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Producción Científica, A portable potentiometric electronic tongue (PE-tongue) was developed and applied to evaluate the quality of milk with different fat content (skimmed, semi-skimmed, and whole) and with different nutritional content (classic, calcium-enriched, lactose-free, folic acid–enriched, and enriched in sterols of vegetal origin). The system consisted of a simplified array of five sensors based on PVC membranes, coupled to a data logger. The five sensors were selected from a larger set of 20 sensors by applying the genetic algorithm (GA) to the responses to compounds usually found in milk including salts (KCl, CaCl2, and NaCl), sugars (lactose, glucose, and galactose), and organic acids (citric acid and lactic acid). Principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) results indicated that the PE-tongue consisting of a five-electrode array could successfully discriminate and classify milk samples according to their nutritional content. The PEtongue provided similar discrimination capability to that of a more complex system formed by a 20-sensor array. SVM regression models were used to predict the physicochemical parameters classically used in milk quality control (acidity, density, %proteins, %lactose, and %fat). The prediction results were excellent and similar to those obtained with a much more complex array consisting of 20 sensors. Moreover, the SVM method confirmed that spoilage of unsealed milk could be correctly identified with the simplified system and the increase in acidity could be accurately predicted. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of using the simplified PE-tongue to predict milk quality and provide information on the chemical composition of milk using a simple and portable system., Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital y FEDER (grant RTI 2018-097990-B-100), Junta de Castilla y Leon-FEDER (grant VA275P18) and (Infraestructuras Red de Castilla y León (INFRARED UVA01)

Introduction The use of vaping devices, including e-cigarettes, has been steadily increasing in recent years, especially among younger populations. Commentary With many vaping devices on the market and misconceptions about the safety of vaping, there is a substantial amount of information that healthcare professionals need to know. As a response to this growing public health concern, doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curricula should include opportunities for students to learn more about vaping, vaping devices, associated health outcomes, and role in smoking cessation. Implications Incorporating faculty driven content, active student learning, cessation counseling, service learning, and/or co-curricular opportunities focused on vaping education and vaping device use into PharmD curricula will better prepare student pharmacists to counsel patients on this increasingly prevalent topic.

An impedimetric electronic tongue to discriminate red wines with similar characteristics (same region, vintage and ageing method) is developed. The excellent performance achieved is due to the remarkable sensing properties of the nanocomposites forming the array and to the methodology developed to extract the input variables used in the statistical analysis. The multisensor system is formed by one PEDOT:PSS sensor and two nanocomposites formed by layers of PEDOT:PSS and gold nanoparticles (PEDOT:PSS/AuNP) or layers of PEDOT:PSS and lutetium bisphthalocyanine (PEDOT:PSS/LuPc2). The well-known electrocatalytic activity of the sensing materials is promoted in the layered composites and enhances the cross-selectivity of the sensors. Besides, a feature extraction method that uses an equivalent electric circuit model to obtain the input variables used in the statistical analysis has been developed. By using the statistical procedure of Principal Component Analysis, the improved electronic tongue is able to discriminate three wines from the variety Tempranillo, one wine of the variety Tinta de Toro (a clon of Tempranillo) and one wine elaborated with a coupage of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha variety. The combination of layered nanomaterials and the new feature extraction method also enhances the capability of the impedimetric electronic tongue to predict chemical variables using Partial Least Squares regression.

International audience; The Borexino detector was built starting from 1996 in the underground hall C of Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy under about 1400 m of rock (3800 m.w.e) and it is mostly aimed to the study in real-time of the low-energy solar neutrinos.Since the beginning of data taking, in May 2007, the unprecedented detector radio-purity made the performances of the detector unique: a milestone has been very recently achieved with the measurement of solar pp neutrino flux, providing the first direct observation in real time of the key fusion reaction powering the Sun.In this contribution the most important Borexino achievements to the fields of solar, geo-neutrino and particle physics are reviewed and the future perspectives discussed, emphasizing in particular the unique possibility of Borexino to cover at the end of its program the entire solar neutrino spectrum and to exploit the possible existence of a fourth sterile neutrino (SOX project).

The retrospective results and study’s methods were presented at the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists’ 2016 Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Objective To familiarize pharmacists with motivational interviewing as a way to engage patients in discussions about medication adherence. Summary Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, patient-centered communications skill set that can increase behavior change by stimulating a patient's own internal motivation for change. Pharmacists using motivational interviewing can explore factors associated with medication nonadherence, assess patient ambivalence and/or resistance, and educate a patient to promote medication-adherent behaviors. Conclusion Pharmacists can use motivational interviewing to effectively engage patients in a conversation that addresses medication adherence.

Intramedullary nailing is the gold standard in the treatment of shaft tibial fractures. When in the past proximal tibial fractures had to be treated by nailing, it became difficult to control the large metaphyseal fragment, which led to a high risk of malalignment, iatrogenic fractures and anterior knee pain. The reduction forceps and “poller screw” techniques are useful to control the fracture site. In our experience, we started to practice tibial intramedullary nailing through a suprapatellar approach, in order to try a more proximal entry point and obtain a good alignment with the tibial axis. In our institute we also treated proximal tibial fractures involving the articular surface using nailing through a suprapatellar approach. The first step involved reduction of the articular fracture line using lag cannulated screws; after percutaneous osteosynthesis, we practiced an intramedullary nailing in the semi-extended knee position.

We present a 1353 days measurement of the geo–neutrino flux in Borexino: the signal was found to be 14.3 ± 4.4 events. This result translates into S geo = (38.8 ± 12.0) TNU when a Th/U fixed chondritic mass ratio of 3.9 is assumed. Furthermore Borexino data are compatible with a mantle geo–neutrino signal of (15.4 ± 12.3) TNU.

ACCP is committed to ensuring that clinical pharmacists possess the competencies necessary to deliver comprehensive medication management in team-based, direct patient care environments. These competencies are divided into six essential domains: direct patient care, pharmacotherapy knowledge, systems-based care and population health, communication, professionalism, and continuing professional development. The 2016 ACCP Clinical Practice Affairs Committee has developed an evaluation tool that includes the assessable tasks of today's clinical pharmacists that fall within each domain. This instrument can be used by institutions, organizations, and others responsible for clinical pharmacist performance evaluation and professional development.

Dual screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with 4-carboxyphenyl-functionalized double-walled carbon nanotubes (HOOC-Phe-DWCNTs/SPCEs) have been used as scaffolds for the preparation of electrochemical immunosensors for the simultaneous determination of the cytokines Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and factor necrosis tumor α (TNF-α). IL-1β. Capture antibodies were immobilized onto HOOC-Phe-DWCNTs/SPCEs in an oriented form making using the commercial polymeric coating Mix&Go™. Sandwich type immunoassays with amperometric signal amplification through the use of poly-HRP-streptavidin conjugates and H2O2 as HRP substrate and hydroquinone as redox mediator were implemented. Upon optimization of the experimental variables affecting the immunosensor performance, the dual immunosensor allows ranges of linearity extending between 0.5 and 100 pg/mL and from 1 to 200 pg/mL for IL-1β and TNF-α, respectively, these ranges being adequate for the determination of the cytokines in clinical samples. The achieved limits of detection were 0.38 pg/mL (IL-1β) and 0.85 pg/mL (TNF-α). In addition, the dual immunosensor exhibits excellent reproducibility of the measurements, storage stability of the anti-IL-Phe-DWCNTs/SPCE and anti-TNF-Phe-DWCNTs/SPCE conjugates, and selectivity as well as negligible cross-talking. The dual immunosensor was applied to the simultaneous determination of IL-1β and TNF-α in human serum spiked at clinically relevant concentration levels and in real saliva samples.

Intramedullary nailing is the “gold standard” in the treatment of shaft tibial fractures. It provides high rates of bone healing. We analyzed the advantages of intramedullary nailing using a suprapatellar approach, which reduces the risk of DVT and makes patient management in the operating room easier.

The new Joint National Committee 8 (JNC-8) blood pressure guidelines were recently published, and there are some major changes from JNC-7. There are also differences between JNC-8 and hypertension guidelines created by major organizations in North America and around the world published from 2013 to the present. In the face of conflicting evidence, it is difficult for practicing clinicians to reconcile these differences and to incorporate new guidance into their practice. This commentary will identify similarities and differences between guidelines, provide some literature context in the areas of differing recommendations, and then provide advice to enhance patient care.

Background: Health care professionals, trainees, and patients use the Internet extensively. Editable Web sites may contain inaccurate, incomplete, and/or outdated information that may mislead the public’s perception of the topic. Objective: To evaluate the editable, online descriptions of clinical pharmacy and pharmacist and attempt to improve their accuracy. Methods: The authors identified key areas within clinical pharmacy to evaluate for accuracy and appropriateness on the Internet. Current descriptions that were reviewed on public domain Web sites included: (1) clinical pharmacy and the clinical pharmacist, (2) pharmacy education, (3) clinical pharmacy and development and provision for reimbursement, (4) clinical pharmacists and advanced specialty certifications/training opportunities, (5) pharmacists and advocacy, and (6) clinical pharmacists and interdisciplinary/interprofessional content. The authors assessed each content area to determine accuracy and prioritized the need for updating, when applicable, to achieve consistency in descriptions and relevancy. The authors found that Wikipedia, a public domain that allows users to update, was consistently the most common Web site produced in search results. Results: The authors’ evaluation resulted in the creation or revision of 14 Wikipedia Web pages. However, rejection of 3 proposed newly created Web pages affected the authors’ ability to address identified content areas with deficiencies and/or inaccuracies. Conclusions: Through assessing and updating editable Web sites, the authors strengthened the online representation of clinical pharmacy in a clear, cohesive, and accurate manner. However, ongoing assessments of the Internet are continually needed to ensure accuracy and appropriateness.

Dietary supplements are commonly used by patients as part of their medical care plan. Often clinicians may not be aware of their use, because patients do not always consider these to be medications. All clinicians need to continually ask patients about their use of dietary supplements when collecting a medication history. Dietary supplements and prescription medications often share similar enzymatic pathways for their metabolism. These interactions may lead to severe adverse reactions. This article reviews available evidence for a variety of dietary supplements in select disease categories.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing pharmacist-led services have noted positive clinical diabetes outcomes; however, studies assessing pharmacist impact on glycemic control through insulin titration and adherence to American Diabetes Association (ADA) preventive care measures in an indigent population are limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a pharmacist-managed insulin titration program compared to standard medical care on glycemic control and preventive care measures in an indigent population with diabetes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared pharmacist-managed insulin titration to standard care; all patients received primary care services through a county-funded health center serving a low-income minority population. The pharmacist-managed patients, referred by the primary care provider, received telephone calls to assess blood glucose levels, encourage preventive care examinations, and titrate insulin doses through collaborative drug therapy management. Standard care patients received diabetes care solely from the primary care provider. Student t test was used to evaluate the primary outcome, glycemic control, assessed by change in hemoglobin A1c (A1C) between groups from baseline to various time points and study end. Secondary outcomes included attainment of preventive care measures and A1C goal of less than 7% and change in weight and total daily insulin dose from baseline to study end. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients in the pharmacist-managed group (intervention) and 57 standard care patients (control) were evaluated. The pharmacist-managed group showed a significant difference in A1C at all time points, including, study end, compared to standard care (−1.3% vs −0.18%, respectively; p = 0.001). In addition, the intervention group more often completed the ADA's recommended preventive care measures; all differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-provider collaboration can result in significant clinical improvements, including A1C reduction and adherence to preventive care measures, when compared to standard care in a medically underserved population with diabetes.

The Th content in commercially available Nd2O3 samples with the main substance content of 99.0–99.998% was found to be 2–8, and that of U, 3–230 ppb. Therefore, to obtain Nd meeting the requirements of the experiment on studying neutrinoless double β-decay, it should be purified to reduce the content of Th and U impurities by a factor of 103–104. To this end, the extraction of Nd, Th, and U from hydrochloric acid media with solutions of trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in toluene was studied. The distribution ratios of Th increase with a decrease in the HCl concentration in the initial aqueous solution. With an increase in the Cl− concentration in the aqueous phase, the U distribution ratios decrease, probably because of a decrease in the concentration of the free extractant due to the extraction of Nd and HCl. On the contrary, the distribution ratios of Th increase with an increase in the Cl− concentration in the aqueous phase, with the slope of the straight line in the coordinates logDTh-log[Cl−]aq close to 7, which may be due to coextraction of Th with Nd in the form of the complex ThNdCl7. The enthalpies of formation of the extractable complexes of Th and U were determined from the temperature dependence of the extraction of Nd, Th, and U chlorides with a 0.1 M solution of TOPO in toluene. The optimal extraction system was chosen for Nd purification to remove traces of Th and U: organic phase, 0.1 M solution of TOPO in toluene; aqueous phase, 2.4 M NdCl3 + 0.1 M HCl. From the initial aqueous solution contaning 574 ppt Th and 2837 ppt U, by single extraction with an equal volume of 0.1 M TOPO in toluene, an aqueous solution containing

The system for controlled filling of the nested flexible scintillator containment vessels in the Borexino solar neutrino detector is described. The design and operation principles of pressure and shape monitoring systems are presented for gas filling, gas displacement by water, and water displacement by scintillator. System specifications for safety against overstressing the flexible nylon vessels are defined as well as leak-tightness and cleanliness requirements. The fluid-filling system was a major engineering challenge for the Borexino detector.

Intramedullary nailing is the “gold standard” for the treatment of shaft tibia fractures. It provides high rates of bone healing associated to low infection rates, and gives high stability for a safe limb motion. We analyze advantages and complications of locked reamed intramedullary nailing in our experience in treating shaft tibia fractures.

Purification of the 278 tons of liquid scintillator and 889 tons of buffer shielding for the Borexino solar neutrino detector was performed with a system that combined distillation, water extraction, gas stripping and filtration. The purification of the scintillator achieved unprecedented low backgrounds for the large scale liquid scintillation detector. This paper describes the principles of operation, design, construction and commissioning of the purification system, and reviews the requirements and methods to achieve system cleanliness and leak-tightness., submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A, revised after review

This paper reports a direct measurement of the Be7 solar neutrino signal rate performed with the Borexino low background liquid scintillator detector. This is the first real-time spectral measurement of sub-MeV solar neutrinos. The result for 0.862 MeV Be7 is 47 +- 7 (stat} +- 12 (sys} counts/(day x 100 ton), consistent with predictions of Standard Solar Models and neutrino oscillations with LMA-MSW parameters., Paper submitted to PRLB. 9 pages, 6 figures (EPS) PDF files included into tar.gz file, together with LaTeX source, eps figs and style files

Background: The $^{17}O(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction affects the production of key isotopes (e.g., $^{18}F$ and $^{18}O$) in the explosive hydrogen burning that powers classical novae. Under these explosive conditions, the reaction rate is dominated by contributions from a narrow resonance at ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$ and by the combined contributions of direct capture and low-energy tails of broad resonances. At present, the astrophysical reaction rate is not well constrained because of the lack of data in the energy region appropriate to classical novae.Purpose: This study aims at the measurement of the $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section in order to determine its reaction rate in the temperature region appropriate to explosive hydrogen burning in novae.Method: The $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section was measured using both the prompt detection of the emitted $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays and an activation technique. Measurements were carried out at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (Gran Sasso, Italy) where the strongly reduced cosmic-ray-induced background allows for improved sensitivity compared to previous studies.Results: The $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section was measured in the range ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=160$ to $370\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$. The strength of the ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$ resonance, $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$, was determined with unprecedented precision. The total $S$ factor was obtained through a combined fit of prompt $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray and activation results. An overall global fit including other existing data sets was also carried out and a recommended astrophysical reaction rate is presented.Conclusions: The reaction rate uncertainty attained in this work is now below the required precision for nova models. We verified, following a full set of hydrodynamic nova models, that the abundances of oxygen and fluorine isotopes obtained with the present reaction rate are determined with 10% precision and put firmer constraints on observational signatures of novae events.

* BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: American Glaucoma Society members were surveyed to determine the pattern of use of viscoelastics for anterior chamber reformation at the slit-lamp in the post-operative clinical management of patients who have undergone trabeculectomy in order to give ophthalmologists an indication of how these materials are being used by their colleagues. * MATERIALS AND METHODS: We surveyed 196 members of the American Glaucoma Society regarding the following; (1) whether they inject viscoelastic post-operatively at the slit-lamp as an inoffice procedure, (2) the type of viscoelastic used most often, (3) the criteria for injection of viscoelastic, (4) the time to first follow-up, (5) the average number of injections, and (6) the occurrence of post-injection endophthalmitis. * RESULTS: One hundred twenty-five (64%) of the 196 mailed surveys were answered and returned. Ninety-four (75%) of the respondents reported injecting viscoelastics in the postoperative period at the slit-lamp as an in-office procedure. Healon (60%) (Pharmacia & Upjohn Co, Kalamazoo, MI), Viscoat (17%) (Alcon, Ft. Worth, TX), and Healon GV (7%) (Pharmacia & Upjohn Co, Kalamazoo, MI) were the three most often used viscoelastics. Hypotony, iris-cornea touch, and lens-cornea touch were given as criteria for injection 19%, 47%, and 88% of the time, respectively. Range of time to first follow-up was 1 hour to 7 days, with a mean time of 1 day. Range of average number of injections was 1 to 3 with a mean of 2 injections for patients requiring injection. Only one respondent reported an incidence of endophthalmitis. * CONCLUSIONS: The use of viscoelastic materials in the postoperative trabeculectomy patient in the office at the slit-lamp for anterior chamber reformation is a prevalent practice. Healon is the most commonly used viscoelastic postoperatively and lens-corneal touch is the most common criterion for injection. The average number of injections is 2, with a mean and mode follow-up time of 1 day. Endophthalmitis is a rare complication. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 1999;30:271-275.]

Recent results from the CERN Omega spectrometer on the enhancement of strange and multiply strange particle production in nucleus-nucleus with respect to proton-nucleus collisions are summarized. In particular, the new data from the WA97 experiment on Ω, Ξ and Λ production in PbPb and p-Pb collisions are presented and discussed.

A, Ξ and Ω yields and transverse mass spectra have been measured in Pb-Pb and p-Pb collisions at 158A GeV/c. The yields in Pb-Pb interactions are presented as a function of the collision centrality and compared with those obtained from p-Pb collisions. Strangeness enhancement is observed which increases with centrality and with the strangeness content of the hyperon.

Enhanced production of strange baryons and anti-baryons at central rapidity in S-W and S-z.sbnd;S with respect to p-A reactions has been reported by the CERN experiments WA85 and WA94. The WA97 experiment is extending such a study to Pb Pb collisions making use of the newly developed silicon pixel detectors. Results on Λ, Ξ − and Ω − production in Pb Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/ c at central rapidity are presented. Transverse mass spectra and particle ratios are presented. Hyperon yields are given as a function of the collision centrality and compared with those obtained from p-Pb collisions using the same experimental setup.

If heavy neutrinos with mass ${m}_{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{H}}\ensuremath{\ge}2{m}_{e}$ are produced in the Sun via the decay $^{8}\mathrm{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{8}\mathrm{Be}+{e}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{H}$ in a side branch of the $pp$ chain, they would undergo the observable decay into an electron, a positron and a light neutrino ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{H}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{L}+{e}^{+}+{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. In the present work Borexino data are used to set a bound on the existence of such decays. We constrain the mixing of a heavy neutrino with mass $1.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}\ensuremath{\le}{m}_{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{H}}\ensuremath{\le}14\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$ to be $|{U}_{eH}{|}^{2}\ensuremath{\le}({10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\ensuremath{-}4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6})$, respectively. These are tighter limits on the mixing parameters than obtained in previous experiments at nuclear reactors and accelerators.

Background Utilisation of the electronic medical record (EMR) is believed to facilitate timely access to patient information, enhance communication between care team members and further promote clinical decision support.Objective To determine if pharmacist-generated electronic consults (e-consults) improve blood pressure control among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in a multisite health centre.Methods Pharmacists generated hypertension medication e-consults with review by primary care provider (PCP) during the patient appointment. We conducted a retrospective review of consults to determine types of pharmacist recommendations, PCP acceptance rates, and blood pressure changes.Results Pharmacists generated a total of 60 econsults, 41 patients with a systolic blood pressure above their respective goal; e-consults were accepted 46% (n = 19) of the time.Conclusion This pilot project demonstrates a unique way for pharmacists to proactively utilise the EMR when delivering coordinated care within a multisite health centre. In addition, pharmacists were successfully integrated into the planned care approach.

Preliminary results from WA97 measurements on Λ, Ξ and Ω production in lead-lead and proton-lead collisions are presented, along with a comparison of WA97 proton-lead data with previous WA85 proton-tungsten results. The ratio Ω/Ξ seems to be enhanced in lead initiated reactions compared to proton initiated reactions.

Classical novae are important contributors to the abundances of key isotopes, such as the radioactive $^{18}\mathrm{F}$, whose observation by satellite missions could provide constraints on nucleosynthesis models in novae. The $^{17}\mathrm{O}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}\mathrm{F}$ reaction plays a critical role in the synthesis of both oxygen and fluorine isotopes, but its reaction rate is not well determined because of the lack of experimental data at energies relevant to novae explosions. In this study, the reaction cross section has been measured directly for the first time in a wide energy range ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}\ensuremath{\simeq}200--370\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ appropriate to hydrogen burning in classical novae. In addition, the ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ resonance strength, $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$, has been measured with the highest precision to date. The uncertainty on the $^{17}\mathrm{O}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}\mathrm{F}$ reaction rate has been reduced by a factor of 4, thus leading to firmer constraints on accurate models of novae nucleosynthesis.

A search for 5.5 MeV solar axions produced in the $p+d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{3}\mathrm{He}+\mathrm{A}$ (5.5 MeV) reaction was performed using the Borexino detector. The Compton conversion of axions to photons, $\mathrm{A}+e\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+\ensuremath{\gamma}$; the axioelectric effect, $\mathrm{A}+e+Z\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+Z$; the decay of axions into two photons, $\mathrm{A}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2\ensuremath{\gamma}$; and inverse Primakoff conversion on nuclei, $\mathrm{A}+Z\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\gamma}+Z$, are considered. Model-independent limits on axion-electron (${g}_{Ae}$), axion-photon (${g}_{A\ensuremath{\gamma}}$), and isovector axion-nucleon (${g}_{3AN}$) couplings are obtained: $|{g}_{Ae}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{g}_{3AN}|\ensuremath{\le}5.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ and $|{g}_{A\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{g}_{3AN}|\ensuremath{\le}4.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at ${m}_{A}l1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$ (90% confidence level). These limits are 2--4 orders of magnitude stronger than those obtained in previous laboratory-based experiments using nuclear reactors and accelerators.

This report describes the impact-parameter trigger used by the WA92 BEATRICE fixed-target experiment at the CERN Omega spectrometer. A comprehensive description of the microstrip detector, readout electronics and trigger processor is given. Preliminary results on its operation in the 1992 data collection are also presented.

We observed, for the first time, solar neutrinos in the 1.0-1.5 MeV energy range. We measured the rate of pep solar neutrino interactions in Borexino to be [3.1+-0.6(stat)+-0.3(syst)] counts/(day x 100 ton) and provided a constraint on the CNO solar neutrino interaction rate of, Submitted to Physical Review Letters (2011)

We report the measurement of {nu}-e elastic scattering from {sup 8}B solar neutrinos with 3 MeV energy threshold by the Borexino detector in Gran Sasso (Italy). The rate of solar neutrino-induced electron scattering events above this energy in Borexino is 0.22{+-}0.04(stat){+-}0.01(syst) cpd/100 t, which corresponds to {Phi}{sub {sup 8}B}{sup ES}=2.4{+-}0.4{+-}0.1x10{sup 6} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}, in good agreement with measurements from SNO and SuperKamiokaNDE. Assuming the {sup 8}B neutrino flux predicted by the high metallicity standard solar model, the average {sup 8}B {nu}{sub e} survival probability above 3 MeV is measured to be 0.29{+-}0.10. The survival probabilities for {sup 7}Be and {sup 8}B neutrinos as measured by Borexino differ by 1.9{sigma}. These results are consistent with the prediction of the MSW-LMA solution of a transition in the solar {nu}{sub e} survival probability P{sub ee} between the low-energy vacuum-driven and the high-energy matter-enhanced solar neutrino oscillation regimes.

Proton captures on Mg isotopes play an important role in the Mg-Al cycle active in stellar $H$-shell burning. In particular, the strengths of low-energy resonances with $El200$ keV in $^{25}\mathrm{Mg}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ determine the production of $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ and a precise knowledge of these nuclear data is highly desirable. Absolute measurements at such low energies are often very difficult and hampered by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray background as well as changing target stoichiometry during the measurements. The latter problem can be partly avoided using higher-energy resonances of the same reaction as a normalization reference. Hence the parameters of suitable resonances have to be studied with adequate precision. In the present work we report on new measurements of the resonance strengths $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ of the $E=214$, $304$, and $326$ keV resonances in the reactions $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{25}\mathrm{Al}$, $^{25}\mathrm{Mg}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{26}\mathrm{Al}$, and $^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{27}\mathrm{Al}$, respectively. These studies were performed at the LUNA facility in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory using multiple experimental techniques and provided results with a higher accuracy than previously achieved.

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) has been tested for nucleons ($n,p$) in $^{12}C$ with the Borexino detector.The approach consists of a search for $\gamma$, $n$, $p$ and $\beta^\pm$ emitted in a non-Paulian transition of 1$P_{3/2}$- shell nucleons to the filled 1$S_{1/2}$ shell in nuclei. Due to the extremely low background and the large mass (278 t) of the Borexino detector, the following most stringent up-to-date experimental bounds on PEP violating transitions of nucleons have been established: $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+\gamma) \geq 5.0\cdot10^{31}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ p) \geq 8.9\cdot10^{29}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+ n) \geq 3.4 \cdot 10^{30}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{N}}}+ e^- + \widetilde{\nu_e}) \geq 3.1\cdot 10^{30}$ y and $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ e^+ + \nu_e) \geq 2.1 \cdot 10^{30}$ y, all at 90% C.L. The corresponding upper limits on the relative strengths for the searched non-Paulian electromagnetic, strong and weak transitions have been estimated: $\delta^2_{\gamma} \leq 2.2\cdot10^{-57}$, $\delta^2_{N} \leq 4.1\cdot10^{-60}$ and $\delta^2_{\beta} \leq 2.1\cdot10^{-35}$.

We report the direct measurement of the 7Be solar neutrino signal rate performed with the Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The interaction rate of the 0.862 MeV 7Be neutrinos is 49+/-3stat+/-4syst counts/(day.100 ton). The hypothesis of no oscillation for 7Be solar neutrinos is inconsistent with our measurement at the 4sigma C.L. Our result is the first direct measurement of the survival probability for solar nu(e) in the transition region between matter-enhanced and vacuum-driven oscillations. The measurement improves the experimental determination of the flux of 7Be, pp, and CNO solar nu(e), and the limit on the effective neutrino magnetic moment using solar neutrinos.

Continuing its pursuit to explore and understand the red planet, and encouraged by the incomparable successes from its Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), Spirit and Opportunity, and more recently the Mars Phoenix Lander, NASA is launching a follow-on Mars surface mission, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in the fall of 2009. As before, MSL is aimed at accomplishing the four main science goals of the Mars Exploration Program: i) determine whether life ever arose on Mars, ii) characterize the climate of Mars, iii) characterize the geology of Mars, and iv) prepare for human exploration. With almost a 5-10 fold increase in its capabilities and size compared to MER, MSL has more ambitious goals in terms of exploring a much larger range of latitudes and altitudes than was possible on MER, a longer operating lifespan on Mars' surface of a full Martian year (687 Earth days) or more, while also providing significantly greater mobility and operational flexibility, and enhanced science payload capability. To achieve these goals, MSL is equipped with a radioisotope power system that generates electricity from the heat of plutonium's radioactive decay. To augment this nuclear power source, there will be lithium-ion batteries located on the rover, which have identical chemistry as the Li-ion batteries currently being used on MER and controlled by similar Battery Control Boards (BCB). Further, to assist the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) operations of MSL, which includes a slow sky-crane like terminal descent and landing, as opposed to the solidrocket assisted airbag landing on MER, Li-FeS2 thermal batteries will be utilized on the Descent Stage. In this paper, we will describe the details of the mission requirements, battery trade-offs and designs, and preliminary performance characteristics of these battery systems on MSL.

This paper deals with the design of high- Q 0 TE resonators for high-efficiency rf pulse compression. The aim of our study was the development of a storage resonator to be used for an energy doubler (similar to the one used on the Stanford linac energy doubler (SLED) to increase the beam energy of the Stanford linac to 53 GeV), but to be used for a linac having a quite long filling time of 1.2 ωs. For this reason the storage resonator must be designed for an unloaded Q 0 of roughly 10 5 . By using our OSCAR2D computer code (which computes the resonant frequency, Q 0 and geometry factor for any reasonable TE or TM monopolar mode of cylindrically symmetric rf cavities) we found an optimum resonator geometry. On this geometry we get the benefit of a Q 0 about 10% higher than that of an ideal cylindrical cavity together with the splitting of TE 0 mn -like and TM 1 mn -like modes which in a cylindrical cavity are coalescent.

Borexino is an experiment for low-energy neutrino spectroscopy at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories. It is designed to measure the monoenergetic {sup 7}Be solar neutrino flux in real time, via neutrino-electron elastic scattering in an ultrapure organic liquid scintillator. Borexino has the potential to also detect neutrinos from the pep fusion process and the CNO cycle. For this measurement to be possible, radioactive contamination in the detector must be kept extremely low. Once sufficiently clean conditions are met, the main background source is {sup 11}C, produced in reactions induced by the residual cosmic muon flux on {sup 12}C. In the process, a free neutron is almost always produced. {sup 11}C can be tagged on an event-by-event basis by looking at the threefold coincidence with the parent muon track and the subsequent neutron capture on protons. This coincidence method has been implemented on the Borexino Counting Test Facility data. We report on the first event-by-event identification of in situ muon-induced {sup 11}C in a large underground scintillator detector. We measure a {sup 11}C production rate of 0.130 {+-} 0.026(stat) {+-} 0.014(syst) day{sup -1} ton{sup -1}, in agreement with predictions from both experimental studies performed with a muon beam on a scintillatormore » target and ab initio estimations based on the {sup 11}C producing nuclear reactions.« less

The Beauty Contiguity Trigger (BCT) in the fixed-target experiment WA92/BEATRICE at CERN is described. It is composed of 11 FASTBUS modules and is based on a custom-designed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip. An overview of both the trigger algorithm and the processor architecture is given. Preliminary results on its operation during data collection in the 1992 run of WA92 are also presented. >

The readout electronics of a silicon microstrip vertex detector aimed at finding secondary vertices for beauty identification is described. High density and high speed have been achieved, allowing the detector to take part in the trigger. Despite the large number of channels and thanks to the use of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the amount of electronics needed for the readout is rather small, increasing the level of confidence and simplifying the maintenance and the cabling of the system. The use of computer-aided engineering tools allowed a very fast design (1.5 year), which was reliable and well documented. >

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 350 million people worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. Many patients with diabetes do not achieve and/or maintain glycemic targets, despite therapy implementation and escalation. Multiple therapeutic classes of agents are available for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and the armamentarium has expanded significantly in the past decade. Selective sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, including dapagliflozin, represent the latest development in pharmacologic treatment options for type 2 diabetes. This class has a unique mechanism of action, working by increasing glucose excretion in the urine. The insulin-independent mechanism results in decreased serum glucose, without hypoglycemia or weight gain. Dapagliflozin is a once-daily oral therapy. Expanding therapy options for a complex patient population is critical, and dapagliflozin has a distinct niche that can be a viable option for select patients with diabetes.

American Glaucoma Society members were surveyed to determine the pattern of use of viscoelastics for anterior chamber reformation at the slit-lamp in the post-operative clinical management of patients who have undergone trabeculectomy in order to give ophthalmologists an indication of how these materials are being used by their colleagues.We surveyed 196 members of the American Glaucoma Society regarding the following; (1) whether they inject viscoelastic post-operatively at the slit-lamp as an in-office procedure, (2) the type of viscoelastic used most often, (3) the criteria for injection of viscoelastic, (4) the time to first follow-up, (5) the average number of injections, and (6) the occurrence of post-injection endophthalmitis.One hundred twenty-five (64%) of the 196 mailed surveys were answered and returned. Ninety-four (75%) of the respondents reported injecting viscoelastics in the postoperative period at the slit-lamp as an in-office procedure. Healon (60%) (PharmaciaUpjohn Co, Kalamazoo, MI), Viscoat (17%) (Alcon, Ft. Worth, TX), and Healon GV (7%) (PharmaciaUpjohn Co, Kalamazoo, MI) were the three most often used viscoelastics. Hypotony, iriscornea touch, and lens-cornea touch were given as criteria for injection 19%, 47%, and 88% of the time, respectively. Range of time to first follow-up was 1 hour to 7 days, with a mean time of 1 day. Range of average number of injections was 1 to 3 with a mean of 2 injections for patients requiring injection. Only one respondent reported an incidence of endophthalmitis.The use of viscoelastic materials in the postoperative trabeculectomy patient in the office at the slit-lamp for anterior chamber reformation is a prevalent practice. Healon is the most commonly used viscoelastic postoperatively and lens-corneal touch is the most common criterion for injection. The average number of injections is 2, with a mean and mode follow-up time of 1 day. Endophthalmitis is a rare complication.