The FAMU experiment aims to measure for the first time the hyperfine splitting of the muonic hydrogen ground state. From this measurement the proton Zemach radius can be derived and this will shed ...light on the determination of the proton charge radius. In this paper, we describe the scientific goal, the method and the detailed preparatory work. This includes the outcome of preliminary measurements, subsequent refined simulations and the evaluation of the expected results. The experimental setup being built for the measurement of the hyperfine splitting to be performed at the RAL laboratory muon facility is also described.
Abstract Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in psoriasis patients could be negatively affected by medical (e.g., obesity) and psychological (e.g., depression, anxiety, and alexithymia) ...conditions the presence of which suggests difficulties in understanding and regulating inner states and emotions. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate HRQoL and its association with obesity and difficulties in understanding and regulating inner states and emotions in patients with psoriasis. A second objective was to examine whether the presence of difficulties in understanding and regulating inner states and emotions may mediate the association between psoriasis and poor HRQoL. Method One hundred adult outpatients and 97 healthy controls were administered a checklist assessing major socio-demographic variables, and measures of HRQoL, difficulties in emotion regulation, alexithymia, anxiety, depression, and food craving. Results Psoriasis patients (compared to controls) reported more frequently obesity, alexithymia, anxiety, depression and food craving, and reported lower scores on the mental and physical components of HRQoL. A mediation model, with mental health as the dependent variable, indicated significant direct and indirect (through BMI, difficulties in emotion regulation, anxiety, depression, and food craving) effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, so that psoriasis was associated with worse mental health. A second mediation model with physical health as dependent variable indicated only a significant indirect effect (through BMI and depression) of psoriasis on the quality of life. Conclusions Psoriasis is characterized by poor HRQoL and the presence of difficulties in understanding and regulating inner states and emotions. In patients with psoriasis the possible influence of food craving on abnormal eating habits should be carefully assessed.
Abstract Purpose With a decreasing supply of antibiotics that are effective against the pathogens that cause sepsis, it is critical that we learn to use currently available antibiotics optimally. ...Pharmacokinetic studies provide an evidence base from which we can optimize antibiotic dosing. However, these studies are challenging in critically ill neonate and pediatric patients due to the small blood volumes and associated risks and burden to the patient from taking blood. We investigate whether microsampling, that is, obtaining a biologic sample of low volume (<50 μL), can improve opportunities to conduct pharmacokinetic studies. Methods We performed a literature search to find relevant articles using the following search terms: sepsis , critically ill , severe infection , intensive care AND antibiotic , pharmacokinetic , p(a)ediatric , neonate . For microsampling, we performed a search using antibiotics AND dried blood spots OR dried plasma spots OR volumetric absorptive microsampling OR solid-phase microextraction OR capillary microsampling OR microsampling . Databases searched include Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and EMbase. Findings Of the 32 antibiotic pharmacokinetic studies performed on critically ill neonate or pediatric patients in this review, most of the authors identified changes to the pharmacokinetic properties in their patient group and recommended either further investigations into this patient population or therapeutic drug monitoring to ensure antibiotic doses are suitable. There remain considerable gaps in knowledge regarding the pharmacokinetic properties of antibiotics in critically ill pediatric patients. Implementing microsampling in an antibiotic pharmacokinetic study is contingent on the properties of the antibiotic, the pathophysiology of the patient (and how this can affect the microsample), and the location of the patient. A validation of the sampling technique is required before implementation. Implications Current antibiotic regimens for critically ill neonate and pediatric patients are frequently suboptimal due to a poor understanding of altered pharmacokinetic properties. An assessment of the suitability of microsampling for pharmacokinetic studies in neonate and pediatric patients is recommended before wider use. The method of sampling, as well as the method of bioanalysis, also requires validation to ensure the data obtained reflect the true result.
The ICARUS collaboration employed the 760-ton T600 detector in a successful 3-year physics run at the underground LNGS laboratory, performing a sensitive search for LSND-like anomalous
ν
e
appearance ...in the CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso beam, which contributed to the constraints on the allowed neutrino oscillation parameters to a narrow region around 1 eV
2
. After a significant overhaul at CERN, the T600 detector has been installed at Fermilab. In 2020 the cryogenic commissioning began with detector cool down, liquid argon filling and recirculation. ICARUS then started its operations collecting the first neutrino events from the booster neutrino beam (BNB) and the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam off-axis, which were used to test the ICARUS event selection, reconstruction and analysis algorithms. ICARUS successfully completed its commissioning phase in June 2022. The first goal of the ICARUS data taking will be a study to either confirm or refute the claim by Neutrino-4 short-baseline reactor experiment. ICARUS will also perform measurement of neutrino cross sections with the NuMI beam and several Beyond Standard Model searches. After the first year of operations, ICARUS will search for evidence of sterile neutrinos jointly with the Short-Baseline Near Detector, within the Short-Baseline Neutrino program. In this paper, the main activities carried out during the overhauling and installation phases are highlighted. Preliminary technical results from the ICARUS commissioning data with the BNB and NuMI beams are presented both in terms of performance of all ICARUS subsystems and of capability to select and reconstruct neutrino events.
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart disease with an increased risk of infective endocarditis (IE). Few data are available on isolated native BAV-IE. The aim of this study ...was to compare patients with tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) IE and BAV-IE in terms of characteristics, management and prognosis.
We included 728 consecutive patients with IE on isolated native aortic valve in 3 centres: Amiens and Marseille Hospitals in France and Salerno Hospital in Italy. We studied in hospital and long-term mortality before and after matching for age, sex and comorbidity index. Median follow-up was 67.2 IQR: 19-120 months.
Of the 728 patients, 123 (16.9%) had BAV. Compared with patients with TAV-IE, patients with BAV-IE were younger, had fewer co-morbidities and were more likely to be male. They presented more major neurological events and perivalvular complications (both
< 0.05). Early surgery (<30 days) was performed in 52% of BAV-IE cases vs. 42.8% for TAV-IE (
= 0.061). The 10-year survival rate was 74 ± 5% in BAV-IE patients compared with 66 ± 2% in TAV-IE patients (
= 0.047). After propensity score matching (for age, gender and comorbidities), there was no difference in mortality between the two groups, with an estimated 10-year survival of 73 ± 5% vs. 76 ± 4% respectively (
= 0.91).
BAV is a frequent finding in patients with isolated aortic valve IE and is associated with more perivalvular complications and neurological events. The differences in survival with TAV-IE are probably related to the age and comorbidity differences between these two populations.
This paper discusses the effects of radiation damage to SiPMs on the performances of plastic scintillator counters with series-connected SiPM readout, focusing on timing measurements. The ...performances of a counter composed of a 120×40×5mm3 scintillator tile read out by two sets of six SiPMs from AdvanSiD connected in series attached on the short sides are presented, for different combinations of SiPMs at various levels of irradiation. Firstly, six SiPMs were equally irradiated with electrons from 90Sr sources up to a fluence of Φe−≈3×1012cm−2. The timing resolution of the counter gradually deteriorated by the increase in dark current. The dark current and the deterioration were reduced when the counter was cooled from 30 °C to 10 °C. Secondly, 33 SiPMs were irradiated with reactor neutrons. The fluence levels ranged from Φeq≈8.7×108cm−2 to Φeq≈5.5×1013cm−2. The characteristics of counters read out by series-connected SiPMs with non-uniform damage levels were investigated. The signal pulse height, the time response, and the timing resolution depend on the hit position in the counter when SiPMs’ irradiation is not uniform.
We studied the radiative muon decay
μ
+
→
e
+
ν
ν
¯
γ
by using for the first time an almost fully polarized muon source. We identified a large sample (
∼
13,000) of these decays in a total sample of
...1.8
×
10
14
positive muon decays collected in the MEG experiment in the years 2009–2010 and measured the branching ratio
B
(
μ
→
e
ν
ν
¯
γ
)
=
(
6.03
±
0.14
(
stat
.
)
±
0.53
(
sys
.
)
)
×
10
-
8
for
E
e
>
45
MeV
and
E
γ
>
40
MeV
, consistent with the Standard Model prediction. The precise measurement of this decay mode provides a basic tool for the timing calibration, a normalization channel, and a strong quality check of the complete MEG experiment in the search for
μ
+
→
e
+
γ
process.
A particle detector that exploits Liquid Argon scintillation light Babicz, M.; Diwan, M.; Fava, A. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2020, Letnik:
958
Journal Article
Recenzirano
A number of innovative experiments dedicated to neutrino oscillations and rare event physics, such as direct searches for dark matter particles or neutrinoless double beta decays, are using liquefied ...noble-gases, particularly Liquid Argon (LAr), as detection media. Among many advantages of noble liquids, from the detection point of view, the most important ones are high scintillation and ionisation yields, possible long drift paths of ionisation electrons and feasible large detector masses. LAr is sufficiently dense and relatively cheap and therefore is the only adequate noble liquid for huge volumes.
This paper describes a particle detection system that exploits the prompt signals from the scintillation light produced by ionising particles in LAr. The detector has been exposed to cosmic rays. The system performance in terms of trigger efficiency and timing resolution, with a view to its application in neutrino detectors, is presented.
•Particle detection system that exploits the LAr scintillation light has been set up.•The system enables studies of PMTs, DAQ and trigger electronic performances.•The study involves temperature stability, electronic noise and timing synchronisation.•The tests within this system are an important input for a future large LAr detector.
The ICARUS-T600 Liquid Argon (LAr) Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is taking data with the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam-line (BNB) in the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program to search for a ...possible LSND-like sterile neutrino signal. A light detection system, based on 360 Hamamatsu R5912-MOD Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMTs) deployed behind the TPC wire chambers, has been realized to detect vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons produced by ionizing particles in LAr. This system is fundamental for the detector operation, providing an efficient trigger and contributing to the 3D reconstruction of events. Moreover, since the TPC is exposed to a huge flux of cosmic rays due to its shallow depths operations, the light detection system allows for the time reconstruction of events, contributing to the identification and to the selection of neutrino interactions within the beam spill gates.
We have developed a new laser-based time calibration system for highly segmented scintillator counters like the MEG II pixelated Timing Counter (pTC), consisting of 512 centimetre-scale scintillator ...counters read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). It is difficult to apply previous laser-based calibration methods for conventional metre-scale Time-Of-Flight detectors to the MEG II pTC from the implementation and the accuracy points of view. This paper presents a new laser-based time calibration system which can overcome such difficulties. A laser pulse is split into each scintillator counter via several optical components so that we can directly measure the time offset of each counter relative to the laser-emitted time. We carefully tested all the components and procedures prior to the actual operation. The laser system was installed into the pTC and thoroughly tested under the real experimental condition. The system showed good stability and being sensitive to any change of timing larger than ∼10ps. Moreover, it showed an uncertainty of 48ps in the determination of the time offsets, which meets our requirements. The new method provides an example of the implementation of a precise timing alignment for the new type of detectors enabled by the advance of SiPM technology.
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