Constraints on Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Sources from a Search for Neutrinos above 10 PeV with IceCube

We report constraints on the sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above 10^{9}  GeV, based on an analysis of seven years of IceCube data. This analysis efficiently selects very high- energy neutrino-induced events which have deposited energies from 5×10^{5}  GeV to above 10^{11}  GeV. Two neutrino-induced events with an estimated deposited energy of (2.6±0.3)×10^{6}  GeV, the highest neutrino energy observed so far, and (7.7±2.0)×10^{5}  GeV were detected. The atmospheric background-only hypothesis of detecting these events is rejected at 3.6σ. The hypothesis that the observed events are of cosmogenic origin is also rejected at >99% CL because of the limited deposited energy and the nonobservation of events at higher energy, while their observation is consistent with an astrophysical origin. Our limits on cosmogenic neutrino fluxes disfavor the UHECR sources having a cosmological evolution stronger than the star formation rate, e.g., active galactic nuclei and γ-ray bursts, assuming proton-dominated UHECRs. Constraints on UHECR sources including mixed and heavy UHECR compositions are obtained for models of neutrino production within UHECR sources. Our limit disfavors a significant part of parameter space for active galactic nuclei and new-born pulsar models. These limits on the ultrahigh-energy neutrino flux models are the most stringent to date.

Searches for Sterile Neutrinos with the IceCube Detector

The IceCube neutrino telescope at the South Pole has measured the atmospheric muon neutrino spectrum as a function of zenith angle and energy in the approximate 320 GeV to 20 TeV range, to search for the oscillation signatures of light sterile neutrinos. No evidence for anomalous ν_{μ} or ν[over ¯]_{μ} disappearance is observed in either of two independently developed analyses, each using one year of atmospheric neutrino data. New exclusion limits are placed on the parameter space of the 3+1 model, in which muon antineutrinos experience a strong Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-resonant oscillation. The exclusion limits extend to sin^{2}2θ_{24}≤0.02 at Δm^{2}∼0.3  eV^{2} at the 90% confidence level. The allowed region from global analysis of appearance experiments, including LSND and MiniBooNE, is excluded at approximately the 99% confidence level for the global best-fit value of |U_{e4}|^{2}.

[Evaluation and Utilization - Quality Management in a Paediatric University Outpatient Department]

BACKGROUND

Based on an increasing number of outpatient treatments, an extensive demand planning is necessary to ensure the quality of medical care. University outpatient clinics are special parts of this sector and therefore it is necessary that a research demonstrates the nearly uninvestigated position of a paediatric outpatient clinic.

PATIENTS

The research at the university hospital for children and adolescents in Leipzig started in 2009 to survey 2283 of in total 9391 patients and the physicians.

METHODS

Sociodemographic data as well as economic and medical facts were determined by using questionnaires. In each case a questionnaire was answered by the children or their accompanying persons and a separate one was completed by the respective doctor.

RESULTS

The results created a foundation, on the basis of patient volume per day and per daytime. Less than 20% of the children admitted to consult the clinic for their first time. The majority of patients visit them because of a letter of referral. Most of the patients (58%) were younger than 6 years old. Approximately 35% of patients did not come from the city region of Leipzig.

CONCLUSION

The investigation evidenced the necessity of a day and night operating institution for children in the region of Leipzig as well as the high specialisation of the outpatient clinic. In need of further investigation is the cooperation between several physicians to find out if this lots of medical examination are necessary or if there took place overlapping.

[Capsule endoscopy in a supra-regional network corporation: experience in more than 1000 cases]

INTRODUCTION

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is firmly established as a standard procedure in the diagnostic algorithm of mid gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Despite its excellent diagnostic yield, missing expertise, reading time and financial expenditure limit an area-wide availability. A multicentric cooperation might compensate these disadvantages.

METHODS

The CE device was bought by a centrally located hospital (CH). CE-equipment is transported to the network partner (NP) on request and the procedure performed at the spot. Video reading is exclusively done in the CH.

RESULTS

Between January 2002 and July 2013, 1026 CE (548 m, 478f; 64 ± 16, 13 - 93 yrs.) were performed within the network. 744/1026 (73 %) CE were done at 17 NP, 282/1026 (27 %) in the CH. Between 2002 (n = 39) and 2012 (n = 136) the annual number of CE increased threefold. Leading indication for CE was suspected mid GI-bleeding (80 %). Mean latencies between requested date and actual examination were less than 24 h and 2 days between CE performance and report. 95 % of the capital investment in each cooperating hospital could be avoided by sharing one workstation within the network.

CONCLUSION

The experience from more than 1000 CE show that long-term multicentric utilization of CE equipment is feasible. Such a network runs at stable procedural quality levels similar to an in-house supply, allows an economic as well as area-wide availability of CE and improves reading expertise by centralized video evaluation.

Hantavirus disease in Germany due to infection with Dobrava-Belgrade virus genotype Kurkino

Members of the Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) species are hantaviruses carried by different Apodemus mice as reservoir hosts and causing haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in humans. In Central Europe, the Kurkino genotype of DOBV, associated with the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, is prevalent. This paper presents the first extensive study of the serological and molecular diagnostics, epidemiology and clinics of DOBV-Kurkino infections in Central Europe. Serum samples from 570 German patients living in the habitat of A. agrarius (north and northeast Germany) and exhibiting febrile disease, were analysed. All samples were tested by ELISA, subsets of samples were also analysed by immunoblot, neutralization assay, and RT-PCR. A group of 86 individuals was confirmed as DOBV-infected. The virus neutralization assay allowed a reliable identification of DOBV antibodies during both acute and convalescent phases of infection. However, differentiation of relevant DOBV genotypes was not possible by neutralization test but required molecular analysis. Whereas DOBV IgM antibodies tend to persist in the infected organism, RNAaemia seems to be short. Nucleotide sequences were amplified from four patients, and their analysis demonstrated infection by DOBV-Kurkino. With respect to the initial results, the high degree of identity of local patient-derived and A. agrarius-derived virus sequences may allow a closer allocation of the geographical place where the human infection occurred. In contrast to moderate/severe HFRS caused by the DOBV genotypes Dobrava or Sochi, all available data showed a mild clinical course of HFRS caused by DOBV-Kurkino infection without lethal outcomes.