Parametric Resonance in Neutrino Oscillation: A Guide to Control the Effects of Inhomogeneous Matter Density

Effects of the inhomogeneous matter density on the three-generation neutrino oscillation probability are analyzed. Realistic profile of the matter density is expanded into a Fourier series. Taking in the Fourier modes one by one, we demonstrate that each mode has its corresponding target energy. The high Fourier mode selectively modifies the oscillation probability of the low-energy region. This rule is well described by the parametric resonance between the neutrino oscillation and the matter effect. The Fourier analysis gives a simple guideline to systematically control the uncertainty of the oscillation probability caused by the uncertain density of matter. Precise analysis of the oscillation probability down to the low-energy region requires accurate evaluation of the Fourier coefficients of the matter density up to the corresponding high modes.Comment: 7 pages, 5 eps figure

New Therapeutic Approaches for Alzheimer’s Disease and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Accumulating evidence has shown a strong relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and cerebrovascular disease. Cognitive impairment in AD patients can result from cortical microinfarcts associated with CAA, as well as the synaptic and neuronal disturbances caused by cerebral accumulations of β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins. The pathophysiology of AD may lead to a toxic chain of events consisting of Aβ overproduction, impaired Aβ clearance, and brain ischemia. Insufficient removal of Aβ leads to development of CAA and plays a crucial role in sporadic AD cases, implicating promotion of Aβ clearance as an important therapeutic strategy. Aβ is mainly eliminated by three mechanisms: 1) enzymatic/glial degradation, 2) transcytotic delivery, and 3) perivascular drainage (3-‘d’ mechanisms). Enzymatic degradation may be facilitated by activation of Aβ-degrading enzymes such as neprilysin, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and insulin-degrading enzyme. Transcytotic delivery can be promoted by inhibition of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which mediates transcytotic influx of circulating Aβ into brain. Successful use of the RAGE inhibitor TTP488 in Phase II testing has led to a Phase III clinical trial for AD patients. The perivascular drainage system seems to be driven by motive force generated by cerebral arterial pulsations, suggesting that vasoactive drugs can facilitate Aβ clearance. One of the drugs promoting this system is cilostazol, a selective inhibitor of type 3 phosphodiesterase. The clearance of fluorescent soluble Aβ tracers was significantly enhanced in cilostazol-treated CAA model mice. Given that the balance between Aβ synthesis and clearance determines brain Aβ accumulation, and that Aβ is cleared by several pathways stated above, multi-drugs combination therapy could provide a mainstream cure for sporadic AD

Peak loops untying the degeneracy of the neutrino parameters

Systematic analysis of the determination of the value of leptonic CP-violating angle delta and the neutrino mass hierarchy sgn(delta m^2_31) by long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments is presented. We note the difficulty to distinguish a pair of oscillation probability spectra that are peaked at the same energy and have the same probability at that energy. We thereby set forth the peak-matching condition as a criterion of the presence of degeneracy, and visualize it by intersections of the trajectories drawn by a peak of an oscillation spectrum while the value of delta is varied from 0 to 2pi. We numerically calculate the pairs of the trajectories for both hierarchies and show that the pair becomes disjoint as the baseline gets longer than a critical length, indicating the matter effect resolving the degeneracy on the hierarchy. We formulate the trajectories into analytic expressions and evaluate the critical length. We provide prospects of the following four approaches of resolving the hierarchy: making the baseline longer than the critical length, using both neutrinos and anti-neutrinos, combining experiments with different baseline lengths, and observing two or more oscillation peaks.Comment: ReVTeX4, 9 pages, 6 Figures. Prepared for the proceedings of "International Workshop on Neutrino Masses and Mixings -- Toward Unified Understanding of Quark and Lepton Mass Matrices --" at University of Shizuoka on December 17-19, 200

An illustration and analysis of the degeneracy in the search for the leptonic CP-violating angle and the neutrino mass hierarchy

Determination of the value of the leptonic CP-violating phase deltaand the neutrino mass hierarchy sgn(dm2_31) through long baselineneutrino oscillation experiments is systematically analyzed. We notethat the two oscillation spectra are difficult to discriminate andlead to the degeneracy when they are peaked at the same energy andhave the same peak probability. The condition of peak-matching istherefore introduced as a criterion for the presence of degeneracy.The matching of peaks is visualized as an intersection of trajectoriestraced by the peak of an oscillation spectrum while the value of deltais varied from 0 to 2pi. We numerically calculate a pair oftrajectories for a pair of hierarchies and examine the degeneracy,especially that concerning the hierarchy. We formulate the trajectoryin terms of analytic expressions and evaluate the critical length,which is shown to be proportional to 1/sin(theta_13). In view of ouranalysis, we discuss future prospects to solve the hierarchydegeneracy with regard to the following four approaches: elongatingthe baseline length sufficiently, using both neutrinos andanti-neutrinos, combining experiments with different baseline lengths,and observing two or more oscillation peaks.Comment: PTPTeX, 23 pages, 11 figures. Minor updates in accordance with the published versio

Magnetodielectric Response of the Spin-Ice Dy2Ti2O7

We report the magneto-dielectric response of single crystals of the spin-ice compound Dy2Ti2O7 down to 0.26 K. The dielectric constant under zero magnetic field exhibits a clear decrease reflecting the development of the local two-spins-in, two-spins-out structure below about 1.2 K. Both the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant under magnetic fields sensitively respond to various changes in the spin structures. We found that the real part can be described in terms of local spin correlations among the moments of tetrahedra, rather than among individual Dy3+ moments. Using the peaks in the imaginary part, we have constructed a precise field-temperature phase diagram in the [111] field direction. We thus demonstrate that the magneto-dielectric response can be a high-sensitivity local probe of the spin state of geometrically frustrated systems.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Leptonic CP Violation Search and the Ambiguity of dm^2_31

We consider a search for the CP-violating angle deltaCP in long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. We show that the subleading deltaCP-dependent terms in the nu_mu -> nu_e oscillation probability can be easily obscured by the ambiguity of the leading term which depends on |dm^2_31|. It is thus necessary to determine the value of dm^2_31 with a sufficient accuracy. The nu_mu survival events, which can be accumulated simultaneously with the nu_e appearance events, can serve for this purpose owing to its large statistics. Therefore, the combined analysis of nu_e appearance and nu_mu survival events is crucial to provide a restrictive constraint on deltaCP. Taking a test experimental setup, we demonstrate in the deltaCP-dm^2_31 plane that the analysis of nu_e appearance events leads to less restrictive constraints on the value of deltaCP due to the ambiguity of dm^2_31 and that the combined analysis efficiently improves the constraints.Comment: ReVTeX file, 9 pages, 7 figures. Discussions added in Sections 1, 2, and 4; Reference expande

Development of a Multicomponent Intervention to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

Recent advances in vascular risk management have successfully reduced the prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in several epidemiologic investigations. It is now widely accepted that cerebrovascular disease is both directly and indirectly involved in AD pathogenesis. Herein, we review the non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapeutic approaches for AD treatment. MIND [Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay] diet is an important dietary treatment for prevention of AD. Multi domain intervention including diet, exercise, cognitive training, and intensive risk managements also prevented cognitive decline in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) study. To confirm these favorable effects of life-style intervention, replica studies are being planned worldwide. Promotion of β-amyloid (Aβ) clearance has emerged as a promising pharmacological approach because insufficient removal of Aβ is more important than excessive Aβ production in the pathogenesis of the majority of AD patients. Most AD brains exhibit accompanying cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and Aβ distribution in cerebral amyloid angiopathy closely corresponds with the intramural periarterial drainage (IPAD) route, emphasizing the importance of Aβ clearance. In view of these facts, promotion of the major vascular-mediated Aβ elimination systems, including capillary transcytosis, the glymphatic system, and IPAD, have emerged as new treatment strategies in AD. In particular, the beneficial effects of cilostazol were shown in several clinical observation studies, and cilostazol facilitated IPAD in a rodent AD model. The COMCID (Cilostazol for prevention of Conversion from MCI to Dementia) trial, evaluating the efficacy of cilostazol for patients with mild cognitive impairment is currently ongoing in Japan. Such therapeutic approaches involving maintenance of cerebrovascular integrity and promotion of vascular-mediated Aβ clearance have the potential to be mainstream treatments for sporadic AD

Reimei Satellite Observations of Alfvénic Interaction Modulating Inverted‐V Electrons and Filamentary Auroral Forms at the Poleward Edge of a Discrete Arc

We present an event based on Reimei satellite observations in the low-altitude midnight auroral region, showing that intense and clear energy-dispersed electron precipitations, repetitively generated by field-aligned accelerations due to dispersive Alfvén waves, were modulating inverted-V electrons. These Alfvénic electrons had peak energies equal to or slightly larger than those of the inverted-Vs and were associated with the filamentary auroral forms rapidly streaming at the poleward edge of a broad discrete arc. This arc was caused by the inverted-V accompanied by ion depletions produced by quasi-electrostatic parallel potential drop. Assuming instantaneous electron accelerations over a wide energy range in a single location and a simple time-of-flight effect for the energy-time dispersions, the Alfvénic source distances were estimated 1, 500 ± 500 km above the satellite altitude of -- 676 km, a lower bound since the interaction locations are realistically distributed in altitudinally extended regions. The electron characteristics in detailed energy-pitch angle distributions obtained at high time resolution can be categorized into: (a) original inverted-V fluxes energized by quasi-electrostatic upward electric field, (b) accelerated and decelerated/reduced inverted-V fluxes, (c) field-aligned energy-dispersed precipitations accelerated by dispersive Alfvén waves, and (d) upwelling secondary components effectively produced by the field-aligned precipitations particularly at energies of a few tens of eV. This event is useful to reveal the interactions between the inverted-V and Alfvénic electrons and their related ionospheric effects in the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling processes. The detailed energy-pitch angle distributions presented here provide constraints for models of these interactions and processes