723 research outputs found
Proper Motions of PSRs B1757-24 and B1951+32: Implications for Ages and Associations
Over the last decade, considerable effort has been made to measure the proper
motions of the pulsars B1757-24 and B1951+32 in order to establish or refute
associations with nearby supernova remnants and to understand better the
complicated geometries of their surrounding nebulae. We present proper motion
measurements of both pulsars with the Very Large Array, increasing the time
baselines of the measurements from 3.9 yr to 6.5 yr and from 12.0 yr to 14.5
yr, respectively, compared to previous observations. We confirm the
non-detection of proper motion of PSR B1757-24, and our measurement of (mu_a,
mu_d) = (-11 +/- 9, -1 +/- 15) mas yr^{-1} confirms that the association of PSR
B1757-24 with SNR G5.4-1.2 is unlikely for the pulsar characteristic age of
15.5 kyr, although an association can not be excluded for a significantly
larger age. For PSR B1951+32, we measure a proper motion of (mu_a, mu_d) =
(-28.8 +/- 0.9, -14.7 +/- 0.9) mas yr^{-1}, reducing the uncertainty in the
proper motion by a factor of two compared to previous results. After correcting
to the local standard of rest, the proper motion indicates a kinetic age of ~51
kyr for the pulsar, assuming it was born near the geometric center of the
supernova remnant. The radio-bright arc of emission along the pulsar proper
motion vector shows time-variable structure, but moves with the pulsar at an
approximately constant separation ~2.5", lending weight to its interpretation
as a shock structure driven by the pulsar.Comment: LaTeX file uses emulateapj.cls; 7 pages, 4 figures, to be published
ApJ February 10, 2008, v674 p271-278. Revision reflects journal formatting;
there are no substantial revision
Symptoms in pediatric asthmatics and air pollution: differences in effects by symptom severity, anti-inflammatory medication use and particulate averaging time.
Experimental research in humans and animals points to the importance of adverse respiratory effects from short-term particle exposures and to the importance of proinflammatory effects of air pollutants, particularly O(subscript)3. However, particle averaging time has not been subjected to direct scientific evaluation, and there is a lack of epidemiological research examining both this issue and whether modification of air pollutant effects occurs with differences in asthma severity and anti-inflammatory medication use. The present study examined the relationship of adverse asthma symptoms (bothersome or interfered with daily activities or sleep) to O(3) and particles (less than or equal to)10 micrometer (PM10) in a Southern California community in the air inversion zone (1200-2100 ft) with high O(3) and low PM (R = 0.3). A panel of 25 asthmatics 9-17 years of age were followed daily, August through October 1995 (n = 1,759 person-days excluding one subject without symptoms). Exposures included stationary outdoor hourly PM10 (highest 24-hr mean, 54 microgram/m(3), versus median of 1-hr maximums, 56 microgram/m(3) and O(3) (mean of 1-hr maximums, 90 ppb, 5 days (greater than or equal to)120 ppb). Longitudinal regression analyses utilized the generalized estimating equations (GEE) model controlling for autocorrelation, day of week, outdoor fungi, and weather. Asthma symptoms were significantly associated with both outdoor O(3) and PM(10) in single pollutant- and co-regressions, with 1-hr and 8-hr maximum PM(10) having larger effects than the 24-hr mean. Subgroup analyses showed effects of current day PM(10) maximums were strongest in 10 more frequently symptomatic (MS) children: the odds ratios (ORs) for adverse symptoms from 90th percentile increases were 2.24 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.46-3.46] for 1-hr PM10 (47 microgram/m(3); 1.82 (CI, 1.18-2.81) for 8-hr PM10 (36 microgram/m(3); and 1.50 (CI, 0.80-2.80) for 24-hr PM10 (25 microgram/m(3). Subgroup analyses also showed the effect of current day O(subscript)3 was strongest in 14 less frequently symptomatic (LS) children: the ORs were 2.15 (CI, 1.04-4.44) for 1-hr O(3) (58 ppb) and 1.92 (CI, 0.97-3.80) for 8-hr O(3) (46 ppb). Effects of 24-hr PM10 were seen in both groups, particularly with 5-day moving averages (ORs were 1.95 for MS and 4. 03 for LS; p(less than or equal to)0.05). The largest effects were in 7 LS children not on anti-inflammatory medications [5-day, 8-hr PM10, 9.66 (CI, 2.80-33.21); current day, 1-hr O(3), 4.14 (CI, 1.71-11.85)]. Results suggest that examination of short-term particle excursions, medication use, and symptom severity in longitudinal studies of asthma yields sensitive measures of adverse respiratory effects of air pollution
The pediatric asthma yardstick: Practical recommendations for a sustained step-up in asthma therapy for children with inadequately controlled asthma
The effect of outdoor fungal spore concentrations on daily asthma severity.
The relationship between day-to-day changes in asthma severity and combined exposures to community air pollutants and aeroallergens remains to be clearly defined. We examined the effects of outdoor air pollutants, fungi, and pollen on asthma. Twenty-two asthmatics ages 9-46 years were followed for 8 weeks (9 May-3 July 1994) in a semirural Southern California community around the air inversion base elevation (1,200 ft). Daily diary responses included asthma symptom severity (6 levels), morning and evening peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR), and as-needed beta-agonist inhaler use. Exposures included 24-hr outdoor concentrations of fungi, pollen, and particulate matter with a diameter < 10 microns (PM10; maximum = 51 micrograms/m3) and 12-hour day-time personal ozone (O3) measurements (90th percentile = 38 ppb). Random effects longitudinal regression models controlled for autocorrelation and weather. Higher temperatures were strongly protective, probably due to air conditioning use and diminished indoor allergens during hot, dry periods. Controlling for weather, total fungal spore concentrations were associated with all outcomes: per minimum to 90th percentile increase of nearly 4,000 spores/m3, asthma symptom scores increased 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16-0.56), inhaler use increased 0.33 puffs (95% CI, -0.02-0.69), and evening PEFR decreased 12.1 l/min (95% CI, -1.8-22.3). These associations were greatly enhanced by examining certain fungal types (e.g., Alternaria, basidiospores, and hyphal fragments) and stratifying on 16 asthmatics allergic to tested deuteromycete fungi. There were no significant associations to low levels of pollen or O3, but inhaler use was associated with PM10 (0.15 inhaler puffs/10 micrograms/m3; p < 0.02). These findings suggest that exposure to fungal spores can adversely effect the daily respiratory status of some asthmatics
Ground state cooling, quantum state engineering and study of decoherence of ions in Paul traps
We investigate single ions of in Paul traps for quantum
information processing. Superpositions of the S electronic ground state
and the metastable D state are used to implement a qubit. Laser light
on the S D transition is used for the
manipulation of the ion's quantum state. We apply sideband cooling to the ion
and reach the ground state of vibration with up to 99.9% probability. Starting
from this Fock state , we demonstrate coherent quantum state
manipulation. A large number of Rabi oscillations and a ms-coherence time is
observed. Motional heating is measured to be as low as one vibrational quantum
in 190 ms. We also report on ground state cooling of two ions.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. submitted to Journal of Modern Optics, Special
Issue on Quantum Optics: Kuehtai 200
Ultrafast electronic and lattice dynamics in laser-excited crystalline bismuth
Femtosecond spectroscopy is applied to study transient electronic and lattice
processes in bismuth. Components with relaxation times of 1 ps, 7 ps and ~ 1 ns
are detected in the photoinduced reflectivity response of the crystal. To
facilitate the assignment of the observed relaxation to the decay of particular
excited electronic states we use pump pulses with central wavelengths ranging
from 400 nm to 2.3 mum. Additionally, we examine the variation of parameters of
coherent A1g phonons upon the change of excitation and probing conditions. Data
analysis reveals a significant wavevector dependence of electron-hole and
electron- phonon coupling strength along \Gamma--T direction of the Brillouin
zone.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure
Calculations of the A_1 phonon frequency in photoexcited Tellurium
Calculations of the A_1 phonon frequency in photoexcited tellurium are
presented. The phonon frequency as a function of photoexcited carrier density
and phonon amplitude is determined. Recent pump probe experiments are
interpreted in the light of these calculatons. It is proposed that, in
conjunction with measurements of the phonon period in ultra-fast pump-probe
reflectivity experiments, the calculated frequency shifts can be used to infer
the evolution of the density of photoexcited carriers on a sub-picosecond
time-scale.Comment: 15 pages Latex, 3 postscript figure
Physical properties of misfit-layered (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O system: Effect of hole doping into triangular lattice formed by low-spin Co ions
Pb-doping effect on physical properties of misfit-layered (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O
system, in which Co ions form a two-dimensional triangular lattice, was
investigated in detail by electronic transport, magnetization and specific-heat
measurements. Pb doping enhances the metallic behavior, suggesting that
carriers are doped. Pb doping also enhances the magnetic correlation in this
system and increases the magnetic transition temperature. We found the
existence of the short-range magnetic correlation far above the transition
temperature, which seems to induce the spin-glass state coexisting with the
ferromagnetic long-range order at low temperatures. Specific-heat measurement
suggests that the effective mass of the carrier in (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O is not
enhanced so much as reported in NaCoO. Based on these experimental
results, we propose a two-bands model which consists of narrow and
rather broad bands. The observed magnetic property and
magnetotransport phenomena are explained well by this model
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Assessment of asthma control and asthma exacerbations in the epidemiology and natural history of asthma: outcomes and treatment regimens (TENOR) observational cohort
Patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma account for substantial asthma morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden despite comprising only a small proportion of the total asthma population. TENOR, a multicenter, observational, prospective cohort study was initiated in 2001. It enrolled 4,756 adults, adolescents and children with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma who were followed semi-annually and annually for three years, enabling insight to be gained into this understudied population. A broad range of demographic, clinical, and patient self-reported assessments were completed during the follow-up period. Here, we present key findings from the TENOR registry in relation to asthma control and exacerbations, including the identification of specific subgroups found to be at particularly high-risk. Identification of the factors and subgroups associated with poor asthma control and increased risk of exacerbations can help physicians design individual asthma management, and improve asthma-related health outcomes for these patients
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