The decay τ-→K-KSντ has been studied using 430×106 e+e-→τ+τ- events produced at a center-of-mass energy around 10.6 GeV at the PEP-II collider and studied with the BABAR detector. The mass spectrum ...of the K-KS system has been measured and the spectral function has been obtained. The measured branching fraction B(τ-→K-KSντ)=(0.739±0.011(stat)±0.020(syst))×10-3 is found to be in agreement with earlier measurements.
Although inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use is associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization for asthma, the impact of ICS on the risk of life-threatening asthma exacerbation is less clear. The ...effect of ICS and inhaled beta agonist (IBA) dispensing on the risk of intensive care unit admission for asthma, a surrogate for life-threatening exacerbation, is evaluated. Using computerized International classification of diseases (ICD)-9 discharge diagnoses, a cohort of all 2,344 adult Northern California members of a health maintenance organization hospitalized for asthma over a 2-yr period were identified. Computerized pharmacy data was used to ascertain asthma medications dispensed during the 3-,6-, and 12-month intervals preceding index hospitalization for asthma. During the 3-months preceding hospitalization, a minority of subjects had no IBA units dispensed (34%), with 14% receiving low level (1 unit), 20% medium level (2-3 units), and 32% high level (> or = 4 units) therapy. A substantial proportion received no ICS units (55%), whereas 13% had low, 16% medium, and 15% high level therapy. In multiple logistic regression analysis, high level IBA use was associated with a greater risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission for asthma after controlling for asthma severity. There was no relationship, however, between low or medium level IBA use and ICU admission. Conversely, medium level and high level ICS use were associated with a reduced risk of ICU admission. Analysing 6- and 12-month medication dispensing data, similar risk patterns were observed. Inhaled corticosteroid dispensing was associated with reduced risk of intensive care unit admission among adults hospitalized for asthma, whereas the opposite applied for high dose beta agonist usage. This suggests that ICS prescription to adults with moderate-to-severe asthma could reduce the risk of life-threatening exacerbation.
β₂-Adrenergic receptor agonists accelerate resolution of pulmonary edema in experimental and clinical studies.
This clinical trial was designed to test the hypothesis that an aerosolized β₂-agonist, ...albuterol, would improve clinical outcomes in patients with acute lung injury (ALI).
We conducted a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which 282 patients with ALI receiving mechanical ventilation were randomized to receive aerosolized albuterol (5 mg) or saline placebo every 4 hours for up to 10 days. The primary outcome variable for the trial was ventilator-free days.
Ventilator-free days were not significantly different between the albuterol and placebo groups (means of 14.4 and 16.6 d, respectively; 95% confidence interval for the difference, -4.7 to 0.3 d; P = 0.087). Rates of death before hospital discharge were not significantly different between the albuterol and placebo groups (23.0 and 17.7%, respectively; 95%confidence interval for the difference,-4.0 to 14.7%;P = 0.30). In the subset of patients with shock before randomization, the number of ventilator-free days was lower with albuterol, although mortality was not different. Overall, heart rates were significantly higher in the albuterol group by approximately 4 beats/minute in the first 2 days after randomization, but rates of new atrial fibrillation (10% in both groups) and other cardiac dysrhythmias were not significantly different.
These results suggest that aerosolized albuterol does not improve clinical outcomes in patients with ALI. Routine use of β₂-agonist therapy in mechanically ventilated patients with ALI cannot be recommended. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00434993).
Systemic endothelial activation and injury are important causes of multiorgan system failure. We hypothesized that plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a marker of endothelial activation and ...injury, would be associated with clinical outcomes in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In 559 patients with ALI/ARDS enrolled in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ARDS Network trial of two VT strategies, plasma VWF levels were measured at randomization (mean 350 +/- 265% of normal control plasma) and Day 3 (344 +/- 207%). Baseline VWF levels were similar in patients with and without sepsis, and were significantly higher in nonsurvivors (435 +/- 333%) versus survivors (306 +/- 209%) even when controlling for severity of illness, sepsis, and ventilator strategy (increased odds ratio of death of 1.6 per SD size increase in VWF; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-2.1). Higher VWF levels were also significantly associated with fewer organ failure-free days. Ventilator strategy had no effect on VWF levels. In conclusion, the degree of endothelial activation and injury is strongly associated with outcomes in ALI/ARDS, regardless of the presence or absence of sepsis, and is not modulated by a protective ventilatory strategy. To improve outcomes further, new treatment strategies targeted at the endothelium should be investigated.
The process e+e−→π+π−2π0γ is investigated by means of the initial-state radiation technique, where a photon is emitted from the incoming electron or positron. Using 454.3 fb−1 of data collected ...around a center-of-mass energy of s=10.58 GeV by the BABAR experiment at SLAC, approximately 150000 signal events are obtained. The corresponding nonradiative cross section is measured with a relative uncertainty of 3.6% in the energy region around 1.5 GeV, surpassing all existing measurements in precision. Using this new result, the channel’s contribution to the leading order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is calculated as (gμπ+π−2π0−2)/2=(17.9±0.1stat±0.6syst)×10−10 in the energy range 0.85 GeV<ECM<1.8 GeV. In the same energy range, the impact on the running of the fine-structure constant at the Z0-pole is determined as Δαπ+π−2π0(MZ2)=(4.44±0.02stat±0.14syst)×10−4. Furthermore, intermediate resonances are studied and especially the cross section of the process e+e−→ωπ0→π+π−2π0 is measured.
We present the discovery and characterization of two transiting planets observed by TESS in the light curves of the young and bright (V = 9.67) star HD73583 (TOI-560). We perform an intensive ...spectroscopic and photometric space- and ground-based follow-up in order to confirm and characterize the system. We found that HD73583 is a young (similar to 500 Myr) active star with a rotational period of 12.08 +/- 0.11 d, and a mass and radius of 0.73 +/- 0.02 M-circle dot and 0.65 +/- 0.02 R-circle dot, respectively. HD 73583 b (P-b = 6.3980420(-0.0000062)(+0.0000067 )d) has a mass and radius of 10.2(-3.1)(+3.4) M-circle plus and 2.79 +/- 0.10 R-circle plus, respectively, which gives a density of 2.58(-0.81)(+0.95) g cm(-3). HD 73583 c (P-c = 18.87974(-0.00074)(+0.00086) d) has a mass and radius of 9.7(-1.7)(+1.8) M-circle plus and 2.39(-0.09)(+0.10) R-circle plus, respectively, which translates to a density of 3.88(-0.80)(+0.91) g cm(-3). Both planets are consistent with worlds made of a solid core surrounded by a volatile envelope. Because of their youth and host star brightness, they both are excellent candidates to perform transmission spectroscopy studies. We expect ongoing atmospheric mass-loss for both planets caused by stellar irradiation. We estimate that the detection of evaporating signatures on H and He would be challenging, but doable with present and future instruments.
The decay τ−→K−KSντ has been studied using 430×106 e+e−→τ+τ− events produced at a center-of-mass energy around 10.6 GeV at the PEP-II collider and studied with the BABAR detector. The mass spectrum ...of the K−KS system has been measured and the spectral function has been obtained. The measured branching fraction B(τ−→K−KSντ)=(0.739±0.011(stat)±0.020(syst))×10−3 is found to be in agreement with earlier measurements.
Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is an inflammatory process that can be attenuated by lung protective ventilation strategies. Our objectives to further investigate the pathogenesis of ALI and ...VILI and the mechanism of lung protection in these syndromes were: 1) to determine if plasma measurements of soluble TNF receptor I (sTNFRI) and II (sTNFRII) would predict the development of ALI and mortality in a small single center trial; 2) to test the predictive value of these markers and of TNF-alpha in a larger, broader group of patients with ALI; 3) to test the hypothesis that low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) would be associated with a decrease in plasma levels of TNF-alpha, sTNFRI, and sTNFRII. In the single center study, sTNFRI and II levels were higher in patients at risk for and with ALI, but they did not predict the development of the syndrome. In the multicenter trial sTNFRI and II were strongly associated with mortality (OR 5.76/1 log10 increment in receptor level; 95% CI 2.63-12.6 and OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.05-6.31, respectively) and morbidity measured as fewer nonpulmonary organ failure-free and ventilator-free days. The LTVV strategy was associated with an attenuation of plasma sTNFRI levels. In vitro, stimulated A549 cells release sTNFRI but not sTNRFII. In conclusion, plasma levels of sTNFRI and II can serve as biomarkers for morbidity and mortality in patients with ALI. Furthermore, LTVV is associated with a specific decrease in sTNFRI levels. This suggests that one beneficial effect of LTVV may be to attenuate alveolar epithelial injury.
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