Transverse Momentum Spectra in Au+Au and d+Au Collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV and the Pseudorapidity Dependence of High pT_T Suppression

We present spectra of charged hadrons from Au+Au and d+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV measured with the BRAHMS experiment at RHIC. The spectra for different collision centralities are compared to spectra from ${\rm p}+\bar{{\rm p}}$ collisions at the same energy scaled by the number of binary collisions. The resulting ratios (nuclear modification factors) for central Au+Au collisions at $\eta=0$ and $\eta=2.2$ evidence a strong suppression in the high $p_{T}$ region ($>$2 GeV/c). In contrast, the d+Au nuclear modification factor (at $\eta=0$) exhibits an enhancement of the high $p_T$ yields. These measurements indicate a high energy loss of the high $p_T$ particles in the medium created in the central Au+Au collisions. The lack of suppression in d+Au collisions makes it unlikely that initial state effects can explain the suppression in the central Au+Au collisions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Direct costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among managed care patients

Anand A Dalal1, Laura Christensen2, Fang Liu3, Aylin A Riedel31US Health Outcomes, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; 2Health Economics Outcomes Research, i3 Innovus, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; 3Health Economics Outcomes Research, i3 Innovus, Eden Prairie, MN, USAPurpose: To estimate patient- and episode-level direct costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among commercially insured patients in the US.Methods: In this retrospective claims-based analysis, commercial enrollees with evidence of COPD were grouped into five mutually exclusive cohorts based on the most intensive level of COPD-related care they received in 2006, ie, outpatient, urgent outpatient (outpatient care in addition to a claim for an oral corticosteroid or antibiotic within seven days), emergency department (ED), standard inpatient admission, and intensive care unit (ICU) cohorts. Patient-level COPD-related annual health care costs, including patient- and payer-paid costs, were compared among the cohorts. Adjusted episode-level costs were calculated.Results: Of the 37,089 COPD patients included in the study, 53% were in the outpatient cohort, 37% were in the urgent outpatient cohort, 3% were in the ED cohort, and the standard admission and ICU cohorts together comprised 6%. Mean (standard deviation, SD) annual COPD-related health care costs (2008 US) increased across the cohorts (P < 0.001), ranging from 2003 ($3238) to$43,461 ($76,159) per patient. Medical costs comprised 96$305 ($310) for an outpatient visit,$274 ($336) for an urgent outpatient visit,$327 ($65) for an ED visit,$9745 ($2968) for a standard admission, and$33,440 for an ICU stay.Conclusion: Direct costs of COPD-related care for commercially insured patients are driven by hospital stays with or without ICU care. Exacerbation prevention resulting in reduced need for inpatient care could lower costs.Keywords: health care cost, health expenditure, lung diseases, managed car

Dipolar versus multipolar dynamos: the influence of the background density stratification

Context: dynamo action in giant planets and rapidly rotating stars leads to a broad variety of magnetic field geometries including small scale multipolar and large scale dipole-dominated topologies. Previous dynamo models suggest that solutions become multipolar once inertia becomes influential. Being tailored for terrestrial planets, most of these models neglected the background density stratification. Aims: we investigate the influence of the density stratification on convection-driven dynamo models. Methods: three-dimensional nonlinear simulations of rapidly rotating spherical shells are employed using the anelastic approximation to incorporate density stratification. A systematic parametric study for various density stratifications and Rayleigh numbers allows to explore the dependence of the magnetic field topology on these parameters. Results: anelastic dynamo models tend to produce a broad range of magnetic field geometries that fall on two distinct branches with either strong dipole-dominated or weak multipolar fields. As long as inertia is weak, both branches can coexist but the dipolar branch vanishes once inertia becomes influential. The dipolar branch also vanishes for stronger density stratifications. The reason is the concentration of the convective columns in a narrow region close to the outer boundary equator, a configuration that favors non-axisymmetric solutions. In multipolar solutions, zonal flows can become significant and participate in the toroidal field generation. Parker dynamo waves may then play an important role close to onset of dynamo action leading to a cyclic magnetic field behavior. Conclusion: Our simulations also suggest that the fact that late M dwarfs have dipolar or multipolar magnetic fields can be explained in two ways. They may differ either by the relative influence of inertia or fall into the regime where both types of solutions coexist.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&

Rapidity Dependence of Charged Antiparticle-to-Particle Ratios in Au+Au Collisions at sNN=200\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV

We present ratios of the numbers of charged antiparticles to particles (pions, kaons and protons) in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV as a function of rapidity in the range $y$=0-3. While the particle ratios at midrapidity are approaching unity, the $K^-/K^+$ and $\bar{p}/p$ ratios decrease significantly at forward rapidities. An interpretation of the results within the statistical model indicates a reduction of the baryon chemical potential from $\mu_B \approx 130$MeV at $y$=3 to $\mu_B \approx 25$MeV at $y$=0.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Itty-bitty traps for monitoring spotted wing Drosophila (\u3cem\u3eDrosophila suzukii\u3c/em\u3e Matsumura), does size matter?

The objective of this study was to determine an optimal trap design and bait for spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), in the wild blueberry agro-ecosystem. Two preliminary experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 to address this objective. In 2018, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of the physical trap size, as perceived by the spotted wing drosophila, on trap capture efficacy. We found that the red Solo® cup trap was an optimal trap for monitoring spotted wing drosophila in wild blueberry and that inserting a yellow sticky card inside the trap or painting a black contrast ring around the top entrance holes resulted in no benefit. We also found in early experiments that the live yeast bait with sugar syrup either alone or with apple cider vinegar was a superior bait. Trap size affected trap capture abundance; when considering catches based on adjustments for bait volume or two-dimensional trap area, the small trap size was more efficient than the standard