Emergence of Long-Range Angular Correlations in Low-Multiplicity Proton-Proton Collisions

This Letter presents the measurement of near-side associated per-trigger yields, denoted ridge yields, from the analysis of angular correlations of charged hadrons in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. Long-range ridge yields are extracted for pairs of charged particles with a pseudorapidity difference of 1.4<|Δη|<1.8 and a transverse momentum of 1 Collapse

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First Measurement of the |t| Dependence of Incoherent J/ψ Photonuclear Production

The first measurement of the cross section for incoherent photonuclear production of J/ψ vector mesons as a function of the Mandelstam |t| variable is presented. The measurement was carried out with the ALICE detector at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, using ultraperipheral collisions of Pb nuclei at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. This rapidity interval corresponds to a Bjorken-x range (0.3-1.4)×10^{-3}. Cross sections are given in five |t| intervals in the range 0.04<|t|<1  GeV^{2} and compared to the predictions by different models. Models that ignore quantum fluctuations of the gluon density in the colliding hadron predict a |t| dependence of the cross section much steeper than in data. The inclusion of such fluctuations in the same models provides a better description of the data.

ψ(2S) Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

The production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity (2.5 Collapse

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Review of Integrated Chassis Control Techniques for Automated Ground Vehicles

Integrated chassis control systems represent a significant advancement in the dynamics of ground vehicles, aimed at enhancing overall performance, comfort, handling, and stability. As vehicles transition from internal combustion to electric platforms, integrated chassis control systems have evolved to meet the demands of electrification and automation. This paper analyses the overall control structure of automated vehicles with integrated chassis control systems. Integration of longitudinal, lateral, and vertical systems presents complexities due to the overlapping control regions of various subsystems. The presented methodology includes a comprehensive examination of state-of-the-art technologies, focusing on algorithms to manage control actions and prevent interference between subsystems. The results underscore the importance of control allocation to exploit the additional degrees of freedom offered by over-actuated systems. This paper systematically overviews the various control methods applied in integrated chassis control and path tracking. This includes a detailed examination of perception and decision-making, parameter estimation techniques, reference generation strategies, and the hierarchy of controllers, encompassing high-level, middle-level, and low-level control components. By offering this systematic overview, this paper aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of the diverse control methods employed in automated driving with integrated chassis control, providing insights into their applications, strengths, and limitations.

Measurements of Groomed-Jet Substructure of Charm Jets Tagged by D^{0} Mesons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

Understanding the role of parton mass and Casimir color factors in the quantum chromodynamics parton shower represents an important step in characterizing the emission properties of heavy quarks. Recent experimental advances in jet substructure techniques have provided the opportunity to isolate and characterize gluon emissions from heavy quarks. In this Letter, the first direct experimental constraint on the charm-quark splitting function is presented, obtained via the measurement of the groomed shared momentum fraction of the first splitting in charm jets, tagged by a reconstructed D^{0} meson. The measurement is made in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, in the low jet transverse-momentum interval of 15≤p_{T}^{jet ch}<30  GeV/c where the emission properties are sensitive to parton mass effects. In addition, the opening angle of the first perturbative emission of the charm quark, as well as the number of perturbative emissions it undergoes, is reported. Comparisons to measurements of an inclusive-jet sample show a steeper splitting function for charm quarks compared with gluons and light quarks. Charm quarks also undergo fewer perturbative emissions in the parton shower, with a reduced probability of large-angle emissions.

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}^{3}H

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)]  ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)]  keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.

Measurement of the J/ψ Polarization with Respect to the Event Plane in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

We study the polarization of inclusive J/ψ produced in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC in the dimuon channel, via the measurement of the angular distribution of its decay products. We perform the study in the rapidity region 2.5 Collapse

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First Measurement of Antideuteron Number Fluctuations at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider

The first measurement of event-by-event antideuteron number fluctuations in high energy heavy-ion collisions is presented. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|η|<0.8) as a function of collision centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV using the ALICE detector. A significant negative correlation between the produced antiprotons and antideuterons is observed in all collision centralities. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art coalescence calculation. While it describes the ratio of higher order cumulants of the antideuteron multiplicity distribution, it fails to describe quantitatively the magnitude of the correlation between antiproton and antideuteron production. On the other hand, thermal-statistical model calculations describe all the measured observables within uncertainties only for correlation volumes that are different with respect to those describing proton yields and a similar measurement of net-proton number fluctuations.

Enhanced Deuteron Coalescence Probability in Jets

The transverse-momentum (p_{T}) spectra and coalescence parameters B_{2} of (anti)deuterons are measured in p-p collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV for the first time in and out of jets. In this measurement, the direction of the leading particle with the highest p_{T} in the event (p_{T}^{lead}>5  GeV/c) is used as an approximation for the jet axis. The event is consequently divided into three azimuthal regions, and the jet signal is obtained as the difference between the toward region, that contains jet fragmentation products in addition to the underlying event (UE), and the transverse region, which is dominated by the UE. The coalescence parameter in the jet is found to be approximately a factor of 10 larger than that in the underlying event. This experimental observation is consistent with the coalescence picture and can be attributed to the smaller average phase-space distance between nucleons in the jet cone as compared with the underlying event. The results presented in this Letter are compared to predictions from a simple nucleon coalescence model, where the phase-space distributions of nucleons are generated using pythia8 with the Monash 2013 tuning, and to predictions from a deuteron production model based on ordinary nuclear reactions with parametrized energy-dependent cross sections tuned on data. The latter model is implemented in pythia8.3. Both models reproduce the observed large difference between in-jet and out-of-jet coalescence parameters, although the almost flat trend of the B_{2}^{Jet} is not reproduced by the models, which instead give a decreasing trend.

All-silicon quantum light source by embedding an atomic emissive center in a nanophotonic cavity

Silicon is the most scalable optoelectronic material but has suffered from its inability to generate directly and efficiently classical or quantum light on-chip. Scaling and integration are the most fundamental challenges facing quantum science and technology. We report an all-silicon quantum light source based on a single atomic emissive center embedded in a silicon-based nanophotonic cavity. We observe a more than 30-fold enhancement of luminescence, a near-unity atom-cavity coupling efficiency, and an 8-fold acceleration of the emission from the all-silicon quantum emissive center. Our work opens immediate avenues for large-scale integrated cavity quantum electrodynamics and quantum light-matter interfaces with applications in quantum communication and networking, sensing, imaging, and computing.

Intraoperative ultrasound for nonpalpable breast lesions - experience and operative time

INTRODUCTION

The essential tools doctors need to diagnose breast cancer tumors at the early stages and with no clinical presentation are screening mammography and ultrasonography. Nonpalpable breast lesions are a current problem nowadays and there are various types of navigation techniques that are utilized in order to achieve cancer cell-free resection margins in the first place. Intraoperative ultrasound has been proven to be a safe and effective way to excise this type of breast tumors.

AIM

To study the correlation between the experience we obtained while using intraoperative ultrasound for excision of nonpalpable breast lesions, and the duration of surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-five women with nonpalpable breast lesions underwent breast-conserving surgery using ultrasound navigation. Nominal and ordinal data were presented using numbers and percentages. Spearman's rank-order correlation was used to assess the effect of experience gained on the duration of surgery.

RESULTS

The tumor distribution was 72% malignant tumors and 28% benign. A 100% identification rate in the effective surgical excisions was reported. In the process of gaining experience using the method, the duration of surgery shortened by 30%. No tumor cells on ink were found in all specimens and there was no need for secondary surgeries.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate a relatively short learning curve, and we believe that breast surgeons should be helped and encouraged to gather adequate expertise to ensure patient safety and gain confidence.

Robotic gastrointestinal stromal tumors surgery - initial results

INTRODUCTION

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) usually present as an exophytic mass localized in stomach. Years ago, conventional surgery was the only option. Laparoscopic and robotic procedures have risen to prominence in recent decades as technology and surgical techniques have advanced.

Cohort profile: the ESC EURObservational Research Programme Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infraction (NSTEMI) Registry

AIMS

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EURObservational Research Programme (EORP) Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) Registry aims to identify international patterns in NSTEMI management in clinical practice and outcomes against the 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without ST-segment-elevation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutively hospitalised adult NSTEMI patients (n = 3620) were enrolled between 11 March 2019 and 6 March 2021, and individual patient data prospectively collected at 287 centres in 59 participating countries during a two-week enrolment period per centre. The registry collected data relating to baseline characteristics, major outcomes (in-hospital death, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, bleeding, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, and 30-day mortality) and guideline-recommended NSTEMI care interventions: electrocardiogram pre- or in-hospital, pre-hospitalization receipt of aspirin, echocardiography, coronary angiography, referral to cardiac rehabilitation, smoking cessation advice, dietary advice, and prescription on discharge of aspirin, P2Y12 inhibition, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), beta-blocker, and statin.

CONCLUSION

The EORP NSTEMI Registry is an international, prospective registry of care and outcomes of patients treated for NSTEMI, which will provide unique insights into the contemporary management of hospitalised NSTEMI patients, compliance with ESC 2015 NSTEMI Guidelines, and identify potential barriers to optimal management of this common clinical presentation associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

A closer look at the efficiency calibration of LaBr3(Ce) and NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors using MCNPX for various types of nuclear investigations

The nuclear spectroscopy method has long been used for advanced studies on nuclear physics. In order to decrease costs and increase the efficiency of nuclear radiation investigations, quick and efficient solutions are required. The purpose of this research was to calculate the whole energy peak efficiency values for a range of gamma-ray energies, from 30.973 keV to 1408 keV, at various source-detector distances using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code, which is extensively used in nuclear medicine, industry, and scientific research. As a result, the modeled detectors' full-energy peak efficiencies were calculated and compared to both experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations. Experiment results and prior studies using Monte Carlo simulations were found to be very consistent with these results. The counting efficiency against source-detector distance is then calculated using the modeled detectors. The data we have show that LaBr₃(Ce) has outstanding detection properties. This study’s findings might be used to improve the design of detectors for use in wide range of high-tech gamma spectroscopy and nuclear research applications.

Compact optical grating compressor

A novel design of a grating-based optical pulse compressor is proposed. The proposed compressor provides a large group delay dispersion while keeping the compressor linear size small. The design of the proposed compressor is based on a traditional Treacy compressor with a straightforward modification of inserting two lenses between the compressor's gratings. This simple alternation aims to substantially increase group delay dispersion of the compressor or alternatively to decrease the compressor size while maintaining its group delay dispersion. A theoretical description of the enhanced compressor has been developed in the paraxial approximation. A detailed numerical model has been built to calculate the compressor parameters more accurately. These theoretical studies have revealed that the enhanced optical compressor provides a significant increase in the group delay dispersion compared to a standard Treacy compressor.

Hypertriton Production in p-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The study of nuclei and antinuclei production has proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the formation mechanism of loosely bound states in high-energy hadronic collisions. The first measurement of the production of _{Λ}^{3}H in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV is presented in this Letter. Its production yield measured in the rapidity interval -1<y<0 for the 40% highest-multiplicity p-Pb collisions is dN/dy=[6.3±1.8(stat)±1.2(syst)]×10^{-7}. The measurement is compared with the expectations of statistical hadronization and coalescence models, which describe the nucleosynthesis in hadronic collisions. These two models predict very different yields of the hypertriton in charged particle multiplicity environments relevant to small collision systems such as p-Pb, and therefore the measurement of dN/dy is crucial to distinguish between them. The precision of this measurement leads to the exclusion with a significance larger than 6.9σ of some configurations of the statistical hadronization model, thus constraining the theory behind the production of loosely bound states at hadron colliders.

Polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV

The polarization of the Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam (z) direction, P_{z}, has been measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded with ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution to P_{z} comes from elliptic flow-induced vorticity and can be characterized by the second Fourier sine coefficient P_{z,s2}=⟨P_{z}sin(2φ-2Ψ_{2})⟩, where φ is the hyperon azimuthal emission angle and Ψ_{2} is the elliptic flow plane angle. We report the measurement of P_{z,s2} for different collision centralities and in the 30%-50% centrality interval as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum and rapidity. The P_{z,s2} is positive similarly as measured by the STAR Collaboration in Au-Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV, with somewhat smaller amplitude in the semicentral collisions. This is the first experimental evidence of a nonzero hyperon P_{z} in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. The comparison of the measured P_{z,s2} with the hydrodynamic model calculations shows sensitivity to the competing contributions from thermal and the recently found shear-induced vorticity, as well as to whether the polarization is acquired at the quark-gluon plasma or the hadronic phase.

Measurement of the Groomed Jet Radius and Momentum Splitting Fraction in pp and Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

This article presents groomed jet substructure measurements in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector. The soft drop grooming algorithm provides access to the hard parton splittings inside a jet by removing soft wide-angle radiation. We report the groomed jet momentum splitting fraction, z_{g}, and the (scaled) groomed jet radius, θ_{g}. Charged-particle jets are reconstructed at midrapidity using the anti-k_{T} algorithm with resolution parameters R=0.2 and R=0.4. In heavy-ion collisions, the large underlying event poses a challenge for the reconstruction of groomed jet observables, since fluctuations in the background can cause groomed parton splittings to be misidentified. By using strong grooming conditions to reduce this background, we report these observables fully corrected for detector effects and background fluctuations for the first time. A narrowing of the θ_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is seen, which provides direct evidence of the modification of the angular structure of jets in the quark-gluon plasma. No significant modification of the z_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is observed. These results are compared with a variety of theoretical models of jet quenching, and provide constraints on jet energy-loss mechanisms and coherence effects in the quark-gluon plasma.

Enhanced High-Temperature YSZ-polyester Abradable Honeycomb Seal Structures

The abradable coatings had significantly enhanced turbomachinery performance by acting as a sacrificial seal between rotating blades and stationary casing. Further improvement in seal design to meet the higher energy demand and increase the service time has been the key challenge to solve in the gas turbine industry. Honeycomb seals have become the industry standard clearance seal technique due to their unique design and high structural strength with minimum weight. The present study proposes a concept to form a thermal shock resistance structure to achieve higher temperature capability and improve the reliability of high-temperature abradable seal structures for a hot gas path of turbines. A cavity layer of honeycomb seal structure made of SS 321 alloy was coated with advanced high-temperature ZrO2 + 7.5%Y2O3 + 4% polyester seal material using TriplexPro-210 plasma spray system. The integrity of a seal structure was assessed by a cross-sectional analysis and evaluation of the coating microstructure. Additionally, the micro-hardness test was performed to estimate coating fracture toughness, and finite element analysis was used to assess its thermo-mechanical performance. The concept proposed in this study should be further validated to develop the most capable innovative technology for advanced gas turbine abradable seal structures.

Measurement of Prompt D^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Σ_{c}^{0,++}(2455) Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The p_{T}-differential production cross sections of prompt D^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Σ_{c}^{0,++}(2455) charmed hadrons are measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. This is the first measurement of Σ_{c}^{0,++} production in hadronic collisions. Assuming the same production yield for the three Σ_{c}^{0,+,++} isospin states, the baryon-to-meson cross section ratios Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}/D^{0} and Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} are calculated in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) intervals 2<p_{T}<12 and 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. Values significantly larger than in e^{+}e^{-} collisions are observed, indicating for the first time that baryon enhancement in hadronic collisions also extends to the Σ_{c}. The feed-down contribution to Λ_{c}^{+} production from Σ_{c}^{0,+,++} is also reported and is found to be larger than in e^{+}e^{-} collisions. The data are compared with predictions from event generators and other phenomenological models, providing a sensitive test of the different charm-hadronization mechanisms implemented in the models.

Measurement of the Cross Sections of Ξ_{c}^{0} and Ξ_{c}^{+} Baryons and of the Branching-Fraction Ratio BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e})/BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+}) in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The p_{T}-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Ξ_{c}^{0} and Ξ_{c}^{+} were measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ_{c}^{0} baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e}) and the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}) channels. The Ξ_{c}^{+} baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^{+}) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e})/BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+})=1.38±0.14(stat)±0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum (p_{T}) dependence of the Ξ_{c}^{0}- and Ξ_{c}^{+}-baryon production relative to the D^{0} meson and to the Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}- and Λ_{c}^{+}-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low p_{T} up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e^{+}e^{-}) and hadronic collisions.

Λ_{c}^{+} Production and Baryon-to-Meson Ratios in pp and p-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV at the LHC

The prompt production of the charm baryon Λ_{c}^{+} and the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} production ratios were measured at midrapidity with the ALICE detector in pp and p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. These new measurements show a clear decrease of the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} ratio with increasing transverse momentum (p_{T}) in both collision systems in the range 2<p_{T}<12  GeV/c, exhibiting similarities with the light-flavor baryon-to-meson ratios p/π and Λ/K_{S}^{0}. At low p_{T}, predictions that include additional color-reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading-color approximation, assume the existence of additional higher-mass charm-baryon states, or include hadronization via coalescence can describe the data, while predictions driven by charm-quark fragmentation processes measured in e^{+}e^{-} and e^{-}p collisions significantly underestimate the data. The results presented in this Letter provide significant evidence that the established assumption of universality (colliding-system independence) of parton-to-hadron fragmentation is not sufficient to describe charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies.

Feasibility of a Neural Network-Based Virtual Sensor for Vehicle Unsprung Mass Relative Velocity Estimation

With the automotive industry moving towards automated driving, sensing is increasingly important in enabling technology. The virtual sensors allow data fusion from various vehicle sensors and provide a prediction for measurement that is hard or too expensive to measure in another way or in the case of demand on continuous detection. In this paper, virtual sensing is discussed for the case of vehicle suspension control, where information about the relative velocity of the unsprung mass for each vehicle corner is required. The corresponding goal can be identified as a regression task with multi-input sequence input. The hypothesis is that the state-of-art method of Bidirectional Long–Short Term Memory (BiLSTM) can solve it. In this paper, a virtual sensor has been proposed and developed by training a neural network model. The simulations have been performed using an experimentally validated full vehicle model in IPG Carmaker. Simulations provided the reference data which were used for Neural Network (NN) training. The extensive dataset covering 26 scenarios has been used to obtain training, validation and testing data. The Bayesian Search was used to select the best neural network structure using root mean square error as a metric. The best network is made of 167 BiLSTM, 256 fully connected hidden units and 4 output units. Error histograms and spectral analysis of the predicted signal compared to the reference signal are presented. The results demonstrate the good applicability of neural network-based virtual sensors to estimate vehicle unsprung mass relative velocity.

Experimental Evidence for an Attractive p-ϕ Interaction

This Letter presents the first experimental evidence of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a ϕ meson. The result is obtained from two-particle correlations of combined p-ϕ⊕ p[over ¯]-ϕ pairs measured in high-multiplicity pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ALICE Collaboration. The spin-averaged scattering length and effective range of the p-ϕ interaction are extracted from the fully corrected correlation function employing the Lednický-Lyuboshits approach. In particular, the imaginary part of the scattering length vanishes within uncertainties, indicating that inelastic processes do not play a prominent role for the p-ϕ interaction. These data demonstrate that the interaction is dominated by elastic p-ϕ scattering. Furthermore, an analysis employing phenomenological Gaussian- and Yukawa-type potentials is conducted. Under the assumption of the latter, the N-ϕ coupling constant is found to be g_{N-ϕ}=0.14±0.03(stat)±0.02(syst). This work provides valuable experimental input to accomplish a self-consistent description of the N-ϕ interaction, which is particularly relevant for the more fundamental studies on partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclear medium.

Multiharmonic Correlations of Different Flow Amplitudes in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV

The event-by-event correlations between three flow amplitudes are measured for the first time in Pb-Pb collisions, using higher-order symmetric cumulants. We find that different three-harmonic correlations develop during the collective evolution of the medium when compared to correlations that exist in the initial state. These new results cannot be interpreted in terms of previous lower-order flow measurements since contributions from two-harmonic correlations are explicitly removed in the new observables. A comparison to Monte Carlo simulations provides new and independent constraints for the initial conditions and system properties of nuclear matter created in heavy-ion collisions.

Soft-Dielectron Excess in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A measurement of dielectron production in proton-proton (pp) collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, recorded with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC, is presented in this Letter. The data set was recorded with a reduced magnetic solenoid field. This enables the investigation of a kinematic domain at low dielectron (ee) invariant mass m_{ee} and pair transverse momentum p_{T,ee} that was previously inaccessible at the LHC. The cross section for dielectron production is studied as a function of m_{ee}, p_{T,ee}, and event multiplicity dN_{ch}/dη. The expected dielectron rate from hadron decays, called hadronic cocktail, utilizes a parametrization of the measured η/π^{0} ratio in pp and proton-nucleus collisions, assuming that this ratio shows no strong dependence on collision energy at low transverse momentum. Comparison of the measured dielectron yield to the hadronic cocktail at 0.15<m_{ee}<0.6  GeV/c^{2} and for p_{T,ee}<0.4  GeV/c indicates an enhancement of soft dielectrons, reminiscent of the "anomalous" soft-photon and soft-dilepton excess in hadron-hadron collisions reported by several experiments under different experimental conditions. The enhancement factor over the hadronic cocktail amounts to 1.61±0.13(stat)±0.17(syst,data)±0.34(syst,cocktail) in the ALICE acceptance. Acceptance-corrected excess spectra in m_{ee} and p_{T,ee} are extracted and compared with calculations of dielectron production from hadronic bremsstrahlung and thermal radiation within a hadronic many-body approach.

Elliptic Flow of Electrons from Beauty-Hadron Decays in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The elliptic flow of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The azimuthal distribution of the particles produced in the collisions can be parametrized with a Fourier expansion, in which the second harmonic coefficient represents the elliptic flow, v_{2}. The v_{2} coefficient of electrons from beauty hadron decays is measured for the first time in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 1.3-6  GeV/c in the centrality class 30%-50%. The measurement of electrons from beauty-hadron decays exploits their larger mean proper decay length cτ≈500  μm compared to that of charm hadrons and most of the other background sources. The v_{2} of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity is found to be positive with a significance of 3.75  σ. The results provide insights into the degree of thermalization of beauty quarks in the medium. A model assuming full thermalization of beauty quarks is strongly disfavored by the measurement at high p_{T}, but is in agreement with the results at low p_{T}. Transport models including substantial interactions of beauty quarks with an expanding strongly interacting medium describe the measurement within uncertainties.

Colossal anomalous Nernst effect in a correlated noncentrosymmetric kagome ferromagnet

The transverse voltage generated by a temperature gradient in a perpendicularly applied magnetic field, termed the Nernst effect, has promise for thermoelectric applications and for probing electronic structure. In magnetic materials, an anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) is possible in a zero magnetic field. We report a colossal ANE in the ferromagnetic metal UCo_0.8Ru_0.2Al, reaching 23 microvolts per kelvin. Uranium's 5f electrons provide strong electronic correlations that lead to narrow bands, a known route to producing a large thermoelectric response. In addition, uranium's strong spin-orbit coupling produces an intrinsic transverse response in this material due to the Berry curvature associated with the relativistic electronic structure. Theoretical calculations show that in UCo_0.8Ru_0.2Al at least 148 Weyl nodes, and two nodal lines, exist within 60 millielectron volt of the Fermi level. This work demonstrates that magnetic actinide materials can host strong Nernst and Hall responses due to their combined correlated and topological nature.

Study of immunogenic properties of associated inactivated vaccine against horse influenza and petanus

An associated inactivated vaccine has been developed for the specific prophylaxis of tetanus and equine influenza caused by various influenza viruses of the H3N8 serotype. The strain composition of the associated vaccine was determined considering the recommendations of the International Epizootic Bureau, as well as the virus circulating in Russia, isolated in 2007 and therefore posing a certain danger to horse breeding in the Russian Federation. The immunogenic properties of the new associated vaccine were studied in a laboratory model and horses. The results of studies of the associated vaccine FFE Kurskaya Biofabrika showed that the investigated vaccine preparation has high immunogenic activity and can cause a long-term intense immune response against influenza and tetanus in laboratory animals and horses.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of neopterin and RNA-ase in patients with STEMI and NSTEMI

Background

Neopterin and RNA-ase are markers of inflammation with low disclosed role in diagnosis and prognosis of either STEMI or NSTEMI, although inflammation is well documented as a leader pathogenic mechanism in these pathologies.

Aim

Evaluation of serum admission levels of neopterin and ARN-ase in pts with STEMI and NSTEMI and their prediction value concerning the risk of MACE in 1 year of follow up period.

Material and methods

The admission serum concentration of neopterin and ARN-ase was determined by ELISA in 94 pts with STEMI and 92 pts with NSTEMI which was compared with normal markers appreciated in 32 healthy persons. Likewise, the rate of MACE in both groups was estimated during 1 year of post-infarction period. Diagnostic worth and MACE prediction power of markers have been established using respectively ROC curve and odds ratio.

Results

In patients with STEMI the serum level of neopterin was significantly increased compared with normal index by 3,5 times (11,6±3,4 vs 3,3±1,4 nM/L), but RNA-ase was significantly decreased by 43,4% (24,1±3,2 vs 42,6±5,2 nM/ml). In pts with NSTEMI neopterin level was lesser than STEMI, but significantly elevated by 39% (4,6±2,5 vs 3,3±1,4 nM/L) vs normal marker. RNA-ase level didn't significantly differ from normal level. However, adjusted to diabetes mellitus established in 19 pts, RNA-ase significantly diminished (36,4±3,9 vs 42,6±5,2 nM/ml), and its diagnostic value of NSTEMI according to ROC was 69,6% (RNA-ase level indicates inversely inflammation response, such as it breaks down extracellular RNA which has proinflammatory ability). Both markers in pts with NSTEMI and diabetes mellitus demonstrated a diagnostic value of 77,6%. In pts with STEMI highest tertile level of neopterin and lowest tertile level of ARN-ase had 2,8fold (adds ratio=2,8; CI=1,98–4,62; p&lt;0,05) and 2,3fold (adds ratio=2,3; CI=1,71–3,89; p&lt;0,05) higher risk of MACE development. In pts with NSTEMI the combination of these markers (highest and lowest quartile levels) also had a significant prediction regarding MACE risk (adds ratio=2,1; CI=1,86–3,77; p=0,029).

Conclusions

1. In STEMI both neopterin and RNA-ase could be as diagnostic markers, due to their significant change. In NSTEMI neopterin significantly elevated, but RNA-ase didn't shift from normal. In diabetic pts with NSTEMI, however, their combination demonstrated in ROC estimation a diagnostic value of 77,6%.

2. Prediction value of markers combination regarding MACE risk in pts with NSTEMI is significant and close to each marker in partly prediction of MACE for pts with STEMI.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Research Institute of Cardiology, Moldova Republic of

Addressed Fiber Bragg Structures in Load-Sensing Wheel Hub Bearings

The work presents an approach to instrument the load-sensing bearings for automotive applications for estimation of the loads acting on the wheels. The system comprises fiber-optic sensors based on addressed fiber Bragg structures (AFBS) with two symmetrical phase shifts. A mathematical model for load-deformation relation is presented, and the AFBS interrogation principle is described. The simulation includes (i) modeling of vehicle dynamics in a split-mu braking test, during which the longitudinal wheel loads are obtained, (ii) the subsequent estimation of bearing outer ring deformation using a beam model with simply supported boundary conditions, (iii) the conversion of strain into central frequency shift of AFBS, and (iv) modeling of the beating signal at the photodetector. The simulation results show that the estimation error of the longitudinal wheel force from the strain data acquired from a single measurement point was 5.44% with a root-mean-square error of 113.64 N. A prototype load-sensing bearing was instrumented with a single AFBS sensor and mounted in a front right wheel hub of an experimental vehicle. The experimental setup demonstrated comparable results with the simulation during the braking test. The proposed system with load-sensing bearings is aimed at estimation of the loads acting on the wheels, which serve as input parameters for active safety systems, such as automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, or fully automated driving, in order to enhance their effectiveness and the safety of the vehicle.

Measurement of the Low-Energy Antideuteron Inelastic Cross Section

In this Letter, we report the first measurement of the inelastic cross section for antideuteron-nucleus interactions at low particle momenta, covering a range of 0.3≤p<4  GeV/c. The measurement is carried out using p-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, recorded with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC and utilizing the detector material as an absorber for antideuterons and antiprotons. The extracted raw primary antiparticle-to-particle ratios are compared to the results from detailed ALICE simulations based on the geant4 toolkit for the propagation of (anti)particles through the detector material. The analysis of the raw primary (anti)proton spectra serves as a benchmark for this study, since their hadronic interaction cross sections are well constrained experimentally. The first measurement of the inelastic cross section for antideuteron-nucleus interactions averaged over the ALICE detector material with atomic mass numbers ⟨A⟩=17.4 and 31.8 is obtained. The measured inelastic cross section points to a possible excess with respect to the Glauber model parametrization used in geant4 in the lowest momentum interval of 0.3≤p<0.47  GeV/c up to a factor 2.1. This result is relevant for the understanding of antimatter propagation and the contributions to antinuclei production from cosmic ray interactions within the interstellar medium. In addition, the momentum range covered by this measurement is of particular importance to evaluate signal predictions for indirect dark-matter searches.

Probing the Effects of Strong Electromagnetic Fields with Charge-Dependent Directed Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

The first measurement at the LHC of charge-dependent directed flow (v_{1}) relative to the spectator plane is presented for Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. Results are reported for charged hadrons and D^{0} mesons for the transverse momentum intervals p_{T}>0.2  GeV/c and 3<p_{T}<6  GeV/c in the 5%-40% and 10%-40% centrality classes, respectively. The difference between the positively and negatively charged hadron v_{1} has a positive slope as a function of pseudorapidity η, dΔv_{1}/dη=[1.68±0.49(stat)±0.41(syst)]×10^{-4}. The same measurement for D^{0} and D[over ¯]^{0} mesons yields a positive value dΔv_{1}/dη=[4.9±1.7(stat)±0.6(syst)]×10^{-1}, which is about 3 orders of magnitude larger than the one of the charged hadrons. These measurements can provide new insights into the effects of the strong electromagnetic field and the initial tilt of matter created in noncentral heavy ion collisions on the dynamics of light (u, d, and s) and heavy (c) quarks. The large difference between the observed Δv_{1} of charged hadrons and D^{0} mesons may reflect different sensitivity of the charm and light quarks to the early time dynamics of a heavy ion collision. These observations challenge some recent theoretical calculations, which predicted a negative and an order of magnitude smaller value of dΔv_{1}/dη for both light flavor and charmed hadrons.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins Affect Composition of Extracellular Matrix Deposited by Human Aortic Smooth Muscle and Endothelial Cells In Vitro

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is accompanied by changes in arterial connective tissue. We evaluated the effects of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E individually and in combinations on the composition of extracellular matrix produced and deposited by arterial wall cells, human aortic smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. Individually, vitamins D and E stimulated collagen type I extracellular matrix deposition in human aortic smooth muscle cell cultures. However, vitamins A, D, and E reduced collagen type IV deposition by human aortic smooth muscle cell, counteracting the stimulatory effects of vitamin C. The extracellular matrix deposition of heparan sulfate by human aortic smooth muscle cells increased by vitamin C and its combination (C+D+E). β-carotene + D + C induced the extracellular matrix deposition of collagen I by endothelial cells. Vitamin E with other vitamins resulted in either induction (E+C+A) or inhibition (E+D). The extracellular matrix deposition of type IV collagen and elastin by human aortic endothelial cells was not affected by test vitamins, except the extracellular matrix type IV collagen decrease by combinations (A+E), (A+D+E), and (C+D+E). The extracellular matrix deposition of all tested glycosaminoglycans was reduced by vitamin A and its combination (A+C+D+E). Therefore, the fat-soluble vitamins applied individually or in combination—both with each other or with ascorbic acid—can affect extracellular matrix deposition of type I and IV collagens, and key glycosaminoglycans by cultured human aortic arterial wall cells.

Evidence of Spin-Orbital Angular Momentum Interactions in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

The first evidence of spin alignment of vector mesons (K^{*0} and ϕ) in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is reported. The spin density matrix element ρ_{00} is measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) of 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector. ρ_{00} values are found to be less than 1/3 (1/3 implies no spin alignment) at low transverse momentum (p_{T}<2  GeV/c) for K^{*0} and ϕ at a level of 3σ and 2σ, respectively. No significant spin alignment is observed for the K_{S}^{0} meson (spin=0) in Pb-Pb collisions and for the vector mesons in pp collisions. The measured spin alignment is unexpectedly large but qualitatively consistent with the expectation from models which attribute it to a polarization of quarks in the presence of angular momentum in heavy-ion collisions and a subsequent hadronization by the process of recombination.

Scattering Studies with Low-Energy Kaon-Proton Femtoscopy in Proton-Proton Collisions at the LHC

The study of the strength and behavior of the antikaon-nucleon (K[over ¯]N) interaction constitutes one of the key focuses of the strangeness sector in low-energy quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this Letter a unique high-precision measurement of the strong interaction between kaons and protons, close and above the kinematic threshold, is presented. The femtoscopic measurements of the correlation function at low pair-frame relative momentum of (K^{+}p⊕K^{-}p[over ¯]) and (K^{-}p⊕K^{+}p[over ¯]) pairs measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=5, 7, and 13 TeV are reported. A structure observed around a relative momentum of 58  MeV/c in the measured correlation function of (K^{-}p⊕K^{+}p[over ¯]) with a significance of 4.4σ constitutes the first experimental evidence for the opening of the (K[over ¯]^{0}n⊕K^{0}n[over ¯]) isospin breaking channel due to the mass difference between charged and neutral kaons. The measured correlation functions have been compared to Jülich and Kyoto models in addition to the Coulomb potential. The high-precision data at low relative momenta presented in this work prove femtoscopy to be a powerful complementary tool to scattering experiments and provide new constraints above the K[over ¯]N threshold for low-energy QCD chiral models.

NATURE OF CORRELATIONS AND DEPENDENCE OF PLASMA CONCENTRATIONS OF GALECTIN-3 AND ALDOSTERONE ON DIFFERENT CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Objective of the study was to determine the correlation between plasma levels of galectin-3 and aldosterone and the dependence of their levels on different clinical characteristics in patients of young and middle age with stage 2 arterial hypertension. 160 male and female patients (80 persons of each gender) with stage 2 hypertension, regardless of the degree, and 27 relatively healthy persons were examined by determining the levels of galectin-3 and aldosterone in blood serum of the main and control groups of the examined persons. The absence of a statistically significant correlation (n=27, R=-0.28, p=0.16) between galectin-3 and aldosterone levels in generally healthy individuals was proved, and the presence of a direct correlation of the average strength between the level of neurohormones (n=160, R=0.64, p<0.0001) in patients of young and middle age with stage 2 hypertension was shown. In addition, the fact of fundamental differences in the nature of associations distribution with the similar level of galectin-3 and aldosterone was demonstrated: in patients with stage 2 and 3 AH as compared to patients with stage 1 AH; in patients with abdominal obesity as compared to patients with normal weight; in patients with dyslipidemia as compared to normal level of proatherogenic lipids. Positive correlation between association with a high level of galectin-3 and aldosterone with the presence of dyslipidemia (R=0.24, p=0.03), high degree of AH (R=0.30, p=0.01), an increase in the total number of risk factors (R=0.45, p<0.0001) and abdominal obesity (R=0.72, p<0.0001) was determined.

Measurement of ϒ(1S) Elliptic Flow at Forward Rapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

The first measurement of the ϒ(1S) elliptic flow coefficient (v_{2}) is performed at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4) in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The results are obtained with the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) up to 15  GeV/c in the 5%-60% centrality interval. The measured ϒ(1S)v_{2} is consistent with 0 and with the small positive values predicted by transport models within uncertainties. The v_{2} coefficient in 2<p_{T}<15  GeV/c is lower than that of inclusive J/ψ mesons in the same p_{T} interval by 2.6 standard deviations. These results, combined with earlier suppression measurements, are in agreement with a scenario in which the ϒ(1S) production in Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energies is dominated by dissociation limited to the early stage of the collision, whereas in the J/ψ case there is substantial experimental evidence of an additional regeneration component.

Investigations of Anisotropic Flow Using Multiparticle Azimuthal Correlations in pp, p-Pb, Xe-Xe, and Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

Measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients (v_{n}) and their cross-correlations using two- and multiparticle cumulant methods are reported in collisions of pp at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, p-Pb at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, Xe-Xe at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV, and Pb-Pb at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. The multiplicity dependence of v_{n} is studied in a very wide range from 20 to 3000 particles produced in the midrapidity region |η|<0.8 for the transverse momentum range 0.2<p_{T}<3.0  GeV/c. An ordering of the coefficients v_{2}>v_{3}>v_{4} is found in pp and p-Pb collisions, similar to that seen in large collision systems, while a weak v_{2} multiplicity dependence is observed relative to nucleus-nucleus collisions in the same multiplicity range. Using a novel subevent method, v_{2} measured with four-particle cumulants is found to be compatible with that from six-particle cumulants in pp and p-Pb collisions. The magnitude of the correlation between v_{n}^{2} and v_{m}^{2}, evaluated with the symmetric cumulants SC(m,n) is observed to be positive at all multiplicities for v_{2} and v_{4}, while for v_{2} and v_{3} it is negative and changes sign for multiplicities below 100, which may indicate a different v_{n} fluctuation pattern in this multiplicity range. The observed long-range multiparticle azimuthal correlations in high multiplicity pp and p-Pb collisions can neither be described by pythia 8 nor by impact-parameter-Glasma, music, and ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model calculations, and hence, provide new insights into the understanding of collective effects in small collision systems.

P1963The determinants of functional significance of coronary bifurcation lesions and its implications on clinical follow up to 48 months (insights from FIESTA registry)

Background

There is no study up-to-now to determine the rate of functionally significant coronary bifurcation lesions, which have to be intervened and what are the clinical consequences of the FFR case selection strategy.

Methods

We analyzed patients from FIESTA registry, which was continuation of FIESTA study (Ffr vs. IcEcgSTA, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01724957). Patients with stable angina were included (if there were other coronary stenoses they were threated first after checking by FFR for functional significance). The inclusion criterions were angiographic bifurcation lesions in a native coronary artery with diameter ≥2.5 mm and ≤4.5 mm and SB diameter ≥2.0 mm. We excluded patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, left main, hemodynamic instability and those with non-cardiac co-morbidity conditions with a life expectancy of less than one year. PCI was performed according to the current guidelines. Provisional stenting was the default strategy in all patients. Two guidewires were inserted into both distal MB and SB. Initial FFR was performed using the PrimeWire or PrimeWire Prestige (Volcano Corp., USA). For all FFR measurements, intracoronary adenosine was given in increasing doses of 60 mcg, 120 mcg, and 240 mcg. The minimum value of FFR measurements was taken for analysis. All patients received double antiplatelet therapy with ADP-antagonist and aspirin for at least 12 months.

Results

A 130 consecutive patients with coronary bifurcation stenoses were included – 57 had positive FFR<.80 in main vessel of bifurcation lesion (44% functionally significant lesions). The mean age was 67±10 years, 66% males, 96% hypertensive, 39% diabetic, 96% dyslipidemic (or on treatment with statin), 55% smokers, 22% with previous myocardial infarction, 51% with previous PCI. The residual SYNTAX score before FFR bifurcation assessment was 13±4 (FFR<.80) vs. 8±3 (FFR≥0.80), p<0.001. Univariate predictors of bifurcation FFR<.80 were: proximal (MV%DS) or distal (MB%DS) main vessel stenosis ≥85% (derived from ROC analysis with overall accuracy 77% and 72%, accordingly), lesion length, SYNTAX score, triglyceride concentration, previous MI on lateral wall and carotid artery disease. On multivariate logistic analysis only MV%DS>85% (OR=8.929, CI 2.887–27.619, p<0.001), MB%DS>85% (OR=3.831, CI 1.349–10.883, p=0.012) and SYNTAX score≥12 (OR=16.466, CI 5.225–15.889, p<0.001). At median follow-up of 26 months (IQR 17–35) the all-cause mortality was 17.5% in FFR positive bifurcations vs. 4.1% in FFR negative lesions (log-rank =.067).

Conclusions

Less than a half of angiographically significant coronary bifurcation lesions are functionally significant and require stent implantation. The functional significance was related with higher degree stenosis in main vessel and overall disease severity estimated with SYNTAX score. A trend to lower mortality was noted in group with non-significant FFRs.

First Observation of an Attractive Interaction between a Proton and a Cascade Baryon

This Letter presents the first experimental observation of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a multistrange baryon (hyperon) Ξ^{-}. The result is extracted from two-particle correlations of combined p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} pairs measured in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC with ALICE. The measured correlation function is compared with the prediction obtained assuming only an attractive Coulomb interaction and a standard deviation in the range [3.6, 5.3] is found. Since the measured p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} correlation is significantly enhanced with respect to the Coulomb prediction, the presence of an additional, strong, attractive interaction is evident. The data are compatible with recent lattice calculations by the HAL-QCD Collaboration, with a standard deviation in the range [1.8, 3.7]. The lattice potential predicts a shallow repulsive Ξ^{-} interaction within pure neutron matter and this implies stiffer equations of state for neutron-rich matter including hyperons. Implications of the strong interaction for the modeling of neutron stars are discussed.