Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?

A review of Garfield's journal impact factor and its specific implementation as the Thomson Reuters Impact Factor reveals several weaknesses in this commonly-used indicator of journal standing. Key limitations include the mismatch between citing and cited documents, the deceptive display of three decimals that belies the real precision, and the absence of confidence intervals. These are minor issues that are easily amended and should be corrected, but more substantive improvements are needed. There are indications that the scientific community seeks and needs better certification of journal procedures to improve the quality of published science. Comprehensive certification of editorial and review procedures could help ensure adequate procedures to detect duplicate and fraudulent submissions.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, 6 table

IceCube-Gen2: A Vision for the Future of Neutrino Astronomy in Antarctica

20 pages, 12 figures. Address correspondence to: E. Blaufuss, F. Halzen, C. Kopper (Changed to add one missing author, no other changes from initial version.)20 pages, 12 figures. Address correspondence to: E. Blaufuss, F. Halzen, C. Kopper (Changed to add one missing author, no other changes from initial version.)20 pages, 12 figures. Address correspondence to: E. Blaufuss, F. Halzen, C. Kopper (Changed to add one missing author, no other changes from initial version.)The recent observation by the IceCube neutrino observatory of an astrophysical flux of neutrinos represents the "first light" in the nascent field of neutrino astronomy. The observed diffuse neutrino flux seems to suggest a much larger level of hadronic activity in the non-thermal universe than previously thought and suggests a rich discovery potential for a larger neutrino observatory. This document presents a vision for an substantial expansion of the current IceCube detector, IceCube-Gen2, including the aim of instrumenting a $10\,\mathrm{km}^3$ volume of clear glacial ice at the South Pole to deliver substantial increases in the astrophysical neutrino sample for all flavors. A detector of this size would have a rich physics program with the goal to resolve the sources of these astrophysical neutrinos, discover GZK neutrinos, and be a leading observatory in future multi-messenger astronomy programs

A study of the Z production cross-section in pp collisions at √s = 7 using tau final states

A measurement of the inclusive Z → ττ cross-section in pp collisions at √s =7 is presented based on a dataset of 1.0 fb[superscript −1] collected by the LHCb detector. Candidates for Z → τ τ decays are identified through reconstructed final states with two muons, a muon and an electron, a muon and a hadron, or an electron and a hadron. The production cross-section for Z bosons, with invariant mass between 60 and 120 GeV/c[superscript 2], which decay to τ leptons with transverse momenta greater than 20 GeV/c and pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5, is measured to be σ[subscript pp]→Z→ττ = 71.4 ± 3.5 ± 2.8 ± 2.5 pb; the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The ratio of the cross-sections for Z → τ τ to Z → μμ is determined to be 0.93 ± 0.09, where the uncertainty is the combination of statistical, systematic, and luminosity uncertainties of the two measurements.National Science Foundation (U.S.

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Surgical physiology of inguinal hernia repair - a study of 200 cases

BACKGROUND: Current inguinal hernia operations are generally based on anatomical considerations. Failures of such operations are due to lack of consideration of physiological aspects. Many patients with inguinal hernia are cured as a result of current techniques of operation, though factors that are said to prevent hernia formation are not restored. Therefore, the surgical physiology of inguinal canal needs to be reconsidered. METHODS: A retrospective study is describer of 200 patients operated on for inguinal hernia under local anaesthesia by the author's technique of inguinal hernia repair. RESULTS: The posterior wall of the inguinal canal was weak and without dynamic movement in all patients. Strong aponeurotic extensions were absent in the posterior wall. The muscle arch movement was lost or diminished in all patients. The movement of the muscle arch improved after it was sutured to the upper border of a strip of the external oblique aponeurosis (EOA). The newly formed posterior wall was kept physiologically dynamic by the additional muscle strength provided by external oblique muscle to the weakened muscles of the muscle arch. CONCLUSIONS: A physiologically dynamic and strong posterior inguinal wall, and the shielding and compression action of the muscles and aponeuroses around the inguinal canal are important factors that prevent hernia formation or hernia recurrence after repair. In addition, the squeezing and plugging action of the cremasteric muscle and binding effect of the strong cremasteric fascia, also play an important role in the prevention of hernia

Precision measurement of the B0s-B¯0s oscillation frequency with the decay B0s → D−sπ+

A key ingredient to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model in B0s mixing phenomena is the measurement of the B0s– ${{\overline{ {\mathrm {B}}}{}}^0_{\mathrm { s}}}$ oscillation frequency, which is equivalent to the mass difference Δms of the B0s mass eigenstates. Using the world's largest B0s meson sample accumulated in a dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1, collected by the LHCb experiment at the CERN LHC in 2011, a measurement of Δms is presented. A total of about 34 000 B0s → D−sπ+ signal decays are reconstructed, with an average decay time resolution of 44 fs. The oscillation frequency is measured to be Δms = 17.768 ± 0.023 (stat) ± 0.006 (syst) ps−1, which is the most precise measurement to date

Characterization of the innate immune response to chronic aspiration in a novel rodent model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although chronic aspiration has been associated with several pulmonary diseases, the inflammatory response has not been characterized. A novel rodent model of chronic aspiration was therefore developed in order to investigate the resulting innate immune response in the lung.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Gastric fluid or normal saline was instilled into the left lung of rats (n = 48) weekly for 4, 8, 12, or 16 weeks (n = 6 each group). Thereafter, bronchoalveolar lavage specimens were collected and cellular phenotypes and cytokine concentrations of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Following the administration of gastric fluid but not normal saline, histologic specimens exhibited prominent evidence of giant cells, fibrosis, lymphocytic bronchiolitis, and obliterative bronchiolitis. Bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from the left (treated) lungs exhibited consistently higher macrophages and T cells with an increased CD4:CD8 T cell ratio after treatment with gastric fluid compared to normal saline. The concentrations of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2, TNF-alpha and TGF-beta were increased in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens following gastric fluid aspiration compared to normal saline.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This represents the first description of the pulmonary inflammatory response that results from chronic aspiration. Repetitive aspiration events can initiate an inflammatory response consisting of macrophages and T cells that is associated with increased TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2 and fibrosis in the lung. Combined with the observation of gastric fluid-induced lymphocyitic bronchiolitis and obliterative bronchiolitis, these findings further support an association between chronic aspiration and pulmonary diseases, such as obliterative bronchiolitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma.</p

Imaging Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis

Interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are the most common cardiopulmonary findings in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). About two thirds of patients suffering from SSc develop scleroderma interstitial lung disease. PH is present in about 20% of SSc patients and is typically associated with severe lung disease, although it may be an isolated manifestation of SSc. High-resolution CT scanning is a key method for evaluating chest involvement. There are four roles of imaging in scleroderma interstitial lung disease: 1) detection of lung involvement, 2) identification of patients likely to respond to treatment, 3) assessment of treatment efficacy, and 4) exclusion of other significant diseases to include PH and cardiac and esophageal abnormalities