Recently, the CERN ALICE experiment observed muon bundles of very high multiplicities in its dedicated cosmic ray (CR) run, thereby confirming similar findings from the LEP era at CERN (in the ...CosmoLEP project). Originally, it was argued that they apparently stem from the primary CRs with a heavy masses. We propose an alternative possibility arguing that muonic bundles of highest multiplicity are produced by strangelets, hypothetical stable lumps of strange quark matter infiltrating our universe. We also address the possibility of additionally deducing their directionality which could be of astrophysical interest. Significant evidence for anisotropy of arrival directions of the observed high-multiplicity muonic bundles is found. Estimated directionality suggests their possible extragalactic provenance.
The nonextensivity parameter q occurring in some of the applications of Tsallis statistics (known also as index of the corresponding Levy distribution) is shown to be given, in the q>1 case, entirely ...by the fluctuations of the parameters of the usual exponential distribution.
Heat is fundamental to power generation and many industrial processes, and is most useful at high temperatures because it can be converted more efficiently to other types of energy. However, ...efficient transportation, storage and conversion of heat at extreme temperatures (more than about 1,300 kelvin) is impractical for many applications. Liquid metals can be very effective media for transferring heat at high temperatures, but liquid-metal pumping has been limited by the corrosion of metal infrastructures. Here we demonstrate a ceramic, mechanical pump that can be used to continuously circulate liquid tin at temperatures of around 1,473-1,673 kelvin. Our approach to liquid-metal pumping is enabled by the use of ceramics for the mechanical and sealing components, but owing to the brittle nature of ceramics their use requires careful engineering. Our set-up enables effective heat transfer using a liquid at previously unattainable temperatures, and could be used for thermal storage and transport, electric power production, and chemical or materials processing.
We analyze an ensemble in which energy (E), temperature (T) and multiplicity (N) can all fluctuate and with the help of nonextensive statistics we propose a relation connecting all fluctuating ...variables. It generalizes Lindhard’s thermodynamic uncertainty relations known in literature.
► Using nonextensive statistics we propose a general thermodynamic uncertainty relation. ► It applies to ensembles with fluctuating energy, temperature and multiplicity. ► Using it one can connect different types of fluctuations observed in experimental data.
Background
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. SLE patients have increased prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis, although the ...mechanisms of this observation remain unclear. Considering the emerging role of monocytes in atherosclerosis, we aimed to investigate the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction and the phenotype of peripheral blood monocytes in SLE patients.
Methods
We characterized the phenotype of monocyte subsets defined by the expression of CD14 and CD16 in 42 patients with SLE and 42 non-SLE controls. Using ultrasonography, intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as well as nitroglycerin-induced dilation (NMD) were assessed.
Results
Patients with SLE had significantly, but only modestly, increased IMT when compared with non-SLE controls (median (25th/75th percentile) 0.65 (0.60/0.71) mm vs 0.60 (0.56/0.68) mm; p < 0.05). Importantly, in spite of early atherosclerotic complications in the studied SLE group, marked endothelial dysfunction was observed. CD14dimCD16+proinflammatory cell subpopulation was positively correlated with IMT in SLE patients. This phenomenon was not observed in control individuals. Interestingly, endothelial dysfunction assessed by FMD was not correlated with any of the studied monocyte subsets.
Conclusions
Our observations suggest that CD14dimCD16+monocytes are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE, although the mechanism appears to be independent of endothelial dysfunction.
For the first time, a III-V compound semiconductor MOSFET with the gate dielectric grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is demonstrated. The novel application of the ALD process on III-V compound ...semiconductors affords tremendous functionality and opportunity by enabling the formation of high-quality gate oxides and passivation layers on III-V compound semiconductor devices. A 0.65-μm gate-length depletion-mode n-channel GaAs MOSFET with an Al 2 O 3 gate oxide thickness of 160 /spl Aring/ shows a gate leakage current density less than 10/sup -4/ A/cm 2 and a maximum transconductance of 130 mS/mm, with negligible drain current drift and hysteresis. A short-circuit current-gain cut-off frequency f T of 14.0 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency f max of 25.2 GHz have been achieved from a 0.65-μm gate-length device.
Efficient removal of apoptotic polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) is an important step in the resolution of inflammation, which protects tissues from the noxious contents of dying cells. While the ...impairment of apoptotic PMNs removal has been demonstrated for macrophages in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), recent studies show that monocytes are also capable of such phagocytosis, although their involvement in SLE is not clear. Therefore, we characterized phagocytosis of apoptotic PMNs by monocytes in 22 patients with SLE and 22 healthy controls. Using flow cytometry we demonstrate that in SLE peripheral blood monocytes show impaired phagocytosis of autologous apoptotic PMNs, while they efficiently engulf apoptotic PMNs isolated from healthy subjects. Monocytes CD14highCD16+ and CD14dimCD16+ more efficiently interacted with apoptotic neutrophils than CD16– cells both in SLE and healthy subjects. Monocytes in SLE showed modestly decreased expression of CD35 and CD91 and increased expression of T Cell Ig- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (TIM-3); however, these differences were evident mainly in selected subsets of monocytes (CD16+) while defects in phagocytosis were observed in all monocyte subsets. Apoptotic cell-dependent induction of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was blunted in SLE while the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α was unchanged.
To assess the prevalence of sella turcica anomalies on lateral cephalograms of children with malocclusion. To describe the craniofacial morphology in patients with sella turcica anomalies.
Lateral ...cephalograms obtained at ages 8-16 years (n = 431) were assessed for good visibility of cephalometric structures, including the sella turcica, and the absence of craniofacial congenital deformities; finally, 322 cephalograms were included and analysed. Subsequently, anomalies of sella turcica have been identified. Hypertrophic posterior clinoid process, hypotrophic posterior clinoid process and oblique contour of the floor were the abnormalities found that could not be classified based on literature. The study group consisted of 151 cephalograms with abnormal sella turcica, while the control group consisted of 171 cephalograms without any sellar pathology. Data normality has been tested using Shapiro-Wilk test. Correlations with age were made using Spearman correlation coefficient and those with sex were made using independence test with Yate's correction for continuity. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare between groups and subgroups. The level of significance has been established as p < 0.05.
Sellar anomalies were found in 151 individuals (46.9%). Statistically significant differences between patients with normal and abnormal sellar morphology were found concerning: Pg:NB (p = 0.0009), 1+:NA (p = 0.0004) and 1-:NB (p = 0.012), indicating a more distal position of jaw structures in subjects with abnormal sella.
The finding that almost 50% of children with malocclusion have sellar abnormalities confirms a general aetiology of malocclusion. Sella turcica assessment should be carried out during cephalometric analysis.
We have systematically estimated the possible temperatures obtained from an analysis of recent data on pt distributions observed at RHIC experiments. Using the fact that the observed pt distributions ...cannot be described by the original Hagedorn formula in the whole range of transverse momenta (in particular above 6 GeV/c), we propose a modified Hagedorn formula including temperature fluctuation. We show that by using it we can fit pt distributions in the whole range and can estimate consistently the relevant temperatures, including their fluctuations.
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