On the near-threshold incoherent ϕ\phi photoproduction on the deuteron: any trace of a resonance?

We study the near-threshold incoherent $\phi$ photoproduction on the deuteron based on a model of $\gamma N \to \phi N$, consisting of Pomeron, $(\pi, \eta)$ exchanges, and a $J^P = 3/2^-$ resonance, which describes the low energy $\gamma p \to \phi p$ LEPS data well, including the peak in the forward differential cross section. The calculation is done up to double rescatterings, with the spin dependence of the elementary $\gamma N \to \phi N$ amplitude retained throughout the calculation. The Fermi motion and final-state interactions (FSI) are all properly treated as prescribed by realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction. The couplings of the resonance to $\gamma n$ and $\phi n$ channels are estimated with the help of a constituent quark model. The main features of the LEPS and CLAS data are described reasonably well except for some quantitative discrepancies at very low energies and low momentum transfers regions. It is found that contributions of Fermi motion, $pn$ FSI, and resonance are all indispensable in bridging the differences between the single-scattering results and the data. The off-shell rescattering is found to be important as it cancels out a large portion of the on-shell contribution. The discrepancies at low momentum transfer region might be related to the binning size of the data. No peak is found to be associated with the weak resonance as it gets smeared out by the Fermi motion and FSI with deuterium target. The problem at very low energy region hints at the possible contributions from other mechanisms and should be investigated in depth with the use of recent high statistics $\gamma p \to \phi p$ data from CLAS

The lift industry in Hong Kong : regulatory action and capacity building

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Isokinetic Muscle Strength and Fatigue Evaluation Following a Combined Aerobic and Resistance Training Program on a Gravity Independent Flywheel Device

Exposure to microgravity imposes changes on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems leading to decreases in aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and muscular fatigue (1). Anti-gravity muscles, those that play a postural role in a standard gravity environment such as the soleus and quadriceps, are most affected by microgravity (2) with nearly all musculature affected with extended spaceflight (3). The multi-mode exercise device (M-MED) is a gravity independent device that provides both high force resistance type and low force aerobic type modes of exercise. Consequently, the M-MED has the ability to enhance both skeletal muscle function through resistance training exercises as well as cardiovascular function with aerobic training

Energetics of Glutamate Binding to an Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are responsible for the majority of excitatory transmission at the synaptic cleft. Mechanically speaking, agonist binding to the ligand binding domain (LBD) activates the receptor by triggering a conformational change that is transmitted to the transmembrane region, opening the ion channel pore. We use fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding process in the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor, an iGluR subtype. The string method with swarms of trajectories was applied to calculate the possible pathways glutamate traverses during ligand binding. Residues peripheral to the binding cleft are found to metastably bind the ligand prior to ligand entry into the binding pocket. Umbrella sampling simulations were performed to compute the free energy barriers along the binding pathways. The calculated free energy profiles demonstrate that metastable interactions contribute substantially to the energetics of ligand binding and form local minima in the overall free energy landscape. Protein-ligand interactions at sites outside of the orthosteric agonist-binding site may serve to lower the transition barriers of the binding process

An Exploratory Study of Segmenting Visitors to a Community Festival

Abstract Understanding motivations of festival visitors is one of critical issues for learning about the visitors’ behaviors and intentions for some specific festivals and such knowledge will help festival sponsors customize and market their event products to customer. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, an attempt is made to identify visitors’ motivations for an art festival. Second, the designated motivations serve as a foundation to segment visitors into various groups. For that, a survey based on previous studies was administrated in Central Minnesota, USA and a total of 156 questionnaires were completed in 2010. Five factors of motivations were extracted after factor analysis and reliability test, including novelty, exploration, family gathering, recovering equilibrium, and socialization. Later, all participants were segmented into two groups based on their motivations, i.e., highly motivated and lower motivated group. These two groups were different on some social demographics and festival participation behaviors. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed

\u27Not For Ten Million Dollars!’ A Content Analysis of Medical Tourism Decisions

Multiple drivers are assumed to motivate and factor into decisions to have medical procedures done in another country, regardless of incentive to save money. Content analysis of 114 respondents revealed 13 themes: those actively considering medical tourism, the perceived benefits, nature of procedures, follow-up care, quality of care, cost, safety, insurance, facilities, family support, language barriers, U.S. government policy crisis, and a final category of those who would never consider medical tourism under any circumstances. Implications for HR management of employee health plans and marketing in the hospitality industry are discussed

An Exploratory Study on the Meanings of a Local Fair from the Perspectives of Locals

Abstract Many festivals originated with community celebrations. Through festivals, their ethnic, historical, religious piety, community pride, culture preservation, social cohesiveness and reconciliation are embodied. The significance of the economic contribution from festivals or special events has been well documented in the past two decades; thus, festival/special event creation is now treated as a strategy for tangible economic development. In addition, research focused exclusively on the relationship between patrons’ perceptions of festivals/special events and economic benefits overwhelmingly dominates this field. Indeed, it is essential to understand the meanings of festivals from the patron’s standpoints since their perceptions are associated with the future direction of festival development. Failure to understand and respond to the diversity of stakeholders’ perceptions can lead to participant dissatisfaction. The purpose of this study was to identify the meanings that participants ascribe to the Lemonade Fair, a local festival in Minnesota, by using two sets of interview data, including a face-to-face, open-ended interview and freelisting interviews. Twenty informants who visited this art fair were interviewed during the 2014 festival period. Most of the informants were middle-aged (average: 46 years old) Caucasian females with college degrees who had lived within a forty-mile radius for more than fifteen years. They were not first-time visitors and fourteen out of the twenty attended this festival with their family members. With their consent, their answers were digitally recorded and then transcribed. Based on the results of the freelisting interviews, the top six terms informants used to describe this art fair were ‘fun’, ‘community,’ ‘gathering,’ ‘art,’ ‘food,’ and ‘music’ (Smith’s S represents the mean salience value range from 0.299 to 0.205). The open-ended interview data were then used to interpret the results. Findings demonstrate that most informants perceive this art fair to be equivalent to art and community. They suggested that it is an important venue for building sense of community and boosting social capital and solidarity among their community members. Findings suggest that intangible social cohesiveness, not the tangible economic benefits, is the most important perception of this local art fair. The festival sponsors should acknowledge the social benefits derived from festival participation in order to plan it better in the future

Induced pseudoscalar coupling of the proton weak interaction

The induced pseudoscalar coupling $g_p$ is the least well known of the weak coupling constants of the proton's charged--current interaction. Its size is dictated by chiral symmetry arguments, and its measurement represents an important test of quantum chromodynamics at low energies. During the past decade a large body of new data relevant to the coupling $g_p$ has been accumulated. This data includes measurements of radiative and non radiative muon capture on targets ranging from hydrogen and few--nucleon systems to complex nuclei. Herein the authors review the theoretical underpinnings of $g_p$, the experimental studies of $g_p$, and the procedures and uncertainties in extracting the coupling from data. Current puzzles are highlighted and future opportunities are discussed.Comment: 58 pages, Latex, Revtex4, prepared for Reviews of Modern Physic