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Measurements of (anti)deuteron and (anti)3He production in the rapidity range |y|< 0.5 as a function of the transverse momentum and event multiplicity in Xe−Xe collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon pair of sNN−−−√ = 5.44 TeV are presented. The coalescence parameters B2 and B3 are measured as a function of the transverse momentum per nucleon. The ratios between (anti)deuteron and (anti)3He yields and those of (anti)protons and pions are reported as a function of the mean charged-particle multiplicity density, and compared with two implementations of the statistical hadronization model (SHM) and with coalescence predictions. The elliptic flow of (anti)deuterons is measured for the first time in Xe−Xe collisions and shows features similar to those already observed in Pb−Pb collisions, i.e., the mass ordering at low transverse momentum and the meson−baryon grouping at intermediate transverse momentum. The production of nuclei is particularly sensitive to the chemical freeze-out temperature of the system created in the collision, which is extracted from a grand-canonical-ensemble-based thermal fit, performed for the first time including light nuclei along with light-flavor hadrons in Xe−Xe collisions. The extracted chemical freeze-out temperature Tchem = (154.2 ± 1.1) MeV in Xe−Xe collisions is similar to that observed in Pb−Pb collisions and close to the crossover temperature predicted by lattice QCD calculations.
The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into Ω−e+νe at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) is measured to be 1.12 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented.
The inclusive production of the charm-strange baryon Ω0c is measured for the first time via its semileptonic decay into Ω−e+νe at midrapidity (|y| < 0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at the centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The transverse momentum (pT) differential cross section multiplied by the branching ratio is presented in the interval 2 < pT < 12 GeV/c. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ω0c → Ω−e+νe)/BR(Ω0c → Ω−π+) is measured to be 1.12 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.27 (syst.). Comparisons with other experimental measurements, as well as with theoretical calculations, are presented.
The total charm-quark production cross section per unit of rapidity dσ(cc)/dy, and the fragmentation fractions of charm quarks to different charm-hadron species f(c → hc), are measured for the first time in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV at midrapidity (−0.96 < y < 0.04 in the centre-ofmass frame) using data collected by ALICE at the CERN LHC. The results are obtained based on all the available measurements of prompt production of ground-state charm-hadron species: D0, D+,D+s, and J/ψ mesons, and Λ+cand Ξ0cbaryons. The resulting cross section is dσ(cc)/dy = 219.6±6.3 (stat.)+10.5−11.8(syst.)+7.6−2.9(extr.)±5.4 (BR)±4.6 (lumi.)±19.5 (rapidity shape) +15.0 (Ω0c) mb, which is consistent with a binary scaling of pQCD calculations from pp ollisions. The measured fragmentation fractions are compatible with those measured in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 and 13 TeV, showing an increase in the relative production rates of charm baryons with respect to charm mesons in pp and p–Pb collisions compared with e+e − and e−p collisions. The pT-integrated nuclear modification factor of charm quarks, RpPb(cc) = 0.91±0.04 (stat.) +0.08 −0.09 (syst.) +0.04 −0.03 (extr.)±0.03 (lumi.), is found to be consistent with unity and with theoretical predictions including nuclear modifications of the parton distribution functions.
This work aims to differentiate strangeness produced from hard processes (jet-like) and softer processes (underlying event) by measuring the angular correlation between a high-momentum trigger hadron (h) acting as a jet-proxy and a produced strange hadron (φ(1020) meson). Measuring h–φ correlations at midrapidity in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV as a function of event multiplicity provides insight into the microscopic origin of strangeness enhancement in small collision systems. The jet-like and the underlying-event-like strangeness production are investigated as a function of event multiplicity. They are also compared between a lower and higher momentum region. The evolution of the per-trigger yields within the near-side (aligned with the trigger hadron) and away-side (in the opposite direction of the trigger hadron) jet is studied separately, allowing for the characterization of two distinct jet-like production regimes. Furthermore, the h–φ correlations within the underlying event give access to a production regime dominated by soft production processes, which can be compared directly to the in-jet production. Comparisons between h–φ and dihadron correlations show that the observed strangeness enhancement is largely driven by the underlying event, where the φ/h ratio is significantly larger than within the jet regions. As multiplicity increases, the fraction of the total φ(1020) yield coming from jets decreases compared to the underlying event production, leading to high-multiplicity events being dominated by the increased strangeness production from the underlying event
First measurements of hadron(h)−Λ azimuthal angular correlations in p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. These correlations are used to separate the production of associated Λ baryons into three different kinematic regions, namely those produced in the direction of the trigger particle (near-side), those produced in the opposite direction (away-side), and those whose production is uncorrelated with the jet-axis (underlying event). The per-trigger associated Λ yields in these regions are extracted, along with the near- and away-side azimuthal peak widths, and the results are studied as a function of associated particle pT and event multiplicity. Comparisons with the DPMJET event generator and previous measurements of the ϕ(1020) meson are also made. The final results indicate that strangeness production in the highest multiplicity p−Pb collisions is enhanced relative to low multiplicity collisions in the jet-like regions, as well as the underlying event. The production of Λ relative to charged hadrons is also enhanced in the underlying event when compared to the jet-like regions. Additionally, the results hint that strange quark production in the away-side of the jet is modified by soft interactions with the underlying event.
The transverse momentum (pT) differential production cross section of the promptly-produced charm-strange baryon Ξ0c (and its charge conjugate Ξ0c¯¯¯¯¯¯) is measured at midrapidity via its hadronic decay into π+Ξ− in p−Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon collision sNN−−−√ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ0c nuclear modification factor (RpPb), calculated from the cross sections in pp and p−Pb collisions, is presented and compared with the RpPb of Λ+c baryons. The ratios between the pT-differential production cross section of Ξ0c baryons and those of D0 mesons and Λ+c baryons are also reported and compared with results at forward and backward rapidity from the LHCb Collaboration. The measurements of the production cross section of prompt Ξ0c baryons are compared with a model based on perturbative QCD calculations of charm-quark production cross sections, which includes only cold nuclear matter effects in p−Pb collisions, and underestimates the measurement by a factor of about 50. This discrepancy is reduced when the data is compared with a model in which hadronisation is implemented via quark coalescence. The pT-integrated cross section of prompt Ξ0c-baryon production at midrapidity extrapolated down to pT = 0 is also reported. These measurements offer insights and constraints for theoretical calculations of the hadronisation process. Additionally, they provide inputs for the calculation of the charm production cross section in p−Pb collisions at midrapidity.
Investigating strangeness enhancement with multiplicity in pp collisions using angular correlations
(2024)
A study of strange hadron production associated with hard scattering processes and with the underlying event is conducted to investigate the origin of the enhanced production of strange hadrons in small collision systems characterised by large charged-particle multiplicities. For this purpose, the production of the single-strange meson K0S and the double-strange baryon Ξ± is measured, in each event, in the azimuthal direction of the highest-pT particle (``trigger" particle), related to hard scattering processes, and in the direction transverse to it in azimuth, associated with the underlying event, in pp collisions at s√=5.02 TeV and s√=13 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The per-trigger yields of K0S and Ξ± are dominated by the transverse-to-leading production (i.e., in the direction transverse to the trigger particle), whose contribution relative to the toward-leading production is observed to increase with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The transverse-to-leading and the toward-leading Ξ±/K0S yield ratios increase with the multiplicity of charged particles, suggesting that strangeness enhancement with multiplicity is associated with both hard scattering processes and the underlying event. The relative production of Ξ± with respect to K0S is higher in transverse-to-leading processes over the whole multiplicity interval covered by the measurement. The K0S and Ξ± per-trigger yields and yield ratios are compared with predictions of three different phenomenological models, namely PYTHIA 8.2 with the Monash tune, PYTHIA 8.2 with ropes and EPOS LHC. The comparison shows that none of them can quantitatively describe either the transverse-to-leading or the toward-leading yields of K0S and Ξ±.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4-16 GeV/c. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3σ) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2 GeV/c in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at s√= 5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4-16 GeV/c. The reported measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb-Pb collisions shows a significant suppression (9.3σ) relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations overpredict the particle yield ratio. Although both simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas MUSIC+SMASH tends to overpredict them. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields of light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which increases towards central collisions. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2 GeV/c in central Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions at s√= 5.02 TeV. Both particle ratios and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
The production of K∗(892)± meson resonance is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb−Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The resonance is reconstructed via its hadronic decay channel K∗(892)±→K0Sπ±. The transverse momentum distributions are obtained for various centrality intervals in the pT range of 0.4−16 GeV/c . Measurements of integrated yields, mean transverse momenta, and particle yield ratios are reported and found to be consistent with previous ALICE measurements for K∗(892)0 within uncertainties. The pT-integrated yield ratio 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) in central Pb−Pb collisions shows a significant suppression at a level of 9.3σ relative to pp collisions. Thermal model calculations result in an overprediction of the particle yield ratio. Although both hadron resonance gas in partial chemical equilibrium (HRG-PCE) and music + smash simulations consider the hadronic phase, only HRG-PCE accurately represents the measurements, whereas music + smash simulations tend to overpredict the particle yield ratio. These observations, along with the kinetic freeze-out temperatures extracted from the yields measured for light-flavored hadrons using the HRG-PCE model, indicate a finite hadronic phase lifetime, which decreases with increasing collision centrality percentile. The pT-differential yield ratios 2K∗(892)±/(K++K−) and 2K∗(892)±/(π++π−) are presented and compared with measurements in pp collisions at √s=5.02 TeV. Both pa rticle ratios are found to be suppressed by up to a factor of five at pT<2.0 GeV/c in central Pb−Pb collisions and are qualitatively consistent with expectations for rescattering effects in the hadronic phase. The nuclear modification factor (RAA) shows a smooth evolution with centrality and is found to be below unity at pT>8 GeV/c, consistent with measurements for other light-flavored hadrons. The smallest values are observed in most central collisions, indicating larger energy loss of partons traversing the dense medium.
A new, more precise measurement of the Λ hyperon lifetime is performed using a large data sample of Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN p ¼ 5.02 TeV with ALICE. The Λ and Λ¯ hyperons are reconstructed at midrapidity using their two-body weak decay channel Λ → p þ π− and Λ¯ → p¯ þ πþ. The measured value of the Λ lifetime is τΛ ¼ ½261.07 0.37ðstat:Þ 0.72ðsyst:Þ ps. The relative difference between the lifetime of Λ and Λ¯ , which represents an important test of CPT invariance in the strangeness sector, is also measured. The obtained value ðτΛ − τΛ¯Þ=τΛ ¼ 0.0013 0.0028ðstat:Þ 0.0021ðsyst:Þ is consistent with zero within the uncertainties. Both measurements of the Λ hyperon lifetime and of the relative difference between τΛ and τΛ¯ are in agreement with the corresponding world averages of the Particle Data Group and about a factor of three more precise.
First measurement of Λ+c production down to pT = 0 in pp and p-Pb collisions at √𝑠NN = 5.02 TeV
(2023)
The production of prompt +c baryons has been measured at midrapidity in the transverse momentum interval 0 < pT < 1 GeV/c for the first time, in pp and p–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision √sNN = 5.02 TeV. The measurement was performed in the decay channel +c → pK0S by applying new decay reconstruction techniques using a Kalman-Filter vertexing algorithm and adopting a machine-learning approach for the candidate selection. The pT -integrated +c production cross sections in both collision systems were determined and used along with the measured yields in Pb–Pb collisions to compute the pT -integrated nuclear modification factors RpPb and RAA of +c baryons, which are compared to model calculations that consider nuclear modification of the parton distribution functions. The +c /D0 baryon-to-meson yield ratio is reported for pp and p–Pb collisions. Comparisons with models that include modified hadronization processes are presented, and the implications of the results on the understanding of charm hadronization in hadronic collisions are discussed. A significant (3.7σ) modification of the mean transverse momentum of + c baryons is seen in p–Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions, while the pT -integrated +c /D0 yield ratio was found to be consistent between the two collision systems within the uncertainties.
Long- and short-range correlations for pairs of charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV and p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=5.02 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of relative azimuthal angle Δφ and pseudorapidity separation Δη for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η|<0.9 and the transverse-momentum interval 1<pT<4 GeV/c. Flow coefficients are extracted for the long-range correlations (1.6<|Δη|<1.8) in various high-multiplicity event classes using the low-multiplicity template fit method. The method is used to subtract the enhanced yield of away-side jet fragments in high-multiplicity events. These results show decreasing flow signals toward lower multiplicity events. Furthermore, the flow coefficients for events with hard probes, such as jets or leading particles, do not exhibit any significant changes compared to those obtained from high-multiplicity events without any specific event selection criteria. The results are compared with hydrodynamic-model calculations, and it is found that a better understanding of the initial conditions is necessary to describe the results, particularly for low-multiplicity events.
The measurement of the production of deuterons, tritons and 3He and their antiparticles in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV is presented in this article. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (y|< 0.5) as a function of collision centrality using the ALICE detector. The pT-integrated yields, the coalescence parameters and the ratios to protons and antiprotons are reported and compared with nucleosynthesis models. The comparison of these results in different collision systems at different center-of-mass collision energies reveals a suppression of nucleus production in small systems. In the Statistical Hadronisation Model framework, this can be explained by a small correlation volume where the baryon number is conserved, as already shown in previous fluctuation analyses. However, a different size of the correlation volume is required to describe the proton yields in the same data sets. The coalescence model can describe this suppression by the fact that the wave functions of the nuclei are large and the fireball size starts to become comparable and even much smaller than the actual nucleus at low multiplicities.
The knowledge of the material budget with a high precision is fundamental for measurements of direct photon production using the photon conversion method due to its direct impact on the total systematic uncertainty. Moreover, it influences many aspects of the charged-particle reconstruction performance. In this article, two procedures to determine data-driven corrections to the material-budget description in ALICE simulation software are developed. One is based on the precise knowledge of the gas composition in the Time Projection Chamber. The other is based on the robustness of the ratio between the produced number of photons and charged particles, to a large extent due to the approximate isospin symmetry in the number of produced neutral and charged pions. Both methods are applied to ALICE data allowing for a reduction of the overall material budget systematic uncertainty from 4.5% down to 2.5%. Using these methods, a locally correct material budget is also achieved. The two proposed methods are generic and can be applied to any experiment in a similar fashion.
The knowledge of the material budget with a high precision is fundamental for measurements of direct photon production using the photon conversion method due to its direct impact on the total systematic uncertainty. Moreover, it influences many aspects of the charged-particle reconstruction performance. In this article, two procedures to determine data-driven corrections to the material-budget description in ALICE simulation software are developed. One is based on the precise knowledge of the gas composition in the Time Projection Chamber. The other is based on the robustness of the ratio between the produced number of photons and charged particles, to a large extent due to the approximate isospin symmetry in the number of produced neutral and charged pions. Both methods are applied to ALICE data allowing for a reduction of the overall material budget systematic uncertainty from 4.5% down to 2.5%. Using these methods, a locally correct material budget is also achieved. The two proposed methods are generic and can be applied to any experiment in a similar fashion.
Long- and short-range correlations for pairs of charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at √sNN = 13 TeV and p–Pb collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of relative azimuthal angle ∆φ and pseudorapidity separation ∆η for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η| < 0.9 and the transverse-momentum interval 1 < pT < 4 GeV/c. Flow coefficients are extracted for the long-range correlations (1.6 < |∆η| < 1.8) in various high-multiplicity event classes using the low-multiplicity template fit method. The method is used to subtract the enhanced yield of away-side jet fragments in high-multiplicity events. These results show decreasing flow signals toward lower multiplicity events. Furthermore, the flow coefficients for events with hard probes, such as jets or leading particles, do not exhibit any significant changes compared to those obtained from high-multiplicity events without any specific event selection criteria. The results are compared with hydrodynamic-model calculations, and it is found that a better understanding of the initial conditions is necessary to describe the results, particularly for low-multiplicity events.
This paper reports on Monte Carlo simulation results for future measurements of the moduli of time-like proton electromagnetic form factors, |GE | and |GM|, using the ¯pp → μ+μ− reaction at PANDA (FAIR). The electromagnetic form factors are fundamental quantities parameterizing the electric and magnetic structure of hadrons. This work estimates the statistical and total accuracy with which the form factors can be measured at PANDA, using an analysis of simulated data within the PandaRoot software framework. The most crucial background channel is ¯pp → π+π−,due to the very similar behavior of muons and pions in the detector. The suppression factors are evaluated for this and all other relevant background channels at different values of antiproton beam momentum. The signal/background separation is based on a multivariate analysis, using the Boosted Decision Trees method. An expected background subtraction is included in this study, based on realistic angular distribuations of the background contribution. Systematic uncertainties are considered and the relative total uncertainties of the form factor measurements are presented.
Introduction: The German PID-NET registry was founded in 2009, serving as the first national registry of patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) in Germany. It is part of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) registry. The primary purpose of the registry is to gather data on the epidemiology, diagnostic delay, diagnosis, and treatment of PIDs.
Methods: Clinical and laboratory data was collected from 2,453 patients from 36 German PID centres in an online registry. Data was analysed with the software Stata® and Excel.
Results: The minimum prevalence of PID in Germany is 2.72 per 100,000 inhabitants. Among patients aged 1–25, there was a clear predominance of males. The median age of living patients ranged between 7 and 40 years, depending on the respective PID. Predominantly antibody disorders were the most prevalent group with 57% of all 2,453 PID patients (including 728 CVID patients). A gene defect was identified in 36% of patients. Familial cases were observed in 21% of patients. The age of onset for presenting symptoms ranged from birth to late adulthood (range 0–88 years). Presenting symptoms comprised infections (74%) and immune dysregulation (22%). Ninety-three patients were diagnosed without prior clinical symptoms. Regarding the general and clinical diagnostic delay, no PID had undergone a slight decrease within the last decade. However, both, SCID and hyper IgE- syndrome showed a substantial improvement in shortening the time between onset of symptoms and genetic diagnosis. Regarding treatment, 49% of all patients received immunoglobulin G (IgG) substitution (70%—subcutaneous; 29%—intravenous; 1%—unknown). Three-hundred patients underwent at least one hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Five patients had gene therapy.
Conclusion: The German PID-NET registry is a precious tool for physicians, researchers, the pharmaceutical industry, politicians, and ultimately the patients, for whom the outcomes will eventually lead to a more timely diagnosis and better treatment.
Ziele: Das Ziel dieser offiziellen Leitlinie, die von der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe (DGGG) und der Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft (DKG) publiziert und koordiniert wurde, ist es, die Früherkennung, Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge des Mammakarzinoms zu optimieren.
Methoden: Der Aktualisierungsprozess der S3-Leitlinie aus 2012 basierte zum einen auf der Adaptation identifizierter Quellleitlinien und zum anderen auf Evidenzübersichten, die nach Entwicklung von PICO-(Patients/Interventions/Control/Outcome-)Fragen, systematischer Recherche in Literaturdatenbanken sowie Selektion und Bewertung der gefundenen Literatur angefertigt wurden. In den interdisziplinären Arbeitsgruppen wurden auf dieser Grundlage Vorschläge für Empfehlungen und Statements erarbeitet, die im Rahmen von strukturierten Konsensusverfahren modifiziert und graduiert wurden.
Empfehlungen: Der Teil 1 dieser Kurzversion der Leitlinie zeigt Empfehlungen zur Früherkennung, Diagnostik und Nachsorge des Mammakarzinoms: Der Stellenwert des Mammografie-Screenings wird in der aktualisierten Leitlinienversion bestätigt und bildet damit die Grundlage der Früherkennung. Neben den konventionellen Methoden der Karzinomdiagnostik wird die Computertomografie (CT) zum Staging bei höherem Rückfallrisiko empfohlen. Die Nachsorgekonzepte beinhalten Untersuchungsintervalle für die körperliche Untersuchung, Ultraschall und Mammografie, während weiterführende Gerätediagnostik und Tumormarkerbestimmungen bei der metastasierten Erkrankung Anwendung finden.
Purpose: The aim of this official guideline coordinated and published by the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) and the German Cancer Society (DKG) was to optimize the screening, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up care of breast cancer.
Methods: The process of updating the S3 guideline dating from 2012 was based on the adaptation of identified source guidelines which were combined with reviews of evidence compiled using PICO (Patients/Interventions/Control/Outcome) questions and the results of a systematic search of literature databases and the selection and evaluation of the identified literature. The interdisciplinary working groups took the identified materials as their starting point to develop recommendations and statements which were modified and graded in a structured consensus procedure.
Recommendations: Part 1 of this short version of the guideline presents recommendations for the screening, diagnosis and follow-up care of breast cancer. The importance of mammography for screening is confirmed in this updated version of the guideline and forms the basis for all screening. In addition to the conventional methods used to diagnose breast cancer, computed tomography (CT) is recommended for staging in women with a higher risk of recurrence. The follow-up concept includes suggested intervals between physical, ultrasound and mammography examinations, additional high-tech diagnostic procedures, and the determination of tumor markers for the evaluation of metastatic disease.
Modern macroeconomics empirically addresses economy-wide incentives behind economic actions by using insights from the way a single representative household would behave. This analytical approach requires that incentives of the poor and the rich are strictly aligned. In empirical analysis a challenging complication is that consumer and income data are typically available at the household level, and individuals living in multimember households have the potential to share goods within the household. The analytical approach of modern macroeconomics would require that intra-household sharing is also strictly aligned across the rich and the poor. Here we have designed a survey method that allows the testing of this stringent property of intra-household sharing and find that it holds: once expenditures for basic needs are subtracted from disposable household income, household-size economies implied by the remainder household incomes are the same for the rich and the poor.
In zwei Landschaftsausschnitten im nördlichen Teil des Kreises Herzogtum-Lauenburg (Gesamtfläche von 19.142 ha) wurde die Waldvegetation auf der Basis eines selbst entwickelten Schlüssels kartiert. Mit Hilfe eines Geographischen Informationssystems (GIS) wurde die Vegetationskartierung mit Karten der historischen Waldbedeckung (Kurhannoversche Landesaufnahme von 1777, Varendorfsche Karte des Herzogtum Holstein von 1789-1796) sowie mit der geologischen Übersichtskarte verschnitten, um Aussagen über die Waldentwicklung in den letzten 250 Jahren an Standorten mit unterschiedlichem geologischen Ausgangsmaterial (Jungmoräne, Sander) treffen zu können. Darüber hinaus wurde in den Wäldern des Untersuchungsgebietes das Vorkommen von insgesamt 33 seltenen Waldgefäßpflanzenarten kartiert und mit Angaben für den Zeitraum 1960 bis 1985 verglichen.
Mit 5.550 ha (29 %) Waldbedeckung ist das Untersuchungsgebiet für Schleswig-Holstein relativ waldreich. Die besseren Böden der Grund- und Endmoräne tragen allerdings nur mit 9 %, die vergleichsweise nährstoffarmen, sauren Böden der Sanderflächen mit 19 % zur Waldfläche bei. Ein Vergleich der Waldkartierung mit den Angaben zur Bewaldung in den historischen Karten zeigt, dass seit Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts die Waldfläche insgesamt um 636 ha (13 %) zugenommen hat. Auf den Böden der Grund- und Endmoräne übersteigen Rodungsmaßnahmen allerdings bei weitem die Aufforstung (Bilanz: - 544 ha). Im Bereich der Sander führt insbesondere die Aufforstung von ehemaligen Heideflächen, Ackern und Viehtriften mit Nadelholz zu einer Waldvermehrung um 1.198 ha. Die anhand ihrer Frequenz im Verbreitungsatlas der Flora von Schleswig-Holstein ausgewählten seltenen Waldgefäßpflanzenarten haben ihren Verbreitungsschwerpunkt an den nährstoffreichen und feuchten Standorten der Jungmoräne und hier vor allem im Stellario-Alnetum (Alno-Ulmion) und Hordelymo-Fagetum (Galio-Fagion). Auffällig ist die enge Bindung dieser Arten an Standorte mit kontinuierlicher Waldbedeckung. Nur 12 der 72 Standorte, an denen mindestens eine der seltenen Arten gefunden wurde, sind eindeutig Neuaufforstungen von landwirtschaftlichen Flächen. - Ein Vergleich der Vorkommen der seltenen Arten mit Fundangaben im Verbreitungsatlas lässt einen starken Rückgang vieler dieser Arten vermuten. Die Gründe hierfür werden diskutiert.
The title compound, C37H67NO13·2C2H6OS·1.43H2O, is a macrolide antibiotic with better solubility and better dermal penetration abilities than erythromycin A itself. The asymmetric unit of this form contains one erythromycin A molecule, two dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent molecules, a fully occupied water molecule and a partially occupied water molecule with an occupancy factor of 0.432 (11). The 14-membered ring of the erythronolide fragment has a conformation which differs considerably from that in erythromycin A dihydrate [Stephenson, Stowell, Toma, Pfeiffer & Byrn (1997[Stephenson, G. A., Stowell, J. G., Toma, P. H., Pfeiffer, R. R. & Byrn, S. R. (1997). J. Pharm. Sci. 86, 1239-1244.]). J. Pharm. Sci. 86, 1239–1244]. One of the two DMSO molecules is disordered over two orientations; the orientation depends on the presence or absence of the second, partially occupied, water molecule. In the crystal, erythromycin molecules are connected by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the hydroxy groups and the fully occupied water molecule to form layers parallel to (010). These layers are connected along the b-axis direction only by a possible hydrogen-bonding contact involving the partially occupied water molecule.
Simple Summary: Pseudoprogression detection in glioblastoma patients remains a challenging task. Although pseudoprogression has only a moderate prevalence of 10–30% following first-line treatment of glioblastoma patients, it bears critical implications for affected patients. Non-invasive techniques, such as amino acid PET imaging using the tracer O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET), expose features that have been shown to provide useful information to distinguish tumor progression from pseudoprogression. The usefulness of FET-PET in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma exclusively, however, has not been investigated so far. Recently, machine learning (ML) algorithms have been shown to offer great potential particularly when multiparametric data is available. In this preliminary study, a Linear Discriminant Analysis-based ML algorithm was deployed in a cohort of newly diagnosed IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients (n = 44) and demonstrated a significantly better diagnostic performance than conventional ROC analysis. This preliminary study is the first to assess the performance of ML in FET-PET for diagnosing pseudoprogression exclusively in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma and demonstrates its potential.
Abstract: Pseudoprogression (PSP) detection in glioblastoma remains challenging and has important clinical implications. We investigated the potential of machine learning (ML) in improving the performance of PET using O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) for differentiation of tumor progression from PSP in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma. We retrospectively evaluated the PET data of patients with newly diagnosed IDH-wildtype glioblastoma following chemoradiation. Contrast-enhanced MRI suspected PSP/TP and all patients underwent subsequently an additional dynamic FET-PET scan. The modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria served to diagnose PSP. We trained a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)-based classifier using FET-PET derived features on a hold-out validation set. The results of the ML model were compared with a conventional FET-PET analysis using the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve. Of the 44 patients included in this preliminary study, 14 patients were diagnosed with PSP. The mean (TBRmean) and maximum tumor-to-brain ratios (TBRmax) were significantly higher in the TP group as compared to the PSP group (p = 0.014 and p = 0.033, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for TBRmax and TBRmean was 0.68 and 0.74, respectively. Using the LDA-based algorithm, the AUC (0.93) was significantly higher than the AUC for TBRmax. This preliminary study shows that in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma, ML-based PSP detection leads to better diagnostic performance.
Inositol, 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydroxycyclohexane, exists in nine stereoisomers with different crystal structures and melting points. In a previous paper on the relationship between the melting points of the inositols and the hydrogen-bonding patterns in their crystal structures [Simperler et al. (2006[Simperler, A., Watt, S. W., Bonnet, P. A., Jones, W. & Motherwell, W. D. S. (2006). CrystEngComm, 8, 589-600.]). CrystEngComm 8, 589], it was noted that although all inositol crystal structures known at that time contained 12 hydrogen bonds per molecule, their melting points span a large range of about 170 °C. Our preliminary investigations suggested that the highest melting point must be corrected for the effect of molecular symmetry, and that the three lowest melting points may need to be revised. This prompted a full investigation, with additional experiments on six of the nine inositols. Thirteen new phases were discovered; for all of these their crystal structures were examined. The crystal structures of eight ordered phases could be determined, of which seven were obtained from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. Five additional phases turned out to be rotator phases and only their unit cells could be determined. Two previously unknown melting points were measured, as well as most enthalpies of melting. Several previously reported melting points were shown to be solid-to-solid phase transitions or decomposition points. Our experiments have revealed a complex picture of phases, rotator phases and phase transitions, in which a simple correlation between melting points and hydrogen-bonding patterns is not feasible.
Boden- und baumstammbewohnende Linyphiidae des Hienheimer Forstes (Bayern) (Arachnida: Araneae)
(1998)
This paper presents some results of a forest ecology research project by the University of Munich's faculty of Forestry, involving the comparison of forests designed to reflect varying degrees of naturalness. Spiders on the ground and on trunks in four different forests in the Hienheimer Forst were caught with 24 ground photo eclectors, 8 arboreal eclectors and with 40 pitfall traps. Habitat requirements were measured and analysed with particular attention to forest soil. Abiotic parameters and the structure of the litter layer were recorded. The most frequent spiders were the Linyphiidae, Agelenidae and Amaurobidae. 63 species of the family Linyphiidae were caught. One half of the Linyphiidae-species could be found on trunks of oak and spruce (eclector fauna). In terms of the number of spider species and in the portion of rare and endangered species there were almost no differences between commercial forest areas and conservation areas. The differences are not as great as the original classification according to closeness to the natural state had led us to expect.
Until about 25 years ago, almost all European countries had a so-called “three pillar” banking system comprising private banks, (public) savings banks and (mutual) cooperative banks. Since that time, several European countries have implemented far-reaching changes in their banking systems, which have more than anything else affected the two “pillars” of the savings and cooperative banks. The article describes the most important changes in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Spain and characterizes the former and the current roles of savings banks and cooperative banks in these countries. A particular focus is placed on the German case, which is almost unique in so far as the German savings banks and cooperative banks have maintained most of their traditional features. The article concludes with a plea for diversity of institutional forms of banks and argues that it is important to safeguard the strengths of those types of banks that do not conform to the model of a large shareholder-oriented commercial bank.
Der Botanische Arbeitskreis Nordharz e.V. 1) führte vom 10.-11.8.1996 eine Kartierungsexkursion in das Gebiet um Sangerhausen durch2). Zum Zeitpunkt der Exkursionsvorbereitung war kein Kartierer im Rahmen der laufenden Sachsen-Anhalt-Kartierung in diesem Meßtischblatt tätig. Ziel war daher die Erfassung des Grundbestandes in den vier Quadranten. Die erste Augusthälfte wurde gewählt, um mit den Sommer- und Spätsommeraspekten ein möglichst breites Artenspektrum erschließen zu können. Allein der Frühjahrsaspekt blieb damit unberücksichtigt. Im nachfolgenden wird über bemerkenswerte Pflanzenfunde berichtet, sowohl Neufunde gegenüber dem Kenntnisstand, der die Grundlage für den Florenatlas der neuen Bundesländer bildete3), als auch Bestätigungen seltener und überregional bedeutsamer Artenvorkommen. Alle Funde beziehen sich, wenn nicht anders angegeben, auf das Meßtischblatt 4533, so daß den Fundorten nur die Quadrantennummer vorangestellt wird.
Background: Cytokines are mediators of inflammation that contribute to a low-grade inflammation in different disorders like major depression and obesity. It still remains unclear which psychological and medical factors interact with cytokine regulation. In the current investigation, the association between levels of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines and anthropometrics, mood state (depressiveness), physical activity and sleep were investigated in a sample of community-dwelled adults.
Methods: Forty-nine subjects met the inclusion criteria for analyses and were assessed at two time-points (baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2), average T1-T2-interval = 215 days). Serum cytokine measures included the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α, the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IL-13 and the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); anthropometrics were assessed via physical examination, depressiveness was assessed via Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)2, parameters of physical activity (steps, METs) and sleep (night/total sleep duration) were measured via a 1-week actigraphy.
Results: Correlation analyses showed low-to moderate significant relationships between the majority of cytokines and the BDI2 at T1, positive correlation with weight and BMI at T1 and T2, and negative correlations with the number of steps and METs at T2 and T2. Regression analyses for T1 revealed that the BDI2 score was the best positive predictor for the concentrations of all nine cytokines, followed by the number of steps and the nightsleep duration as negative predictors. At T2, the amount of steps was found to be negatively associated with IL-4, IL5, IL-10, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, whereas the BMI could significantly predict IL-12 and IL-13. The BDI2-score was not significantly associated with any of the cytokines. No associations could be found between dynamics in cytokines from T1 and T2 and changes in any of the variables.
Discussion: The present results indicate an influence of physical activity, subjective well-being and body composition on inflammatory mediators. Since there was no standardized intervention targeting the independent variables between T1 and T2, no assumptions on causality can be drawn from the association results.
Background: Obesity and depression are both associated with changes in sleep/wake regulation, with potential implications for individualized treatment especially in comorbid individuals suffering from both. However, the associations between obesity, depression, and subjective, questionnaire-based and objective, EEG-based measurements of sleepiness used to assess disturbed sleep/wake regulation in clinical practice are not well known.
Objectives: The study investigates associations between sleep/wake regulation measures based on self-reported subjective questionnaires and EEG-derived measurements of sleep/wake regulation patterns with depression and obesity and how/whether depression and/or obesity affect associations between such self-reported subjective questionnaires and EEG-derived measurements.
Methods: Healthy controls (HC, NHC = 66), normal-weighted depressed (DEP, NDEP = 16), non-depressed obese (OB, NOB = 68), and obese depressed patients (OBDEP, NOBDEP = 43) were included from the OBDEP (Obesity and Depression, University Leipzig, Germany) study. All subjects completed standardized questionnaires related to daytime sleepiness (ESS), sleep quality and sleep duration once as well as questionnaires related to situational sleepiness (KSS, SSS, VAS) before and after a 20 min resting state EEG in eyes-closed condition. EEG-based measurements of objective sleepiness were extracted by the VIGALL algorithm. Associations of subjective sleepiness with objective sleepiness and moderating effects of obesity, depression, and additional confounders were investigated by correlation analyses and regression analyses.
Results: Depressed and non-depressed subgroups differed significantly in most subjective sleepiness measures, while obese and non-obese subgroups only differed significantly in few. Objective sleepiness measures did not differ significantly between the subgroups. Moderating effects of obesity and/or depression on the associations between subjective and objective measures of sleepiness were rarely significant, but associations between subjective and objective measures of sleepiness in the depressed subgroup were systematically weaker when patients comorbidly suffered from obesity than when they did not.
Conclusion: This study provides some evidence that both depression and obesity can affect the association between objective and subjective sleepiness. If confirmed, this insight may have implications for individualized diagnosis and treatment approaches in comorbid depression and obesity.
The production of 77,79,85,85mKr and 77Br via the reaction Se(a, x) was investigated between Ea = 11 and 15 MeV using the activation technique. The irradiation of natural selenium targets on aluminum backings was conducted at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, Germany. The spectroscopic analysis of the reaction products was performed using a high-purity germanium detector located at PTB and a low energy photon spectrometer detector at the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. Thicktarget yields were determined. The corresponding energy-dependent production cross sections of 77,79,85,85mKr and 77Br were calculated from the thicktarget yields. Good agreement between experimental data and theoretical predictions using the TALYS-1.6 code was found.
Measurements of the π±, K±, and proton double differential yields emitted from the surface of the 90-cm-long carbon target (T2K replica) were performed for the incoming 31 GeV/c protons with the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS using data collected during 2010 run. The double differential π± yields were measured with increased precision compared to the previously published NA61/SHINE results, while the K± and proton yields were obtained for the first time. A strategy for dealing with the dependence of the results on the incoming proton beam profile is proposed. The purpose of these measurements is to reduce significantly the (anti)neutrino flux uncertainty in the T2K long-baseline neutrino experiment by constraining the production of (anti)neutrino ancestors coming from the T2K target.
We present measurements of ρ0, ω and K∗0 spectra in π−+ C production interactions at 158 GeV / c and ρ0 spectra at 350 GeV / c using the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS. Spectra are presented as a function of the Feynman’s variable xF in the range 0<xF<1 and 0<xF<0.5 for 158 and 350 GeV / c respectively. Furthermore, we show comparisons with previous measurements and predictions of several hadronic interaction models. These measurements are essential for a better understanding of hadronic shower development and for improving the modeling of cosmic ray air showers.
his Erratum replaces incorrect plots shown in Fig. 7 with the corrected ones. In the publication, the NA57 [1] ratios of Ξ− and Ξ¯¯¯¯+ to the number of wounded nucleons at ⟨NW⟩=349 by mistake were plotted at the wrong values. The ratios were calculated and plotted by mistake using ⟨NW⟩=249.
The correct normalization does not change the conclusions of the paper. The correctly normalized results are presented in Fig. 7.
The production of Ξ(1321)− and Ξ¯¯¯¯(1321)+ hyperons in inelastic p+p interactions is studied in a fixed target experiment at a beam momentum of 158 GeV/c. Double differential distributions in rapidity y and transverse momentum pT are obtained from a sample of 33M inelastic events. They allow to extrapolate the spectra to full phase space and to determine the mean multiplicity of both Ξ− and Ξ¯¯¯¯+. The rapidity and transverse momentum spectra are compared to transport model predictions. The Ξ− mean multiplicity in inelastic p+p interactions at 158 GeV/c is used to quantify the strangeness enhancement in A+A collisions at the same centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair.
The physics goal of the strong interaction program of the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) is to study the phase diagram of hadronic matter by a scan of particle production in collisions of nuclei with various sizes at a set of energies covering the SPS energy range. This paper presents differential inclusive spectra of transverse momentum, transverse mass and rapidity of π− mesons produced in central 40Ar+45Sc collisions at beam momenta of 13A, 19A, 30A, 40A, 75A and 150A Ge V /c. Energy and system size dependence of parameters of these distributions – mean transverse mass, the inverse slope parameter of transverse mass spectra, width of the rapidity distribution and mean multiplicity – are presented and discussed. Furthermore, the dependence of the ratio of the mean number of produced pions to the mean number of wounded nucleons on the collision energy was derived. The results are compared to predictions of several models.
A measurement of charged hadron pair correlations in two-dimensional ηφ space is presented. The analysis is based on total 30 million central Be + Be collisions observed in the NA61/SHINE detector at the CERN SPS for incident beam momenta of 19A, 30A, 40A, 75A, and 150A GeV/c. Measurements were carried out for unlike-sign and like-sign charge hadron pairs independently. The C(η, φ) correlation functions were compared with results from a similar analysis on p + p interactions at similar beam momenta per nucleon. General trends of the backto-back correlations are similar in central Be + Be collisions and p + p interactions, but are suppressed in magnitude due to the increased combinatorial background. Predictions from the Epos and UrQMD models are compared to the measurements. Evolution of an enhancement around (η, φ) = (0, 0) with incident energy is observed in central Be + Be collisions. It is not predicted by both models and almost non-existing in proton–proton collisions at the same momentum per nucleon.
Chemical ozone loss in winter 1991–1992 is recalculated based on observations of the HALOE satellite instrument, ER-2 aircraft measurements and balloon data. HALOE satellite observations are shown to be reliable in the lower stratosphere below 400 K, at altitudes where profiles are most likely disturbed by the enhanced sulfate aerosols, as a result of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in June 1991. Very large chemical ozone loss was observed below 400 K from Kiruna balloon observations between December and March 1992. Additionally, for the two winters after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, HALOE satellite observations show a stronger extent of chemical ozone loss at lower altitudes compared to other Arctic winter between 1991 and 2003. In stipe of already occurring deactivation of chlorine in March 1992, Mipas-B and LPMA balloon observations indicate still chlorine activation at lower altitudes, consistent with observed chemical ozone loss occurring between February and March and April. Enhanced chemical ozone loss in the Arctic winter 1991–1992 as calculated in earlier studies is corroborated here.
Chemical ozone loss in winter 1991–1992 is recalculated based on observations of the HALOE satellite instrument, Version 19, ER-2 aircraft measurements and balloon data. HALOE satellite observations are shown to be reliable in the lower stratosphere below 400 K, at altitudes where the measurements are most likely disturbed by the enhanced sulfate aerosol loading, as a result of the Mt.~Pinatubo eruption in June 1991. Significant chemical ozone loss (13–17 DU) is observed below 380 K from Kiruna balloon observations and HALOE satellite data between December 1991 and March 1992. For the two winters after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, HALOE satellite observations show a stronger extent of chemical ozone loss towards lower altitudes compared to other Arctic winters between 1991 and 2003. In spite of already occurring deactivation of chlorine in March 1992, MIPAS-B and LPMA balloon observations indicate that chlorine was still activated at lower altitudes, consistent with observed chemical ozone loss occurring between February and March and April. Large chemical ozone loss of more than 70 DU in the Arctic winter 1991–1992 as calculated in earlier studies is corroborated here.
During SPURT (Spurenstofftransport in der Tropopausenregion, trace gas transport in the tropopause region) we performed measurements of a wide range of trace gases with different lifetimes and sink/source characteristics in the northern hemispheric upper troposphere (UT) and lowermost stratosphere (LMS). A large number of in-situ instruments were deployed on board a Learjet 35A, flying at altitudes up to 13.7 km, at times reaching to nearly 380 K potential temperature. Eight measurement campaigns (consisting of a total of 36 flights), distributed over all seasons and typically covering latitudes between 35° N and 75° N in the European longitude sector (10° W–20° E), were performed. Here we present an overview of the project, describing the instrumentation, the encountered meteorological situations during the campaigns and the data set available from SPURT. Measurements were obtained for N2O, CH4, CO, CO2, CFC12, H2, SF6, NO, NOy, O3 and H2O. We illustrate the strength of this new data set by showing mean distributions of the mixing ratios of selected trace gases, using a potential temperature – equivalent latitude coordinate system. The observations reveal that the LMS is most stratospheric in character during spring, with the highest mixing ratios of O3 and NOy and the lowest mixing ratios of N2O and SF6. The lowest mixing ratios of NOy and O3 are observed during autumn, together with the highest mixing ratios of N2O and SF6 indicating a strong tropospheric influence. For H2O, however, the maximum concentrations in the LMS are found during summer, suggesting unique (temperature- and convection-controlled) conditions for this molecule during transport across the tropopause. The SPURT data set is presently the most accurate and complete data set for many trace species in the LMS, and its main value is the simultaneous measurement of a suite of trace gases having different lifetimes and physical-chemical histories. It is thus very well suited for studies of atmospheric transport, for model validation, and for investigations of seasonal changes in the UT/LMS, as demonstrated in accompanying and elsewhere published studies.
On the observation of mesospheric air inside the arctic stratospheric polar vortex in early 2003
(2005)
During several balloon flights inside the Arctic polar vortex in early 2003, unusual trace gas distributions were observed, which indicate a strong influence of mesospheric air in the stratosphere. The tuneable diode laser (TDL) instrument SPIRALE (Spectroscopie InFrarouge par Absorption de Lasers Embarqués) measured unusually high CO values (up to 600 ppb) on 27 January at about 30 km altitude. The cryosampler BONBON sampled air masses with very high molecular Hydrogen, extremely low SF6 and enhanced CO values on 6 March at about 25 km altitude. Finally, the MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer showed NOy values which are significantly higher than NOy* (the NOy derived from a correlation between N2O and NOy under undisturbed conditions), on 21 and 22 March in a layer centred at 22 km altitude. Thus, the mesospheric air seems to have been present in a layer descending from about 30 km in late January to 25 km altitude in early March and about 22 km altitude on 20 March. We present corroborating evidence from a model study using the KASIMA (KArlsruhe Simulation model of the Middle Atmosphere) model that also shows a layer of mesospheric air, which descended into the stratosphere in November and early December 2002, before the minor warming which occurred in late December 2002 lead to a descent of upper stratospheric air, cutting of a layer in which mesospheric air is present. This layer then descended inside the vortex over the course of the winter. The same feature is found in trajectory calculations, based on a large number of trajectories started in the vicinity of the observations on 6 March. Based on the difference between the mean age derived from SF6 (which has an irreversible mesospheric loss) and from CO2 (whose mesospheric loss is much smaller and reversible) we estimate that the fraction of mesospheric air in the layer observed on 6 March, must have been somewhere between 35% and 100%.
Balloon-borne measurements of CFC-11 (on flights of the DIRAC in situ gas chromatograph and the DESCARTES grab sampler), ClO and O3 were made during the 1999/2000 winter as part of the SOLVE-THESEO 2000 campaign. Here we present the CFC-11 data from nine flights and compare them first with data from other instruments which flew during the campaign and then with the vertical distributions calculated by the SLIMCAT 3-D CTM. We calculate ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex between late January and early March using the relation between CFC-11 and O3 measured on the flights, the peak ozone loss (1200 ppbv) occurs in the 440–470 K region in early March in reasonable agreement with other published empirical estimates. There is also a good agreement between ozone losses derived from three independent balloon tracer data sets used here. The magnitude and vertical distribution of the loss derived from the measurements is in good agreement with the loss calculated from SLIMCAT over Kiruna for the same days.
The total stratospheric organic chlorine and bromine burden was derived from balloon-borne measurements in the tropics (Teresina, Brazil, 5°04´ S, 42°52´ W) in 2005. Whole air samples were collected cryogenically at altitudes between 15 and 34 km. For the first time, we report measurements of a set of 28 chlorinated and brominated substances in the tropical upper troposphere and stratosphere including ten substances with an atmospheric lifetime of less than half a year. The substances were quantified using pre-concentration techniques followed by Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometric detection. In the tropical tropopause layer at altitudes between 15 and 17 km we found 1.1–1.4% of the chlorine and 6–8% of the bromine to be present in the form of very short-lived organic compounds. By combining the data with tropospheric reference data and age of air observations the abundances of inorganic chlorine and bromine (Cly and Bry) were derived. At an altitude of 34 km we calculated 3062 ppt of Cly and 17.5 ppt of Bry from the decomposition of both long- and short-lived organic source gases. Furthermore we present indications for the presence of additional organic brominated substances in the tropical upper troposphere and stratosphere.
The total stratospheric organic chlorine and bromine burden was derived from balloon-borne measurements in the tropics (Teresina, Brazil, 5°04´ S, 42°52´ W) in 2005. Whole air samples were collected cryogenically at altitudes between 15 and 34 km. For the first time, we report measurements of a set of 28 chlorinated and brominated substances in the tropical upper troposphere and stratosphere including ten substances with an atmospheric lifetime of less than half a year. The substances were quantified using pre-concentration techniques followed by Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometric detection. In the tropical tropopause layer at altitudes between 15 and 17 km we found 1.1–1.4% of the chlorine and 6–8% of the bromine to be present in the form of very short-lived organic compounds. By combining the data with tropospheric reference data and age of air observations the abundances of inorganic chlorine and bromine (Cly and Bry) were derived. At an altitude of 34 km we calculated 3062 ppt of Cly and 17.5 ppt of Bry from the decomposition of both long- and short-lived organic source gases. Furthermore we present indications for the presence of additional organic brominated substances in the tropical upper troposphere and stratosphere.
The design, construction, and commissioning of the ALICE Time-Projection Chamber (TPC) is described. It is the main device for pattern recognition, tracking, and identification of charged particles in the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC. The TPC is cylindrical in shape with a volume close to 90 m3 and is operated in a 0.5 T solenoidal magnetic field parallel to its axis.
In this paper we describe in detail the design considerations for this detector for operation in the extreme multiplicity environment of central Pb–Pb collisions at LHC energy. The implementation of the resulting requirements into hardware (field cage, read-out chambers, electronics), infrastructure (gas and cooling system, laser-calibration system), and software led to many technical innovations which are described along with a presentation of all the major components of the detector, as currently realized. We also report on the performance achieved after completion of the first round of stand-alone calibration runs and demonstrate results close to those specified in the TPC Technical Design Report.
Most simulated micro-founded macro models use solely consumer-demand aggregates in order to estimate deep economy-wide preference parameters, which are useful for policy evaluation. The underlying demand-aggregation properties that this approach requires, should be easy to empirically disprove: since household-consumption choices differ for households with more members, aggregation can be rejected if appropriate data violate an affine equation regarding how much individuals benefit from within-household sharing of goods. We develop a survey method that tests the validity of this equation, without utility-estimation restrictions via models. Surprisingly, in six countries, this equation is not rejected, lending support to using consumer-demand aggregates.
Background: Platelet activating factor and tachykinins (substance P, neurokinin A, neurokinin B) are important mediators contributing to increased airway secretion in the context of different types of respiratory diseases including acute and chronic asthma. Leukotriene receptor antagonists are recommended as add-on therapy for this disease. The cys-leukotriene-1 receptor antagonist montelukast has been used in clinical asthma therapy during the last years. Besides its inhibitory action on bronchoconstriction, only little is known about its effects on airway secretions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of montelukast on platelet activating factor- and tachykinin induced tracheal secretory activity.
Methods: The effects of montelukast on platelet activating factor- and tachykinin induced tracheal secretory activity in the rat were assessed by quantification of secreted 35SO4 labelled mucus macromolecules using the modified Ussing chamber technique.
Results: Platelet activating factor potently stimulated airway secretion, which was completely inhibited by the platelet activating factor receptor antagonist WEB 2086 and montelukast. In contrast, montelukast had no effect on tachykinin induced tracheal secretory activity.
Conclusion: Cys-leukotriene-1 receptor antagonism by montelukast reverses the secretagogue properties of platelet activating factor to the same degree as the specific platelet activating factor antagonist WEB 2086 but has no influence on treacheal secretion elicited by tachykinins. These results suggest a role of montelukast in the signal transduction pathway of platelet activating factor induced secretory activity of the airways and may further explain the beneficial properties of cys-leukotriene-1 receptor antagonists.
Single crystals of the title compound, C10H11NO4, an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of yellow azo pigments, were obtained from the industrial production. The molecules crystallize as centrosymmetic dimers connected by two symmetry-related N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bonds. Each molecule also contains an intramolecular N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond. The dimers form stacks along the a-axis direction. Neighbouring stacks are arranged into a herringbone structure.
Turbulent fluxes of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) were measured over a spruce forest in Central Germany using the relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) technique. A REA sampler was developed and validated using simultaneous measurements of CO2 fluxes by REA and by eddy correlation. REA measurements were conducted during six campaigns covering spring, summer, and fall between 1997 and 1999. Both uptake and emission of COS and CS2 by the forest were observed, with deposition occurring mainly during the sunlit period and emission mainly during the dark period. On the average, however, the forest acts as a sink for both gases. The average fluxes for COS and CS2 are -93 ± 11.7 pmol m -2 s -1 and -18 ± 7.6 pmol m -2 s -1, respectively. The fluxes of both gases appear to be correlated to photosynthetically active radiation and to the CO2 and H2O fluxes, supporting the idea that the air-vegetation exchange of both gases is controlled by stomata. An uptake ratio COS / CO2 of 10 ± 1.7 pmol mmol -1 has been derived from the regression line for the correlation between the COS and CO2 fluxes. This uptake ratio, if representative for the global terrestrial net primary production, would correspond to a sink of 2.3 ± 0.5 Tg COS yr-1.
Two aircraft instruments for the measurement of total odd nitrogen (NOy) were compared side by side aboard a Learjet A35 in April 2003 during a campaign of the AFO2000 project SPURT (Spurengastransport in der Tropopausenregion). The instruments albeit employing the same measurement principle (gold converter and chemiluminescence) had different inlet configurations. The ECO-Physics instrument operated by ETH-Zürich in SPURT had the gold converter mounted outside the aircraft, whereas the instrument operated by FZ-Jülich in the European project MOZAIC III (Measurements of ozone, water vapour, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides aboard Airbus A340 in-service aircraft) employed a Rosemount probe with 80 cm of FEP-tubing connecting the inlet to the gold converter. The NOy concentrations during the flight ranged between 0.3 and 3 ppb. The two data sets were compared in a blind fashion and each team followed its normal operating procedures. On average, the measurements agreed within 7%, i.e. within the combined uncertainty of the two instruments. This puts an upper limit on potential losses of HNO3 in the Rosemount inlet of the MOZAIC instrument. Larger transient deviations were observed during periods after calibrations and when the aircraft entered the stratosphere. The time lag of the MOZAIC instrument observed in these instances is in accordance with the time constant of the MOZAIC inlet line determined in the laboratory for HNO3.
Two aircraft instruments for the measurement of total odd nitrogen (NOy) were compared side by side aboard a Learjet A35 in April 2003 during a campaign of the AFO2000 project SPURT (Spurengastransport in der Tropopausenregion). The instruments albeit employing the same measurement principle (gold converter and chemiluminescence) had different inlet configurations. The ECO-Physics instrument operated by ETH-Zürich in SPURT had the gold converter mounted outside the aircraft, whereas the instrument operated by FZ-Jülich in the European project MOZAIC III (Measurements of ozone, water vapour, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides aboard Airbus A340 in-service aircraft) employed a Rosemount probe with 80 cm of FEP-tubing connecting the inlet to the gold converter. The NOy concentrations during the flight ranged between 0.3 and 3 ppb. The two data sets were compared in a blind fashion and each team followed its normal operating procedures. On average, the measurements agreed within 6%, i.e. within the combined uncertainty of the two instruments. This puts an upper limit on potential losses of HNO3 in the Rosemount inlet of the MOZAIC instrument. Larger transient deviations were observed during periods after calibrations and when the aircraft entered the stratosphere. The time lag of the MOZAIC instrument observed in these instances is in accordance with the time constant of the MOZAIC inlet line determined in the laboratory for HNO3.
Im Rahmen eines Expertenworkshops an der Bundesforschungsanstalt für Forst- und Holzwirtschaft (Hamburg) wurde die Frage erörtert, welche Gefäßpflanzen im norddeutschen Tiefland als typische Waldarten gelten können. Hintergrund dieser Fragestellung ist der Schutz und die nachhaltige Nutzung von Waldökosystemen im Sinne des Übereinkommens der Vereinten Nationen über die biologische Vielfalt.Als Ergebnis wurde eine Liste der im norddeutschen Tiefland typischen, Waldgefäßpflanzenarten vorgelegt. Sie kann als Bewertungshilfe im Zusammenhang mit der Quantifizierung der Pflanzenartenvielfalt in Wäldern dienen und enthält 634 Taxa, die sechs verschiedenen Gruppen zugeordnet werden. Der Gültigkeitsbereich der Liste wird naturräumlich und über eine Walddefinition eingegrenzt. Anwendungsbeispiele werden gegeben. Eine Ausweitung des Ansatzes auf den deutschen Mittelgebirgsraum sowie auf das Alpenvorland und die Alpen ist vorgesehen.
In the present work, three different techniques are used to separate ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR) from non-ice-active particles: the Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI), which sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals, as well as the combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI), which provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated ones for analysis. The collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine their size, chemical composition and mixing state. Samples were taken during January/February 2013 at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20–70%) of contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH + IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential measurement artifacts (soluble material) occurred (median abundance < 20%). After removal of the contamination particles, silicates and Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types separated by all three techniques. Minor types include soot and Pb-bearing particles. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Lead was identified in less than 10% of the INP/IPR. It was mainly present as an internal mixture with other particle types, but also external lead-rich particles were found. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 μm, while the Ice-CVI also sampled many submicron particles. Probably owing to the different meteorological conditions, the INP/IPR composition was highly variable on a sample to sample basis. Thus, some part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from the (unavoidable) non-parallel sampling. The observed differences of the particles group abundances as well as the mixing state of INP/IPR point to the need of further studies to better understand the influence of the separating techniques on the INP/IPR chemical composition.
During January/February 2013, at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch a measurement campaign was carried out, which was centered on atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR). Three different techniques for separation of INP and IPR from the non-ice-active particles are compared. The Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI) sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals. The combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Counterflow Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI) provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated INP for analysis.Collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine size, chemical composition and mixing state. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20 – 70 %) of instrumental contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH+IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential sampling artifacts (e.g., pure soluble material) occurred with a median abundance of < 20 %. While these could be explained as IPR by ice break-up, for INP their IN-ability pathway is less clear. After removal of the contamination artifacts, silicates and Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types separated by all three techniques. Soot was a minor contributor. Lead was detected in less than 10 % of the particles, of which the majority were internal mixtures with other particle types. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 μm, while the Ice-CVI also separated many submicron IPR. As strictly parallel sampling could not be performed, a part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from variations in meteorological conditions and subsequent INP/IPR composition. The observed differences in the particle group abundances as well as in the mixing state of INP/IPR express the need for further studies to better understand the influence of the separating techniques on the INP/IPR chemical
composition.
In order to quantitatively analyse the chemical and dynamical evolution of the polar vortex it has proven extremely useful to work with coordinate systems that follow the vortex flow. We propose here a two-dimensional quasi-Lagrangian coordinate system {X i, delta X i}, based on the mixing ratio of a long-lived stratospheric trace gas i, and its systematic use with i = N2O, in order to describe the structure of a well-developed Antarctic polar vortex. In the coordinate system {X i, delta X i} the mixing ratio X i is the vertical coordinate and delta X i = X i(theta) - X i vort(theta) is the meridional coordinate (X i vort(theta) being a vertical reference profile in the vortex core). The quasi-Lagrangian coordinates {X i, delta X i} persist for much longer time than standard isentropic coordinates, potential temperature theta and equivalent latitude Phi e, do not require explicit reference to geographic space, and can be derived directly from high-resolution in situ measurements. They are therefore well-suited for studying the evolution of the Antarctic polar vortex throughout the polar winter with respect to the relevant chemical and microphysical processes. By using the introduced coordinate system {X N2O, delta X N2O} we analyze the well-developed Antarctic vortex investigated during the APE-GAIA (Airborne Polar Experiment – Geophysica Aircraft in Antarctica – 1999) campaign (Carli et al., 2000). A criterion, which uses the local in-situ measurements of X i=X i(theta) and attributes the inner vortex edge to a rapid change (delta-step) in the meridional profile of the mixing ratio X i, is developed to determine the (Antarctic) inner vortex edge. In turn, we suggest that the outer vortex edge of a well-developed Antarctic vortex can be attributed to the position of a local minimum of the X H2O gradient in the polar vortex area. For a well-developed Antarctic vortex, the delta X N2O-parametrization of tracer-tracer relationships allows to distinguish the tracer inter-relationships in the vortex core, vortex boundary region and surf zone and to examine their meridional variation throughout these regions. This is illustrated by analyzing the tracer-tracer relationships X i : X N2O obtained from the in-situ data of the APE-GAIA campaign for i = CFC-11, CFC-12, H-1211 and SF6. A number of solitary anomalous points in the CFC-11 : N2O correlation, observed in the Antarctic vortex core, are interpreted in terms of small-scale cross-isentropic dispersion.
Balloon-borne measurements of CFC11 (from the DIRAC in situ gas chromatograph and the DESCARTES grab sampler), ClO and O3 were made during the 1999/2000 Arctic winter as part of the SOLVE-THESEO 2000 campaign, based in Kiruna (Sweden). Here we present the CFC11 data from nine flights and compare them first with data from other instruments which flew during the campaign and then with the vertical distributions calculated by the SLIMCAT 3D CTM. We calculate ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex between late January and early March using the relation between CFC11 and O3 measured on the flights. The peak ozone loss (~1200ppbv) occurs in the 440-470K region in early March in reasonable agreement with other published empirical estimates. There is also a good agreement between ozone losses derived from three balloon tracer data sets used here. The magnitude and vertical distribution of the loss derived from the measurements is in good agreement with the loss calculated from SLIMCAT over Kiruna for the same days.
Turbulent fluxes of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) were measured over a spruce forest in Central Germany using the relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) technique. A REA sampler was developed and validated using simultaneous measurements of CO2 fluxes by REA and by eddy correlation. REA measurements were conducted during six campaigns covering spring, summer, and fall between 1997 and 1999. Both uptake and emission of COS and CS2 by the forest were observed, with deposition occurring mainly during the sunlit period and emission mainly during the dark period. On the average, however, the forest acts as a sink for both gases. The average fluxes for COS and CS2 are -93 ± 11.7 pmol m-2 s-1 and -18 ± 7.6 pmol m-2 s-1, respectively. The fluxes of both gases appear to be correlated to photosynthetically active radiation and to the CO2 and \chem{H_2O} fluxes, supporting the idea that the air-vegetation exchange of both gases is controlled by stomata. An uptake ratio COS/CO2 of 10 ± 1.7 pmol m mol-1 has been derived from the regression line for the correlation between the COS and CO2 fluxes. This uptake ratio, if representative for the global terrestrial net primary production, would correspond to a sink of 2.3 ± 0.5 Tg COS yr-1.
During SPURT (Spurenstofftransport in der Tropopausenregion, trace gas transport in the tropopause region) we performed measurements of a wide range of trace gases with different lifetimes and sink/source characteristics in the northern hemispheric upper troposphere (UT) and lowermost stratosphere (LMS). A large number of in-situ instruments were deployed on board a Learjet 35A, flying at altitudes up to 13.7 km, at times reaching to nearly 380 K potential temperature. Eight measurement campaigns (consisting of a total of 36 flights), distributed over all seasons and typically covering latitudes between 35° N and 75° N in the European longitude sector (10° W–20° E), were performed. Here we present an overview of the project, describing the instrumentation, the encountered meteorological situations during the campaigns and the data set available from SPURT. Measurements were obtained for N2O, CH4, CO, CO2, CFC12, H2, SF6, NO, NOy, O3 and H2O. We illustrate the strength of this new data set by showing mean distributions of the mixing ratios of selected trace gases, using a potential temperature – equivalent latitude coordinate system. The observations reveal that the LMS is most stratospheric in character during spring, with the highest mixing ratios of O3 and NOy and the lowest mixing ratios of N2O and SF6. The lowest mixing ratios of NOy and O3 are observed during autumn, together with the highest mixing ratios of N2O and SF6 indicating a strong tropospheric influence. For H2O, however, the maximum concentrations in the LMS are found during summer, suggesting unique (temperature- and convection-controlled) conditions for this molecule during transport across the tropopause. The SPURT data set is presently the most accurate and complete data set for many trace species in the LMS, and its main value is the simultaneous measurement of a suite of trace gases having different lifetimes and physical-chemical histories. It is thus very well suited for studies of atmospheric transport, for model validation, and for investigations of seasonal changes in the UT/LMS, as demonstrated in accompanying and elsewhere published studies.
During several balloon flights inside the Arctic polar vortex in early 2003, unusual trace gas distributions were observed, which indicate a strong influence of mesospheric air in the stratosphere. The tuneable diode laser (TDL) instrument SPIRALE (Spectroscopie InFrarouge par Absorption de Lasers Embarqués) measured unusually high CO values (up to 600 ppb) on 27 January at about 30 km altitude. The cryosampler BONBON sampled air masses with very high molecular Hydrogen, extremely low SF6 and enhanced CO values on 6 March at about 25 km altitude. Finally, the MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer showed NOy values which are significantly higher than NOy* (the NOy derived from a correlation between N2O and NOy under undisturbed conditions), on 21 and 22 March in a layer centred at 22 km altitude. Thus, the mesospheric air seems to have been present in a layer descending from about 30 km in late January to 25 km altitude in early March and about 22 km altitude on 20 March. We present corroborating evidence from a model study using the KASIMA (KArlsruhe Simulation model of the Middle Atmosphere) model that also shows a layer of mesospheric air, which descended into the stratosphere in November and early December 2002, before the minor warming which occurred in late December 2002 lead to a descent of upper stratospheric air, cutting of a layer in which mesospheric air is present. This layer then descended inside the vortex over the course of the winter. The same feature is found in trajectory calculations, based on a large number of trajectories started in the vicinity of the observations on 6 March. Based on the difference between the mean age derived from SF6 (which has an irreversible mesospheric loss) and from CO2 (whose mesospheric loss is much smaller and reversible) we estimate that the fraction of mesospheric air in the layer observed on 6 March, must have been somewhere between 35% and 100%.
Viscous hydrodynamic calculations of high energy heavy-ion collisions (Nb-Nb and Au-Au) from 200 to 800 MeV/nucleon are presented. The resulting baryon rapidity distributions, the in-plane transverse momentum transfer (bounce-off), and the azimuthal dependence of the midrapidity particles (off-plane squeeze out) compare well with Plastic Ball data. We find that the considered observables are sensitive both to the nuclear equation of state and to the nuclear shear viscosity η. Transverse momentum distributions indicate a high shear viscosity (η≊60 MeV/fm2 c) in the compression zone, in agreement with nuclear matter estimates. The bulk viscosity ζ influences only the entropy production during the expansion stage; collective observables like flow and dN/dY do not depend strongly on ζ. The recently observed off-plane (φ=90°) squeeze-out, which is found in the triple-differential rapidity distribution, exhibits the strongest sensitivity to the nuclear equation of state. It is demonstrated that for very central collisions, b=1 fm, the squeeze-out is visible even in the double-differential cross section. This is experimentally accessible by studying azimuthally symmetric events, as confirmed recently by data of the European 4π detector collaboration at Gesellchaft für Schwerionforschung Darmstadt.
We define a new scalar-tensor theory with an effective gravitational coupling constant depending on a scalar field. The coupling is such that the gravitational interaction decreases with the strength of the scalar field. We show that this is not sufficient to prevent the gravitational collapse of sufficiently massive dense objects.
Epigenetic signatures such as methylation of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene have been found to be altered in panic disorder (PD). Hypothesizing temporal plasticity of epigenetic processes as a mechanism of successful fear extinction, the present psychotherapy-epigenetic study for we believe the first time investigated MAOA methylation changes during the course of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in PD. MAOA methylation was compared between N=28 female Caucasian PD patients (discovery sample) and N=28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls via direct sequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA extracted from blood cells. MAOA methylation was furthermore analyzed at baseline (T0) and after a 6-week CBT (T1) in the discovery sample parallelized by a waiting time in healthy controls, as well as in an independent sample of female PD patients (N=20). Patients exhibited lower MAOA methylation than healthy controls (P<0.001), and baseline PD severity correlated negatively with MAOA methylation (P=0.01). In the discovery sample, MAOA methylation increased up to the level of healthy controls along with CBT response (number of panic attacks; T0–T1: +3.37±2.17%), while non-responders further decreased in methylation (−2.00±1.28%; P=0.001). In the replication sample, increases in MAOA methylation correlated with agoraphobic symptom reduction after CBT (P=0.02–0.03). The present results support previous evidence for MAOA hypomethylation as a PD risk marker and suggest reversibility of MAOA hypomethylation as a potential epigenetic correlate of response to CBT. The emerging notion of epigenetic signatures as a mechanism of action of psychotherapeutic interventions may promote epigenetic patterns as biomarkers of lasting extinction effects.
No association between Parkinson disease and autoantibodies against NMDA-type glutamate receptors
(2019)
Background: IgG-class autoantibodies to N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors define a novel entity of autoimmune encephalitis. Studies examining the prevalence of NMDA IgA/IgM antibodies in patients with Parkinson disease with/without dementia produced conflicting results. We measured NMDA antibodies in a large, well phenotyped sample of Parkinson patients without and with cognitive impairment (n = 296) and controls (n = 295) free of neuropsychiatric disease. Detailed phenotyping and large numbers allowed statistically meaningful correlation of antibody status with diagnostic subgroups as well as quantitative indicators of disease severity and cognitive impairment.
Methods: NMDA antibodies were analysed in the serum of patients and controls using well established validated assays. We used anti-NMDA antibody positivity as the main independent variable and correlated it with disease status and phenotypic characteristics.
Results: The frequency of NMDA IgA/IgM antibodies was lower in Parkinson patients (13%) than in controls (22%) and higher than in previous studies in both groups. NMDA IgA/IgM antibodies were neither significantly associated with diagnostic subclasses of Parkinson disease according to cognitive impairment, nor with quantitative indicators of disease severity and cognitive impairment. A positive NMDA antibody status was positively correlated with age in controls but not in Parkinson patients.
Conclusion: It is unlikely albeit not impossible that NMDA antibodies play a significant role in the pathogenesis or progression of Parkinson disease e.g. to Parkinson disease with dementia, while NMDA IgG antibodies define a separate disease of its own.