Updated cosmic-ray and radio constraints on light dark matter: Implications for the GeV gamma-ray excess at the Galactic center

The apparent gamma-ray excess in the Galactic center region and inner Galaxy has attracted considerable interest, notably because both its spectrum and radial distribution are consistent with an interpretation in terms of annihilating dark matter particles with a mass of about 10-40 GeV. We confront such an interpretation with an updated compilation of various indirect dark matter detection bounds, which we adapt to the specific form required by the observed signal. We find that cosmic-ray positron data strongly rule out dark matter annihilating to light leptons, or 'democratically' to all leptons, as an explanation of the signal. Cosmic-ray antiprotons, for which we present independent and significantly improved limits with respect to previous estimates, are already in considerable tension with DM annihilation to any combination of quark final states; the first set of AMS-02 data will thus be able to rule out or confirm the DM hypothesis with high confidence. For reasonable assumptions about the magnetic field in the Galactic center region, radio observations independently put very severe constraints on a DM interpretation of the excess, in particular for all leptonic annihilation channels.Comment: 23 pages revtex, 19 figures, 1 table. Extended discussion of antiproton limits and added references. Matches published versio

Enhanced Line Signals from Annihilating Kaluza-Klein Dark Matter

Monochromatic gamma ray lines have long been known to provide potential smoking gun signals for annihilating dark matter. Here, we demonstrate that the situation is particularly interesting for Kaluza-Klein dark matter because resonant annihilation is generically expected for small, but not necessarily vanishing relative velocities of the annihilating particles. We calculate the contribution from those hitherto neglected resonances and show that the annihilation rate into monochromatic photons can be significantly enhanced, in a way that is much more pronounced than for the associated production of continuum photons. For favorable astrophysical conditions, this leads to promising prospects for the detection of TeV-scale Kaluza-Klein dark matter. We also point out that the situation may be even more interesting in the vicinity of black holes, like the supermassive black hole at the center of our Galaxy, where in principle center-of-mass energies much larger than the rest mass are available. In this case, annihilating Kaluza-Klein dark matter may show the striking and unique signature of several gamma ray lines, with an equidistant spacing corresponding to twice the compactification radius of the extra dimension

Information and participation in decision-making about treatment: a qualitative study of the perceptions and preferences of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To elicit the perceptions and preferences of patients with rheumatoid arthritis regarding information and participation in treatment decision-making. To analyse the patients’ narratives on the background of the ethical discourse on various approaches to treatment decisionmaking. Design: In-depth interviews with themes identified using principles of grounded theory. Participants: 22 patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis. Main outcome measures: Qualitative data on patients’ perceptions and preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making about treatment. Results: Decision-making about treatment has been described by the patients as a process consisting of different stages with shifting loci of control and responsibility. Patients initially received one treatment recommendation and were not aware of alternative treatment options. Those participants in this study who wanted information about negative effects of a treatment cited ‘‘interest in one’s own health’’ and the potential ‘‘use of information’’ as reasons for their preference. The physicians’ expert knowledge and clinical experience regarding the effects of medication were cited as arguments by patients for a treatment recommendation. Conclusions: The patients’ accounts of decision-making about treatment differ from models of physician–patient relationship that have been put forward in ethical discourse. These differences may be relevant with respect to the starting point of an ethical analysis of treatment decision-making. Patients’ accounts with respect to a lack of information on treatment alternatives point to ethically relevant challenges regarding treatment decision-making in clinical practice

Wer wen wie behandeln soll : Formelhafte Moraldidaxe in mittelhochdeutscher Epik

Gegenstand meines Beitrags sind solche Satzgefüge, die einen Matrixsatz M und einen unmittelbar untergeordneten Nebensatz N enthalten, die folgende Bedingungen erfüllen: a) M muss in einem Vergangenheitstempus, N dagegen im Präsens bzw. Futur stehen; b) die Prädikate von M und N müssen in der dritten Person stehen; c) bei N muss es sich um einen Vergleichssatz handeln, dessen Prädikat als finites Verb das Modalverb 'suln ' enthält. Meine These lautet, dass sich mit Hilfe dieser verhältnismäßig einfachen Definition hinreichend präzise eine formelhafte Wendung erfassen lässt, die sich seit Hartmann von Aue in der mittelhochdeutschen erzählenden Literatur etabliert hat und überwiegend moraldidaktischen Charakter trägt. Ihre genauere Beschreibung ist das Ziel meines Beitrags, wobei ich, ausgehend von den ‘unscharfen Rändern’, in einer Art Spiralbewegung das Zentrum der besagten sprachlichen ‘Verdichtung’ einzukreisen hoffe. Mein Textkorpus umfasst rund 75 deutschsprachige erzählende Texte aus der Zeit von 1150 bis 1300, die den Bereichen der Heldenepik, der sogenannten Spielmannsepik, der Karlsepik, der höfischen Legendenepik, des Antikenromans, des Tristanromans, des Artusromans sowie des nichtarthurischen Liebes- und Abenteuerromans zugehören. Einschränkend ist hinzuzufügen, dass ich mich in meiner Untersuchung auf die Stimme des extradiegetischen Erzählers beschränke, Figurenrede also außer Acht lasse

Neue Beobachtungen über die Phanerogamen- und Gefäßkryptogamenflora von Bayern : 3

Enthält u.a. neu aufgestellte und beschriebene Formen: Thalictrum flavum var simpliciforme Lonicera Xylosteum f. longipedunculata Lonicera Xylosteum subf. calvescens Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum f. setosum Alectorolophus angustifolius ssp.subalpinus var. ericetorum Juncus compressus var. tereticaulus Carex glauca var. cuspidata f. hirtella Cyperus fuscus f. pygmaeus Scirpus lacustris f. radiatu

Personalised medicine: Priority setting and opportunity costs in European public health care systems

“Personalised medicine” is currently attracting considerable attention and raising high hopes and expectations in modern medicine. The term “personalised medicine” denotes the use of genetic or other biomarker information, and it does not focus on a more personal patient-doctor relationship. Furthermore, personalised medicine is associated with ethical problems like priority setting and opportunity costs in solidarity-based public health care systems. Personalised medicine provides modern, highly specific and expensive diagnostics and treatments, which serve only limited subgroups of patients. At the same time, research in other fields of clinical medicine, which could be of benefit to more patients than such limited subgroups, remain underfunded

Personalised medicine: Priority setting and opportunity costs in European public health care systems

“Personalised medicine” is currently attracting considerable attention and raising high hopes and expectations in modern medicine. The term “personalised medicine” denotes the use of genetic or other biomarker information, and it does not focus on a more personal patient-doctor relationship. Furthermore, personalised medicine is associated with ethical problems like priority setting and opportunity costs in solidarity-based public health care systems. Personalised medicine provides modern, highly specific and expensive diagnostics and treatments, which serve only limited subgroups of patients. At the same time, research in other fields of clinical medicine, which could be of benefit to more patients than such limited subgroups, remain underfunded