Measurement of quarkonium production at forward rapidity in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text]TeV

The inclusive production cross sections at forward rapidity of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text](1S) and [Formula: see text](2S) are measured in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.35 pb[Formula: see text]. Quarkonia are reconstructed in the dimuon-decay channel and the signal yields are evaluated by fitting the [Formula: see text] invariant mass distributions. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and rapidity [Formula: see text], over the ranges [Formula: see text] GeV/c for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] GeV/c for all other resonances and for [Formula: see text]. The measured cross sections integrated over [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and assuming unpolarized quarkonia, are: [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]b, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]b, [Formula: see text] nb and [Formula: see text] nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second one is systematic. The results are compared to measurements performed by other LHC experiments and to theoretical models.

Imaging findings of necrotizing sialometaplasia of the parotid gland: case report and literature review

Although necrotizing sialometaplasia (NS) of the parotid gland is rare and occasionally presents as a lesion that mimics a malignant tumour, imaging findings in cases of NS have been rarely reported. We describe here a case of NS in which there was an increasing lesion manifesting overnight on the parotid gland in an 83-year-old male. We also investigated the use of pre-operative imaging based on previous reports and discuss the importance of these images in helping to guard against overzealous treatment. It is critically important to closely examine whether there are aspects of NS, such as the present case, in pre-operative MRI findings that can be useful in proper diagnosis and treatment.

Decay of a linear pendulum in a collisional gas: spatially one-dimensional case

An infinitely wide plate, subject to an external force in its normal direction obeying Hooke's law, is placed in an infinite expanse of a rarefied gas. When the plate is displaced from its equilibrium position and released, it starts in general an oscillatory motion in its normal direction. This is the one-dimensional setting of a linear pendulum considered previously for a collisionless gas and a special Lorentz gas by the present authors [T. Tsuji and K. Aoki, J. Stat. Phys. 146, 620 (2012)]. The motion decays as time proceeds because of the drag force on the plate exerted by the surrounding gas. The long-time behavior of the unsteady motion of the gas caused by the motion of the plate is investigated numerically on the basis of the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) model of the Boltzmann equation with special interest in the rate of the decay of the oscillatory motion of the plate. The result provides numerical evidence that the displacement of the plate decays in proportion to an inverse power of time for large time.

Development of loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for the detection of Pythium myriotylum

This study reports the development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction for the detection of Pythium myriotylum. The primer set targeting the ITS sequence of P. myriotylum worked most efficiently at 60°C and allowed the detection of P. myriotylum DNA within 30 min by fluorescence monitoring using a real-time PCR instrument. The peak denaturing temperature of amplified DNA was about 87·0°C. In specificity tests using eight Pythium myriotylum strains, 59 strains from 39 species of Pythium, 11 Phytophthora strains and eight other soil-borne pathogens, LAMP gave no cross-reactions. The detection limit was 100 fg of genomic DNA, which was as sensitive as PCR. LAMP could detect P. myriotylum in hydroponic solution samples, and the results coincided with those of the conventional plating method in almost all cases. The LAMP method established in this study is a simple and sensitive tool for the detection of P. myriotylum.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study shows the first LAMP assay for the detection of Pythium myriotylum. The primer set designed from ITS region of P. myriotylum can detect the pathogen in field sample with a fast and convenient method. Analysis of the annealing curve of the LAMP reaction products increases the reliability of the LAMP diagnosis. This study shows that the diagnostic method using the LAMP assay is useful for monitoring P. myriotylum in the field.

Myositis in primary Sjögren's syndrome: clinical and pathological report

Abstract To clarify the clinical features of myositis complicated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), we studied 89 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (one male and 88 females; mean age 56.0 ± 15.31 years). Myositis was diagnosed from clinical findings, muscle enzymes, electromyographic findings, and muscle biopsy findings. Myositis was diagnosed in 5 of 89 SS patients (5.6%). One patient developed myositis 7 months after the onset of SS. The other four patients were diagnosed with myositis and SS simultaneously. Muscular weakness was mild and slowly progressive over 4-14 months (mean 8.4 months). All patients were able to walk without any assistance at the start of prednisolone therapy. Muscular enzymes were slightly elevated (from 1.5- to 12-fold). All patients tested negative for anti-Jo1 antibody and tested positive for antinuclear antibody. Anti-Ro(SSA) antibody was positive in 4/5 (90%); anti-La(SSB) was positive in 2/5 (40%). Although the clinical features of all patients met the criteria for polymyositis of Bohan, they responded well to small or moderate doses of prednisolone, which could be decreased without a recurrence of muscular weakness in all patients. Myositis with Sjögren's syndrome showed relatively moderate symptoms and responded well to prednisolone. A prospective follow-up of patients may provide further information.

Energy dependence of the transverse momentum distributions of charged particles in pp collisions measured by ALICE

Differential cross sections of charged particles in inelastic pp collisions as a function of p_T have been measured at [Formula: see text] at the LHC. The p_T spectra are compared to NLO-pQCD calculations. Though the differential cross section for an individual [Formula: see text] cannot be described by NLO-pQCD, the relative increase of cross section with [Formula: see text] is in agreement with NLO-pQCD. Based on these measurements and observations, procedures are discussed to construct pp reference spectra at [Formula: see text] up to p_T=50 GeV/c as required for the calculation of the nuclear modification factor in nucleus-nucleus and proton-nucleus collisions.

Directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity relative to the spectator plane in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV relative to the collision symmetry plane defined by the spectator nucleons. A negative slope of the rapidity-odd directed flow component with approximately 3 times smaller magnitude than found at the highest RHIC energy is observed. This suggests a smaller longitudinal tilt of the initial system and disfavors the strong fireball rotation predicted for the LHC energies. The rapidity-even directed flow component is measured for the first time with spectators and found to be independent of pseudorapidity with a sign change at transverse momenta p(T) between 1.2 and 1.7  GeV/c. Combined with the observation of a vanishing rapidity-even p(T) shift along the spectator deflection this is strong evidence for dipolelike initial density fluctuations in the overlap zone of the nuclei. Similar trends in the rapidity-even directed flow and the estimate from two-particle correlations at midrapidity, which is larger by about a factor of 40, indicate a weak correlation between fluctuating participant and spectator symmetry planes. These observations open new possibilities for investigation of the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions with spectator nucleons.

K(S)0 and Λ production in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The ALICE measurement of K(S)(0) and Λ production at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV is presented. The transverse momentum (p(T)) spectra are shown for several collision centrality intervals and in the p(T) range from 0.4 GeV/c (0.6 GeV/c for Λ) to 12 GeV/c. The p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratios exhibits maxima in the vicinity of 3 GeV/c, and the positions of the maxima shift towards higher p(T) with increasing collision centrality. The magnitude of these maxima increases by almost a factor of three between most peripheral and most central Pb-Pb collisions. This baryon excess at intermediate p(T) is not observed in pp interactions at √s=0.9 TeV and at √s=7 TeV. Qualitatively, the baryon enhancement in heavy-ion collisions is expected from radial flow. However, the measured p(T) spectra above 2 GeV/c progressively decouple from hydrodynamical-model calculations. For higher values of p(T), models that incorporate the influence of the medium on the fragmentation and hadronization processes describe qualitatively the p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratio.

Charmonium and e+e- pair photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]

The ALICE Collaboration at the LHC has measured the J/ψ and ψ' photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]. The charmonium is identified via its leptonic decay for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 23 μb-1. The cross section for coherent and incoherent J/ψ production in the rapidity interval -0.9 Collapse

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J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of inclusive J/ψ elliptic flow v2 in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The measurement is performed with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV in the rapidity range 2.5<y<4.0. The dependence of the J/ψ v2 on the collision centrality and on the J/ψ transverse momentum is studied in the range 0≤p(T)<10 GeV/c. For semicentral Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV, an indication of nonzero v2 is observed with a largest measured value of v2=0.116±0.046(stat)±0.029(syst) for J/ψ in the transverse momentum range 2≤p(T)<4 GeV/c. The elliptic flow measurement complements the previously reported ALICE results on the inclusive J/ψ nuclear modification factor and favors the scenario of a significant fraction of J/ψ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase.

Development of a new measurement system to detect selectively volatile organic compounds derived from the human body

A new concept expired gas measurement system used double cold-trap method was developed. The system could detect selectively volatile organic compound (VOC) derived from the human body. The gas chromatography (GC) profiles of healthy volunteer's expired gas collected by our system were analyzed. As a result, 60 VOCs were detected from the healthy volunteer's expired gas. We examined 14 VOCs among them further, which could be converted to the concentration from the GC profiles. The concentration of almost VOCs decreased when the subjects inspired purified air compared with the atmosphere. On the other hand, isoprene was almost the same. It was strongly suggested that these VOCs were derived from the human body because the concentration of these VOCs in the atmosphere were nearly zero. Expired gas of two sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) patients were analyzed as preliminary study. As a result of the study, the concentration of some VOCs contained in the expired gas of the SAS patients showed higher value than a healthy controls.

D meson elliptic flow in noncentral Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 Tev

Azimuthally anisotropic distributions of D0, D+, and D*+ mesons were studied in the central rapidity region (|y|<0.8) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The second Fourier coefficient v2 (commonly denoted elliptic flow) was measured in the centrality class 30%-50% as a function of the D meson transverse momentum pT, in the range 2-16  GeV/c. The measured v2 of D mesons is comparable in magnitude to that of light-flavor hadrons. It is positive in the range 2<pT<6  GeV/c with 5.7σ significance, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties.

Medium modification of jet fragmentation in Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV measured in direct photon-hadron correlations

The jet fragmentation function is measured with direct photon-hadron correlations in p+p and Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The p(T) of the photon is an excellent approximation to the initial p(T) of the jet and the ratio z(T)=p(T)(h)/p(T)(γ) is used as a proxy for the jet fragmentation function. A statistical subtraction is used to extract the direct photon-hadron yields in Au+Au collisions while a photon isolation cut is applied in p+p. I(AA), the ratio of hadron yield opposite the photon in Au+Au to that in p+p, indicates modification of the jet fragmentation function. Suppression, most likely due to energy loss in the medium, is seen at high z(T). The associated hadron yield at low z(T) is enhanced at large angles. Such a trend is expected from redistribution of the lost energy into increased production of low-momentum particles.

Measurement of inelastic, single- and double-diffraction cross sections in proton-proton collisions at the LHC with ALICE

Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton-proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass MX <200 GeV/c2) [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively at centre-of-mass energies [Formula: see text]; for double diffraction (for a pseudorapidity gap Δη>3) σDD/σINEL=0.11±0.03,0.12±0.05, and [Formula: see text], respectively at [Formula: see text]. To measure the inelastic cross section, beam properties were determined with van der Meer scans, and, using a simulation of diffraction adjusted to data, the following values were obtained: [Formula: see text] mb at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text]. The single- and double-diffractive cross sections were calculated combining relative rates of diffraction with inelastic cross sections. The results are compared to previous measurements at proton-antiproton and proton-proton colliders at lower energies, to measurements by other experiments at the LHC, and to theoretical models.