426 research outputs found
Delay-dependent exponential stability of neutral stochastic delay systems (vol 54, pg 147, 2009)
In the above titled paper originally published in vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 147-152) of IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, there were some typographical errors in inequalities. Corrections are presented here
Recrystallization textures and microstructures of Al-0.3%Cu alloy after deformation to high strains
Effects of thermomechanical processing on the recrystallization texture and grain size of Al-1%Si sputtering target material
The role of Epstein-Barr virus in adults with bronchiectasis : A prospective cohort study
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is implicated in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We aimed to determine whether EBV correlates with bronchiectasis severity, exacerbations, and progression. We collected induced sputum in healthy controls and spontaneous sputum at 3-6-month intervals and onset of exacerbations in bronchiectasis patients between March 2017 and October 2018. EBV DNA was detected with quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We collected 442 sputum samples from 108 bronchiectasis patients and 50 induced sputum samples from 50 healthy controls. When stable, bronchiectasis patients yielded higher detection rates of EBV DNA (48.1% vs 20.0%; P =.001), but not viral loads (mean log load, 4.45 vs 4.76; P =.266), compared with controls; 64.9% of patients yielded consistent detection status between 2 consecutive stable visits. Neither detection rate (40.8% vs 48.1%; P =.393) nor load (mean log load, 4.34 vs 4.45; P =.580) differed between the onset of exacerbations and stable visits, nor between exacerbations and convalescence. Neither detection status nor viral loads correlated with bronchiectasis severity. EBV loads correlated negatively with sputum interleukin-1β (P =.002), CXC motif chemokine-8 (P =.008), and tumor necrosis factor-α levels (P =.005). Patients initially detected with, or repeatedly detected with, EBV DNA had significantly faster lung function decline and shorter time to next exacerbations (both P .05). The EBV strains detected in bronchiectasis patients were phylogenetically homologous. Patients with detection of EBV DNA have a shorter time to bronchiectasis exacerbations. EBV may contribute to bronchiectasis progression
Dual deficiency of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 and Mas receptor enhances angiotensin II-induced hypertension and hypertensive nephropathy
Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) and Mas receptor are the major components of the ACE2/Ang 1-7/Mas axis and have been shown to play a protective role in hypertension and hypertensive nephropathy individually. However, the effects of dual deficiency of ACE2 and Mas (ACE2/Mas) on Ang II-induced hypertensive nephropathy remain unexplored, which was investigated in this study in a mouse model of hypertension induced in either ACE2 knockout (KO) or Mas KO mice and in double ACE2/Mas KO mice by subcutaneously chronic infusion of Ang II. Compared with wild-type (WT) animals, mice lacking either ACE2 or Mas significantly increased blood pressure over 7-28 days following a chronic Ang II infusion (P < .001), which was further exacerbated in double ACE2/Mas KO mice (P < .001). Furthermore, compared to a single ACE2 or Mas KO mice, mice lacking ACE2/Mas developed more severe renal injury including higher levels of serum creatinine and a further reduction in creatinine clearance, and progressive renal inflammation and fibrosis. Mechanistically, worsen hypertensive nephropathy in double ACE2/Mas KO mice was associated with markedly enhanced AT1-ERK1/2-Smad3 and NF-κB signalling, thereby promoting renal fibrosis and renal inflammation in the hypertensive kidney. In conclusion, ACE2 and Mas play an additive protective role in Ang II-induced hypertension and hypertensive nephropathy. Thus, restoring the ACE2/Ang1-7/Mas axis may represent a novel therapy for hypertension and hypertensive nephropathy
The energy spectrum of all-particle cosmic rays around the knee region observed with the Tibet-III air-shower array
We have already reported the first result on the all-particle spectrum around
the knee region based on data from 2000 November to 2001 October observed by
the Tibet-III air-shower array. In this paper, we present an updated result
using data set collected in the period from 2000 November through 2004 October
in a wide range over 3 decades between eV and eV, in which
the position of the knee is clearly seen at around 4 PeV. The spectral index is
-2.68 0.02(stat.) below 1PeV, while it is -3.12 0.01(stat.) above 4
PeV in the case of QGSJET+HD model, and various systematic errors are under
study now.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Advances in space researc
Search for the Rare Decay KL --> pi0 ee
The KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab has searched for the rare kaon decay
KL--> pi0ee. This mode is expected to have a significant CP violating
component. The measurement of its branching ratio could support the Standard
Model or could indicate the existence of new physics. This letter reports new
results from the 1999-2000 data set. One event is observed with an expected
background at 0.99 +/- 0.35 events. We set a limit on the branching ratio of
3.5 x 10^(-10) at the 90% confidence level. Combining the results with the
dataset taken in 1997 yields the final KTeV result: BR(KL --> pi0 ee) < 2.8 x
10^(-10) at 90% CL.Comment: 4 pages, three figure
Moon Shadow by Cosmic Rays under the Influence of Geomagnetic Field and Search for Antiprotons at Multi-TeV Energies
We have observed the shadowing of galactic cosmic ray flux in the direction
of the moon, the so-called moon shadow, using the Tibet-III air shower array
operating at Yangbajing (4300 m a.s.l.) in Tibet since 1999. Almost all cosmic
rays are positively charged; for that reason, they are bent by the geomagnetic
field, thereby shifting the moon shadow westward. The cosmic rays will also
produce an additional shadow in the eastward direction of the moon if cosmic
rays contain negatively charged particles, such as antiprotons, with some
fraction. We selected 1.5 x10^{10} air shower events with energy beyond about 3
TeV from the dataset observed by the Tibet-III air shower array and detected
the moon shadow at level. The center of the moon was detected
in the direction away from the apparent center of the moon by 0.23 to
the west. Based on these data and a full Monte Carlo simulation, we searched
for the existence of the shadow produced by antiprotons at the multi-TeV energy
region. No evidence of the existence of antiprotons was found in this energy
region. We obtained the 90% confidence level upper limit of the flux ratio of
antiprotons to protons as 7% at multi-TeV energies.Comment: 13pages,4figures; Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic
High Altitude test of RPCs for the ARGO-YBJ experiment
A 50 m**2 RPC carpet was operated at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Laboratory
(Tibet) located 4300 m a.s.l. The performance of RPCs in detecting Extensive
Air Showers was studied. Efficiency and time resolution measurements at the
pressure and temperature conditions typical of high mountain laboratories, are
reported.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. Met
Partial Wave Analysis of
BES data on are presented. The
contribution peaks strongly near threshold. It is fitted with a
broad resonance with mass MeV, width MeV. A broad resonance peaking at 2020 MeV is also required
with width MeV. There is further evidence for a component
peaking at 2.55 GeV. The non- contribution is close to phase
space; it peaks at 2.6 GeV and is very different from .Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, Submitted to PL
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