Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

An updated radiocarbon-based ice margin chronology for the last deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex

The North American Ice Sheet Complex (NAISC; consisting of the Laurentide, Cordilleran and Innuitian ice sheets) was the largest ice mass to repeatedly grow and decay in the Northern Hemisphere during the Quaternary. Understanding its pattern of retreat following the Last Glacial Maximum is critical for studying many facets of the Late Quaternary, including ice sheet behaviour, the evolution of Holocene landscapes, sea level, atmospheric circulation, and the peopling of the Americas. Currently, the most up-to-date and authoritative margin chronology for the entire ice sheet complex is featured in two publications (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1574 [Dyke et al., 2003]; ‘Quaternary Glaciations – Extent and Chronology, Part II’ [Dyke, 2004]). These often-cited datasets track ice margin recession in 36 time slices spanning 18 ka to 1 ka (all ages in uncalibrated radiocarbon years) using a combination of geomorphology, stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating. However, by virtue of being over 15 years old, the ice margin chronology requires updating to reflect new work and important revisions. This paper updates the aforementioned 36 ice margin maps to reflect new data from regional studies. We also update the original radiocarbon dataset from the 2003/2004 papers with 1541 new ages to reflect work up to and including 2018. A major revision is made to the 18 ka ice margin, where Banks and Eglinton islands (once considered to be glacial refugia) are now shown to be fully glaciated. Our updated 18 ka ice sheet increased in areal extent from 17.81 to 18.37 million km2, which is an increase of 3.1% in spatial coverage of the NAISC at that time. Elsewhere, we also summarize, region-by-region, significant changes to the deglaciation sequence. This paper integrates new information provided by regional experts and radiocarbon data into the deglaciation sequence while maintaining consistency with the original ice margin positions of Dyke et al. (2003) and Dyke (2004) where new information is lacking; this is a pragmatic solution to satisfy the needs of a Quaternary research community that requires up-to-date knowledge of the pattern of ice margin recession of what was once the world’s largest ice mass. The 36 updated isochrones are available in PDF and shapefile format, together with a spreadsheet of the expanded radiocarbon dataset (n = 5195 ages) and estimates of uncertainty for each interval

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Analyse historique des migrations : la pertinence de l'analyse longitudinale à partir des histoires rétrospectives

Résumés en italien et anglai

Pulmonary artery remodeling reversibility in an equine model of asthma

Chronic asthma is characterized by reversible airway obstruction, lower airway inflammation and remodeling.Chronic hypoxemia is also present in severe uncontrolled asthmatic patients. In COPD, inflammation and hypoxemia result in pulmonary artery remodeling associated with increased vascular smooth muscle mass, leading to increased vascular resistance and onset of pulmonary hypertension. Although inflammation and hypoxemia are also in severely affected asthmatic patients, the presence of pulmonary artery remodeling is unknown. Severe human and equine asthma shares striking similarities, making the horse a good spontaneous animal model for the disease. The aims are to investigate whether pulmonary artery remodeling occurs in an equine spontaneous model of severe asthma and to assess wether vascular remodeling changes are reversible after long term asthma treatment

Pulmonary vascular remodeling occurs in severe equine asthma

Severe equine asthma (heaves) is a chronic genetic-environmental condition characterized by airway neutrophilic inflammation leading to airway obstruction, lung tissue remodeling and hypoxemia (Bullone, 2015). Hypoxemia triggers pulmonary vasoconstriction, resulting in higher vascular resistance and development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH-associated cardiovascular complications could be present in the end-stage disease, as it happens in human type 3 PH (Tsangaris, 2012). Pulmonary vascular remodeling is involved in the pathogenesis of type 3 PH (Singh, 2016) and may represent a therapeutic target for preventing PH onset, both in human and in horses. In this study, we investigated the presence of pulmonary artery remodeling in severe equine asthma, as, to the best of our knowledge, this has not been yet studied. Lung biopsy specimens were collected via thoracoscopy from 6 asthmatic and 5 age-matched control horses. Histomorphometric assessment was performed on Movat-Russell stained histological sections, evaluating pulmonary artery wall area, intimal area, medial area and their correlations with the internal elastic lamina length (IEL) (Fernie, 1985). The total amount of smooth muscle within the artery wall and the density of proliferating smooth muscle cells were similarly evaluated using immunostaining for \u3b1-smooth muscle actin (\u3b1-SMA) and proliferating cell-associated nuclear antigen (PCNA). Increased pulmonary wall area, increased amount of smooth muscle and loss of correlation between intimal area and IEL were present in asthmatic horses, when compared to controls. In conclusion, pulmonary artery remodeling due to smooth muscle hypertrophy and intimal muscolarization may be induced by persistence of hypoxic vasoconstriction stimulus and release of cytokines from inflammatory cells infiltrating the annexed airways (Barbera, 2003). References Barbera J.A., Peinado V.I., Santos S., 2003. Pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J. 21(5), 892-905. Bullone M., Lavoie J.P., 2015. Asthma "of horses and men"--how can equine heaves help us better understand human asthma immunopathology and its functional consequences? Mol Immunol. 66(1), 97-105. Fernie J.M., Lamb D., 1985. Method for maximising measurements of muscular pulmonary arteries. J Clin Pathol. 38(12), 1380-1387. Singh I., Ma K.C., Berlin D.A., 2016. Pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension in chronic parenchymal lung disease. Am J Med. 129(4), 366-371 Tsangaris I., Tsaknis G., Anthi A., Orfanos S.E., 2012. Pulmonary hypertension in parenchymal lung disease. Pulm Med. 2012, 684781

Alternative fuel production by catalytic hydroliquefaction of solid municipal wastes, primary sludges and microalgae

International audienceAn alternative fuel production was investigated through catalytic hydroliquefaction of three different carbonaceous sources: solid municipal wastes (MW), primary sludges (PS), and microalgae (MA). The reaction was carried out under hydrogen pressure, at different temperatures (330, 380 and 450 C), with a Raney nickel catalyst and two different hydrogen donor solvents: a ''fossil solvent'' (tetralin) and a ''green solvent'' (2-methyl-hydro-furan). The feeds analyses (TDA-TGA, ICP-AES, lipids quantification) showed thatMWand PS had similar characteristics and physico-chemical properties, but different from those of MA. The hydroliquefaction of these feeds allowed to obtain high oil yields, with a significant energetic value, similar to that of a biopetroleum. 2-methyl-hydro-furan was more efficient than tetralin for the treatment of the strongly bio-degraded biomasses MW and PS, while better results were obtained with tetralin in the case of MA