Effect of participatory women's groups facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists on birth outcomes in rural eastern India: A cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: A quarter of the world's neonatal deaths and 15% of maternal deaths happen in India. Few community-based strategies to improve maternal and newborn health have been tested through the country's government-approved Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). We aimed to test the effect of participatory women's groups facilitated by ASHAs on birth outcomes, including neonatal mortality. Methods: In this cluster-randomised controlled trial of a community interve

Roton-phonon excitations in Chern-Simons matter theory at finite density

We consider SU(N) Chern-Simons theory coupled to a scalar field in the fun- damental representation at strictly zero temperature and finite chemical potential for the global U(1)B particle number or flavour symmetry. In the semiclassical regime we identify a Bose condensed ground state with a vacuum expectation value (VEV) for the scalar accom- panied by noncommuting background gauge field matrix VEVs. These matrices coincide with the droplet ground state of the Abelian quantum Hall matrix model. The ground state spontaneously breaks U(1)B and Higgses the gauge group whilst preserving spatial rotations and a colour-flavour locked global U(1) symmetry. We compute the perturbative spectrum of semiclassical fluctuations for the SU(2) theory and show the existence of a single massless state with a linear phonon dispersion relation and a roton minimum (and maximum) determining the Landau critical superfluid velocity. For the massless scalar theory with vanishing self interactions, the semiclassical dispersion relations and location of roton extrema take on universal forms

Eff ect of participatory women's groups facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists on birth outcomes in rural eastern India: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Summary Background A quarter of the world's neonatal deaths and 15% of maternal deaths happen in India. Few community-based strategies to improve maternal and newborn health have been tested through the country's government-approved Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). We aimed to test the eff ect of participatory women's groups facilitated by ASHAs on birth outcomes, including neonatal mortality

Probing the chiral magnetic wave with charge-dependent flow measurements in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

The Chiral Magnetic Wave (CMW) phenomenon is essential to provide insights into the strong interaction in QCD, the properties of the quark-gluon plasma, and the topological characteristics of the early universe, offering a deeper understanding of fundamental physics in high-energy collisions. Measurements of the charge-dependent anisotropic flow coefficients are studied in Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV to probe the CMW. In particular, the slope of the normalized difference in elliptic (v$_{2}$) and triangular (v$_{3}$) flow coefficients of positively and negatively charged particles as a function of their event-wise normalized number difference, is reported for inclusive and identified particles. The slope ${r}_3^{\textrm{Norm}}$ is found to be larger than zero and to have a magnitude similar to ${r}_2^{\textrm{Norm}}$, thus pointing to a large background contribution for these measurements. Furthermore, ${r}_2^{\textrm{Norm}}$ can be described by a blast wave model calculation that incorporates local charge conservation. In addition, using the event shape engineering technique yields a fraction of CMW (f$_{CMW}$) contribution to this measurement which is compatible with zero. This measurement provides the very first upper limit for f$_{CMW}$, and in the 10–60% centrality interval it is found to be 26% (38%) at 95% (99.7%) confidence level

Charm production and fragmentation fractions at midrapidity in pp collisions at s \sqrt{\textrm{s}} = 13 TeV

Measurements of the production cross sections of prompt D$^{0}$, D$^{+}$, D$^{*+}$, ${\textrm{D}}_{\textrm{s}}^{+}$, ${\Lambda}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$, and ${\Xi}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$ charm hadrons at midrapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector are presented. The D-meson cross sections as a function of transverse momentum (p$_{T}$) are provided with improved precision and granularity. The ratios of p$_{T}$-differential meson production cross sections based on this publication and on measurements at different rapidity and collision energy provide a constraint on gluon parton distribution functions at low values of Bjorken-x (10$^{−5}$–10$^{−4}$). The measurements of ${\Lambda}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$ (${\Xi}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$) baryon production extend the measured p$_{T}$ intervals down to p$_{T}$ = 0(3) GeV/c. These measurements are used to determine the charm-quark fragmentation fractions and the $\textrm{c}\overline{\textrm{c}}$ production cross section at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) based on the sum of the cross sections of the weakly-decaying ground-state charm hadrons D$^{0}$, D$^{+}$, ${\textrm{D}}_{\textrm{s}}^{+}$, ${\Lambda}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$, ${\Xi}_{\textrm{c}}^0$ and, for the first time, ${\Xi}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$, and of the strongly-decaying J/ψ mesons. The first measurements of ${\Xi}_{\textrm{c}}^{+}$ and ${\Sigma}_{\textrm{c}}^{0,++}$ fragmentation fractions at midrapidity are also reported. A significantly larger fraction of charm quarks hadronising to baryons is found compared to e$^{+}$e$^{−}$ and ep collisions. The $\textrm{c}\overline{\textrm{c}}$ production cross section at midrapidity is found to be at the upper bound of state-of-the-art perturbative QCD calculations.[graphic not available: see fulltext

Measurement of Non-prompt D0\rm D^0-meson Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02 TeV

International audienceThe elliptic flow ($v_2$) of $\rm D^0$ mesons from beauty-hadron decays (non-prompt $\rm D^0$) was measured in midcentral (30-50%) Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The $\rm D^0$ mesons were reconstructed at midrapidity ($|y|<0.8$) from their hadronic decay $\mathrm{D^0 \to K^-\pi^+}$, in the transverse momentum interval $2 < p_{\rm T} < 12$ GeV/$c$. The result indicates a positive $v_2$ for non-prompt $\rm D^0$ mesons with a significance of 2.7$\sigma$. The non-prompt $\rm D^0$-meson $v_2$ is lower than that of prompt non-strange D mesons with 3.2$\sigma$ significance in $2 < p_{\rm T} < 8$ GeV/$c$, and compatible with the $v_2$ of beauty-decay electrons. Theoretical calculations of beauty-quark transport in a hydrodynamically expanding medium describe the measurement within uncertainties

Search for jet quenching effects in high-multiplicity pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV via di-jet acoplanarity

International audienceThe ALICE Collaboration reports a search for jet quenching effects in high-multiplicity (HM) proton$-$proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, using the semi-inclusive azimuthal-difference distribution $\Delta\varphi$ of charged-particle jets recoiling from a high transverse momentum (high-$p_{\mathrm{T,trig}}$) trigger hadron. Jet quenching may broaden the $\Delta\varphi$ distribution measured in HM events compared to that in minimum bias (MB) events. The measurement employs a $p_{\mathrm{T,trig}}$-differential observable for data-driven suppression of the contribution of multiple partonic interactions, which is the dominant background. While azimuthal broadening is indeed observed in HM compared to MB events, similar broadening for HM events is observed for simulations based on the PYTHIA 8 Monte Carlo generator, which does not incorporate jet quenching. We elucidate the origin of the broadening by comparing biases induced by HM selection in the data and simulations, and discuss its implications for the study of jet quenching in small collision systems

Prompt and non-prompt J/ψ/\psi production at midrapidity in Pb−-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02 TeV

International audienceThe transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and centrality dependence of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$ of prompt and non-prompt J$/\psi$, the latter originating from the weak decays of beauty hadrons, have been measured by the ALICE collaboration in Pb$-$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The measurements are carried out through the ${\rm e}^{+}{\rm e}^{-}$ decay channel at midrapidity ($|y|$ 5 GeV/$c$, which becomes stronger with increasing collision centrality. The results are consistent with similar LHC measurements in the overlapping $p_{\rm T}$ intervals, and cover the kinematic region down to $p_{\rm T}$ = 1.5 GeV/$c$ at midrapidity, not accessible by other LHC experiments. The suppression of prompt J$/\psi$ in central and semicentral collisions exhibits a decreasing trend towards lower transverse momentum, described within uncertainties by models implementing J$/\psi$ production from recombination of c and $\overline{\rm c}$ quarks produced independently in different partonic scatterings. At high transverse momentum, transport models including quarkonium dissociation are able to describe the suppression for prompt J$/\psi$. For non-prompt J$/\psi$, the suppression predicted by models including both collisional and radiative processes for the computation of the beauty-quark energy loss inside the quark$-$gluon plasma is consistent with measurements within uncertainties

Charm production and fragmentation fractions at midrapidity in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Measurements of the production cross sections of prompt D0, D+, D∗+, D+s, Λ+c, and Ξ+c charm hadrons at midrapidity in proton−proton collisions at s√=13 TeV with the ALICE detector are presented. The D-meson cross sections as a function of transverse momentum (pT) are provided with improved precision and granularity. The ratios of pT-differential meson production cross sections based on this publication and on measurements at different rapidity and collision energy provide a constraint on gluon parton distribution functions at low values of Bjorken-x (10−5−10−4). The measurements of Λ+c (Ξ+c) baryon production extend the measured pT intervals down to pT=0(3)~GeV/c. These measurements are used to determine the charm-quark fragmentation fractions and the cc¯¯ production cross section at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) based on the sum of the cross sections of the weakly-decaying ground-state charm hadrons D0, D+, D+s, Λ+c, Ξ0c and, for the first time, Ξ+c, and of the strongly-decaying J/psi mesons. The first measurements of Ξ+c and Σ0,++c fragmentation fractions at midrapidity are also reported. A significantly larger fraction of charm quarks hadronising to baryons is found compared to e+e− and ep collisions. The cc¯¯ production cross section at midrapidity is found to be at the upper bound of state-of-the-art perturbative QCD calculations