Spin structure of spin-1/2 baryon and spinless meson production amplitudes in photo and hadronic reactions

The most general spin structures of the spin-1/2 baryon and spinless meson production operator for both photon and nucleon induced reactions are derived from the partial-wave expansions of these reaction amplitudes. The present method provides the coefficients multiplying each spin operator in terms of the partial-wave matrix elements. The result should be useful in studies of these reactions based on partial-wave analyses, especially, when spin observables are considered.Comment: RevTex 34 pages, revised versio

A semi-Lagrangian scheme for the game pp-Laplacian via pp-averaging

We present and analyze an approximation scheme for the two-dimensional game $p$-Laplacian in the framework of viscosity solutions. The approximation is based on a semi-Lagrangian scheme which exploits the idea of $p$-averages. We study the properties of the scheme and prove that it converges, in particular cases, to the viscosity solution of the game $p$-Laplacian. We also present a numerical implementation of the scheme for different values of $p$; the numerical tests show that the scheme is accurate.Comment: 34 pages, 3 figures. To appear on Applied Numerical Mathematic

On Slavic semelfactives and secondary imperfectives: Implications for the split ‘AspP’

The Russian semelfactive (event-minimizing) suffix \u27nu\u27 (e.g. pryg-nu-t’ = to jump once), rarely discussed in the rich literature on Slavic aspect, (Forsyth 1970, Fowler 1994, Borik 2002, Svenonius 2004a,b,c, Filip 2000, 2003, Romanova 2004, inter alia) presents an interesting problem as it shows a number of striking differences from other perfective operators and unexpected, previously unobserved similarities to the secondary imperfective suffix \u27iv\u27 (e.g. vy-pry-iv-at’ = to be jumping out). I argue that both suffixes instantiate the same light verb v. Whether the v is realized as nu or iv depends on whether it has features [+Inst] or [+Prog]/ [+Hab] respectively. The paper is embedded into a large body of work (Svenonius 2004, Romanova 2004, Matushansky 2002) that treats aspectual prefixes in Slavic as prepositions. It adds to the existing discourse by addressing the status of aspectual suffixes. Empirically, the proposal unifies the seemingly distant secondary imperfective and semelfactive suffixes in Russian and links them to light verb constructions such as those present in Hindi and Yiddish. On a theoretical side, the proposal places the aspectual phrase (AspP) into a typology of split categories alongside CP (Rizzi 1997) and IP (Pollock 1989). The overall conclusion that emerges from the proposal is that while the perfective/ imperfective distinction in Slavic is a real one, it is semantic in nature and is not due to the [+/- perfective] feature on an Aspect head. In Slavic, and arguably, universally, Asp is a collocation of syntactic heads, but is not itself a head

SCINTILLA A European project for the development of scintillation detectors and new technologies for nuclear security

Europe monitors transits using radiation detectors to prevent illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. The SCINTILLA project aims to develop a toolbox of innovative technologies designed to address different usage cases. This article will review the scope, approach, results of the first benchmark campaign and future plans of the SCINTILLA project.Comment: To appear on the Proceedings of the 13th ICATPP Conference on Astroparticle, Particle, Space Physics and Detectors for Physics Applications, Villa Olmo (Como, Italy), 23--27 October, 2013, to be published by World Scientific (Singapore

Evaluation of Road Roughness and Road Deterioation

There are two road condition survey methods commonly used, the roughness-based equipment such as NAASRA and the distress and severity type road evaluation method as presented by ASTM D-6433. The objective of the study is to evaluate the relationship between road condition obtained from roughness type equipment and road distress. To achieve the objective, a condition survey using the two methods were performed on two road segments in the East Java Provincial road system. Data obtained from the field was evaluated to obtain International Roughness Index (from NAASRA) and Present Condition Index value (from field condition survey). The results show that the two methods provide a comparable result when the distress type is of un-even surface such as rutting and bumping. A slight different result is observed when the major distress occurred in the road is of crack-type such as fatigue and block cracking

An existence result for the sandpile problem on flat tables with walls

We derive an existence result for solutions of a differential system which characterizes the equilibria of a particular model in granular matter theory, the so-called partially open table problem for growing sandpiles. Such result generalizes a recent theorem of Cannarsa and Cardaliaguet established for the totally open table problem. Here, due to the presence of walls at the boundary, the surface flow density at the equilibrium may result no more continuous nor bounded, and its explicit mathematical characterization is obtained by domain decomposition techniques. At the same time we show how these solutions can be numerically computed as stationary solutions of a dynamical two-layer model for growing sandpiles and we present the results of some simulations.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

Maintenance bevacizumab beyond first-line paclitaxel plus bevacizumab in patients with Her2-negative hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. Efficacy in combination with hormonal therapy

Background: Data on efficacy of bevacizumab (B) beyond first-line taxane -including regimen (BT) as first-line treatment are lacking. Although preclinical results that anti-angiogenic agents combined with hormonal therapy (HT) could be active, no clinical data exist about combination of maintenance Bevacizumab (mBev) with HT.Methods: Thirty-five patients who experienced a response after first-line BT, were given mBev at the dose of 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Among 30 pts with hormonal receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), 20 (66.6%) received HT with mBev (mHTBev). Objective of the study was the outcome and safety of mBev and in two groups of patients receiving HT or not.Results: Complete response and partial response was achieved/maintained in 4 (11.4%) and 13 (37.1%) patients, respectively (overall response rate: 48.5%). Clinical benefit was obtained on 23 patients (65.7%). Median of mBev PFS and clinical benefit were 6.8 months (95% CI: 0.8-12.7) and 17.1 months (95% CI :12.2-21.9), respectively. Median PFS of patients who received mHTBev was longer than mBev without HT (13 months and 4.1 months, respectively, p = 0.05). The most common severe toxicities were proteinuria (11.4%) and hypertension (8.5%). No additional toxicity was observed with HTBev.Conclusion: Maintenance bevacizumab with or without anti-hormonal therapy in patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer is tolerable and associated with long-term clinical outcome; these results encourage the strategy of prolonging bevacizumab until progression in combination with anti-hormonal agents