We report on several features in the energy spectrum from an ultralow-noise germanium detector operated deep underground. By implementing a new technique able to reject surface events, a number of ...cosmogenic peaks can be observed for the first time. We discuss an irreducible excess of bulklike events below 3 keV in ionization energy. These could be caused by unknown backgrounds, but also dark matter interactions consistent with DAMA/LIBRA. It is not yet possible to determine their origin. Improved constraints are placed on a cosmological origin for the DAMA/LIBRA effect.
Abstract Objective To determine the pathologic substrates in patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) with or without a coexisting neurologic disorder. Methods The ...clinical and neuropathologic findings were analyzed on all autopsied cases from one of the collaborating sites in North America and Europe, were evaluated from January 1990 to March 2012, and were diagnosed with polysomnogram (PSG)-proven or probable RBD with or without a coexisting neurologic disorder. The clinical and neuropathologic diagnoses were based on published criteria. Results 172 cases were identified, of whom 143 (83%) were men. The mean ± SD age of onset in years for the core features were as follows – RBD, 62 ± 14 (range, 20–93), cognitive impairment ( n = 147); 69 ± 10 (range, 22–90), parkinsonism ( n = 151); 68 ± 9 (range, 20–92), and autonomic dysfunction ( n = 42); 62 ± 12 (range, 23–81). Death age was 75 ± 9 years (range, 24–96). Eighty-two (48%) had RBD confirmed by PSG, 64 (37%) had a classic history of recurrent dream enactment behavior, and 26 (15%) screened positive for RBD by questionnaire. RBD preceded the onset of cognitive impairment, parkinsonism, or autonomic dysfunction in 87 (51%) patients by 10 ± 12 (range, 1–61) years. The primary clinical diagnoses among those with a coexisting neurologic disorder were dementia with Lewy bodies ( n = 97), Parkinson’s disease with or without mild cognitive impairment or dementia ( n = 32), multiple system atrophy (MSA) ( n = 19), Alzheimer’s disease (AD)( n = 9) and other various disorders including secondary narcolepsy ( n = 2) and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation-type 1 (NBAI-1) ( n = 1). The neuropathologic diagnoses were Lewy body disease (LBD)( n = 77, including 1 case with a duplication in the gene encoding α-synuclein), combined LBD and AD ( n = 59), MSA ( n = 19), AD ( n = 6), progressive supranulear palsy (PSP) ( n = 2), other mixed neurodegenerative pathologies ( n = 6), NBIA-1/LBD/tauopathy ( n = 1), and hypothalamic structural lesions ( n = 2). Among the neurodegenerative disorders associated with RBD ( n = 170), 160 (94%) were synucleinopathies. The RBD-synucleinopathy association was particularly high when RBD preceded the onset of other neurodegenerative syndrome features. Conclusions In this large series of PSG-confirmed and probable RBD cases that underwent autopsy, the strong association of RBD with the synucleinopathies was further substantiated and a wider spectrum of disorders which can underlie RBD now are more apparent.
Aim: Understanding the relative importance of climatic and non-climatic distribution drivers for co-occurring, functionally similar species is required to assess potential consequences of climate ...change. This understanding is, however, lacking for most ecosystems. We address this knowledge gap and forecast changes in distribution for habitat-forming seaweeds in one of the world's most species-rich temperate reef ecosystems. Location: The Great Southern Reef. The full extent of Australia's temperate coastline. Methods: We assessed relationships between climatic and non-climatic environmental data known to influence seaweed, and the presence of 15 habitat-forming seaweeds. Distributional data (herbarium records) were analysed with MAXENT and generalized linear and additive models, to construct species distribution models at 0.2° spatial resolution, and project possible distribution shifts under the RCP 6.0 (medium) and 2.6 (conservative) emissions scenarios of ocean warming for 2100. Results: Summer temperatures, and to a lesser extent winter temperatures, were the strongest distribution predictors for temperate habitat-forming seaweeds in Australia. Projections for 2100 predicted major poleward shifts for 13 of the 15 species, on average losing 78% (range: 36%-100%) of their current distributions under RCP 6.0 and 62% (range: 27%-100%) under RCP 2.6. The giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and three prominent fucoids (Durvillaea potatorum, Xiphophora chondrophylla and Phyllospora comosa) were predicted to become extinct from Australia under RCP 6.0. Many species currently distributed up the west and east coasts, including the dominant kelp Ecklonia radiata (71% and 49% estimated loss for RPC 6.0 and 2.6, respectively), were predicted to become restricted to the south coast. Main conclusions: In close accordance with emerging observations in Australia and globally, our study predicted major range contractions of temperate seaweeds in coming decades. These changes will likely have significant impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning because large seaweeds are foundation species for 100s of habitat-associated plants and animals, many of which are socio-economically important and endemic to southern Australia.
Fifteen months of cumulative CoGeNT data are examined for indications of an annual modulation, a predicted signature of weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) interactions. Presently available ...data support the presence of a modulated component of unknown origin, with parameters prima facie compatible with a galactic halo composed of light-mass WIMPs. Unoptimized estimators yield a statistical significance for a modulation of ∼2.8σ, limited by the short exposure.
Abstract Sterile neutrinos in the keV mass range present a viable candidate for dark matter. They can be detected through single β -decay, where they cause small spectral distortions. The Karlsruhe ...Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment aims to search for keV-scale sterile neutrinos with high sensitivity. To achieve this, the KATRIN beamline will be equipped with a novel multi-pixel silicon drift detector focal plane array named TRISTAN. In this study, we present the performance of a TRISTAN detector module, a component of the eventual 9-module system. Our investigation encompasses spectroscopic aspects such as noise performance, energy resolution, linearity, and stability.
AUTHOR:e-mail address please Aim: To determine the incidence, regional variation in frequency, outcome, and risk factors for acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in England and Wales. Methods: AK cases ...presenting from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1999 were identified by the British Ophthalmic Surveillance Unit active reporting system. Clinical and patient postal questionnaire data were analysed. Results: 106 reported cases met study criteria. The annual incidence for the 2 years was 1.26 and 1.13 per million adults and, for contact lens (CL) wearers, 21.14 and 17.53 per million. There was marked regional variation in incidence (0 to 85.13 per million adult CL wearers), with CL wearers in the south having a ninefold increased risk of AK compared with those resident in the north (95% confidence limits: 2.2–38.9, p<0.0001), and a threefold increased risk with hard as opposed to soft domestic water (95% confidence limits: 1.73 to 6.58, p<0.001). Treatment and outcome data were similar to those previously reported. 93/106 (88%) patients were CL wearers. Among these, 46/77 (60%) were disinfecting irregularly, and 20/63 (32%) had been swimming in CLs. One step hydrogen peroxide and chlorine release soft CL (SCL) disinfection systems were significantly over-represented among the cases. Among SCL users, one or more previously established risk factors for AK were identified in 50/55 (91%) patients. Conclusions: The incidence was considerably higher than most previous estimates, and was static. The geographical variation in incidence may be partly related to the increase in risk associated with hard water. The fact that water quality can have such an effect on the risk of AK suggests that many CL wearers must be letting tapwater come into contact with their lenses or storage cases. Improved education for CL wearers and practitioners about hygiene practice and the variable efficacy of contact lens systems could be expected to reduce the incidence of this disease.
Sterile neutrinos are a minimal extension of the standard model of particle physics. A promising model-independent way to search for sterile neutrinos is via high-precision β-spectroscopy. The ...Karlsruhe tritium neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, equipped with a novel multi-pixel silicon drift detector focal plane array and read-out system, named the TRISTAN detector, has the potential to supersede the sensitivity of previous laboratory-based searches. In this work we present the characterization of the first silicon drift detector prototypes with electrons and we investigate the impact of uncertainties of the detector's response to electrons on the final sterile neutrino sensitivity.
Abstract
The
Majorana Demonstrator
comprises two arrays of
high-purity germanium detectors constructed to search for
neutrinoless double-beta decay in
76
Ge and other physics beyond
the Standard ...Model. Its readout electronics were designed to have
low electronic noise, and radioactive backgrounds were minimized by
using low-mass components and low-radioactivity materials near the
detectors. This paper provides a description of all components of
the
Majorana Demonstrator
readout electronics, spanning the
front-end electronics and internal cabling, back-end electronics,
digitizer, and power supplies, along with the grounding scheme. The
spectroscopic performance achieved with these readout electronics is
also demonstrated.
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