Early deaths and other challenges to childhood cancer survival in Ibadan, Nigeria

Study to determine the frequency of early deaths and the associated risk factors in children suffering from cancer at the University College Hospital, Ibadan

Solution of the two identical ion Penning trap final state

We have derived a closed form analytic expression for the asymptotic motion of a pair of identical ions in a high precision Penning trap. The analytic solution includes the effects of special relativity and the Coulomb interaction between the ions. The existence and physical relevance of such a final state is supported by a confluence of theoretical, experimental and numerical evidence.Comment: 5 pages and 2 figure

Maternal obesity is associated with the formation of small dense LDL and hypoadiponectinemia in the third trimester

Context: Maternal obesity is associated with high plasma triglyceride, poor vascular function, and an increased risk for pregnancy complications. In normal-weight pregnant women, higher triglyceride is associated with increased small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Hypothesis: In obese pregnancy, increased plasma triglyceride concentrations result in triglyceride enrichment of very low-density lipoprotein-1 particles and formation of small dense LDL via lipoprotein lipase. Design: Women (n = 55) of body mass index of 18–46 kg/m2 were sampled longitudinally at 12, 26, and 35 weeks' gestation and 4 months postnatally. Setting: Women were recruited at hospital antenatal appointments, and study visits were in a clinical research suite. Outcome Measures: Plasma concentrations of lipids, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, lipoprotein lipase mass, estradiol, steroid hormone binding globulin, insulin, glucose, leptin, and adiponectin were determined. Results: Obese women commenced pregnancy with higher plasma triglyceride, reached the same maximum, and then returned to higher postnatal levels than normal-weight women. Estradiol response to pregnancy (trimester 1–3 incremental area under the curve) was positively associated with plasma triglyceride response (r2 adjusted 25%, P < .001). In the third trimester, the proportion of small, dense LDL was 2-fold higher in obese women than normal-weight women [mean (SD) 40.7 (18.8) vs 21.9 (10.9)%, P = .014], and 35% of obese, 14% of overweight, and none of the normal-weight women displayed an atherogenic LDL subfraction phenotype. The small, dense LDL mass response to pregnancy was inversely associated with adiponectin response (17%, P = .013). Conclusions: Maternal obesity is associated with an atherogenic LDL subfraction phenotype and may provide a mechanistic link to poor vascular function and adverse pregnancy outcome

Preeclampsia is associated with compromized maternal synthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids leading to offspring deficiency

Obesity and excessive lipolysis are implicated in preeclampsia (PE). Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with low maternal body mass index and decreased lipolysis. Our aim was to assess how maternal and offspring fatty acid metabolism is altered in mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy with PE (n=62) or intrauterine growth restriction (n=23) compared with healthy pregnancies (n=164). Markers of lipid metabolism and erythrocyte fatty acid concentrations were measured. Maternal adipose tissue fatty acid composition and mRNA expression of adipose tissue fatty acid–metabolizing enzymes and placental fatty acid transporters were compared. Mothers with PE had higher plasma triglyceride (21%, P<0.001) and nonesterified fatty acid (50%, P<0.001) concentrations than controls. Concentrations of major n−6 and n−3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes were 23% to 60% lower (all P<0.005) in PE and intrauterine growth restriction mothers and offspring compared with controls. Subcutaneous adipose tissue Δ−5 and Δ−6 desaturase and very long-chain fatty acid elongase mRNA expression was lower in PE than controls (respectively, mean [SD] control 3.38 [2.96] versus PE 1.83 [1.91], P=0.030; 3.33 [2.25] versus 1.03 [0.96], P<0.001; 0.40 [0.81] versus 0.00 [0.00], P=0.038 expression relative to control gene [square root]). Low maternal and fetal long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in PE may be the result of decreased maternal synthesis

Monte-Carlo generator for e+e- annihilation into lepton and hadron pairs with precise radiative corrections

Recently, various cross sections of e+e- annihilation into hadrons were accurately measured in the energy range from 0.37 to 1.39 GeV with the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M collider. In the pi+pi- channel a systematic uncertainty of 0.6% has been achieved. A Monte-Carlo Generator Photon Jets (MCGPJ) was developed to simulate events of the Bhabha scattering as well as production of two charged pions, kaons and muons. Based on the formalism of Structure Functions, the leading logarithmic contributions related to the emission of photon jets in the collinear region are incorporated into the MC generator. Radiative corrections (RC) in the first order of alpha are accounted for exactly. The theoretical precision of the cross sections with RC is estimated to be better than 0.2%. Numerous tests of the program as well as comparison with other MC generators and CMD-2 experimental data are presented.Comment: LaTeX, 23 pages with 18 figure

Cross section of the processes e++e−→e++e−(γ)e^++e^-\to e^++e^-(\gamma), →π++π−(γ)\to \pi^++\pi^-(\gamma), μ++μ−(γ) \mu^++\mu^-(\gamma), γ+γ(γ) \gamma+\gamma(\gamma) in the energy region 200 MeV ≤2E≤\le 2E\le 3 GeV

The cross section for different processes induced by $e^+e^-$ annihilation, in the kinematical limit $\beta_{\mu}\approx\beta_{\pi}=(1-m_{\pi}^2/\epsilon^2)^{1/2}\sim 1$, is calculated taking into account first order corrections to the amplitudes and the corrections due to soft emitted photons, with energy $\omega\le\Delta E\le \epsilon$ in the center of mass of the $e^+e^-$ colliding beams. The results are given separately for charge--odd and charge--even terms in the final channels $\pi^+\pi^-(\gamma)$ and $\mu^+\mu^-(\gamma)$. In case of pions, form factors are taken into account. The differential cross sections for the processes: $e^++e^-\to e^++e^-(+\gamma)$, $\to \pi^++\pi^-(\gamma)$, $\to \mu^++\mu^-(\gamma),\to \gamma\gamma(\gamma)$ have been calculated and the corresponding formula are given in the ultrarelativistic limit $\sqrt{s}/2= \epsilon \gg m_{\mu}\sim m_{\pi}$ . For a quantitative evaluation of the contribution of higher order of the perturbation theory, the production of $\pi^+\pi^-$, including radiative corrections, is calculated in the approach of the lepton structure functions. This allows to estimate the precision of the obtained results as better than 0.5% outside the energy region corresponding to narrow resonances. A method to integrate the cross section, avoiding the difficulties which arise from singularities is also described.Comment: 25 pages 3 firgur

World Mineral Production 2011-15

The latest edition of this annual publication from the British Geological Survey (BGS). This volume contains mineral production statistics for the five year period from 2011 to 2015, for more than 70 mineral commodities, by country worldwide. It is the latest publication from the World Mineral Statistics dataset which began in 1913. The information contained in the dataset, and associated publications, is compiled from a wide range of sources: home and overseas government departments, national statistical offices, specialist commodity authorities, company reports, and a network of contacts throughout the world. The database compilers aim for integrity and accuracy in the data and, for quality control purposes, participate in international specialist groups, and maintain close links with other mineral statistics providers in Europe and North America

World Mineral Production 2009-13

The latest edition of this annual publication from the British Geological Survey (BGS) is now available to download. This volume contains mineral production statistics for the five year period from 2009 to 2013, for more than 70 mineral commodities, by country worldwide. It is the latest publication from the World Mineral Statistics dataset which began in 1913. The information contained in the dataset, and associated publications, is compiled from a wide range of sources: home and overseas government departments, national statistical offices, specialist commodity authorities, company reports, and a network of contacts throughout the world. The database compilers aim for integrity and accuracy in the data and, for quality control purposes, participate in international specialist groups, and maintain close links with other mineral statistics providers in Europe and North America. The data provides essential mineral intelligence for: • security of supply issues • economic analyses • environmental issues • sustainable development planning • regulation and policy issues • commercial strategic planning The data are available in the following formats: • Annual publication of “World Mineral Production” and its predecessors, which can be downloaded in pdf from our World Archive • MS Excel for years from 1992 via our data download tool • The most recent editions are available to purchase in hard copy from the BGS online shop • One off reports such as those shown lower down this page, available for download in pd