1,361 research outputs found
Effects of ultrasound on Transforming Growth Factor-beta genes in bone cells
Therapeutic ultrasound (US) is a widely used form of biophysical stimulation that is increasingly applied to promote fracture healing. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), which is encoded by three related but different genes, is known to play a major part in bone growth and repair. However, the effects of US on the expression of the TGF-beta genes and the physical acoustic mechanisms involved in initiating changes in gene expression in vitro, are not yet known. The present study demonstrates that US had a differential effect on these TGF-beta isoforms in a human osteoblast cell line, with the highest dose eliciting the most pronounced up-regulation of both TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3 at 1 hour after treatment and thereafter declining. In contrast, US had no effect on TGF-beta2 expression. Fluid streaming rather than thermal effects or cavitation was found to be the most likely explanation for the gene responses observed in vitro
NC pi0 Production in the MiniBooNE Antineutrino Data
The single largest background to future numubar to nuebar (numu to nue)
oscillation searches is neutral current pi0 production. MiniBooNE, which began
taking antineutrino data in January 2006, has the world's largest sample of
pi0's produced by antineutrinos in the 1 GeV energy range. These neutral pions
are primarily produced through the delta resonance but can also be created
through "coherent production." The latter process is the coherent sum of
glancing scatters of (anti)neutrinos off a neutron or proton, in which the
nucleus is kept intact but a pi0 is created. Current analysis of NC pi0
production in the MiniBooNE antineutrino data will be discussed.Comment: 4 pages, including 5 figures. Proceedings of the 5th International
Workshop on Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions in the Few-GeV Region (NuInt07),
Batavia, Illinois, 30 May - 3 Jun 200
Developing the Galactic diffuse emission model for the GLAST Large Area Telescope
Diffuse emission is produced in energetic cosmic ray (CR) interactions,
mainly protons and electrons, with the interstellar gas and radiation field and
contains the information about particle spectra in distant regions of the
Galaxy. It may also contain information about exotic processes such as dark
matter annihilation, black hole evaporation etc. A model of the diffuse
emission is important for determination of the source positions and spectra.
Calculation of the Galactic diffuse continuum gamma-ray emission requires a
model for CR propagation as the first step. Such a model is based on theory of
particle transport in the interstellar medium as well as on many kinds of data
provided by different experiments in Astrophysics and Particle and Nuclear
Physics. Such data include: secondary particle and isotopic production cross
sections, total interaction nuclear cross sections and lifetimes of radioactive
species, gas mass calibrations and gas distribution in the Galaxy (H_2, H I, H
II), interstellar radiation field, CR source distribution and particle spectra
at the sources, magnetic field, energy losses, gamma-ray and synchrotron
production mechanisms, and many other issues. We are continuously improving the
GALPROP model and the code to keep up with a flow of new data. Improvement in
any field may affect the Galactic diffuse continuum gamma-ray emission model
used as a background model by the GLAST LAT instrument. Here we report about
the latest improvements of the GALPROP and the diffuse emission model.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures; to appear in the Proc. of the First Int. GLAST
Symp. (Stanford, Feb. 5-8, 2007), eds. S.Ritz, P.F.Michelson, and C.Meegan,
AIP Conf. Pro
DELPHES 3, A modular framework for fast simulation of a generic collider experiment
The version 3.0 of the DELPHES fast-simulation is presented. The goal of
DELPHES is to allow the simulation of a multipurpose detector for
phenomenological studies. The simulation includes a track propagation system
embedded in a magnetic field, electromagnetic and hadron calorimeters, and a
muon identification system. Physics objects that can be used for data analysis
are then reconstructed from the simulated detector response. These include
tracks and calorimeter deposits and high level objects such as isolated
electrons, jets, taus, and missing energy. The new modular approach allows for
greater flexibility in the design of the simulation and reconstruction
sequence. New features such as the particle-flow reconstruction approach,
crucial in the first years of the LHC, and pile-up simulation and mitigation,
which is needed for the simulation of the LHC detectors in the near future,
have also been implemented. The DELPHES framework is not meant to be used for
advanced detector studies, for which more accurate tools are needed. Although
some aspects of DELPHES are hadron collider specific, it is flexible enough to
be adapted to the needs of electron-positron collider experiments.Comment: JHEP 1402 (2014
Coverage of hospital-based cataract surgery and barriers to the uptake of surgery among cataract blind persons in nigeria: the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey.
PURPOSE: To determine cataract surgical coverage, and barriers to modern cataract surgery in Nigeria. METHODS: Multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to identify a nationally representative sample of 15,027 persons aged 40+ years. All underwent visual acuity testing, frequency doubling technology visual field testing, autorefraction, and measurement of best corrected vision if <6/12 in one or both eyes. An ophthalmologist examined the anterior segment and fundus through an undilated pupil for all participants. Participants were examined by a second ophthalmologist using a slit lamp and dilated fundus examination using a 90 diopter condensing lens if vision was <6/12 in one or both eyes, there were optic disc changes suggestive of glaucoma, and 1 in 7 participants regardless of findings. All those who had undergone cataract surgery were asked where and when this had taken place. Individuals who were severely visually impaired or blind from unoperated cataract were asked to explain why they had not undergone surgery. RESULTS: A total of 13,591 participants were examined (response rate 89.9%). Prevalence of cataract surgery was 1.6% (95% confidence interval 1.4-1.8), significantly higher among those aged ≥70 years. Cataract surgical coverage (persons) in Nigeria was 38.3%. Coverage was 1.7 times higher among males than females. Coverage was only 9.1% among women in the South-South geopolitical zone. Over one third of those who were cataract blind said they could not afford surgery (36%). CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgical coverage in Nigeria was among the lowest in the world. Urgent initiatives are necessary to improve surgical output and access to surgery
Demodulation of Spatial Carrier Images: Performance Analysis of Several Algorithms Using a Single Image
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11340-013-9741-6#Optical full-field techniques have a great importance in modern experimental mechanics. Even if they are reasonably spread among the university laboratories, their diffusion in industrial companies remains very narrow for several reasons, especially a lack of metrological performance assessment. A full-field measurement can be characterized by its resolution, bias, measuring range, and by a specific quantity, the spatial resolution. The present paper proposes an original procedure to estimate in one single step the resolution, bias and spatial resolution for a given operator (decoding algorithms such as image correlation, low-pass filters, derivation tools ...). This procedure is based on the construction of a particular multi-frequential field, and a Bode diagram representation of the results. This analysis is applied to various phase demodulating algorithms suited to estimate in-plane displacements.GDR CNRS 2519 “Mesures de Champs et Identification en Mécanique des Solide
Foaming properties of protein/pectin electrostatic complexes and foam structure at the nanoscale
The foaming properties, foaming capacity and foam stability, of soluble
complexes of pectin and a globular protein, napin, have been investigated with
a "Foamscan" apparatus. Complementary, we also used SANS with a recent method
consisting in an analogy between the SANS by foams and the neutron reflectivity
of films to measure in situ film thickness of foams. The effect of ionic
strength, of protein concentration and of charge density of the pectin has been
analysed. Whereas the foam stability is improved for samples containing soluble
complexes, no effect has been noticed on the foam film thickness, which is
almost around 315 {\AA} whatever the samples. These results let us specify the
role of each specie in the mixture: free proteins contribute to the foaming
capacity, provided the initial free protein content in the bulk is sufficient
to allow the foam formation, and soluble complexes slow down the drainage by
their presence in the Plateau borders, which finally results in the
stabilisation of foams
The formation of professional foreign language competence as an integral part of the cultural background of new generation Russian entrepreneurs
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of professional foreign language competence as part of entrepreneurs' cultural background in today's Russia. The article focuses on improving the education of Russian businesspeople through the integration of a professional foreign language course and the disciplines of their university major. The authors examine their own experience in searching for the most effective teaching tools, self-study evaluation tools including. The outcomes gained indicate that the modular interdisciplinary design of suggested training courses may have a positive impact on entrepreneurs' job performance
Coherency in Neutrino-Nucleus Elastic Scattering
Neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering provides a unique laboratory to study the
quantum mechanical coherency effects in electroweak interactions, towards which
several experimental programs are being actively pursued. We report results of
our quantitative studies on the transitions towards decoherency. A parameter
() is identified to describe the degree of coherency, and its
variations with incoming neutrino energy, detector threshold and target nucleus
are studied. The ranges of which can be probed with realistic neutrino
experiments are derived, indicating complementarity between projects with
different sources and targets. Uncertainties in nuclear physics and in
would constrain sensitivities in probing physics beyond the standard model. The
maximum neutrino energies corresponding to >0.95 are derived.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. V2 -- Published Versio
Hydrocarbons in the Suspended Matter and the Bottom Sediments in Different Regions of the Black Sea Russian Sector
Clément Pierre. Description d'un nouvel Aphodius [Col. Scarabaeidae] du Maroc. In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 33 (6),1928. pp. 100-101
- …