Evaluation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field Strength Using the Cosmic-Ray Shadow of the Sun.

We analyze the Sun's shadow observed with the Tibet-III air shower array and find that the shadow's center deviates northward (southward) from the optical solar disk center in the "away" ("toward") interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) sector. By comparing with numerical simulations based on the solar magnetic field model, we find that the average IMF strength in the away (toward) sector is 1.54±0.21_{stat}±0.20_{syst} (1.62±0.15_{stat}±0.22_{syst}) times larger than the model prediction. These demonstrate that the observed Sun's shadow is a useful tool for the quantitative evaluation of the average solar magnetic field.

Probe of the solar magnetic field using the "cosmic-ray shadow" of the sun.

We report on a clear solar-cycle variation of the Sun's shadow in the 10 TeV cosmic-ray flux observed by the Tibet air shower array during a full solar cycle from 1996 to 2009. In order to clarify the physical implications of the observed solar cycle variation, we develop numerical simulations of the Sun's shadow, using the potential field source surface model and the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model for the coronal magnetic field. We find that the intensity deficit in the simulated Sun's shadow is very sensitive to the coronal magnetic field structure, and the observed variation of the Sun's shadow is better reproduced by the CSSS model. This is the first successful attempt to evaluate the coronal magnetic field models by using the Sun's shadow observed in the TeV cosmic-ray flux.

[Prognostic effect of angina before acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients].

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined whether angina 48 h before acute myocardial infarction provided protection in early and adult patients. To investigate the effect of ischemic preconditioning in senescent heart. METHODS: We retrospectively verified whether antecedent angina within 48 h myocardial infarction exerted a beneficial effect on in-hospital outcomes in adult(< 60 years old, n = 68) and elderly (> or = 60 years old, n = 118) patients. RESULTS: In-hospital congestive heart failure was more frequent in adult patients without than in those with previous angina(16.7% vs 2.6%, P < 0.05), as were cardiogenic shock and death(23.3% vs 5. 3%, P < 0.05) and the combined end points(in-hospital congestive heart failure and shock or death) (40.0% vs 7.9%, P < 0.01). In contrast, the presence or absence of previous angina before acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients seemed to have no obvious influence, the incidence of in-hospital congestive heart failure(17.7% vs 20.0%, P > 0.05), shock and death(23.5% vs 20.3%, P > 0.05) and combined end points(41.2% vs 40.0%, P > 0.05). But the elderly patients with angina showed a significantly smaller infarct size compared with elderly patients without angina, the long-term cardiogenic death was more frequent in elderly patients without than in those with previous angina(18.0% vs 5.9%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of angina before acute myocardial infarction seems to confer significant protection against in-hospital outcomes in adults; this effect seems to be present in elderly patients. This study suggests that the protection afforded by angina in adult and elderly patients may involve the occurrence of ischemic preconditioning.

[The efficacy of parenteral nutrition with different energy for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the aged].

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of parenteral nutrition (PN) with lower or higher energy for treating systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the aged, thirty old SIRS critically ill patients were involved in a randomized control clinical trial. Fifteen cases were treated by PN with lower energy (105 KJ.kg-1.d-1), and another fifteen cases with higher energy (146 KJ.kg-1.d-1) for 6 days. The data about metabolisms of protein, glucose and fat, blood gas analysis, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) were analysed. The results showed that: 1. The effects of 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN in increasing organism protein and maintaining nitrogen balance were the same as those of 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN. 2. The levels of fast blood sugar and triglyceride maintained unchanged in 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN group, while they increased significantly in 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN group(P < 0.05). 3. PaO2 was raised greatly in 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN group, while not in 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN group. 4. 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN and 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN decreased APACHE II(P < 0.05), but the efficiency of 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN was better than that of 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 PN (P < 0.05). We conclude that PN with 105 KJ.kg-1.d-1 energy intake is more effective and safer for treating SIRS than that with 146 KJ.kg-1.d-1 in the aged.