120 research outputs found
Nuclear Spin-Isospin Correlations, Parity Violation, and the Problem
The strong interaction effects of isospin- and spin-dependent nucleon-nucleon
correlations observed in many-body calculations are interpreted in terms of a
one-pion exchange mechanism. Including such effects in computations of nuclear
parity violating effects leads to enhancements of about 10%. A larger effect
arises from the one-boson exchange nature of the parity non-conserving nucleon-
nucleon interaction, which depends on both weak and strong meson-nucleon
coupling constants. Using values of the latter that are constrained by
nucleon-nucleon phase shifts leads to enhancements of parity violation by
factors close to two. Thus much of previously noticed discrepancies between
weak coupling constants extracted from different experiments can be removed.Comment: 8 pages 2 figures there should have been two figures in v
Examining Periodic Solar Wind Density Structures Observed in the SECCHI Heliospheric Imagers
We present an analysis of small-scale, periodic, solar-wind density
enhancements (length-scales as small as \approx 1000 Mm) observed in images
from the Heliospheric Imager (HI) aboard STEREO A. We discuss their possible
relationship to periodic fluctuations of the proton density that have been
identified at 1 AU using in-situ plasma measurements. Specifically, Viall,
Kepko, and Spence (2008) examined 11 years of in-situ solar-wind density
measurements at 1 AU and demonstrated that not only turbulent structures, but
also non-turbulent periodic density structures exist in the solar wind with
scale sizes of hundreds to one thousand Mm. In a subsequent paper, Viall,
Spence, and Kasper (2009) analyzed the {\alpha} to proton solar-wind abundance
ratio measured during one such event of periodic density structures,
demonstrating that the plasma behavior was highly suggestive that either
temporally or spatially varying coronal source plasma created those density
structures. Large periodic density structures observed at 1 AU, which were
generated in the corona, can be observable in coronal and heliospheric
white-light images if they possess sufficiently high density contrast. Indeed,
we identify such periodic density structures as they enter the HI field of view
and follow them as they advect with the solar wind through the images. The
smaller periodic density structures that we identify in the images are
comparable in size to the larger structures analyzed in-situ at 1 AU, yielding
further evidence that periodic density enhancements are a consequence of
coronal activity as the solar wind is formed.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures. The final publication is available at
http://www.springerlink.co
Azimuthal anisotropy of K0s and Lambda prduction at mid-rapidity from Au+Au collisions at root s = 130 GeV
We report STAR results on the azimuthal anisotropy parameter v2 for strange
particles K0S, L and Lbar at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sNN = 130 GeV
at RHIC. The value of v2 as a function of transverse momentum of the produced
particles pt and collision centrality is presented for both particles up to pt
3.0 GeV/c. A strong pt dependence in v2 is observed up to 2.0 GeV/c. The v2
measurement is compared with hydrodynamic model calculations. The physics
implications of the pt integrated v2 magnitude as a function of particle mass
are also discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, by the STAR collaboratio
Towards an understanding of neuroscience for science educators
Advances in neuroscience have brought new insights to the development of cognitive functions. These data are of considerable interest to educators concerned with how students learn. This review documents some of the recent findings in neuroscience, which is richer in describing cognitive functions than affective aspects of learning. A brief overview is presented here of the techniques used to generate data from imaging and how these findings have the possibility to inform educators. There are implications for considering the impact of neuroscience at all levels of education – from the classroom teacher and practitioner to policy. This relatively new cross-disciplinary area of research implies a need for educators and scientists to engage with each other. What questions are emerging through such dialogues between educators and scientists are likely to shed light on, for example, reward, motivation, working memory, learning difficulties, bilingualism and child development. The sciences of learning are entering a new paradigm
Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995-2009: analysis of individual data for 25,676,887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)
BACKGROUND:
Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control.
METHODS:
Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75,000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights.
FINDINGS:
5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease.
INTERPRETATION:
International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems
Production in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions at GeV
We report the first observation of in
relativistic heavy ion collisions. The transverse momentum spectrum of
from central Au+Au collisions at
GeV is presented. The ratios of the yield
derived from these data to the yields of negative hadrons, charged kaons, and
mesons have been measured in central and minimum bias collisions and
compared with model predictions and comparable , , and
results. The data indicate no dramatic reduction of
production in relativistic heavy ion collisions despite expected losses due to
rescattering effects.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, To be published in PRC
Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd
Giardia intestinalis and nutritional status in children participating in the complementary nutrition program, Antioquia, Colombia, May to October 2006
Accelarated immune ageing is associated with COVID-19 disease severity
Background
The striking increase in COVID-19 severity in older adults provides a clear example of immunesenescence, the age-related remodelling of the immune system. To better characterise the association between convalescent immunesenescence and acute disease severity, we determined the immune phenotype of COVID-19 survivors and non-infected controls.
Results
We performed detailed immune phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 103 COVID-19 survivors 3–5 months post recovery who were classified as having had severe (n = 56; age 53.12 ± 11.30 years), moderate (n = 32; age 52.28 ± 11.43 years) or mild (n = 15; age 49.67 ± 7.30 years) disease and compared with age and sex-matched healthy adults (n = 59; age 50.49 ± 10.68 years). We assessed a broad range of immune cell phenotypes to generate a composite score, IMM-AGE, to determine the degree of immune senescence. We found increased immunesenescence features in severe COVID-19 survivors compared to controls including: a reduced frequency and number of naïve CD4 and CD8 T cells (p < 0.0001); increased frequency of EMRA CD4 (p < 0.003) and CD8 T cells (p < 0.001); a higher frequency (p < 0.0001) and absolute numbers (p < 0.001) of CD28−ve CD57+ve senescent CD4 and CD8 T cells; higher frequency (p < 0.003) and absolute numbers (p < 0.02) of PD-1 expressing exhausted CD8 T cells; a two-fold increase in Th17 polarisation (p < 0.0001); higher frequency of memory B cells (p < 0.001) and increased frequency (p < 0.0001) and numbers (p < 0.001) of CD57+ve senescent NK cells. As a result, the IMM-AGE score was significantly higher in severe COVID-19 survivors than in controls (p < 0.001). Few differences were seen for those with moderate disease and none for mild disease. Regression analysis revealed the only pre-existing variable influencing the IMM-AGE score was South Asian ethnicity (
= 0.174, p = 0.043), with a major influence being disease severity (
= 0.188, p = 0.01).
Conclusions
Our analyses reveal a state of enhanced immune ageing in survivors of severe COVID-19 and suggest this could be related to SARS-Cov-2 infection. Our data support the rationale for trials of anti-immune ageing interventions for improving clinical outcomes in these patients with severe disease
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