The DONUT experiment has analyzed 203 neutrino interactions recorded in nuclear emulsion targets. A decay search has found evidence of four tau neutrino interactions with an estimated background of ...0.34 events. This number is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.
The DONUT experiment used an emulsion/counter-hybrid-detector, which succeeded in detecting tau–neutrino charged-current interactions. A new method of emulsion analysis, NETSCAN, was used to locate ...neutrino events and detect tau decays. It is based on a fully automated emulsion readout system (Ultra Track Selector) developed at Nagoya University.
The achieved plate-to-plate alignment accuracy of
∼0.2
μm
over an area of
2.6
mm×2.6
mm
permitted an efficient and systematic tau decay search using emulsion data. Moreover, this accuracy allowed measurement of particle momenta by multiple Coulomb scattering, and contributed to the efficient background rejection for the
ν
τ candidates. This paper describes details of our emulsion analysis methods.
Using a neutrino beam in which a
ν
τ
component was identified for the first time, the
ν
τ
magnetic moment was measured based on a search for an anomalous increase in the number of neutrino–electron ...interactions. One such event was observed when 2.3 were expected from background processes, giving an upper 90% confidence limit on
μ
ν
τ
of 3.9×10
−7
μ
B
.
Identification of neutrino interactions using the DONUT spectrometer Kodama, K; Andreopoulos, C; Giokaris, N ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
2004, 2004-01-00, Letnik:
516, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The experimental apparatus used for the first direct observation of the tau neutrino (the DONUT experiment) is described. Its main features consisted of a target system composed of nuclear emulsion ...targets and scintillation fiber trackers, a magnetic charged-particle spectrometer and detectors for lepton identification. This paper will concentrate on the description of the electronic detectors and their performance in selecting neutrino interactions, making the vertex predictions necessary for locating events in the emulsion target and lepton identification.
Background Although a very simple method of measuring brachial - ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) has become available in a clinical setting, whether baPWV can predict future cardiovascular events ...remains uncertain. We examined whether baPWV is a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and Results baPWV measurement was performed in 215 consecutive patients with ACS. During the follow-up period (26±10 months), 46 patients experienced post-hospitalization cardiovascular events (18 patients experienced a major event (eg, stroke, re-admission for heart failure or cardiac death), and 28 patients experienced coronary re-intervention). A receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that the best cut-off point of a baPWV for predicting a post-hospitalization cardiovascular event was 17.00 m/s and that for predicting a major cardiovascular event was 18.00 m/s. After the adjustment for the conventional risk factors influencing the prognosis, a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that both cut-off points of baPWV had a significant hazard ratio for a post-hospitalization event: 5.47 (2.69-11.09) and for a major cardiovascular event: 9.22 (2.78-30.56). Conclusions baPWV is a simple predictor of the prognosis of patients with ACS that is independent of conventional risk factors for ACS. (Circ J 2005; 69: 815 - 822)
Functional reintegration into lipid environments represents a major challenge for in vitro investigation of integral membrane proteins (IMPs). Here, we report a new approach, termed LMNG ...Auto-insertion Reintegration (LAiR), for reintegration of IMPs into lipid bilayers within minutes. The resulting proteoliposomes displayed an unprecedented capability to maintain proton gradients and long-term stability. LAiR allowed for monitoring catalysis of a membrane-bound, physiologically relevant polyisoprenoid quinone substrate by Escherichia coli cytochromes bo 3 (cbo 3) and bd (cbd) under control of the proton motive force. LAiR also facilitated bulk-phase detection and physiological assessment of the “proton leak” in cbo 3, a controversial catalytic state that previously was only approachable at the single-molecule level. LAiR maintained the multisubunit integrity and higher-order oligomeric states of the delicate mammalian F-ATP synthase. Given that LAiR can be applied to both liposomes and planar membrane bilayers and is compatible with IMPs and lipids from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources, we anticipate LAiR to be applied broadly across basic research, pharmaceutical applications, and biotechnology.
Arterial stiffness is recognized as a marker of arterial damage and an indicator of cardiovascular risk. This observational study was conducted to examine the synergistic effect of raised blood ...pressure (RBP; > or =130/85 mm Hg) and raised plasma glucose (RPG; > or =110 mg/dL) even at levels below those conventionally used to define hypertension and diabetes on the rate of increase of the pulse wave velocity (PWV) over a 3-year period in 2080 Japanese men (age 42+/-9 years). First, the subjects were classified into 4 groups based on the presence at the first examination of RBP, RPG, both abnormalities, or neither abnormality. The estimated annual rate of increase of the PWV was higher in subjects with both the abnormalities than in those with either abnormality alone or neither of the 2 abnormalities. Second, the subjects were also classified based on the evolutional status of these abnormalities during the study period; persistence of both of the abnormalities synergistically accelerated the rate of increase of the PWV (68.3+/-7.1 cm/s per year), as compared with the persistence of either abnormality alone (persistence of RBP alone: 18.2+/-1.6 cm/s per year; persistence of RPG alone: 21.2+/-7.4 cm/s per year) or persistence of neither abnormality (11.1+/-0.8 cm/s per year; P<0.01). Thus, blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose levels even below those defining hypertension and diabetes may synergistically lead to progression of arteriosclerotic arterial damage. This synergistic progression may contribute to the additive increases in the risk of cardiovascular events, at least in part.
Background
We examined whether in addition to producing a greater degree of improvement of the arterial stiffness, long-term angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) treatment might also have a more ...beneficial effect on the cardiac diastolic dysfunction than long-term calcium-channel blocker (CCB) treatment; we also evaluated the association between the improvements of the two variables brought about by ARB treatment in subjects with stage I or II hypertension.
Methods
One hundred and thirteen patients were randomly allocated to treatment with an ARB (candesartan) or a CCB (amlodipine). Echocardiography and measurement of the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) were conducted in both groups at the start of the treatment and at the end of 2-3-years' treatment.
Results
After adjustments for covariates, the extent of reduction of the brachial-ankle PWV (−200 ± 18 cm/s vs. −141 ± 18cm/s, P = 0.03) and that of the increase of the E/A ratio (0.08 ± 0.03 vs. 0.01 ± 0.03, P = 0.04) were significantly greater in the candesartan group than in the amlodipine group. A significant relationship was identified between the delta changes of the brachial-ankle PWV and delta changes of the E/A ratio observed following long-term candesartan treatment.
Conclusion
Long-term candesartan treatment may have a more beneficial effect on the stiffness of the large- to- middle-sized arteries than long-term amlodipine treatment, and this treatment may also concomitantly improve the cardiac diastolic dysfunction; a significant association appeared to exist between the improvements of the two variables observed following long-term candesartan treatment.
American Journal of Hypertension advance online publication 16 June 2011; doi:10.1038/ajh.2011.109
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