Does the neuropsychiatric inventory predict progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS) are common in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and its shorter version, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), are the most common measures to assess NPS. Our objective was to determine if NPI/NPI-Q ratings predict conversion from MCI to dementia. Methods Empirical longitudinal studies published in English or Spanish, concerned with the role of NPS as a risk factor for conversion from MCI to dementia, with a diagnosis of MCI following clinical criteria, that reported NPI/NPI-Q total score in converters versus non-converters, were included. Random effects models were used, and heterogeneity was explored with stratification and a random-effects meta-regression. The overall conversion rate and the standardized mean difference (SMD) for evolution, as a function of NPI/NPI-Q scores, were calculated. Results The overall conversion rate was 35 %. Mean NPI/NPI-Q ratings were higher in converters versus in non-converters, with the overall SMD approaching significance. Heterogeneity was observed in studies of more than two years of follow-up and in a study with a mean age of more than 80 years. This heterogeneity concerned the size, not the direction of the difference. Conclusions Our results suggest that NPI/NPI-Q ratings are associated with conversion from MCI to dementiaThis work was financially supported through FEDER founds by the Spanish Directorate General of Scientific and Technical Research (Project Ref. PSI2014-55316-C3-1-R), the National Research Agency (Spanish 'Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities) (Project Ref. PSI2017-89389-C2-1-R) and by the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema Universitario de Galicia; GI-1807-USC: Ref. ED431-2017/27).S

Qualitative analysis of the professional profile of a good secondary school teacher

Scientific literature has shown that teacher characteristics and skills are one of the main sources of variation in students’ academic performance. This potential that teachers have in improving the quality of the education system justifies the importance of identifying the teacher-related factors that are positively related to student learning. This study aims to contribute to this purpose by analysing the professional profile of a good secondary school teacher from the perspective of students, members of school management teams, and the teachers themselves. For this purpose, a qualitative research design was established based on an analysis of the views of the participants. Five focus groups were conducted with the participation of five members of school management teams, nine teachers and nine students. Through both the a priori and inductive coding of the content of these focus groups, the professional profile of a good teacher was identified. This profile was made up of three teaching skills and seven personal skills, specified in 79 actions. The integration of all the participants’ perspectives enabled the creation of a comprehensive proposal of an effective teacher by capturing the nuances provided by each individual perspective. Based on this, new research and actions can be designed that contribute to improving the quality of initial and in-service training for secondary school teachers.La literatura científica ha demostrado que las características y competencias del profesorado constituyen una de las principales fuentes de variación del rendimiento académico. Este potencial de los profesores para mejorar la calidad del sistema educativo justifica la importancia de conocer qué factores asociados a los docentes se relacionan positivamente con el aprendizaje de sus estudiantes. Este estudio persigue contribuir a tal propósito, al analizar el perfil profesional del buen docente de educación secundaria desde la perspectiva de los estudiantes, los miembros de los equipos directivos y los propios profesores. Para ello, se ha establecido un diseño de investigación cualitativa basado en el análisis de las percepciones de los informantes, mediante el cual se han conducido cinco grupos focales en los que han participado cinco miembros de equipos directivos, nueve profesores y nueve estudiantes. El proceso de codificación tanto apriorístico como inductivo del contenido de los grupos focales ha permitido identificar un perfil profesional del buen docente integrado por tres competencias pedagógicas y siete competencias personales que se concretan en 79 actuaciones. La integración de las perspectivas de todos los agentes permite establecer una propuesta comprehensiva del profesor eficaz, al captarse los matices que aporta cada visión particular, sobre la que diseñar nuevas investigaciones y sugerir actuaciones que contribuyan a una formación inicial y permanente de calidad para el profesorado de educación secundaria

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente