We present updated predictions for single top-quark production in hadronic collisions. The analysis is based on next-to-leading order QCD calculations. The input parameters are fixed to recent ...measurements. We compare different PDF sets and investigate the related uncertainties. The impact of uncalculated higher orders is estimated using an independent variation of the renormalisation and factorisation scale. The theoretical predictions are compared with recent measurements from Tevatron and LHC. Furthermore, the cross section measurements are used to estimate the top-quark mass. To perform the analysis we extended the publicly available HatHor program to single top-quark production. We thus provide a unified framework for the fast numerical evaluation of total cross sections for top-quark production, which may be used for example in Standard Model fits. For future extensions towards NNLO accuracy, we include already all scale dependent terms at NNLO. We briefly describe how to use the program and provide all required tools to repeat the aforementioned analysis.
Ground based γ-ray observations with Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) play a significant role in the discovery of very high energy (E > 100 GeV) γ-ray emitters. The analysis of IACT ...data demands a highly efficient background rejection technique, as well as methods to accurately determine the position of its source in the sky and the energy of the recorded γ-ray. We present results for background rejection and signal direction reconstruction from first studies of a novel data analysis scheme for IACT measurements. The new analysis is based on a set of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) applied to images from the four H.E.S.S. phase-I telescopes. As the H.E.S.S. cameras pixels are arranged in a hexagonal array, we demonstrate two ways to use such image data to train CNNs: by resampling the images to a square grid and by applying modified convolution kernels that conserve the hexagonal grid properties.
The networks were trained on sets of Monte-Carlo simulated events and tested on both simulations and measured data from the H.E.S.S. array. A comparison between the CNN analysis to current state-of-the-art algorithms reveals a clear improvement in background rejection performance. When applied to H.E.S.S. observation data, the CNN direction reconstruction performs at a similar level as traditional methods. These results serve as a proof-of-concept for the application of CNNs to the analysis of events recorded by IACTs.
The transparency of implementation of the newborn hearing screening system in Germany is analysed. For this purpose it has been tested whether the current state can be retained and evaluated by using ...public accessible information channels.
A selective document analysis with subsequent assessment of the federal states was performed. In the form of a scoring system an assessment approach has been developed based on defined comparison criteria. The selective document analysis was characterised by including only documents which were detected through the internet and medical databases by using defined search terms.
A complete survey of the current state of guideline implementation is not available by using public accessible information. The assessment of the federal states reveals an extremely heterogeneous situation with regard to the transparency of the implementation process in Germany. Bavaria has the highest score with 37 points, while Bremen has the lowest score with 3 points. Overall, the supply of information to experts is better constituted compared to that to the population, and respectively, the newborn's parents.
A meaningful evaluation of the implementation processes in the federal states up to now is urgently required. This is necessary both to optimise the process and to achieve the highest possible quality among patient-centred care structures nationwide.
Background: Pain following embolization of the uterine arteries (UAEs) is variable and may be very severe requiring large doses of parenteral opioids for relief. The present study tested the ...hypothesis that the addition of ketamine to IV patient‐controlled morphine reduces the amount of morphine required for pain‐control during the first 24 h after UAE embolization.
Methods: Fifty‐six patients undergoing UAE embolization for treatment of symptomatic uterine leiomyomata were randomized to receive either 2 mg/ml of morphine (Control group, n=30) or 2 mg/ml of both morphine and ketamine (Ketamine group, n=26) by IV patient‐controlled analgesia (IV‐PCA). Pump settings were bolus dose 1 ml, lockout 10 min, no background infusion. In addition, all patients received diclofenac and acetaminophen for pain relief. Pain scores, morphine consumption and adverse events like nausea, vomiting, itching, visual disturbances, anxiety, dreaming and hallucinations, if any, were recorded for 24 h after embolization.
Results: The mean ± SD 24‐h consumption of patient‐controlled morphine was 38.3 ± 21.0 mg in the Ketamine group vs. 33.3 ± 18.3 mg in the Control group (NS). The difference between the means was 5.0 mg (95% confidence interval: −5.7; 15.6). One patient in the Ketamine group vs. none in the Control group experienced auditory hallucinations.
Conclusion: Studying an unselected group of patients undergoing embolization of the UAEs for treatment of symptomatic uterine leiomyomata under conditions of basal analgesia with acetaminophen and diclofenac, we failed to demonstrate any morphine‐sparing effect of IV‐PCA ketamine and morphine compared with IV‐PCA morphine alone.
Les traitements de fond (DMARDs), indispensables pour contrôler l’évolution des rhumatismes inflammatoires chroniques (RIC), sont pour la plupart des immunomodulateurs augmentant statistiquement le ...risque d’infection sévère. Plusieurs vaccinations sont donc recommandées chez les patients recevant ces traitements. Dans le contexte pandémique récent de COVID-19, la vaccination de ces patients contre le SARS-CoV-2 semble être un enjeu majeur dans leur prise en charge et est recommandée par les sociétés savantes. Mieux identifier les patients réticents à cette vaccination permettrait d’adapter l’information à donner pour favoriser leur adhésion.
Étude monocentrique transversale observationnelle en pratique courante réalisée chez 150 patients adultes, traités par DMARDs pour un RIC, à la consultation de rhumatologie de l’Hôpital Nord Franche-Comté entre juin et décembre 2021. L’objectif principal était de déterminer les facteurs associés au refus de vaccination contre le SARS-CoV-2. Lors d’une consultation de routine, un questionnaire a été administré aux patients après obtention de leur consentement. Ce questionnaire contenait des données démographiques, liées à la pathologie (type de RIC, degré d’activité, ancienneté de la maladie), liées au traitement (c-DMARDs, b-DMARDs, corticothérapie, traitements synthétiques ciblés, nombre de lignes de DMARDS), concernant les autres vaccinations et les suivis conseillées au cours des RIC (gynécologique, buccodentaire…) ainsi que les régimes alimentaires (végétarien, vegan…). Les patients ne souhaitant pas se faire vacciner répondaient en outre à des questions sur les causes de ce refus. Le critère de jugement principal était la volonté de se faire vacciner contre le SARS-CoV-2. Les facteurs associés à la volonté ou au refus ont été étudiés. Les analyses statistiques ont été réalisées avec le logiciel R++ (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier : NCT04970550).
Cent femmes et 49 hommes, d’un âge moyen de 57,9 ans, avec un IMC moyen de 27,0, ont été inclus. Le pourcentage de vaccinés était de 72,5 %. Il n’y avait aucune différence entre vaccinés et non vaccinés concernant le sexe, le type de RIC, le DMARD en cours, le nombre de lignes de DMARDs, le niveau d’étude, les autres vaccinations (hépatites, pneumocoque), le suivi recommandé (gynéco, dermato, buccodentaire), le régime alimentaire ou le recours aux médecines alternatives. Les sujets non vaccinés étaient significativement plus jeunes (p=0,03), plus inquiets des effets indésirables (entre autres, cancer, contamination par le COVID liée au vaccin) et que cela déclenche une poussée de RIC (tous les p=0,0004). Ils avaient moins confiance en l’industrie pharmaceutique et dans les nouvelles technologies (p=0,0004). Ils étaient moins souvent vaccinés contre la grippe (p=0,003). Leur partenaire était moins souvent vacciné(e) contre le COVID-19 (p=0,002).
Un peu moins de 3/4 des patients était vaccinés contre le COVID-19. Les facteurs associés au refus de vaccination étaient l’âge moins avancé, un conjoint non vacciné, la peur des effets indésirables et le refus de la vaccination antigrippale. Le type de DMARD (méthotrexate, biomédicament, anti-JAK…) ou de RIC (polyarthrite rhumatoïde, spondylarthrite ankylosante, rhumatisme psoriasique ou associé à une maladie inflammatoire intestinale…) n’influençait pas la décision de vaccination. Pour autant, les patients non vaccinés n’étaient pas moins observant concernant les autres vaccinations (à l’exception de celle de la grippe) et les recommandations de suivi inhérent à leur traitement anti-rhumatismal de fond.
Testbeam studies on pick-up in sensors with embedded pitch adapters Rehnisch, L.; Bloch, I.; Blue, A. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2019, Volume:
924
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Embedded pitch adapters are an alternative solution to external pitch adapters widely used to facilitate the wire-bonding step when connecting silicon strip sensors and readout electronics of ...different pitch. The pad-pitch adaption can be moved into the sensor fabrication step by implementing a second layer of metal tracks, connected by vias to the primary metal layer of sensor strips. Such a solution, however, might bear the risk of performance losses introduced by various phenomena. One of these effects, the undesired capacitive coupling between the silicon bulk and this second metal layer (pick-up) has been investigated in photon testbeam measurements. For a worst-case embedded pitch adapter design, expected to be maximally susceptible to pick-up, a qualitative analysis has visualised the effect as a function of the location on the second metal layer structure. It was further found that the unwanted effect decreases towards expected values for operating thresholds of the binary readout used. Suggestions for more in-depth and quantitative studies are also derived.
•Pick-up can be present in silicon strip sensors with embedded pitch adapters.•Pick-up less pronounced where shielding by primary strip metallisation is possible.•Pick-up decreases more strongly with the readout threshold than the primary signal.
We report the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE) g-ray emission of the binary system PSR B 1259-63/SS 2883 of a radio pulsar orbiting a massive, luminous Be star in a highly eccentric orbit. The ...observations around the 2004 periastron passage of the pulsar were performed with the four 13 m Cherenkov telescopes of the HESS experiment, recently installed in Namibia and in full operation since December 2003. Between February and June 2004, a g-ray signal from the binary system was detected with a total significance above 13s. The flux was found to vary significantly on timescales of days which makes PSR B 1259-63 the first variable galactic source of VHE g-rays observed so far. Strong emission signals were observed in pre- and post-periastron phases with a flux minimum around periastron, followed by a gradual flux decrease in the months after. The measured time-averaged energy spectrum above a mean threshold energy of 380 GeV can be fitted by a simple power law F0(E/1 TeV)G with a photon index G = 2.7 c 0.2stat c 0.2sys and flux normalisation F0 = (1.3 c 0.1stat c 0.3sys) x 10-12 TeV-1 cm-2 s-1. This detection of VHE g-rays provides unambiguous evidence for particle acceleration to multi-TeV energies in the binary system. In combination with coeval observations of the X-ray synchrotron emission by the RXTE and INTEGRAL instruments, and assuming the VHE g-ray emission to be produced by the inverse Compton mechanism, the magnetic field strength can be directly estimated to be of the order of 1 G.