Low temperature magnetic phase diagram of the cubic non-Fermi liquid system CeIn_(3-x)Sn_x

In this paper we report a comprehensive study of the magnetic susceptibility (\chi), resistivity (\rho), and specific heat (C_P), down to 0.5 K of the cubic CeIn_(3-x)Sn_x alloy. The ground state of this system evolves from antiferromagnetic (AF) in CeIn_3(T_N=10.2 K) to intermediate-valent in CeSn_3, and represents the first example of a Ce-lattice cubic non-Fermi liquid (NFL) system where T_N(x) can be traced down to T=0 over more than a decade of temperature. Our results indicate that the disappearance of the AF state occurs near x_c ~ 0.7, although already at x ~ 0.4 significant modifications of the magnetic ground state are observed. Between these concentrations, clear NFL signatures are observed, such as \rho(T)\approx \rho_0 + A T^n (with n<1.5) and C_P(T)\propto -T ln(T) dependencies. Within the ordered phase a first order phase transition occurs for 0.25 < x < 0.5. With larger Sn doping, different weak \rho(T) dependencies are observed at low temperatures between x=1 and x=3 while C_P/T shows only a weak temperature dependence.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Accepted in Eur. J. Phys.

Long-term treatment with responsive brain stimulation in adults with refractory partial seizures.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy and safety of responsive direct neurostimulation was assessed in adults with medically refractory partial onset seizures. METHODS: All participants were treated with a cranially implanted responsive neurostimulator that delivers stimulation to 1 or 2 seizure foci via chronically implanted electrodes when specific electrocorticographic patterns are detected (RNS System). Participants had completed a 2-year primarily open-label safety study (n = 65) or a 2-year randomized blinded controlled safety and efficacy study (n = 191); 230 participants transitioned into an ongoing 7-year study to assess safety and efficacy. RESULTS: The average participant was 34 (±11.4) years old with epilepsy for 19.6 (±11.4) years. The median preimplant frequency of disabling partial or generalized tonic-clonic seizures was 10.2 seizures a month. The median percent seizure reduction in the randomized blinded controlled trial was 44% at 1 year and 53% at 2 years (p \u3c 0.0001, generalized estimating equation) and ranged from 48% to 66% over postimplant years 3 through 6 in the long-term study. Improvements in quality of life were maintained (p \u3c 0.05). The most common serious device-related adverse events over the mean 5.4 years of follow-up were implant site infection (9.0%) involving soft tissue and neurostimulator explantation (4.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The RNS System is the first direct brain responsive neurostimulator. Acute and sustained efficacy and safety were demonstrated in adults with medically refractory partial onset seizures arising from 1 or 2 foci over a mean follow-up of 5.4 years. This experience supports the RNS System as a treatment option for refractory partial seizures. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class IV evidence that for adults with medically refractory partial onset seizures, responsive direct cortical stimulation reduces seizures and improves quality of life over a mean follow-up of 5.4 years

Brucella exposure risk events in 10 clinical laboratories, New York City, USA, 2015 to 2017

Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. From 2015 to 2017, 11 confirmed brucellosis cases were reported in New York City, leading to 10 Brucella exposure risk events (Brucella events) in 7 clinical laboratories (CLs). Most patients had traveled to countries where brucellosis is endemic and presented with histories and findings consistent with brucellosis. CLs were not notified that specimens might yield a hazardous organism, as the clinicians did not consider brucellosis until they were notified that bacteremia with Brucella was suspected. In 3 Brucella events, the CLs did not suspect that slow-growing, small Gram-negative bacteria might be harmful. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization- time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which has a limited capacity to identify biological threat agents (BTAs), was used during 4 Brucella events, which accounted for 84% of exposures. In 3 of these incidents, initial staining of liquid media showed Gram-positive rods or cocci, including some cocci in chains, suggesting streptococci. Over 200 occupational exposures occurred when the unknown isolates were manipulated and/or tested on open benches, including by procedures that could generate infectious aerosols. During 3 Brucella events, the CLs examined and/or manipulated isolates in a biological safety cabinet (BSC); in each CL, the CL had previously isolated Brucella. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to prevent laboratory-acquired brucellosis (LAB) were followed; no seroconversions or LAB cases occurred. Laboratory assessments were conducted after the Brucella events to identify facility-specific risks and mitigations. With increasing MALDI-TOF MS use, CLs are well-advised to adhere strictly to safe work practices, such as handling and manipulating all slow-growing organisms in BSCs and not using MALDI-TOF MS for identification until BTAs have been ruled out

Risk, Timing, and Predictors of Disease Flare After Discontinuation of Anti–Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Children With Polyarticular Forms of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis With Clinically Inactive Disease

© 2018, American College of Rheumatology Objective: To determine the frequency, time to flare, and predictors of disease flare upon withdrawal of anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in children with polyarticular forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who demonstrated ≥6 months of continuous clinically inactive disease. Methods: In 16 centers 137 patients with clinically inactive JIA who were receiving anti-TNF therapy (42% of whom were also receiving methotrexate [MTX]) were prospectively followed up. If the disease remained clinically inactive for the initial 6 months of the study, anti-TNF was stopped and patients were assessed for flare at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 months. Life-table analysis, t-tests, chi-square test, and Cox regression analysis were used to identify independent variables that could significantly predict flare by 8 months or time to flare. Results: Of 137 patients, 106 (77%) maintained clinically inactive disease while receiving anti-TNF therapy for the initial 6 months and were included in the phase of the study in which anti-TNF therapy was stopped. Stopping anti-TNF resulted in disease flare in 39 (37%) of 106 patients by 8 months. The mean/median ± SEM time to flare was 212/250 ± 9.77 days. Patients with shorter disease duration at enrollment, older age at onset and diagnosis, shorter disease duration prior to experiencing clinically inactive disease, and shorter time from onset of clinically inactive disease to enrollment were found to have significantly lower hazard ratios for likelihood of flare by 8 months (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: Over one-third of patients with polyarticular JIA with sustained clinically inactive disease will experience a flare by 8 months after discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy. Several predictors of lower likelihood of flare were identified

Two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. We observe a growing trend with energy now not only for the longitudinal and the outward but also for the sideward pion source radius. The pion homogeneity volume and the decoupling time are significantly larger than those measured at RHIC.Comment: 17 pages, 5 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/388

Suppression of charged particle production at large transverse momentum in central Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

Inclusive transverse momentum spectra of primary charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV have been measured by the ALICE Collaboration at the LHC. The data are presented for central and peripheral collisions, corresponding to 0-5% and 70-80% of the hadronic Pb-Pb cross section. The measured charged particle spectra in $|\eta|<0.8$ and $0.3 < p_T < 20$ GeV/$c$ are compared to the expectation in pp collisions at the same $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, scaled by the number of underlying nucleon-nucleon collisions. The comparison is expressed in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm AA}$. The result indicates only weak medium effects ($R_{\rm AA} \approx$ 0.7) in peripheral collisions. In central collisions, $R_{\rm AA}$ reaches a minimum of about 0.14 at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7GeV/$c$ and increases significantly at larger $p_{\rm T}$. The measured suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles is stronger than that observed at lower collision energies, indicating that a very dense medium is formed in central Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages, 5 captioned figures, 3 tables, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/98

Planck intermediate results X : Physics of the hot gas in the Coma cluster

Peer reviewe

Planck Intermediate Results II: Comparison of Sunyaev–Zeldovich measurements from Planck and from the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager for 11 galaxy clusters

A comparison is presented of Sunyaev–Zeldovich measurements for 11 galaxy clusters as obtained by Planck and by the ground-based interferom- eter, the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager. Assuming a universal spherically-symmetric Generalised Navarro, Frenk & White (GNFW) model for the cluster gas pressure profile, we jointly constrain the integrated Compton-Y parameter (Y500) and the scale radius (θ500) of each cluster. Our resulting constraints in the Y500 − θ500 2D parameter space derived from the two instruments overlap significantly for eight of the clusters, although, overall, there is a tendency for AMI to find the Sunyaev–Zeldovich signal to be smaller in angular size and fainter than Planck. Significant discrepancies exist for the three remaining clusters in the sample, namely A1413, A1914, and the newly-discovered Planck cluster PLCKESZ G139.59+24.18. The robustness of the analysis of both the Planck and AMI data is demonstrated through the use of detailed simulations, which also discount confusion from residual point (radio) sources and from diffuse astrophysical foregrounds as possible explanations for the discrepancies found. For a subset of our cluster sample, we have investigated the dependence of our results on the assumed pressure profile by repeating the analysis adopting the best-fitting GNFW profile shape which best matches X-ray observations. Adopting the best-fitting profile shape from the X-ray data does not, in general, resolve the discrepancies found in this subset of five clusters. Though based on a small sample, our results suggest that the adopted GNFW model may not be sufficiently flexible to describe clusters universally

The ALICE Transition Radiation Detector: Construction, operation, and performance

The Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) was designed and built to enhance the capabilities of the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). While aimed at providing electron identification and triggering, the TRD also contributes significantly to the track reconstruction and calibration in the central barrel of ALICE. In this paper the design, construction, operation, and performance of this detector are discussed. A pion rejection factor of up to 410 is achieved at a momentum of 1 GeV/c in p-Pb collisions and the resolution at high transverse momentum improves by about 40% when including the TRD information in track reconstruction. The triggering capability is demonstrated both for jet, light nuclei, and electron selection. (c) 2017 CERN for the benefit of the Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V