214 research outputs found
Efficient production of solid dispersions by spray drying solutions of high solid content using a 3-fluid nozzle
To evaluate the feasibility of producing solid dispersions with 3-fluid nozzle spray drying to improve the dissolution behavior of lipophilic drugs, 60 experiments were performed based on a Design of Experiment. Solid dispersions with mannitol as a hydrophilic matrix and diazepam as a model drug with a drug load of 20 wt-% were produced. The variables of the experiments were the water/organic solvent ratio, liquid feed flow, total solid content, atomizing airflow and type of organic solvent (ethanol or ethyl acetate). The responses measured were dissolution rate, yield, actual drug load, particle size and crystallinity of diazepam and mannitol. Increasing water/organic solvent ratio was found to be the main factor for enhancing the dissolution rate. The total solid content of the solutions to be spray dried did not affect any of the responses, which means that processing solutions of high concentrations is possible. The choice of organic solvent did not affect the responses as well, i.e. both the fully water miscible solvent ethanol and the poorly water miscible solvent ethyl acetate could be used which makes this production method highly versatile
The Higgs Mass as the Discriminator of Electroweak Models
In the Minimal Supersymmetric Model (MSSM) and the Next to Minimal
Supersymmetric Model [(M+1)SSM], an upper bound on the lightest higgs mass can
be calculated. On the other hand, vacuum stability implies a lower limit on the
mass of the higgs boson in the Standard Model (SM). We find that a gap exists
for GeV between the SM and both the MSSM and the
(M+1)SSM bounds. Thus, if the new top quark mass measurement by CDF remains
valid, a first measurement of the higgs mass will serve to exclude either the
SM or the MSSM/(M+1)SSM higgs sectors. In addition, we discuss Supersymmetric
Grand Unified Theories, other extentions of the SM, the discovery potential of
the lightest higgs, and the assumptions on which our conclusions are based.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, VAND-TH-94-1
Higgs Mass Bounds Separate Models of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
Vacuum stability implies a lower limit on the mass of the higgs boson in the
Standard Model (SM). In contrast, an upper limit on the lightest higgs mass can
be calculated in supersymmetric (susy) models. The main uncertainty in each
limit is the value of the top mass, which may now be fixed by the recent CDF
result. We study the possibility that these bounds do not overlap, and find
that (i) a mass gap emerges at GeV between the SM and the Minimal
Susy Standard Model (MSSM); and between the SM and the Minimal plus Singlet
Susy Model [(M+1)SSM] if the independent scalar self--coupling of the latter is
perturbatively small or if the parameter is large; this gap widens
with increasing ; (ii) there is no overlap between the SM and the MSSM
bounds at even smaller values of for the value (--2)
preferred in Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories. Thus, if the new top mass
measurement remains valid, a measurement of the first higgs mass will serve to
exclude either the SM or MSSM/(M+1)SSM higgs sectors. In addition, we discuss
the upper bound on the lightest higgs mass in susy models with an extended
higgs sector, and in models with a strongly interacting higgs sector. Finally,
we comment on the discovery potential for the lightest higgses in these models.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, VAND-TH-94-1
Femoroacetabular impingement and classification of the cam deformity: the reference interval in normal hips
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) have a cam deformity, which may be quantified by measuring the alpha angle and anterior offset ratio (AOR). Knowledge of what constitutes a "normal" alpha angle and AOR is limited. We defined the reference intervals of these measurements from normal hips in the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 157 individuals from the general population were reviewed clinically and radiographically. 74 individuals with clinical evidence of hip disease or radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (OA) were excluded, leaving a study group of 83 individuals (mean age 46 (22-69) years, 44 females) with normal hips. The alpha angles and AORs were measured from cross-table lateral radiographs taken in 15 degrees internal rotation. A validation study consisting of a cadaver study and a measurement reliability study was also performed. RESULTS: The mean alpha angle was 48 degrees in men and 47 degrees in women. The mean AOR was 0.19, the same in men and women. Thus, sexes were combined to derive 95% confidence intervals for the population mean alpha angle (46-49 degrees ) and AOR (0.18-0.20). The 95% reference interval for the alpha angle was 32-62 degrees degrees, and for the AOR it was 0.14-0.24. The validation study confirmed that these measurements were resistant to a reasonable degree of variation in positioning and that the repeatability and reproducibility of the measurements was good. INTERPRETATION: These reference intervals indicate that clinically and radiographically normal hips may have alpha angles and AORs that have previously been considered "abnormal". The thresholds provided by this study will aid classification of individuals involved in longitudinal studies of FAI and OA, and may be of use to the practicing clinician in evaluating the young adult with hip pain
Murchison Widefield Array limits on radio emission from Antares neutrino events
We present a search, using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), for electromagnetic (EM) counterparts to two candidate high-energy neutrino events detected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope in 2013 November and 2014 March. These events were selected by ANTARES because they are consistent, within 0°.4, with the locations of galaxies within 20 Mpc of Earth. Using MWA archival data at frequencies between 118 and 182 MHz, taken ~20 days prior to, at the same time as, and up to a year after the neutrino triggers, we look for transient or strongly variable radio sources that are consistent with the neutrino positions. No such counterparts are detected, and we set a 5s upper limit for low-frequency radio emission of ~1037 erg s-1 for progenitors at 20 Mpc. If the neutrino sources are instead not in nearby galaxies, but originate in binary neutron star coalescences, our limits place the progenitors at z 0.2. While it is possible, due to the high background from atmospheric neutrinos, that neither event is astrophysical, the MWA observations are nevertheless among the first to follow up neutrino candidates in the radio, and illustrate the promise of wide-field instruments like MWA for detecting EM counterparts to such events
An Ontological Approach to Inform HMI Designs for Minimizing Driver Distractions with ADAS
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are in-vehicle systems designed to enhance driving
safety and efficiency as well as comfort for drivers in the driving process. Recent studies have
noticed that when Human Machine Interface (HMI) is not designed properly, an ADAS can cause
distraction which would affect its usage and even lead to safety issues. Current understanding of
these issues is limited to the context-dependent nature of such systems. This paper reports the
development of a holistic conceptualisation of how drivers interact with ADAS and how such
interaction could lead to potential distraction. This is done taking an ontological approach to
contextualise the potential distraction, driving tasks and user interactions centred on the use of
ADAS. Example scenarios are also given to demonstrate how the developed ontology can be used
to deduce rules for identifying distraction from ADAS and informing future designs
A Combined Fit of the Diffuse Neutrino Spectrum using IceCube Muon Tracks and Cascades
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory first observed a diffuse flux of high energy astrophysical neutrinos in 2013. Since then, this observation has been confirmed in multiple detection channels such as high energy starting events, cascades, and through-going muon tracks. Combining these event selections into a high statistics global fit of 10 years of IceCube’s neutrino data could strongly improve the understanding of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux: challenging or confirming the simple unbroken power-law flux model as well as the astrophysical neutrino flux composition. One key component of such a combined analysis is the consistent modelling of systematic uncertainties of different event selections. This can be achieved using the novel SnowStorm Monte Carlo method which allows constraints to be placed on multiple systematic parameters from a single simulation set. We will report on the status of a new combined analysis of through-going muon tracks and cascades. It is based on a consistent all flavor neutrino signal and background simulation using, for the first time, the SnowStorm method to analyze IceCube’s high-energy neutrino data. Estimated sensitivities for the energy spectrum of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux will be shown
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