1,023 research outputs found
In vivo Detection of Hyperoxia-induced Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Death Using \u3csup\u3e99m\u3c/sup\u3eTc-Duramycin
Introduction 99mTc-duramycin, DU, is a SPECT biomarker of tissue injury identifying cell death. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of DU imaging to quantify capillary endothelial cell death in rat lung injury resulting from hyperoxia exposure as a model of acute lung injury. Methods Rats were exposed to room air (normoxic) or \u3e 98% O2 for 48 or 60 hours. DU was injected i.v. in anesthetized rats, scintigraphy images were acquired at steady-state, and lung DU uptake was quantified from the images. Post-mortem, the lungs were removed for histological studies. Sequential lung sections were immunostained for caspase activation and endothelial and epithelial cells. Results Lung DU uptake increased significantly (p \u3c 0.001) by 39% and 146% in 48-hr and 60-hr exposed rats, respectively, compared to normoxic rats. There was strong correlation (r2 = 0.82, p = 0.005) between lung DU uptake and the number of cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) positive cells, and endothelial cells accounted for more than 50% of CC3 positive cells in the hyperoxic lungs. Histology revealed preserved lung morphology through 48 hours. By 60 hours there was evidence of edema, and modest neutrophilic infiltrate. Conclusions Rat lung DU uptake in vivo increased after just 48 hours of \u3e 98% O2 exposure, prior to the onset of any substantial evidence of lung injury. These results suggest that apoptotic endothelial cells are the primary contributors to the enhanced DU lung uptake, and support the utility of DU imaging for detecting early endothelial cell death in vivo
Practical reasoning in political discourse: The UK government's response to the economic crisis in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report
This article focuses on practical reasoning in political discourse and argues for a better integration of argumentation theory with critical discourse analysis (CDA). Political discourse and its specific genres (for example, deliberation) primarily involve forms of practical reasoning, typically oriented towards finding solutions to problems and deciding on future courses of action. Practical reasoning is a form of inference from cognitive and motivational premises: from what we believe (about the situation or about means—end relations) and what we want or desire (our goals and values), leading to a normative judgement (and often a decision) concerning action. We offer an analysis of the main argument in the UK government’s 2008 Pre-Budget Report (HM Treasury, 2008) and suggest how a critical evaluation of the argument from the perspective of a normative theory of argumentation (particularly the informal logic developed by Douglas Walton) can provide the basis for an evaluation in terms of characteristic CDA concerns. We are advancing this analysis as a contribution to CDA, aimed at increasing the rigour and systematicity of its analyses of political discourse, and as a contribution to the normative concerns of critical social science
Anomalous Behavior of 2+ Excitations around 132Sn
In certain neutron-rich Te isotopes, a decrease in the energy of the first
excited 2+ state is accompanied by a decrease in the E2 strength to that state
from the ground state, contradicting simple systematics and general intuition
about quadrupole collectivity. We use a separable quadrupole-plus-pairing
Hamiltonian and the quasiparticle random phase approximation to calculate
energies, B(E2,0+ -> 2+) strengths, and g factors for the lowest 2+ states near
132Sn (Z >= 50). We trace the anomalous behavior in the Te isotopes to a
reduced neutron pairing above the N = 82 magic gap.Comment: 1 figure added. to be published in Phys. Rev.
Low momentum nucleon-nucleon potential and shell model effective interactions
A low momentum nucleon-nucleon (NN) potential V-low-k is derived from meson
exhange potentials by integrating out the model dependent high momentum modes
of V_NN. The smooth and approximately unique V-low-k is used as input for shell
model calculations instead of the usual Brueckner G matrix. Such an approach
eliminates the nuclear mass dependence of the input interaction one finds in
the G matrix approach, allowing the same input interaction to be used in
different nuclear regions. Shell model calculations of 18O, 134Te and 135I
using the same input V-low-k have been performed. For cut-off momentum Lambda
in the vicinity of 2 fm-1, our calculated low-lying spectra for these nuclei
are in good agreement with experiments, and are weakly dependent on Lambda.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Q_EC values of the Superallowed beta-Emitters 10-C, 34-Ar, 38-Ca and 46-V
The Q_EC values of the superallowed beta+ emitters 10-C, 34-Ar, 38-Ca and
46-V have been measured with a Penning-trap mass spectrometer to be 3648.12(8),
6061.83(8), 6612.12(7) and 7052.44(10) keV, respectively. All four values are
substantially improved in precision over previous results.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 5 table
Equation of state for nuclear matter based on density dependent effective interaction
An interesting method of obtaining equation of state for nuclear matter, from
a density dependent M3Y interaction, by minimizing the energy per nucleon is
described. The density dependence parameters of the interaction are obtained by
reproducing the saturation energy per nucleon and the saturation density of
spin and isospin symmetric cold infinite nuclear matter. The nuclear matter
equation of state thus obtained is then used to calculate the pressure, the
energy density, the nuclear incompressibility and the velocity of sound in
nuclear medium. The results obtained are in good agreement with experimental
data and provide a unified description of radioactivity, scattering and nuclear
matter.Comment: 10 pages including 2 figure
Generalized seniority scheme in light Sn isotopes
The yrast generalized seniority states are compared with the corresponding
shell model states for the case of the Sn isotopes Sn. For most of
the cases the energies agree within 100 keV and the overlaps of the wave
functions are greater than 0.7.Comment: 8 pages, revtex. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Q-Value for the Fermi Beta-Decay of 46V
By comparing the Q-values for the 46Ti(3He,t)46V and 47Ti(3He,t)47}V
reactions to the isobaric analog states the Q-value for the superallowed
Fermi-decay of 46V has been determined as Q_{EC}(46V)=(7052.11+/-0.27) keV. The
result is compatible with the values from two recent direct mass measurements
but is at variance with the previously most precise reaction Q-value. As
additional input quantity we have determined the neutron separation energy
S_n(47Ti)=(8880.51+/-0.25) keV
Nuclear Structure based on Correlated Realistic Nucleon-Nucleon Potentials
We present a novel scheme for nuclear structure calculations based on
realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials. The essential ingredient is the explicit
treatment of the dominant interaction-induced correlations by means of the
Unitary Correlation Operator Method (UCOM). Short-range central and tensor
correlations are imprinted into simple, uncorrelated many-body states through a
state-independent unitary transformation. Applying the unitary transformation
to the realistic Hamiltonian leads to a correlated, low-momentum interaction,
well suited for all kinds of many-body models, e.g., Hartree-Fock or
shell-model. We employ the correlated interaction, supplemented by a
phenomenological correction to account for genuine three-body forces, in the
framework of variational calculations with antisymmetrised Gaussian trial
states (Fermionic Molecular Dynamics). Ground state properties of nuclei up to
mass numbers A<~60 are discussed. Binding energies, charge radii, and charge
distributions are in good agreement with experimental data. We perform angular
momentum projections of the intrinsically deformed variational states to
extract rotational spectra.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figure
Examining exotic structure of proton-rich nucleus Al
The longitudinal momentum distribution (P_{//}) of fragments after one-proton
removal from ^{23} Al and reaction cross sections (\sigma_R) for
^{23,24} Al on carbon target at 74A MeV have been measured. The ^{23,24} Al
ions were produced through projectile fragmentation of 135 A MeV ^{28} Si
primary beam using RIPS fragment separator at RIKEN. P_{//} is measured by a
direct time-of-flight (TOF) technique, while \sigma_R is determined using a
transmission method. An enhancement in \sigma_R is observed for ^{23} Al
compared with ^{24} Al. The P_{//} for ^{22} Mg fragments from ^{23} Al breakup
has been obtained for the first time. FWHM of the distributions has been
determined to be 232 \pm 28 MeV/c. The experimental data are discussed by using
Few-Body Glauber model. Analysis of P_{//} demonstrates a dominant d-wave
configuration for the valence proton in ground state of ^{23} Al, indicating
that ^{23} Al is not a proton halo nucleus
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