462 research outputs found
Practical method for optimal rehabilitation of steel frame buildings using buckling restrained brace dampers
A novel optimisation method is developed for optimum strengthening design of 2D multi-story steel moment resisting frames using buckling restrained brace (BRB)dampers and externally welded steel plates in compliance with ASCE 41-06. The proposed method is based on the concept of Uniform Distribution of Deformation (UDD), in which structural materials are redistributed from strong to weak parts of a structure until the material capacity is fully exploited. For the first time, an adaptive power function is introduced to improve the computational efficiency and convergence speed of the UDD optimisation method. The results of the proposed optimisation method are compared with metaheuristic optimisation methods using Genetic Algorithm (GA)and Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO)for a three story and a nine story frame. The demand to capacity ratios of deformation-controlled and force-controlled structural members based on ASCE 41-06 are considered as design constraints in the optimisation process. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed optimisation method in finding the optimum design solution with significantly less computational costs (up to 300 times less number of analyses)compared to both GA and PSO methods. It is shown that, in general, a more suitable distribution of dampers is accompanied by a more uniform distribution of demand to capacity ratios, which confirms the concept of UDD optimisation method
Do symbiotic and vitamin e supplementation have favorite effects in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world. Oral administration of symbiotic and Vitamin E has been proposed as an effective treatment in NAFLD patients. This study was carried out to assess the effects of symbiotic and/or Vitamin E supplementation on liver enzymes, leptin, lipid profile, and some parameters of insulin resistance (IR) in NAFLD patients. Materials and Methods: We randomly assigned sixty NAFLD adult patients to receive (1) symbiotic twice daily + Vitamin E-like placebo capsule; (2) 400 IU/d Vitamin E + symbiotic-like placebo; (3) symbiotic twice daily + 400 IU/d Vitamin E; and (4) symbiotic-like placebo + Vitamin E-like placebo for 8 weeks. Results: Symbiotic plus Vitamin E supplementation led to a significant decrease in concentrations of liver transaminase (P � 0.05). Mean difference of apolipoprotein A-1 was more significant in symbiotic group compared to control. However, mean difference of apolipoprotein B100/A-1 was only significant in symbiotic group compared to control. At the end of the study, significant differences in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were seen between the symbiotic plus Vitamin E and control groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, intake of symbiotic plus Vitamin E supplements led to a significant decrease in concentrations of triglycerides (TG) after the intervention. Significant differences in leptin, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and insulin levels were seen between the symbiotic plus Vitamin E and control groups at the end of the study (P < 0.001). In contrast, symbiotic and/or Vitamin E supplementation did not affect high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and homeostasis model assessment for IR levels. Conclusion: In our study, symbiotic plus Vitamin E supplementation was the most effective treatment in lowering liver enzymes, leptin, FBS, insulin, TG, TC, and LDL-C among NAFLD patients. © 2016 Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of selected apoptotic genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia among north indian population
Promoter hypermethylation mediates gene silencing in many neoplasms. Acute leukemia has been reported to harbor multiple genes aberrantly silenced by hypermethylation. Aim: In present study, we investigated the prevalence of hypermethylation of caspase-8 (CASP8), TMS1 and DAPK genes in correlation with clinicopathological factors in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Materials and Methods: A case-control study has been conducted based on bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from 125 ALL patients and 100 sex-age matched healthy controls. Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bisulfite sequencing PCR was performed to analyze the methylation status of these genes. Reverse transcription PCR and real time PCR was carried out to determine changes in the mRNA expression level of the genes due to hypermethylation. Results: Hypermethylation of the 5´CpG islands of the CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK gene promoters was found in 3.2, 6.4, and 13.6% of 125 childhood ALL samples from north Indian population, respectively. There were significant differences in pattern of hypermethylation of TMS1 (p = 0.045) and DAPK (p < 0.001) between patients and healthy controls. Down-regulation of mRNA expression was found in cases in which CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK were hypermethylated. Conclusions: The present study indicated the impact of hypermethylation-mediated inactivation of CASP8, TMS1 and DAPK genes, which is associated with risk of childhood ALL. This abnormality occurs in leukemogenesis and it may be used as a biomarker and for predicting the prognosis of ALL
Rapid CT-based Estimation of Articular Cartilage Biomechanics in the Knee Joint Without Cartilage Segmentation
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful joint disease,
causing disabilities in daily activities. However, there is no
known cure for OA, and the best treatment strategy might be
prevention. Finite element (FE) modeling has demonstrated
potential for evaluating personalized risks for the progression
of OA. Current FE modeling approaches use primarily
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to construct personalized
knee joint models. However, MRI is expensive and has lower
resolution than computed tomography (CT). In this study,
we extend a previously presented atlas-based FE modeling
framework for automatic model generation and simulation
of knee joint tissue responses using contrast agent-free CT. In
this method, based on certain anatomical dimensions measured from bone surfaces, an optimal template is selected and
scaled to generate a personalized FE model. We compared
the simulated tissue responses of the CT-based models with
those of the MRI-based models. We show that the CT-based
models are capable of producing similar tensile stresses, fibril
strains, and fluid pressures of knee joint cartilage compared
to those of the MRI-based models. This study provides a new
methodology for the analysis of knee joint and cartilage
mechanics
Interacting entropy-corrected holographic dark energy with apparent horizon as an infrared cutoff
In this work we consider the entropy-corrected version of interacting
holographic dark energy (HDE), in the non-flat universe enclosed by apparent
horizon. Two corrections of entropy so-called logarithmic 'LEC' and power-law
'PLEC' in HDE model with apparent horizon as an IR-cutoff are studied. The
ratio of dark matter to dark energy densities , equation of state parameter
and deceleration parameter are obtained. We show that the cosmic
coincidence is satisfied for both interacting models. By studying the effect of
interaction in EoS parameter, we see that the phantom divide may be crossed and
also find that the interacting models can drive an acceleration expansion at
the present and future, while in non-interacting case, this expansion can
happen only at the early time. The graphs of deceleration parameter for
interacting models, show that the present acceleration expansion is preceded by
a sufficiently long period deceleration at past. Moreover, the thermodynamical
interpretation of interaction between LECHDE and dark matter is described. We
obtain a relation between the interaction term of dark components and thermal
fluctuation in a non-flat universe, bounded by the apparent horizon. In
limiting case, for ordinary HDE, the relation of interaction term versus
thermal fluctuation is also calculated.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, figures changed, some Ref. is added, changed
some sentences, accepted by General relativity and gravitation (GERG
Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The
analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC
from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an
integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross
section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected
exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the
standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The
analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model
Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The
largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is
observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance
of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local
significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is
estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of
this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset
corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected
during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the
couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and
right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary
mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b,
leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing
transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W'
boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to
the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for
masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC
data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed
coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant
improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe
Measurement of the Lambda(b) cross section and the anti-Lambda(b) to Lambda(b) ratio with Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda decays in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The Lambda(b) differential production cross section and the cross section
ratio anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) are measured as functions of transverse momentum
pt(Lambda(b)) and rapidity abs(y(Lambda(b))) in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7
TeV using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measurements are
based on Lambda(b) decays reconstructed in the exclusive final state J/Psi
Lambda, with the subsequent decays J/Psi to an opposite-sign muon pair and
Lambda to proton pion, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 1.9 inverse femtobarns. The product of the cross section times
the branching ratio for Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda versus pt(Lambda(b)) falls
faster than that of b mesons. The measured value of the cross section times the
branching ratio for pt(Lambda(b)) > 10 GeV and abs(y(Lambda(b))) < 2.0 is 1.06
+/- 0.06 +/- 0.12 nb, and the integrated cross section ratio for
anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) is 1.02 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.09, where the uncertainties are
statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
Search for new physics in events with opposite-sign leptons, jets, and missing transverse energy in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
A search is presented for physics beyond the standard model (BSM) in final
states with a pair of opposite-sign isolated leptons accompanied by jets and
missing transverse energy. The search uses LHC data recorded at a
center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the CMS detector, corresponding to
an integrated luminosity of approximately 5 inverse femtobarns. Two
complementary search strategies are employed. The first probes models with a
specific dilepton production mechanism that leads to a characteristic kinematic
edge in the dilepton mass distribution. The second strategy probes models of
dilepton production with heavy, colored objects that decay to final states
including invisible particles, leading to very large hadronic activity and
missing transverse energy. No evidence for an event yield in excess of the
standard model expectations is found. Upper limits on the BSM contributions to
the signal regions are deduced from the results, which are used to exclude a
region of the parameter space of the constrained minimal supersymmetric
extension of the standard model. Additional information related to detector
efficiencies and response is provided to allow testing specific models of BSM
physics not considered in this paper.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO
Measurement of isolated photon production in pp and PbPb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV
Isolated photon production is measured in proton-proton and lead-lead
collisions at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 2.76 TeV in the
pseudorapidity range |eta|<1.44 and transverse energies ET between 20 and 80
GeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured ET spectra are found to be
in good agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions. The
ratio of PbPb to pp isolated photon ET-differential yields, scaled by the
number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions, is consistent with unity for
all PbPb reaction centralities.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
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