Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Multiplicity dependence of light (anti-)nuclei production in p–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV

The measurement of the deuteron and anti-deuteron production in the rapidity range −1 < y < 0 as a function of transverse momentum and event multiplicity in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV is presented. (Anti-)deuterons are identified via their specific energy loss dE/dx and via their time-of- flight. Their production in p–Pb collisions is compared to pp and Pb–Pb collisions and is discussed within the context of thermal and coalescence models. The ratio of integrated yields of deuterons to protons (d/p) shows a significant increase as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity of the event starting from values similar to those observed in pp collisions at low multiplicities and approaching those observed in Pb–Pb collisions at high multiplicities. The mean transverse particle momenta are extracted from the deuteron spectra and the values are similar to those obtained for p and particles. Thus, deuteron spectra do not follow mass ordering. This behaviour is in contrast to the trend observed for non-composite particles in p–Pb collisions. In addition, the production of the rare 3He and 3He nuclei has been studied. The spectrum corresponding to all non-single diffractive p-Pb collisions is obtained in the rapidity window −1 < y < 0 and the pT-integrated yield dN/dy is extracted. It is found that the yields of protons, deuterons, and 3He, normalised by the spin degeneracy factor, follow an exponential decrease with mass number

Promoción turística sostenible de la reserva de la biosfera Tajo-Tejo Internacional

Convocatoria proyectos de innovación de Extremadura 2020/2021Se describe un proyecto llevado acabo por varios centros educativos ubicados en la zona de la Reserva de la Biosfera Tajo-Tejo Internacional (RBTTI) que pretendía contribuir a la transformación sostenible del entorno mediante su conocimiento y promoción, implementando las competencias digital, social y ciudadana y la cultura emprendedora mediante metodologías activas como el aprendizaje servicio. Entre los objetivos principales del proyecto destacan: dar a conocer las implicaciones de la RBTTI; diseñar una campaña de promoción de la RBTTI mediante trípticos y vídeos promocionales; conocer la Reserva a través de las principales vías pecuarias y caminos que comunican los pueblos; descubrir los principales elementos socioculturales, históricos y tradicionales de la Reserva; valorar la importancia del territorio para conservar la biodiversidad: paisajes, ecosistemas, fauna y flora representativa; relacionar la trashumancia y las vías pecuarias como rasgos identificativos de la Reserva, vinculándolo con la historia y rasgos culturales de los pueblos y valorar el emprendimiento y la iniciativa personal, el asosiacionismo y creación de redes de cooperación en y entre pueblos como motor de desarrolloExtremaduraES

Experimental Evidence for an Attractive p-ϕ\phi Interaction

This Letter presents the first experimental evidence of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a ϕ meson. The result is obtained from two-particle correlations of combined $p$-ϕ⊕ $\bar{p}$-ϕ pairs measured in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the ALICE Collaboration. The spin-averaged scattering length and effective range of the p-ϕ interaction are extracted from the fully corrected correlation function employing the Lednický-Lyuboshits approach. In particular, the imaginary part of the scattering length vanishes within uncertainties, indicating that inelastic processes do not play a prominent role for the p-ϕ interaction. These data demonstrate that the interaction is dominated by elastic p-ϕ scattering. Furthermore, an analysis employing phenomenological Gaussian- and Yukawa-type potentials is conducted. Under the assumption of the latter, the N-ϕ coupling constant is found to be $g_{N-ϕ}$ = 0.14 ± 0.03(stat) ± 0.02(syst). This work provides valuable experimental input to accomplish a self-consistent description of the N-ϕ interaction, which is particularly relevant for the more fundamental studies on partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclear medium

Measurement of the Cross Sections of Ξc0\Xi^0_{c} and Ξc+\Xi^+_{c} Baryons and of the Branching-Fraction Ratio BR(Ξc0→Ξ−e+νe\Xi^0_{c} \rightarrow \Xi^-{e}^+\nu_{ e})/BR(Ξc0→Ξ−π+\Xi^0_{c} \rightarrow \Xi^-\pi^+) in pp collisions at 13 TeV

The $p_T$-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Ξ$_c^0$ and Ξ$_c^+$ were measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ$_c^0$ baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Ξ$^-$e$^+$ν$_e$) and the hadronic decay (Ξ$^-$π$^+$) channels. The Ξ$_c^+$ baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Ξ$^-$π$^+$π$^+$) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ξ$_c^0$→Ξ$^-$e$^+$ν$_e$)/BR(Ξ$_c^0$→Ξ$^-$π$^+$) = 1.38±0.14(stat)±0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum ($p_T$) dependence of the Ξ$_c^0-$ and Ξ$_c^+$-baryon production relative to the D$^0$ meson and to the Σ$_c^{0,+,++}$- and Λ$_c^+$-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low $p_T$ up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e$^+$e$^-$) and hadronic collisions

Multiharmonic Correlations of Different Flow Amplitudes in Pb-Pb Collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=2.76 TeV

The event-by-event correlations between three flow amplitudes are measured for the first time in Pb-Pb collisions, using higher-order symmetric cumulants. We find that different three-harmonic correlations develop during the collective evolution of the medium when compared to correlations that exist in the initial state. These new results cannot be interpreted in terms of previous lower-order flow measurements since contributions from two-harmonic correlations are explicitly removed in the new observables. A comparison to Monte Carlo simulations provides new and independent constraints for the initial conditions and system properties of nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions

Pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles as a function of mid- and forward rapidity multiplicities in pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 5.02, 7 and 13 TeV

The multiplicity dependence of the pseudorapidity density of charged particles in proton–proton (pp) collisions at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}~=~5.02$, 7 and 13 TeV measured by ALICE is reported. The analysis relies on track segments measured in the midrapidity range ($|\eta | < 1.5$). Results are presented for inelastic events having at least one charged particle produced in the pseudorapidity interval $|\eta |<1$. The multiplicity dependence of the pseudorapidity density of charged particles is measured with mid- and forward rapidity multiplicity estimators, the latter being less affected by autocorrelations. A detailed comparison with predictions from the PYTHIA 8 and EPOS LHC event generators is also presented. The results can be used to constrain models for particle production as a function of multiplicity in pp collisions

Measurement of the low-energy antideuteron inelastic cross section

In this Letter, we report the first measurement of the inelastic cross section for antideuteron-nucleus interactions at low particle momenta, covering a range of 0.3 ≤ p < 4 GeV/c. The measurement is carried out using p-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, recorded with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC and utilizing the detector material as an absorber for antideuterons and antiprotons. The extracted raw primary antiparticle-to-particle ratios are compared to the results from detailed ALICE simulations based on the geant4 toolkit for the propagation of (anti)particles through the detector material. The analysis of the raw primary (anti)proton spectra serves as a benchmark for this study, since their hadronic interaction cross sections are well constrained experimentally. The first measurement of the inelastic cross section for antideuteron-nucleus interactions averaged over the ALICE detector material with atomic mass numbers ⟨A⟩ = 17.4 and 31.8 is obtained. The measured inelastic cross section points to a possible excess with respect to the Glauber model parametrization used in geant4 in the lowest momentum interval of 0.3 ≤ p < 0.47 GeV/c up to a factor 2.1. This result is relevant for the understanding of antimatter propagation and the contributions to antinuclei production from cosmic ray interactions within the interstellar medium. In addition, the momentum range covered by this measurement is of particular importance to evaluate signal predictions for indirect dark-matter searches