Most relevant, spatial tactile attention enhanced stimulus-induced gamma-band activity in brain regions consistent with contralateral S1 and deepened and prolonged the stimulus induced suppression of beta- and alpha-band activity, maximal in parieto-occipital cortex. Additionally, the beta rebound over contralateral sensorimotor areas was suppressed. Wehypothesize that spatial-selective attention enhances the saliency of sensory representations by synchronizing neuronal responses in early somatosensory cortex and thereby enhancing their impact on downstream areas and facilitating interareal processing. Furthermore, processing of tactile patterns also seems to recruit visual cortex and this even more so for attended compared with unattended stimuli

Early Time Evolution of High Energy Heavy Ion Collisions

We solve the Yang-Mills equations in the framework of the McLerran-Venugopalan model for small times tau after a collision of two nuclei. An analytic expansion around tau=0 leads to explicit results for the field strength and the energy momentum tensor of the gluon field at early times. We then discuss constraints for the energy density, pressure and flow of the plasma phase that emerges after thermalization of the gluon field.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; contribution to Quark Matter 2006; submitted to J. Phys.

Tracing of Neuronal Connections in the Human Brain by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in vivo

Axon degeneration after disruption of fibre tracts in the mammalian nervous system is accompanied by myelin breakdown which leads to changes in its magnetic resonance properties. In two patients with pure motor strokes due to small ischaemic lesions restricted to the internal capsule, magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a narrow band of pathological signal increase descending band-like into the brain stem and ascending to the precentral gyrus, which corresponded to the well-known path of the pyramidal tract. The findings suggest that in man anterograde and possibly retrograde fibre degeneration can be traced in vivo by conventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Critical conditions are the presence of small, strategically located lesions, appropriate choice of imaging plane, and the interval between time of lesion and of imaging. This demonstration may open a new era for functional neuroanatomy of man

Quark Recombination and Heavy Quark Diffusion in Hot Nuclear Matter

We discuss resonance recombination for quarks and show that it is compatible with quark and hadron distributions in local thermal equilibrium. We then calculate realistic heavy quark phase space distributions in heavy ion collisions using Langevin simulations with non-perturbative T-matrix interactions in hydrodynamic backgrounds. We hadronize the heavy quarks on the critical hypersurface given by hydrodynamics after constructing a criterion for the relative recombination and fragmentation contributions. We discuss the influence of recombination and flow on the resulting heavy meson and single electron R_AA and elliptic flow. We will also comment on the effect of diffusion of open heavy flavor mesons in the hadronic phase.Comment: Contribution to Quark Matter 2011, submitted to J.Phys.G; 4 pages, 5 figure

Transversity distributions and Drell-Yan spin asymmetries

We discuss transversity distributions and Drell-Yan transverse double spin asymmetries. First, the antiquark flavor asymmetry $\Delta_{_T} \bar u/\Delta_{_T} \bar d$ is discussed by using two different descriptions, a meson-cloud model and a Pauli exclusion model. We find that both calculations produce a significant $\Delta_{_T} \bar d$ excess over $\Delta_{_T} \bar u$. Next, we study its effects on the transverse spin asymmetry $A_{_{TT}}$ and on the Drell-Yan proton-deuteron asymmetry $\Delta_{_T}\sigma^{pd}/2 \Delta_{_T}\sigma^{pp}$. We find that the ratio $\Delta_{_T}\sigma^{pd}/2 \Delta_{_T}\sigma^{pp}$ is very useful for investigating the flavor asymmetry effect.Comment: 1+3 pages, LATEX with npb.sty, 2 eps figures. Talk given at the 7th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and QCD, DESY Zeuthen, Germany, April 29 -- 23,1999, to be published in Nuclear Physics B. Complete postscript file including the figures is available at http://www2.cc.saga-u.ac.jp/saga-u/riko/physics/quantum1/structure.html Email: [email protected]

Competition, restructuring and firm performance: evidence of an inverted-U relationship from a cross-country survey of firms in transition economies

This paper examines the importance of competition in the growth anddevelopment of firms. We draw on a survey of 3,300 firms in 25transition countries to shed light on the factors that influencerestructuring by firms and their subsequent performance. These datahave three main advantages over those used in previous work. First,they measure directly the degree of competition perceived by each firmin its principal market rather than attempting to infer this from marketdata as measured by statistical agencies. Second, the fact that transitioncountries have market structures inherited from the past avoids some ofthe endogeneity problems associated with measures of competition inmarket economies. Third, the breadth of cross-country variationprovides a method of dealing with the fact that firm-level measures ofthe external environment will not be independent of the firm?s ownperformance. We find evidence of a robust inverted-U effect ofcompetition on performance that is both statistically and economicallysignificant. This paper examines the importance of competition in the growth anddevelopment of firms. We draw on a survey of 3,300 firms in 25transition countries to shed light on the factors that influencerestructuring by firms and their subsequent performance. These datahave three main advantages over those used in previous work. First,they measure directly the degree of competition perceived by each firmin its principal market rather than attempting to infer this from marketdata as measured by statistical agencies. Second, the fact that transitioncountries have market structures inherited from the past avoids some ofthe endogeneity problems associated with measures of competition inmarket economies. Third, the breadth of cross-country variationprovides a method of dealing with the fact that firm-level measures ofthe external environment will not be independent of the firm?s ownperformance. We find evidence of a robust inverted-U effect ofcompetition on performance that is both statistically and economicallysignificant

The Community Safety Net and Prescription Drug Access for Low-Income, Uninsured People

Examines strategies adopted by hospitals and community health centers to maintain access to affordable brand name and generic prescription drugs. Based on site visits to twelve nationally representative communities