Obtaining supernova directional information using the neutrino matter oscillation pattern

A nearby core collapse supernova will produce a burst of neutrinos in several detectors worldwide. With reasonably high probability, the Earth will shadow the neutrino flux in one or more detectors. In such a case, for allowed oscillation parameter scenarios, the observed neutrino energy spectrum will bear the signature of oscillations in Earth matter. Because the frequency of the oscillations in energy depends on the pathlength traveled by the neutrinos in the Earth, an observed spectrum contains also information about the direction to the supernova. We explore here the possibility of constraining the supernova location using matter oscillation patterns observed in a detector. Good energy resolution (typical of scintillator detectors), well known oscillation parameters, and optimistically large (but conceivable) statistics are required. Pointing by this method can be significantly improved using multiple detectors located around the globe. Although it is not competitive with neutrino-electron elastic scattering-based pointing with water Cherenkov detectors, the technique could still be useful.Comment: 11 pages, 25 figure

Gastrointestinal bleeding due to an aneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal artery in a 7-month-old girl

AbstractVisceral artery aneurysms are uncommon, especially in the pediatric population. We report a rare case of a ruptured saccular aneurysm of the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) in a 7-month-old girl presenting with hematemesis. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a constriction of the duodenum and MRI demonstrated a saccular aneurysm of the superior PDA. The infant was taken to the operating room and resection of the ruptured aneurysm was performed. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of an aneurysm, but could not clarify the underlying etiology. This is a rare case report about a female infant presenting with hematemesis due to a ruptured aneurysm of the superior PDA. Ruptured visceral artery aneurysms are a very unusual but serious cause of upper intestinal bleeding, even in infants

Position Resolution and Upgrade of the CMS Pixel Detector and Search for the Higgs Boson in the tau+tau- Final State

The thesis presents a measurement of the resolution of the CMS pixel detector, and shows that with the Phase-I Upgrade an improvement of 25% can be achieved. Furthermore, an improvement of the "Embedding" method for estimating the major background to the search for the Higgs boson in the di-tau final state is presented. The analysis in a dedicated search channel where the Higgs boson is produced in associated with a W boson has been carried out and is documented in this work

Effect of salts on the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a parasitic fungus that infects and kills amphibians worldwide. Bd causes electrolyte imbalance by destroying the keratin in the skin and causes cardiac arrest. Past studies have shown that Bd growth and motility can be inhibited by increased NaCl concentrations. In most studies, NaCl is the only type of salt used but Bd is exposed to other types of salts. In North American wetlands, runoff from road salts during winter and spring when Bd hosts (amphibians) often experience high levels of infection prevalence. This study investigated how different road salts at various concentrations affect the growth and motility of Bd. We predict that Bd growth will be inhibited more by road salts that contain more de-icing chemicals such as CaCl2 and that Bd growth will be the greatest in salts that are more environmentally friendly, such as Beet salt. Bd was reared in NaCl, CaCl2, and Beet salt at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 ppt. Growth was then quantified through counting and measuring of the area of growth and compared across treatments. Bd growth is greater in the absence of any salt than in the presence of either Beet salt, CaCl2, or NaCl. Bd growth at 14C was greater than at 22C. Our findings suggest several types of roads salts may have negative effects on Bd life history traits that could translate to lower infections in amphibians. Future studies should explore how road salts affect amphibians exposed to road salts, and how infection dynamics change when both host and pathogen are in the presence of these salts

Expanding Reach of Extension Programming Through Partnerships with State Park Naturalists

Partnerships between natural resources agencies and Extension have existed for years and Extension has served in many roles. These roles include writing grants, facilitating meetings, training, and designing collaborative programming. Herein, we highlight a partnership between Purdue Extension and the Indiana Division of State Parks (IDSP) where Purdue Extension used an existing partnership to create programming about eastern hellbenders in a format presentable by interpretive naturalists, Extension educators, and K-12 teachers. The program increased pre/post knowledge gain scores for attendees by 129.27%. This model has successfully expanded Purdue Extension’s outreach efforts while satisfying a need expressed by IDSP. Forming reciprocal partnerships with nontraditional partners can have a tremendous positive impact on the success of outreach and education efforts

Supernova pointing by neutrino matter oscillation

A core-collapse supernova will emit a neutrino burst that can be detected on Earth. If the neutrinos travel through the Earth before reaching the detector they oscillate via interaction with Earth\u27s matter, yielding oscillations in the neutrino energy spectrum. The frequency of these oscillations in energy is correlated with the pathlength traveled in the Earth and therefore contains information on the supernova location. For this technique to be useful for pointing, good energy resolution, well-known oscillation parameters and high statistics are required. This method is inferior to pointing with elastic scattering in a water Cherenkov detector but could be applied for scintillator-type detectors which have better energy resolution but weak intrinsic pointing capabilities. By the time a nearby supernova happens the requirements might well be fulfilled, and if no water Cherenkov detector is running at that time it may provide the only possibility to gain directional information. The pointing quality can be further improved by the combination of measurements from multiple detectors and also by taking relative timing into account

Incarcerated uterus and bilateral ovaries in a premature female infant inguinal hernia

We present a case of an inguinal hernia in a premature female infant containing the uterus and bilateral adnexa. This was diagnosed on ultrasound and underwent operative repair. The viable hernia contents were reduced laparoscopically, however the sliding nature of the hernia warranted open repair. Surgery was converted to the traditional inguinal approach and the hernia was successfully repaired with high ligation of the sac and additional closure of the internal ring. Post-operative course was unremarkable