Harmonization of Amoxicillin Dose, Duration, and Formulation for Acute Childhood Respiratory Infections

Pediatric guidelines vary in their recommended amoxicillin dosing for common respiratory infections. It would help program delivery if there was harmonization of dosing and formulation of amoxicillin across multiple clinical respiratory infections, considering the pharmacokinetics, common targets, drug resistance, availability, cost effectiveness, and ease of administration. The World Health Organization EML AWaRe Book recommends higher dose amoxicillin given twice daily for five days for all uncomplicated respiratory infections where an antibiotic is indicated. The WHO AWaRe Book amoxicillin dosing guidance can be achieved for infants and older children using only scored 250 mg and 500 mg dispersible tablets (DTs), the WHO recommended child formulation. There is a clear need for wider availability of 250 mg/500 mg dispersible tablets of amoxicillin in both public and private health care sectors, to improve access to essential antibiotics

First measurement of muon-neutrino disappearance in NOvA

This paper reports the first measurement using the NOvA detectors of nu(mu) disappearance in a nu(mu) beam. The analysis uses a 14 kton-equivalent exposure of 2.74 x 10(20) protons-on-target from the Fermilab NuMI beam. Assuming the normal neutrino mass hierarchy, we measure Delta m(32)(2) = (2.52(-0.18)(+0.20)) x 10(-3) eV(2) and sin(2) theta(23) in the range 0.38-0.65, both at the 68% confidence level, with two statistically degenerate best-fit points at sin(2) theta(23) = 0.43 and 0.60. Results for the inverted mass hierarchy are also presented

First Measurement of Monoenergetic Muon Neutrino Charged Current Interactions

We report the first measurement of monoenergetic muon neutrino charged current interactions. MiniBooNE has isolated 236 MeV muon neutrino events originating from charged kaon decay at rest ($K^+ \rightarrow \mu^+ \nu_\mu$) at the NuMI beamline absorber. These signal $\nu_\mu$-carbon events are distinguished from primarily pion decay in flight $\nu_\mu$ and $\overline{\nu}_\mu$ backgrounds produced at the target station and decay pipe using their arrival time and reconstructed muon energy. The significance of the signal observation is at the 3.9$\sigma$ level. The muon kinetic energy, neutrino-nucleus energy transfer ($\omega=E_\nu-E_\mu$), and total cross section for these events is extracted. This result is the first known-energy, weak-interaction-only probe of the nucleus to yield a measurement of $\omega$ using neutrinos, a quantity thus far only accessible through electron scattering.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Point Prevalence Surveys of Antimicrobial Use among Hospitalized Children in Six Hospitals in India in 2016.

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in India is among the highest in the world. Antimicrobial use in inpatient settings is an important driver of resistance, but is poorly characterized, particularly in hospitalized children. In this study, conducted as part of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Prescribing, and Efficacy in Neonates and Children (GARPEC) project, we examined the prevalence of and indications of antimicrobial use, as well as antimicrobial agents used among hospitalized children by conducting four point prevalence surveys in six hospitals between February 2016 and February 2017. A total of 681 children were hospitalized in six hospitals across all survey days, and 419 (61.5%) were prescribed one or more antimicrobials (antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals). Antibacterial agents accounted for 90.8% (547/602) of the total antimicrobial prescriptions, of which third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) accounted for 38.9% (213/547) and penicillin plus enzyme inhibitor combinations accounted for 14.4% (79/547). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) was the most common indication for prescribing antimicrobials (149 prescriptions; 24.8%). Although national guidelines recommend the use of penicillin and combinations as first-line agents for LRTI, 3GCs were the most commonly prescribed antibacterial agents (55/149 LRTI prescriptions; 36.9%). In conclusion, 61.5% of hospitalized children were on at least one antimicrobial agent, with excessive use of 3GCs. Hence there is an opportunity to limit their inappropriate use

Measurement of the antineutrino neutral-current elastic differential cross section

arXiv:1309.7257v1 [hep-ex

Measurement of the neutrino component of an anti-neutrino beam observed by a non-magnetized detector

Two independent methods are employed to measure the neutrino flux of the anti-neutrino-mode beam observed by the MiniBooNE detector. The first method compares data to simulated event rates in a high purity \numu induced charged-current single \pip (CC1\pip) sample while the second exploits the difference between the angular distributions of muons created in \numu and \numub charged-current quasi-elastic (CCQE) interactions. The results from both analyses indicate the prediction of the neutrino flux component of the pre-dominately anti-neutrino beam is over-estimated - the CC1\pip analysis indicates the predicted \numu flux should be scaled by $0.76 \pm 0.11$, while the CCQE angular fit yields $0.65 \pm 0.23$. The energy spectrum of the flux prediction is checked by repeating the analyses in bins of reconstructed neutrino energy, and the results show that the spectral shape is well modeled. These analyses are a demonstration of techniques for measuring the neutrino contamination of anti-neutrino beams observed by future non-magnetized detectors.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, published in Physical Review D, latest version reflects changes from referee comment

Light Sterile Neutrinos: A White Paper

This white paper addresses the hypothesis of light sterile neutrinos based on recent anomalies observed in neutrino experiments and the latest astrophysical data