115 research outputs found

    Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

    Get PDF
    The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

    Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25¡4% (95% CI 19¡1-31¡8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7¡8%, 4¡8-10¡7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27¡2%, 17¡6-36¡8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33¡0%, 18¡3-47¡6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6¡6%, 1¡8-11¡3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33¡1%, 11¡1-55¡1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24¡3%, 16¡1-32¡6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

    Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks: The GR@ACE project

    Get PDF
    INTRODUCTION: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. METHODS: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. RESULTS: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. DISCUSSION: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series

    Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project

    Get PDF
    Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series

    Reporte de Estabilidad Financiera - II semestre 2020

    Get PDF
    El sistema financiero colombiano no ha sufrido mayores traumatismos estructurales durante estos meses de profunda contracciĂłn econĂłmica, y ha continuado prestando con normalidad sus funciones bĂĄsicas, facilitando la respuesta de la economĂ­a a condiciones extremas. Ello es el resultado de la solidez de las entidades financieras al inicio de la crisis, reflejada en elevados indicadores de liquidez y solvencia, y de la oportuna respuesta de distintas entidades. El Banco de la RepĂşblica redujo 250 puntos sus tasas de interĂŠs de polĂ­tica, hasta 1,75%, el menor nivel desde la creaciĂłn del nuevo Banco independiente en 1991, y otorgĂł amplia liquidez transitoria y permanente, tanto en pesos como en moneda extranjera. Por su parte, la Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia adoptĂł medidas prudenciales para facilitar cambios en las condiciones de los crĂŠditos vigentes y reglas transitorias de calificaciĂłn y constituciĂłn de provisiones. Finalmente, el Gobierno Nacional expandiĂł las transferencias y los programas de crĂŠditos garantizados a la economĂ­a. El acervo de crĂŠdito real (i.e. descontando la inflaciĂłn) en la economĂ­a supera hoy en 4% el de hace 12 meses, con crecimientos especialmente marcados en la cartera de vivienda (5,6%) y comercial (4,7%) (2,3% en consumo y -0,1% en microcrĂŠdito), pero ha habido cambios importantes en el tiempo. En los meses iniciales de la cuarentena las firmas elevaron fuertemente sus demandas por liquidez, y los consumidores las redujeron, mientras que en los meses recientes la dinĂĄmica del crĂŠdito a las firmas ha tendido a desacelerarse, y la del crĂŠdito a los consumidores y a la vivienda ha crecido. El sistema financiero ha respondido satisfactoriamente a la evoluciĂłn de la demanda relativa de cada grupo o sector, y el crĂŠdito posiblemente crecerĂĄ a tasas altas en 2021 si el PIB crece a tasas cercanas a 4,6% como lo espera el equipo tĂŠcnico del Banco, pero los pronĂłsticos son altamente inciertos. Luego de la fuerte cuarentena implementada por las autoridades en Colombia, las turbulencias observadas en marzo y comienzos de abril, evidentes en el enrojecimiento repentino de variables macroeconĂłmicas en el mapa de riesgos del GrĂĄfico A , y la caĂ­da en los precios del petrĂłleo y el carbĂłn (nĂłtese las altas volatilidades registradas en la regiĂłn de riesgo de mercado del GrĂĄfico A), los mercados financieros locales se estabilizaron con relativa rapidez. En esta estabilizaciĂłn tuvo un papel determinante la respuesta de polĂ­tica creĂ­ble y sostenida del Banco de la RepĂşblica en lo referente a la provisiĂłn de liquidez, con una fuerte expansiĂłn de operaciones repo (y variaciones en montos, plazos, contrapartes e instrumentos admisibles), la compra definitiva de deuda pĂşblica y privada, y la reducciĂłn del encaje de los bancos. En este sentido, hoy se observa abundante liquidez agregada y mejoras importantes en la posiciĂłn de liquidez de los fondos de inversiĂłn colectiva. En este contexto, el principal factor de incertidumbre para la estabilidad financiera en el corto plazo continĂşa siendo el alto grado de incertidumbre que rodea a la calidad de la cartera. En primer lugar, es incierta la trayectoria futura del nĂşmero de contagiados y fallecidos como consecuencia del virus y la eventual necesidad de medidas sanitarias adicionales. Por tal razĂłn, tambiĂŠn existe incertidumbre sobre la senda de recuperaciĂłn de la economĂ­a en el corto y mediano plazo. En segundo lugar, es incierto el grado en que el choque actual se reflejarĂĄ en la calidad de la cartera una vez se materialice el riesgo en los estados financieros. De momento, el mapa de riesgos (GrĂĄfico B) indica que la cartera vencida y la cartera riesgosa no han mostrado mayores deterioros, pero la experiencia histĂłrica indica que perĂ­odos de fuerte desaceleraciĂłn econĂłmica tienden a coincidir eventualmente con aumentos de la cartera vencida: los cĂĄlculos incluidos en este reporte sugieren que el impacto de la recesiĂłn sobre la calidad del crĂŠdito en el corto plazo podrĂ­a ser significativo. Ello es particularmente preocupante teniendo en cuenta que la rentabilidad de los establecimientos de crĂŠdito ha venido reduciĂŠndose en meses recientes, lo cual podrĂ­a afectar su capacidad para otorgar crĂŠdito al sector real de la economĂ­a. Con el fin de adoptar un enfoque prospectivo de cara a las vulnerabilidades identificadas, este reporte presenta varios ejercicios de sensibilidad (stress tests) que evalĂşan la resiliencia de la liquidez y la solvencia de los establecimientos de crĂŠdito y de los fondos de inversiĂłn colectiva ante escenarios hipotĂŠticos que buscan aproximarse a una versiĂłn extrema de las condiciones econĂłmicas actuales. Los resultados sugieren que, en tales escenarios, se observarĂ­an fuertes impactos sobre el volumen de crĂŠdito y la rentabilidad de los establecimientos de crĂŠdito, aunque los indicadores agregados de solvencia total y bĂĄsica permanecerĂ­an en niveles superiores a los lĂ­mites regulatorios durante el horizonte de los ejercicios. Al tiempo, los ejercicios resaltan la alta capacidad que tiene la liquidez del sistema para enfrentar escenarios adversos. En cumplimiento de sus objetivos constitucionales y en coordinaciĂłn con la red de seguridad del sistema financiero, el Banco de la RepĂşblica continuarĂĄ monitoreando de cerca el panorama de estabilidad financiera en esta coyuntura y tomarĂĄ aquellas decisiones que sean necesarias para garantizar el adecuado funcionamiento de la economĂ­a, facilitar los flujos de recursos suficientes de crĂŠdito y liquidez, y promover el buen funcionamiento del sistema de pagos. Juan JosĂŠ EchavarrĂ­a Gerente GeneralRecuadro 1. Consideraciones de largo plazo sobre el acceso temprano al ahorro pensional en Colombia. Autores: Javier E. Pirateque NiĂąo - Daniela X. Gualtero BriceĂąo*Recuadro 2. Indicador de salud financiera para Colombia. Autores: Juan SebastiĂĄn Lemus Esquivel - Laura Viviana LeĂłn DĂ­az*Recuadro 3. Ejercicios de estrĂŠs en tiempos de Covid-19. Autores: AngĂŠlica Lizarazo CuĂŠllar - MarĂ­a Fernanda Meneses*Recuadro 4. Principales medidas tomadas por algunos bancos centrales para canalizar crĂŠdito al sector real durante la pandemia. Autor: Daniela X. Gualtero BriceĂąo*Sombreado 1. Efectos de los alivios otorgados a deudores en el marco de la emergencia por el Covid-19. Autor: Eduardo Yanquen

    Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

    Get PDF
    Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

    Calibration of the CMS Drift Tube Chambers and Measurement of the Drift Velocity with Cosmic Rays

    Get PDF
    Peer reviewe

    New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

    Get PDF
    Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE Îľ4 allele

    Commissioning and performance of the CMS silicon strip tracker with cosmic ray muons

    Get PDF
    This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPDuring autumn 2008, the Silicon Strip Tracker was operated with the full CMS experiment in a comprehensive test, in the presence of the 3.8 T magnetic field produced by the CMS superconducting solenoid. Cosmic ray muons were detected in the muon chambers and used to trigger the readout of all CMS sub-detectors. About 15 million events with a muon in the tracker were collected. The efficiency of hit and track reconstruction were measured to be higher than 99% and consistent with expectations from Monte Carlo simulation. This article details the commissioning and performance of the Silicon Strip Tracker with cosmic ray muons.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)

    Alignment of the CMS muon system with cosmic-ray and beam-halo muons

    Get PDF
    This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPThe CMS muon system has been aligned using cosmic-ray muons collected in 2008 and beam-halo muons from the 2008 LHC circulating beam tests. After alignment, the resolution of the most sensitive coordinate is 80 microns for the relative positions of superlayers in the same barrel chamber and 270 microns for the relative positions of endcap chambers in the same ring structure. The resolution on the position of the central barrel chambers relative to the tracker is comprised between two extreme estimates, 200 and 700 microns, provided by two complementary studies. With minor modifications, the alignment procedures can be applied using muons from LHC collisions, leading to additional significant improvements.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR(Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)
    • …
    corecore