281 research outputs found
Yoctosecond metrology through HBT correlations from a quark-gluon plasma
Expansion dynamics at the yoctosecond timescale affect the evolution of the
quark gluon plasma (QGP) created in heavy ion collisions. We show how these
dynamics are accessible through Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) intensity
interferometry of direct photons emitted from the interior of the QGP. A
detector placed close to the beam axis is particularly sensitive to early polar
momentum anisotropies of the QGP. Observing a modification of the HBT signal at
the proposed FoCal detector of the LHC ALICE experiment would allow to measure
the isotropization time of the plasma and could provide first experimental
evidence for photon double pulses at the yoctosecond timescale.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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A new space-borne perspective of crop productivity variations over the US Corn Belt
Remotely-sensed solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) provides a means to assess vegetation productivity in a more direct way than via the greenness of leaves. SIF is produced by plants alongside photosynthesis so it is generally thought to provide a more direct probe of plant status. We analyze inter-annual variations of SIF over the US Corn Belt using a seven-year time series (2010–2016) retrieved from measurements of short-wave IR radiation collected by the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). Using survey data and annual reports from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), we relate anomalies in the GOSAT SIF time series to meteorological and climatic events that affected planting or growing seasons. The events described in the USDA annual reports are confirmed using remote sensing-based data such as land surface temperature, precipitation, water storage anomalies and soil moisture. These datasets were carefully collocated with the GOSAT footprints on a sub-pixel basis to remove any effect that could occur due to different sampling. We find that cumulative SIF, integrated from April to June, tracks the planting progress established in the first half of the planting season (Pearson correlation r > 0.89). Similarly, we show that crop yields for corn (maize) and soybeans are equally well correlated to the integrated SIF from July to October (r > 0.86). Our results for SIF are consistent with reflectance-based vegetation indices, that have a longer established history of crop monitoring. Despite GOSAT’s sparse sampling, we were able to show the potential for using satellite-based SIF to study agriculturally-managed vegetation
Subcutaneously administered Menopur(R), a new highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin, causes significantly fewer injection site reactions than Repronex(R) in subjects undergoing in vitro fertilization
BACKGROUND: The safety and tolerability of a new highly purified, urine-derived human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) preparation [Menopur(R)] was compared with a currently available hMG [Repronex (R)] in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: This was a randomized, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter study conducted in subjects undergoing IVF. Women (N = 125), 18–39 years of age, underwent pituitary down-regulation with leuprolide acetate beginning 7 days prior to onset of menses and continuing up to the day before hCG administration. Subjects were randomized to receive subcutaneous (SC) Menopur (R) (n = 61) or Repronex (R) SC (n = 64) for a maximum of 12 days. All adverse events (AEs) were recorded and subject self-assessments of injection site reactions were recorded in a daily diary. RESULTS: Significantly fewer subjects in the Menopur (R) group reported injection site reactions (P < 0.001) compared to the Repronex (R) group. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of AEs between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Menopur (R) SC offers a greater safety and tolerability profile compared to Repronex (R) SC
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