This work shows the feasibility of using non-intrusive optical techniques to determine surface changes associated with corrosion processes even when they are very small and to obtain complementary ...information to the conventional electrochemical measurements. These techniques have been applied to the study of iron samples in H
2SO
4 corrosive solutions with different concentrations. Corrosion rate values have been estimated from the polarisation and Tafel curves obtained by linear sweep voltammetry. These measurements have been correlated with the surface changes determined from Digital Speckle Photography. This technique also provides a local 2D information about the evolution of the corrosion process at each surface position.
This paper reports world averages of measurements of
b
-hadron,
c
-hadron, and
τ
-lepton properties obtained by the Heavy Flavour Averaging Group using results available through September 2018. In ...rare cases, significant results obtained several months later are also used. For the averaging, common input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and known correlations are taken into account. The averages include branching fractions, lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters,
C
P
violation parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays, and Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix elements.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Using the latest determinations of several theoretical and experimental parameters, we update the Unitarity Triangle analysis in the Standard Model. The basic experimental constraints come from the ...measurements of |V_ub/V_cb|, Delta M_d, the lower limit on Delta M_s, epsilon_k, and the measurement of the phase of the B_d - anti B_d mixing amplitude through the time-dependent CP asymmetry in B^0 to J/psi K^0 decays. In addition, we consider the direct determination of alpha, gamma, 2 beta + gamma and cos(2 beta) from the measurements of new CP-violating quantities, recently performed at the B factories. We also discuss the opportunities offered by improving the precision of the various physical quantities entering in the determination of the Unitarity Triangle parameters. The results and the plots presented in this paper can also be found at www.utfit.org, where they are continuously updated with the newest experimental and theoretical results.
Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and non-fatal disability in Zambia, especially among children, pregnant women and the poor. Data gathered by the National Malaria Control ...Centre has shown that recently observed widespread treatment failure of SP and chloroquine precipitated a surge in malaria-related morbidity and mortality. As a result, the Government has recently replaced chloroquine and SP with combination therapy as first-line treatment for malaria. Despite the acclaimed therapeutic advantages of ACTs over monotherapies with SP and CQ, the cost of ACTs is much greater, raising concerns about affordability in many poor countries such as Zambia. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness analysis of artemether-lumefantrine, a version of ACTs adopted in Zambia in mid 2004.
Using data gathered from patients presenting at public health facilities with suspected malaria, the costs and effects of using ACTs versus SP as first-line treatment for malaria were estimated. The study was conducted in six district sites. Treatment success and reduction in demand for second line treatment constituted the main effectiveness outcomes. The study gathered data on the efficacy of, and compliance to, AL and SP treatment from a random sample of patients. Costs are based on estimated drug, labour, operational and capital inputs. Drug costs were based on dosages and unit prices provided by the Ministry of Health and the manufacturer (Norvatis).
The results suggest that AL produces successful treatment at less cost than SP, implying that AL is more cost-effective. While it is acknowledged that implementing national ACT program will require considerable resources, the study demonstrates that the health gains (treatment success) from every dollar spent are significantly greater if AL is used rather than SP. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is estimated to be 4.10 US dollars. When the costs of second line treatment are considered the ICER of AL becomes negative, indicating that there are greater resource savings associated with AL in terms of reduction of costs of complicated malaria treatment.
This study suggests the decision to adopt AL is justifiable on both economic and public health grounds.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We combine all the available experimental information on Bs mixing, including the very recent tagged analyses of Bs → J/Ψϕ by the CDF and DØ collaborations. We find that the phase of the Bs mixing ...amplitude deviates more than 3σ from the Standard Model prediction. While no single measurement has a 3σ significance yet, all the constraints show a remarkable agreement with the combined result. This is a first evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. This result disfavours New Physics models with Minimal Flavour Violation with the same significance.PACS Codes: 12.15.Ff, 12.15.Hh, 14.40.Nb
Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las modificaciones que se produjeron entre los períodos de convertibilidad (1991-2001) y posconvertibilidad (2002-2015) en Argentina, desde el punto ...de vista de las condiciones de reproducción social. La metodología empleada para ello es la elaboración y estimación del costo de reproducción social; una variable compuesta por los ingresos necesarios para reproducirse en las condiciones materiales e históricas existentes en cada país, integrada por componentes salariales, jubilatorios y derechos básicos garantizados por el Estado. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, se concluye que en los años de 1990, las condiciones reproductivas tuvieron una tendencia declinante agudizada al inicio de la posconvertibilidad, especialmente por efectos de los incrementos en la desocupación y la informalidad laboral. Por el contrario, entre 2004 y 2015 el costo de reproducción social se recuperó, primero por la dinámica de los salarios (hasta 2008) y luego por el influjo de los derechos socializados (2009-2015).
Cyclooxygenase-2-induction by inflammatory stimuli has been proposed as a mediator of inflammatory cachexia. We analyse whether cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition by meloxicam administration is able to ...modify the response of skeletal muscle to inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide endotoxin (LPS). Male rats were injected with 1 mg kg(-1) LPS at 17:00 h and at 10:00 h the following day, and euthanized 4, 24 or 72 hours later. Atrogin-1, MuRF1, myogenic regulatory factors and cyclooxygenase-2 in the gastrocnemius were determined by real time-PCR (mRNA) and Western blot (protein). In a second experiment the effect of meloxicam administration (1 mg kg⁻¹) was analyzed. Meloxicam was administered either in a preventive manner, 1 hour before each endotoxin injection, or in a therapeutic manner, starting 2 hours after the second LPS injection and at 24 and 48 hours afterwards. There was a marked increase in MuRF1 mRNA (P<0.01) 4 hours after LPS, and in atrogin-1 mRNA 4 hours (P<0.01) and 24 hours (P<0.01) after LPS. Cyclooxygenase-2 was increased, whereas MyoD was decreased at 4, 24 and 72 h. Both types of meloxicam treatment blocked LPS-induced increase in atrogin-1. Preventive, but not therapeutic, meloxicam decreased myostatin (P<0.01) and increased Pax7 (P<0.01) and MyoD (P<0.05). Therapeutic meloxicam treatment decreased gastrocnemius myogenin. These data suggest that cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition by meloxicam administration can prevent the increase in atrogin-1 and the decrease in MyoD induced by LPS administration. However, prolonged therapeutic meloxicam treatment seems to be less effective, since it can inhibit myogenic regulatory factors.
COVID 19 has brought significant damages to the lives of the people due to extremely long lockdowns and unemployment. Thus, leaving no choice to the residents but to depend their survival on what is ...available in the environment. This study was conducted to assess the contribution of the forests to the lives of the locals in Aurora through a survey on 161 respondents. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics like frequency, mean, rank, and percentage. Results showed that 100% of the respondents depends on the forests for their food which includes fruits and vegetables in the wild and in their farms situated in the along and in the forest. Meanwhile, 116 individuals (72%) obtained livelihood from the forest in times of the pandemic in the form of labor, farming, selling of forest goods, charcoal making, and furniture making. Generally, the individual income obtained from forest livelihood ranged from Php500.00 to Php25,000.00 and an overall mean individual monthly income of Php4,084.19. Each type of livelihood activities provided a mean monthly income ranging from Php 4350 to Php 9021 per person. However, the respondents faced challenges such as loss of products due to theft, competition among those with the same livelihood due to limited number of consumers, and struggles concerning the health of the workers especially the elders, disabled, and other high-risk individuals to COVID-19. The government must consider providing needs (financial, technical, knowledge) to the locals in obtaining products and services from the forest for a sustainable utilization of the resources.
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