Toroidal magnetized iron neutrino detector for a neutrino factory

A neutrino factory has unparalleled physics reach for the discovery and measurement of CP violation in the neutrino sector. A far detector for a neutrino factory must have good charge identification with excellent background rejection and a large mass. An elegant solution is to construct a magnetized iron neutrino detector (MIND) along the lines of MINOS, where iron plates provide a toroidal magnetic field and scintillator planes provide 3D space points. In this paper, the current status of a simulation of a toroidal MIND for a neutrino factory is discussed in light of the recent measurements of large θ13. The response and performance using the 10 GeV neutrino factory configuration are presented. It is shown that this setup has equivalent δCP reach to a MIND with a dipole field and is sensitive to the discovery of CP violation over 85% of the values of δCP

Flow field and wake structure characteristics imposed by single seagrass blade surrogates

Seagrass surrogates are commonly used to mimic the behaviour of seagrasses exposed to currents and their effects on flow fields. The interaction is highly dependent on the chosen mechanic and geometric properties of the surrogates and needs to be understood in order to design artificial meadows. The interaction of single surrogates in unidirectional flow fields is studied by means of physical modelling. Surrogates made of plastic materials with different flexural rigidities, buoyancies and geometries are exposed to varying flow velocities. The instantaneous velocity fields in the vicinity and wake of the surrogates are measured by stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). All employed surrogates disrupt and interact with the flow field by changing their posture. An empirical relation is derived between the flexural rigidity, buoyancy and characteristic diameter of the surrogates and the imposed differences in the attenuation ratio of flow velocities. Further, the approaching flow velocity and distance behind the surrogate influence the estimated attenuation. The vortex shedding frequency imposed by artificial seagrass is lower than frequencies determined for infinite, rigid cylindrical structures. Three main characterizing properties: the modulus of elasticity, buoyancy and cross-sectional dimensions need to be taken into account for design of artificial seagrass meadows. Our findings advance knowledge of fluid-structure interactions of flexible materials and help to progress proper design of artificial seagrass meadows

Implications of Host Genetic Variation on the Risk and Prevalence of Infectious Diseases Transmitted Through the Environment

Previous studies have shown that host genetic heterogeneity in the response to infectious challenge can affect the emergence risk and the severity of diseases transmitted through direct contact between individuals. However, there is substantial uncertainty about the degree and direction of influence owing to different definitions of genetic variation, most of which are not in line with the current understanding of the genetic architecture of disease traits. Also, the relevance of previous results for diseases transmitted through environmental sources is unclear. In this article a compartmental genetic–epidemiological model was developed to quantify the impact of host genetic diversity on epidemiological characteristics of diseases transmitted through a contaminated environment. The model was parameterized for footrot in sheep. Genetic variation was defined through continuous distributions with varying shape and degree of dispersion for different disease traits. The model predicts a strong impact of genetic heterogeneity on the disease risk and its progression and severity, as well as on observable host phenotypes, when dispersion in key epidemiological parameters is high. The impact of host variation depends on the disease trait for which variation occurs and on environmental conditions affecting pathogen survival. In particular, compared to homogeneous populations with the same average susceptibility, disease risk and severity are substantially higher in populations containing a large proportion of highly susceptible individuals, and the differences are strongest when environmental contamination is low. The implications of our results for the recording and analysis of disease data and for predicting response to selection are discussed

Radioisotopes demonstrate the contrasting bioaccumulation capacities of heavy metals in embryonic stages of cephalopod species

Cephalopods play a key role in many marine trophic food webs and also constitute alternative fishery resources in the context of the ongoing decline in finfish stocks. Most coastal cephalopod species of commercial importance migrate into shallow waters during the breeding season to lay their eggs, and are consequently subjected to coastal contamination. Eggs of common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, European squid Loligo vulgaris, common octopus Octopus vulgaris and the sepiolid Rossia macrosoma were exposed during embryonic development to dissolved 110mAg, 109Cd, 60Co, 54Mn and 65Zn in order to determine their metal accumulation efficiencies and distribution among different egg compartments. Cuttlefish eggs, in which hard shells enclose the embryos, showed the lowest concentration factor (CF) values despite a longer duration of exposure. In contrast, octopus eggs, which are only protected by the chorionic membrane, accumulated the most metal. Uptake appears to be linked to the selective retention properties of the egg envelopes with respect to each element. The study also demonstrated that the octopus embryo accumulated 110mAg directly from the dissolved phase and also indirectly through assimilation of the contaminated yolk. These results raise questions regarding the potential contrasting vulnerability of early life stages of cephalopods to the metallic contamination of coastal water

Microbiologic follow-up study in adult bronchiectasis

SummaryThere is minimal published longitudinal data about pathogenic microorganisms in adults with bronchiectasis. Therefore a study was undertaken to assess the microbiologic profile over time in bronchiectasis.A prospective study of clinical and microbiologic outcomes was performed. Subjects were assessed by a respiratory physician and sputum sample were collected for analysis. Subjects were followed up and had repeat assessment performed.Eighty-nine subjects were followed up for a period of 5.7±3.6 years. On initial assessment the two most common pathogens isolated were Haemophilus influenzae (47%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%) whilst 21% had no pathogens isolated. On follow-up review results were similar (40% H. influenzae, 18% P. aeruginosa and 26% no pathogens). The prevalence of antibiotic resistance of isolates increased from 13% to 30%. Analysis of a series of H. influenzae isolates showed they were nearly all nontypeable and all were different subtypes. Subjects with no pathogens isolated from their sputum had the mildest disease, while subjects with P. aeruginosa had the most severe bronchiectasis.Many subjects with bronchiectasis are colonized with the same bacterium over an average follow-up of 5 years. Different pathogens are associated with different patterns of clinical disease

VALES: IV. Exploring the transition of star formation efficiencies between normal and starburst galaxies using APEX/SEPIA Band-5 and ALMA at low redshift

In this work we present new APEX/SEPIA Band-5 observations targeting the CO ($J=2\text{-}1$) emission line of 24 Herschel-detected galaxies at $z=0.1-0.2$. Combining this sample {with} our recent new Valpara\'iso ALMA Line Emission Survey (VALES), we investigate the star formation efficiencies (SFEs = SFR/$M_{\rm H_{2}}$) of galaxies at low redshift. We find the SFE of our sample bridges the gap between normal star-forming galaxies and Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs), which are thought to be triggered by different star formation modes. Considering the $\rm SFE'$ as the SFR and the $L'_{\rm CO}$ ratio, our data show a continuous and smooth increment as a function of infrared luminosity (or star formation rate) with a scatter about 0.5 dex, instead of a steep jump with a bimodal behaviour. This result is due to the use of a sample with a much larger range of sSFR/sSFR$_{\rm ms}$ using LIRGs, with luminosities covering the range between normal and ULIRGs. We conclude that the main parameters controlling the scatter of the SFE in star-forming galaxies are the systematic uncertainty of the $\alpha_{\rm CO}$ conversion factor, the gas fraction and physical size.Comment: 9pages, 7 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRA

The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands

Researchers and brand managers have limited understanding of the effects social media communication has on how consumers perceive brands. We investigated 504 Facebook users in order to observe the impact of firm-created and user-generated social media communication on brand equity, brand attitude and purchase intention by using a standardized online survey throughout Poland. To test the conceptual model, we analyzed 60 brands across three different industries: non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and mobile network operators. When analyzing the data, we applied the structural equation modeling technique to both investigate the interplay of firm-created and user-generated social media communication and examine industry-specific differences. The results of the empirical studies showed that user-generated social media communication had a positive influence on both brand equity and brand attitude, whereas firm-created social media communication affected only brand attitude. Both brand equity and brand attitude were shown to have a positive influence on purchase intention. In addition, we assessed measurement invariance using a multi-group structural modeling equation. The findings revealed that the proposed measurement model was invariant across the researched industries. However, structural path differences were detected across the models

Problemas en el manejo de pacientes con SIDA

In order to identify the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV (Human lmmunodeficiency Virus), we studied 138 patients. Men were more affected than women in a 3 to 1 ratio. The most frequently occurring age group was 26-35 years old. Sexual contact, exposure to blood, and perinatal transmission were the major means of HIV infection. We found many problems concerning institutional management of HIV patients. The control and prevention of HIV infection will require coordinated and global surveillance.Para conocer los patrones clínico-epidemiológicos en el Atlántico, estudiamos 138 pacientes infectados con el VIH en dos instituciones de salud y la consulta privada; esta patología se diagnosticó mayormente en hombres que en mujeres (relación 3:1). El grupo de edad más afectado correspondió a las edades de 26 a 35 años. La conducta de riesgo más importante fue la promiscuidad. La población afectada de heterosexuales es similar a la de homosexuales. La alta mortalidad, 75% de los casos en seis años de seguimiento, está relacionada con el diagnóstico en una etapa avanzada (57,2%) y las infecciones oportunistas. El VIH, en nuestro medio, tiene un patrón epidemiológico tipo II. El número de casos infectados está en ascenso, confirmándose el desarrollo de la epidemia. El manejo ambulatorio y hospitalario de la enfermedad muestra un gran número de defectos, proponiéndose la ejecución de un plan conjunto con las instituciones de salud