Modelling hepatitis C infection acquired from blood transfusions in the UK between 1970 and 1991 for the Infected Blood Inquiry

The Statistics Expert Group was convened at the request of the Infected Blood Inquiry to provide estimates of the number of infections and deaths from blood-borne infections including hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, as a direct result of contaminated blood and blood products administered in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). In the absence of databases of HCV infections and related deaths for all nations of the UK, a statistical model was required to estimate the number of infections and subsequent deaths from HCV acquired from blood transfusions from January 1970 to August 1991. We present this statistical model in detail alongside the results of its application to each of the four nations in the UK. We estimated that 26 800 people (95% uncertainty interval 21 300–38 800) throughout the UK were chronically infected with HCV because of contaminated blood transfusions between January 1970 and August 1991. The number of deaths up to the end of 2019 that occurred as a result of this chronic infection is estimated to be 1820 (95% uncertainty interval 650–3320)

NA60 results on thermal dimuons

The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS has measured muon pairs with unprecedented precision in 158A GeV In-In collisions. A strong excess of pairs above the known sources is observed in the whole mass region 0.2<M<2.6 GeV. The mass spectrum for M<1 GeV is consistent with a dominant contribution from pi+pi- -> rho -> mu+mu- annihilation. The associated rho spectral function shows a strong broadening, but essentially no shift in mass. For M>1 GeV, the excess is found to be prompt, not due to enhanced charm production, with pronounced differences to Drell-Yan pairs. The slope parameter Teff associated with the transverse momentum spectra rises with mass up to the rho, followed by a sudden decline above. The rise for M<1 GeV is consistent with radial flow of a hadronic emission source. The seeming absence of significant flow for M>1 GeV and its relation to parton-hadron duality is discussed in detail, suggesting a dominantly partonic emission source in this region. A comparison of the data to the present status of theoretical modeling is also contained. The accumulated empirical evidence, including also a Planck-like shape of the mass spectra at low pT and the lack of polarization, is consistent with a global interpretation of the excess dimuons as thermal radiation. We conclude with first results on omega in-medium effects.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J.

High-resolution ptychographic imaging at a seeded free-electron laser source using OAM beams

Electromagnetic waves possessing orbital angular momentum (OAM) are powerful tools for applications in optical communications, new quantum technologies and optical tweezers. Recently, they have attracted growing interest since they can be harnessed to detect peculiar helical dichroic effects in chiral molecular media and in magnetic nanostructures. In this work, we perform single-shot per position ptychography on a nanostructured object at a seeded free-electron laser, using extreme ultraviolet OAM beams of different topological charge order $\ell$ generated with spiral zone plates. By controlling $\ell$, we demonstrate how the structural features of OAM beam profile determine an improvement of about 30% in image resolution with respect to conventional Gaussian beam illumination. This result extends the capabilities of coherent diffraction imaging techniques, and paves the way for achieving time-resolved high-resolution (below 100 nm) microscopy on large area samples.Comment: M. Pancaldi and F. Guzzi contributed equally to this wor

Longitudinal Metabolite Changes in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Study of 3 Potential Neuroprotective Treatments

BACKGROUND: 1 H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) may provide a direct index for the testing of medicines for neuroprotection and drug mechanisms in multiple sclerosis (MS) through measures of total N-acetyl-aspartate (tNAA), total creatine (tCr), myo-inositol (mIns), total-choline (tCho), and glutamate + glutamine (Glx). Neurometabolites may be associated with clinical disability with evidence that baseline neuroaxonal integrity is associated with upper limb function and processing speed in secondary progressive MS (SPMS). PURPOSE: To assess the effect on neurometabolites from three candidate drugs after 96-weeks as seen by 1 H-MRS and their association with clinical disability in SPMS. STUDY-TYPE: Longitudinal. POPULATION: 108 participants with SPMS randomized to receive neuroprotective drugs amiloride [mean age 55.4 (SD 7.4), 61% female], fluoxetine [55.6 (6.6), 71%], riluzole [54.6 (6.3), 68%], or placebo [54.8 (7.9), 67%]. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3-Tesla. Chemical-shift-imaging 2D-point-resolved-spectroscopy (PRESS), 3DT1. ASSESSMENT: Brain metabolites in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter (GM), brain volume, lesion load, nine-hole peg test (9HPT), and paced auditory serial addition test were measured at baseline and at 96-weeks. STATISTICAL TESTS: Paired t-test was used to analyze metabolite changes in the placebo arm over 96-weeks. Metabolite differences between treatment arms and placebo; and associations between baseline metabolites and upper limb function/information processing speed at 96-weeks assessed using multiple linear regression models. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the placebo arm, tCho increased in GM (mean difference = -0.32 IU) but decreased in NAWM (mean difference = 0.13 IU). Compared to placebo, in the fluoxetine arm, mIns/tCr was lower (β = -0.21); in the riluzole arm, GM Glx (β = -0.25) and Glx/tCr (β = -0.29) were reduced. Baseline tNAA(β = 0.22) and tNAA/tCr (β = 0.23) in NAWM were associated with 9HPT scores at 96-weeks. DATA CONCLUSION: 1 H-MRS demonstrated altered membrane turnover over 96-weeks in the placebo group. It also distinguished changes in neuro-metabolites related to gliosis and glutaminergic transmission, due to fluoxetine and riluzole, respectively. Data show tNAA is a potential marker for upper limb function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4

Longitudinal metabolite changes in progressive multiple sclerosis:A study of 3 potential neuroprotective treatments

Background: 1 H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) may provide a direct index for the testing of medicines for neuroprotection and drug mechanisms in multiple sclerosis (MS) through measures of total N-acetyl-aspartate (tNAA), total creatine (tCr), myo-inositol (mIns), total-choline (tCho), and glutamate + glutamine (Glx). Neurometabolites may be associated with clinical disability with evidence that baseline neuroaxonal integrity is associated with upper limb function and processing speed in secondary progressive MS (SPMS). Purpose: To assess the effect on neurometabolites from three candidate drugs after 96-weeks as seen by 1 H-MRS and their association with clinical disability in SPMS. Study-type: Longitudinal. Population: 108 participants with SPMS randomized to receive neuroprotective drugs amiloride [mean age 55.4 (SD 7.4), 61% female], fluoxetine [55.6 (6.6), 71%], riluzole [54.6 (6.3), 68%], or placebo [54.8 (7.9), 67%]. Field strength/sequence: 3-Tesla. Chemical-shift-imaging 2D-point-resolved-spectroscopy (PRESS), 3DT1. Assessment: Brain metabolites in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter (GM), brain volume, lesion load, nine-hole peg test (9HPT), and paced auditory serial addition test were measured at baseline and at 96-weeks. Statistical tests: Paired t-test was used to analyze metabolite changes in the placebo arm over 96-weeks. Metabolite differences between treatment arms and placebo; and associations between baseline metabolites and upper limb function/information processing speed at 96-weeks assessed using multiple linear regression models. P-value&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the placebo arm, tCho increased in GM (mean difference = -0.32 IU) but decreased in NAWM (mean difference = 0.13 IU). Compared to placebo, in the fluoxetine arm, mIns/tCr was lower (β = -0.21); in the riluzole arm, GM Glx (β = -0.25) and Glx/tCr (β = -0.29) were reduced. Baseline tNAA(β = 0.22) and tNAA/tCr (β = 0.23) in NAWM were associated with 9HPT scores at 96-weeks. Data conclusion: 1 H-MRS demonstrated altered membrane turnover over 96-weeks in the placebo group. It also distinguished changes in neuro-metabolites related to gliosis and glutaminergic transmission, due to fluoxetine and riluzole, respectively. Data show tNAA is a potential marker for upper limb function. Level of evidence: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4

Large scale characterization and calibration strategy of a SiPM-based camera for gamma-ray astronomy

The SST-1M is a 4-m diameter mirror Davies-Cotton gamma-ray telescope. It has been designed to cover the energy range above 500 GeV and to be part of an array of telescopes separated by 150-200 m. Its innovative camera is featuring large area hexagonal silicon photo-multipliers as photon detectors and a fully digital trigger and readout system. Here, the strategy and the methods for its calibration are presented, together with the obtained results. In particular, the off and on-site calibration strategies are demonstrated on the first camera prototype. The performances of the camera in terms of charge and time resolution are described