Extreme geomagnetic disturbances due to shocks within CMEs

We report on features of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling elicited by shocks propagating through coronal mass ejections (CMEs) by analyzing the intense geomagnetic storm of 6 August 1998. During this event, the dynamic pressure enhancement at the shock combined with a simultaneous increase in the southward component of the magnetic field resulted in a large earthward retreat of Earth\u27s magnetopause, which remained close to geosynchronous orbit for more than 4 h. This occurred despite the fact that both shock and CME were weak and relatively slow. Another similar example of a weak shock inside a slow CME resulting in an intense geomagnetic storm is the 30 September 2012 event, which strongly depleted the outer radiation belt. We discuss the potential of shocks inside CMEs to cause large geomagnetic effects at Earth, including magnetopause shadowing

Dynamical Casimir Effect with Semi-Transparent Mirrors, and Cosmology

After reviewing some essential features of the Casimir effect and, specifically, of its regularization by zeta function and Hadamard methods, we consider the dynamical Casimir effect (or Fulling-Davis theory), where related regularization problems appear, with a view to an experimental verification of this theory. We finish with a discussion of the possible contribution of vacuum fluctuations to dark energy, in a Casimir like fashion, that might involve the dynamical version.Comment: 11 pages, Talk given in the Workshop ``Quantum Field Theory under the Influence of External Conditions (QFEXT07)'', Leipzig (Germany), September 17 - 21, 200

Identification of human papillomavirus DNA gene sequences in human breast cancer

Human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are accepted as being carcinogenic in human cervical and anogenital cancers. The suspicion that HPVs may also have a role in human breast cancer is based on the identification of HPVs in human breast tumours and the immortalisation of normal human breast cells by HPV types 16 and 18. For this investigation, DNA that had been previously extracted and fresh frozen at −70°C from 50 unselected invasive ductal breast cancer specimens were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV type 16, 18 and 33 gene sequences. We show that HPV 18 gene sequences are present in DNA extracted from breast tumours in Australian women. Overall, 24 (48%) of the 50 samples were HPV positive. Overall no correlations with tumour grade, patient survival, steroid receptor status, ERB-2, p53 expression and mutation were observed. Human papilloma viruses may have a role in human breast cancer. We speculate that HPVs may be transmitted by hand from the female perineum to the breast

Whispering-gallery mode resonators for highly unidirectional laser action

Optical microcavities can be designed to take advantage of total internal reflection, which results in resonators supporting whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) with a high-quality factor (Q factor). One of the crucial problems of these devices for practical applications such as designing microcavity lasers, however, is that their emission is nondirectional due to their radial symmetry, in addition to their inefficient power output coupling. Here we report the design of elliptical resonators with a wavelength-size notch at the boundary, which support in-plane highly unidirectional laser emission from WGMs. The notch acts as a small scatterer such that the Q factor of the WGMs is still very high. Using midinfrared (λ ∼ 10 μm) injection quantum cascade lasers as a model system, an in-plane beam divergence as small as 6 deg with a peak optical power of ∼5 mW at room temperature has been demonstrated. The beam divergence is insensitive to the pumping current and to the notch geometry, demonstrating the robustness of this resonator design. The latter is scalable to the visible and the near infrared, thus opening the door to very low-threshold, highly unidirectional microcavity diode lasers.Physic

Функциональные особенности внешнего дыхания у шахтеров

Objective: to study external respiratory function in miners with a varying length of underground service in order to further develop differential respiratory therapy for evolving critical conditions.Materials and methods. The studies were performed in 530 miners who were able-bodied drift miners and diggers from two Novokuznetsk mines (a study group). The group was divided into 4 subgroups in relation to the length of underground service and age. In both groups, expiratory respiratory function was studied on a «MicroLoop» spirometer (Micro Medical Ltd (United Kingdom), by mathematically processing the Results. Velocity and capacity values were measured.Results. The study has shown similar external respiratory changes: a reduction in capacity indices (vital capacity, forced vital capacity) in the presence of preserved velocity indices, which occur just with a length of underground service of up to 10 years. As the length of underground service and age of the examined miners increase, these disorders progress — there is a significant reduction in capacity and then velocity (MVR 25-50) spirographic characteristics.Conclusion. While working in the mine, drift miners and diggers develop a mixed type of external respiratory disorders with a preponderance of restrictive ones. Ventilation disorders progress with increases in the length of underground service and age. When a critical condition emerges at this background, adequate respiratory therapy is obviously one of the leading components of successful treatment. Целью исследования. Изучить функции внешнего дыхания у шахтеров с различным подземным стажем работы для последующей разработки дифференцированной респираторной терапии при развитии критических состояний.Материалы и методы. Исследования проведены у 530 шахтеров (основная группа) — трудоспособных проходчиков и горнорабочих двух шахт города Новокузнецка. Основная группа была разделена на четыре подгруппы в зависимости от подземного стажа работы и возраста. В обеих группах проводили исследование функции внешнего дыхания спирометром «MicroLoop» фирмы Micro Medical Ltd (Великобритания) с математической обработкой результатов. Измеряли скоростные и емкостные показатели.Результаты. Во время исследований наблюдали однотипные изменения показателей внешнего дыхания: снижение емкостных параметров (ЖЕЛ, ФЖЕЛ) на фоне сохранных скоростных характеристик, происходящие уже при подземном стаже работы до 10 лет. С увеличением стажа подземной работы и возраста обследованных горнорабочих, эти нарушения прогрессируют — происходит достоверное снижение емкостных, а затем и скоростных (МОС 25-50) характеристик спирограммы.Заключение. В процессе работы в условиях шахты, у проходчиков и горнорабочих развивается смешанный вариант нарушений внешнего дыхания с преобладанием рестрик-тивного. При увеличении стажа подземной работы и возраста вентиляционные расстройства прогрессируют. Очевидно, что при возникновении на этом фоне критического состояния, одним из ведущих аспектов успешного лечения является адекватная респираторная терапия.

Острый респираторный дистресс-синдром при тяжелой черепно-мозговой травме

Objective: to study the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in victims with isolated severe brain injury (SBI). Subject and methods. 171 studies were performed in 16 victims with SBI. Their general condition was rated as very critical. The patients were divided into three groups: 1) non-ARDS; 2) Stage 1 ARDS; and 3) Stage 2 ARDS. The indicators of Stages 1 and 2 were assessed in accordance with the classification proposed by V. V. Moroz and A. M. Golubev. Intracranial pressure (ICP), extravascular lung water index, pulmonary vascular permeability, central hemodynamics, oxygenation index, lung anastomosis, the X-ray pattern of the lung and brain (computed tomography), and its function were monitored. Results. The hemispheric cortical level of injury of the brain with function compensation of its stem was predominantly determined in the controls; subcompensation and decompensation were ascertained in the ARDS groups. According to the proposed classification, these patients developed Stages 1 and 2 ARDS. When ARDS developed, there were rises in the level of extravascular lung fluid and pulmonary vascular permeability, a reduction in the oxygenation index (it was 6—12 hours later as compared with them), increases in a lung shunt and ICP; X-ray study revealed bilateral infiltrates in the absence of heart failure in Stage 2 ARDS. The correlation was positive between ICP and extravascular lung water index, and lung vascular permeability index (r>0.4;p<0.05). Conclusion. The studies have indicated that the classification proposed by V. V. Moroz and A. M. Golubev enables an early diagnosis of ARDS. One of its causes is severe brainstem injury that results in increased extravascular fluid in the lung due to its enhanced vascular permeability. The ICP value is a determinant in the diagnosis of secondary brain injuries. Key words: acute respiratory distress syndrome, extravascu-lar lung fluid, pulmonary vascular permeability, brain injury, intracranial pressure.Цель исследования — изучить развитие острого респираторного дистресс-синдрома (ОРДС) у пострадавших с изолированной тяжелой черепно-мозговой травмой (ТЧМТ). Материал и методы. Проведено 171 исследование у 16 пациентов с ТЧМТ. Состояние — крайне тяжелое. Больные были разделены на группы: группа сравнения — отсутствие ОРДС, 2-я группа — ОРДС I и 3-я — ОРДС II стадии. Критерии I и II стадий ОРДС оценивали в соответствии с классификацией, предложенной Морозом В. В. и Голубевым А. М. Проводили мониторинг внутричерепного давления (ВЧД), содержание внесосудистой воды в легких, проницаемости сосудов легких, центральной гемодинамики, индекса оксигенации, легочного шунта, рентгенологической картины легких и головного мозга (компьютерная томография) и его функционального состояния. Результаты. В контрольной группе определяли преимущественно полушарно-корковый уровень повреждения головного мозга с компенсацией функций его ствола, в группах с ОРДС — субкомпенсацию и декомпенсацию. Согласно предложенной классификации, у этих пациентов развивался ОРДС I и II стадии. При развитии ОРДС отмечалось повышение содержания внесосудистой жидкости, проницаемости сосудов легких, снижение индекса оксигенации (он запаздывал на 6—12 часов в сравнении с ними), увеличение легочного шунта, ВЧД, рентгенологически при II стадии ОРДС определялись двусторонние инфильтраты при отсутствии сердечной недостаточности. Корреляция между ВЧД и ИВСВЛ, ВЧД и ИПЛС была положительной (г>0,4, при

JUNO Conceptual Design Report

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is proposed to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy using an underground liquid scintillator detector. It is located 53 km away from both Yangjiang and Taishan Nuclear Power Plants in Guangdong, China. The experimental hall, spanning more than 50 meters, is under a granite mountain of over 700 m overburden. Within six years of running, the detection of reactor antineutrinos can resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy at a confidence level of 3-4$\sigma$, and determine neutrino oscillation parameters $\sin^2\theta_{12}$, $\Delta m^2_{21}$, and $|\Delta m^2_{ee}|$ to an accuracy of better than 1%. The JUNO detector can be also used to study terrestrial and extra-terrestrial neutrinos and new physics beyond the Standard Model. The central detector contains 20,000 tons liquid scintillator with an acrylic sphere of 35 m in diameter. $\sim$17,000 508-mm diameter PMTs with high quantum efficiency provide $\sim$75% optical coverage. The current choice of the liquid scintillator is: linear alkyl benzene (LAB) as the solvent, plus PPO as the scintillation fluor and a wavelength-shifter (Bis-MSB). The number of detected photoelectrons per MeV is larger than 1,100 and the energy resolution is expected to be 3% at 1 MeV. The calibration system is designed to deploy multiple sources to cover the entire energy range of reactor antineutrinos, and to achieve a full-volume position coverage inside the detector. The veto system is used for muon detection, muon induced background study and reduction. It consists of a Water Cherenkov detector and a Top Tracker system. The readout system, the detector control system and the offline system insure efficient and stable data acquisition and processing.Comment: 328 pages, 211 figure

High-risk human papillomavirus infections in breast cancer in Syrian women and their association with Id-1 expression: a tissue microarray study

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) could be important risk factors for breast carcinogenesis and metastasis. Based on this hypothesis, we recently studied the effect of E6/E7 onco-proteins of high-risk HPV type 16 in two non-invasive human breast cancer cell lines, BT20 and MCF7; we reported that E6/E7 converts these cell lines to invasive cells. This is accompanied by an overexpression of Id-1, which is an important regulator of breast metastasis. In this investigation, we examined the presence of high-risk HPVs (16, 18, 31, 33 and 35) and the expression of their E6 onco-protein as well as their correlation with Id-1 gene expression, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and tissue microarray (TMA) analysis, respectively, in a cohort of 113 Syrian breast cancer patients. We found that high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 35 are present in 8.84, 9.73, 7.07, 55.75 and 37.16% of our samples, respectively, which represent invasive breast cancers. Overall, 69 (61.06%) of the 113 samples are HPV positive; among these specimens 24 tissues (34.78%) are coinfected with more than one HPV type. Furthermore, we report that the expression of the E6 onco-protein of these high-risk HPVs is correlated with Id-1 overexpression in the majority of invasive breast cancer tissue samples. Our data suggest that high-risk HPV infections are associated with human breast cancer progression in Syrian women