Atrial septal defect in adults is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness

Objective: The association between secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) and asthma-like dyspnea with consequent long-term pulmonary inhalant use, is poorly understood in adult ASD patients. Airway hyperresponsiveness is suggested to be the underlying mechanism of cardiac asthma from mitral valve disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that airway hyperresponsiveness may also be found in adult ASD patients. Our aim was to study airway responsiveness in adult ASD patients before percutaneous closure and at short-and long-term postprocedural follow-up. Methods: This prospective study included 31 ASD patients (65% female, mean age 49 ± 15y) who underwent spirometry and bronchoprovocation testing pre-and six-month postprocedurally, with additional bronchoprovocation at 2-year follow-up. Airway hyperresponsiveness was defined as ≥20% fall of forced expiratory volume in 1-second (FEV1) following <8.0 mg/mL of inhaled methacholine. Results: Airway hyperresponsiveness was found in 19/30 patients (63%[95%CI 45%-81%]; post hoc statistical power = 89%). Asthma-like symptoms wheezing, chest tightness, and cough were more frequently reported in airway hyperresponsive patients. Airway responsiveness was not influenced by successful percutaneous ASD closure, corresponding to persistence of asthma-like symptoms postclosure. Regardless of airway responsiveness, postprocedural right-sided reverse remodeling significantly improved dyspnea and pulmonary function. Conclusions: This study is the first to report a high prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness in a cohort of unrepaired adult ASD patients, and confirms the association between asthma-like symptoms and ASD in adults. Attention to symptoms and pulmonary function should be given during clinical follow-up of adult ASD patients, both before and long after repair

Limits on the production of scalar leptoquarks from Z (0) decays at LEP

A search has been made for pairs and for single production of scalar leptoquarks of the first and second generations using a data sample of 392000 Z0 decays from the DELPHI detector at LEP 1. No signal was found and limits on the leptoquark mass, production cross section and branching ratio were set. A mass limit at 95% confidence level of 45.5 GeV/c2 was obtained for leptoquark pair production. The search for the production of a single leptoquark probed the mass region above this limit and its results exclude first and second generation leptoquarks D0 with masses below 65 GeV/c2 and 73 GeV/c2 respectively, at 95% confidence level, assuming that the D0lq Yukawa coupling alpha(lambda) is equal to the electromagnetic one. An upper limit is also given on the coupling alpha(lambda) as a function of the leptoquark mass m(D0)

Virulence and genotype of a bovine herpesvirus 1 isolate from semen of a subclinically infected bull

A bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) isolate from the semen of a subclinically infected bull was administered to cattle by various routes to assess its virulence. Cattle that were artificially inseminated or inoculated intrapreputially did not develop clinical signs, but did transmit the virus to contact cattle. However, the isolate induced severe signs of rhinotracheitis and vulvovaginitis in cattle that were inoculated by the intravaginal, intranasal or intravenous routes, but did not infect the fetus. The isolate was therefore not of low virulence. Analysis with DNA restriction enzymes could not assign the isolate to either the BHV-1.1 or BHV-1.2 genotype

A study of radiative muon-pair events at Z0 energies and limits on an additional Z′ gauge beson

An analysis is reported on the channel e+e-→μ+μ- (nγ), n=1,2..., using data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP from 1990 to 1992. Differential cross sections of the radiative photons as a function of photon energy and of the angle between the photon and the muon are presented. No significant deviations from expectations are observed. The data are also used to extract the muon-pair cross section and asymmetry below the Z0 peak by using those events with relatively hard initial state radiative photon(s). The measured cross section and asymmetry show no significant deviation from the Standard Model expectations. These results together with the DELPHI cross section and asymmetry measurements at the LEP energies from the 1990 to 1992 running periods are used to determine limits on the Z0-Z′ gauge boson mixing angle θZ′ and on the Z′ mass. There is no indication of the existence of a Z′; the limits obtained on the mixing angle substantially improve upon existing limits. The 95% confidence level allowed ranges of θZ′ in various models are: {Mathematical expression} © 1995 Springer-Verlag

Search for pair-produced heavy scalars in Z0 decays

A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into quarks is described, based on statistics of around 1.7 million hadronic Zo decays detected in DELPHI. Despite the very high background from standard hadronic decays of the Zo, masses in the range up to 43.5 GeV/c2 are excluded at the 95% confidence level. After combination with a search for leptonic decays, this mass limit is extended to cover all branching ratios. A similar analysis sets new limits on the possible production of any pair-produced heavy scalar decaying into a pair of jets, such as neutral Higgs bosons in a two doublet scheme and diquarks. © 1994 Springer-Verlag