An Evaluation of Three Drift Reduction Adjuvants for Aerial Application of Pesticides

Preventing pesticide drift from aerial applications is important for environmental and application efficiency reasons. Proper analysis of drift reduction technologies or techniques is an essential component of the drift prevention process. In the current study, three drift reduction adjuvants were tested with two herbicides under several application conditions used by rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft in the U.S. Data was collected using a high speed wind tunnel and laser diffraction equipment. The results of the study indicated application conditions, and not adjuvant inclusion, were the largest drivers of the droplet size distribution and drift potential. Data was further computed in the drift prediction program, AGDISP, where little differences were observed between the treatments. This study highlighted the importance of testing drift reduction technologies or techniques from multiple viewpoints

Effect of nesiritide in patients with acute decompensated heart failure

Background Nesiritide is approved in the United States for early relief of dyspnea in patients with acute heart failure. Previous meta-analyses have raised questions regarding renal toxicity and the mortality associated with this agent. Methods We randomly assigned 7141 patients who were hospitalized with acute heart failure to receive either nesiritide or placebo for 24 to 168 hours in addition to standard care. Coprimary end points were the change in dyspnea at 6 and 24 hours, as measured on a 7-point Likert scale, and the composite end point of rehospitalization for heart failure or death within 30 days. Results Patients randomly assigned to nesiritide, as compared with those assigned to placebo, more frequently reported markedly or moderately improved dyspnea at 6 hours (44.5% vs. 42.1%, P = 0.03) and 24 hours (68.2% vs. 66.1%, P = 0.007), but the prespecified level for significance (P≤0.005 for both assessments or P≤0.0025 for either) was not met. The rate of rehospitalization for heart failure or death from any cause within 30 days was 9.4% in the nesiritide group versus 10.1% in the placebo group (absolute difference, −0.7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], −2.1 to 0.7; P = 0.31). There were no significant differences in rates of death from any cause at 30 days (3.6% with nesiritide vs. 4.0% with placebo; absolute difference, −0.4 percentage points; 95% CI, −1.3 to 0.5) or rates of worsening renal function, defined by more than a 25% decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (31.4% vs. 29.5%; odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.21; P = 0.11). Conclusions Nesiritide was not associated with an increase or a decrease in the rate of death and rehospitalization and had a small, nonsignificant effect on dyspnea when used in combination with other therapies. It was not associated with a worsening of renal function, but it was associated with an increase in rates of hypotension. On the basis of these results, nesiritide cannot be recommended for routine use in the broad population of patients with acute heart failure. (Funded by Scios; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00475852.

Identification of 181Hg and shape coexistence in odd-A Hg isotopes

In-beam γ-ray transitions in 181Hg, the lightest odd-A Hg isotope known thus far, have been identified from fragment mass-γ and γ-γ coincidence measurements. Five prolate deformed rotational bands were placed in the level scheme. A decoupled band built on the strongly prolate deformed 1/2-[521] ground state was observed up to 29/2-. A 5/2-[512] configuration is suggested for a pair of strongly coupled bands displaying no signature splitting. The other two bands are also signature partner bands. They are populated with the largest intensity and exhibit splitting. They have been associated with the mixed neutron i13/2 orbitals and are proposed to decay to an i13/2 isomeric state associated with an oblate state

Psychology and aggression

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68264/2/10.1177_002200275900300301.pd

A study of CP violation in B-+/- -> DK +/- and B-+/- -> D pi(+/-) decays with D -> (KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+) final states

A first study of CP violation in the decay modes B-+/- -> [(KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+)](D)h(+/-) and B-+/- -> [(KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+)](D)h(+/-), where h labels a K or pi meson and D labels a D-0 or (D) over bar (0) meson, is performed. The analysis uses the LHCb data set collected in pp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The analysis is sensitive to the CP-violating CKM phase gamma through seven observables: one charge asymmetry in each of the four modes and three ratios of the charge-integrated yields. The results are consistent with measurements of gamma using other decay modes

Specific bone cells produce DLL4 to generate thymus-seeding progenitors from bone marrow

Production of the cells that ultimately populate the thymus to generate α/β T cells has been controversial, and their molecular drivers remain undefined. Here, we report that specific deletion of bone-producing osteocalcin (Ocn)-expressing cells in vivo markedly reduces T-competent progenitors and thymus-homing receptor expression among bone marrow hematopoietic cells. Decreased intrathymic T cell precursors and decreased generation of mature T cells occurred despite normal thymic function. The Notch ligand DLL4 is abundantly expressed on bone marrow Ocn+ cells, and selective depletion of DLL4 from these cells recapitulated the thymopoietic abnormality. These data indicate that specific mesenchymal cells in bone marrow provide key molecular drivers enforcing thymus-seeding progenitor generation and thereby directly link skeletal biology to the production of T cell- based adaptive immunity

Measurement of event-shape observables in Z→ℓ+ℓ− events in pp collisions at √ s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Event-shape observables measured using charged particles in inclusive $Z$-boson events are presented, using the electron and muon decay modes of the $Z$ bosons. The measurements are based on an integrated luminosity of $1.1 {\rm fb}^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV. Charged-particle distributions, excluding the lepton--antilepton pair from the $Z$-boson decay, are measured in different ranges of transverse momentum of the $Z$ boson. Distributions include multiplicity, scalar sum of transverse momenta, beam thrust, transverse thrust, spherocity, and $\mathcal{F}$-parameter, which are in particular sensitive to properties of the underlying event at small values of the $Z$-boson transverse momentum. The Sherpa event generator shows larger deviations from the measured observables than Pythia8 and Herwig7. Typically, all three Monte Carlo generators provide predictions that are in better agreement with the data at high $Z$-boson transverse momenta than at low $Z$-boson transverse momenta and for the observables that are less sensitive to the number of charged particles in the event.Comment: 36 pages plus author list + cover page (54 pages total), 14 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC, All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2014-0

Measurement of ϒ production in pp collisions at √s = 2.76 TeV

The production of ϒ(1S), ϒ(2S) and ϒ(3S) mesons decaying into the dimuon final state is studied with the LHCb detector using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.3 pb−1 collected in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 2.76 TeV. The differential production cross-sections times dimuon branching fractions are measured as functions of the ϒ transverse momentum and rapidity, over the ranges pT < 15 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The total cross-sections in this kinematic region, assuming unpolarised production, are measured to be σ (pp → ϒ(1S)X) × B ϒ(1S)→μ+μ− = 1.111 ± 0.043 ± 0.044 nb, σ (pp → ϒ(2S)X) × B ϒ(2S)→μ+μ− = 0.264 ± 0.023 ± 0.011 nb, σ (pp → ϒ(3S)X) × B ϒ(3S)→μ+μ− = 0.159 ± 0.020 ± 0.007 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic