Surface effects on the statistics of the local density of states in metallic nanoparticles: manifestation on the NMR spectra

In metallic nanoparticles, shifts in the ionization energy of surface atoms with respect to bulk atoms can lead to surface bands. Within a simple Tight Binding model we find that the projection of the electronic density of states on these sites presents two overlapping structures. One of them is characterized by the level spacing coming from bulk states and the other arises from the surface states. In very small particles, this contributes to an over-broadening of the NMR absorption spectra, determined by the Knight shift distribution of magnetic nuclei. We compare our calculated Knight shifts with experiments on aluminum nanoparticles, and show that the deviation of the scaling law as a function of temperature and particle size can be explained in terms of surface states.Comment: 1 tar.gz fil

320g Ionization-Heat Cryogenic Detector for Dark Matter Search in the EDELWEISS Experiment

The EDELWEISS experiment used in 2001 a 320g heat-and-ionization cryogenic Ge detector operated in a low-background environment in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane for direct WIMP detection. This detector presents an increase of more than 4 times the mass of previous detectors. Calibrations of this detector are used to determine its energy resolution and fiducial volume, and to optimize the detector design for the 1kg phase of the EDELWEISS-I experiment. Analysis of the calibrations and characteristics of a first series of 320g-detectors are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Malaria prophylaxis policy for travellers from Europe to the Indian Sub Continent

Analysis of malaria imported into eight European countries from the Indian sub-continent (ISC) (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) led to a consensus statement on the use of chemoprophylaxis within TropNetEurop. The proportion of cases from the ISC in 2004 ranged from 1.4%–4.6% of total imported cases. Plasmodium falciparum cases reported from the eight countries was only 23 (13% of all cases from the region). Total malaria reports between 1999–2004 fell from 317 to 180. The risk of malaria in UK residents visiting the region was > 1 case per 1,000 years exposed. The group recommended non-selective prescribing of chemoprophylaxis for visitors to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should be dropped

Clinical prediction rules for adverse evolution in patients with COVID-19 by the Omicron variant

Objective: We identify factors related to SARS-CoV-2 infection linked to hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality and develop clinical prediction rules. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 380,081 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 1, 2020 to January 9, 2022, including a subsample of 46,402 patients who attended Emergency Departments (EDs) having data on vital signs. For derivation and external validation of the prediction rule, two different periods were considered: before and after emergence of the Omicron variant, respectively. Data collected included sociodemographic data, COVID-19 vaccination status, baseline comorbidities and treatments, other background data and vital signs at triage at EDs. The predictive models for the EDs and the whole samples were developed using multivariate logistic regression models using Lasso penalization. Results: In the multivariable models, common predictive factors of death among EDs patients were greater age; being male; having no vaccination, dementia; heart failure; liver and kidney disease; hemiplegia or paraplegia; coagulopathy; interstitial pulmonary disease; malignant tumors; use chronic systemic use of steroids, higher temperature, low O2 saturation and altered blood pressure-heart rate. The predictors of an adverse evolution were the same, with the exception of liver disease and the inclusion of cystic fibrosis. Similar predictors were found to be related to hospital admission, including liver disease, arterial hypertension, and basal prescription of immunosuppressants. Similarly, models for the whole sample, without vital signs, are presented. Conclusions: We propose risk scales, based on basic information, easily-calculable, high-predictive that also function with the current Omicron variant and may help manage such patients in primary, emergency, and hospital care. Keywords: COVID-19; Clinical decision rules; Health care; Outcome assessment; SARS-CoV-2

Event categories in the EDELWEISS WIMP search experiment

Four categories of events have been identified in the EDELWEISS-I dark matter experiment using germanium cryogenic detectors measuring simultaneously charge and heat signals. These categories of events are interpreted as electron and nuclear interactions occurring in the volume of the detector, and electron and nuclear interactions occurring close to the surface of the detectors(10-20 mu-m of the surface). We discuss the hypothesis that low energy surface nuclear recoils,which seem to have been unnoticed by previous WIMP searches, may provide an interpretation of the anomalous events recorded by the UKDMC and Saclay NaI experiments. The present analysis points to the necessity of taking into account surface nuclear and electron recoil interactions for a reliable estimate of background rejection factors.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to Phys. Lett.

A search for low-mass WIMPs with EDELWEISS-II heat-and-ionization detectors

We report on a search for low-energy (E < 20 keV) WIMP-induced nuclear recoils using data collected in 2009 - 2010 by EDELWEISS from four germanium detectors equipped with thermal sensors and an electrode design (ID) which allows to efficiently reject several sources of background. The data indicate no evidence for an exponential distribution of low-energy nuclear recoils that could be attributed to WIMP elastic scattering after an exposure of 113 kg.d. For WIMPs of mass 10 GeV, the observation of one event in the WIMP search region results in a 90% CL limit of 1.0x10^-5 pb on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section, which constrains the parameter space associated with the findings reported by the CoGeNT, DAMA and CRESST experiments.Comment: PRD rapid communication accepte

The EDELWEISS Experiment : Status and Outlook

The EDELWEISS Dark Matter search uses low-temperature Ge detectors with heat and ionisation read- out to identify nuclear recoils induced by elastic collisions with WIMPs from the galactic halo. Results from the operation of 70 g and 320 g Ge detectors in the low-background environment of the Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) are presented.Comment: International Conference on Dark Matter in Astro and Particle Physics (Dark 2000), Heidelberg, Germany, 10-16 Jul 2000, v3 minor revision

Oncological translational research in the Spanish national health system: the INTRO study

Under the auspices of the Foundation for Excellence and Quality in Oncology (ECO), the Translational Research in Oncology Medical Services Study (INTRO) was conducted with the aim of describing the current state of, and future expectations for translational cancer research in Spanish medical centres. The first step in the investigation was intended to analyse the current condition of the national Medical Oncology Services network by examining different aspects of the oncology research field. A descriptive and observational multicentre study was performed at a statewide level; information was collected by surveying a cross-section of all those responsible for Medical Oncology Services in Spain. The survey was completed by key informants, who were selected independently by each service, between September 2010 and April 2011. We were able to gather comprehensive data from a total of 27 Spanish hospitals. These data enabled us to describe the allocation of human and material resources devoted to clinical and translational research across the Medical Oncology Services and to describe the organisational and functional components of these services and units. These data included information pertaining to the activities developed, their funding sources, and their functional dependence on other internal or external bodies. Finally, we explored the degree of dissemination and use of some specific techniques used for the genetic diagnosis of cancer, which have recently been introduced in Medical Oncology within the Spanish healthcare system. A wide range of variability exists between different oncology services in Spanish hospitals. Time should be spent reflecting on the need and opportunities for improvement in the development of translational research within the field of oncology.Caballero, C.; Jantus-Lewintre, E.; Carrato, A.; García Foncillas, J.; Gascon, P.; Blasco, A.; Moreno Nogueira, JA.... (2014). Oncological translational research in the Spanish national health system: the INTRO study. Clinical and Translational Oncology. 16(8):686-695. doi:10.1007/s12094-013-1138-6S686695168Díaz-Rubio E. Translational research in clinical oncology: challenges and opportunities. Farm Hosp. 2010;34(Supl.1):1–7.Marincola FM. Translational medicine: a two-way road. J Transl Med. 2003;1(1):1.Ablin RJ, Marincola FM, Natali PG. The “excellence in translational medicine” and “bedside-to-bench” awards 2008–09. J Transl Med. 2010;13(8):95.García-Sáenz JA, Bueno C, SanPedro T, Díaz-Rubio E. La nueva oncología médica: aportación de la biología molecular al diagnóstico y tratamiento del cáncer. In: Díaz-Rubio E, editor. Tomo IV. Madrid: You and Us; 2006. p. 1–24.ORDEN SCO/709/2002, Boletín Oficial del Estado, 3 de abril de 2003, núm. 80, pp. 12742–12746. http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2002/04/03/pdfs/A12742-12746.pdf . Accessed 30 sept 2013.Soto-Martínez JL, Baselga-Torres J, Carrato-Mena A. La investigación Translacional en Oncología Médica. En Primer Libro blanco de la Oncología Médica en España. Dosier 2006. Madrid: Editorial Dispublic SL; 2007. p. 177–99.Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Agencia de Calidad del Sistema Nacional de Salud. Estrategia en Cáncer del Sistema Nacional de Salud. 2006. http://www.msc.es/organizacion/ sns/planCalidadSNS/docs/estratCancerSNS.pdf. Accessed 30 sept 2013.Lenfant C. Shattuck lecture–clinical research to clinical practice-lost in translation? N Engl J Med. 2003;349(9):868–74.Laurence J. Translating translational research. Transl Res. 2006;148(1):1–3.Lemieux-Charles L, McGuire WL. What do we know about health care team effectiveness? A review of the literature. Med Care Res Rev. 2006;63(3):263–300.Oandasan I, Baker RG, Barker K, Bosco C, D’Amour D, Jones L, et al. Teamwork in health care: promoting effective teamwork in healthcare in Canada; policy synthesis and recommendations. June 2006. http://www.chsrf.ca/Migrated/PDF/teamwork-synthesis-report_e.pdf . Accessed 30 Sep 2013.Mankoff SP, Brander C, Ferrone S, Marincola FM. Lost in Translation: obstacles to translational medicine. J Transl Med. 2004;2(1):14.Curran T. Lost in translation: the future of cancer research? Clin Cancer Res. 2005;11(13):4644.Valladares Y. Memoria y actas del primer congreso de investigación sobre el cáncer en España. Madrid; 1983.Vicente J. Apuntes para una historia de la Oncología en España. Los orígenes. Oncología. 2000;23(7):310–7.Legido-Quigley H, Otero L, la Parra D, Alvarez-Dardet C, Martin-Moreno JM, McKee M. Will austerity cuts dismantle the Spanish healthcare system? BMJ. 2013;13(346):f2363