Toward a Minimum Branching Fraction for Dark Matter Annihilation into Electromagnetic Final States

Observational limits on the high-energy neutrino background have been used to place general constraints on dark matter that annihilates only into standard model particles. Dark matter particles that annihilate into neutrinos will also inevitably branch into electromagnetic final states through higher-order tree and loop diagrams that give rise to charged leptons, and these charged particles can transfer their energy into photons via synchrotron radiation or inverse Compton scattering. In the context of effective field theory, we calculate the loop-induced branching ratio to charged leptons and show that it is generally quite large, typically >1%, when the scale of the dark matter mass exceeds the electroweak scale, M_W. For a branching fraction >3%, the synchrotron radiation bounds on dark matter annihilation are currently stronger than the corresponding neutrino bounds in the interesting mass range from 100 GeV to 1 TeV. For dark matter masses below M_W, our work provides a plausible framework for the construction of a model for "neutrinos only" dark matter annihilations.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, discussion added, matches version in Phys. Rev.

Natural fermion mass hierarchy and mixings in family unification

We present an SU(9) model of family unification with three light chiral families, and a natural hierarchy of charged fermion masses and mixings. The existence of singlet right handed neutrions with masses about two orders of magnitude smaller than the GUT scale, as needed to understand the light neutrinos masses via the see-saw mechanism, is compelling in our model.Comment: 7 pages, no figur

Chauffeur braking

An experienced driver will `feather' the brakes so as to unwind the suspension compliance and stop the vehicle with only just enough torque in the brakes to hold the vehicle stationary on any gradient, or against the residual torque from an automatic transmission’s torque converter. An optimal stopping problem that minimises the total jerk was formulated and solved. This model was extended by including a linear relationship between the brake pressure and the acceleration of the car where the coefficients are estimated by linear regression. Finally, a Kalman filter estimates the state of the car using the tone wheel

Blip glitches in Advanced LIGO data

Blip glitches are short noise transients present in data from ground-based gravitational-wave observatories. These glitches resemble the gravitational-wave signature of massive binary black hole mergers. Hence, the sensitivity of transient gravitational-wave searches to such high-mass systems and other potential short duration sources is degraded by the presence of blip glitches. The origin and rate of occurrence of this type of glitch have been largely unknown. In this paper we explore the population of blip glitches in Advanced LIGO during its first and second observing runs. On average, we find that Advanced LIGO data contains approximately two blip glitches per hour of data. We identify four subsets of blip glitches correlated with detector auxiliary or environmental sensor channels, however the physical causes of the majority of blips remain unclear

Guided Neuronal Growth on Arrays of Biofunctionalized GaAs/InGaAs Semiconductor Microtubes

We demonstrate embedded growth of cortical mouse neurons in dense arrays of semiconductor microtubes. The microtubes, fabricated from a strained GaAs/InGaAs heterostructure, guide axon growth through them and enable electrical and optical probing of propagating action potentials. The coaxial nature of the microtubes -- similar to myelin -- is expected to enhance the signal transduction along the axon. We present a technique of suppressing arsenic toxicity and prove the success of this technique by overgrowing neuronal mouse cells.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Gene expression profiling in whole blood identifies distinct biological pathways associated with obesity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions and represents a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To explore the relationship between increased body mass and gene expression in blood, we conducted whole-genome expression profiling of whole blood from seventeen obese and seventeen well matched lean subjects. Gene expression data was analyzed at the individual gene and pathway level and a preliminary assessment of the predictive value of blood gene expression profiles in obesity was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Principal components analysis of whole-blood gene expression data from obese and lean subjects led to efficient separation of the two cohorts. Pathway analysis by gene-set enrichment demonstrated increased transcript levels for genes belonging to the "ribosome", "apoptosis" and "oxidative phosphorylation" pathways in the obese cohort, consistent with an altered metabolic state including increased protein synthesis, enhanced cell death from proinflammatory or lipotoxic stimuli, and increased energy demands. A subset of pathway-specific genes acted as efficient predictors of obese or lean class membership when used in Naive Bayes or logistic regression based classifiers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the whole blood transcriptome in obesity and demonstrates that the investigation of gene expression profiles from whole blood can inform and illustrate the biological processes related to regulation of body mass. Additionally, the ability of pathway-related gene expression to predict class membership suggests the feasibility of a similar approach for identifying clinically useful blood-based predictors of weight loss success following dietary or surgical interventions.</p

The Ursinus Weekly, February 24, 1977

Ursinus news in brief: Weekly to accept applications; Poli. Sci. Washington trip; Ursinus to exhibit frakturs; More on absenteeism; Pre Legal meets • U.S.G.A. election results • Wismer, sunshine discussed • James Craft interviewed • Dining hall probed • Letters to the editor: Information please!; TGV and South Africa • Wild blue yonder • ELO Lives!! • Cassandra • Denenberg speaks • Photos • Immaculata here tonight • Up for the match • Swimming bare machine rolls on, but men lose • Elsewhere in UC sports scenehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1066/thumbnail.jp

Comparison Between Dance-Based and Traditional Exercise on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) includes physical health, cognitive well-being, and the presence of social support. Declines in HRQoL can result in physical impairment, social isolation, and impaired cognition. Regular exercise (EX) participation may lead to better HRQoL among older adults. Dance-oriented group fitness classes (DANCE) can provide participants with structured EX that involves high levels of coordination and social comradery. DANCE EX may be a viable alternative to traditional EX (TRAD) for the maintenance of HRQoL. PURPOSE: To determine whether participation in regular DANCE EX displays higher HRQoL in older adults when compared to those who participate in TRAD EX. METHODS: Twenty-nine older adults (age 69.8 ± 9.6 yrs; 28 females; 93.1% white) enrolled in a cross-sectional study examining those who either participated in DANCE EX or TRAD EX at the time of enrollment. All participants completed the following assessments: the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 subscale for physical functioning (SF-36); the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE); the Duke Social Support Index (DSSI); and the Senior Fitness Test (SFT). RESULTS: A MANOVA test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in SFT scores between groups (F(2,29) = 3.11 p 0.05). Weekly MET-mins of moderate (DANCE: 2,487.7 ± 2,226.3, TRAD: 1,752.0 ± 1,734.5) and vigorous (DANCE: 2,870.8 ± 2,829.8, TRAD: 1,920.0 ± 3,301.5) physical activity did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DANCE EX supported higher levels of physical health—and no effect on cognitive well-being and social support—when compared to TRAD EX. DANCE EX may be a viable form of EX to support HRQoL in older adults

Introduction to special issue on Webster

John Webster’s Theater of (Dis)obedience and Damnation: A collection of essays exploring the forms and functions of violence, evil, and social realities in Webster's drama