Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 243 in total

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  1. Huang ZL, Wang DY, Zhang PC, Dong F, Yeoh KH
    Acta Otolaryngol, 2001 Oct;121(7):844-8.
    PMID: 11718250
    Acoustic rhinometry (AR) evaluates the geometry of the nasal cavity by measuring the minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) and nasal volume (V) by means of acoustic reflection. Understanding the normal and pathologic conditions of the internal nasal cavity using AR is important in the diagnosis of structural abnormalities in patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the normal range of AR parameters in healthy volunteers from three ethnic groups in Singapore: Chinese, Malay and Indian. We also attempted to evaluate the role of these measurements in the documentation of structural abnormalities in the nose. A total of 189 Singaporeans, aged > or = 18 years, were recruited from a nationwide survey study. They comprised 83 Chinese, 35 Malays and 71 Indians. Eighty-nine subjects had a rhinoscopically normal nose (Group 1), 77 had significant septal deviation (Group 2) and 23 had inferior turbinate hypertrophy (Group 3). AR was performed to measure the MCA at the anterior 1-5 cm from the nostril and the volume (V) between points at the nostril and 5 cm into the nose. A mean MCA (mMCA; equal to (L + R)/2) and a total volume (Vt; equal to L + R) were then calculated for each subject, where L and R refer to the measurements made for the left and right nostrils, respectively. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in mMCA (p = 0.80) and Vt (p = 0.60) among the three ethnic subgroups of Group 1. Statistically significant differences were found only between Groups 1 and 3 (p < 0.001 for both mMCA and Vt) and between Groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.001 for mMCA and p = 0.013 for Vt). Although there was no significant difference between Groups 1 and 2, significant differences in MCA (p = 0.001) and V (p = 0.040) were found between the narrower sides (smaller volume) and the wider sides in Group 2, indicating volume compensation between the nasal cavities. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that there is no significant difference in the normal range of AR measurements among Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnic groups. AR is able to determine the structural abnormality of the internal nasal cavity caused by septal deviation and inferior turbinate hypertrophy.
  2. Yeoh SM, Kuo IC, Wang DY, Liam CK, Sam CK, De Bruyne JA, et al.
    Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 2003 Nov;132(3):215-20.
    PMID: 14646382 DOI: 10.1159/000074302
    BACKGROUND: The house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) and Blomia tropicalis (Blo t) are the most common house dust mite species in Southeast Asia. To date, there have only been a few studies on the sensitization profile of the general populations in Southeast Asia to house dust mites. The aim of this study was to determine the profiles of Der p and Blo t sensitization among Singaporean and Malaysian subjects.

    METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect specific IgE to Der p and Blo t mite crude extracts as well as purified Der p 1, Der p 2 and Blo t 5 allergens. Sera used were from 229 Singaporean subjects (124 with rhinitis, 105 without rhinitis) and 143 Malaysian subjects (94 adults and 49 children with asthma).

    RESULTS: The sensitization profile of rhinitis subjects to the dust mite allergens used in this study was as follows: Blo t extract positive: 91/124 (73%); Blo t 5 positive: 62/124 (50%); Der p extract positive: 61/124 (49%); Der p 1 positive: 53/124 (43%); Der p 2 positive: 45/124 (36%). The nonrhinitis subjects' sensitization profile was as follows: Blo t extract positive: 60/105 (57%); Blo t 5 positive: 24/105 (23%); Der p extract positive: 38/105 (36%); Der p 1 positive: 14/105 (13%); Der p 2 positive: 17/105 (16%). The study of Malaysian asthmatic adults showed that 39% of them were sensitized to Der p 1, 32% to Der p 2 and 37% to Blo t 5. Among the asthmatic children, sensitization to Blo t 5, Der p 1 and Der p 2 was 90, 57 and 39%, respectively.

    CONCLUSION: This study clearly revealed that dual sensitization to B. tropicalis and D. pteronyssinus is common in the general populations of Singapore and Malaysia. Sensitization to Blo t 5 is more prevalent than to Der p 1 and Der p 2.
  3. Wang DY, Wardani RS, Singh K, Thanaviratananich S, Vicente G, Xu G, et al.
    Rhinology, 2011 Aug;49(3):264-71.
    PMID: 21866280 DOI: 10.4193/Rhino10.169
    BACKGROUND: Based on the `European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal polyps (EP3OS 2007)`, this study aimed to investigate general practitioners (GPs) and other specialists` understanding when managing patients with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) in Asia.
    METHODOLOGY: Among a total of 2662 questionnaires completed, 2524 (94.8%) were valid for analysis. There were 1308 GPs (51.8%), 989 otolaryngologists (39.2%) and 227 paediatricians (9%) from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
    RESULTS: ARS is affecting an estimated 6 - 10% of patients seen in a daily out-patient practice. The EP3OS criteria are well supported by Asian physicians (94.1%). Most physicians (62.7%) agreed that radiological investigation is not needed to diagnose ARS. However, even for mild ARS (common cold), medical treatments were still recommended by 87% of GPs, 83.9% of otolaryngologists, and 70% of paediatricians. The top three first-line treatments prescribed were antihistamines (39.2%), nasal decongestants (33.6%), and antibiotics (29.5%). Antibiotics usage increased as the first line treatment of moderate (45.9%) and severe (60.3%) ARS.
    CONCLUSION: ARS is commonly managed by GPs, otolaryngologists, and paediatricians in Asia. However, understanding of the management of ARS needs further improvement to minimize unnecessary use of radiological investigations, overuse of antibiotics, and under use of nasal corticosteroids.
  4. Chatrchyan S, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2014 Apr 25;112(16):161802.
    PMID: 24815637
    Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top quark (the top squark) and the Higgs boson (Higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7  fb-1 of proton-proton collision data at s=8  TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the top squark mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the Higgsino mass.
  5. CMS Collaboration, Chatrchyan S, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 08 07;74(8):2973.
    PMID: 25814904
    Measurements are reported of the WZ and ZZ production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] in final states where one Z boson decays to b-tagged jets. The other gauge boson, either W or Z, is detected through its leptonic decay (either [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], or [Formula: see text]). The results are based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.9 fb[Formula: see text] collected with the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measured cross sections, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], are consistent with next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics calculations.
  6. Chatrchyan S, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 08 13;74(8):2980.
    PMID: 25814906
    A search for invisible decays of Higgs bosons is performed using the vector boson fusion and associated ZH production modes. In the ZH mode, the Z boson is required to decay to a pair of charged leptons or a [Formula: see text] quark pair. The searches use the 8 [Formula: see text] pp collision dataset collected by the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 19.7 [Formula: see text]. Certain channels include data from 7 [Formula: see text] collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 [Formula: see text]. The searches are sensitive to non-standard-model invisible decays of the recently observed Higgs boson, as well as additional Higgs bosons with similar production modes and large invisible branching fractions. In all channels, the observed data are consistent with the expected standard model backgrounds. Limits are set on the production cross section times invisible branching fraction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass, for the vector boson fusion and ZH production modes. By combining all channels, and assuming standard model Higgs boson cross sections and acceptances, the observed (expected) upper limit on the invisible branching fraction at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] is found to be 0.58 (0.44) at 95 % confidence level. We interpret this limit in terms of a Higgs-portal model of dark matter interactions.
  7. CMS Collaboration, Chatrchyan S, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 08 20;74(8):3014.
    PMID: 25814909
    The normalised differential top quark-antiquark production cross section is measured as a function of the jet multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7[Formula: see text] at the LHC with the CMS detector. The measurement is performed in both the dilepton and lepton+jets decay channels using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.0[Formula: see text]. Using a procedure to associate jets to decay products of the top quarks, the differential cross section of the [Formula: see text] production is determined as a function of the additional jet multiplicity in the lepton+jets channel. Furthermore, the fraction of events with no additional jets is measured in the dilepton channel, as a function of the threshold on the jet transverse momentum. The measurements are compared with predictions from perturbative quantum chromodynamics and no significant deviations are observed.
  8. CMS Collaboration, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 09 17;74(9):3060.
    PMID: 25814914
    A measurement of the cross section for the production of top quark-antiquark pairs ([Formula: see text]) in association with a vector boson V (W or Z) in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] is presented. The results are based on a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 fb[Formula: see text] recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed in three leptonic (e and [Formula: see text]) channels: a same-sign dilepton analysis targeting [Formula: see text] events, and trilepton and four-lepton analyses designed for [Formula: see text] events. In the same-sign dilepton channel, the [Formula: see text] cross section is measured as [Formula: see text], corresponding to a significance of 1.6 standard deviations over the background-only hypothesis. Combining the trilepton and four-lepton channels, a direct measurement of the [Formula: see text] cross section, [Formula: see text], is obtained with a significance of 3.1 standard deviations. The measured cross sections are compatible with standard model predictions within their experimental uncertainties. The inclusive [Formula: see text] process is observed with a significance of 3.7 standard deviations from the combination of all three leptonic channels.
  9. CMS Collaboration, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 09 26;74(9):3036.
    PMID: 25814912
    Searches for the direct electroweak production of supersymmetric charginos, neutralinos, and sleptons in a variety of signatures with leptons and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and Higgs bosons are presented. Results are based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at center-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] with the CMS detector in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 [Formula: see text]. The observed event rates are in agreement with expectations from the standard model. These results probe charginos and neutralinos with masses up to 720 [Formula: see text], and sleptons up to 260 [Formula: see text], depending on the model details.
  10. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 10 15;74(10):3076.
    PMID: 25814871
    Observation of the diphoton decay mode of the recently discovered Higgs boson and measurement of some of its properties are reported. The analysis uses the entire dataset collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions during the 2011 and 2012 LHC running periods. The data samples correspond to integrated luminosities of 5.1[Formula: see text]at [Formula: see text] and 19.7[Formula: see text]at 8[Formula: see text] . A clear signal is observed in the diphoton channel at a mass close to 125[Formula: see text] with a local significance of [Formula: see text], where a significance of [Formula: see text] is expected for the standard model Higgs boson. The mass is measured to be [Formula: see text] , and the best-fit signal strength relative to the standard model prediction is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Additional measurements include the signal strength modifiers associated with different production mechanisms, and hypothesis tests between spin-0 and spin-2 models.
  11. Wang DY, Ghoshal AG, Razak Bin Abdul MA, Lin HC, Thanaviratananich S, Bagga S, et al.
    Value Health, 2014 Nov;17(7):A776-7.
    PMID: 27202870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2014.08.351
    Objectives: Respiratory diseases represent significant impact on health care resources. A cross-sectional, observational study, Asia-Pacific Burden of Respiratory Diseases (APBORD), was conducted to examine burden of disease in adults with respiratory diseases across 6 countries - India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. We examined the extent to which cough is a presenting symptom and reason for medical visits for participants with Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis (AR), COPD or Rhinosinusitis.
    Methods: Participants aged ≥18 years, presenting to a physician with primary diagnosis of Asthma, AR, COPD or Rhinosinusitis were enrolled. Participants completed a survey which contained questions related to demographics, respiratory symptoms, health care resource use and quality of life.
    Results: A total of 13,902 participants were screened, of which 7,030 were eligible and 5,250 enrolled. The highest percentage of participants receiving care for a respiratory disorder had primary diagnosis of AR 14.0%, (95%CI: 13.4%, 14.6%), followed by Asthma 13.5% (12.9%, 14.1%), Rhinosinusitis 5.4% (4.6%, 5.3%) and COPD 4.9%, (5.0%, 5.7%). Cough or coughing up phlegm was reported as symptom by more than half the participants. Cough or coughing up phlegm was reported as the main reason for medical visit by more than 20% of participants. Among all symptoms reported, cough was most frequently reported by participants with a primarydiagnosis of COPD (73%), followed by Asthma (61%), Rhinosinusitis (59%), and AR (47%). In addition, cough was the most frequently reported main reason for seeking medical care among participants with a primary diagnosis of COPD (43%), for Asthma (33%), for Rhinosinusitis (13%), and for AR (11%).
    Conclusions: Cough is a prominent symptom and major driver of medical care for patients with Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, COPD or Rhinosinusitis. These data suggest that patients presenting with cough should be investigated comprehensively for any underlying more serious respiratory disorders to help with appropriate disease management.
  12. CMS Collaboration, Chatrchyan S, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 11 12;74(11):3129.
    PMID: 25814874
    A measurement of differential cross sections for the production of a pair of isolated photons in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0[Formula: see text] collected with the CMS detector. A data-driven isolation template method is used to extract the prompt diphoton yield. The measured cross section for two isolated photons, with transverse energy above 40 and 25[Formula: see text] respectively, in the pseudorapidity range [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and with an angular separation [Formula: see text], is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Differential cross sections are measured as a function of the diphoton invariant mass, the diphoton transverse momentum, the azimuthal angle difference between the two photons, and the cosine of the polar angle in the Collins-Soper reference frame of the diphoton system. The results are compared to theoretical predictions at leading, next-to-leading, and next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics.
  13. CMS Collaboration, Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2014 11 26;74(11):3149.
    PMID: 25814876
    A search for heavy, right-handed neutrinos, [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), and right-handed [Formula: see text] bosons, which arise in the left-right symmetric extensions of the standard model, has been performed by the CMS experiment. The search was based on a sample of two lepton plus two jet events collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8[Formula: see text] corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 [Formula: see text]. For models with strict left-right symmetry, and assuming only one [Formula: see text] flavor contributes significantly to the [Formula: see text] decay width, the region in the two-dimensional [Formula: see text] mass plane excluded at a 95 % confidence level extends to approximately [Formula: see text] and covers a large range of neutrino masses below the [Formula: see text] boson mass, depending on the value of [Formula: see text]. This search significantly extends the [Formula: see text] exclusion region beyond previous results.
  14. Tan TJ, Wang D, Moraru CI
    J Dairy Sci, 2014;97(8):4759-71.
    PMID: 24881794 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-7957
    The main challenge in microfiltration (MF) is membrane fouling, which leads to a significant decline in permeate flux and a change in membrane selectivity over time. This work aims to elucidate the mechanisms of membrane fouling in cold MF of skim milk by identifying and quantifying the proteins and minerals involved in external and internal membrane fouling. Microfiltration was conducted using a 1.4-μm ceramic membrane, at a temperature of 6±1°C, cross-flow velocity of 6m/s, and transmembrane pressure of 159kPa, for 90min. Internal and external foulants were extracted from a ceramic membrane both after a brief contact between the membrane and skim milk, to evaluate instantaneous adsorption of foulants, and after MF. Four foulant streams were collected: weakly attached external foulants, weakly attached internal foulants, strongly attached external foulants, and strongly attached internal foulants. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that all major milk proteins were present in all foulant streams. Proteins did appear to be the major cause of membrane fouling. Proteomics analysis of the foulants indicated elevated levels of serum proteins as compared with milk in the foulant fractions collected from the adsorption study. Caseins were preferentially introduced into the fouling layer during MF, when transmembrane pressure was applied, as confirmed both by proteomics and mineral analyses. The knowledge generated in this study advances the understanding of fouling mechanisms in cold MF of skim milk and can be used to identify solutions for minimizing membrane fouling and increasing the efficiency of milk MF.
  15. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2015 Feb 6;114(5):051801.
    PMID: 25699433
    A study of vector boson scattering in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.4  fb(-1) collected with the CMS detector. Candidate events are selected with exactly two leptons of the same charge, two jets with large rapidity separation and high dijet mass, and moderate missing transverse energy. The signal region is expected to be dominated by electroweak same-sign W-boson pair production. The observation agrees with the standard model prediction. The observed significance is 2.0 standard deviations, where a significance of 3.1 standard deviations is expected based on the standard model. Cross section measurements for W(±)W(±) and WZ processes in the fiducial region are reported. Bounds on the structure of quartic vector-boson interactions are given in the framework of dimension-eight effective field theory operators, as well as limits on the production of doubly charged Higgs bosons.
  16. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2015 02 10;75(2):66.
    PMID: 25838791
    The purely electroweak (EW) cross section for the production of two jets in association with a Z boson, in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text], is measured using data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7[Formula: see text]. The electroweak cross section for the [Formula: see text] final state (with [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] and j representing the quarks produced in the hard interaction) in the kinematic region defined by [Formula: see text][Formula: see text], [Formula: see text][Formula: see text], transverse momentum [Formula: see text][Formula: see text], and pseudorapidity [Formula: see text], is found to be [Formula: see text], in agreement with the standard model prediction. The associated jet activity of the selected events is studied, in particular in a signal-enriched region of phase space, and the measurements are found to be in agreement with QCD predictions.
  17. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2015 Feb 13;114(6):061801.
    PMID: 25723204
    A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons is presented using proton-proton collisions produced by the LHC at √[s]=8  TeV. Data used for the analysis were collected by the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7  fb(-1). Events are selected with an electron and muon with opposite charges that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.02 and 2 cm. The search has been designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with nonprompt e-μ final states. Limits are set on the "displaced supersymmetry" model, with pair production of top squarks decaying into an e-μ final state via R-parity-violating interactions. The results are the most restrictive to date on this model, with the most stringent limit being obtained for a top squark lifetime corresponding to cτ=2  cm, excluding masses below 790 GeV at 95% confidence level.
  18. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2015 Mar 13;114(10):101801.
    PMID: 25815923
    Results are presented from a search for new decaying massive particles whose presence is inferred from an imbalance in transverse momentum and which are produced in association with a single top quark that decays into a bottom quark and two light quarks. The measurement is performed using 19.7  fb^{-1} of data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. No deviations from the standard model predictions are observed and lower limits are set on the masses of new invisible bosons. In particular, scalar and vector particles, with masses below 330 and 650 GeV, respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level, thereby substantially extending a previous limit published by the CDF Collaboration.
  19. Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.
    Eur Phys J C Part Fields, 2015 04 09;75(4):147.
    PMID: 26041973
    Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections in the dielectron and dimuon channels are presented. They are based on proton-proton collision data at [Formula: see text] recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7[Formula: see text]. The measured inclusive cross section in the [Formula: see text] peak region (60-120[Formula: see text]), obtained from the combination of the dielectron and dimuon channels, is [Formula: see text], where the statistical uncertainty is negligible. The differential cross section [Formula: see text] in the dilepton mass range 15-2000[Formula: see text] is measured and corrected to the full phase space. The double-differential cross section [Formula: see text] is also measured over the mass range 20 to 1500[Formula: see text] and absolute dilepton rapidity from 0 to 2.4. In addition, the ratios of the normalized differential cross sections measured at [Formula: see text] and 8[Formula: see text] are presented. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading (NNLO) orders using various sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs). The results agree with the NNLO theoretical predictions computed with fewz 3.1 using the CT10 NNLO and NNPDF2.1 NNLO PDFs. The measured double-differential cross section and ratio of normalized differential cross sections are sufficiently precise to constrain the proton PDFs.
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