Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Racism as a determinant of health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite a growing body of epidemiological evidence in recent years documenting the health impacts of racism, the cumulative evidence base has yet to be synthesized in a comprehensive meta-analysis focused specifically on racism as a determinant of health. This meta-analysis reviewed the literature focusing on the relationship between reported racism and mental and physical health outcomes. Data from 293 studies reported in 333 articles published between 1983 and 2013, and conducted predominately in the U.S., were analysed using random effects models and mean weighted effect sizes. Racism was associated with poorer mental health (negative mental health: r = -.23, 95% CI [-.24,-.21], k = 227; positive mental health: r = -.13, 95% CI [-.16,-.10], k = 113), including depression, anxiety, psychological stress and various other outcomes. Racism was also associated with poorer general health (r = -.13 (95% CI [-.18,-.09], k = 30), and poorer physical health (r = -.09, 95% CI [-.12,-.06], k = 50). Moderation effects were found for some outcomes with regard to study and exposure characteristics. Effect sizes of racism on mental health were stronger in cross-sectional compared with longitudinal data and in non-representative samples compared with representative samples. Age, sex, birthplace and education level did not moderate the effects of racism on health. Ethnicity significantly moderated the effect of racism on negative mental health and physical health: the association between racism and negative mental health was significantly stronger for Asian American and Latino(a) American participants compared with African American participants, and the association between racism and physical health was significantly stronger for Latino(a) American participants compared with African American participants.<br /

Identification of 12 new susceptibility loci for different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

To identify common alleles associated with different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), we pooled data from multiple genome-wide genotyping projects totaling 25,509 EOC cases and 40,941 controls. We identified nine new susceptibility loci for different EOC histotypes: six for serous EOC histotypes (3q28, 4q32.3, 8q21.11, 10q24.33, 18q11.2 and 22q12.1), two for mucinous EOC (3q22.3 and 9q31.1) and one for endometrioid EOC (5q12.3). We then performed meta-analysis on the results for high-grade serous ovarian cancer with the results from analysis of 31,448 BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, including 3,887 mutation carriers with EOC. This identified three additional susceptibility loci at 2q13, 8q24.1 and 12q24.31. Integrated analyses of genes and regulatory biofeatures at each locus predicted candidate susceptibility genes, including OBFC1, a new candidate susceptibility gene for low-grade and borderline serous EOC

Aligning the CMS Muon Chambers with the Muon Alignment System during an Extended Cosmic Ray Run

Peer reviewe

The stage of soil development modulates rhizosphere effect along a High Arctic desert chronosequence

In mature soils, plant species and soil type determine the selection of root microbiota. Which of these two factors drives rhizosphere selection in barren substrates of developing desert soils has, however, not yet been established. Chronosequences of glacier forelands provide ideal natural environments to identify primary rhizosphere selection factors along the changing edaphic conditions of a developing soil. Here, we analyze changes in bacterial diversity in bulk soils and rhizospheres of a pioneer plant across a High Arctic glacier chronosequence. We show that the developmental stage of soil strongly modulates rhizosphere community assembly, even though plant-induced selection buffers the effect of changing edaphic factors. Bulk and rhizosphere soils host distinct bacterial communities that differentially vary along the chronosequence. Cation exchange capacity, exchangeable potassium, and metabolite concentration in the soil account for the rhizosphere bacterial diversity. Although the soil fraction (bulk soil and rhizosphere) explains up to 17.2% of the variation in bacterial microbiota, the soil developmental stage explains up to 47.7% of this variation. In addition, the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) co-occurrence network of the rhizosphere, whose complexity increases along the chronosequence, is loosely structured in barren compared with mature soils, corroborating our hypothesis that soil development tunes the rhizosphere effect

European Space: How space missions are created in European context

Large and challenging space programs like the ISS and future missions to Mars and beyond are more and more realized in a multi-national global context involving in specific European partners. European space business involves various players to balance out the mission objectives, the technical performances and configurations with the financial and schedule constraints on programmatic side. Various proposals exist regarding space exploration and the continuation of manned spaceflight after ISS, spreading from feasible low cost LEO – concepts (speaker 1, DLR system institute) to high complex stations at Moon and Mars. Furthermore, the national space agencies (speaker 2, DLR program management) united under the European Space Agency (speaker 3) are responsible to organize the industrial organization and balance the various national interests and their related funding. This iterative process leads in the end to programs entering into the realization and actual building of space qualified hardware (Phase C/D) and the launch and operations of the mission (Phase E) for which the industry is involved on System, Subsystem and Equipment level (speaker 4,5 and 6). This Panel will give you specific insight into the various roles needed to work together in a co-operative way to bring a European Space Program to a success

Eating disorders, body image and media exposure among adolescent girls in rural Burkina Faso

OBJECTIVE: Body dissatisfaction and eating disorders (ED) among young females may increase in limited-resource settings as exposure to media and higher-resource cultures increases. We examined ED prevalence and its predictors among adolescent females in rural north-western Burkina Faso. METHODS: Fieldworkers interviewed 696 female adolescents aged 12-20 in the Nouna Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). ED were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), self-perceived appearance and body ideal were measured using the Thompson and Gray's Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS) and eating disorder predictors by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). We assessed media exposure to magazines, radio, television and the internet. RESULTS: 16% of respondents had a BMI below WHO age-standardized 5th percentile while 4% were above the 85th percentile; most respondents wanted to be larger. DSM-5 criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) were fulfilled by four of 696 respondents (0.6%), those for bulimia nervosa by none, and those for binge eating disorder by two (0.3%). In multivariable regression, more AN symptoms were associated with greater EDE-Q body dissatisfaction, desiring a thinner body and a history of sexual harassment or assault, but not with media exposure. Conversely, a thinner desired body was associated with greater media exposure, higher BMI z-score and greater EDE-Q disordered eating. CONCLUSION: ED was very rare in rural Burkinabé female adolescents, but factors predictive of ED in higher-resource settings were also predictive here. Our findings suggest that increasing media exposure in resource-limited settings may lead to increased body dissatisfaction, and potentially to increased future ED prevalence