D-S(+) meson production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The P-T-differential inclusive production cross section of the prompt charm-strange meson D-s(+) in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5 was measured in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the LHC using the ALICE detector. The analysis was performed on a data sample of 2.98 x 10(8) events collected with a minimum-bias trigger. The corresponding integrated luminosity is L-int = 4.8 nb(-1). Reconstructing the decay D-s(+) -> phi pi(+) with phi -> K-K+, and its charge conjugate, about 480 D-s(+/-) mesons were counted, after selection cuts, in the transverse momentum range 2 < P-T < 12 GeV/c. The results are compared with predictions from models based on perturbative QCD. The ratios of the cross sections of four D meson species (namely D-0, D+, D*+ and D-s(+)) were determined both as a function of p(T) and integrated over p(T)after extrapolating to full p(T) range, together with the strangeness suppression factor in charm fragmentation. The obtained values are found to be compatible within uncertainties with those measured by other experiments in e(+)e(-), ep and pp interactions at various centre-of-mass energies. (C) 2012 CERN. Published by Elsevier By. All rights reserved.

Multi-strange baryon production in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with ALICE

A measurement of the multi-strange Xi(-) and Omega(-) baryons and their antiparticles by the ALICE experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented for inelastic proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The transverse momentum (p(T)) distributions were studied at mid-rapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5) in the range of 0.6 < p(T) < 8.5 GeV/c Xi(-) for and Xi(+) baryons, and in the range of 0.8 < P-T < 5 GeV/c for Omega(-) and<(Omega)over bar>(+). Baryons and antibaryons were measured as separate particles and we find that the baryon to antibaryon ratio of both particle species is consistent with unity over the entire range of the measurement. The statistical precision of the current data has allowed us to measure a difference between the mean p(T) of Xi(-) ((Xi) over bar)(+) and Omega(-) ((Omega) over bar (+)). Particle yields, mean pi, and the spectra in the intermediate pi range are not well described by the PYTHIA Perugia 2011 tune Monte Carlo event generator, which has been tuned to reproduce the early LHC data. The discrepancy is largest for Omega(-)((Omega) over bar (+)). This PYTHIA tune approaches the pi spectra of Xi(-) and Xi(+) baryons below p(T) <0.85 GeV/c and describes the Xi(-) and Xi(+) spectra above p(T) > 6.0 GeV/c. We also illustrate the difference between the experimental data and model by comparing the corresponding ratios of (Omega(-) +(Omega) over bar (+))/(Xi(-) + Xi(+)) as a function of transverse mass. (C) 2012 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Suppression of high transverse momentum D mesons in central Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

The production of the prompt charm mesons D-0, D+, D*(+), and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, at a centre-of-mass energy root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision. The p(t)-differential production yields in the range 2 < p(t) < 16 GeV/c at central rapidity, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5, were used to calculate the nuclear modification factor R-AA with respect to a proton-proton reference obtained from the cross section measured at root s = 7 TeV and scaled to root s = 2.76 TeV. For the three meson species, R-AA shows a suppression by a factor 3-4, for transverse momenta larger than 5 GeV/c in the 20% most central collisions. The suppression is reduced for peripheral collisions.

J/psi production as a function of charged particle multiplicity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration reports the measurement of the relative J/psi yield as a function of charged particle pseudorapidity density dN(ch)/d eta in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the LHC. J/psi particles are detected for p(t) > 0, in the rapidity interval vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 via decay into e(+)e(-), and in the interval 2.5 < y < 4.0 via decay into mu(+)/mu(-) pairs. An approximately linear increase of the J/psi yields normalized to their event average (dN(J/psi)/dy)/(dN(J/psi)/dy) with (dN(ch)/c eta)/(dN(ch)/d eta) is observed in both rapidity ranges, where dN(ch)/d eta is measured within vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1 and p(t) > 0. In the highest multiplicity interval with (dN(ch)/d eta)(bin)) = 24.1, corresponding to four times the minimum bias multiplicity density, an enhancement relative to the minimum bias J/psi yield by a factor of about 5 at 2.5 < y <4 (8 at vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) is observed. (C) 2012 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Light vector meson production in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV ALICE Collaboration

The ALICE experiment has measured low-mass dimuon production in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV in the dimuon rapidity region 2.5 < y < 4. The observed dimuon mass spectrum is described as a superposition of resonance decays (eta, rho, omega, eta', phi) into muons and semi-leptonic decays of charmed mesons. The measured production cross sections for omega and phi are sigma(omega)(1 < p(t) < 5 GeV/c. 2.5 < y < 4) = 5.28 +/- 0.54(stat) +/- 0.49(syst) mb and sigma(phi)(1 < p(t) < 5 GeV/c. 2.5 < y < 4) = 0.940 +/- 0.084(stat) +/- 0.076(syst) mb. The differential cross sections d(2)sigma/dy dp(t) are extracted as a function of p(t) for omega and phi. The ratio between the rho and omega cross section is obtained. Results for the phi are compared with other measurements at the same energy and with predictions by models. (C) 2012 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermoelektrische Eigenschaften dünner Schichten und Übergitterstrukturen von IV-VI- und V-VI-Verbundhalbleitern

Als ein vielversprechendes Konzept zur Erhöhung der thermoelektrischen Effizienz wird seit Anfang der 90er Jahre die Nutzung niederdimensionaler Systeme angesehen. Aus theoretischen Arbeiten von Hicks und Dresselhaus folgt, dass in ein- und zweidimensionalen Systemen eine Erhöhung der thermoelektrischen Effizienz möglich ist, die einen Durchbruch für die Anwendung thermoelektrischer Wandler zur Folge haben könnte. Die Realisierung solcher niederdimensionaler Systeme ist in geeigneten Mehrlagenstrukturen und durch Verwendung von Halbleiterverbindungen mit unterschiedlicher Energiebandlücke möglich. Ziel des Verbundprojektes Nitherma war es Mehrfachschichtsysteme mit 2-dimensionalem Transportverhalten aus thermoelektrischen Materialien (Pb1-xSrxTe, Bi2(SexTe1-x)3) herzustellen und auf die erwartete hohe thermoelektrische Effizienz zu untersuchen. Diese wurde messtechnischrndurch die Bestimmung der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit, des Seebeck-Koeffizienten und der Wärmeleitfähigkeit parallel zu den Schichtebenen (in-plane-Transporteigenschaft) ermittelt. Ziel dieser Arbeit war einerseits die Verbesserung der Präparations- und Messtechnik bei der Untersuchung der Wärmeleitfähigkeit von Schichten und Schichtsystemen sowie die Demonstration der Reproduzierbarkeit, andererseits die Interpretation der an niederdimensionalen Strukturen ermittelten Transportmessungen. Um den Einfluß der Niederdimensionalität auf die Wärmeleitfähigkeit zu ermitteln, wurden umfangreiche Messungen an unterschiedlich dimensionierten Übergitter- und Multi-Quantum-Well-Strukturen (MQW-Strukturen) durchgeführt. Die Verifizierung der von den Projektpartnern durchgeführten Transportmessungen wurde durch die Messung des Seebeck-Koeffizienten unterstützt.Neben der Charakterisierung durch Transportmessungen erfolgte die Bestimmung der thermoelektrischen Effizienz.

Experimental Infection of Bats with Geomyces destructans Causes White-nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused recent catastrophic declines among multiple species of bats in eastern North America1, 2. The disease’s name derives from a visually apparent white growth of the newly discovered fungus Geomyces destructans on the skin (including the muzzle) of hibernating bats1, 3. Colonization of skin by this fungus is associated with characteristic cutaneous lesions that are the only consistent pathological finding related to WNS4. However, the role of G. destructans in WNS remains controversial because evidence to implicate the fungus as the primary cause of this disease is lacking. The debate is fuelled, in part, by the assumption that fungal infections in mammals are most commonly associated with immune system dysfunction5, 6, 7. Additionally, the recent discovery that G. destructans commonly colonizes the skin of bats of Europe, where no unusual bat mortality events have been reported8, 9, 10, has generated further speculation that the fungus is an opportunistic pathogen and that other unidentified factors are the primary cause of WNS11, 12. Here we demonstrate that exposure of healthy little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) to pure cultures of G. destructans causes WNS. Live G. destructans was subsequently cultured from diseased bats, successfully fulfilling established criteria for the determination ofG. destructans as a primary pathogen13. We also confirmed that WNS can be transmitted from infected bats to healthy bats through direct contact. Our results provide the first direct evidence that G. destructans is the causal agent of WNS and that the recent emergence of WNS in North America may represent translocation of the fungus to a region with a naive population of animals8. Demonstration of causality is an instrumental step in elucidating the pathogenesis14 and epidemiology15 of WNS and in guiding management actions to preserve bat populations against the novel threat posed by this devastating infectious disease.

Frequent Arousal from Hibernation Linked to Severity of Infection and Mortality in Bats with White-Nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging infectious disease that has killed over 5.5 million hibernating bats, is named for the causative agent, a white fungus (Geomyces destructans (Gd)) that invades the skin of torpid bats. During hibernation, arousals to warm (euthermic) body temperatures are normal but deplete fat stores. Temperature-sensitive dataloggers were attached to the backs of 504 free-ranging little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in hibernacula located throughout the northeastern USA. Dataloggers were retrieved at the end of the hibernation season and complete profiles of skin temperature data were available from 83 bats, which were categorized as: (1) unaffected, (2) WNS-affected but alive at time of datalogger removal, or (3) WNS-affected but found dead at time of datalogger removal. Histological confirmation of WNS severity (as indexed by degree of fungal infection) as well as confirmation of presence/absence of DNA from Gd by PCR was determined for 26 animals. We demonstrated that WNS-affected bats aroused to euthermic body temperatures more frequently than unaffected bats, likely contributing to subsequent mortality. Within the subset of WNS-affected bats that were found dead at the time of datalogger removal, the number of arousal bouts since datalogger attachment significantly predicted date of death. Additionally, the severity of cutaneous Gd infection correlated with the number of arousal episodes from torpor during hibernation. Thus, increased frequency of arousal from torpor likely contributes to WNS-associated mortality, but the question of how Gd infection induces increased arousals remains unanswered.

Novel association to the proprotein convertase PCSK7 gene locus revealed by analysing soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels

The level of body iron storage and the erythropoietic need for iron are indicated by the serum levels of ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), respectively. A meta-analysis of five genome-wide association studies on sTfR and ferritin revealed novel association to the PCSK7 and TMPRSS6 loci for sTfR and the HFE locus for both parameters. The PCSK7 association was the most significant (rs236918, P = 1.1 × 10E-27) suggesting that proprotein convertase 7, the gene product of PCSK7, may be involved in sTfR generation and/or iron homeostasis. Conditioning the sTfR analyses on transferrin saturation abolished the HFE signal and substantially diminished the TMPRSS6 signal while the PCSK7 association was unaffected, suggesting that the former may be mediated by transferrin saturation whereas the PCSK7-associated effect on sTfR generation appears to be more direct.

Guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries. III. Primary teeth

Trauma to the primary dentition present special problems and the management is often different as compared with permanent teeth. An appropriate emergency treatment plan is important for a good prognosis. Guidelines are useful for delivering the best care possible in an efficient manner. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed a consensus statement after a review of the dental literature and group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties were included in the group. In cases in which the data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinion of the IADT board members. The guidelines represent the current best evidence based on literature research and professional opinion. In this third article out of three, the IADT Guidelines for the management of traumatic injuries in the primary dentition, are presented.

Guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries. II. Avulsion of permanent teeth

Avulsion of permanent teeth is the most serious of all dental injuries. The prognosis depends on the measures taken at the place of accident or the time immediately after the avulsion. Replantation is the treatment of choice, but cannot always be carried out immediately. An appropriate emergency management and treatment plan is important for a good prognosis. Guidelines are useful for delivering the best care possible in an efficient manner. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed a consensus statement after a review of the dental literature and group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties were included in the group. In cases in which the data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinion of the IADT board members. The guidelines represent the current best evidence based on literature research and professional opinion. In this second article of three, the IADT Guidelines for management of avulsed permanent teeth are presented.

Guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries. I. Fractures and luxations of permanent teeth

Crown fractures and luxations occur most frequently of all dental injuries. An appropriate treatment plan after an injury is important for a good prognosis. Guidelines are useful for delivering the best care possible in an efficient manner. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed a consensus statement after a review of the dental literature and group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties were included in the group. In cases where the data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinion of the IADT board members. The guidelines represent the current best evidence, based on literature research and professional opinion. In this first article of three, the IADT Guidelines for management of fractures and luxations of permanent teeth will be presented.

Sexuality and the ‘Relations of Ruling’: Using Institutional Ethnography to Research Lesbian and Gay Foster Care and Adoption.

This article makes use of institutional ethnography to research foster care and adoption by lesbians and gay men, drawing on the work of the feminist sociologist Dorothy E. Smith in order to demonstrate the investigation of social work institutional categories and the ‘relations of ruling’. Through an analysis of the ways in which ‘gender’ and the idea of the ‘gender role model’ is used within the assessment of gay and lesbian foster carers and adopters, the author shows how these categories are produced and used to police relationship forms and to identify ‘deviant instances’.

Isolation of Lautropia mirabilis from oral cavities of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children.

Lautropia mirabilis, a pleomorphic, motile, gram-negative coccus, has been isolated from the oral cavities of 32 of 60 (53.3%) children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 3 of 25 (12.0%) HIV-uninfected controls; the association of L. mirabilis isolation with HIV infection is significant (P < 0.001). All children in the study, both HIV-infected children and controls, were born to HIV-infected mothers. The presence of this bacterium was not associated with clinical disease in these children. The HIV-infected children with L. mirabilis did not differ from the HIV-infected children without L. mirabilis in immunological status, clinical status, or systemic medications. The role of HIV infection itself or concomitant factors in the establishment of L. mirabilis in the oral cavity remains to be elucidated.