1,148 research outputs found
Overview of the Tevatron Collider Complex: Goals, Operations and Performance
For more than two decades the Tevatron proton-antiproton collider was the
centerpiece of the world's high energy physics program. The collider was
arguably one of the most complex research instruments ever to reach the
operation stage and is widely recognized for numerous physics discoveries and
for many technological breakthroughs. In this article we outline the historical
background that led to the construction of the Tevatron Collider, the strategy
applied to evolution of performance goals over the Tevatron's operational
history, and briefly describe operations of each accelerator in the chain and
achieved performance.Comment: Includes modifications suggested by reviewer
A Probe of New Physics in Top Quark Pair Production at Colliders
We describe how to probe new physics through examination of the form factors
describing the Ztt couplings via the scattering process e^-e^+->t+tbar. We
focus on experimental methods on how the top quark momentum can be determined
and show how this can be applied to select polarized samples of
pairs through the angular correlations in the final state leptons. We also
study the dependence on the energy and luminosity of an \ee\ collider to probe
a CP violating asymmetry at the level.}Comment: 24 pages in TeXsis (figures available upon request) (revised July
1993
Tiotropium improves lung function, exacerbation rate, and asthma control, independent of baseline characteristics including age, degree of airway obstruction, and allergic status
AbstractBackgroundMany patients with asthma remain symptomatic despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with or without long-acting ÎČ2-agonists (LABAs). Tiotropium add-on to ICS plus a LABA has been shown to improve lung function and reduce exacerbation risk in patients with symptomatic asthma.ObjectiveTo determine whether the efficacy of tiotropium add-on therapy is dependent on patientsâ baseline characteristics.MethodsTwo randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, twin trials (NCT00772538 and NCT00776984) of once-daily tiotropium RespimatÂź 5Â ÎŒg add-on to ICS plus a LABA were performed in parallel in patients with severe symptomatic asthma. Exploratory subgroup analyses of peak forced expiratory volume in 1Â s (FEV1), trough FEV1, time to first severe exacerbation, time to first episode of asthma worsening, and seven-question Asthma Control Questionnaire responder rate were performed to determine whether results were influenced by baseline characteristics.Results912 patients were randomized: 456 received tiotropium and 456 received placebo. Tiotropium improved lung function, reduced the risk of asthma exacerbations and asthma worsening, and improved asthma symptom control, compared with placebo, independent of baseline characteristics including gender, age, body mass index, disease duration, age at asthma onset, and FEV1 % predicted at screening and reversibility.ConclusionOnce-daily tiotropium 5Â ÎŒg compared with placebo improved lung function, reduced the risk of asthma exacerbations and asthma worsening, and improved asthma symptom control, independent of a broad range of baseline characteristics, as add-on to ICS plus LABAs in patients with severe symptomatic asthma.Trial registryClinicalTrials.gov; numbers NCT00772538 and NCT00776984 URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov
Reduction in Unnecessary Clinical Laboratory Testing Through Utilization Management at a US Government Veterans Affairs Hospital
Objectives: To implement an electronic laboratory utilization management system (laboratory expert system [LES]) to provide safe and effective reductions in unnecessary clinical laboratory testing.
Methods: The LES is a set of frequency filter subroutines within the Veterans Affairs hospital and laboratory information system that was formulated by an interdisciplinary medical team.Results: Since implementing the LES, total test volume has decreased by a mean of 11.18% per year compared with our pre-LES test volume. This change was not attributable to fluctuations in outpatient visits or inpatient days of care. Laboratory cost savings were estimated at 163,751 for 2012 and 2013, respectively. A significant portion of these cost savings was attributable to reductions in high-volume, large panel testing. No adverse effects on patient care were reported, and mean length of stay for patients remained unchanged.
Conclusions: Electronic laboratory utilization systems can effectively reduce unnecessary laboratory testing without compromising patient care
The Farthest Known Supernova: Support for an Accelerating Universe and a Glimpse of the Epoch of Deceleration
We present photometric observations of an apparent Type Ia supernova (SN Ia)
at a redshift of ~1.7, the farthest SN observed to date. SN 1997ff, was
discovered in a repeat observation by the HST of the HDF-), and serendipitously
monitored with NICMOS on HST throughout the GTO campaign. The SN type can be
determined from the host galaxy type:an evolved, red elliptical lacking enough
recent star formation to provide a significant population of core-collapse SNe.
The class- ification is further supported by diagnostics available from the
observed colors and temporal behavior of the SN, both of which match a typical
SN Ia. The photo- metric record of the SN includes a dozen flux measurements in
the I, J, and H bands spanning 35 days in the observed frame. The redshift
derived from the SN photometry, z=1.7+/-0.1, is in excellent agreement with the
redshift estimate of z=1.65+/-0.15 derived from the
U_300,B_450,V_606,I_814,J_110,J_125,H_160, H_165,K_s photometry of the galaxy.
Optical and near-infrared spectra of the host provide a very tentative
spectroscopic redshift of 1.755. Fits to observations of the SN provide
constraints for the redshift-distance relation of SNe~Ia and a powerful test of
the current accelerating Universe hypothesis. The apparent SN brightness is
consistent with that expected in the decelerating phase of the preferred
cosmological model, Omega_M~1/3, Omega_Lambda~2/3. It is inconsistent with grey
dust or simple luminosity evolution, candidate astro- physical effects which
could mimic past evidence for an accelerating Universe from SNe Ia at z~0.5.We
consider several sources of possible systematic error including lensing, SN
misclassification, selection bias, and calibration errors. Currently, none of
these effects appears likely to challenge our conclusions.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal 38 pages, 15 figures, Pretty
version available at http://icarus.stsci.edu/~stefano/ariess.tar.g
Abnormal Behaviour Of Zero Degree Î-electron Emission On The Projectile Ionic Charge
The 0° Ύ-electron emission was investigated by an electron-projectile coincidence technique as a function of incoming and outgoing projectile charge state for 0.53 MeV u-1Cuq+ on He. The electron emission spectra vary strongly with initial and final projectile charge state. For pure ionization channels the cross sections follow for low electron energy the q2-scaling law whereas in the binary encounter regime the scaling is reversed. Ctmc calculations are in fair agreement with the experimental data. © 1991 IOP Publishing Ltd
Genetics of Hemostasis: Differential Effects of Heritability and Household Components Influencing Lipid Concentrations and Clotting Factor Levels in 282 Pediatric Stroke Families
Evaluating a calcium-aware kernel for CT CAC scoring with varying surrounding materials and heart rates:a dynamic phantom study
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the influence of a novel calcium-aware (Ca-aware) computed tomography (CT) reconstruction technique on coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores surrounded by a variety of tissues was assessed. Second, the performance of the Ca-aware reconstruction technique on moving CAC was evaluated with a dynamic phantom. METHODS: An artificial coronary artery, containing two CAC of equal size and different densities (196 ± 3, 380 ± 2 mg hydroxyapatite cm-3), was moved in the center compartment of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom at different heart rates. The center compartment was filled with mixtures, which resembled fat, water, and soft tissue equivalent CT numbers. Raw data was acquired with a routine clinical CAC protocol, at 120 peak kilovolt (kVp). Subsequently, reduced tube voltage (100 kVp) and tin-filtration (150Sn kVp) acquisitions were performed. Raw data was reconstructed with a standard and a novel Ca-aware reconstruction technique. Agatston scores of all reconstructions were compared with the reference (120 kVp) and standard reconstruction technique, with relevant deviations defined as > 10%. RESULTS: For all heart rates, Agatston scores for CAC submerged in fat were comparable to the reference, for the reduced-kVp acquisition with Ca-aware reconstruction kernel. For water and soft tissue, medium-density Agatston scores were again comparable to the reference for all heart rates. Low-density Agatston scores showed relevant deviations, up to 15% and 23% for water and soft tissue, respectively. CONCLUSION: CT CAC scoring with varying surrounding materials and heart rates is feasible at patient-specific tube voltages with the novel Ca-aware reconstruction technique. KEY POINTS: ⹠A dedicated calcium-aware reconstruction kernel results in similar Agatston scores for CAC surrounded by fatty materials regardless of CAC density and heart rate. ⹠Application of a dedicated calcium-aware reconstruction kernel allows for radiation dose reduction. ⹠Mass scores determined with CT underestimated physical mass
L-Edge Spectroscopy of Dilute, Radiation-Sensitive Systems Using a Transition-Edge-Sensor Array
We present X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray
scattering (RIXS) measurements on the iron L-edge of 0.5 mM aqueous
ferricyanide. These measurements demonstrate the ability of high-throughput
transition-edge-sensor (TES) spectrometers to access the rich soft X-ray
(100-2000eV) spectroscopy regime for dilute and radiation-sensitive samples.
Our low-concentration data are in agreement with high-concentration
measurements recorded by conventional grating-based spectrometers. These
results show that soft X-ray RIXS spectroscopy acquired by high-throughput TES
spectrometers can be used to study the local electronic structure of dilute
metal-centered complexes relevant to biology, chemistry and catalysis. In
particular, TES spectrometers have a unique ability to characterize frozen
solutions of radiation- and temperature-sensitive samples.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
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