bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of bolus injection of landiolol versus oral administration of propranolol before cardiac computed tomography
Authors: Nakamura Yoshitaka , Yamaji Kyohei , Saho Tatsunori , Matsuzaki Zyousin , Yuda Itsuo , Soga Yoshimitsu , Shirai Shinichi , Ando Kenji , Nobuyoshi Masakiyo
Published: February 2014

Heart rate (HR) reduction is essential to achieve good image quality for cardiac computed tomography (CCT). We evaluated the efficacy of a bolus injection of landiolol, an ultra-short acting β-blocker, without the administration of oral β-blocker to reduce HR prior to CCT. We enrolled 678 consecutive patients who underwent CCT from December 2011 to March 2012 and divided them into three groups, which were a propranolol group (n = 277), a low-dose landiolol group (n = 188), and a high-dose landiolol group (n = 213). Patients in the propranolol group received oral propranolol (10–20 mg) prior to CCT. Patients in the low-dose and high-dose landiolol groups were administered a bolus injection of landiolol (0.125 mg/kg), while the high-dose group received an additional 3.75 mg of landiolol if the baseline HR was ≥75/min. Although the average HR was significantly lower in the propranolol group (61.6 ± 8.0/min) than in the low-dose landiolol group (64.1 ± 7.4/min, P < 0.001), there was no significant difference in the image quality (P = 0.91). Among patients with baseline HR ≥75/min, the average HR tended to be lower in the high-dose landiolol group (67.2 ± 6.9/min) compared with the low-dose landiolol group (69.0 ± 6.9/min, P = 0.10), and there was a corresponding difference in image quality between these two groups (P = 0.02). In conclusion, Although the decrease of HR was significantly larger in the propranolol group than in the landiolol groups, the image quality was similar. Among the patients who received landiolol, a higher dose was associated with a lower HR and better image quality. Further investigation to assess higher-dose bolus injection of landiolol or bolus injection following oral administration of a β-blocker would be needed.
Skeletal muscle mass and mortality - but what about functional outcome?
Authors: Puthucheary Zudin A , Hart Nicholas
Published: February 2014

We have known for over a decade that critical illness survivors suffer from significant functional disability after hospital discharge. Muscle wasting is a major contributor to this disability, occurring early and rapidly during critical illness, with the subsequent weakness associated with delayed weaning and prolonged hospital stay. The scale of this long-term public health issue is concerning for two important reasons: increasing numbers of patients survive critical illness, and this is compounded by the lack of interventions to reduce skeletal muscle wasting to combat the functional disability. In the current issue of Critical Care, Weijs and colleagues demonstrate an indirect relationship between skeletal muscle mass on admission to the ICU and mortality. Observational data were obtained from 240 critically ill patients, all of whom received abdominal computer tomography scans for clinical reasons. Skeletal muscle volume was calculated for all visible skeletal muscle at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. In both continuous and categorical regression analysis, lower muscle volume on admission was associated with higher mortality, independent of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and gender. Interestingly, no association was observed between mortality and body mass index. These data also demonstrate that more than twice as many critical illness survivors with a low muscle mass on admission, compared to those with preserved muscle mass, were discharged to a nursing home. While this approach is novel and the results support the current clinical view in this area, one must regard these data with caution. Clinically relevant details, such as prior functional status, are not available. Despite these caveats, this study has two main messages. Firstly, muscle mass on admission to the ICU is a predictor of mortality and this physiological biomarker should therefore strongly be considered as an outcome measure in interventional studies. Secondly, low admission muscle mass is associated with increased disability and, in the case of this study, associated with an increased frequency of discharge to nursing homes. Further investigation is required to demonstrate the relationship between muscle mass, functional ability and discharge location.
Mesenchymal stem cells induce endothelial cell quiescence and promote capillary formation
Authors: Pedersen Torbjorn O , Blois Anna L , Xue Ying , Xing Zhe , Sun Yang , Finne-Wistrand Anna , Lorens James B , Fristad Inge , Leknes Knut N , Mustafa Kamal
Published: February 2014

Introduction

Rapid establishment of functional blood vessels is a prerequisite for successful tissue engineering. During vascular development, endothelial cells (ECs) and perivascular cells assemble into a complex regulating proliferation of ECs, vessel diameter and production of extracellular matrix proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to establish an endothelial-perivascular complex in tissue-engineered constructs comprising ECs and MSCs.

Methods

Primary human ECs and MSCs were seeded onto poly(L-lactide-co-1,5-dioxepan-2-one) (poly(LLA-co-DXO)) scaffolds and grown in dynamic culture before subcutaneous implantation in immunocompromised mice for 1 and 3 weeks. Cellular activity, angiogenic stimulation and vascular assembly in cell/scaffold constructs seeded with ECs or ECs/MSCs in a 5:1 ratio was monitored with real-time RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemical microscopy analysis.

Results

A quiescent phenotype of ECs was generated, by adding MSCs to the culture system. Decreased proliferation of ECs, in addition to up-regulation of selected markers for vascular maturation was demonstrated. Baseline expression of VEGFa was higher for MSCs compared with EC (P <0.001), with subsequent up-regulated VEGFa-expression for EC/MSC constructs before (P <0.05) and after implantation (P <0.01). Furthermore, an inflammatory response with CD11b + cells was generated from implantation of human cells. At the end of the 3 week experimental period, a higher vascular density was shown for both cellular constructs compared with empty control scaffolds (P <0.01), with the highest density of capillaries being generated in constructs comprising both ECs and MSCs.

Conclusions

Induction of a quiescent phenotype of ECs associated with vascular maturation can be achieved by co-seeding with MSCs. Hence, MSCs can be appropriate perivascular cells for tissue-engineered constructs.
Diffraction imaging using shot and opening-angle gathers: A prestack time migration approach
Authors: Zhang Jianfeng , Zhang Jiangjie
Published: February 2014

We have developed a migration scheme that can image weak diffractions in time. This significantly contributes to conventional interpretation in detecting small-scale faults and heterogeneities. The proposed scheme images diffractions using the shot and opening-angle gathers generated by prestack time migration (PSTM). Here, the shot and opening-angle gather represents a 2D migrated gather in terms of shot locations and opening angles between the incident- and scattered-rays. We muted the Fresnel zones related to reflections, corrected phases of diffractions, and enhanced diffractions in the migrated gathers. As a result, the proposed diffraction PSTM can image diffractions with and without phase-reversal. Moreover, the weak diffractions tangent to reflections can be clearly imaged. Diffraction PSTM can update migration velocities according to behaviors of reflection and diffraction events in the migrated gathers by scanning, thus overcoming a crucial problem in diffraction imaging. The reflector dips used in diffraction PSTM are obtained by picking the angles related to reflections in the shot and opening-angle gathers for a partial migration. Synthetic and field data tests demonstrate the validity of diffraction PSTM.
Estimation of seafloor electromagnetic receiver orientation
Authors: Mütschard Lutz , Hokstad Ketil , Ursin Bjørn
Published: February 2014

If the orientation of a seafloor electromagnetic (EM) instrument is unknown, it has to be estimated afterwards, relatively early in the processing. Here we present a method to estimate the horizontal and vertical orientation of seafloor electromagnetic receivers. Three component magnetic recordings of the naturally occurring magnetotelluric field are utilized to find the tilt, pitch, and azimuth angle relative to a given reference. Estimation of angles is controlled by minimum difference criteria. Precautionary measures are necessary to eliminate the subsurface response in the recordings of the EM field components. The proposed method is applied to synthetic and real data, demonstrating that even in difficult geologic settings, the simple characteristics of the incident natural EM field allow us to quickly estimate the orientation of the instruments.
Shear-wave radiation, reception, and reciprocity of a borehole dipole source: With application to modeling of shear-wave reflection survey
Authors: Tang Xiao-Ming , Cao Jing-ji , Wei Zhou-tuo
Published: February 2014

The development of dipole shear-wave imaging technology requires understanding of the effects of radiation, reflection, and reception of elastic waves from a borehole dipole source, for which we provide a comprehensive analysis. We first show that the radiation of the dipole source can be accurately computed using its far-field asymptotic solution when the radiation distance is greater than wavelength. We then demonstrate the reciprocity relationship between shear-wave radiation and reception of the dipole source. Consequently, the borehole radiation pattern can be used to compute the borehole reception directivity. The use of the reciprocity relationship and the asymptotic solution greatly facilitates the modeling of the wavefield for the borehole shear-wave reflection survey. The modeling results agree well with those from a 3D finite-difference elastic wave simulation. The modeling of SH- and SV-wave radiation/reception of the dipole source also demonstrates that the SH-wave component is far greater than the SV-wave component, providing an important foundation for shear-wave reflection data processing and interpretation.
2D frequency-domain elastic full-waveform inversion using time-domain modeling and a multistep-length gradient approach
Authors: Xu Kun , McMechan George A.
Published: February 2014

To decouple the parameters in elastic full-waveform inversion (FWI), we evaluated a new multistep-length gradient approach to assign individual weights separately for each parameter gradient and search for an optimal step length along the composite gradient direction. To perform wavefield extrapolations for the inversion, we used parallelized high-precision finite-element (FE) modeling in the time domain. The inversion was implemented in the frequency domain; the data were obtained at every subsurface grid point using the discrete Fourier transform at each time-domain extrapolation step. We also used frequency selection to reduce cycle skipping, time windowing to remove the artifacts associated with different source spatial patterns between the test and predicted data, and source wavelet estimation at the receivers over the full frequency spectrum by using a fast Fourier transform. In the inversion, the velocity and density reconstructions behaved differently; as a low-wavenumber tomography (for velocities) and as a high-wavenumber migration (for density). Because velocities and density were coupled to some extent, variations were usually underestimated (smoothed) for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and correspondingly overestimated (sharpened) for [Formula: see text]. The impedances [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from the products of the velocity and density results compensated for the under- or overestimations of their variations, so the recovered impedances were closer to the correct ones than [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] were separately. Simultaneous reconstruction of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] was robust on the FE and finite-difference synthetic data (without surface waves) from the elastic Marmousi-2 model; satisfactory results are obtained for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and the recovered [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from their products. Convergence is fast, needing only a few tens of iterations, rather than a few hundreds of iterations that are typical in most other elastic FWI algorithms.
Blind deconvolution of multichannel recordings by linearized inversion in the spectral domain
Authors: Behm Michael , Shekar Bharath
Published: February 2014

In seismology, blind deconvolution aims to recover the source wavelet and the Green’s function, or parts of it (e.g., reflectivity series), from a recorded seismic trace. A multitude of algorithms exist that tackle this ill-posed problem by different approaches. Making assumptions on the phase spectra of the source wavelet and/or the statistical distribution of the reflectivity series is useful for single trace. The nature of closely spaced multichannel recordings enables a better estimation of a common source wavelet and thus increases the confidence of the results. This approach has been exploited in the past, although different types of assumptions are used for a variety of algorithms. We introduced a new method for simultaneous reconstruction of arbitrary source wavelets and local vertical reflectivity series from teleseismic earthquakes. Closely spaced receivers record vertically incident earthquake body waves and their surface-related multiples, which comprise the unknown reflectivity series. By assuming a common source wavelet for all receivers, the observation of several events resulted in a set of convolution equations relating the unknown source wavelets and unknown reflectivity series to the observed seismic trace. The overdetermined system of equations was linearized and solved by conventional inversion algorithms in the spectral domain. Synthetic tests indicated a better performance of the introduced method than conventional deconvolution in the presence of white noise, which is attributed to the constraint of a common model for all observations. Application to field data from a local deployment allowed imaging a basement reflector from teleseismic body waves, although the data were contaminated with strong coherent noise. From a practical point of view, the presented method is potentially well suited for local and regional large-scale imaging from multichannel passive seismic data.
What is the depth of investigation of a resistivity measurement?
Authors: Gómez-Treviño Enrique , Esparza Francisco J.
Published: February 2014

Ever since the first computation of resistivity sounding curves, there has been the impression that somehow they are averages of the vertical resistivity profile. This prompted the idea to represent apparent resistivity as an integral over depth and to define depth of investigation using the integrands of the integrals as elementary contributions. However, elementary contributions for a boundary value problem cannot be uniquely defined and are not physically meaningful. Many practical applications that have been derived from this approach might be at stake regarding their theoretical basis. On the other hand, a sensitivity function has a definite physical meaning and it is uniquely defined, but it offers a different picture for a layered earth. The concept of elementary contributions must then be abandoned as not real, as some respected scholars have suggested, or it must be put on solid ground if we are going to continue using it. Our claim is that any definition of elementary contributions must comply with the concept of sensitivity; otherwise, it must be discarded not because it might be proved wrong, but because we cannot have multiple functions pretending to represent the depth of investigation of a resistivity measurement. We determined that both concepts can be unified and reconciled into a single formulation. That is, one and the same function of depth can be interpreted as an elementary contribution or as the local sensitivity. To further support the effectiveness of the concept, we applied it beyond its traditional application to homogeneous media. We developed an approximate formula for computing apparent resistivity as a weighted average of the vertical resistivity profile. The formula works in the way of a toy model; it is an approximation, but it provides immediate insights into how a vertical resistivity profile relates to its sounding curve.
From tomography to full-waveform inversion with a single objective function
Authors: Alkhalifah Tariq , Choi Yunseok
Published: February 2014

In full-waveform inversion (FWI), a gradient-based update of the velocity model requires an initial velocity that produces synthetic data that are within a half-cycle, everywhere, from the field data. Such initial velocity models are usually extracted from migration velocity analysis or traveltime tomography, among other means, and are not guaranteed to adhere to the FWI requirements for an initial velocity model. As such, we evaluated an objective function based on the misfit in the instantaneous traveltime between the observed and modeled data. This phase-based attribute of the wavefield, along with its phase unwrapping characteristics, provided a frequency-dependent traveltime function that was easy to use and quantify, especially compared to conventional phase representation. With a strong Laplace damping of the modeled, potentially low-frequency, data along the time axis, this attribute admitted a first-arrival traveltime that could be compared with picked ones from the observed data, such as in wave equation tomography (WET). As we relax the damping on the synthetic and observed data, the objective function measures the misfit in the phase, however unwrapped. It, thus, provided a single objective function for a natural transition from WET to FWI. A Marmousi example demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach.
Sekend-Hend Europe
Authors: Godzich Wlad
Published: February 2014

Epistemology and ontology clash when it comes to “Eastern Europe.” Clashes of this sort try to escape the categories that are at odds and turn toward terminological solutions. But such a move only aggravates the problem while appearing to trivialize it. The terminological instability has historical causes, and the history is a disputed one. Cities and people have multiple names, boundaries are uncertain, and there is no agreement on a protocol to settle contested issues. This introduction, like the collection of essays that follow, shies away from explaining why this may be the case, for that would draw it into the same maelstrom, and focuses on some of the consequences. It draws attention to the prevalence of a politics of memory that attempts to deploy itself in an environment that seeks to reduce the space of the political and its practices of deliberation by replacing them with the “self-evidently natural laws” of the economic. One consequence of this substitution of the economic for the political is the emergence of “second-handedness,” a condition that may seem to be a contingent property of the region but may be the harbinger of things to come for the rest of the world.
Beyond Liminality? The Kulturkampf of the Early 2000s in East Central Europe
Authors: Trencsényi Balázs
Published: February 2014

The essay gives an overview of the rise of radical neoconservative discourses in East Central Europe in the wake of the seemingly successful completion of the transition agenda, culminating in NATO and EU accession. It describes the main directions of criticism aiming at the “liberal consensus,” held to be dominating the ideological frameworks of these countries in the 1990s. Offering the metaphor of Kulturkampf as a heuristic model to interpret the interplay between political claims and the battle for hegemony in the public sphere, it revisits some of the central battlegrounds of contention: that of memory politics, the critique of political correctness, and the debate around the reception of Western institutions and intellectual paradigms. Taking a closer look especially at the Polish, Hungarian, and Romanian discussions, the essay also identifies some of the most important ideological references of the “neoconservative revolution” envisioned by these ideologues, such as decisionism, the radicalization of the majoritarian principle toward a plebiscitary understanding of democracy, the reliance on the voluntary activism of an uncivil society, and, finally, a paradoxical antielitist sort of authoritarianism. All in all, while the most spectacular manifestation of this phenomenon is no doubt in Hungary after 2010, the essay argues that it should not be considered a local anomaly but rather a more general and, to a large extent, systemic problem of the postcommunist “transition societies,” which had a very clear image of the short-term trajectory to follow in order to reach the European framework but had far fewer ideas, let alone social consensus, of the type of democratic culture they wanted to create as a result of the transition.
History’s Restless Ruins: On Socialist Public Monuments in Postsocialist Bulgaria
Authors: Valiavicharska Zhivka
Published: February 2014

What do we do with the monuments from the socialist past? This question continues to resurface with relentless persistence in Bulgaria’s public life. For the past twenty-five years, socialism’s monuments have suffered severe neglect, yet they have provided open terrains upon which different political forces have taken on grassroots forms to articulate their perspectives against each other and vis-à-vis the country’s socialist history. Thus, while discarded as remnants of a failed political experiment, they have become those peculiar sites without which postsocialist political and everyday life is hard to imagine. This essay focuses on two particularly contested monuments from two distinct periods of Bulgaria’s socialist era, Plovdiv’s Monument to the Soviet Army, or “Aliosha,” from 1957, and Sofia’s Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria, from 1981. It offers a historical reconstruction of their creation and a critical interpretation of their political and cultural meanings under socialism, while also chronicling their reconfigured everyday and political uses during the postsocialist years. Studying their intricate governing functions in public space, the essay argues that these open and dynamic microworlds continue to organize community life and leisure in particular ways, while defying the privatization of public space and the normative imperatives of neoliberal urban development in the postsocialist city.
Inverted Forms and Heterotopian Homonymy: Althusser, Mamardashvili, and the Problem of “Man”
Authors: Nikolchina Miglena
Published: February 2014

This essay addresses the mostly long-distance friendship between French philosopher Louis Althusser and Russian Georgian philosopher Merab Mamardashvili as a vantage point for exploring the question why, by the end of the 1960s, critical and projective thinking in the West (as represented by French theory) was taken up by antihumanist trends, while in communist Eastern Europe it began to unfold under the aegis of “man.” By taking up the threads of this problematic divergence, the essay aims to provide a focusing lens that sharpens but also delimits a vast issue which seems to be gathering momentum once again today: the issue concerning “man” vis-à-vis the shifting boundaries of the animal, the machine, and the divine.
Diagnosis of styles of behavior for team relationship management
Authors: Асмолова Марина , Asmolova Marina
Published: February 2014

Human behavior cannot be separated from one’s personality,

which stems from inherited traits shaped by upbringing and

education. Understanding of these personality types can help managers

lead more effectively by creating dynamic working teams,

distributing tasks, implementing innovations, and motivating employees

to resolve conflicts based on their individual dispositions.

The simpler the diagnostic instrument, the easier it will be to implement

and enable managers to lead teams.
Imperfection of theoretic logistics framework as a specific function of management
Authors: Леонтьев Рудольф , Lyeontyev Rudolf
Published: February 2014

In this article there is an analysis of some Russian sources, where standard regulations are relatively positive expose, which can be taken as a basis of methodology and logistics theory as a science about relevant specific function of the general management.
Diagnostics as an important feature of supply chain management
Authors: Калмыкова Динара , Kalmykova Dinara
Published: February 2014

This article reveals the need for and role of diagnostic

supply chains as important function of management decisions. It

reveals the essence of the concept of «diagnostics» in the administrative

aspect. Author defines the concept of diagnostics of a supply

chain. The article contents of diagnostics of chains of deliveries on

the basis of the above, the authors of the algorithm is given the description

of the presented algorithm steps. It is a selection of methods

of diagnostics supply chains used at various stages.
Intellectual Property as a Significant Factor of Post-Industrial Economic Development
Authors: Левкина  , Levkina Nataliya
Published: February 2014

Postindustrial economic order is described with the emphasis on its specific

features based on already changed role of knowledge and information. The

postindustrial economic model is characterized by (a) the crucial importance of

intangible production factors, (b) service industries, (c) creative character of

work, pivotal changes in production technologies as well as by (d) production

factors interrelation. In the postindustrial society key prerequisites of economic

growth are scientific and technological advance, and intellectualization of major

production factors. Private property and monetary capital are substituted by

intellectual property and intellectual capital. Intellectual potential of an enterprise

can be enhanced primarily via creation of new subjects of intellectual property.

The author concludes, that it is necessary to encourage economic entities to

create and exploit intellectual property which is of paramount significance for

the successful transformation of this country’s economy.
Higher Education Quality оf Employed Population in the Present-Day Russia
Authors: Басовский  , Basovskiy Leonid , Савина  , Savina Irina
Published: February 2014

Quality of higher education is a value of benefit for an individual. Quality of

higher education is determined by income generated by human capital which an

individual receives while consuming this benefit.

Societal value of higher education quality amounts to the equilibrium market

price in terms of competitive market. Higher education markets cannot be

considered as sphere of pure competition. For estimating the societal value of

higher education the authors propose an approach, applicable to professional

business assessment. Estimates of higher education quality of employed

population is given for the period of 2007–2011. Econometric models of

production functions are created for the said period, elasticity of labor

productivity for the factor of higher educated employees to total employed ratio

is determined. Close relationship is revealed between higher education quality

and elasticity of labor productivity for the factor of higher educated employees

to total employed ratio. In 2007–2009, when economic crisis unfolded, both

higher education quality of employed population and productivity of human

capital of higher educated employees decreased. In 2010 both indicators

increased and surpassed the pre-crisis levels. By 2011 the quality of higher

education has again degraded, while the quality and productivity of higher

educated employees’ human capital have decreased drastically to the level

significantly lower than that of pre-crisis period.
Education in the 21st Century
Authors: Оеверинг  , Oevering Benjamin , Мехтабдин  , Mehtabdin Khalid , Кочиэн  , Kochian Andrew
Published: February 2014

Higher Education has become the backbone of economic success in rapidly

developing countries such as the United States. This paper looks to analyze the

strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities associated with bettering our

educational system in hopes of having a predeveloped workforce for the 21st

century and beyond. The ability to develop and manage knowledge and practical

skills in conjunction with what real world employers are looking for, would close

the gap between higher education and job success. This streamlining of the

education system would better support businesses as they look to expand, start

new ventures, and develop into companies that supply services or products in

demand by the rest of the world.

It is important that when implementing these recommendations, one does not

restrict students from thinking constructively and innovatively. Innovative

knowledge is critical to the development of processes that will make companies

more efficient in the future. The goal is to enable higher education to foster the

development of workforce better suited for business in the 21st century and a

citizenry able to contribute to the overall well being of society.

This paper does make recommendations that will develop students in a way that

will better prepare them to play integral roles in companies immediately, which

in turn will help build companies and the communities in which they operate.

This will promote a cyclical development of individuals, businesses,

communities, and finally the schools themselves- all which will be critically

important in our modern era and ahead into the future. Overall economic

wellbeing, happiness, and unity among citizens would be the goal with

businesses and schools standing to gain overall cutting edge performance from

their employees and students.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE CHANDRASEKHAR MASS AND THE CHANDRASEKHAR-EDDINGTON CONTROVERSY
Authors: Shaviv Giora
Published: February 2014

The so called Chandrasekhar limiting mass is a a quantum mechanical relativistic effect. The discovery and establishment of the concept involved a major controversy between the young Chandrasekhar and the hilarious Eddington. We review the origin and evolution of the controversy.
OPERA HIGHLIGHTS
Authors: Strauss Thomas
Published: February 2014

The OPERA experiment is a long baseline neutrino oscillation  experiment aimed at observing the νμ → ντ neutrino oscillation in the CERN neutrino to Gran Sasso beamline in the appearance mode by detecting the τ-decay. Here I will summarize the results from the run years 2008–10 with an update on observed rare decay topologies and the results of the neutrino velocity measurements.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LHC
Authors: Straessner Arno
Published: February 2014

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the two multi-purpose detectors, ATLAS and CMS, have been operated successfully at record centre-of-mass energies of 7 ÷ 8TeV. This paper presents the main physics results from proton–proton collisions based on a total luminosity of 2 × 5 fb−1. The most recent results from Standard Model measurements, Standard Model and MSSM Higgs searches, as well as searches for supersymmetric and exotic particles are reported. Prospects for ongoing and future data taking are presented.
THE 2H(α, γ)6LI REACTION AT LUNA AND BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHETIS
Authors: Gustavino Carlo
Published: February 2014

The 2H(α, γ)6Li reaction is the leading process for the production of 6Li in standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Recent observations of lithium abundance in metal-poor halo stars suggest that there might be a 6Li plateau, similar to the well-known Spite plateau of 7Li. This calls for a re-investigation of the standard production channel for 6Li. As the 2H(α, γ)6Li cross section drops steeply at low energy, it has never before been studied directly at Big Bang energies. For the first time the reaction has been studied directly at Big Bang energies at the LUNA accelerator. The preliminary data and their implications for Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the purported 6Li problem will be shown.
DARK ENERGY AND KEY PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES
Authors: Bisnovatyi-Kogan Gennady S. , Chernin Artur , Merafina Marco
Published: February 2014

We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. The equilibrium and stability of polytropic spheres with equation of state of the matter             P = Kpγ, γ = 1 + 1/n, in presence of a non-zero cosmological constant is investigated. The equilibrium state exists only for central densities p0 larger than the critical value pc and there are no static solutions at p0<pc. At this density the radius of the configuration is equal to the zero-gravity radius, at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark energy antigravity. It is shown, that dark energy reduces the dynamic stability of the configuration. We show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster, which halo radius is close to the zero-gravity radius. It is shown, that the empirical data on clusters like the Virgo cluster or the Coma cluster, are consistent with the assumption that the local density of dark energy on the scale of clusters of galaxies is the same as on the global cosmological scales.
RESULTS FROM THE XENON100 EXPERIMENT
Authors: Persiani Rino
Published: February 2014

The XENON program consists in operating and developing double-phase time projection chambers using liquid xenon as the target material. It aims to directly detect dark matter in the form of WIMPs via their elastic scattering off xenon nuclei. The current phase is XENON100, located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), with a 62 kg liquid xenon target. We present the 100.9 live days of data, acquired between January and June 2010, with no evidence of dark matter, as well as the new results of the last scientific run, with about 225 live days. The next phase, XENON1T, will increase the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude.
THERMAL AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTIONS OF GALAXY CLUSTERS OBSERVED WITH SUZAKU
Authors: Sato Kosuke , Matsushita Kyoko , Ishisaki Yoshitaka , Yamasaki Noriko Y. , Ohashi Takaya
Published: February 2014

We studied the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters to outer regions observed with Suzaku. The observed temperature dropped by about ~30% from the central region to the virial radius of the clusters. The derived entropy profile agreed with the expectation from simulations within r500, while the entropy profile in r > r500 indicated a flatter slope than the simulations. This would suggest that the cluster outskirts were out of hydrostatic equilibrium. As for the metallicity, we studied the metal abundances from O to Fe up to ~0.5 times the virial radius of galaxy groups and clusters. Comparing the results with supernova nucleosynthesis models, the number ratio of type II to Ia supernovae is estimated to be ~3.5. We also calculated not only Fe, but also O and Mg mass-to-light ratios (MLRs) with K-band luminosity. The MLRs in the clusters had a similar feature.
SUPERNOVA 1987A: CELEBRATING A SILVER JUBILEE
Authors: Panagia Nino
Published: February 2014

The story of the SN 1987A explosion is briefly reviewed. Although this supernova was somewhat peculiar, the study of SN 1987A has clarified quite a number of important aspects of the nature and the properties of supernovae, such as the confirmation of the core collapse of a massive star as the cause of the explosion, as well the confirmation that the decays 56Ni–56Co–56Fe at early times and 44Ti–44Sc at late times, are the main sources of the energy radiated by the ejecta. Still we have not been able to ascertain whether the progenitor was a single star or a binary system, nor have we been able to detect the stellar remnant, a neutron star that should be produced in the core collapse process.
GALACTIC AND EXTRAGALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANTS AS SITES OF PARTICLE ACCELERATION
Authors: Sasaki Manami
Published: February 2014

Supernova remnants, owing to their strong shock waves, are likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Studies of supernova remnants in X-rays and gamma rays provide us with new insights into the acceleration of particles to high energies. This paper reviews the basic physics of supernova remnant shocks and associated particle acceleration and radiation processes. In addition, the study of supernova remnant populations in nearby galaxies and the implications for Galactic cosmic ray distribution are discussed.
THE SEARCH FOR BLAZARS AMONG THE UNIDENTIFIED EGRET gamma-RAY SOURCES
Authors: Meintjes Pieter J. , Nkundabakura Pheneas
Published: February 2014

In this paper we report the results of a multi-wavelength follow-up study of selected flat spectrum extragalactic radio-optical counterparts within the error boxes of 13 unidentified EGRET sources. Two of these previously unidentified counterparts have been selected for optical photometric and spectroscopic follow-up studies. Spectroscopic observations made with the 4.1m SOAR telescope at Cerro Pachón, Chile, showed that the spectra of the optical counterparts of 3EG J0821−5814 (PKS J0820−5705) and 3EG J0706−3837 (PMN J0710−3835) correspond to a flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) and LINER-Seyfert I galaxy respectively. Optical photometry of these sources, performed with the 1.0m telescope at Sutherland (South-Africa) shows noticeable intranight variability for PKS J0820−5705, as well as a 5 sigma variation of the mean brightness in the R-filter over a timescale of three nights. Significant variability has been detected in the B-band for PMN J0710−3835 as well. The gamma-ray spectral indices of all 13 candidates range between 2–3, correlating well with the BL Lacs and FSRQs detected with Fermi-LAT in the first 11 months of operation.
ARGO-YBJ: STATUS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Authors: Di Sciascio Giuseppe
Published: February 2014

The ARGO-YBJ experiment has been gathering data steadily since November 2007 at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China, 4300m a.s.l., 606 g/cm2). ARGO-YBJ is confronting various open problems in Cosmic Ray (CR) physics. The search for CR sources is carried out by observing TeV gamma-ray sources, both galactic and extra-galactic. The CR spectrum, composition and anisotropy are measured in a wide energy range (TeV ÷ PeV), thus overlapping direct measurements for the first time. This paper summarizes the current status of the experiment and describes some of the scientific highlights since 2007.
DISC ATMOSPHERES AND WINDS IN X-RAY BINARIES
Authors: Díaz Trigo Maria , Boirin Laurence
Published: February 2014

We review the current status of studies of disc atmospheres and winds in low mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the possible wind launching mechanisms and compare the predictions of the models with the existent observations. We conclude that a combination of thermal and radiative pressure (the latter being relevant at high luminosities) can explain the current observations of atmospheres and winds in both neutron star and black hole binaries. Moreover, these winds and atmospheres could contribute significantly to the broad iron emission line observed in these systems.
FROM GALACTIC TO EXTRAGALACTIC JETS: A REVIEW
Authors: Beall James H.
Published: February 2014

An analysis of the data that have recently become available from observing campaigns, including VLA, VLBA, and satellite instruments, shows some remarkable similarities and significant differences in the data from some epochs of galactic microquasars, including GRS 1915+105, the concurrent radio and X-ray data [3] on Centaurus A (NGC 5128), 3C120 [35], and 3C454.3 as reported by Bonning et al. [16], which showed the first results from the Fermi Space Telescope for the concurrent variability at optical, UV, IR, and g-ray variability of that source. In combination with observations from microquasars and quasars from the MOJAVE Collaboration [32], these data provide time-dependent evolutions of radio data at mas (i.e., parsec for AGNs, and Astronomical Unit scales for microquasars). These sources all show a remarkable richness of patterns of variability for astrophysical jets across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It is likely that these patterns of variability arise from the complex structures through which the jets propagate, but it is also possible that the jets constitution, initial energy, and collimation have significant observational consequences. On the other hand, Ulrich et al. [42] suggest that this picture is complicated for radio-quiet AGN by the presence of significant emission from accretion disks in those sources. Consistent with the jet-ambient-medium hypothesis, the observed concurrent radio and X-ray variability of Centaurus A [3] could have been caused by the launch of a jet element from Cen A’s central source and that jet’s interaction with the interstellar medium in the core region of that galaxy.
ACCRETION DISKS WITH A LARGE SCALE MAGNETIC FIELD AROUND BLACK HOLES
Authors: Bisnovatyi-Kogan Gennady , Klepnev Alexandr S. , Lovelace Richard V.E.
Published: February 2014

We consider accretion disks around black holes at high luminosity, and the problem of the formation of a large-scale magnetic field in such disks, taking into account the non-uniform vertical structure of the disk. The structure of advective accretion disks is investigated, and conditions for the formation of optically thin regions in central parts of the accretion disk are found. The high electrical conductivity of the outer layers of the disk prevents outward diffusion of the magnetic field. This implies a stationary state with a strong magnetic field in the inner parts of the accretion disk close to the black hole, and zero radial velocity at the surface of the disk. The problem of jet collimation by magneto-torsion oscillations is investigated.
EMPLOYMENT, PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION WITH RANDOM UPDATE: NON-EQUILIBRIUM STATIONARY STATE EQUATIONS
Authors: Lavička Hynek , Novotný Jan
Published: February 2014

In this work, we investigate the Model of Employment, Production and Consumption, as introduced in a series of papers by I. Wright [1–3] from the perspective of statistical physics, and we focus on the presence of equilibrium. The model itself belongs to the class of multi-agent computational models, which aim to explain macro-economic behavior using explicit micro-economic interactions.
Based on the mean-field approximation, we form the Fokker-Plank equation(s) and then formulate conditions forming the stationary solution, which results in a system of non-linear integral-differential equations. This approximation then allows the presence of non-equilibrium stationary states, where the model is a mixed additive-multiplicative model.
ROBUST CONTROL OF END-TIDAL CO2 USING THE H∞ LOOP-SHAPING APPROACH
Authors: Pomprapa Anake , Misgeld Berno , Sorgato Verónica , Stollenwerk André , Walter Marian , Leonhardt Steffen
Published: February 2014

Mechanically ventilated patients require appropriate settings of respiratory control variables to maintain acceptable gas exchange. To control the carbon dioxide (CO2) level effectively and automatically, system identification based on a human subject was performed using a linear affine model and a nonlinear Hammerstein structure. Subsequently, a robust controller was designed using the H∞ loop-shaping approach, which synthesizes the optimal controller based on a specific objective by achieving stability with guaranteed performance. For demonstration purposes, the closed-loop control ventilation system was successfully tested in a human volunteer. The experimental results indicate that the blood CO2 level may indeed be controlled noninvasively by measuring end-tidal CO2 from expired air. Keeping the limited amount of experimental data in mind, we conclude that H∞ loop-shaping may be a promising technique for control of mechanical ventilation in patients with respiratory insufficiency.
TRIAXIAL COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE
Authors: Sovják Radoslav , Vogel Filip , Beckmann Birgit
Published: February 2014

The aim of this work is to describe the strength of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) under triaxial compression. The main goal is to find a trend in the triaxial compressive strength development under various values of confinement pressure. The importance of triaxial tests lies in the spatial loading of the sample, which simulates the real loading of the material in the structure better than conventional uniaxial strength tests. In addition, the authors describe a formulation process for UHPC that has been developed without using heat treatment, pressure or a special mixer. Only ordinary materials available commercially in the Czech Republic were utilized throughout the material design process.
»Jesus« und »Politik«?
Authors: Smit Dirk J.
Published: February 2014

The paper deals with potential ethical implications of contemporary Christological studies. In a first section the argument is made that doctrine and ethics belong together. In the central section, this claim is then illustrated with reference to recent approaches to Christology. Under the theme »Christology and Ethics« six popular approaches are discussed with a view to their respective ethical implications. In each case, representative examples are provided. The six approaches are those that underline living in communion with Christ, that emphasize remembering Jesus, that call for discipleship, that employ the threefold office, that depart from the worship of Christ and that emphasize Christ’s promised future. In a brief final section three conclusions are developed regarding Christology and public theology, or Jesus and politics.
„Steht er jede Ostern auf?“
Authors: Zimmermann Mirjam
Published: February 2014

In der Grundschule wird auch aufgrund der Osterferien das Thema der Passion Jesu stärker fokussiert als das Thema Auferstehung, obwohl die Bildungspläne das so nicht intendieren. Im Rahmen des Konzepts der Kindertheologie interessiert, basierend auf einer Befragung von 38 Kindern der 5. und 6. Klasse, was Kinder zur Ostergeschichte wissen und wie sie das Fest deuten (Theologie der Kinder), um darüber nachzudenken, in welche Richtung theologische Kompetenz im Rahmen einer Theologie mit und für Kinder/n zu fördern ist.
„Woran dein Herz hängt, das ist dein Gott“
Authors: Kirsner Inge
Published: February 2014

Zur Moderne gehört die - nicht zuletzt von Luther artikulierte - Überzeugung, die materiellen Dinge seien für Glauben und Lebensführung entweder irrelevant oder - im Fetischismus - sogar gefährlich. Diese ‚Abwendung von den Dingen‘ wird durch moderne Literatur wie durch aktuelle Filme in Frage gestellt; sie kann auch philosophisch und praktisch-theologisch bestritten werden. Die Dinge machen die Welt bewohnbar - auch und gerade für den Christusglauben.
Österlich feiern, denken und leben
Authors: Schwier Helmut
Published: February 2014

Aus der österlichen Feier, die in besonderer Weise in der Feier der Osternacht wesentliche Dimensionen von Liturgie und Theologie zur Darstellung und zur Erfahrung bringt, erwächst österliches Denken und Leben. Die Osterbotschaft findet - das zeigen ihre musikalischen Realisationen - Resonanz, indem sie Menschen zu einer Glaubenshaltung verhilft und ihnen zur Lebenskunst wird.
On the general linear boundary value problems for impulsive systems with singularities
Authors: Ashordia Malkhaz
Published: February 2014

The effective sufficient conditions are established for the unique solvability of the general linear boundary value problems for impulsive systems with singularities.
The singularity is understood in the sense that the matrix and vector functions of a continuous (as well as of a discrete) argument which correspond to this system may be nonsummable.
Analogous results are obtained for similar impulsive systems with small parameters.