We propose a theoretical framework to understand the observable global charge-parity (CP) violation in charmless three-body B± decays. The decay amplitudes consider the effects of the ππ→KK ...rescattering treated within a CPT invariant framework together with the U-spin symmetry relation, s↔d, which results π↔K in the final state. This approach applied to a two-channel model provides the magnitudes and signs of the ratios of the global CP asymmetries for B±→K±π+π−, B±→K±K+K−, B±→π±K+K−, and B±→π±π+π− decays, qualitatively consistent with those obtained from the available experimental data. In addition, by considering the neutral channels, we predict the ratios for the global CP asymmetries for these decays.
We report a measurement of the ionization efficiency of silicon nuclei recoiling with sub-keV kinetic energy in the bulk silicon of a charge-coupled device (CCD). Nuclear recoils are produced by ...low-energy neutrons (<24 keV) from a Sb124−Be9 photoneutron source, and their ionization signal is measured down to 60 eV electron equivalent. This energy range, previously unexplored, is relevant for the detection of low-mass dark matter particles. The measured efficiency is found to deviate from the extrapolation to low energies of the Lindhard model. This measurement also demonstrates the sensitivity to nuclear recoils of CCDs employed by DAMIC, a dark matter direct detection experiment located in the SNOLAB underground laboratory.
We report direct-detection constraints on light dark matter particles interacting with electrons. The results are based on a method that exploits the extremely low levels of leakage current of the ...DAMIC detector at SNOLAB of 2–6×10−22 A cm−2. We evaluate the charge distribution of pixels that collect <10e− for contributions beyond the leakage current that may be attributed to dark matter interactions. Constraints are placed on so-far unexplored parameter space for dark matter masses between 0.6 and 100 MeV c−2. We also present new constraints on hidden-photon dark matter with masses in the range 1.2–30 eV c−2.
Diabetes mellitus is a common disease among the general population and imposes considerable costs on health care systems. Insulin is used to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus and as an adjuvant to oral ...agents in advanced stages of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objective was to describe the trends in use and cost of human and analogue insulins for Colombian patients.
Descriptive retrospective analysis of prescriptions of human and analogue insulins on a monthly basis for the period from July 1, 2011 to February 2, 2015.
Information was collected for the database population of two insurance companies. Frequencies and proportions were calculated; estimated economic impact was expressed as net cost and cost per thousand inhabitants per day.
During the observation period, there was continuous growth in use of insulin, mainly in analogue forms (34.0% growth). At the start of the study, 10.4% of subjects were using an analogue insulin; this figure was 62.6% at the end of the study. In 2012, the average cost per 1000 inhabitants/day was US$1.7 for analogue and US$0.8 for human insulins. At the end of the observation period these costs had risen to US$9.2 for analogue (441.1% increase) and fallen to US$0.5 for human insulin (58.3% decrease).
There has been an increase in the unit cost and frequency of use of insulin analogues for anti-diabetic therapy in Colombian patients. Moreover, there is controversy over whether insulin analogues are a more cost-effective treatment than human insulins for the general diabetic population.
•Analogue insulins are replacing human insulin in patients with diabetes mellitus treated in Colombia.•Analogue insulins are much more costly to the Colombian health system than human insulins.•Analogue insulin is associated with a lower risk of hypoglycemia.
To test the hypothesis that the addition of an aminoglycoside to a β-lactam antibiotic could provide better outcomes than β-lactam monotherapy for the initial empirical treatment of hematological ...neutropenic patients with subsequently documented Gram-negative bacillus (GNB) bloodstream infection (BSI), a multinational, retrospective, cohort study of GNB BSI episodes in hematological neutropenic patients in six centers (2010 to 2017) was conducted. Combination therapy (β-lactam plus aminoglycoside) was compared to β-lactam monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the case fatality rate, assessed at 7 and 30 days from BSI onset. Secondary endpoints were nephrotoxicity and persistent BSI. Propensity score (PS) matching was performed. Among 542 GNB BSI episodes, 304 (56%) were initially treated with combination therapy, with cefepime plus amikacin being most common (158/304 52%). Overall, Escherichia coli (273/304 50.4%) was the main etiological agent, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which predominated in the combination group (76/304 25% versus 28/238 11.8%;
< 0.001). Multidrug resistance rates were similar between groups (83/294 28.2% versus 63/233 27%;
= 0.95). In the multivariate analysis, combination therapy was associated with a lower 7-day case fatality rate (odds ratio OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.91;
= 0.035) with a tendency toward lower mortality at 30 days (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.29 to 1.08;
= 0.084). After PS matching, these differences remained for the 7-day case fatality rate (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.82;
= 0.017). In addition, aminoglycoside use was not significantly associated with renal function impairment (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.26 to 4.87;
= 0.9). The addition of an aminoglycoside to the initial empirical therapy regimen for febrile neutropenic hematological patients should be considered.
•Observation of the charge-excess mechanism in the cosmic-ray air showers.•The shift in the core positions of the showers is due to the charge-excess.•We are using simulated showers with SELFAS to ...demonstrate the role of the charge excess.
CODALEMA is one of the pioneer experiments dedicated to the radio detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR), located at the radio observatory of Nançay (France). The CODALEMA experiment uses both a particle detector array and a radio antenna array. Data from both detection systems have been used to determine the ground coordinates of the core of extensive air showers (EAS). We discuss the observed systematic shift of the core positions determined with these two detection techniques. We show that this shift is due to the charge-excess contribution to the total radio emission of air showers, using the simulation code SELFAS. The dependences of the radio core shift to the primary cosmic ray characteristics are studied in details. The observation of this systematic shift can be considered as an experimental signature of the charge excess contribution.
The aim was to determine the time elapsed between the start of treatment with antiparkinsonian agents and the modification of the pharmacological therapy, and to establish its related factors, in a ...group of patients with Parkinson's disease from Colombia.
Retrospective cohort study that collected information about the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease who started drug therapy between June, 2011 and December, 2013; a five-year follow-up was performed. Survival analyses for time to therapy modification were generated, and factors related to these changes were determined using Cox regression models.
A total of 3,224 patients (51.8% men) with a mean age of 73.1 ± 13.5 years started treatment with antiparkinsonian agents. After five years, 2,046 patients (63.5%) had modifications in drug therapy, in a mean time of 36.4 months (95% confidence interval: 35.7-37.1). A total of 1,216 patients (37.8%) required the addition of another active principle, while 830 (25.7%) had a switch to another drug. In the multivariate analysis, male sex, age over 65 years, and the start of amantadine were identified as factors that increased the likelihood of therapy modification. The use of bromocriptine, biperiden, and monotherapy as an initial treatment were associated with a reduction in this likelihood.
After five years of treatment, 63.5% of the patients with Parkinson's disease required modifications to their therapy, with a mean time of three years. Male sex, age over 65 years, and receiving initial therapy with amantadine affected the likelihood of switching therapy in these patients in Colombia.
DAMIC (Dark Matter in CCDs) is an experiment searching for dark matter particles employing fully-depleted charge-coupled devices. Using the bulk silicon which composes the detector as target, we ...expect to observe coherent WIMP-nucleus elastic scattering. Although located in the SNOLAB laboratory, 2 km below the surface, the CCDs are not completely free of radioactive contamination, in particular coming from radon daughters or from the detector itself. We present novel techniques for the measurement of the radioactive contamination in the bulk silicon and on the surface of DAMIC CCDs. Limits on the Uranium and Thorium contamination as well as on the cosmogenic isotope 32 Si, intrinsically present on the detector, were performed. We have obtained upper limits on the 238 TJ (232 Th) decay rate of 5 (15) kg_1 d_1 at 95% CL. Pairs of spatially correlated electron tracks expected from 32 Si-32 P and 210 Pb-210 Bi beta decays were also measured. We have found a decay rate of 80+l10 -65 kg_1 d_1 for 32 Si and an upper limit of - 35 kg-1 d-1 for 210 Pb, both at 95% CL.
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