Chromospheric oscillations

We show results from SO/Sacramento Peak data to discuss three issues: (i)--the spatial occurrence of chromospheric 3--min oscillations; (ii)--the validity of Ca II H&K line-center Doppler Shift measurements; (iii)--the signi ?cance of oscillation power and phase at frequencies above 10 mHz

Cancellation of the Chiral Anomaly in a Model with Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking

A perturbatively renormalized Abelian Higgs-Kibble model with a chirally coupled fermion is considered. The Slavnov identity is fulfilled to all orders of perturbation theory, which is crucial for renormalizability in models with vector bosons. BRS invariance, i.e. the validity of the identity, forces the chiral anomaly to be cancelled by Wess-Zumino counterterms. This procedure preserves the renormalizability in the one-loop approximation but it violates the Froissart bounds for partial wave amplitudes above some energy and destroys renormalizability from the second order in h bar onwards due to the counterterms. (The paper has 3 figs. in postscript which are not included; send request to the author's e-mailbox with subject: figures . The author is willing to mail hard copies of the paper.)Comment: 13 pages, plain TeX, SI 92-1

Non-linear numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale flux tubes

We present results of non-linear, 2D, numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in the photosphere and chromosphere of small-scale flux tubes with internal structure. Waves with realistic periods of three to five minutes are studied, after applying horizontal and vertical oscillatory perturbations to the equilibrium model. Spurious reflections of shock waves from the upper boundary are minimized thanks to a special boundary condition. This has allowed us to increase the duration of the simulations and to make it long enough to perform a statistical analysis of oscillations. The simulations show that deep horizontal motions of the flux tube generate a slow (magnetic) mode and a surface mode. These modes are efficiently transformed into a slow (acoustic) mode in the vA < cS atmosphere. The slow (acoustic) mode propagates vertically along the field lines, forms shocks and remains always within the flux tube. It might deposit effectively the energy of the driver into the chromosphere. When the driver oscillates with a high frequency, above the cut-off, non-linear wave propagation occurs with the same dominant driver period at all heights. At low frequencies, below the cut-off, the dominant period of oscillations changes with height from that of the driver in the photosphere to its first harmonic (half period) in the chromosphere. Depending on the period and on the type of the driver, different shock patterns are observed.Comment: 22 pages 6 color figures, submitted to Solar Physics, proceeding of SOHO 19/ GONG 2007 meeting, Melbourne, Australi

“Make no little plans”: Impactful research to solve the next generation of transportation problems

The transportation science research community has contributed to numerous practical and intellectual innovations and improvements over the last decades. Technological advancements have broadened and amplified the potential impacts of our field. At the same time, the world and its communities are facing greater and more serious challenges than ever before. In this paper, we call upon the transportation science research community to work on a research agenda that addresses some of the most important of these challenges. This agenda is guided by the sustainable development goals outlined by the United Nations and organized into three areas: (1) well-being, (2) infrastructure, and, (3) natural environment. For each area, we identify current and future challenges as well as research directions to address those challenges

Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography for Predicting Outcome in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation During Conservative Management and After Surgery

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to test myocardial deformation imaging using speckle-tracking echocardiography for predicting outcomes in chronic aortic regurgitation.BackgroundIn chronic aortic regurgitation, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction must be detected early to allow timely surgery. Speckle-tracking echocardiography has been proposed for this purpose, but the clinical value of this method in aortic regurgitation has not been established.MethodsA longitudinal study was performed in 64 patients with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation. Thirty-five patients were managed conservatively with frequent clinical visits and sequential echocardiography and followed for an average of 19 ± 8 months, while 29 patients underwent surgery for the valve lesion and were followed for 6 months post-operatively. Baseline LV function by speckle-tracking and conventional echocardiography was compared with impaired outcome after surgery (defined as persisting symptoms or persisting LV dilation [LV end-diastolic volume index ≥87 ml/m2] or dysfunction [LV ejection fraction <50%]) and with disease progression during conservative management (defined as development of symptoms, increase in LV volume >15%, or decrease in LV ejection fraction >10%).ResultsReduced myocardial systolic strain, systolic strain rate, and early diastolic strain rate by speckle-tracking echocardiography was associated with disease progression during conservative management (−16.3% vs. −19.0%, p = 0.02; −1.04 vs. −1.19 s−1, p = 0.02; and 1.20 vs. 1.60 s−1, p = 0.002, respectively) and with impaired outcome after surgery (−11.5% vs. −15.6%, p = 0.01; −0.88 vs. −1.01 s−1, p = 0.04; and 0.98 vs. 1.33 s−1, p = 0.01, respectively). Conventional parameters of LV function and size (LV ejection fraction and LV end-diastolic volume index) were associated with outcome after surgery (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively) but not with outcome during conservative management (p = 0.57 and p = 0.39, respectively).ConclusionsSpeckle-tracking echocardiography is useful for the early detection of LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in chronic aortic regurgitation

Access to scientific literature by the conservation community

Access to the scientific literature is perceived to be a challenge to the biodiversity conservation community, but actual level of literature access relative to needs has never been assessed globally. We examined this question by surveying the constituency of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a proxy for the conservation community, generating 2,285 responses. Of these respondents, ∼97% need to use the scientific literature in order to support their IUCN-related conservation work, with ∼50% needing to do so at least once per week. The crux of the survey revolved around the question, “How easy is it for you currently to obtain the scientific literature you need to carry out your IUCN-related work?” and revealed that roughly half (49%) of the respondents find it not easy or not at all easy to access scientific literature. We fitted a binary logistic regression model to explore factors predicting ease of literature access. Whether the respondent had institutional literature access (55% do) is the strongest predictor, with region (Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and sex (male) also significant predictors. Approximately 60% of respondents from Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have institutional access compared to ∼50% in Asia and Latin America, and ∼40% in Eastern Europe and in Africa. Nevertheless, accessing free online material is a popular means of accessing literature for both those with and without institutional access. The four journals most frequently mentioned when asked which journal access would deliver the greatest improvements to the respondent’s IUCN-related work were Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation, Nature, and Science. The majority prefer to read journal articles on screen but books in hard copy. Overall, it is apparent that access to the literature is a challenge facing roughly half of the conservation community worldwide

Enhanced Joule Heating in Umbral Dots

We present a study of magnetic profiles of umbral dots (UDs) and its consequences on the Joule heating mechanisms. Hamedivafa (2003) studied Joule heating using vertical component of magnetic field. In this paper UDs magnetic profile has been investigated including the new azimuthal component of magnetic field which might explain the relatively larger enhancement of Joule heating causing more brightness near circumference of UD.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted in Solar Physic

Properties of high-frequency wave power halos around active regions: an analysis of multi-height data from HMI and AIA onboard SDO

We study properties of waves of frequencies above the photospheric acoustic cut-off of $\approx$5.3 mHz, around four active regions, through spatial maps of their power estimated using data from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The wavelength channels 1600 {\AA} and 1700 {\AA} from AIA are now known to capture clear oscillation signals due to helioseismic p modes as well as waves propagating up through to the chromosphere. Here we study in detail, in comparison with HMI Doppler data, properties of the power maps, especially the so called 'acoustic halos' seen around active regions, as a function of wave frequencies, inclination and strength of magnetic field (derived from the vector field observations by HMI) and observation height. We infer possible signatures of (magneto-)acoustic wave refraction from the observation height dependent changes, and hence due to changing magnetic strength and geometry, in the dependences of power maps on the photospheric magnetic quantities. We discuss the implications for theories of p mode absorption and mode conversions by the magnetic field.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, Accepted by journal Solar Physic

Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule and forward spin polarizabilities in Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory

We study spin-dependent sum rules for forward virtual Compton scattering(VVCS) off the nucleon in heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory at order $O(p^4)$. We show how these sum rules can be evaluated from low energy expansions (in the virtual photon energy) of the forward VVCS amplitudes. We study in particular the Burkhardt -Cottingham sum rule in HBChPT and higher terms in the low energy expansion, which can be related to the generalized forward spin polarizabilities of the nucleon. The dependence of these observables on the photon virtuality $Q^2$ can be accessed, at small and intermediate $Q^2$ values, from existing and forthcoming data at Jefferson Lab.Comment: 16 pages,4 fig

Liver transplantation for biliary atresia

Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed 15 months to 20 years ago in 126 recipients, all of whom were under 18 years of age. Eighty-six of these pediatric recipients were treated before 1980 with azathioprine (or eyclophosphamide) and prednisone, to which antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) usually was added. One-year patient survival was 40%. In the last 40 cases, the new drug cyclosporine has been given with low doses of steroids. The one-year patient survival increased to 65%. Both in the pre-cyclosporine era and more recently, the survival of patients with biliary atresia has been lower than in the next largest category of patients, namely, those with liver-based inborn metabolic errors. The difficulty of operation in patients with biliary atresia has been greater than in recipients with other diagnoses, partly because of previous operations such as portoenterostomy (Kasai procedure). Hepatic portoenterostomy, worthwhile as it is, has posed technical difficulties for eventual liver transplantation, particularly when complicated Roux limb techniques or venting procedures have been applied. In our total experience the longest survival after liver replacement in a child whose original diagnosis was biliary atresia is 132/3 years. © 1984 Société Internationale de Chirurgie