497 research outputs found
Power Laws and the Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum
Two separate statistical tests are applied to the AGASA and preliminary Auger
Cosmic Ray Energy spectra in an attempt to find deviation from a pure
power-law. The first test is constructed from the probability distribution for
the maximum event of a sample drawn from a power-law. The second employs the
TP-statistic, a function defined to deviate from zero when the sample deviates
from the power-law form, regardless of the value of the power index. The AGASA
data show no significant deviation from a power-law when subjected to both
tests. Applying these tests to the Auger spectrum suggests deviation from a
power-law. However, potentially large systematics on the relative energy scale
prevent us from drawing definite conclusions at this time.Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Astro. Part. Phy
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Search for exotic particles at CDF
We have searched for exotic particles in p[bar p] collisions at 1.8 TeV in data taken with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We review our published limits on W[prime] and Z[prime] masses, and on the scale of lepton-quark compositeness. We also report preliminary mass limits based on searches for leptoquarks, supersymmetric quarks and gluons, and exotic, stable colored fermions
European parasitoids of Lilioceris lilii (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii Scopoli, was first found in North America near Montreal, Canada, in 1943 (LeSage 1992). It was recovered in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1992 (Livingston 1996), and now occurs throughout all of the New England states and in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. It is a serious pest of native and cultivated lilies (Liliaceae) (Livingston 1996). This univoltine insect overwinters as an adult and after initiating feeding in the spring, oviposits in rows on the undersides of lily leaves. Larvae, which carry a fecal shield, pass through four instars before pupating in the soil. In North America, larval feeding often results in complete plant defoliation. Lilioceris lilii apparently originated in Asia (Berti and Rapilly 1976), and now exists throughout Eurasia from Siberia to Morocco and from the United Kingdom to China (Labeyrie 1963; Lu and Casagrande 1998). Based on its Eurasian distribution, L. lilii will likely increase its distribution in North Americ
Metal-insulator transition in disordered 2DEG including temperature effects
We calculate self-consistently the mutual dependence of electron correlations
and electron-defect scattering for a two dimensional electron gas at finite
temperature. We employ an STLS approach to calculate the electron correlations
while the electron scattering rate off Coulombic impurities and surface
roughness is calculated using self-consistent current-relaxation theory. The
methods are combined and self-consistently solved. We discuss a metal-insulator
transition for a range of disorder levels and electron densities. Our results
are in good agreement with recent experimental observations.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX + epsf, 5 figure
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Baseline Repeated Measures from Controlled Human Exposure Studies: Associations between Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and the Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers IL-6 and Fibrinogen
Introduction: Systemic inflammation may be one of the mechanisms mediating the association between ambient air pollution and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and fibrinogen are biomarkers of systemic inflammation that are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Objective: We investigated the association between ambient air pollution and systemic inflammation using baseline measurements of IL-6 and fibrinogen from controlled human exposure studies. Methods: In this retrospective analysis we used repeated-measures data in 45 nonsmoking subjects. Hourly and daily moving averages were calculated for ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5). Linear mixed-model regression determined the effects of the pollutants on systemic IL-6 and fibrinogen. Effect modification by season was considered. Results: We observed a positive association between IL-6 and O3 [0.31 SD per O3 interquartile range (IQR); 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.08–0.54] and between IL-6 and SO2 (0.25 SD per SO2 IQR; 95% CI, 0.06–0.43). We observed the strongest effects using 4-day moving averages. Responses to pollutants varied by season and tended to be higher in the summer, particularly for O3 and PM2.5. Fibrinogen was not associated with pollution. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a significant association between ambient pollutant levels and baseline levels of systemic IL-6. These findings have potential implications for controlled human exposure studies. Future research should consider whether ambient pollution exposure before chamber exposure modifies IL-6 response
A Nonlinear Force-Free Magnetic Field Approximation Suitable for Fast Forward-Fitting to Coronal Loops. I. Theory
We derive an analytical approximation of nonlinear force-free magnetic field
solutions (NLFFF) that can efficiently be used for fast forward-fitting to
solar magnetic data, constrained either by observed line-of-sight magnetograms
and stereoscopically triangulated coronal loops, or by 3D vector-magnetograph
data. The derived NLFFF solutions provide the magnetic field components
, , , the force-free parameter
, the electric current density , and are
accurate to second-order (of the nonlinear force-free -parameter). The
explicit expressions of a force-free field can easily be applied to modeling or
forward-fitting of many coronal phenomena.Comment: Solar Physics (in press), 26 pages, 11 figure
Strategies to build a positive and inclusive Antarctic field work environment
Support from National Science Foundation (NSF: Grants 1738913, 1738896, 1738942, 1738992, 1738896, 1738934) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC: Grants NE/S006788/1, NE/S006605/1, NE/S00677X/1). This research was supported in part by the NOAA cooperative agreement NA17OAR4320101. Logistics provided by NSF-U.S. Antarctic Program and NERC-British Antarctic Survey. ITGC Contribution No. ITGC-084.To increase inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility in Antarctic science, we must build more positive and inclusive Antarctic field work environments. The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) has engaged in efforts to contribute to that goal through a variety of activities since 2018, including creating an open-access 'Field and Ship Best Practices' guide, engaging in pre-field season team dynamics meetings, and surveying post-field season reflections and experiences. We report specific actions taken by ITGC and their outcomes. We found that strong and supported early career researchers brought new and important perspectives regarding strategies for transforming culture. We discovered that engaged and involved senior leadership was also critical for expanding participation and securing funding to support efforts. Pre-field discussions involving all field team members were particularly helpful for setting expectations, improving sense of belonging, describing field work best practices, and co-creating a positive work culture.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
Search for Correlations between Nearby AGNs and Ultra-high Energy Cosmic Rays
The majority of the highest energy cosmic rays are thought to be electrically
charged: protons or nuclei. Charged particles experience angular deflections as
they pass through galactic and extra-galactic magnetic fields. As a consequence
correlation of cosmic ray arrival directions with potential sources has proved
to be difficult. This situation is not helped by current data samples where the
number of cosmic rays/source are typically < O(1). Progress will be made when
there are significantly larger data samples and perhaps with better catalogs of
candidate sources. This paper reports a search for correlations between the
RXTE catalog of nearby active galactic nuclei, AGNs, and the published list of
ultra-high energy cosmic rays from the AGASA experiment. Although no
statistically significant correlations were found, two correlations were
observed between AGASA events and the most inclusive category of RXTE AGNs.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures of which 2 of the figures include 3 part
Performance of the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in patients with a primary prevention indication with and without a reduced ejection fraction versus patients with a secondary prevention indication
Background: The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) provides an alternative to the transvenous ICD for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, but has not been well studied in the most commonly treated transvenous ICD patient population, namely, primary prevention (PP) patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Objective: The analyses in the present study were designed to compar
Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy (PPOIT) in inducing desensitisation or tolerance in children with peanut allergy compared with oral immunotherapy (OIT) alone and with placebo (the PPOIT-003 study)
Introduction: Peanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities. Allergen oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a promising approach, which is effective at inducing desensitisation; however, OIT has a limited ability to induce sustained unresponsiveness (SU). We have previously shown that a novel treatment comprising a combination of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC 1.3724 with peanut OIT (Probiotic Peanut Oral ImmunoTherapy (PPOIT)) is highly effective at inducing SU, with benefit persisting to 4 years after treatment cessation in the majority of initial treatment responders. Here we describe the protocol for a Phase IIb multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial (PPOIT-003) with dual primary objectives to evaluate the effectiveness of PPOIT at inducing SU (assessed at 8 weeks after treatment cessation) compared with placebo treatment and peanut OIT alone, in children with peanut allergy. Methods and analysis: 200 children 1 to 10 years of age with current peanut allergy confirmed by failed double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) at study screening will be recruited from three tertiary paediatric hospitals in Australia. There are three intervention arms—PPOIT, peanut OIT alone or placebo. Interventions are administered once daily for 18 months. The dual primary outcomes are: (1) the proportion of children who attain 8-week SU in the PPOIT group versus placebo group and (2) the proportion of children who attain 8-week SU in the PPOIT group versus OIT group. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees at the Royal Children’s Hospital (HREC 35246) and the Child and Adolescent Health Service (RGS 2543). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated via presentations at international conferences.Adriana Chebar Lozinsky, Paxton Loke, Francesca Orsini, Michael O’Sullivan, Susan L. Prescott, Michael S Gold, Patrick Quinn, Audrey DunnGalvin, Mimi LK Tang, on behalf of the PPOIT study tea
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