9,380 research outputs found
Observations on sandfly fever in Malta and reference to its control by D.D.T.
1. Two Sandfly Fever epidemics are reviewed by a Naval Medical Officer whilst working ashore in a temporary barracks under wartime conditions.2. Sandfly Fever is not a dangerous disease, but under such con- ditions as occurred in Malta - in overcrowded dilapidated barracks - it may assume epidemic form which apart from purely medical and health considerations may cause a huge loss in man hours.. It can be most effectively controlled by Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichlorethane. A method of using this is described. This insecticide used along with other prophylaxtic methods should prevent such epidemics occurring again.4. In comparing reports on Sandfly Fever one finds diversity of opinion on the aetiology of the disease, on its incubation period, on the period of infectivity in the blood, on the incidence amongst 'natives' and one the relative incidence of its clinical manifestations.6. Observations on 600 cases of Sandfly Fever in Yalta are given, from these and from other reports it appears that Sandfly Fever varies in different areas, this makes one wonder whether those differences are due to different types of viruses causing the disease, or to different vectors (is Phlebotcanus Fapatacii the only vector or not).6. An early or even immediate return to duty does not pre-capitate depression or mental distress, as is suggested in most of the relevant literature
An inversion in the atmosphere of Titan
A very detailed greenhouse model derives a methane to hydrogen ratio of unity and a minimum surface pressure of 0.4 atm. Based on a surface gravity g = 140 cm sec/2, the minimum CH4 abundance is 30-40 km-A and the minimum H2 abundance varies from 15 to 85 km-A. A model of the atmosphere of Titan is proposed which seems to be consistent with observations and requires a much smaller CH4 abundance (of the order or 2 km-atm). Although no H2 is required, the presence of some H2 is readily accommodated. In this model, a temperature inversion exists in the atmosphere due to absorption of blue and ultraviolet solar radiation by small particles. The absorbed radiation is re-radiated by the dust and by molecules having long wavelength bands such as CH4 7.7 micrometer and ethane at 12.2 micrometer. The brightness temperature at 20 micrometer is primarily due to re-radiation by the dust
Analogy, Dirac-Majorana Neutrino Duality and the Neutrino Oscillations
The intent of this paper is to convey a new primary physical idea of a
Dirac-Majorana neutrino duality in relation to the topical problem of neutrino
oscillations. In view of the new atmospheric, solar and the LSND neutrino
oscillation data, the Pontecorvo oscillation analogy is generalized
to the notion of neutrino duality with substantially different physical meaning
ascribed to the long-baseline and the short-baseline neutrino oscillations. At
the level of CP-invariance, the suggestion of dual neutrino properties defines
the symmetric two-mixing-angle form of the widely discussed four-neutrino
-mixing scheme, as a result of the lepton charge conservation selection
rule and a minimum of two Dirac neutrino fields. With neutrino duality, the
two-doublet structure of the Majorana neutrino mass spectrum is a vestige of
the two-Dirac-neutrino origin. The fine neutrino mass doublet structure is
natural because it is produced by a lepton charge symmetry violating
perturbation on a zero-approximation system of two twofold mass-degenerate
Dirac neutrino-antineutrino pairs. A set of inferences related to the neutrino
oscillation phenomenology in vacuum is considered.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX. Minor modifications, new references adde
The luminosity function of Palomar 5 and its tidal tails
We present the main sequence luminosity function of the tidally disrupted
globular cluster Palomar 5 and its tidal tails. For this work we analyzed
imaging data obtained with the Wide Field Camera at the INT (La Palma) and data
from the Wide Field Imager at the MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope at La Silla down to a
limiting magnitude of approximately 24.5 mag in B. Our results indicate that
preferentially fainter stars were removed from the cluster so that the LF of
the cluster's main body exhibits a significant degree of flattening compared to
other GCs. This is attributed to its advanced dynamical evolution. The LF of
the tails is, in turn, enhanced with faint, low-mass stars, which we interpret
as a consequence of mass segregation in the cluster.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the
conference "Satellites and tidal streams" held at La Palma, Canary Islands,
May 26 - 30, 200
Stringent constraint on the scalar-neutrino coupling constant from quintessential cosmology
An extremely light (), slowly-varying scalar
field (quintessence) with a potential energy density as large as 60% of
the critical density has been proposed as the origin of the accelerated
expansion of the Universe at present. The interaction of this smoothly
distributed component with another predominately smooth component, the cosmic
neutrino background, is studied. The slow-roll approximation for generic potentials may then be used to obtain a limit on the scalar-neutrino coupling
constant, found to be many orders of magnitude more stringent than the limits
set by observations of neutrinos from SN 1987A. In addition, if quintessential
theory allows for a violation of the equivalence principle in the sector of
neutrinos, the current solar neutrino data can probe such a violation at the
10^{-10} level.Comment: 7 pages, MPLA in press, some parts disregarded and a footnote adde
Spectroscopy of Giant Stars in the Pyxis Globular Cluster
The Pyxis globular cluster is a recently discovered globular cluster that
lies in the outer halo (R_{gc} ~ 40 kpc) of the Milky Way. Pyxis lies along one
of the proposed orbital planes of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and it has
been proposed to be a detached LMC globular cluster captured by the Milky Way.
We present the first measurement of the radial velocity of the Pyxis globular
cluster based on spectra of six Pyxis giant stars. The mean heliocentric radial
velocity is ~ 36 km/sec, and the corresponding velocity of Pyxis with respect
to a stationary observer at the position of the Sun is ~ -191 km/sec. This
radial velocity is a large enough fraction of the cluster's expected total
space velocity, assuming that it is bound to the Milky Way, that it allows
strict limits to be placed on the range of permissible transverse velocities
that Pyxis could have in the case that it still shares or nearly shares an
orbital pole with the LMC. We can rule out that Pyxis is on a near circular
orbit if it is Magellanic debris, but we cannot rule out an eccentric orbit
associated with the LMC. We have calculated the range of allowed proper motions
for the Pyxis globular cluster that result in the cluster having an orbital
pole within 15 degrees of the present orbital pole of the LMC and that are
consistent with our measured radial velocity, but verification of the tidal
capture hypothesis must await proper motion measurement from the Space
Interferometry Mission or HST. A spectroscopic metallicity estimate of [Fe/H] =
-1.4 +/- 0.1 is determined for Pyxis from several spectra of its brightest
giant; this is consistent with photometric determinations of the cluster
metallicity from isochrone fitting.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, aaspp4 style, accepted for publication in
October, 2000 issue of the PAS
Wound Repair
Following injury, a series of events is initiated that includes global and local reactions. Global reactions, such as inflammatory and immunological responses as well as adjustments in neural and endocrine status, are directed at marshaling the organism\u27s resources for dealing with changes in its integrity and the potential threat of infection or other complications. Injury entails cell and tissue damage and often a physical breach in the barrier against the outside world (e.g., skin). Local reactions are exemplified by immediate hemostatic (e.g., blood clotting) events followed by changes in local cellular composition created by the inflammatory infiltrate and adjustments in resident cell function. These are accompanied by local metabolic adjustments. These events are directed at restoring local integrity and establishing a relevant steady-state.
The typical events of wound repair are extensively documented and well characterized. In recent years, research has explored regulation of wound repair at the cellular level and has sought alternative modes for correcting tissue damage that yield more efficient restoration of preinjury conditions (e.g., regeneration). Since repair typically leads to replacement of damaged tissues with connective tissue, reduction in function invariably accompanies wound healing. Where tissue damage is slight, this causes little or no problem for the individual. However, when tissue damage is great, as for example when a finger or limb is lost, the compromise of wound repair carries a noticeable price (both in actual costs and in quality of life for the affected individual)
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