Precision Constraints for Three-Flavor Neutrino Oscillations from the Full MINOS+ and MINOS Dataset.

We report the final measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters Δm_{32}^{2} and sin^{2}θ_{23} using all data from the MINOS and MINOS+ experiments. These data were collected using a total exposure of 23.76×10^{20} protons on target producing ν_{µ} and ν[over ¯]_{µ} beams and 60.75 kt yr exposure to atmospheric neutrinos. The measurement of the disappearance of ν_{µ} and the appearance of ν_{e} events between the Near and Far detectors yields |Δm_{32}^{2}|=2.40_{-0.09}^{+0.08}(2.45_{-0.08}^{+0.07})×10^{-3} eV^{2} and sin^{2}θ_{23}=0.43_{-0.04}^{+0.20}(0.42_{-0.03}^{+0.07}) at 68% C.L. for normal (inverted) hierarchy.

Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments.

Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the θ_{µe} mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}, excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<13 eV^{2}. Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<1.6 eV^{2}.

Search for Sterile Neutrinos in MINOS and MINOS+ Using a Two-Detector Fit.

A search for mixing between active neutrinos and light sterile neutrinos has been performed by looking for muon neutrino disappearance in two detectors at baselines of 1.04 and 735 km, using a combined MINOS and MINOS+ exposure of 16.36×10^{20} protons on target. A simultaneous fit to the charged-current muon neutrino and neutral-current neutrino energy spectra in the two detectors yields no evidence for sterile neutrino mixing using a 3+1 model. The most stringent limit to date is set on the mixing parameter sin^{2}θ_{24} for most values of the sterile neutrino mass splitting Δm_{41}^{2}>10^{-4} eV^{2}.

The association between minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), children's poor oral condition, and underlying negative psychosocial habits and attitudes towards oral hygiene.

BACKGROUND: Minor Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) represents a disease which is very difficult to prevent. This case-control study focused on possible associations between minor Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis in children, their oral health, and underlying behavioral indexes of children's attitudes and habits pertaining to (home) oral hygiene, with the further goal of enabling the dentist to prevent these specific kind of lesions, both from a clinical and a broader psychosocial perspective. METHODS: Four hundred one school-children (5-10 years old) in Milan (Italy) were submitted to an intra-oral examination, and interviewed with the aid of a brief psychosocial questionnaire. RESULTS: At the clinical level, statistically significant associations were observed between the presence of decayed teeth and minor Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (Odds Ratio: 3.15; 95% CI: lower limit 1.06; upper limit: 9.36; Z-test: 2.07, p = 0.039; Chi-square = 4.71, p = 0.030), and between the Decayed Missing or Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and minor aphthous stomatitis (Odds Ratio: 3.30; 95% CI: lower limit 1.13; upper limit: 9.67; Z-test = 2.18, p = 0.029; Chi-square = 5.27; p = 0.022), both results pointing to a significant increase-by circa 3 times-in the risk of developing minor Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis in children exposed to the two above-identified factors (i.e., the presence of decayed teeth and a clearly compromised oral condition, as signaled by the DMFT index), if compared with the risk run by their non-exposed counterparts. At the psychosocial level of analysis, statistically significant associations were observed (1) between children's practice of spontaneously brushing teeth when not at home and a comparatively lower (i.e. better) Decayed Missing or Filled Teeth index (Chi-square: 8.95; p = 0.011), and (2) between receiving parental aid (e.g., proper brushing instructions) while practicing home oral hygiene and a significantly reduced presence of decayed teeth (Chi-square = 5.40; p = .067; Spearman's Rho, p = .038). Further, significant associations were also observed between children's reported severity of dental pain and both (a) the presence of decayed teeth (Chi-square = 10.80; p = 0.011), and (b) children's (poor) oral health condition as expressed by the Decayed Missing or Filled Teeth index (Chi-square = 6.29; p = 0.043). Interestingly, specific lifestyles and social status, showed no systematic association to other clinical or psychological/psychosocial indices. CONCLUSIONS: These systematic relations suggest that, in the presence of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis in pediatric patients, the dentist should carefully monitor children for potential carious lesions, implement protocols of prevention to control Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis disease in children affected by caries, and also be particularly aware of the right or wrong habits children may acquire in the course of continued social exchange with their caregivers and peers.

Search for Sterile Neutrinos Mixing with Muon Neutrinos in MINOS.

We report results of a search for oscillations involving a light sterile neutrino over distances of 1.04 and 735 km in a ν_{µ}-dominated beam with a peak energy of 3 GeV. The data, from an exposure of 10.56×10^{20} protons on target, are analyzed using a phenomenological model with one sterile neutrino. We constrain the mixing parameters θ_{24} and Δm_{41}^{2} and set limits on parameters of the four-dimensional Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix, |U_{µ4}|^{2} and |U_{τ4}|^{2}, under the assumption that mixing between ν_{e} and ν_{s} is negligible (|U_{e4}|^{2}=0). No evidence for ν_{µ}→ν_{s} transitions is found and we set a world-leading limit on θ_{24} for values of Δm_{41}^{2}≲1 eV^{2}.

Fermi LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF BLAZAR 3C 279 OCCULTATIONS BY THE SUN.

Observations of occultations of bright γ-ray sources by the Sun may reveal predicted pair halos around blazars and/or new physics, such as, e.g., hypothetical light dark matter particles-axions. We use Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (Fermi) data to analyze four occultations of blazar 3C 279 by the Sun on October 8 each year from 2008 to 2011. A combined analysis of the observations of these occultations allows a point-like source at the position of 3C 279 to be detected with significance of ≈3σ, but does not reveal any significant excess over the flux expected from the quiescent Sun. The likelihood ratio test rules out complete transparency of the Sun to the blazar γ-ray emission at a 3σ confidence level.

A cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays detected by Fermi in the Cygnus superbubble.

The origin of Galactic cosmic rays is a century-long puzzle. Indirect evidence points to their acceleration by supernova shockwaves, but we know little of their escape from the shock and their evolution through the turbulent medium surrounding massive stars. Gamma rays can probe their spreading through the ambient gas and radiation fields. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has observed the star-forming region of Cygnus X. The 1- to 100-gigaelectronvolt images reveal a 50-parsec-wide cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays that flood the cavities carved by the stellar winds and ionization fronts from young stellar clusters. It provides an example to study the youth of cosmic rays in a superbubble environment before they merge into the older Galactic population.

Posterior tibial nerve stimulation: is the once-a-week protocol the best option?

AIM: Aim of our study was to compare the results of posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) performed weekly with those of PTNS performed 3 times per week in patients with overactive bladder syndrome. METHODS: Thirty-five patients (28 females, 7 males) with overactive bladder syndrome not responding to antimuscarinic therapy were enrolled in a prospective study. A total of 17 out of 35 patients were randomly assigned to group A and treated with a PTNS protocol based on weekly stimulation sessions; 18 out of 35 patients were randomly assigned to group B and treated with a PTNS protocol based on stimulation sessions performed 3 times per week. All subjects were evaluated by means of 24 h bladder diaries, quality of life questionnaires (I-QoL, SF36) and urodynamic evaluation before and after treatment. Patients were asked after each stimulation session to give their opinion on the efficacy of the treatment. We have considered ''success'' those patients who presented a reduction >50% of the micturition episodes/24 h (ME/24) or (if incontinent) of the incontinence episodes/24 h (IE/24). Results before and after treatments in both groups were collected and statistically compared. RESULTS: As a whole, 11/17 patients (63%) in group A and 12/18 patients (67%) in group B were considered ''success''; 4/11 (36%) incontinent patients in group A and 5/11 (45%) incontinent patients in group B were completely cured after treatment. In both groups, patients reported subjective improvement after 6-8 stimulation sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings seem to show that the periodicity of stimulation does not effect the results of PTNS treatment. The advantage of more frequent stimulation sessions is to achieve earlier a clinical improvement.

Evaluation of a new, rapid, qualitative, one-step PSA Test for prostate cancer screening: the PSA RapidScreen test.

To increase the acceptance rate and reduce the cost of the screening programme for prostate cancer, a new qualitative and one-step test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), called PSA RapidScreen, has been evaluated. PSA RapidScreen test is a chromatographic lateral flow immunoassay, which generates a positive or negative result for PSA values >or=or <4 ng/ml, respectively. Capillary blood samples from 188 men were evaluated. Two independent observers interpreted the test at 10, 15, 20 and 25 min. A total of 10 women were tested as controls. Parallel serum samples were simultaneously collected and tested with an ordinary quantitative assay (Elecsys 2010, Roche). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative and positive predictive values of the test were 97.6, 90.4, 94, 98 and 89%, respectively. PSA RapidScreen tests on female capillary samples were negative. Reproducibility of the test was 99.5%, while interobserver variation was 5%. Specificity of the test was altered by variations in the reading time. Quantitative assessment of the intensity of the band correlated with the PSA value (r=0.87; t=23.97; P<0.001). PSA RapidScreen is a rapid, simple and reproducible one-step test. The low cost and the speed of the test make it a powerful and convenient tool for prostate cancer screening programmes.

Clinical implications of left ovarian vein incomplete duplicity with embryonic intersubcardinal anastomosis-derived branches.

During the dissection of a female human cadaver a case of a duplex ovarian vein was observed. It was unique in its upper course where it anastomosed with an inferior polar renal vein, which in turn was linked to an upper polar renal vein by means of a joining branch. It is hypothesised that this represent a persistent link between the left subcardinal vein and the left sacrocardinal vein, together with some branches of a venous net, which represent the embryological intersubcardinal anastomosis. The gonadal vein arises from the distal (or postrenal) left subcardinal vein portion; the left renal vein develops from the intersubcardinal anastomosis. The venous net derived from the intersubcardinal anastomosis may represent a bypass system in cases of left renal vein occlusion. Left gonadal vein duplicity may also play an important role in the anatomical basis of idiopathic left ovarian vein syndrome or left varicocele, and can lead to mistakes being made during venous sclerotherapy.

[Ultrasonography of the upper urinary tract in patients with spinal cord injury]. / Studio ecografico dell'alto tratto urinario in pazienti con trauma vertebro-midollare.

A lesion of the upper urinary tract (UUT) is a possible outcome of the bladder dysfunction following a spinal cord injury (SCI). The most common findings are hydronephrosis, bladder-ureteral reflux and pyelonephritis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of UUT abnormalities, evaluable by ultrasound (US), in a population of SCI patients; furthermore we correlated the presence of such abnormalities to clinical findings. We evaluated 115 consecutive patients who underwent US scan of UUT. Mean time between injury and our evaluation was 81.5 +/- 100.2 months. Lesion level was cervical (38/115), dorsal (59/115) and lumbar (18/115). Eight patients emptied their bladder spontaneously, 105 by means of intermittent catheterization, while 2 were wearing indwelling catheter. Seventy-four patients used anticholinergics drugs. It was evaluated the presence of: hydronephrosis, renal stones and chronic pyelonephritis using US. Afterward the presence of such alterations was correlated to sex and age of patients, time between injury and our evaluation, method of bladder emptying and use of anticholinergics drugs. In 25/115 patients (21.7%) were found abnormalities of UUT. A significative correlation was found between presence of UUT lesions and older age. In our series, prevalence of UUT abnormalities observed by means of US in SCI patients is 21.7%. This finding could be due to correct management and strict follow up of the patients.

High yield expression and purification of human endothelin-1.

A DNA construct encoding human big endothelin (Big ET) preceded by the factor Xa protease recognition site (Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg), fused in frame to the maltose binding protein sequence, has been introduced in DH5-alpha cells. The fusion product (MBP-Big ET) was expressed at a concentration close to 100 micrograms/ml of culture broth and constituted approximately 50% of the total protein content. Crude cell extracts containing the fusion product have been directly treated with trypsin under mild denaturing conditions in order to release big endothelin (1-37) from the adduct. Cleavage yield of the MBP-Big ET adduct was close to 70%. Big ET(1-37) was separated from unrelated peptides derived from the tryptic digest of the bacterial extract by affinity chromatography. The affinity column was prepared by immobilizing a protease resistant peptide ligand able to recognize Big ET with sufficient affinity, selectivity, and specificity. From the affinity step (recovery, 90%), recombinant Big ET(1-37) was obtained with a purity close to 80%. The affinity-purified recombinant product was then digested with alpha-chymotrypsin in order to release endothelin (1-21), which was then purified by RP-HPLC. With this two-step purification protocol, 3 micrograms of endothelin was recovered from 1 ml of bacterial broth, with a purity close to 95%.