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Background: The electromagnetic form factors of the proton measured by unpolarized and polarized electron scattering experiments show a significant disagreement that grows with the squared four-momentum transfer (Q2). Calculations have shown that the two measurements can be largely reconciled by accounting for the contributions of two-photon exchange (TPE). TPE effects are not typically included in the standard set of radiative corrections since theoretical calculations of the TPE effects are highly model dependent, and, until recently, no direct evidence of significant TPE effects has been observed. Purpose: We measured the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic-scattering cross sections in order to determine the TPE contribution to elastic electron-proton scattering and thereby resolve the proton electric form factor discrepancy. Methods: We produced a mixed simultaneous electron-positron beam in Jefferson Lab's Hall B by passing the 5.6-GeV primary electron beam through a radiator to produce a bremsstrahlung photon beam and then passing the photon beam through a convertor to produce electron-positron pairs. The mixed electron-positron (lepton) beam with useful energies from approximately 0.85 to 3.5 GeV then struck a 30-cm-long liquid hydrogen (LH2) target located within the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). By detecting both the scattered leptons and the recoiling protons, we identified and reconstructed elastic scattering events and determined the incident lepton energy. A detailed description of the experiment is presented. Results: We present previously unpublished results for the quantity R2γ, the TPE correction to the elastic-scattering cross section, at Q2≈0.85 and 1.45 GeV2 over a large range of virtual photon polarization ?. Conclusions: Our results, along with recently published results from VEPP-3, demonstrate a nonzero contribution from TPE effects and are in excellent agreement with the calculations that include TPE effects and largely reconcile the form-factor discrepancy up to Q2≈2GeV2. These data are consistent with an increase in R2γ with decreasing ? at Q2≈0.85 and 1.45 GeV2. There are indications of a slight increase in R2γ with Q2.

Accumulating evidence suggests that active maintenance of optimal levels of the essential pyridine nucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is beneficial in conditions of either increased NAD+ turnover or inadequate synthesis, including Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders and the aging process. While studies have documented the efficacy of some NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) in raising plasma NAD+, no data are currently available on the fate of directly infused NAD+ in a human cohort. This study, therefore, documented changes in plasma and urine levels of NAD+ and its metabolites during and after a 6 h 3 μmol/min NAD+ intravenous (IV) infusion. Surprisingly, no change in plasma (NAD+) or metabolites [nicotinamide, methylnicotinamide, adenosine phosphoribose ribose (ADPR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)] were observed until after 2 h. Increased urinary excretion of methylnicotinamide and NAD+ were detected at 6 h, however, no significant rise in urinary nicotinamide was observed. This study revealed for the first time that: (i) at an infusion rate of 3 μmol/min NAD+ is rapidly and completely removed from the plasma for at least the first 2 h; (ii) the profile of metabolites is consistent with NAD+ glycohydrolase and NAD+ pyrophosphatase activity; and (iii) urinary excretion products arising from an NAD+ infusion include NAD+ itself and methyl nicotinamide (meNAM) but not NAM.

This qualitative study investigated how individuals managed their religious identity at work. Christians, non-Christians, and non-religious (n = 320) from across the United States took an online, open-ended questionnaire. Rich information emerged from the data concerning the why and how of religious disclosure, what happened after disclosure, and what strategies should be used for the most positive disclosure outcomes. The findings suggested a religiously respectful culture depends on its individual members' communicative practices. Religious conversations in the workplace were possible so long as individuals knew how to do so appropriately and effectively. Practical implications including best religious communication practices for employees and organizations were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are subject to high human pressure and forthcoming enhanced hydrologic and climatic risks due to both city development and climate change. An asphalt concrete parking lot was instrumented in Nantes, France, to quantify the energy and hydrological responses of the surface to simulated rainfalls. The surface fluxes (precipitation, evaporation, radiation exchanges, sensible heat convection and conduction, runoff) were measured in situ and used to close the water budget with residual closure errors lower than 10%, depending on the surface evaporation retrieval method. The latent heat flux estimated from scintillometry measurements provided a better water budget closure than the direct eddy-correlation measurements. Runoff was the primary component of the water budget and represented around 80% of the total precipitation, compared to 17% for surface evaporation. The scintillometry method provided water evaporation time series at a 1-min time scale during the experiment. These series were used to characterize the rapid changes in the hydrological and energetic budgets of the asphalt surface after a precipitation event. During the drying phase the surface evaporation was significantly active, yielding 80% of the turbulent fluxes with a Bowen ratio of 0.25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the growing controversy involving submerged coastal lands in Louisiana with the significance that these lands offer to the people of Louisiana. It mentions that State owns submerged lands that became natural navigable water bottoms, sea bottoms, and seashore prior to alienation by the State. It also mentions that remedies to the arbitrary distinction regarding submerged lands and then proposes a legislative amendment on State's ownership over those submerged lands.

This pilot study was part of a larger study aimed at characterizing the pharmacokinetic profile of intravenous nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and measured cognitive performance following IV NAD+ in healthy male subjects. We hypothesized that IV NAD+ would improve cognitive performance scores as compared to baseline performance. Randomized, controlled study. Private mental health treatment center located in Springfield, LA. Fifteen healthy male participants (4 Saline/11 IV NAD+) between the ages of 30-55 met inclusion criteria. Participants received 5 consecutive days of IV NAD+ (750 mg/day) or saline infusions Researchers used the MicroCog™ Assessment of Cognitive Function to measure cognitive abilities on three levels: (Level 1) Attention, reaction time, memory, reasoning and spatial processing; (Level 2) Information processing speed and accuracy; and (Level 3) Global cognitive functioning and global cognitive proficiency. Participants completed baseline assessment (DAY 0) and repeated the task after the end of the IV infusion protocol (DAY 6). No differences between SAL and NAD+ groups were noted on DAY 0 in any of the 8 subtests evaluated. However, groups showed differences in the magnitude of improvement over days compared to their respective baselines. The NAD+ group reached significance on 6/8 tests, while the SAL group showed significant improvement on 2/8 tests. The findings when compared to respective baseline performance scores indicated a greater magnitude of change over and above "practice effects". These results combined with case reports in Parkinson's disease patients suggest that implementation of a standardized cognitive assessment is a practical and effective way to establish efficacy of IV NAD+ treatment for clinical conditions involving cognitive impairment Dr. R. Mestayer is a director of NAD+ Research Inc., and medical director of the Springfield Wellness Center that uses IV NAD+ as a clinical therapy. Dr. Broom-Gibson received consulting fees from NAD+ Research Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]