An upper bound for the first eigenvalue of a spherical cap

By working with suitable test functions, we obtain an upper bound for the principal eigenvalue of a geodesic ball on a sphere of arbitrary dimension. This bound is sharp in the limiting case when the radius of the ball approaches the diameter of the sphere.This research was supported by ARO Grant 28905-MA.     

Pointwise fourier inversion and related eigenfunction expansions

Necessary and sufficient conditions are found for the convergence at a pre-assigned point of the spherical partial sums (resp. integrals) of the Fourier series (resp. integral) in the class of piecewise smooth functions on Euclidean space. These results carry over unchanged to spherical harmonic expansions, Fourier transforms on hyperbolic space, and Dirichlet eigenfunction expansions with respect to the Laplace operator on a class of Riemannian manifolds. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Genetics in primary care: a USA faculty development initiative

The Genetics in Primary Care (GPC) project is a USA national faculty development initiative with the goal of enhancing the training of medical students and primary care residents by developing primary care faculty expertise in genetics. Educational strategies were developed for the project by an executive committee with input from an advisory committee, comprising individuals with primary care, medical education and genetics expertise. These committees identified the key issues in genetics education for primary care as (1) considering inherited disease in the differential diagnosis of common disorders; (2) using appropriate counseling strategies for genetic testing and diagnosis, and (3) understanding the implications of a genetic diagnosis for family members. The group emphasized the importance of a primary care perspective, which suggests that the clinical utility of genetic information is greatest when it has the potential to improve health outcomes. The group also noted that clinical practice already incorporates the use of family history information, providing a basis for discussing the application of genetic concepts in primary care. Genetics and primary care experts agreed that educational efforts will be most successful if they are integrated into existing primary care teaching programs, and use a case-based teaching format that incorporates both clinical and social dimensions of genetic disorders. Three core clinical skills were identified: (1) interpreting family history; (2) recognizing the variable clinical utility of genetic information, and (3) acquiring cultural competency. Three areas of potential controversy were identified as well: (1) the role of nondirective counseling versus shared decision-making in discussions of genetic testing; (2) the intrinsic value of genetic information when it does not influence health outcomes, and (3) indications for a genetics referral. The project provides an opportunity for ongoing discussion about these important issues.     

Helium cosmic ray flux measurements at Mars

The helium energy spectrum in Martian orbit has been observed by the MARIE charged particle spectrometer aboard the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. The orbital data were taken from March 13, 2002 to October 28, 2003, at which time a very intense Solar Particle Event caused a loss of communication between the instrument and the spacecraft. The silicon detector stack in MARIE is optimized for the detection of protons and helium in the energy range below , which typically includes almost all of the flux during SPEs. This also makes MARIE an efficient detector for GCR helium in the energy range of 50–. We will present the first fully normalized flux results from MARIE, using helium ions in this energy range.     

Equivalence between the Mueller Regge model and the multiperipheral model

It is proven that a large class of pionization Mueller Regge models are equivalent to the multiperipheral model. An orthogonal similarity transformation is found which allows one to transform in either direction between equivalent multiperipheral and Mueller models. Models with charge are discussed and the problem of constructing charge conserving Mueller models is solved.     

Zweig's rule violation,SU(3) character of the decay of the new particles,and pole dominance picture

The decays ψ′ → ψππ and ψ → ω? are studied in the framework of Zweig Rule violation via SU(4) pole dominance. The SU(3) character of the decay of the ψ is discussed in the same model. Using results of the purely hadronic decays, the cascade transition rates ψ′ → ?_c + γ and ?_carψ + γ are calculated and compared to recent experimental data.