Biclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome

The case of a patient suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus with associated antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is described. In this patient, on protein electrophoresis, two monoclonal immunoglobulin G λ and k peaks were seen, defining a condition of biclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (BGUS). This condition is extremely rare, especially in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The criteria of a BGUS are defined. We also underline how this condition can be the expression of a concomitant unrecognized cancer, a possible amyloidosis or an infectious process

Efficacy of a gluten-free diet in reducing the widespread pain index and symptom severity scale in patients affected by fibromyalgia

Objective. Dietary interventions to improve fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms reported conflicting results. This study aimed to treat FM patients with a gluten-free diet (GFD), alternated with a non-restricted gluten-containing diet, followed by a rechallenge of the GFD. Methods. Twenty postmenopausal women with FM and no history of celiac disease participated. A GFD was assigned for 6 months. This was followed by 3 months of a non-restricted gluten-containing diet and then a new GFD for another 6 months. At each visit, the widespread pain index (WPI) and the symptom severity scale (SS) scores were evaluated. Results. The mean age of the patients enrolled was 53.9±10 years. None of the patients had a diagnosis of irritable bowel disease, although they reported vague gastrointestinal symptoms. After 6 months of a GFD, a statistically significant reduction was observed for the WPI (10.3±1.8 vs 7.7±1.4; p<0.0001) and the SS scale (6.4±1.8 vs 4.15±1.6; p=0.0002). The D percentage reduction of the WPI after 6 months of GFD was -24%±9%, while for the SS scale, it was -36%±21%. The following reintroduction of a gluten-containing diet brought about a statistically significant rise in the absolute SS scale and WPI, as well as a D modification of the WPI (21%±13%) and of the SS scale (74%±90%). The rechallenge of the GFD showed a significant improvement in absolute and D WPI (-24%±7%) and SS (-36%±11%). No modifications to the body mass index were found. Conclusions. A GFD improved FM symptoms evaluated with WPI and SS. This was confirmed for the first time, also with a rechallenge of the GFD that followed a non-restricted gluten-containing diet

Mirror system of the RICH detector of the NA62 experiment

A large RICH detector is used in NA62 to suppress the muon contamination in the charged pion selection by a factor 100 in the momentum range between 15 and 35 GeV/c. The detector consists of a 17 m long tank (vessel), filled with neon gas at atmospheric pressure. Cherenkov light is reflected by a mosaic of 20 spherical mirrors with 17 m focal length, placed at the downstream end, and collected by 1952 photomultipliers (PMTs) placed at the upstream end. In this paper the characterization of the mirrors before installation and the mirror support system are described. The mirror installation procedure and the laser alignment are also illustrated

A Study of Cosmic Ray Secondaries Induced by the Mir Space Station Using AMS-01

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) is a high energy particle physics experiment that will study cosmic rays in the $\sim 100 \mathrm{MeV}$ to $1 \mathrm{TeV}$ range and will be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years. A first version of AMS-02, AMS-01, flew aboard the space shuttle \emph{Discovery} from June 2 to June 12, 1998, and collected $10^8$ cosmic ray triggers. Part of the \emph{Mir} space station was within the AMS-01 field of view during the four day \emph{Mir} docking phase of this flight. We have reconstructed an image of this part of the \emph{Mir} space station using secondary $\pi^-$ and $\mu^-$ emissions from primary cosmic rays interacting with \emph{Mir}. This is the first time this reconstruction was performed in AMS-01, and it is important for understanding potential backgrounds during the 3 year AMS-02 mission.Comment: To be submitted to NIM B Added material requested by referee. Minor stylistic and grammer change

Ponte et stratégie de la reproduction chez les femelles du tacaud Trisopterus luscus (Gadidés) du plateau continental de la Galice, nord-ouest de l'Espagne

[EN] Pouting, Trisopterus luscus is harvested commercially on the Galician shelf by the Spanish inshore artisanal fleet. In spite of a substantial decrease in pouting catches, fishery regulations are limited to size length restrictions. This study provides biological data including length-at-maturity based on histological methods, seasonal maturation, spawning and fecundity. A collection 443 females, from 17 to 42 cm in total length, were sampled from landings (December 2003 to December 2004). Pouting length-at-maturity was estimated as 19.2 cm on average. Pouting females in spawning condition were observed throughout the year and the number of developing oocytes ranged from 20 000 to 1 327 000. Peak spawning was observed between February and April, which correlated well with trends in gonadosomatic index, and inverse to condition factor and hepatosomatic index. Histological examination of the gonads revealed that pouting ovarian development organization is asynchronous, and fecundity is probably determinate.[FR] Le tacaud, Trisopterus luscus est pêché par la flotte artisanale espagnole. En dépit d'une diminution substantielle des captures de tacaud, la pêche est réglementée uniquement à partir d'une taille minimum commerciale. Cette étude fournit des données biologiques comprenant la taille à maturité sexuelle basée sur l'histologie, la maturation saisonnière, la ponte et la fécondité. Un échantillon de 443 femelles, de 17 à 42 cm longueur totale, est examiné à partir des débarquements durant une année (de décembre 2003 à décembre 2004). La taille moyenne à maturité sexuelle est estimée à 19,2 cm. Les femelles de tacaud en condition de ponte sont observée tout au long de l'année et le nombre d'ovocytes s'étend de 20 000 to 1 327 000 par individu. Les pics de ponte sont observés entre février et avril, ce qui est bien corrélé avec l'évolution du rapport gonado-somatique et inverse de celle du facteur de condition et du rapport hépato-somatique. L'étude histologique révèle que le développement ovarien chez le tacaud est asynchrone, et que la fécondité est probablement déterminée.Peer reviewe

Fermi Large Area Telescope First Source Catalog

We present a catalog of high-energy gamma-ray sources detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), the primary science instrument on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi), during the first 11 months of the science phase of the mission, which began on 2008 August 4. The First Fermi-LAT catalog (1FGL) contains 1451 sources detected and characterized in the 100 MeV to 100 GeV range. Source detection was based on the average flux over the 11-month period, and the threshold likelihood Test Statistic is 25, corresponding to a significance of just over 4 sigma. The 1FGL catalog includes source location regions, defined in terms of elliptical fits to the 95% confidence regions and power-law spectral fits as well as flux measurements in 5 energy bands for each source. In addition, monthly light curves are provided. Using a protocol defined before launch we have tested for several populations of gamma-ray sources among the sources in the catalog. For individual LAT-detected sources we provide firm identifications or plausible associations with sources in other astronomical catalogs. Identifications are based on correlated variability with counterparts at other wavelengths, or on spin or orbital periodicity. For the catalogs and association criteria that we have selected, 630 of the sources are unassociated. Care was taken to characterize the sensitivity of the results to the model of interstellar diffuse gamma-ray emission used to model the bright foreground, with the result that 161 sources at low Galactic latitudes and toward bright local interstellar clouds are flagged as having properties that are strongly dependent on the model or as potentially being due to incorrectly modeled structure in the Galactic diffuse emission.Comment: 88 pages, 22 figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The 1FGL catalog is available at http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/data/access/lat/1yr_catalog

Electron and positron fluxes in primary cosmic rays measured with the alpha magnetic spectrometer on the international space station

Precision measurements by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the primary cosmic-ray electron flux in the range 0.5 to 700 GeV and the positron flux in the range 0.5 to 500 GeV are presented. The electron flux and the positron flux each require a description beyond a single power-law spectrum. Both the electron flux and the positron flux change their behavior at &sim;30GeV but the fluxes are significantly different in their magnitude and energy dependence. Between 20 and 200 GeV the positron spectral index is significantly harder than the electron spectral index. The determination of the differing behavior of the spectral indices versus energy is a new observation and provides important information on the origins of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons.</p

High statistics measurement of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays of 0.5-500 GeV with the alpha magnetic spectrometer on the international space station

A precision measurement by AMS of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 500 GeV based on 10.9 million positron and electron events is presented. This measurement extends the energy range of our previous observation and increases its precision. The new results show, for the first time, that above &sim;200GeV the positron fraction no longer exhibits an increase with energy.</p