2,008 research outputs found
Lung function profiles and aerobic capacity of adult cigarette and hookah smokers after 12 weeks intermittent training
Introduction: Pulmonary function is compromised in most smokers. Yet it is unknown whether exercise training improves pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in cigarette and hookah smokers and whether these smokers respond in a similar way as do non-smokers.Aim: To evaluate the effects of an interval exercise training program on pulmonary function and aerobic capacity in cigarette and hookah smokers.Methods: Twelve cigarette smokers, 10 hookah smokers, and 11 non-smokers participated in our exercise program. All subjects performed 30 min of interval exercise (2 min of work followed by 1 min of rest) three times a week for 12 weeks at an intensity estimated at 70% of the subject’s maximum aerobic capacity (VO2max). Pulmonary function was measured using spirometry, and maximum aerobic capacity was assessed by maximal exercise testing on a treadmill before the beginning and at the end of the exercise training program.Results: As expected, prior to the exercise intervention, the cigarette and hookah smokers had significantly lower pulmonary function than the non-smokers. The 12-week exercise training program did not significantly affect lung function as assessed by spirometry in the non-smoker group. However, it significantly increased both forced expiratory volume in 1 second and peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the cigarette smoker group, and PEF in the hookah smoker group. Our training program had its most notable impact on the cardiopulmonary system of smokers. In the non-smoker and cigarette smoker groups, the training program significantly improved VO2max (4.4 and 4.7%, respectively), v VO2max (6.7 and 5.6%, respectively), and the recovery index (7.9 and 10.5%, respectively).Conclusions: After 12 weeks of interval training program, the increase of VO2max and the decrease of recovery index and resting heart rate in the smoking subjects indicated better exercise tolerance. Although the intermittent training program altered pulmonary function only partially, both aerobic capacity and life quality were improved. Intermittent training should be advised in the clinical setting for subjects with adverse health behaviors.Keywords: cigarette smokers; hookah smokers; pulmonary function; aerobic capacity; interval trainin
Use of environmental isotopes to assess the sustainability of intensively exploited aquifer systems (2012‐2015)
Intensive exploitation of groundwater over longer period has led, in many important aquifers, to marked lowering of water tables, increasing exploitation costs, and often, to a progressive deterioration of water quality. Concentrated pumping may also alter flow patterns permanently with the risk of migration of pollutants into aquifers from the surrounding aquifers or surface water bodies due to lack of physical protection to prevent them. Isotope hydrology tools have proven to be very useful in assessing groundwater hydrology, addressing aspects related to recharge processes, delineation of flow patterns, water quality issues and interactions with other water bodies; this unique information can be further used to evaluate long term aquifer sustainability. The objective of the Coordinated Research Project F33019 is to develop and review approaches and methodologies, mostly based on the combined use of conventional hydrogeological techniques and environmental isotopes, to assess the response of groundwater systems to intensive exploitation and groundwater availability. Access to new dating tools and approaches for groundwater dating covering different time scales offers the possibility to evaluate changes in groundwater dynamics and flow patterns, providing key data to predict the evolution of aquifers and their sustainability as major sources of water. The CRP aims to assess the performance of these new tools and approaches and the possible adoption of these methods by water management experts
Search for CP Violation in D Meson Decays to phi pi+
We search for CP violation in Cabibbo-suppressed charged D meson decays by
measuring the difference between the CP violating asymmetries for the
Cabibbo-suppressed decays D+ -> K+K-pi+ and the Cabibbo-favored decays Ds ->
K+K-pi+ in the K+K- mass region of the phi resonance. Using 955/fb of data
collected with the Belle detector we obtain A_CP(D+ -> phi pi+) = (+0.51 +-
0.28 +- 0.05)%. The measurement improves the sensitivity of previous searches
by more than a factor of five. We find no evidence for direct CP violation.Comment: submitted to PR
Observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- using e+e- collisions and a determination of the Bs-Bsbar width difference \Delta\Gamma_s
We have made the first observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- decays using 23.6 fb-1
of data recorded by the Belle experiment running on the Upsilon(5S) resonance.
The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^0_s\ra D^+_s D^-_s) =
(1.0\,^{+0.4}_{-0.3}\,^{+0.3}_{-0.2})%, B(B^0_s\ra D^{*\pm}_s D^{\mp}_s) =
(2.8\,^{+0.8}_{-0.7}\,\pm 0.7)%, and B(B^0_s\ra D^{*+}_s D^{*-}_s) =
(3.1\,^{+1.2}_{-1.0}\,\pm 0.8)%; the sum is B(B^0_s\ra D^{(*)+}_s D^{(*)-}_s) =
(6.9\,^{+1.5}_{-1.3}\,\pm 1.9)%. Assuming Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- saturates decays to
CP-even final states, the branching fraction determines the ratio
\Delta\Gamma_s/cos(\phi), where \Delta\Gamma_s is the difference in widths
between the two Bs-Bsbar mass eigenstates, and \phi is a CP-violating weak
phase. Taking CP violation to be negligibly small, we obtain
\Delta\Gamma_s/\Gamma_s =
0.147^{+0.036}_{-0.030}(stat.)^{+0.044}_{-0.042}(syst.), where \Gamma_s is the
mean decay width.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables. v2: text added for clarification,
version published in Phys. Rev. Letter
Measurements of time-dependent CP asymmetries in decays using a partial reconstruction technique
We report results on time-dependent CP asymmetries in decays based on a data sample containing 657 {\times}
pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB
asymmetric-energy collider at the resonance. We use a
partial reconstruction technique, wherein signal
events are identified using information only from the fast pion from the B
decay and the slow pion from the subsequent decay of the , where the
former (latter) corresponds to final states. We obtain CP
violation parameters and .Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physical Review D (RC
Observation of Mixing in Collisions
We observe mixing in the decay
using a data sample of integrated luminosity 976 fb collected with the
Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider. We measure the
mixing parameters and and the ratio of doubly Cabibbo-suppressed to
Cabibbo-favored decay rates , where the
uncertainties are statistical and systematic combined. Our measurement excludes
the no-mixing hypothesis at the 5.1 standard deviation level.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Search for leptonic decays of D0 mesons
We search for the flavor-changing neutral current decays D0\to mu+mu- and
D0\to e+e-, and for the lepton-flavor violating decays D0\to e\pm mu\mp using
660 fb^-1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB
asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We find no evidence for any of these decays.
We obtain significantly improved upper limits on the branching fractions:
B(D0\to mu+mu-)<1.4x10-7, B(D0\to e+e-)<7.9x10-8, and B(D0\to e+mu-)+B(D0\to
mu+e-)<2.6x10-7 at 90% confidence level.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Search for a dark vector gauge boson decaying to using decays
We report a search for a dark vector gauge boson that couples to
quarks in the decay chain , . No signal is found and we set a
mass-dependent limit on the baryonic fine structure constant of in the mass range of 290 to 520 MeV/. This analysis is
based on a data sample of 976 fb collected by the Belle experiment at
the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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