Investigations on the consumption of sugar by South African populations

By means of questionnaires, appropriate for both individuals and households, surveys of sugar intake have been carried out in the Transvaal on groups of South African Whites, Indians, Malays, Coloureds, and Bantu. Inquiries concerned groups in urban and rural areas, and in different socio-economic circumstances. In Whites the consumptions per capita resemble data published in the United Kingdom. Mean intakes, in round figures, range from 80 to 100 g per day for those in the higher socio-economic groups, to 120 - 140 g for those in lower-income groups. For Indians the mean consumptions, 70 - 90 g, are less than the intakes of Whites, and slightly less than the limited data on Coloureds and Malays. The Coloureds and Malays were not extensively investigated; the mean intakes of about 90 g are lower than those of Whites in similar economic circumstances. Among the rural groups of Bantu studied, mean intakes range from 65 to 75 g per day, while in urban areas ranges are greater, 55 - 85 g per day. Miscellaneous findings were that males consume more sugar than females; intake rises with age, but falls off in late middle-age; intake falls with increase in family size; and among Whites, intake tends to decrease with rise in privilege (this change is not yet apparent in non-White groups). In the future, sugar intake will certainly increase in the non-White populations, particularly the Bantu

Probing the Galactic Dark Matter Mass Funtion Using Microlensing and Direct Searches

If compact baryonic objects contribute significantly to the dark matter in our Galaxy, their mass function will present vital clues for galaxy formation theories and star formation processes in the early Universe. Here we discuss what one might expect to learn about the mass function of Galactic dark matter from microlensing and from direct searches in the infrared and optical wavebands. Current microlensing results from the \eros\/ collaboration already constrain halo mass functions which extend below 10^{-4}~\sm, whilst recent \hst\/ observations place strong constraints on disc and halo dark matter mass functions extending above 0.1~\sm. Infrared observations should either detect or constrain objects larger than 0.01~\sm in the near future. Objects below 0.01~\sm should be detectable through microlensing, although the prospects of determining their mass function depend critically on a number of factors.Comment: uuencoded, gzipped postscript file (4 pages). Postscript file (massfunc.ps) can also be obtained via anonymous ftp to 138.37.48.101 in dir /pub/ejk/ir+lens. Based on a talk presented at the conference "Trends in Astroparticle Physics", Stockholm, Sweden, 22-25 September. To be published in Nucl. Phys. B Proceedings Supplemen

Distribution of Mesoscale Convective Complex Rainfall in the United States

Several annual mesoscale convective complex (MCC) summaries have been compiled since Maddox strictly defined their criteria in 1980. These previous studies have largely been independent of each other and therefore have not established the extended spatial and temporal patterns associated with these large, quasi-circular, and, typically, severe convective systems. This deficiency is primarily due to the difficulty of archiving enough satellite imagery to accurately record each MCC based on Maddox’s criteria. Consequently, this study utilizes results from each of the MCC summaries compiled between 1978 and 1999 for the United States in order to develop a more complete climatology, or description of long-term means and interannual variation, of these storms. Within the 22-yr period, MCC summaries were compiled for a total of 15 yr. These 15 yr of MCC data are employed to establish estimated tracks for all MCCs documented and, thereafter, are utilized to determine MCC populations on a monthly, seasonal, annual, and multiyear basis. Subsequent to developing an extended climatology of MCCs, the study ascertains the spatial and temporal patterns of MCC rainfall and determines the precipitation contributions made by MCCs over the central and eastern United States. Results indicate that during the warm season, significant portions of the Great Plains receive, on average, between 8% and 18% of their total precipitation from MCC rainfall. However, there is large yearly and even monthly variability in the location and frequency of MCC events that leads to highly variable precipitation contributions

Long and short range magnetism in the frustrated double perovskite Ba2MnWO6

The structural and magnetic properties of the face-centered cubic double perovskite Ba2MnWO6 were investigated using neutron powder diffraction, DC-magnetometry, muon spin relaxation and inelastic neutron scattering. Ba2MnWO6 undergoes Type II long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at a Neel temperature of 8(1) K with a frustration index, f = 8. Inelastic neutron scattering was used to identify the magnetic coupling constants J1 and J2, which were found to equal -0.080 meV and -0.076 meV respectively. This indicated that both of the magnetic coupling constants were antiferromagnetic with similar magnitudes, which is in contrast to other known 3d metal double perovskites Ba2MWO6. Above the Neel temperature, muon spin relaxation measurements and inelastic neutron scattering techniques identify a short-range correlated magnetic state that is similar to that observed in the archetypical face-centered cubic lattice antiferromagnet MnO

Electromagnetic proton form factors in large NcN_{c} QCD

The electromagnetic form factors of the proton are obtained using a particular realization of QCD in the large $N_c$ limit (${QCD}_{\infty}$), which sums up the infinite number of zero-width resonances to yield an Euler's Beta function (Dual-${QCD}_{\infty}$). The form factors $F_1(q^2)$ and $F_2(q^2)$, as well as $G_M(q^2)$ agree very well with reanalyzed space-like data in the whole range of momentum transfer. In addition, the predicted ratio $\mu_p G_E/G_M$ is in good agreement with recent polarization transfer measurements at Jefferson Lab.Comment: 10 page

The PL calibration for Milky Way Cepheids and its implications for the distance scale

The rationale behind recent calibrations of the Cepheid PL relation using the Wesenheit formulation is reviewed and reanalyzed, and it is shown that recent conclusions regarding a possible change in slope of the PL relation for short-period and long-period Cepheids are tied to a pathological distribution of HST calibrators within the instability strip. A recalibration of the period-luminosity relation is obtained using Galactic Cepheids in open clusters and groups, the resulting relationship, described by log L/L_sun = 2.415(+-0.035) + 1.148(+-0.044)log P, exhibiting only the moderate scatter expected from color spread within the instability strip. The relationship is confirmed by Cepheids with HST parallaxes, although without the need for Lutz-Kelker corrections, and in general by Cepheids with revised Hipparcos parallaxes, albeit with concerns about the cited precisions of the latter. A Wesenheit formulation of Wv = -2.259(+-0.083) - 4.185(+-0.103)log P for Galactic Cepheids is tested successfully using Cepheids in the inner regions of the galaxy NGC 4258, confirming the independent geometrical distance established for the galaxy from OH masers. Differences between the extinction properties of interstellar and extragalactic dust may yet play an important role in the further calibration of the Cepheid PL relation and its application to the extragalactic distance scale.Comment: Accepted for Publication (Astrophysics & Space Science

Gravitational waves in non-singular string cosmologies

We study the evolution of tensor metric fluctuations in a class of non-singular models based on the string effective action, by including in the perturbation equation the higher-derivative and loop corrections needed to regularise the background solutions. We discuss the effects of such higher-order corrections on the final graviton spectrum, and we compare the results of analytical and numerical computations.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure

Schlieren Studies of Compressibility Effects on Dynamic Stall of Airfoils in Transient Pitching Motion

Compressibility effects on the flowfield of an airfoil executing rapid transient pitching motion from 0 - 60 degrees over a wide range of Mach numbers and pitching rates were studied using a stroboscopic schlieren flow visualization technique. The studies have led to the first direct experiments] documentation of multiple shocks on the airfoil upper surface flow for certain conditions. Also, at low Mach numbers, additional coherent vortical structures were found to be present along with the dynamic stall vortex, whereas at higher Mach numbers, the flow was dominated by a single vortex. The delineating Mach number for significant compressibility effects was 0.3 and the dynamic stall process was accelerated by increasing the Mach number above that value. Increasing the pitch rate monotonically delayed stall to angles of attack as large as 27 degrees.AFOSR-MIPR-87-0029 and 88-0010NAVAIRAR

Multi-Periodic Oscillations in Cepheids and RR Lyrae-Type Stars

Classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae-type stars are usually considered to be textbook examples of purely radial, strictly periodic pulsators. Not all the variables, however, conform to this simple picture. In this review I discuss different forms of multi-periodicity observed in Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars, including Blazhko effect and various types of radial and nonradial multi-mode oscillations.Comment: Proceedings of the 20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series: "Impact of new instrumentation & new insights in stellar pulsations", 5-9 September 2011, Granada, Spai

Endemic fungal infections in solid organ and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients enrolled in the Transplant‐Associated Infection Surveillance Network ( TRANSNET )

Background Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among solid organ transplant ( SOT ) and hematopoietic cell transplant ( HCT ) recipients, but few data have been reported on the epidemiology of endemic fungal infections in these populations. Methods Fifteen institutions belonging to the Transplant‐Associated Infection Surveillance Network prospectively enrolled SOT and HCT recipients with histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, or coccidioidomycosis occurring between March 2001 and March 2006. Results A total of 70 patients (64 SOT recipients and 6 HCT recipients) had infection with an endemic mycosis, including 52 with histoplasmosis, 9 with blastomycosis, and 9 with coccidioidomycosis. The 12‐month cumulative incidence rate among SOT recipients for histoplasmosis was 0.102%. Occurrence of infection was bimodal; 28 (40%) infections occurred in the first 6 months post transplantation, and 24 (34%) occurred between 2 and 11 years post transplantation. Three patients were documented to have acquired infection from the donor organ. Seven SOT recipients with histoplasmosis and 3 with coccidioidomycosis died (16%); no HCT recipient died. Conclusions This 5‐year multicenter prospective surveillance study found that endemic mycoses occur uncommonly in SOT and HCT recipients, and that the period at risk extends for years after transplantation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106980/1/tid12186.pd