The oscillation results published by the Double Chooz Collaboration in 2011 and 2012 rely on background models substantiated by reactor-on data. In this analysis, we present a ...background-model-independent measurement of the mixing angle θ13 by including 7.53 days of reactor-off data. A global fit of the observed antineutrino rates for different reactor power conditions is performed, yielding a measurement of both θ13 and the total background rate. The results on the mixing angle are improved significantly by including the reactor-off data in the fit, as it provides a direct measurement of the total background rate. This reactor rate modulation analysis considers antineutrino candidates with neutron captures on both Gd and H, whose combination yields sin2(2θ13)=0.102±0.028(stat.)±0.033(syst.). The results presented in this study are fully consistent with the ones already published by Double Chooz, achieving a competitive precision. They provide, for the first time, a determination of θ13 that does not depend on a background model.
Abstract
Eos
is a technology demonstrator, designed to
explore the capabilities of hybrid event detection technology,
leveraging both Cherenkov and scintillation light simultaneously.
With a fiducial ...mass of four tons,
Eos
is designed to
operate in a high-precision regime, with sufficient size to utilize
time-of-flight information for full event reconstruction,
flexibility to demonstrate a range of cutting edge technologies, and
simplicity of design to facilitate potential future deployment at
alternative sites. Results from
Eos
can inform the design
of future neutrino detectors for both fundamental physics and
nonproliferation applications. This paper describes the conceptual
design and potential applications of the
Eos
detector.
Background: Cul-4, a member of the Caenorhabditis elegans âcullinâ ubiquitin-ligase gene family, plays a critical role in
regulation of DNA-replication in this nematode. It has been suggested ...that cul-4 might have an important role in the development
and progression of human cancer, but no data on this subject exist. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression
and prognostic relevance of CUL-4 protein in lymph node-negative breast cancer, one of the most common malignancies worldwide.
Materials and Methods: CUL-4 protein expression was determined with immunohistochemistry in 167 specimens of human node-negative
invasive breast cancer with long term follow-up. Results were correlated with overall and disease-free survival of patients.
Results: Strong expression of CUL-4 protein was observed in 32 cases (19.2%), moderate expression in 59 (35.3%), weak expression
in 64 (38.3%), and in 12 tumors (7.2%) no expression of CUL4 was observed. Patients with strong expression of CUL4 had a significantly
shorter overall and disease-free survival (p=0.04 and p=0.029, respectively; Cox regression) compared to all other cases.
Conclusion: Our data provide evidence for the first time that CUL-4 could play an important role in the development and progression
of human cancer.
Abstract BACKGROUND: Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) have been proposed to predict patient response to antiangiogenic cancer therapy. However, contradictory reports and inconsistency in the ...phenotypic identification of CECs have led us to compare three cell populations with partially overlapping phenotype in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab. METHODS: Patients ( n = 20) with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were monitored during 16 weeks of neoadjuvant treatment with gemcitabine and bevacizumab. Detection of circulating cell populations was based on the marker combination CD45, CD31, and CD146; levels of viable and dead (7-aminoactinomycin D-positive) cells were evaluated by flow cytometry in 2-week intervals. RESULTS: We were able to discriminate and concomitantly monitor three cell populations elevated in cancer patients. Whereas CECs were defined as CD45- CD31+ CD146+ , the distinct populations of CD45- CD31- CD146+ and CD45- CD31high CD146- cells were partly positive for CD3 and CD41, respectively. CECs and CD45- CD31- CD146+ cells increased during therapy; the rise in dead cells was positively correlated with patient response or survival. Conversely, CD45- CD31high CD146- cells decreased in neoadjuvant treatment. A highly significant correlation was established for improved patient response and a minor decrease in viable cell counts. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometric CEC analysis based on CD45, CD31, and CD146 requires careful discrimination between blood cell populations with overlapping phenotype showing hallmarks of activated T cells and large platelets. However, these three cell populations show distinct regulation during cancer therapy, and their concomitant analysis may offer extended prognostic and predictive information.
A study on cosmic muons has been performed for the two identical near and far neutrino detectors of the Double Chooz experiment, placed at $\sim$120 and $\sim$300 m.w.e. underground respectively, ...including the corresponding simulations using the MUSIC simulation package. This characterization has allowed to measure the muon flux reaching both detectors to be (3.64 $\pm$ 0.04) $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ for the near detector and (7.00 $\pm$ 0.05) $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ for the far one. The seasonal modulation of the signal has also been studied observing a positive correlation with the atmospheric temperature, leading to an effective temperature coefficient of $\alpha_{T}$ = 0.212 $\pm$ 0.024 and 0.355 $\pm$ 0.019 for the near and far detectors respectively. These measurements, in good agreement with expectations based on theoretical models, represent one of the first measurements of this coefficient in shallow depth installations.
Abstract
In 1956 Reines & Cowan discovered the neutrino using a liquid scintillator detector. The neutrinos interacted with the scintillator, producing light that propagated across transparent ...volumes to surrounding photo-sensors. This approach has remained one of the most widespread and successful neutrino detection technologies used since. This article introduces a concept that breaks with the conventional paradigm of transparency by confining and collecting light near its creation point with an opaque scintillator and a dense array of optical fibres. This technique, called LiquidO, can provide high-resolution imaging to enable efficient identification of individual particles event-by-event. A natural affinity for adding dopants at high concentrations is provided by the use of an opaque medium. With these and other capabilities, the potential of our detector concept to unlock opportunities in neutrino physics is presented here, alongside the results of the first experimental validation.
Barrett's esophagus represents a premalignant condition, which is strongly associated with the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Currently, there are no validated markers to extract exactly ...that certain patient that will proceed to neoplastic progression. Therefore, therapeutic options have to include a larger population to provide prophylaxis for affected patients. Recently developed endoscopic therapeutic approaches offer treatment options for prevention or even treatment of limited esophageal adenocarcinoma. At present, high eradication rates of intestinal metaplasia as well as dysplasia are observed, whereas low complication rates offer a convenient safety profile. These striking new methods symbolize a changing paradigm in a field, where minimal-invasive tissue ablating methods and tissue preserving techniques have led to modified regimens. This review will focus on current standards and newly emerging methods to treat Barrett's esophagus and its progression to cancer and will highlight their evolution, potential benefits and their limitations.
Formation of lymphatic metastasis is the initial step of generalized spreading of tumor cells and predicts poor clinical prognosis. Lymphatic vessels generally arise within the peritumoral stroma, ...although the lymphangiopoietic vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF)-C and -D are produced by tumor cells. In a carefully selected collection of human cervical cancers (stage pT1b1) we demonstrate by quantitative immunohistochemistry and
in situ
hybridization that density of lymphatic microvessels is significantly increased in peritumoral stroma, and that a subset of stromal cells express large amounts of VEGF-C and VEGF-D. The density of cells producing these vascular growth factors correlates with peritumoral inflammatory stroma reaction, lymphatic microvessel density, and indirectly with peritumoral carcinomatous lymphangiosis and frequency of lymph node metastasis. The VEGF-C- and VEGF-D-producing stroma cells were identified
in situ
as a subset of activated tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) by expression of a panel of macrophage-specific markers, including CD68, CD23, and CD14. These TAMs also expressed the VEGF-C- and VEGF-D-specific tyrosine kinase receptor VEGFR-3. As TAMs are derived from monocytes in the circulation, a search in peripheral blood for candidate precursors of VEGFR-3-expressing TAMs revealed a subfraction of CD14-positive, VEGFR-3-expressing monocytes, that, however, failed to express VEGF-C and VEGF-D. Only after
in vitro
incubation with tumor necrosis factor-α, lipopolysaccharide, or VEGF-D did these monocytes start to synthesize VEGF-C
de novo
. In conclusion VEGF-C-expressing TAMs play a novel role in peritumoral lymphangiogenesis and subsequent dissemination in human cancer.
PDF
