1,099 research outputs found
Sentinel lymph node biopsy before mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction may predict post-mastectomy radiotherapy, reduce delayed complications and improve the choice of reconstruction
AbstractBackgroundAdjuvant post-mastectomy radiotherapy (RT), which is often unpredicted, is known to increase complications following immediate breast reconstruction (IBR).AimTo investigate the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLN) in predicting RT and improving the choice of IBR.Patients and methodsAll patients who had mastectomy and IBR between January 2004 and January 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. Axillary staging (clearance or SLN) was performed at the same time until October 2005 (Group 1), when the Unit’s protocol was updated to perform SLN initially prior to mastectomy and IBR (Group 2). Patients in Group 2 with positive SLN were offered either a delayed reconstruction or a temporary subpectoral immediate tissue expander, while all options were offered if SLN was negative and in Group 1 patients.ResultsOne hundred and thirty-nine patients were reviewed. 20 patients received unexpected RT in Group 1 (14 tissue expander, 4 Latissimus Dorsi flap with an implant and 2 DIEP flaps) compared to 11 patients in Group 2 who had a temporary tissue expander due to expected RT (P=0.03). Unexpected RT caused delayed complications in 14 patients (70%) compared to no delayed complications in patients who received expected RT in Group 2.ConclusionSLN biopsy before IBR helps to predict RT and avoids its complications on breast reconstruction. Patients with positive SLN biopsy are best offered a temporary subpectoral tissue expander for IBR
Signature of sterile species in atmospheric neutrino data at neutrino telescopes
The MiniBooNE results have still not been able to comprehensively rule out
the oscillation interpretation of the LSND experiment. So far the so-called
short baseline experiments with energy in the MeV range and baseline of few
meters have been probing the existence of sterile neutrinos. We show how
signatures of these extra sterile states could be obtained in TeV energy range
atmospheric neutrinos travelling distances of thousands of kilometers.
Atmospheric neutrinos in the TeV range would be detected by the upcoming
neutrino telescopes. Of course vacuum oscillations of these neutrinos would be
very small. However, we show that resonant matter effects inside the Earth
could enhance these very tiny oscillations into near-maximal transitions, which
should be hard to miss. We show that imprint of sterile neutrinos could be
unambiguously obtained in this high energy atmospheric neutrino event sample.
Not only would neutrino telescopes tell the presence of sterile neutrinos, it
should also be possible for them to distinguish between the different possible
mass and mixing scenarios with additional sterile states.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figures, Version to appear in JHE
First Results from the DRIFT-IIa Dark Matter Detector
Data from the DRIFT-IIa directional dark matter experiment are presented,
collected during a near continuous 6 month running period. A detailed
calibration analysis comparing data from gamma-ray, x-ray and neutron sources
to a GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations reveals an efficiency for detection of
neutron induced recoils of 94+/-2(stat.)+/-5(sys.)%. Software-based cuts,
designed to remove non-nuclear recoil events, are shown to reject 60Co
gamma-rays with a rejection factor of better than 8x10-6 for all energies above
threshold. An unexpected event population has been discovered and is shown here
to be due to the alpha-decay of 222Rn daughter nuclei that have attached to the
central cathode. A limit on the flux of neutrons in the Boulby Underground
Laboratory is derived from analysis of unshielded and shielded data.Comment: 43 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Astroparticle Physic
Simulations of neutron background in a time projection chamber relevant to dark matter searches
Presented here are results of simulations of neutron background performed for
a time projection chamber acting as a particle dark matter detector in an
underground laboratory. The investigated background includes neutrons from rock
and detector components, generated via spontaneous fission and (alpha, n)
reactions, as well as those due to cosmic-ray muons. Neutrons were propagated
to the sensitive volume of the detector and the nuclear recoil spectra were
calculated. Methods of neutron background suppression were also examined and
limitations to the sensitivity of a gaseous dark matter detector are discussed.
Results indicate that neutrons should not limit sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon
interactions down to a level of (1 - 3) x 10^{-8} pb in a 10 kg detector.Comment: 27 pages (total, including 3 tables and 11 figures). Accepted for
publication in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research - Section
Asymptotically cylindrical 7-manifolds of holonomy G_2 with applications to compact irreducible G_2-manifolds
We construct examples of exponentially asymptotically cylindrical Riemannian
7-manifolds with holonomy group equal to G_2. To our knowledge, these are the
first such examples. We also obtain exponentially asymptotically cylindrical
coassociative calibrated submanifolds. Finally, we apply our results to show
that one of the compact G_2-manifolds constructed by Joyce by desingularisation
of a flat orbifold T^7/\Gamma can be deformed to one of the compact
G_2-manifolds obtainable as a generalized connected sum of two exponentially
asymptotically cylindrical SU(3)-manifolds via the method given by the first
author (math.DG/0012189).Comment: 36 pages; v2: corrected trivial typos; v3: some arguments corrected
and improved; v4: a number of improvements on presentation, paritularly in
sections 4 and 6, including an added picture
Some general properties of the renormalized stress-energy tensor for static quantum states on (n+1)-dimensional spherically symmetric black holes
We study the renormalized stress-energy tensor (RSET) for static quantum
states on (n+1)-dimensional, static, spherically symmetric black holes. By
solving the conservation equations, we are able to write the stress-energy
tensor in terms of a single unknown function of the radial co-ordinate, plus
two arbitrary constants. Conditions for the stress-energy tensor to be regular
at event horizons (including the extremal and ``ultra-extremal'' cases) are
then derived using generalized Kruskal-like co-ordinates. These results should
be useful for future calculations of the RSET for static quantum states on
spherically symmetric black hole geometries in any number of space-time
dimensions.Comment: 9 pages, no figures, RevTeX4, references added, accepted for
publication in General Relativity and Gravitatio
Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches
Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark
matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector
elements via spontaneous fission and (alpha,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray
muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of
the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector.
Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of
pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a
tonne-scale detector.Comment: 35 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in
Astroparticle Physic
High Pressure Processing of Dairy Foods
End of Project ReportThe term High Pressure Processing (HPP) is used to describe the technology whereby
products are exposed to very high pressures in the region of 50 - 800 MPa (500 - 8000
Atmospheres). The potential application of HPP in the food industry has gained popularity
in recent years, due to developments in the construction of HPP equipment which makes
the technology more affordable. Applying HPP to food products results in modifications to
interactions between individual components, rates of enzymatic reactions and inactivation
of micro-organisms.
The first commercial HPP products appeared on the market in 1991 in Japan, where HPP
is now being used commercially for products such as jams, sauces, fruit juices, rice cakes
and desserts. The pioneering research into the application of HPP to milk dates back to the
end of the 19th century. Application of HPP to milk has been shown to modify its gel
forming characteristics as well as reducing its microbial load. HPP offers the potential to
induce similar effects to those generated by heat on milk protein.
Recent reports have also indicated that HPP could accelerate the ripening of cheese. Much
of the Irish cheese industry is based on the production of Cheddar cheese, the ripening time
for which can vary from 4 - 12 months or more, depending on grade. A substantial portion
of the cost associated with Cheddar manufacture is therefore attributed to storage under
controlled conditions during ripening. Thus, any technology which may accelerate the
ripening of Cheddar cheese while maintaining a balanced flavour and texture is of major
economic significance.
While food safety is a dominant concern, consumers are increasingly demanding foods that
maintain their natural appearance and flavour, while free of chemical preservatives. HPP
offers the food industry the possibility of achieving these twin goals as this technology can
lead to reduced microbial loads without detrimentally effecting the nutritional or sensory
qualities of the product.
The development of food ingredients with novel functional properties offers the dairy
industry an opportunity to revitalise existing markets and develop new ones. HPP can lead
to modifications in the structure of milk components, in particular protein, which may
provide interesting possibilities for the development of high value nutritional and functional
ingredients.
Hence these projects set out to investigate the potential of HPP in the dairy industry and
to identify products and processes to which it could be applied.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin
Exploring \pp scattering in the \1N picture
In the large approximation to , the leading \pp scattering
amplitude is expressed as the sum of an infinite number of tree diagrams. We
investigate the possibility that an adequate approximation at energies up to
somewhat more than one can be made by keeping diagrams which involve the
exchange of resonances in this energy range in addition to the simplest chiral
contact terms. In this approach crossing symmetry is automatic but individual
terms tend to drastically violate partial wave unitarity. We first note that
the introduction of the meson in a chirally invariant manner
substantially delays the onset of drastic unitarity violation which would be
present for the {\it current algebra} term alone. This suggests a possibility
of local (in energy) cancellation which we then explore in a phenomenological
way. We include exchanges of leading resonances up to the region.
However, unitarity requires more structure which we model by a four derivative
contact term or by a low lying scalar resonance which is presumably subleading
in the \1N expansion, but may nevertheless be important. The latter two
flavor model gives a reasonable description of the phase shift up
until around , before the effects associated which the
threshold come into play.Comment: 27 LaTex pages + 13 figures (also available in hard-copy
Track Reconstruction and Performance of DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Detectors using Alpha Particles
First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and
DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha
particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector
performance--an important step towards optimising directional technology. The
drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was [59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat) +/- 7.5 (sys)] m/s based
on an analysis of naturally-occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift
velocity in DRIFT-IIb was [57 +/- 1 (stat) +/- 3 (sys)] m/s determined by the
analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. 3D range reconstruction
and energy spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of
Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218
progeny (from Rn-222 decay) are produced with no net charge in 40 Torr CS2. For
Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the uncharged fraction is (100 +0 -35)%.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Section A. Subj-class: Instrumentation and
Detector
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