879 research outputs found
Thermally damped linear compressional waves in a 2D solar coronal model
The high resolution observations (TRACE and SOHO) of waves in coronal structures have revealed a rapid damping of modes, sometimes their damping length being of the same order as their wavelength. The rapid damping of modes in coronal loops permits us to derive values for magnetic field and transport coefficients. In this contribution we study the damping of linear compressional waves considering a two-dimensional propagation in gravitationally stratified plasma in the presence of thermal conduction. By considering this 2D model, we show that the presence of an additional transversal motion has an important effect on the damping of the waves. This theoretical model allows as to conclude that the main effects influencing the damping of the waves are the degree of the transversal structuring and temperature
The Effect of Consumption Based Taxes on Agriculture in the United States
Recently several proposals have arisen to replace the current income tax system in the United States with a consumption based or Fair Tax. This study investigates the effect of such a consumption based tax on agricultural investment decisions using stochastic optimal control to model the investment decision at the farm level. The results indicate that a consumption tax rate of 25.9 percent would be equivalent to the income tax rate paid by very large producers in the United States.Public Economics,
Cartilage homeostasis in health and rheumatic diseases
As the cellular component of articular cartilage, chondrocytes are responsible for maintaining in a low-turnover state the unique composition and organization of the matrix that was determined during embryonic and postnatal development. In joint diseases, cartilage homeostasis is disrupted by mechanisms that are driven by combinations of biological mediators that vary according to the disease process, including contributions from other joint tissues. In osteoarthritis (OA), biomechanical stimuli predominate with up-regulation of both catabolic and anabolic cytokines and recapitulation of developmental phenotypes, whereas in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammation and catabolism drive cartilage loss. In vitro studies in chondrocytes have elucidated signaling pathways and transcription factors that orchestrate specific functions that promote cartilage damage in both OA and RA. Thus, understanding how the adult articular chondrocyte functions within its unique environment will aid in the development of rational strategies to protect cartilage from damage resulting from joint disease. This review will cover current knowledge about the specific cellular and biochemical mechanisms that regulate cartilage homeostasis and pathology
Quo vadis radiotherapy? Technological advances and the rising problems in cancer management
Extent: 10p.Purpose. Despite the latest technological advances in radiotherapy, cancer control is still challenging for several tumour sites. The survival rates for the most deadly cancers, such as ovarian and pancreatic, have not changed over the last decades. The solution to the problem lies in the change of focus: from local treatment to systemic therapy. The aim of this paper is to present the current status as well as the gaps in radiotherapy and, at the same time, to look into potential solutions to improve cancer control and survival. Methods. The currently available advanced radiotherapy treatment techniques have been analysed and their cost-effectiveness discussed. The problem of systemic disease management was specifically targeted. Results. Clinical studies show limited benefit in cancer control from hadron therapy. However, targeted therapies together with molecular imaging could improve treatment outcome for several tumour sites while controlling the systemic disease. Conclusion. The advances in photon therapy continue to be competitive with the much more expensive hadron therapy. To justify the cost effectiveness of proton/heavy ion therapy, there is a need for phase III randomised clinical trials. Furthermore, the success of systemic disease management lies in the fusion between radiation oncology technology and microbiology.Barry J. Allen, Eva Bezak, and Loredana G. Marc
Sausage mode propagation in a thick magnetic flux tube
The aim of this paper is to model the propagation of slow magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) sausage waves in a thick expanding magnetic flux tube in the context of the quiescent (VAL-C) solar atmosphere. The propagation of these waves is found to be described by the Klein–Gordon equation. Using the governing MHD equations and the VAL-C atmosphere model we study the variation of the cut-off frequency along and across the magnetic tube guiding the waves. Due to the radial variation of the cut-off frequency the flux tubes act as low frequency filters for the waves
Venous varices of the heart: a case report of spontaneous coronary sinus thrombosis with persistent left superior vena cava
Absence of coronary sinus (CS) ostium and presence of a persistent superior left vena cava (PLSVC) are rare congenital anomalies.1 We report a case of spontaneous CS thrombosis with PLSVC associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in the absence of recent coronary intervention
Multiple cyclotron line-forming regions in GX 301-2
We present two observations of the high-mass X-ray binary GX 301-2 with
NuSTAR, taken at different orbital phases and different luminosities. We find
that the continuum is well described by typical phenomenological models, like a
very strongly absorbed NPEX model. However, for a statistically acceptable
description of the hard X-ray spectrum we require two cyclotron resonant
scattering features (CRSF), one at ~35 keV and the other at ~50 keV. Even
though both features strongly overlap, the good resolution and sensitivity of
NuSTAR allows us to disentangle them at >=99.9% significance. This is the first
time that two CRSFs are seen in GX 301-2. We find that the CRSFs are very
likely independently formed, as their energies are not harmonically related
and, if it were a single line, the deviation from a Gaussian shape would be
very large. We compare our results to archival Suzaku data and find that our
model also provides a good fit to those data. We study the behavior of the
continuum as well as the CRSF parameters as function of pulse phase in seven
phase bins. We find that the energy of the 35 keV CRSF varies smoothly as
function of phase, between 30-38 keV. To explain this variation, we apply a
simple model of the accretion column, taking the altitude of the line-forming
region, the velocity of the in-falling material, and the resulting relativistic
effects into account. We find that in this model the observed energy variation
can be explained simply due to a variation of the projected velocity and
beaming factor of the line forming region towards us.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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