Mortality along the continuum of HIV care in Rwanda: a model-based analysis

HIV is the leading cause of death among adults in sub-Saharan Africa. However, mortality along the HIV care continuum is poorly described. We combine demographic, epidemiologic, and health services data to estimate where are people with HIV dying along Rwanda's care continuum.; We calibrated an age-structured HIV disease and transmission stochastic simulation model to the epidemic in Rwanda. We estimate mortality among HIV-infected individuals in the following states: untested, tested without establishing care in an antiretroviral therapy (ART) program (unlinked), in care before initiating ART (pre-ART), lost to follow-up (LTFU) following ART initiation, and retained in active ART care. We estimated mortality among people living with HIV in Rwanda through 2025 under current conditions, and with improvements to the HIV care continuum.; In 2014, the greatest portion of deaths occurred among those untested (35.4%), followed by those on ART (34.1%), reflecting the large increase in the population on ART. Deaths among those LTFU made up 11.8% of all deaths among HIV-infected individuals in 2014, and in the base case this portion increased to 18.8% in 2025, while the contribution to mortality declined among those untested, unlinked, and in pre-ART. In our model only combined improvements to multiple aspects of the HIV care continuum were projected to reduce the total number of deaths among those with HIV, estimated at 8177 in 2014, rising to 10,659 in the base case, and declining to 5,691 with combined improvements in 2025.; Mortality among those untested for HIV contributes a declining portion of deaths among HIV-infected individuals in Rwanda, but the portion of deaths among those LTFU is expected to increase the most over the next decade. Combined improvements to the HIV care continuum might be needed to reduce the number of deaths among those with HIV

Beam test evaluation of electromagnetic calorimeter modules made from proton-damaged PbWO_4 crystals

The performance of electromagnetic calorimeter modules made of proton-irradiated PbWO_4 crystals has been studied in beam tests. The modules, similar to those used in the Endcaps of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL), were formed from 5×5 matrices of PbWO_4 crystals, which had previously been exposed to 24 GeV protons up to integrated fluences between 2.1× 10^(13) and 1.3× 10^(14) cm^(−2). These correspond to the predicted charged-hadron fluences in the ECAL Endcaps at pseudorapidity η = 2.6 after about 500 fb^(−1) and 3000 fb^(−1) respectively, corresponding to the end of the LHC and High Luminosity LHC operation periods. The irradiated crystals have a lower light transmission for wavelengths corresponding to the scintillation light, and a correspondingly reduced light output. A comparison with four crystals irradiated in situ in CMS showed no significant rate dependence of hadron-induced damage. A degradation of the energy resolution and a non-linear response to electron showers are observed in damaged crystals. Direct measurements of the light output from the crystals show the amplitude decreasing and pulse becoming faster as the fluence increases. The latter is interpreted, through comparison with simulation, as a side-effect of the degradation in light transmission. The experimental results obtained can be used to estimate the long term performance of the CMS ECAL

Search for dark matter produced in association with heavy-flavor quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search is presented for an excess of events with heavy-flavor quark pairs (tt and bb) and a large imbalance in transverse momentum in data from proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.2fb^(−1) collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. No deviations are observed with respect to standard model predictions. The results are used in the first interpretation of dark matter production in tt and bb final states in a simplified model. This analysis is also the first to perform a statistical combination of searches for dark matter produced with different heavy-flavor final states. The combination provides exclusions that are stronger than those achieved with individual heavy-flavor final states

Measurement of the B^± Meson Nuclear Modification Factor in Pb-Pb Collisions at √S_(NN) = 5.02 TeV

The differential production cross sections of B^± mesons are measured via the exclusive decay channels B^± → J/ψK^ ±→ μ^+μ^−K^± as a function of transverse momentum in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy √S_(NN) = 5.02  TeV per nucleon pair with the CMS detector at the LHC. The pp(Pb-Pb) data set used for this analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 28.0  pb^(-1) (351  μb^(-1)). The measurement is performed in the B^± meson transverse momentum range of 7 to 50  GeV/c, in the rapidity interval |y| < 2.4. In this kinematic range, a strong suppression of the production cross section by about a factor of 2 is observed in the Pb-Pb system in comparison to the expectation from pp reference data. These results are found to be roughly compatible with theoretical calculations incorporating beauty quark diffusion and energy loss in a quark-gluon plasma

Search for dijet resonances in proton–proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV and constraints on dark matter and other models

A search is presented for narrow resonances decaying to dijet final states in proton–proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 12.9 fb^(−1). The dijet mass spectrum is well described by a smooth parameterization and no significant evidence for the production of new particles is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are reported on the production cross section for narrow resonances with masses above 0.6 TeV. In the context of specific models, the limits exclude string resonances with masses below 7.4 TeV, scalar diquarks below 6.9 TeV, axigluons and colorons below 5.5 TeV, excited quarks below 5.4 TeV, color-octet scalars below 3.0 TeV, W′ bosons below 2.7 TeV, Z′ bosons below 2.1 TeV and between 2.3 and 2.6 TeV, and RS gravitons below 1.9 TeV. These extend previous limits in the dijet channel. Vector and axial-vector mediators in a simplified model of interactions between quarks and dark matter are excluded below 2.0 TeV. The first limits in the dijet channel on dark matter mediators are presented as functions of dark matter mass and are compared to the exclusions of dark matter in direct detection experiments

Measurement of the top quark mass in the dileptonic tt decay channel using the mass observables M_(bℓ), M_(T2), and M_(bℓν) in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV

A measurement of the top quark mass (M_t) in the dileptonic tt decay channel is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data was recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 ± 0.5   fb^(−1). Events are selected with two oppositely charged leptons (ℓ=e, μ) and two jets identified as originating from b quarks. The analysis is based on three kinematic observables whose distributions are sensitive to the value of M_t. An invariant mass observable, M_(bℓ), and a "stransverse mass” observable, M_(T2), are employed in a Simultaneous fit to determine the value of M_t and an overall jet energy scale factor (JSF). A complementary approach is used to construct an invariant mass observable, M_(bℓν), that is combined with M_(T2) to measure M_t. The shapes of the observables, along with their evolutions in Mt and JSF, are modeled by a nonparametric Gaussian process regression technique. The sensitivity of the observables to the value of M_t is investigated using a Fisher information density method. The top quark mass is measured to be 172.22±0.18(stat)^(+0.89)_(−0.93)(syst)GeV

Search for associated production of a Z boson with a single top quark and for tZ avour-changing interactions in pp collisions at at √s = 8 TeV

A search for the production of a single top quark in association with a Z boson is presented, both to identify the expected standard model process and to search for flavour-changing neutral current interactions. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb^(−1) recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV. Final states with three leptons (electrons or muons) and at least one jet are investigated. An events yield compatible with tZq standard model production is observed, and the corresponding cross section is measured to be σ(pp → tZq → ℓνbℓ^+ℓ^−q) = 10_(−7)^(+8) fb with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations. No presence of flavour-changing neutral current production of tZq is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the branching fractions of a top quark decaying to a Z boson and an up or a charm quark are found to be ℬ(t → Zu) < 0.022% and ℬ(t → Zc) < 0.049%

Constraints on the double-parton scattering cross section from same-sign W boson pair production in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

A first search for same-sign WW production via double-parton scattering is performed based on proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV using dimuon and electron-muon final states. The search is based on the analysis of data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb^(−1). No significant excess of events is observed above the expected single-parton scattering yields. A 95% confidence level upper limit of 0.32 pb is set on the inclusive cross section for same-sign WW production via the double-parton scattering process. This upper limit is used to place a 95% confidence level lower limit of 12.2 mb on the effective double-parton cross section parameter, closely related to the transverse distribution of partons in the proton. This limit on the effective cross section is consistent with previous measurements as well as with Monte Carlo event generator predictions

Study of dijet events with a large rapidity gap between the two leading jets in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Events with no charged particles produced between the two leading jets are studied in proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV. The jets were required to have transverse momentum p^(jet)_T > 40 GeV and pseudorapidity 1.5 0.2 GeV in the interval −1 < η <1 between the jets are observed in excess of calculations that assume no color-singlet exchange. The fraction of events with such a rapidity gap, amounting to 0.5–1% of the selected dijet sample, is measured as a function of the p_T of the second-leading jet and of the rapidity separation between the jets. The data are compared to previous measurements at the Tevatron, and to perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations based on the Balitsky–Fadin–Kuraev–Lipatov evolution equations, including different models of the non-perturbative gap survival probability