442 research outputs found

    Electromagnetic Polarizabilities and Charge Radii of the Nucleons in the Diquark-model

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    The diquark model is used to calculate the electromagnetic polarizabilities and charge radii of the nucleons for three different potentials. Making the scalar diquark lower in mass introduces a mixing angle θ\theta between the ∣56⟩\left| 56\right\rangle and ∣70⟩\left| 70\right\rangle states ,which allows an improvement in value of all 6 properties. Generalizing the Gamov-Teller matrix and the magnetic moment operator to the diquark model gives constraints on this mixing. We obtain for the Richardson potential θ=23.2∘,\theta =23.2^{\circ }, α‾p=7.9−0.9+1.0×10−4fm3,\overline{\alpha }_p=7.9_{-0.9}^{+1.0}\times 10^{-4}fm^3, α‾n=7.7−0.6+0.3×10−4fm3,\overline{\alpha }_n=7.7_{-0.6}^{+0.3}\times 10^{-4}fm^3, β‾p=5.4−0.4+1.6×10−4fm3,\overline{\beta }_p=5.4_{-0.4}^{+1.6}\times 10^{-4}fm^3, β‾n=6.7−0.7+1.3×10−4fm3,\overline{\beta }% _n=6.7_{-0.7}^{+1.3}\times 10^{-4}fm^3, ⟨r2⟩p=0.37−0.03+0.02fm2,\left\langle r^2\right\rangle _p=0.37_{-0.03}^{+0.02}fm^2, ⟨r2⟩n=−0.07−0.02+0.03fm2.\left\langle r^2\right\rangle _n=-0.07_{-0.02}^{+0.03}fm^2. Additional pion cloud contributions could improve on all six results.Comment: 15 Pages, Latex, Figs on request, to be published Phys.Lett.B. Minor errors corrected and eqn 5,6,8,9 correcte

    Recalibration of the Complaint Prediction Model

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    This paper describes the evaluation and recalibration of the complaint prediction model developed by Federspiel (2000). We collected temperature time-series data and complaint data from six buildings ranging in size from 60,000 ft2 to 800,000 ft2 from three different geographical locations. Using these data, we found a low correlation between the observed number of complaint events and the Predicted Average Complaint Events (PACE) for the monitoring intervals and systematic underprediction of hot complaints. We recalibrated the model, increasing the correlation coefficient between observed number of complaint events and PACE to r = 0.49. This degree of correlation, though still not high, is statistically significant (p = 0.044). The recalibrated model predicts that the temperature corresponding to the minimum number of complaints is lower than that of the original model. The recalibrated model also predicts that the minimum number of complaints is greater than that of the original model. Finally, the recalibrated model is not symmetrical. The recalibrated model predicts that hot complaints will increase faster as the average temperature rises than will cold complaints as the average temperature decreases. We used complaint temperatures and an observed setup in building-wide mean temperature to validate the recalibration. From observed complaint temperatures, we constructed six hypothesis tests on predicted values of the mean and standard deviation of complaint temperatures. The differences between the predicted and computed complaint temperature statistics were not statistically significant in all six cases. We compared the observed effect of raising the mean temperature 3°F with the predicted effect. The observed hot complaint rate during the high-temperature period was 2.4 times higher than during the low-temperature period. The predicted ratio was 5.3 times. The difference was explained by underreporting observed by the chief engineer. We expected a dependence of the mean complaint levels on mean outdoor temperature because correlations between mean outdoor temperature, clothing insulation, and indoor air velocity have been established. However, we did not find such an influence. The complaint model predicts that the mean temperature for minimizing complaint rate on arrival is lower than for minimizing complaint rate during the occupied period of the day. This can be explained by a higher metabolic rate on arrival

    Sex Differences in Semantic Processing: Event-Related Brain Potentials Distinguish between Lower and Higher Order Semantic Analysis during Word Reading

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    Behavioral studies suggest that women and men differ in the strategic elaboration of verbally encoded information especially in the absence of external task demand. However, measuring such covert processing requires other than behavioral data. The present study used event-related potentials to compare sexes in lower and higher order semantic processing during the passive reading of semantically related and unrelated word pairs. Women and men showed the same early context effect in the P1-N1 transition period. This finding indicates that the initial lexical-semantic access is similar in men and women. In contrast, sexes differed in higher order semantic processing. Women showed an earlier and longer lasting context effect in the N400 accompanied by larger signal strength in temporal networks similarly recruited by men and women. The results suggest that women spontaneously conduct a deeper semantic analysis. This leads to faster processing of related words in the active neural networks as reflected in a shorter stability of the N400 map in women. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that there is a selective sex difference in the controlled semantic analysis during passive word reading that is not reflected in different functional organization but in the depth of processin

    microRNA-146a inhibits G protein-coupled receptor-mediated activation of NF-κB by targeting CARD10 and COPS8 in gastric cancer

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    BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Inflammatory signals originating from gastric cancer cells are important for recruiting inflammatory cells and regulation of metastasis of gastric cancer. Several microRNAs (miRNA) have been shown to be involved in development and progression of gastric cancer. miRNA-146a (miR-146a) is a modulator of inflammatory signals, but little is known about its importance in gastric cancer. We therefore wanted to identify targets of miR-146a in gastric cancer and examine its biological roles. RESULTS: The expression of miR-146a was evaluated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and found up-regulated in the gastrin knockout mice, a mouse model of gastric cancer, and in 73% of investigated human gastric adenocarcinomas. Expression of miR-146a by gastric cancer cells was confirmed by in situ hybridization. Global analysis of changes in mRNA levels after miR-146a transfection identified two transcripts, caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 10 (CARD10) and COP9 signalosome complex subunit 8 (COPS8), as new miR-146a targets. qPCR, Western blotting and luciferase assays confirmed these transcripts as direct miR-146a targets. CARD10 and COPS8 were shown to be part of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathway of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induces NF-kappaB activation via this pathway and over-expression of miR-146a inhibited LPA-induced NF-kappaB activation, reduced LPA-induced expression of tumor-promoting cytokines and growth factors and inhibited monocyte attraction. CONCLUSIONS: miR-146a expression is up-regulated in a majority of gastric cancers where it targets CARD10 and COPS8, inhibiting GPCR-mediated activation of NF-kappaB, thus reducing expression of NF-kappaB-regulated tumor-promoting cytokines and growth factors. By targeting components of several NF-kappaB-activating pathways, miR-146a is a key component in the regulation of NF-kappaB activity

    Duration of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients

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    BACKGROUND:Duration of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been recognized a risk factor for adverse outcomes following AKI. We sought to examine the relationship of AKI duration and recurrent AKI with short-term outcomes in critically ill patients who were mechanically ventilated and met criteria for the acute respiratory distress syndrome. METHODS:Participants in the NHLBI ARDS Network SAILS multicenter trial who developed AKI were included in this analysis and divided into groups based on AKI duration. Differences in outcomes were evaluated using t test and Chi-square test. Competing risks regression and Cox regression were used to evaluate factors associated with resolving AKI and recurrent AKI. RESULTS:In total, 238 patients were included in the study. Seventy-seven patients had short duration AKI (1-2 days), 47 medium duration AKI (3-7 days), 87 persistent AKI (> 7 days) and 38 died during their AKI episode. Persistent AKI was associated with worse outcomes including increased ICU length of stay, time on the ventilator and days with cardiovascular failure. We found no clinical differences between patients with short and medium duration AKI, even when accounting for AKI severity and recurrent AKI. Patients with resolving AKI were less likely to have oliguria or moderate/severe ARDS on the day AKI criteria were met. Recurrent AKI was associated with poorer clinical outcomes. No baseline clinical factors were found to predict development of recurrent AKI. CONCLUSIONS:In critically ill patients with sepsis-associated ARDS and AKI, the impact of short and medium duration AKI on clinical outcomes was modest. Persistent and recurrent AKI were both associated with worse clinical outcomes, emphasizing the importance of identifying these patients, who may benefit from novel interventions

    Coordinated Control of HVAC Systems

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    This paper describes the development of new control logic for starting and stopping energy-intensive equipment in buildings such as staged air-conditioning units. The concept is to use pulse-width modulation (PWM) instead of level-crossing logic. A finite state machine is used to handle the case where a single unit has multiple stages of operation. An optimized coordinator determines the phase of the PWM signals of each unit so that peak demand for power is minimized over each PWM period. Control logic for the PWM function was developed so that the phase could be manipulated by the coordinator. Computer simulations were used to assess the performance of the new strategy and to compare it to levelcrossing logic. The following five metrics were used to assess the performance: 1) magnitude of the control error, 2) start/stop frequency, 3) average power consumption, 4) standard deviation of the power consumption, 5) peak power consumption. The computer simulations showed that the new strategy could reduce peak power consumption by 20% relative to level-crossing logic. The computer simulations also showed that the new strategy increased the magnitude of the space temperature control error by 11% and increased the number of start/stop operations by 27% relative to level-crossing logic

    (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET and gene expression profile in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas:strong correlation between PET tracer uptake and gene expression of somatostatin receptor subtype 2

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    Somatostatin receptor expression on both protein and gene expression level was compared with in vivo (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC). Twenty-one patients with verified NEC who underwent a (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT between November 2012 and May 2014, were retrospectively included. By real-time polymerase chain reaction, we quantitatively determined the gene expression of several genes and compared with (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET uptake. By immunohistochemistry we qualitatively studied the expression of assorted proteins in NEC. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years (range 41-84) years. All patients had WHO performance status 0-1. Median Ki67 index was 50% (range 20-100%). Gene expression of somatostatin receptor subtype (SSTR) 2 and Ki67 were both positively correlated to the (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake (r=0.89; p<0.0001 and r=0.5; p=0.021, respectively). Furthermore, SSTR2 and SSTR5 gene expression were strongly and positively correlated (r=0.57; p=0.006). This study as the first verifies a positive and close correlation of (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake and gene expression of SSTR2 in NEC. SSTR2 gene expression has a stronger correlation to (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake than SSTR5. In addition, the results indicate that the gene expression levels of SSTR2 and SSTR5 at large follow one another
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