The long-standing model-independent annual modulation effect measured by DAMA Collaboration is examined in the context of asymmetric mirror dark matter, assuming that dark atoms interact with target ...nuclei in the detector via kinetic mixing between mirror and ordinary photons, both being massless. The relevant ranges for the kinetic mixing parameter are obtained taking into account various existing uncertainties in nuclear and particle physics quantities as well as characteristic density and velocity distributions of dark matter in different halo models.
Sarcopenia is a common condition in older and frail populations, and it has been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, impact of sarcopenia on mortality in hospitalized older adults has ...rarely been evaluated. Aim of the present study was to investigate the association between sarcopenia and mortality during hospital stay and at 1 year after discharge in older individuals admitted to acute care wards.
This is a multicentre observational study involving 770 in-hospital patients. Muscle mass was quantified with the bioelectrical impedance analysis. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on the algorithm proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). After discharge, participants were followed for 1 year. Mortality was assessed during hospital stay and during 1-year follow-up.
Within the 770 participants (mean age: 81 ± 7 years, 56% women), sarcopenia was present in 214 (28%) of them, 22 participants died during hospital stay, and 113 in the year after discharge. Participants with sarcopenia had a significantly higher in-hospital (6% vs 2%; p = .007) and 1-year mortality (26% vs 14%; p < .001) as compared with participants without sarcopenia. After adjusting for potential confounders, sarcopenia resulted significantly associated with in-hospital (hazard ratio: 3.45; 95% CI: 1.35-8.86) and 1-year mortality (hazard ratio: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.10-2.41).
Sarcopenia is a prevalent condition among older adults admitted to acute care wards and it is associated with increased short- and long-term mortality in hospitalized older adults.
Background and aims.
Sarcopenia has been indicated as a reliable marker of frailty and poor prognosis among the oldest individuals. At present, there are no data on sarcopenia in nursing home ...population. We evaluated the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with functional and clinical status in a population of elderly persons aged 70 years and older living in nursing homes.
Methods.
This study was conducted selecting all the participants (n = 122) living in the teaching nursing homes of Catholic University of Rome who were aged 70 years and older from August 1, 2010, to September 30, 2010. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria were adopted. Accordingly, diagnosis of sarcopenia required the documentation of low muscle mass plus the documentation of either low muscle strength or low physical performance.
Results.
Forty residents (32.8%) were identified as affected by sarcopenia. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a high increase in risk of sarcopenia for male residents (odds ratio OR 13.39; 95% confidence interval CI 3.51-50.63) and for residents affected by cerebrovascular disease (OR 5.16; 95% CI 1.03-25.87) or osteoarthritis (OR 7.24; 95% CI 2.02-25.95). Residents who had a body mass index higher than 21 kg/m2 had a lower risk to be sarcopenic (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.64-0.90) relative to those with body mass index less than 21 kg/m2. Similarly, sarcopenia was less likely to be present among participants involved in leisure physical activity for 1 hour or more per day (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.12-0.98).
Conclusions.
The present study suggests that among participants living in nursing homes, sarcopenia is highly prevalent and it is more represented among male residents (68%) than among female residents (21%). Our findings support the hypothesis that muscle mass is strongly associated with nutritional status and physical activity in nursing homes, too.
The results obtained with the total exposure of 1.04 ton × yr collected by DAMA/LIBRA–phase1 deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. during 7 annual cycles ...(i.e. adding a further 0.17 ton × yr exposure) are presented. The DAMA/LIBRA–phase1 data give evidence for the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the galactic halo, on the basis of the exploited model independent DM annual modulation signature by using highly radio-pure NaI(Tl) target, at 7.5
σ
C.L. Including also the first generation DAMA/NaI experiment (cumulative exposure 1.33 ton × yr, corresponding to 14 annual cycles), the C.L. is 9.3
σ
and the modulation amplitude of the
single-hit
events in the (2–6) keV energy interval is: (0.0112±0.0012) cpd/kg/keV; the measured phase is (144±7) days and the measured period is (0.998±0.002) yr, values well in agreement with those expected for DM particles. No systematic or side reaction able to mimic the exploited DM signature has been found or suggested by anyone over more than a decade.
DAMA annual modulation and mirror Dark Matter Cerulli, R.; Villar, P.; Cappella, F. ...
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
02/2017, Letnik:
77, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The DAMA experiment using ultra low background NaI(Tl) crystal scintillators has measured an annual modulation effect in the keV region which satisfies all the peculiarities of an effect induced by ...Dark Matter particles. In this paper we analyze this annual modulation effect in terms of mirror Dark Matter, an exact duplicate of ordinary matter from parallel hidden sector, which chemical composition is dominated by mirror helium while it can also contain significant fractions of heavier elements as Carbon and Oxygen. Dark mirror atoms are considered to interact with the target nuclei in the detector via Rutherford-like scattering induced by kinetic mixing between mirror and ordinary photons, both being massless. In the present analysis we consider various possible scenarios for the mirror matter chemical composition. For all the scenarios, the relevant ranges for the kinetic mixing parameter have been obtained taking also into account various existing uncertainties in nuclear and particle physics quantities.
Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent condition characterized by decreases in bone mass and microarchitectural alterations. Bone fractures, especially of the hip and vertebrae, are the most burdensome ...complications of osteoporosis, being associated with high risk of disability, institutionalization and mortality. The detection of osteoporosis relies on the quantification of bone mineral density via imaging techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. However, therapeutic decision-making should be based on a comprehensive fracture risk assessment, which may be obtained through validated algorithms. Once the decision of treating has been taken, non-pharmacological strategies should be implemented together with the prescription of anti-osteoporotic agents. Numerous drugs are currently available to treat osteoporosis and the choice of a specific compound should be guided by efficacy and safety considerations. The present review provides a concise synopsis of the current evidence in the management of osteoporosis, from screening to drug prescription. Novel anti-osteoporotic agents are also briefly presented.
This study assesses prevalence and patients characteristics related to polypharmacy in a sample of nursing home residents.
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis on 4,023 nursing home residents ...participating to the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) project, a study collecting information on residents admitted to 57 nursing home in 8 countries. Data were collected using the interRAI instrument for long-term care facilities. Polypharmacy status was categorized in 3 groups: non-polypharmacy (0-4 drugs), polypharmacy (5-9 drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (≥ 10 drugs).
Polypharmacy was observed in 2,000 (49.7%) residents and excessive polypharmacy in 979 (24.3%) residents. As compared with non-polypharmacy, excessive polypharmacy was directly associated not only with presence of chronic diseases but also with depression (odds ratio OR 1.81; 95% confidence interval CI 1.38-2.37), pain (OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.80-2.97), dyspnoea (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.61-3.27), and gastrointestinal symptoms (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.35-2.21). An inverse association with excessive polypharmacy was shown for age (OR for 10 years increment 0.85; 95% CI 0.74-0.96), activities of daily living disability (OR for assistance required vs independent 0.90; 95% CI 0.64-1.26; OR for dependent vs independent 0.59; 95% CI 0.40-0.86), and cognitive impairment (OR for mild or moderate vs intact 0.64; 95% CI 0.47-0.88; OR for severe vs intact 0.39; 95% CI 0.26-0.57).
Polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy are common among nursing home residents in Europe. Determinants of polypharmacy status include not only comorbidity but also specific symptoms, age, functional, and cognitive status.
.
The current status of the experimental searches for rare alpha and beta decays is reviewed. Several interesting observations of alpha and beta decays, previously unseen due to their large ...half-lives (
10
15
-
10
20
yr), have been achieved during the last years thanks to the improvements in the experimental techniques and to the underground locations of experiments that allows to suppress backgrounds. In particular, the list includes first observations of alpha decays of
151
Eu ,
180
W (both to the ground state of the daughter nuclei),
190
Pt (to excited state of the daughter nucleus),
209
Bi (to the ground and excited states of the daughter nucleus). The isotope
209
Bi has the longest known half-life of
T
1
/
2
≈
10
19
yr relatively to alpha decay. The beta decay of
115
In to the first excited state of
115
Sn (
E
exc
=
497
.
334
keV), recently observed for the first time, has the
Q
β
value of only
(
147
±
10
)
eV, which is the lowest
Q
β
value known to-date. Searches and investigations of other rare alpha and beta decays (
48
Ca ,
50
V,
96
Zr,
113
Cd,
123
Te,
178m2
H,
180m
Ta and others) are also discussed.
The highly radiopure ≃ 250 kg NaI(Tl) DAMA/LIBRA set-up is running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. In this paper the first result obtained by exploiting the model independent ...annual modulation signature for Dark Matter (DM) particles is presented. It refers to an exposure of 0.53 ton×yr. The collected DAMA/LIBRA data satisfy all the many peculiarities of the DM annual modulation signature. Neither systematic effects nor side reactions able to account for the observed modulation amplitude and to contemporaneously satisfy all the several requirements of this DM signature are available. Considering the former DAMA/NaI and the present DAMA/LIBRA data all together (total exposure 0.82 ton×yr), the presence of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo is supported, on the basis of the DM annual modulation signature, at 8.2
σ
C.L.; in particular, in the energy interval (2–6) keV, the modulation amplitude is (0.0131±0.0016) cpd/kg/keV and the phase and the period are well compatible with June 2
nd
and one year, respectively.
New results from DAMA/LIBRA Bernabei, R.; Belli, P.; Cappella, F. ...
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
05/2010, Letnik:
67, Številka:
1-2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
DAMA/LIBRA is running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. Here the results obtained with a further exposure of 0.34 ton × yr are presented. They refer to two further annual cycles ...collected one before and one after the first DAMA/LIBRA upgrade occurred on September/October 2008. The cumulative exposure with those previously released by the former DAMA/NaI and by DAMA/LIBRA is now 1.17 ton × yr, corresponding to 13 annual cycles. The data further confirm the previous positive results obtained investigating the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the galactic halo by means of the model independent Dark Matter annual modulation signature; the confidence level is now 8.9
σ
for the cumulative exposure. In particular, with the cumulative exposure the modulation amplitude of the
single-hit
events in the (2–6) keV energy interval measured in NaI(Tl) target is (0.0116±0.0013) cpd/kg/keV; the measured phase is (146±7) days and the measured period is (0.999±0.002) yr, values well in agreement with those expected for the DM particles.
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