Azimuthal distinguishability of entangled photons generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion

We experimentally demonstrate that paired photons generated in different sections of a down-conversion cone, when some of the interacting waves show Poynting vector walk-off, carry different spatial correlations, and therefore a different degree of spatial entanglement. This is shown to be in agreement with theoretical results. We also discuss how this azimuthal distinguishing information of the down-conversion cone is relevant for the implementation of quantum sources aimed at the generation of entanglement in other degrees of freedom, such as polarization.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Opt. Expres

Shape of the spatial mode function of photons generated in noncollinear spontaneous parametric downconversion

We show experimentally how noncollinear geometries in spontaneous parametric downconversion induce ellipticity of the shape of the spatial mode function. The degree of ellipticity depends on the pump beam width, especially for highly focused beams. We also discuss the ellipticity induced by the spectrum of the pump beam

Evaluation of cassava plants generated by somatic embryogenesis in different stages of development using molecular markers

Background: Cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crop that is high in carbohydrates in the roots and in protein in the leaves, important for both human consumption and animal feed, and also has a significant industrial use for its starches. In this study we evaluated the genetic variability with molecular markers in different stages in micropropagated plants from somatic embryos of Venezuelan native clone 56. Results: Three markers were used: ISTR, AFLP and SSR, finding that ISTR showed the highest polymorphism among individuals tested. With AFLP a high similarity between the evaluated individuals was observed and with SSR total monomorphism was seen. Using cluster analysis it was found that individuals from an embryo labeled as fasciated at the beginning of the somatic embryogenesis process were grouped as independent of the other plants when analyzed at the acclimatization stage. The differences found with the different markers used are discussed. In field trials, micropropagated plants had a yield between 4 and 5 times the average yield of cassava in Venezuela. Conclusion: Despite variability in terms of DNA markers, somatic embryogenesis is suitable for mass propagation of highly performing cassava clones

A novel method to investigate how the spatial correlation of the pump beam affects the purity of polarization entangled states

We present an innovative method to address the relation between the purity of type-I polarization entangled states and the spatial properties of the pump laser beam. Our all-optical apparatus is based on a spatial light modulator, and it offers unprecedented control on the spatial phase function of the entangled states. In this way, we demonstrate quantitatively the relation between the purity of the generated state and spatial correlation function of the pump beam.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

EDAD MATERNA Y/O PATERNA COMO FACTOR DE RIESGO GENÉTICO EN NIÑOS DEL CENTRO DE ATENCIÓN MATERNO INFANTIL DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE PAMPLONA (CAIMIUP) Y EL INSTITUTO LA AURORA DE LA CIUDAD DE PAMPLONA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, COLOMBIA

Se estudió, mediante la realización de cariotipos, las alteraciones cromosómicas que presentan niños del Centro de Atención Materno Infantil de la Universidad de Pamplona (CAIMIUP) y del Instituto La Aurora de Pamplona. Los resultados permitieron inferir correlación entre la edad materna y paterna con la frecuencia del síndrome de Down hallado en la población. No se encontró ningún otro síndrome.Esta investigación será de importancia para las instituciones dedicadas a la rehabilitación de niños Down, ya que a partir de sus resultados se les podrá ofrecer mejor atención y cuidados tanto físicos como intelectuales

Blood Lead Secular Trend in a Cohort of Children in Mexico City (1987–2002)

We determined the secular trend in blood lead levels in a cohort of 321 children born in Mexico City between 1987 and 1992. Blood lead level was measured every 6 months during a 10-year period. We modeled the effect of yearly air lead concentration nested within the calendar year in which the child was born, family use of lead-glazed pottery, socioeconomic status, year in which the child was born, age of the child at the time of blood lead measurement, place of residence, and an indicator variable for subjects with complete or incomplete blood lead values. The yearly mean of air lead of the Valley of Mexico decreased from its highest level of 2.80 μg/m(3) in 1987 to 0.07 μg/m(3) in 2002. The contribution of air lead to blood lead according to year of birth was strongest for subjects born in 1987 and fell to nearly zero for children born in 1992. The geometric mean of the entire cohort rose from 8.4 μg/dL in the first year of life to 10.1 μg/dL in the second and decreased thereafter until it reached 6.4 μg/dL at 10 years of age. Children of families who used lead-glazed ceramics had blood lead levels 18.5% higher than did children of nonusing families. Children who belonged to the lowest socioeconomic levels had blood lead levels 32.2% higher than did those of highest socioeconomic levels. Children who lived in the northeast part of the city had blood lead levels 10.9% higher compared with those who lived in the southwest

Radioterapia intraoperatoria en cáncer de mama precoz: análisis observacional frente a radioterapia externa

Introducción Una única dosis de radioterapia intraoperatoria (IORT) en cáncer de mama precoz (EBC) puede ser una opción frente a la radioterapia externa estándar (WBRT). Sin embargo, no existe consenso sobre su uso y resultados. Objetivo Analizar la morbilidad y resultados oncológicos de la IORT como monoterapia en el tratamiento del EBC. Métodos Se realiza un estudio analítico observacional unicéntrico, comparando una cohorte prospectiva IORT (2015-17) con una cohorte retrospectiva WBRT (2012-17). Los criterios de selección aplicados son: = 45 años de edad, carcinoma ductal infiltrante o variantes, tamaño tumoral radiológico = 3 cm, receptores estrogénicos positivos, HER2 negativo, cN0; criterios de exclusión: invasión linfovascular, multicentricidad/multifocalidad, mutaciones BRCA y tratamiento neoadyuvante. Se valoran características clínicas, tumorales, quirúrgicas, oncológicas y complicaciones. Resultados Se estudiaron 425 casos: 217 tratados con IORT y 208 con WBRT. La edad media en IORT y WBRT fue 67 ± 9, 5 y 64, 8 ± 9, 9 años, respectivamente (p = 0, 01). El riesgo ASA 3 en IORT fue 17, 7%, frente a 24 casos de WBRT (p = 0, 027). No hubo diferencias en resultados anatomopatológicos o estadificación. El seguimiento medio de IORT fue 24, 4 ± 8 meses, frente a 50, 5 ± 18 meses de WBRT (p < 0, 001). No se hallaron diferencias significativas en recidiva local, metástasis o mortalidad. Las complicaciones que precisaron reintervención u hospitalización resultaron equiparables. La radiodermitis precoz grave se presentó en tres casos IORT frente a 14 casos WBRT (p = 0, 01). Conclusiones La IORT como monoterapia en pacientes seleccionadas con EBC representa una opción alternativa frente a WBRT, especialmente en aquellas con edad avanzada y comorbilidades. Se asocia, además, con menos radiodermitis precoz grave. Introduction: In early breast cancer (EBC), a single dose of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) might be an option to standard whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT). However, there is no consensus about its use and clinical results. Aim: to analyse the morbidity and oncological outcomes of IORT as monotherapy in EBC. Methods: A single centre observational analytic study was performed. A prospective IORT cohort (2015-17) and a retrospective WBRT cohort (2012-17) were selected following the same criteria: = 45 y.o., invasive ductal carcinoma or variants, radiological tumour size = 3 cm, positive oestrogenic receptors, negative HER2, cN0; exclusion criteria: lymphovascular invasion, multicentricity/multifocality, BRCA mutation and neoadjuvant therapy. Clinical, histological, surgical, oncological characteristics and complications were collected. Results: A total of 425 cases were selected: 217 in IORT cohort and 208 in WBRT cohort. Average age in IORT and WBRT groups was 67±9.5 and 64.8 ± 9.9 y.o. respectively (p = 0.01). ASA 3 risk score patients were 17.7% in IORT and 24 cases in WBRT (p = 0.027). There were no differences in histological results or tumoral stage. Average follow up was 24.4 ± 8 months in IORT and 50.5 ± 18 months in WBRT (p < 0.001). No differences were detected in local recurrence, metastases or mortality. Complications that required reintervention or hospitalization were similar in both groups. A total of 3 and 14 cases developed early severe dermatitis in IORT and WBRT groups respectively (p = 0.01). Conclusion: IORT as monotherapy in selected patients with EBC stands for an alternative option versus WBRT. It seems especially useful in advanced-age patients with severe comorbidities. IORT associates lesser early severe dermatitis

A Collaborative Effort to Define Classification Criteria for ATM Variants in Hereditary Cancer Patients

Background Gene panel testing by massive parallel sequencing has increased the diagnostic yield but also the number of variants of uncertain significance. Clinical interpretation of genomic data requires expertise for each gene and disease. Heterozygous ATM pathogenic variants increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer. For this reason, ATM is included in most hereditary cancer panels. It is a large gene, showing a high number of variants, most of them of uncertain significance. Hence, we initiated a collaborative effort to improve and standardize variant classification for the ATM gene. Methods Six independent laboratories collected information from 766 ATM variant carriers harboring 283 different variants. Data were submitted in a consensus template form, variant nomenclature and clinical information were curated, and monthly team conferences were established to review and adapt American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) criteria to ATM, which were used to classify 50 representative variants. Results Amid 283 different variants, 99 appeared more than once, 35 had differences in classification among laboratories. Refinement of ACMG/AMP criteria to ATM involved specification for twenty-one criteria and adjustment of strength for fourteen others. Afterwards, 50 variants carried by 254 index cases were classified with the established framework resulting in a consensus classification for all of them and a reduction in the number of variants of uncertain significance from 58% to 42%. Conclusions Our results highlight the relevance of data sharing and data curation by multidisciplinary experts to achieve improved variant classification that will eventually improve clinical management.FEDER funds-a way to build Europe PI19/00553 PI16/00563 PI16/01898 SAF2015-68016-RGeneralitat de Catalunya 2017SGR1282 2017SGR496CERCA Program: Government of CataloniaXunta de GaliciaInstituto de Salud Carlos III. AES PI19/00340Spanish Government SAF2016-80255-REuropean Commission EFA086/15Instituto de Salud Carlos III European Commissio

<i>Gaia</i> Data Release 1. Summary of the astrometric, photometric, and survey properties

Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7. Aims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release. Methods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue. Results. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues – a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) – and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of ∼3000 Cepheid and RR-Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr−1 for the proper motions. A systematic component of ∼0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of ∼94 000 HIPPARCOS stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr−1. For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is ∼10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to ∼0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7. Conclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data

Measurement of the mass and lifetime of the Ωb−\Omega_b^- baryon

A proton-proton collision data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$ collected by LHCb at $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8 TeV, is used to reconstruct $63\pm9$ $\Omega_b^-\to\Omega_c^0\pi^-$, $\Omega_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+$ decays. Using the $\Xi_b^-\to\Xi_c^0\pi^-$, $\Xi_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+$ decay mode for calibration, the lifetime ratio and absolute lifetime of the $\Omega_b^-$ baryon are measured to be \begin{align*} \frac{\tau_{\Omega_b^-}}{\tau_{\Xi_b^-}} &= 1.11\pm0.16\pm0.03, \\ \tau_{\Omega_b^-} &= 1.78\pm0.26\pm0.05\pm0.06~{\rm ps}, \end{align*} where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and from the calibration mode (for $\tau_{\Omega_b^-}$ only). A measurement is also made of the mass difference, $m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-}$, and the corresponding $\Omega_b^-$ mass, which yields \begin{align*} m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-} &= 247.4\pm3.2\pm0.5~{\rm MeV}/c^2, \\ m_{\Omega_b^-} &= 6045.1\pm3.2\pm 0.5\pm0.6~{\rm MeV}/c^2. \end{align*} These results are consistent with previous measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-008.htm