Tensors Mesons in AdS/QCD

We explore tensor mesons in AdS/QCD focusing on f2 (1270), the lightest spin-two resonance in QCD. We find that the f2 mass and the partial width for f2 -> gamma gamma are in very good agreement with data. In fact, the dimensionless ratio of these two quantities comes out within the current experimental bound. The result for this ratio depends only on Nc and Nf, and the quark and glueball content of the operator responsible for the f2; more importantly, it does not depend on chiral symmetry breaking and so is both independent of much of the arbitrariness of AdS/QCD and completely out of reach of chiral perturbation theory. For comparison, we also explore f2 -> pi pi, which because of its sensitivity to the UV corrections has much more uncertainty. We also calculate the masses of the higher spin resonances on the Regge trajectory of the f2, and find they compare favorably with experiment.Comment: 21 pages, 1 figure; Li's correcte

Phase curves of WASP-33b and HD 149026b and a New Correlation Between Phase Curve Offset and Irradiation Temperature

We present new 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu m$ Spitzer phase curves for the highly irradiated hot Jupiter WASP-33b and the unusually dense Saturn-mass planet HD 149026b. As part of this analysis, we develop a new variant of pixel level decorrelation that is effective at removing intrapixel sensitivity variations for long observations (>10 hours) where the position of the star can vary by a significant fraction of a pixel. Using this algorithm, we measure eclipse depths, phase amplitudes, and phase offsets for both planets at 3.6 $\mu m$ and 4.5 $\mu m$. We use a simple toy model to show that WASP-33b's phase offset, albedo, and heat recirculation efficiency are largely similar to those of other hot Jupiters despite its very high irradiation. On the other hand, our fits for HD 149026b prefer a very high albedo and an unusually high recirculation efficiency. We also compare our results to predictions from general circulation models, and find that while neither are a good match to the data, the discrepancies for HD 149026b are especially large. We speculate that this may be related to its high bulk metallicity, which could lead to enhanced atmospheric opacities and the formation of reflective cloud layers in localized regions of the atmosphere. We then place these two planets in a broader context by exploring relationships between the temperatures, albedos, heat transport efficiencies, and phase offsets of all planets with published thermal phase curves. We find a striking relationship between phase offset and irradiation temperature--the former drops with increasing temperature until around 3400 K, and rises thereafter. Although some aspects of this trend are mirrored in the circulation models, there are notable differences that provide important clues for future modeling efforts

John Chalmers DaCosta (1863-1933): restoration of the old operating table.

John Chalmers DaCosta was an influential chairman and the first Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He was well known throughout the field as a skilled surgeon, passionate speaker, and exceptional writer. In addition to countless accomplishments during his career, DaCosta was deeply dedicated to the preservation and commemoration of surgical history. This ideology was exemplified when he set out on a mission to recover the old wooden operating table used by many of his iconic mentors including Samuel D. Gross, Joseph Pancoast, and William W. Keen. This table was originally used for surgical demonstrations and anatomy lessons in a lecture room of the Ely Building and later in the great amphitheater of the Jefferson Sansom Street Hospital. It was found forgotten in the basement of the College Building and was promptly refurbished, donned with dedicatory plaques, and returned to its honored position in the medical college. Dr. DaCosta also contributed a detailed article recalling the history of the table and the notable leaders in surgery who taught and practiced on its surface. The old table currently stands proudly in the entranceway of the Department of Surgery where it will remain as a cherished symbol of the early beginnings of surgical practice and education

Heart rate variability in association with frequent use of household sprays and scented products in SAPALDIA

Background: Household cleaning products are associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes, but the cardiovascular health effects are largely unknown.Objective: We determined if long-term use of household sprays and scented products at home was associated with reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic cardiac dysfunction.Methods: We recorded 24-hr electrocardiograms in a cross-sectional survey of 581 Swiss adults, 1, 1-3, or 4-7 days/week, unexposed (reference)] of using cleaning sprays, air freshening sprays, and scented products.Results: Decreases in 24-hr SDNN and TP were observed with frequent use of all product types, but the strongest reductions were associated with air freshening sprays. Compared with unexposed participants, we found that using air freshening sprays 4-7 days/week was associated with 11% [95% confidence interval (CI): -20%, -2%] and 29% (95% CI: -46%, -8%) decreases in 24-hr SDNN and TP, respectively. Inverse associations of 24-SDNN and TP with increased use of cleaning sprays, air freshening sprays, and scented products were observed mainly in participants with obstructive lung disease (p > 0.05 for interactions).Conclusions: In predominantly older adult women, long-term frequent use of household spray and scented products was associated with reduced HRV, which suggests an increased risk of cardiovascular health hazards. People with preexisting pulmonary conditions may be more susceptibl

Cemented Endoprosthetic Reconstruction of the Proximal Tibia: How Long Do They Last?

The few available studies documenting the long-term survival of cemented proximal tibial endoprostheses for musculoskeletal tumors do not differentiate between stem designs or patient diagnosis. There is wide variation in survival rates reported, possibly a result of this heterogeneity in patient population and implant design. We therefore asked: (1) How long do proximal tibial endoprostheses last? (2) What is the typical long-term functional result after proximal tibial replacement? And (3) what are the short- and long-term complications associated with endoprosthetic reconstruction of the proximal tibia, particularly with respect to the soft tissue reconstruction? We retrospectively reviewed 52 patients with 52 proximal tibial endoprosthetic reconstructions for a tumor-related diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis was performed using revision of the stemmed components for any reason as an endpoint for implants, and death due to disease progression for patients. Function was assessed using the MSTS scoring system. The minimum followup was 1 month (mean, 96 months: range, 1–284 months; median, 69 months). Using revision of the stemmed components for any reason as an end point, overall prosthesis survival at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years was 94%, 86%, 66%, and 37%, respectively. The 29 modular implants demonstrated a trend toward improved survival compared to the 23 custom-designed components, with a 15-year survivorship of 88% versus 63%. The mean postoperative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score at most recent followup was 82% of normal function (mean raw score, 24.6; range, 4–29). Cemented endoprosthetic reconstruction of the proximal tibia provides a reliable method of reconstruction following tumor resection. Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Draft Genome Sequence of Enterococcus faecalis UMB1309, Isolated from Catheterized Urine

A strain of Enterococcus faecalis was isolated from catheterized urine. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of this isolate, E. faecalis UMB1309. Analysis of the genome revealed multiple genes coding for virulence factors, as well as genes associated with antibiotic resistance

How Long Do Endoprosthetic Reconstructions for Proximal Femoral Tumors Last?

As the life expectancy of patients with musculoskeletal tumors improves, long-term studies of endoprosthetic reconstructions are necessary to establish realistic expectations for the implants and compare them to other reconstruction approaches. (1) What is the long-term survival of cemented bipolar proximal femoral replacements? (2) How does prosthesis survival compare to patient survival among patients with Stage I, II, and III disease? (3) Do modular implants outperform custom-built prostheses? (4) Do some proximal femoral replacements require conversion to THA? We retrospectively reviewed all 86 proximal femoral replacements used for tumor reconstruction from 1982 to 2008. Primary diagnoses were 43 high-grade tumors (IIA/IIB), 20 low-grade tumors (IA/IB or benign), and 23 with metastatic disease. We reviewed prosthesis survival, patient survival, complication rates, functional outcomes, and rates of conversion to THA. Five of 86 patients (5.8%) required revision of the femoral component. Five-, 10-and 20-year implant survivorships were 93%, 84%, and 56%, respectively. All patients with low-grade disease survived; the 5-year survival rate for patients with metastatic disease was 16%; the 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival for IIA/IIB patients was 54%, 50%, and 44%, respectively. Five of 86 patients (5.8%) underwent conversion to THA for groin pain. Cemented bipolar proximal femoral replacements after tumor resection proved a durable reconstruction technique. The implants outlived patients with metastatic disease and high-grade localized disease while patients with low-grade disease outlived their implants. The survival of modular prostheses was comparable to that of older, one-piece custom designs. Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

3.6 and 4.5 μ\mum Spitzer{\it Spitzer} Phase Curves of the Highly-Irradiated Hot Jupiters WASP-19b and HAT-P-7b

We analyze full-orbit phase curve observations of the transiting hot Jupiters WASP-19b and HAT-P-7b at 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m obtained using the Spitzer Space Telescope. For WASP-19b, we measure secondary eclipse depths of $0.485\%\pm 0.024\%$ and $0.584\%\pm 0.029\%$ at 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m, which are consistent with a single blackbody with effective temperature $2372 \pm 60$ K. The measured 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m secondary eclipse depths for HAT-P-7b are $0.156\%\pm 0.009\%$ and $0.190\%\pm 0.006\%$, which are well-described by a single blackbody with effective temperature $2667\pm 57$ K. Comparing the phase curves to the predictions of one-dimensional and three-dimensional atmospheric models, we find that WASP-19b's dayside emission is consistent with a model atmosphere with no dayside thermal inversion and moderately efficient day-night circulation. We also detect an eastward-shifted hotspot, suggesting the presence of a superrotating equatorial jet. In contrast, HAT-P-7b's dayside emission suggests a dayside thermal inversion and relatively inefficient day-night circulation; no hotspot shift is detected. For both planets, these same models do not agree with the measured nightside emission. The discrepancies in the model-data comparisons for WASP-19b might be explained by high-altitude silicate clouds on the nightside and/or high atmospheric metallicity, while the very low 3.6 $\mu$m nightside planetary brightness for HAT-P-7b may be indicative of an enhanced global C/O ratio. We compute Bond albedos of 0 ($<0.08$ at $1\sigma$) and $0.38\pm 0.06$ for WASP-19b and HAT-P-7b, respectively. In the context of other planets with thermal phase curve measurements, we show that WASP-19b and HAT-P-7b fit the general trend of decreasing day-night heat recirculation with increasing irradiation.Comment: 22 pages, 29 figures, accepted by Ap

Supernova 1987A: Rotation and a Binary Companion

In this paper we provide a possible link between the structure of the bipolar nebula surrounding SN1987A and the properties of its progenitor star. A Wind Blwon Bubble (WBB) scenario is emplyed, in which a fast, tenuous wind from a Blue Supergiant expands into a slow, dense wind, expelled during an earlier Red Supergiant phase. The bipolar shapre develops due to a pole-to-equator density contrast in the slow wind (ie, the slow wind forms a slow torus). We use the Wind Compressed Disk (WCD) model of Bjorkman & Cassinelli (1992) to determine the shape of the slow torus. In the WCD scenario, the shape of the torus is determined by the rotation of the progenitor star. We then use a self-similar semi-analytical method for wind blown bubble evolution to determine the shape of the resulting bipolar nebula. We find that the union of the wind-compressed-disk and bipolar-wind-blown- bubble models allows us to recover the salient properties of SN1987A's circumstellar nebula. In particular, the size, speed and density of SN1987A's inner ring are easily reproduced in our calculations. An exploration of parameter space shows the the red supergiant progenitor must be been rotating at > 0.3 of its breakup speed. We conclude that the progenitor was most likely spun up by a merger with a binary companion. Using a simple model for the binary merger we find that the companion is likely to have had a mass > 0.5 M_sun.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figure