2,552 research outputs found
Single scalar top production with polarized beams in ep collisions at HERA
From the point of view of the R-parity breaking supersymmetric model, we
propose a scalar top (stop) search with longitudinally polarized electron (e-)
and positron(e+) beams which will soon be available at the upgraded HERA. Fully
polarized e- or e+ beams could produce the stop two times as much as
unpolarized beams, while they increase background events due to the process of
the standard model by about 30% in comparison with unpolarized ones. We show
that right-handed e+ beams at HERA is efficient to produce the stop in the
model. With 1 fb**(-1) of integrated luminosity we estimate reach in the
coupling constant lambda'(131) for masses of the stop in the range 160-400 GeV.
We can set a 95% confidence-level exclusion limit for lambda'(131) > 0.01-0.05
in the stop mass range of 240-280 GeV if no singal of the stop is observed. We
also point out that y(=Q**2/sx) distributions of e+ coming from the stop shows
the different behavior from those of the standard model.Comment: 12 pages, 6 eps figure
Possible Excess in Charged Current Events with High-Q^2 at HERA from Stop and Sbottom Production
We investigate a production process e^+p \to \st X \to \sb W^+ X at HERA,
where we consider a decay mode \sb \to \bar{\nu}_e d of the sbottom in the
framework of an R-parity breaking supersymmetric standard model. Both processes
of the stop production e^+ d \to \st and the sbottom decay \sb \to
\bar{\nu}_e d are originated from an R-parity breaking superpotential
. One of signatures of the
process should be a large missing transverse momentum plus multijet events
corresponding to hadronic decays of the . It is shown that the signal could
appear as an event excess in the charged current (CC) processes with the high at HERA. We compare expected event distributions with
the CC data recently reported by the H1 and ZEUS groups at HERA. Methods for
extracting the signal from the standard CC processes are also discussed.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, 3 figure
Post-tuberculous fibrosing mediastinitis: a review of the literature.
Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) is a rare disease where there is thickening of the fibrous tissue in the mediastinum. While histoplasmosis is the the most common recognised cause, the link with tuberculosis (TB) has been rarely documented. We review the link between TB and FM, and describe a case of probable TB-related FM.Our case is of a 74-year-old man who presented with breathlessness 3 years after fully treated TB. Scans revealed a calcified soft tissue mass within the mediastinum, and a diagnosis of fibrosing mediastinitis resulting in pulmonary hypertension was made. Tests for histoplasmosis and IgG4 staining were negative. Surgical intervention was not felt to be beneficial, and he was treated with prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil.In the review, we highlight the two forms of mediastinitis-granulomatous versus fibrous, and how these two entities may be on a spectrum of disease progression. We also explore the prevalence, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, imaging techniques and treatment options of TB-related FM
Comprehensive Modeling and Analysis of Rotorcraft Variable Speed Propulsion System With Coupled Engine/Transmission/Rotor Dynamics
This project develops comprehensive modeling and simulation tools for analysis of variable rotor speed helicopter propulsion system dynamics. The Comprehensive Variable-Speed Rotorcraft Propulsion Modeling (CVSRPM) tool developed in this research is used to investigate coupled rotor/engine/fuel control/gearbox/shaft/clutch/flight control system dynamic interactions for several variable rotor speed mission scenarios. In this investigation, a prototypical two-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) is proposed and designed to achieve 50 percent rotor speed variation. The comprehensive modeling tool developed in this study is utilized to analyze the two-speed shift response of both a conventional single rotor helicopter and a tiltrotor drive system. In the tiltrotor system, both a Parallel Shift Control (PSC) strategy and a Sequential Shift Control (SSC) strategy for constant and variable forward speed mission profiles are analyzed. Under the PSC strategy, selecting clutch shift-rate results in a design tradeoff between transient engine surge margins and clutch frictional power dissipation. In the case of SSC, clutch power dissipation is drastically reduced in exchange for the necessity to disengage one engine at a time which requires a multi-DCT drive system topology. In addition to comprehensive simulations, several sections are dedicated to detailed analysis of driveline subsystem components under variable speed operation. In particular an aeroelastic simulation of a stiff in-plane rotor using nonlinear quasi-steady blade element theory was conducted to investigate variable speed rotor dynamics. It was found that 2/rev and 4/rev flap and lag vibrations were significant during resonance crossings with 4/rev lagwise loads being directly transferred into drive-system torque disturbances. To capture the clutch engagement dynamics, a nonlinear stick-slip clutch torque model is developed. Also, a transient gas-turbine engine model based on first principles mean-line compressor and turbine approximations is developed. Finally an analysis of high frequency gear dynamics including the effect of tooth mesh stiffness variation under variable speed operation is conducted including experimental validation. Through exploring the interactions between the various subsystems, this investigation provides important insights into the continuing development of variable-speed rotorcraft propulsion systems
The effects of a video intervention on posthospitalization pulmonary rehabilitation uptake
Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) after hospitalizations for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) improves exercise capacity and health-related quality of life and reduces readmissions. However, posthospitalization PR uptake is low. To date, no trials of interventions to increase uptake have been conducted.Objectives: To study the effect of a codesigned education video as an adjunct to usual care on posthospitalization PR uptake.Methods: The present study was an assessor- and statistician-blinded randomized controlled trial with nested, qualitative interviews of participants in the intervention group. Participants hospitalized with COPD exacerbations were assigned 1:1 to receive either usual care (COPD discharge bundle including PR information leaflet) or usual care plus the codesigned education video delivered via a handheld tablet device at discharge. Randomization used minimization to balance age, sex, FEV1 % predicted, frailty, transport availability, and previous PR experience.Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was PR uptake within 28 days of hospital discharge. A total of 200 patients were recruited, and 196 were randomized (51% female, median FEV1% predicted, 36 [interquartile range, 27-48]). PR uptake was 41% and 34% in the usual care and intervention groups, respectively (P = 0.37), with no differences in secondary (PR referral and completion) or safety (readmissions and death) endpoints. A total of 6 of the 15 participants interviewed could not recall receiving the video.Conclusions: A codesigned education video delivered at hospital discharge did not improve posthospitalization PR uptake, referral, or completion
High-intensity two-frequency photoassociation spectroscopy of a weakly bound molecular state: theory and experiment
We investigate two-frequency photoassociation of a weakly bound molecular
state, focusing on a regime where the ac Stark shift is comparable to the
halo-state energy. In this "high-intensity" regime, we observe features absent
in low-intensity two-frequency photoassociation. We experimentally measure the
spectra of Sr atoms coupled to the least bound state of the
Sr ground electronic channel through an intermediate electronically
excited molecular state. We compare the spectra to a simple three-level model
that includes a two-frequency drive on each leg of the transition. With
numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation, we show that
this model accurately captures (1) the existence of experimentally observed
satellite peaks that arise from nonlinear processes, (2) the locations of the
two-photon peak in the spectrum, including ac Stark shifts, and (3) in some
cases, spectral lineshapes. To better understand these numerical results, we
develop an approximate treatment of this model, based on Floquet and
perturbation theory, that gives simple formulas that accurately capture the
halo-state energies. We expect these expressions to be valuable tools to
analyze and guide future two-frequency photoassociation experiments.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
Variable-Speed Simulation of a Dual-Clutch Gearbox Tiltrotor Driveline
This investigation explores the variable-speed operation and shift response of a prototypical two-speed dual-clutch transmission tiltrotor driveline in forward flight. Here, a Comprehensive Variable-Speed Rotorcraft Propulsion System Modeling (CVSRPM) tool developed under a NASA funded NRA program is utilized to simulate the drive system dynamics. In this study, a sequential shifting control strategy is analyzed under a steady forward cruise condition. This investigation attempts to build upon previous variable-speed rotorcraft propulsion studies by 1) including a fully nonlinear transient gas-turbine engine model, 2) including clutch stick-slip friction effects, 3) including shaft flexibility, 4) incorporating a basic flight dynamics model to account for interactions with the flight control system. Through exploring the interactions between the various subsystems, this analysis provides important insights into the continuing development of variable-speed rotorcraft propulsion systems
Implications of the HERA Events for the R-Parity Breaking SUSY Signals at Tevatron
The favoured R-parity violating SUSY scenarios for the anomalous HERA events
correspond to top and charm squark production via the and
couplings. In both cases the corresponding electronic
branching fractions of the squarks are expected to be . Consequently the
canonical leptoquark signature is incapable of probing these scenarios at the
Tevatron collider over most of the MSSM parameter space. We suggest alternative
signatures for probing them at Tevatron, which seem to be viable over the
entire range of MSSM parameters.Comment: 20 pages Latex file with 4 ps files containing 4 figure
Structure of the Hemagglutinin Precursor Cleavage Site, a Determinant of Influenza Pathogenicity and the Origin of the Labile Conformation
AbstractThe membrane fusion potential of influenza HA, like many viral membrane-fusion glycoproteins, is generated by proteolytic cleavage of a biosynthetic precursor. The three-dimensional structure of ectodomain of the precursor HA0 has been determined and compared with that of cleaved HA. The cleavage site is a prominent surface loop adjacent to a novel cavity; cleavage results in structural rearrangements in which the nonpolar amino acids near the new amino terminus bury ionizable residues in the cavity that are implicated in the low-pH-induced conformational change. Amino acid insertions at the cleavage site in HAs of virulent avian viruses and those of viruses isolated from the recent severe outbreak of influenza in humans in Hong Kong would extend this surface loop, facilitating intracellular cleavage
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