Charged-current antineutrino interactions on a hydrocarbon scintillator in the MINERvA detector are used to study activity from their final-state neutrons. To ensure that most of the neutrons are ...from the primary interaction, rather than hadronic reinteractions in the detector, the sample is limited to momentum transfers below 0.8 GeV/c. From 16 129 interactions, 15 246 neutral particle candidates are observed. The reference simulation predicts 64% of these candidates are due to neutrons from the antineutrino interaction directly but also overpredicts the number of candidates by 15% overall. This discrepancy is beyond the standard uncertainty estimates for models of neutrino interactions and neutron propagation in the detector. We explore these two aspects of the models using the measured distributions for energy deposition, time of flight, position, and speed. We also use multiplicity distributions to evaluate the presence of a two-nucleon knockout process. These results provide critical new information toward a complete description of the hadronic final state of neutrino interactions, which is vital to neutrino oscillation experiments.
Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) has recently undergone rapid spread, now being reported from more than 80 countries, affecting predominantly cattle and to a lesser extent, water buffalo. This ...poxvirus was previously considered to be highly host-range restricted. However, there is an increasing number of published reports on the detection of the virus from different game animal species. The virus has not only been shown to infect a wide range of game species under experimental conditions, but has also been naturally detected in oryx, giraffe, camels and gazelle. In addition, clinical lumpy skin disease has previously been described in springbok (
), an African antelope species, in South Africa. This report describes the characterization of lumpy skin disease virus belonging to cluster 1.2, from field samples from springbok, impala (
) and a giraffe (
) in South Africa using PCR, Sanger and whole genome sequencing. Most of these samples were submitted from wild animals in nature reserves or game parks, indicating that the disease is not restricted to captive-bred animals on game farms or zoological gardens. The potential role of wildlife species in the transmission and maintenance of LSDV is further discussed and requires continuing investigation, as the virus and disease may pose a serious threat to endangered species.
In South Africa, bovine tuberculosis threatens some of Africa's most iconic wildlife species, including the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). The lack of antemortem diagnostic tests for this species ...strongly hinders conservation efforts. We report use of antemortem and postmortem diagnostic assays to detect Mycobacterium bovis infection in a cheetah.
The interpretation of the radiologic response of bevacizumab-treated patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas represents a unique challenge. Delayed-contrast MR imaging was recently introduced for ...calculating treatment-response-assessment maps in patients with brain tumors, providing clear separation between active tumor and treatment effects. We studied the application of standard and delayed-contrast MR imaging for assessing and predicting the response to bevacizumab.
Twenty-four patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas were scanned before and during bevacizumab treatment by standard and delayed-contrast MR imaging. The mean change in lesion volumes of responders (overall survival, ≥1 year) and nonresponders (overall survival, <1 year) was studied. The lesion volumes at baseline and the changes in lesion volumes 1 month after treatment initiation, calculated from standard and delayed-contrast MRIs, were studied as possible predictors of outcome. In scans acquired at progression, the average change in lesion volume from previous follow-up in standard and delayed-contrast MRIs was compared.
Response and progression patterns were identified from the mean change in lesion volumes, depicted from conventional T1WI, delayed contrast-enhanced MR imaging, and DSC MR imaging. Thresholds for early prediction of response were calculated by using these sequences. For each predictor, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were calculated, reaching 85.7%, 87.5%, 75%, and 93.3% for conventional T1WI; 100%, 87.5%, 77.8%, and 100% for delayed-contrast MR imaging; and 75%, 78.6%, 50%, and 91.7% for DSC MR imaging. The benefit of delayed-contrast MR imaging in separating responders and nonresponders was further confirmed by using log-rank tests (conventional T1WI,
= .0022; delayed-contrast MR imaging,
< .0001; DSC MR imaging,
= .0232) and receiver operating characteristic analyses. At progression, the increase in lesion volumes in delayed-contrast MR imaging was 37.5% higher than the increase in conventional T1WI (
< .01); these findings suggest that progression may be depicted more effectively in treatment-response-assessment maps.
The benefit of contrast-enhanced MR imaging for assessing and predicting the response to bevacizumab was demonstrated. The increased sensitivity of the treatment-response-assessment maps reflects their potential contribution to the management of bevacizumab-treated patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.
In order to extract neutrino oscillation parameters, long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments rely on detailed models of neutrino interactions with nuclei. These models constitute an important ...source of systematic uncertainty, partially because detectors to date have been blind to final state neutrons. Three-dimensional projection scintillator trackers comprise components of the near detectors of the next generation long-baseline neutrino experiments. Due to the good timing resolution and fine granularity, this technology is capable of measuring neutron kinetic energy in neutrino interactions on an event-by-event basis and will provide valuable data for refining neutrino interaction models and ways to reconstruct neutrino energy. Two prototypes have been exposed to the neutron beamline at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in both 2019 and 2020, with neutron energies between 0 and 800 MeV. In order to demonstrate the capability of neutron detection, the total neutron-scintillator cross section as a function of neutron energy is measured and compared to external measurements. The measured total neutron cross section in scintillator between 98 and 688 MeV is 0.36 ± 0.05 barn.
Conventional MRI is unable to differentiate progression from treatment effects (TEs) in brain tumor (BT) patients. We have applied a novel technique, based on MR images acquired with a delay of >1 ...hour, enabling high resolution complete separation between tumor (contrast clearance at the delayed time point) and TEs (contrast accumulation) with no overlap. 496 maps were calculated for 151 patients with primary/metastatic BTs recruited/followed on study. The maps were validated by comparing pre-surgical maps of 51 resected patients with histology, resulting in 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity to active tumor regions (ATRs). Following initial validation, the maps were used for making 232 clinical decisions. In 67 cases the decision was to continue follow-up and in 165 to change treatment (surgery, chemoradiation, radiation treatments, switch to Avastin, etc). The incidence of decisions to change treatment was significantly higher in primary BTs (83%) than in metastatic BTs (54%). The application to Avastin was studied in 20 recurrent GBM patients and 2 patients with breast cancer brain metastases scanned pre/during Avastin. 90% of the GBM patients demonstrated significant reduction in TEs 1 month (58 plus or minus 16% of original volume, p < 0.03) and up to 3 months (55 plus or minus 19%, p < 0.04) post treatment. 80% demonstrated a reduction in ATRs 1 month post treatment (56 plus or minus 18% of original volume, p<0.04), however, at 3 months ATRs re-grew to near baseline volumes. Only 3 patients demonstrated response >5 months post treatment. This data suggests that Avastin may induce antineoplastic effects (mostly short term), and not only reduction in TEs/edema, as previously suggested. In 10 GBM patients who reached progression, the change in ATRs 1 month post treatment was found to correlate significantly with patients' PFS. The correlation calculated from the maps (r2 = 0.9, p < 0.0001) was significantly higher than those calculated from T1-Gd (r2= 0.65, p < 0.009) and FLAIR (r2 = 0.55, p < 0.02), suggesting the maps provide additional information regarding response to Avastin. A subgroup of 6 patients underwent re-irradiation during Avastin. All showed significant radiological response in the maps (ATRs decreased to 62 plus or minus 10% of original volume while TEs increased to 296 plus or minus 72%), in agreement with clinical stabilization, while conventional MRI showed radiological deterioration (T1-Gd/FLAIR showed stable/increased enhancing volumes reaching 92 plus or minus 21%/155 plus or minus 18% of original volumes). 2 patients with 4 breast cancer metastases showed significant response as well (ATRs decreased to 10 plus or minus 3% of original volumes). In summary, our high resolution, easy to interpret, model-independent maps provide clear differentiation between tumor/non-tumor tissues in BT patients undergoing conventional treatments. Initial experience with Avastin suggests that the maps may also be valuable in assessing response to antiangiogenic treatments.
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