Two photon couplings of the lightest isoscalars from BELLE data

Amplitude Analysis of two photon production of $\pi\pi$ and ${\overline K}K$, using S-matrix constraints and fitting all available data, including the latest precision results from Belle, yields a single partial wave solution up to 1.4 GeV. The two photon couplings of the $\sigma/f_0(500)$, $f_0(980)$ and $f_2(1270)$ are determined from the residues of the resonance poles.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, extended for detail

Beyond the brotherhood: Skoal Bandits' role in the evolution of marketing moist smokeless tobacco pouches.

Background:Since 2006, "snus" smokeless tobacco has been sold in the U.S.. However, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco (USST) and Swedish Match developed and marketed pouched moist snuff tobacco (MST) since 1973. Methods:Analysis of previously secret tobacco documents, advertisements and trade press. Results:USST partnered with Swedish Match, forming United Scandia International to develop pouch products as part of the "Lotus Project." Pouched MST was not commonly used, either in Sweden or the U.S. prior to the Lotus Project's innovation in 1973. The project aimed to transform smokeless tobacco from being perceived as an "unsightly habit of old men" into a relevant, socially acceptable urban activity, targeting 15-35 year-old men. While USST's initial pouched product "Good Luck," never gained mainstream traction, Skoal Bandits captured significant market share after its 1983 introduction. Internal market research found that smokers generally used Skoal Bandits in smokefree environments, yet continued to smoke cigarettes in other contexts. Over time, pouch products increasingly featured increased flavor, size, nicotine strength and user imagery variation. Conclusions:Marlboro and Camel Snus advertising mirrors historical advertising for Skoal Bandits, designed to recruit new users and smokers subjected to smokefree places. Despite serious efforts, pouched MST marketing has been unable to dispel its association with traditional smokeless tobacco stereotypes as macho and rural. Public education efforts to discourage new users and dual use of MST and cigarettes should emphasize that "new" pouch products are simply repackaging "old" smokeless tobacco

Reply to Comment by D. Spemann et al [EPL 98 (2012) 57006, arXiv:1204.2992]

This article is a reply to the Comment by D. Spemann et al (arXiv:1204.2992) in response to our paper 'Revealing common artifacts due to ferromagnetic inclusions in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite' (EPL, 97 (2012) 47001).Comment: Reply to arXiv:1204.2992 Comment by D. Spemann et al re arXiv:1201.6374 by Sepioni et a

Fate of the Peak Effect in a Type-II Superconductor: Multicriticality in the Bragg-Glass Transition

We have used small-angle-neutron-scattering (SANS) and ac magnetic susceptibility to investigate the global magnetic field H vs temperature T phase diagram of a single crystal Nb in which a first-order transition of Bragg-glass melting (disordering), a peak effect, and surface superconductivity are all observable. It was found that the disappearance of the peak effect is directly related to a multicritical behavior in the Bragg-glass transition. Four characteristic phase boundary lines have been identified on the H-T plane: a first-order line at high fields, a mean-field-like continuous transition line at low fields, and two continuous transition line associated with the onset of surface and bulk superconductivity. All four lines are found to meet at a multicritical point.Comment: 4 figure

Preparation and characterization of electrodes for the NASA Redox storage system

Electrodes for the Redox energy storage system based on iron and chromium chloride reactants is discussed. The physical properties of several lots of felt were determined. Procedures were developed for evaluating electrode performance in lab scale cells. Experimental procedures for evaluating electrodes by cyclic voltammetry are described which minimize the IR losses due to the high internal resistance in the felt (distributed resistance). Methods to prepare electrodes which reduced the coevolution of hydrogen at the chromium electrode and eleminate the drop in voltage on discharge occasionally seen with previous electrodes were discussed. Single cells of 0.3329 ft area with improved membranes and electrodes are operating at over 80% voltage efficiency and coulombic efficiencies of over 98% at current densities of 16 to 20 amp % ft

Halo Geometry and Dark Matter Annihilation Signal

We study the impact of the halo shape and geometry on the expected weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter annihilation signal from the galactic center. As the halo profile in the innermost region is still poorly constrained, we consider different density behaviors like flat cores, cusps and spikes, as well as geometrical distortions. We show that asphericity has a strong impact on the annihilation signal when the halo profile near the galactic center is flat, but becomes gradually less significant for cuspy profiles, and negligible in the presence of a central spike. However, the astrophysical factor is strongly dependent on the WIMP mass and annihilation cross-section in the latter case.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, PR

Gamma-Ray Spectra & Variability of the Crab Nebula Emission Observed by BATSE

We report ~ 600 days of BATSE earth-occultation observations of the total gamma-ray (30 keV to 1.7 MeV) emission from the Crab nebula, between 1991 May 24 (TJD 8400) and 1994 October 2 (TJD 9627). Lightcurves from 35-100, 100-200, 200-300, 300-400, 400-700, and 700-1000 keV, show that positive fluxes were detected by BATSE in each of these six energy bands at significances of approximately 31, 20, 9.2, 4.5, 2.6, and 1.3 sigma respectively per day. We also observed significant flux and spectral variations in the 35-300 keV energy region, with time scales of days to weeks. The spectra below 300 keV, averaged over typical CGRO viewing periods of 6-13 days, can be well described by a broken power law with average indices of ~ 2.1 and ~ 2.4 varying around a spectral break at ~ 100 keV. Above 300 keV, the long-term averaged spectra, averaged over three 400 d periods (TJD 8400-8800, 8800-9200, and 9200-9628, respectively) are well represented by the same power law with index of ~ 2.34 up to ~ 670 keV, plus a hard spectral component extending from ~ 670 keV to ~ 1.7 MeV, with a spectral index of ~ 1.75. The latter component could be related to a complex structure observed by COMPTEL in the 0.7-3 MeV range. Above 3 MeV, the extrapolation of the power-law continuum determined by the low-energy BATSE spectrum is consistent with fluxes measured by COMPTEL in the 3-25 MeV range, and by EGRET from 30-50 MeV. We interpret these results as synchrotron emission produced by the interaction of particles ejected from the pulsar with the field in different dynamical regions of the nebula system, as observed recently by HST, XMM-Newton, and Chandra.Comment: To be published in the November 20, 2003, Vol 598 issue of the Astrophysical Journa

The Histone 3'-Terminal Stem-Loop-Binding Protein Enhances Translation through a Functional and Physical Interaction with Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4G (eIF4G) and eIF3

Metazoan cell cycle-regulated histone mRNAs are unique cellular mRNAs in that they terminate in a highly conserved stem-loop structure instead of a poly(A) tail. Not only is the stem-loop structure necessary for 3'-end formation but it regulates the stability and translational efficiency of histone mRNAs. The histone stem-loop structure is recognized by the stem-loop-binding protein (SLBP), which is required for the regulation of mRNA processing and turnover. In this study, we show that SLBP is required for the translation of mRNAs containing the histone stem-loop structure. Moreover, we show that the translation of mRNAs ending in the histone stem-loop is stimulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells expressing mammalian SLBP. The translational function of SLBP genetically required eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), eIF4G, and eIF3, and expressed SLBP coisolated with S. cerevisiae initiation factor complexes that bound the 5' cap in a manner dependent on eIF4G and eIF3. Furthermore, eIF4G coimmunoprecipitated with endogenous SLBP in mammalian cell extracts and recombinant SLBP and eIF4G coisolated. These data indicate that SLBP stimulates the translation of histone mRNAs through a functional interaction with both the mRNA stem-loop and the 5' cap that is mediated by eIF4G and eIF3

Monitoring the Low-Energy Gamma-Ray Sky Using Earth Occultation with GLAST GBM

Long term all-sky monitoring of the 20 keV – 2 MeV gamma-ray sky using the Earth occultation technique was demonstrated by the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The principles and techniques used for the development of an end-to-end earth occultation data analysis system for BATSE can be extended to the GLAST Burst Monitor (GBM), resulting in multiband light curves and time-resolved spectra in the energy range 8 keV to above 1 MeV for known gamma-ray sources and transient outbursts, as well as the discovery of new sources of gamma-ray emission. In this paper we describe the application of the technique to the GBM. We also present the expected sensitivity for the GBM

Application of computational physics within Northrop

An overview of Northrop programs in computational physics is presented. These programs depend on access to today's supercomputers, such as the Numerical Aerodynamical Simulator (NAS), and future growth on the continuing evolution of computational engines. Descriptions here are concentrated on the following areas: computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computational electromagnetics (CEM), computer architectures, and expert systems. Current efforts and future directions in these areas are presented. The impact of advances in the CFD area is described, and parallels are drawn to analagous developments in CEM. The relationship between advances in these areas and the development of advances (parallel) architectures and expert systems is also presented