Study of muons near shower cores at sea level using the E594 neutrino detector

The E594 neutrino detector has been used to study the lateral distribution of muons of energy 3 GeV near shower cores. The detector consists of a 340 ton fine grain calorimeter with 400,000 cells of flash chamber and dimensions of 3.7 m x 20 m x 3.7 m (height). The average density in the calorimeter is 1.4 gm/sq cm, and the average Z is 21. The detector was triggered by four 0.6 sq m scintillators placed immediately on the top of the calorimeter. The trigger required at least two of these four counters. The accompanying extensive air showers (EAS) was sampled by 14 scintillation counters located up to 15 m from the calorimeter. Several off line cuts have been applied to the data. Demanding five particles in at least two of the trigger detectors, a total of 20 particles in all of them together, and an arrival angle for the shower 450 deg reduced the data sample to 11053 events. Of these in 4869 cases, a computer algorithm found at least three muons in the calorimeter

Radiographic Features of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament disruption is a common injury that occurs in contact sports such as football. The treating orthopedic surgeon may elect any of a variety of therapeutic options. Surgical management may consist of primary repair of the torn ligament or replacement of the torn ligament with graft material, known as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACER). Many physicians, including radiologists, are unfamiliar with the surgical procedure or the expected postoperative radiographic appearance of ACER. Assessment of radiographs following ACER, as with many surgical procedures, requires understanding of the surgical procedure. We present our experience in assessing the postoperative radiographs of 24 patients who underwent ACER. We describe the expected postoperative radiographic appearance, based on the particular type of ACER performed, which allows the recognition of normal postoperative radiographic anatomy as well as sequelae or complications of the procedure

Observation of Parity Violation in the Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus Decay

The alpha decay parameter in the process Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus has been measured from a sample of 4.50 million unpolarized Omega-minus decays recorded by the HyperCP (E871) experiment at Fermilab and found to be [1.78 +/- 0.19(stat) +/- 0.16(syst)]{\times}10^{-2}. This is the first unambiguous evidence for a nonzero alpha decay parameter, and hence parity violation, in the Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus decay.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

The composition of cosmic rays near the Bend (10 to the 15th power eV) from a study of muons in air showers at sea level

The distribution of muons near shower cores was studied at sea level at Fermilab using the E594 neutrino detector to sample the muon with E testing 3 GeV. These data are compared with detailed Monte Carlo simulations to derive conclusions about the composition of cosmic rays near the bend in the all particle spectrum. Monte Carlo simulations generating extensive air showers (EAS) with primary energy in excess of 50 TeV are described. Each shower record contains details of the electron lateral distribution and the muon and hadron lateral distributions as a function of energy, at the observation level of 100g/cm. The number of detected electrons and muons in each case was determined by a Poisson fluctuation of the number incident. The resultant predicted distribution of muons, electrons, the rate events are compared to those observed. Preliminary results on the rate favor a heavy primary dominated cosmic ray spectrum in energy range 50 to 1000 TeV

Human glucocorticoid receptor cDNA contains sequences sufficient for receptor down-regulation.

Glucocorticoid receptors are ligand-dependent transcription factors that are subject to down-regulation by their cognate ligand; however, the mechanisms mediating this physiological response are not completely understood. Since analysis of the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) cDNA sequence revealed the presence of sequences with homology to both positive and negative glucocorticoid regulatory elements, we have examined the potential of hGR to bind to the hGR cDNA by Southwestern blot analysis. The data revealed that glucocorticoid receptors exhibited specific binding to their own cDNA. To determine whether this binding was of functional significance in the down-regulation of glucocorticoid receptors, we analyzed the effect of glucocorticoids on hGR protein levels from COS 1 cells transfected with an hGR cDNA expression vector. These transfected cells produced intact hGR that were capable of ligand-dependent regulation of a co-transfected glucocorticoid-responsive reporter gene. Glucocorticoid treatment of hGR-transfected cells resulted in down-regulation of hGR (assayed by both glucocorticoid binding capacity and hGR protein levels) within 24 h of steroid administration. To determine if the glucocorticoid-induced down-regulation of transfected hGR was compatible with effects at the levels of receptor gene expression and RNA stability, we examined hGR mRNA steady state levels. Reductions from 2- to 6-fold were observed in hGR mRNA levels following glucocorticoid treatment of transfected COS 1 cells. This down-regulation of transfected hGR mRNA could not be attributed to either the Rous sarcoma virus promoter, which drives hGR expression, or to other sequences present in the vector plasmid since transcription of a related plasmid containing a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in place of the hGR cDNA was not regulated by glucocorticoids. Down-regulation of hGR mRNA by glucocorticoids in transfected cells occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner that is consistent with a glucocorticoid receptor-mediated process. Glucocorticoid-induced down-regulation of hGR mRNa steady state levels was not observed in COS 1 cells transfected with cDNAs encoding mutant hGR (defective in either steroid or DNA binding), which indicates that functional steroid and DNA binding domains of the expressed hGR were required for down-regulation. Interestingly, treatment of transfected COS 1 cells with the glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 also resulted in down-regulation of transfected hGR mRNA. Deletion analysis revealed that the region of the hGR cDNA that was responsible in part for the observed down-regulation in response to glucocorticoid was contained within a 1-kilobase restriction fragment (from base pair +527 to +1526).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS

Linearization of donor DNA during plasmid transformation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

We examined the fate of plasmid DNA after uptake during transformation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. An 11.5-kilobase plasmid, pFA10, was processed to linear double-stranded DNA during uptake by competent cells, but cleavage of pFA10 was not site specific. A minority of pFA10 entered as open circles. A 42-kilobase plasmid, pFA14, was degraded into small fragments during uptake; no intracellular circular forms of pFA14 were evident. Since pFA10 DNA linearized by a restriction enzyme was not further cut during uptake, the endonucleolytic activity associated with entry of plasmid DNA appeared to act preferentially on circular DNA. Although linear plasmid DNA was taken up into a DNase-resistant state as efficiently as circular DNA, linear plasmid DNA transformed much less efficiently than circular plasmid DNA. These data suggest that during entry transforming plasmid DNA often is processed to double-stranded linear molecules; transformants may arise when some molecules are repaired to form circles. Occasional molecules which enter as intact circles may also lead to transformants

Distance to the Active Galaxy NGC 6951 via the Type Ia Supernova 2000E

CCD-photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy of the bright supernova SN 2000E in NGC 6951 are presented. Both the light curve extending up to 150 days past maximum and the spectra obtained at 1 month past maximum confirm that SN 2000E is of Type Ia. The reddening of SN 2000E is determined as E(B-V)=0.36+/-0.15, its error is mainly due to uncertainties in the predicted SN (B-V) colour at late epochs. The V(RI)_C light curves are analyzed with the Multi-Colour Light Curve Shape (MLCS) method. The shape of the late light curve suggests that SN 2000E was overluminous by about 0.5 mag at maximum comparing with a fiducial SN Ia. This results in an updated distance of 33+/-8 Mpc of NGC 6951 (corrected for interstellar absorption). The SN-based distance modulus is larger by about +0.7 mag than the previous Tully-Fisher estimates. However, possible systematic errors due to ambiguities in the reddening determination and estimates of the maximum luminosity of SN 2000E may plague the present distance measurement.Comment: 9 p., 5 figs, accepted for publication in A&A. A reference correcte

Identification of factors associated with morbidity and postoperative length of stay in surgically managed chronic subdural haematoma using electronic health records: a retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) tends to occur in older patients, often with significant comorbidity. The incidence and effect of medical complications as well as the impact of intraoperative management strategies are now attracting increasing interest. OBJECTIVES: We used electronic health record data to study the profile of in-hospital morbidity and examine associations between various intraoperative events and postoperative stay. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Single-centre, retrospective cohort of 530 cases of cSDH (2014-2019) surgically evacuated under general anaesthesia at a neurosciences centre in Cambridge, UK. METHODS AND OUTCOME DEFINITION: Complications were defined using a modified Electronic Postoperative Morbidity Score. Association between complications and intraoperative care (time with mean arterial pressure <80 mm Hg, time outside of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) range of 3-5 kPa, maintenance anaesthetic, operative time and opioid dose) on postoperative stay was assessed using Cox regression. RESULTS: 53 (10%) patients suffered myocardial injury, while 24 (4.5%) suffered acute renal injury. On postoperative day 3 (D3), 280 (58% of remaining) inpatients suffered at least 1 complication. D7 rate was comparable (57%). Operative time was the only intraoperative event associated with postoperative stay (HR for discharge: 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95 to 0.99)). On multivariable analysis, postoperative complications (0.61 (0.55 to 0.68)), anticoagulation (0.45 (0.37 to 0.54)) and cognitive impairment (0.71 (0.58 to 0.87)) were associated with time to discharge. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high postoperative morbidity burden in this cohort, which was associated with postoperative stay. We found no evidence of an association between intraoperative events and postoperative stay.Wellcome Trust Studentshi

Search for the Lepton-Number-Violating Decay Ξ−→pμ−μ−\Xi^- \to p \mu^- \mu^-

A sensitive search for the lepton-number-violating decay $\Xi^-\to p \mu^-\mu^-$ has been performed using a sample of $\sim10^9$ $\Xi^-$ hyperons produced in 800 GeV/$c$ $p$-Cu collisions. We obtain $\mathcal{B}(\Xi^-\to p \mu^-\mu^-)< 4.0\times 10^{-8}$ at 90% confidence, improving on the best previous limit by four orders of magnitude.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Evidence for the Decay Sigma+ -> p mu+ mu-

We report the first evidence for the decay Sigma+ -> p mu+ mu- from data taken by the HyperCP experiment(E871) at Fermilab. Based on three observed events, the branching ratio is B(Sigma+ -> p,mu+,mu-) = [8.6 +6.6,-5.4(stat) +/-5.5(syst)] x 10**-8. The narrow range of dimuon masses may indicate that the decay proceeds via a neutral intermediate state, Sigma+ -> p P0, P0 -> mu+ mu-, with a P0 mass of 214.3 +/- 0.5 MeV/c**2 and branching ratio B(Sigma+ -> p P0; P0 -> mu+ mu-) = [3.1 +2.4,-1.(stat) +/-1.5(syst)] x 10**-8.Comment: As published in PR