One dimensional magnetism in synthetic Pauflerite, β\beta-VOSO4_4

We have synthesized single-crystal samples of $\beta$-VOSO$_4$ and fully characterized their magnetic properties. Our magnetic susceptibility, high field magnetization and powder inelastic neutron scattering results are in excellent agreement with theoretical expressions for a one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with an exchange parameter of $3.83(2)$\,meV. Ab-initio calculations identify the superexchange pathway, revealing that the spin-chain does not run along the expected crystallographic chain $a$-direction but instead between V$^{4+}$O$_{6}$ octahedra that are linked via SO$_{4}$ tetrahedra along the $b$-axis. We do not detect any phase transition to a long-range magnetic order within our experimental conditions, indicating $\beta$-VOSO$_4$ is very close to an ideal one-dimensional magnetic system

Systematic effects on dark energy from 3D weak shear

We present an investigation into the potential effect of systematics inherent in multi-band wide field surveys on the dark energy equation of state determination for two 3D weak lensing methods. The weak lensing methods are a geometric shear-ratio method and 3D cosmic shear. The analysis here uses an extension of the Fisher matrix framework to jointly include photometric redshift systematics, shear distortion systematics and intrinsic alignments. We present results for DUNE and Pan-STARRS surveys. We show that assuming systematic parameters are fixed, but possibly biased, results in potentially large biases in dark energy parameters. We quantify any potential bias by defining a Bias Figure of Merit. We also show the effect on the dark energy Figure of Merit of marginalising over each systematic parameter individually. We find that the largest effect on the Figure of Merit comes from uncertainty in the photometric redshift systematic parameters. These can reduce the Figure of Merit by up to a factor of 2 to 4 in both 3D weak lensing methods, if no informative prior on the systematic parameters is applied. Shear distortion systematics have a smaller overall effect. Intrinsic alignment effects can reduce the Figure of Merit by up to a further factor of 2. This, however, is a worst case scenario. By including prior information on systematic parameters the Figure of Merit can be recovered to a large extent. We conclude that, as a rule of thumb, given a realistic current understanding of intrinsic alignments and photometric redshifts, then including all three primary systematic effects reduces the Figure of Merit by at most a factor of 2, but that in reality this factor should be much less. [abridged]Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, submitted to MNRA

Relations between the K_{l3} and tau --> K pi nu_tau decays

We investigate the relations between the K_{l3} and tau --> K pi nu_tau decays using the meson dominance approach. First, the experimental branching fractions (BF) for K^-_{e3} and K^0_{e3} are used to fix two normalization constants (isospin invariance is not assumed). Then, the BF of tau^- --> K^*(892)^- nu_tau is calculated in agreement with experiment. We further argue that the nonzero value of the slope parameter lambda_0 of the K^-_{mu3} and K^0_{mu3} form factors f_0(t) implies the existence of the tau^- --> K_0^*(1430)^- nu_tau decay. We calculate its BF, together with BF's of the K^-_{mu3}, K^0_{mu3}, tau- --> K^- pi^0 nu_tau, and tau- --> antiK^0 pi^0 nu_tau decays, as a function of the lambda_0 parameter. At some value of lambda_0, different for charged and neutral kaons, calculated BF's seem to match existing data and a prediction is obtained for the tau^- --> K pi nu decays going through the K_0^*(1430)^- resonance.Comment: 14 pages, RevTeX, epsf.sty, 3 embedded figure

Effectiveness and Safety of the Switch from Remicade® to CT-P13 in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients with IBD after switching from Remicade® to CT-P13 in comparison with patients who maintain Remicade®. METHODS: Patients under Remicade® who were in clinical remission with standard dosage at study entry were included. The ''switch cohort'' [SC] comprised patients who made the switch from Remicade® to CT-P13, and the ''non-switch'' cohort [NC] patients remained under Remicade®. RESULTS: A total of 476 patients were included: 199 [42%] in the SC and 277 [58%] in the NC. The median follow-up was 18 months in the SC and 23 months in the NC [p < 0.01]. Twenty-four out of 277 patients relapsed in the NC; the incidence of relapse was 5% per patient-year. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 2% at 6 months and 10% at 24 months in this group. Thirty-eight out of 199 patients relapsed in the SC; the incidence rate of relapse was 14% per patient-year. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 5% at 6 months and 28% at 24 months. In the multivariate analysis, the switch to CT-P13 was associated with a higher risk of relapse (HR = 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2-6). Thirteen percent of patients had adverse events in the NC, compared with 6% in the SC [p < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: Switching from Remicade® to CT-P13 might be associated with a higher risk of clinical relapse, although this fact was not supported in our study by an increase in objective markers of inflammation. The nocebo effect might have influenced this result. Switching from Remicade® to CT-P13 was safe

Cryptosporidium Priming Is More Effective than Vaccine for Protection against Cryptosporidiosis in a Murine Protein Malnutrition Model

Cryptosporidium is a major cause of severe diarrhea, especially in malnourished children. Using a murine model of C. parvum oocyst challenge that recapitulates clinical features of severe cryptosporidiosis during malnutrition, we interrogated the effect of protein malnutrition (PM) on primary and secondary responses to C. parvum challenge, and tested the differential ability of mucosal priming strategies to overcome the PM-induced susceptibility. We determined that while PM fundamentally alters systemic and mucosal primary immune responses to Cryptosporidium, priming with C. parvum (106 oocysts) provides robust protective immunity against re-challenge despite ongoing PM. C. parvum priming restores mucosal Th1-type effectors (CD3+CD8+CD103+ T-cells) and cytokines (IFNγ, and IL12p40) that otherwise decrease with ongoing PM. Vaccination strategies with Cryptosporidium antigens expressed in the S. Typhi vector 908htr, however, do not enhance Th1-type responses to C. parvum challenge during PM, even though vaccination strongly boosts immunity in challenged fully nourished hosts. Remote non-specific exposures to the attenuated S. Typhi vector alone or the TLR9 agonist CpG ODN-1668 can partially attenuate C. parvum severity during PM, but neither as effectively as viable C. parvum priming. We conclude that although PM interferes with basal and vaccine-boosted immune responses to C. parvum, sustained reductions in disease severity are possible through mucosal activators of host defenses, and specifically C. parvum priming can elicit impressively robust Th1-type protective immunity despite ongoing protein malnutrition. These findings add insight into potential correlates of Cryptosporidium immunity and future vaccine strategies in malnourished children

GRB 060121: Implications of a Short/Intermediate Duration Gamma-Ray Burst at High Redshift

Since the discovery of the first short-hard gamma-ray burst afterglows in 2005, the handful of observed events have been found to be embedded in nearby (z < 1), bright underlying galaxies. We present multiwavelength observations of the short-duration burst GRB 060121, which is the first observed to clearly outshine its host galaxy (by a factor >10^2). A photometric redshift for this event places the progenitor at a most probable redshift of z = 4.6, with a less probable scenario of z = 1.7. In either case, GRB 060121 could be the farthermost short-duration GRB detected to date and implies an isotropic-equivalent energy release in gamma-rays comparable to that seen in long-duration bursts. We discuss the implications of the released energy on the nature of the progenitor. These results suggest that GRB 060121 may belong to a family of energetic short-duration events, lying at z > 1 and whose optical afterglows would outshine their host galaxies, unlike the first short-duration GRBs observed in 2005. The possibility of GRB 060121 being an intermediate duration burst is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to ApJ