Pion and Sigma Polarizabilities and Radiative Transitions

Fermilab E781 plans measurements of gamma-Sigma and $\gamma$-pion interactions using a 600 GeV beam of Sigmas and pions, and a virtual photon target. Pion polarizabilities and radiative transitions will be measured in this experiment. The former can test a precise prediction of chiral symmetry; the latter for a_1(1260) ----> pi + gamma is important for understanding the polarizability. The experiment also measures polarizabilities and radiative transitions for Sigma hyperons. The polarizabilities can test predictions of baryon chiral perturbation theory. The radiative transitions to the Sigma*(1385) provide a measure of the magnetic moment of the s-quark. Previous experimental and theoretical results for gamma-pi and gamma-Sigma interactions are given. The E781 experiment is described.Comment: 13 pages text (tex), Tel Aviv U. Preprint TAUP 2204-94, uses Springer-Verlag TEX macro package lecproc.cmm (appended at end of tex file, following \byebye), which requires extracting lecproc.cmm and putting this file in your directory in addition to the tex file (mmcd.tex) before tex processing. lecproc.cmm should be used following instructions and guidelines available from Springer-Verlag. Submitted to the Proceedings of Workshop on Chiral Dynamics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 1994, Eds. A. Bernstein, B. Holstein. Replaced Oct. 4 to add TAUP preprint number. Replaced Oct. 12 to correct Pb target thickness from 1.3% interaction to 0.3

Analysis of risk factors for low bone mineral density in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND/AIM: Several risk factors have been suggested for osteoporosis which frequently occurs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We studied prevalence and risk factors for reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in IBD patients at the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland. METHODS: The BMD was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine and femoral neck in 88 IBD patients (55 with Crohn's disease, 30 with ulcerative colitis, and 3 with indeterminate colitis). Z scores were obtained by comparison with age- and sex-matched normal values, and T scores by comparison with sex-matched healthy young adults. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were defined according to the WHO guidelines. Predictive factors for BMD were analyzed by group comparison and stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: Osteopenia was present in 43% of the patients at the lumbar spine and in 42% of them at the femoral neck. Osteoporosis was present in 14% of the patients at the lumbar spine and in 5% of them at the femoral neck. At the lumbar spine, stepwise regression analysis showed that body mass index, age, number of bowel resections, topic steroids, and azathioprine correlated with the Z scores. Cumulative steroid dose, topic steroids, age and bowel resection were found to be predictors for a pathological T score. At the femoral neck, regression analysis showed that body mass index, age, topic steroids, and azathioprine correlated with the Z scores. Only a low body mass index was a significant predictor for pathological femoral T scores. CONCLUSIONS: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are commonly found in IBD patients. Steroid treatment and bowel resection were significant risk factors for osteoporosis of the lumbar spine. However, disease-inherent factors also appear to confer a major risk, indicating that the BMD should be determined in all IBD patients, irrespective of steroid treatment

Evolution du traitement de l'infarctus du myocarde en Suisse de 1986 a 1990: les resultats d'une etude de population. [Developments in the treatment of myocardial infarction in Switzerland 1986-1990: results of a population survey]

The Swiss cantons of Vaud and Fribourg participate in the international MONICA project (MONI-toring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease). Within this context, drug therapies and procedures were recorded during two separate years (1986 and 1990) for all hospitalizations of men aged 25 to 64 with the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The medical files were reviewed to classify this diagnosis as possible or definite on the basis of the symptoms, the ECG results and the enzymatic tests. The two study populations (n = 318 in 1986 and n = 332 in 1990) are comparable with respect to age, history of ischemic heart disease and initial care. In 1990, half of the patients arrived at hospital in less than 3 hours, the median time delay being 4 hours for those first attending a general practitioner and 2 hours for those transferred directly. The frequency of treatments between 1986 and 1990 is compared only for cases with a definite diagnosis of myocardial infarction (respectively n = 217 and n = 223). The proportion of patients given thrombolytic therapy rose from 9% to 44% (p < 0.005) and from 51% to 95% (p < 0.005) for those treated with antiplatelet drugs, whereas the proportion fell from 72% to 55% (p < 0.005) for calcium blockers and from 33% to 24% (p < 0.05) for inotropic drugs. The use of anticoagulants (in 98% of patients) and of beta blockers (in 57%) remained stable across time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS