603 research outputs found
A purely geometric distance to the binary star Atlas, a member of the Pleiades
We present radial velocity and new interferometric measurements of the double
star Atlas, which permit, with the addition of published interferometric data,
to precisely derive the orbital parameters of the binary system and the masses
of the components. The derived semi-major axis, compared with its measured
angular size, allows to determine a distance to Atlas of 132+-4 pc in a purely
geometrical way. Under the assumption that the location of Atlas is
representative of the average distance of the cluster, we confirm the distance
value generally obtained through main sequence fitting, in contradiction with
the early Hipparcos result (118.3+-3.5 pc).Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letter
QTc interval and resting heart rate as long-term predictors of mortality in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 23-year follow-up
Aims/hypothesis: We evaluated the association of QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) and resting heart rate (rHR) with mortality (all-causes, cardiovascular, cardiac, and ischaemic heart disease) in subjects with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Methods: We followed 523 diabetic patients (221 with type 1 diabetes, 302 with type 2 diabetes) who were recruited between 1974 and 1977 in Switzerland for the WHO Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes. Duration of follow-up was 22.6â±â0.6years. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates, hospital records, post-mortem reports, and additional information given by treating physicians. Results: In subjects with type 1 diabetes QTc, but not rHR, was associated with an increased risk of: (1) all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10 per 10ms increase in QTc, 95% CI 1.02-1.20, pâ=â0.011); (2) mortality due to cardiovascular (HR 1.15, 1.02-1.31, pâ=â0.024); and (3) mortality due to cardiac disease (HR 1.19, 1.03-1.36, pâ=â0.016). Findings for subjects with type 2 diabetes were different: rHR, but not QTc was associated with mortality due to: (1) all causes (HR 1.31 per 10 beats per min, 95% CI 1.15-1.50, pâ<â0.001); (2) cardiovascular disease (HR 1.43, 1.18-1.73, pâ<â0.001); (3) cardiac disease (HR 1.45, 1.19-1.76, pâ<â0.001); and (4) ischaemic heart disease (HR 1.52, 1.21-1.90, pâ<â0.001). Effect modification of QTc by type 1 and rHR by type 2 diabetes was statistically significant (pâ<â0.05 for all terms of interaction). Conclusions/interpretation: QTc is associated with long-term mortality in subjects with type 1 diabetes, whereas rHR is related to increased mortality risk in subjects with type 2 diabete
A prospective observational study comparing a non-operator dependent automatic PWV analyser to pulse pressure, in assessing arterial stiffness in hemodialysis.
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) accelerates vascular stiffening related to age. Arterial stiffness may be evaluated measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) or more simply, as recommended by KDOQI, monitoring pulse pressure (PP). Both correlate to survival and incidence of cardiovascular disease. PWV can also be estimated on the brachial artery using a Mobil-O-Graph; a non-operator dependent automatic device. The aim was to analyse whether, in a dialysis population, PWV obtained by Mobil-O-Graph (MogPWV) is more sensitive for vascular aging than PP.
METHODS: A cohort of 143 patients from 4 dialysis units has been followed measuring MogPWV and PP every 3 to 6 months and compared to a control group with the same risk factors but an eGFR > 30 ml/min.
RESULTS: MogPWV contrarily to PP did discriminate the dialysis population from the control group. The mean difference translated in age between the two populations was 8.4 years. The increase in MogPWV, as a function of age, was more rapid in the dialysis group. 13.3% of the dialysis patients but only 3.0% of the control group were outliers for MogPWV. The mortality rate (16 out of 143) was similar in outliers and inliers (7.4 and 8.0%/year). Stratifying patients according to MogPWV, a significant difference in survival was seen. A high parathormone (PTH) and to be dialysed for a hypertensive nephropathy were associated to a higher baseline MogPWV.
CONCLUSIONS: Assessing PWV on the brachial artery using a Mobil-O-Graph is a valid and simple alternative, which, in the dialysis population, is more sensitive for vascular aging than PP. As demonstrated in previous studies PWV correlates to mortality. Among specific CKD risk factors only PTH is associated with a higher baseline PWV.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02327962
Measurement of excited states in 40Si and evidence for weakening of the N=28 shell gap
Excited states in 40Si have been established by detecting gamma-rays
coincident with inelastic scattering and nucleon removal reactions on a liquid
hydrogen target. The low excitation energy, 986(5) keV, of the 2+[1] state
provides evidence of a weakening in the N=28 shell closure in a neutron-rich
nucleus devoid of deformation-driving proton collectivity.Comment: accepted for publication in PR
Z=50 shell gap near Sn from intermediate-energy Coulomb excitations in even-mass Sn isotopes
Rare isotope beams of neutron-deficient Sn nuclei from the
fragmentation of Xe were employed in an intermediate-energy Coulomb
excitation experiment yielding transition strengths.
The results indicate that these values are much larger
than predicted by current state-of-the-art shell model calculations. This
discrepancy can be explained if protons from within the Z = 50 shell are
contributing to the structure of low-energy excited states in this region. Such
contributions imply a breaking of the doubly-magic Sn core in the light
Sn isotopes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
DNA methylation plays a crucial role during early <i>Nasonia</i> development
Although the role of DNA methylation in insect development is still poorly understood, the number and role of DNA methyltransferases in insects vary strongly between species. DNA methylation appears to be widely present among the social hymenoptera and functional studies in Apis have suggested a crucial role for de novo methylation in a wide variety of developmental processes. The sequencing of three parasitoid Nasonia genomes revealed the presence of three Dnmt1 (Dnmt1a, Dnmt1b and Dnmt1c) genes and one Dnmt2 and Dnmt3 gene, suggesting a role of DNA methylation in Nasonia development. In the present study we show that in Nasonia vitripennis all Dnmt1 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and Dnmt3 mRNA are maternally provided to the embryo and, of these, Dnmt1a is essential during early embryogenesis. Lowering of maternal Dnmt1a mRNA results in embryonic lethality during the onset of gastrulation. This dependence on maternal Dnmt1a during embryogenesis in an organismal group outside the vertebrates, suggests evolutionary conservation of the function of Dnmt1 during embryogenesis.</p
Enhanced collectivity in 74Ni
The neutron-rich nucleus 74Ni was studied with inverse-kinematics inelastic
proton scattering using a 74Ni radioactive beam incident on a liquid hydrogen
targetat a center-of-mass energy of 80 MeV. From the measured de-excitation
gamma-rays, the population of the first 2+ state was quantified. The
angle-integrated excitation cross section was determined to be 14(4) mb. A
deformation length of delta = 1.04(16) fm was extracted in comparison with
distorted wave theory, which suggests that the enhancement of collectivity
established for 70Ni continues up to 74Ni. A comparison with results of shell
model and quasi-particle random phase approximation calculations indicates that
the magic character of Z = 28 or N = 50 is weakened in 74Ni
Residential radon - Comparative analysis of exposure models in Switzerland.
Residential radon exposure is a major public health issue in Switzerland due to the known association between inhaled radon progeny and lung cancer. To confirm recent findings of an association with skin cancer mortality, an updated national radon model is needed. The aim of this study was to derive the best possible residential radon prediction model for subsequent epidemiological analyses. Two different radon prediction models were developed (linear regression model vs. random forest) using ca. 80,000 measurements in the Swiss Radon Database (1994-2017). A range of geographic predictors and building specific predictors were considered in the 3-D models (x,y, floor of dwelling). A five-fold modelling strategy was used to evaluate the robustness of each approach, with models developed (80% measurement locations) and validated (20%) using standard diagnostics. Random forest consistently outperformed the linear regression model, with higher Spearman's rank correlation (51% vs. 36%), validation coefficient of determination (R <sup>2</sup> 31% vs. 15%), lower root mean square error (RMSE) and lower fractional bias. Applied to the population of 5.4 million adults in 2000, the random forest resulted in an arithmetic mean (standard deviation) of 75.5 (31.7) Bq/m <sup>3</sup> , and indicated a respective 16.1% and 0.1% adults with predicted radon concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization (100 Bq/m <sup>3</sup> ) and Swiss (300 Bq/m <sup>3</sup> ) reference values
Probing shell structure and shape changes in neutron-rich sulfur isotopes through transient-field g factor measurements on fast radioactive beams of 38S and 40S
The shell structure underlying shape changes in neutron-rich nuclei near N=28
has been investigated by a novel application of the transient field technique
to measure the first-excited state g factors in 38S and 40S produced as fast
radioactive beams. There is a fine balance between proton and neutron
contributions to the magnetic moments in both nuclei. The g factor of deformed
40S does not resemble that of a conventional collective nucleus because spin
contributions are more important than usual.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted in PR
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