SUSY Dark Matter In Light Of CDMS/XENON Limits

In this talk we briefly review the current CDMS/XENON constraints on the neutralino dark matter in three popular supersymmetric models: the minimal (MSSM), the next-to-minimal (NMSSM) and the nearly minimal (nMSSM). The constraints from the dark matter relic density and various collider experiments are also taken into account. The conclusion is that for each model the current CDMS/XENON limits can readily exclude a large part of the parameter space allowed by other constraints and the future SuperCDMS or XENON100 can cover most of the allowed parameter space. The implication for the Higgs search at the LHC is also discussed. It is found that in the currently allowed parameter space the MSSM charged Higgs boson is quite unlikely to be discovered at the LHC while the neutral Higgs bosons $H$ and $A$ may be accessible at the LHC in the parameter space with a large $\mu$ parameter.Comment: talk given at 2nd International Workshop on Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry, Nov 5-6, 2010, Hsinchu, Taiwan (to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys. D

Bars, Nightclubs, and Cancer Prevention: New Approaches to Reduce Young Adult Cigarette Smoking.

IntroductionTobacco contributes to multiple cancers, and it is largely preventable. As overall smoking prevalence in California declines, smoking has become concentrated among high-risk groups. Targeting social/cultural groups (i.e., "peer crowds") that share common values, aspirations, and activities in social venues like bars and nightclubs may reach high-risk young adult smokers. Lack of population data on young adult peer crowds limits the ability to assess the potential reach of such interventions.MethodsThis multimodal population-based household survey included young adults residing in San Francisco and Alameda counties. Data were collected in 2014 and analyzed in 2016. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed smoking by sociodemographic factors, attitudes, self-rated health, peer crowd affiliation, and bar/nightclub attendance.ResultsSmoking prevalence was 15.1% overall; 35.3% of respondents sometimes or frequently attended bars. In controlled analyses, bar attendance (AOR=2.13, 95% CI=1.00, 4.53) and binge drinking (AOR=3.17, 95% CI=1.59, 6.32) were associated with greater odds of smoking, as was affiliation with "Hip Hop" (AOR=4.32, 95% CI=1.48, 12.67) and "Country" (AOR=3.13, 95% CI=1.21, 8.09) peer crowds. Multivariable models controlling for demographics estimated a high probability of smoking among bar patrons affiliating with Hip Hop (47%) and Country (52%) peer crowds.ConclusionsBar attendance and affiliation with certain peer crowds confers significantly higher smoking risk. Interventions targeting Hip Hop and Country peer crowds could efficiently reach smokers, and peer crowd-tailored interventions have been associated with decreased smoking and binge drinking. Targeted interventions in bars and nightclubs may be an efficient way to address these cancer risks

Potential role for clinical calibration to increase engagement with and application of home telemonitoring: a report from the HeartCycle programme

Aims: There is a need for alternative strategies that might avoid recurrent admissions in patients with heart failure. Home Telemonitoring (HTM) to monitor patient’s symptoms from a distance may be useful. This study attempts to assess changes in HTM vital signs in response to daily life activities (variations in medication, salt intake, exercise and stress) and to stablish which variations affect weight, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Methods and results: We assessed 76 patients with heart failure (mean age 76 ± 10.8 years, 75% male, mainly in NYHA class II/III and from ischaemic etiology cause). Patients were given a calendar of interventions scheduling activities approximately twice-a-week before measuring their vital signs. Eating salty food or a large meal were the activities that had a significant impact on weight gain (+0.3 kg; p<0.001 and p=0.006, respectively). Exercise and skipping a dose of medication other than diuretics increased heart rate (+3 bpm, p=0.001 and almost +2 bpm, p=0.016, respectively). Conclusions: Our HTM system was able to detect small changes in vital signs related to these activities. Further studies should assess if providing such a schedule of activities might be useful for patient education and could improve long-term adherence to recommended lifestyle changes

Reliability of P mode event classification using contemporaneous BiSON and GOLF observations

We carried out a comparison of the signals seen in contemporaneous BiSON and GOLF data sets. Both instruments perform Doppler shift velocity measurements in integrated sunlight, although BiSON perform measurements from the two wings of potassium absorption line and GOLF from one wing of the NaD1 line. Discrepancies between the two datasets have been observed. We show,in fact, that the relative power depends on the wing in which GOLF data observes. During the blue wing period, the relative power is much higher than in BiSON datasets, while a good agreement has been observed during the red period.Comment: 7 pages, HELAS II: Helioseismology, Asteroseismology, and MHD Connections, conference proceedin

Peso estándar de la tilapia (Oreochromis aureus Steindachner) en Cuba

Standard weight equations for a 75 percentil were worked out for Cuban Oreochromis aureus Steindachner from the available relevant information from each geographical regions within the country. All the weights for each 10 mm length class were sorted in descendent way in order to determine the 75th percentil. A standard weight table for each sex and both combined was determined for Cuban Oreochromis aureus. A comparison of the relative weight index of tilapia in two different moments of Alacranes reservoir is presented as an example of the index use. Application of this technique to other commercial or game fishes is suggested.Se confeccionaron las ecuaciones del peso estándar al percentil 75 para la tilapia (Oreochromis aureus Steindachner) para Cuba a partir de la información representativa disponible de las cuatro regiones geográficas del país. El percentil 75 se determinó mediante el ordenamiento en forma descendente del total de los pesos por cada clase de largo de 10 mm de los ejemplares de todos los embalses seleccionados. Se determinó la tabla de peso estándar para la tilapia de Cuba para cada sexo y para la combinación de ambos. Se ejemplifica el uso del índice de peso relativo con la aplicación a dos momentos del embalse Alacranes. Se recomienda la aplicación de esta técnica a otras especies de interés comercial o deportivo

INTEGRAL timing and localization performance

In this letter we report on the accuracy of the attitude, misalignment, orbit and time correlation which are used to perform scientific analyses of the INTEGRAL data. The boresight attitude during science pointings has an accuracy of 3 arcsec. At the center of the field, the misalignments have been calibrated leading to a location accuracy of 4 to 40 arcsec for the different instruments. The spacecraft position is known within 10 meters. The relative timing between instruments could be reconstructed within 10 microsec and the absolute timing within 40 microsec.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A+A letters, INTEGRAL special issu

Hyperfine splittings in the bbˉb\bar{b} system

Recent measurements of the $\eta_b(1S)$, the ground state of the $b\bar{b}$ system, show the splitting between it and the \Up(1S) to be 69.5$\pm$3.2 MeV, considerably larger than lattice QCD and potential model predictions, including recent calculations published by us. The models are unable to incorporate such a large hyperfine splitting within the context of a consistent description of the energy spectrum and decays. We demonstrate that in our model, which incorporates a relativistic kinetic energy term, a linear confining term including its scalar-exchange relativistic corrections, and the complete one-loop QCD short distance potential, such a consistent description, including the measured hyperfine splitting, can be obtained by not softening the delta function terms in the hyperfine potential. We calculate the hyperfine splitting to be 67.5 MeV.Comment: 5 pages, 3 tables, text revision

Loss of expression of ATM is associated with worse prognosis in colorectal cancer and loss of Ku70 expression is associated with CIN

Repair of double strand DNA breaks (DSBs) is pivotal in maintaining normal cell division and disruption of this system has been shown to be a key factor in carcinogenesis. Loss of expression of the DSB repair proteins have previously been shown to be associated with poorer survival in colorectal cancer. We wished to ascertain the relationship of altered expression of the DSB repair proteins γ-H2AX (gamma-H2AX), ATM and Ku70 with biological and clinico-pathological features of colorectal cancer. 908 tumours from the VICTOR clinical trial of stage II/III colorectal cancer were analysed for expression of γ-H2AX, ATM and Ku70 using immunohistochemistry. Expression levels were correlated with CIN and with diseasefree survival, correcting for microsatellite instability, BRAF/KRAS mutation status, Dukes stage, chemo/radiotherapy, age, gender and tumour location. Down-regulated Ku70 expression was associated with chromosomal instability (p=0.029) in colorectal cancer. Reduced ATM expression was an independent marker of poor disease-free survival (HR=1.67, 95% CI 1.11-2.50, p=0.015). For Ku70, further studies are required to investigate the potential relationship of non-homologous end joining with chromosomal instability. Loss of ATM expression might serve as a biomarker of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer