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Abstract High-precision searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) require stable and uniform magnetic field environments. We present the recent achievements of degaussing and equilibrating the magnetically shielded room (MSR) for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. We present the final degaussing configuration that will be used for n2EDM after numerous studies. The optimized procedure results in a residual magnetic field that has been reduced by a factor of two. The ultra-low field is achieved with the full magnetic-field-coil system, and a large vacuum vessel installed, both in the MSR. In the inner volume of $$\sim 1.4~\hbox {m}^3$$ ∼ 1.4 m 3 , the field is now more uniform and below 300 pT. In addition, the procedure is faster and dissipates less heat into the magnetic environment, which in turn, reduces its thermal relaxation time from $$12~\text {h}$$ 12 h down to $$1.5~\text {h}$$ 1.5 h .

Abstract We present a novel Active Magnetic Shield (AMS), designed and implemented for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The experiment will perform a high-sensitivity search for the electric dipole moment of the neutron. Magnetic-field stability and control is of key importance for n2EDM. A large, cubic, 5 m side length, magnetically shielded room (MSR) provides a passive, quasi-static shielding-factor of about $$10^5$$ 10 5 for its inner sensitive volume. The AMS consists of a system of eight complex, feedback-controlled compensation coils constructed on an irregular grid spanned on a volume of less than 1000 m $$^3$$ 3 around the MSR. The AMS is designed to provide a stable and uniform magnetic-field environment around the MSR, while being reasonably compact. The system can compensate static and variable magnetic fields up to $$\pm \, 50 \, {\upmu }\hbox {T}$$ ± 50 μ T (homogeneous components) and $$\pm \, 5 \, {\upmu }\hbox {T/m}$$ ± 5 μ T/m (first-order gradients), suppressing them to a few $${\upmu }\hbox {T}$$ μ T in the sub-Hertz frequency range. The presented design concept and implementation of the AMS fulfills the requirements of the n2EDM experiment and can be useful for other applications, where magnetically silent environments are important and spatial constraints inhibit simpler geometrical solutions.

Positrons are key to the production of cold antihydrogen. Here the authors report the sympathetic cooling of positrons by interacting them with laser-cooled Be+ ions resulting in a three-fold reduction of the temperature of positrons for antihydrogen synthesis.

Introduction: We aimed to assess antibiotic stewardship by quantifying the use of first-dose intravenous (IV) vs oral-only antibiotics and the frequency with which antibiotic class was changed for discharged patients. Secondary aims included the following: evaluation of the relative length of stay (LOS); differences in prescribing patterns between clinician types; differences between academic and community settings; assessment of prescribing patterns among emergency department (ED) diagnoses; and frequency of return visits for patients in each group.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study including patients presenting to EDs with infections who were discharged from our Midwest healthcare system consisting of 17 community hospitals and one academic center. We included infection type, antibiotic class and route of administration, type of infection, LOS, return visit within two weeks, clinician type, and demographics. Data were collected between June 1, 2018–December 31, 2021 and analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: We had 77,204 ED visits for patients with infections during the study period, of whom 3,812 received IV antibiotics during their visit. There were more women (62.4%) than men included. Of the 3,812 patients who received IV antibiotics, 1,026 (34.3%) were discharged on a different class of antibiotics than they received. The most common changes were from IV cephalosporin to oral quinolone or penicillin. Patients treated with IV antibiotics prior to discharge had a longer LOS in the ED (median difference of 102 minutes longer for those who received IV antibiotics). There was not a significant difference in the use of IV antibiotics between the academic center and community sites included in the study.Conclusion: Administering IV antibiotics as a first dose prior to oral prescriptions upon discharge is common, as is shifting classes from the IV dose to the oral prescription. This offers an opportunity for intervention to improve antibiotic stewardship for ED patients as well as reduce cost and length of stay.

Einsteins general theory of relativity from 19151 remains the most successful description of gravitation. From the 1919 solar eclipse2 to the observation of gravitational waves3, the theory has passed many crucial experimental tests. However, the evolving concepts of dark matter and dark energy illustrate that there is much to be learned about the gravitating content of the universe. Singularities in the general theory of relativity and the lack of a quantum theory of gravity suggest that our picture is incomplete. It is thus prudent to explore gravity in exotic physical systems. Antimatter was unknown to Einstein in 1915. Diracs theory4 appeared in 1928; the positron was observed5 in 1932. There has since been much speculation about gravity and antimatter. The theoretical consensus is that any laboratory mass must be attracted6 by the Earth, although some authors have considered the cosmological consequences if antimatter should be repelled by matter7-10. In the general theory of relativity, the weak equivalence principle (WEP) requires that all masses react identically to gravity, independent of their internal structure. Here we show that antihydrogen atoms, released from magnetic confinement in the ALPHA-g apparatus, behave in a way consistent with gravitational attraction to the Earth. Repulsive antigravity is ruled out in this case. This experiment paves the way for precision studies of the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration between anti-atoms and the Earth to test the WEP.

The ALPHA Collaboration, based at the CERN Antiproton Decelerator, has recently implemented a novel beamline for low energy (≲100 eV) positron and antiproton transport between cylindrical Penning traps that have strong axial magnetic fields. Here, we describe how a combination of semianalytical and numerical calculations was used to optimize the layout and design of this beamline. Using experimental measurements taken during the initial commissioning of the instrument, we evaluate its performance and validate the models used for its development. By combining data from a range of sources, we show that the beamline has a high transfer efficiency and estimate that the percentage of particles captured in the experiments from each bunch is (78±3)% for up to 105 antiprotons and (71±5)% for bunches of up to 107 positrons.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are highly invasive brain tumors with rare survival beyond two years past diagnosis and limited understanding of the mechanism behind tumor invasion. Previous reports demonstrate upregulation of the protein ID1 with H3K27M and ACVR1 mutations in DMG, but this has not been confirmed in human tumors or therapeutically targeted. METHODS: Whole exome, RNA, and ChIP-sequencing was performed on the ID1 locus in DMG tissue. Scratch-assay migration and transwell invasion assays of cultured cells were performed following shRNA-mediated ID1-knockdown. In vitro and in vivo genetic and pharmacologic [cannabidiol (CBD)] inhibition of ID1 on DMG tumor growth was assessed. Patient-reported CBD dosing information was collected. RESULTS: Increased ID1 expression in human DMG and in utero electroporation (IUE) murine tumors is associated with H3K27M mutation and brainstem location. ChIP-sequencing indicates ID1 regulatory regions are epigenetically active in human H3K27M-DMG tumors and prenatal pontine cells. Higher ID1-expressing astrocyte-like DMG cells share a transcriptional program with oligo/astrocyte-precursor cells (OAPCs) from the developing human brain and demonstrate upregulation of the migration regulatory protein SPARCL1. Genetic and pharmacologic (CBD) suppression of ID1 decreases tumor cell invasion/migration and tumor growth in H3.3/H3.1K27M PPK-IUE and human DIPGXIIIP* in vivo models of pHGG. The effect of CBD on cell proliferation appears to be non-ID1 mediated. Finally, we collected patient-reported CBD treatment data, finding that a clinical trial to standardize dosing may be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: H3K27M-mediated re-activation of ID1 in DMG results in a SPARCL1+ migratory transcriptional program that is therapeutically targetable with CBD.

Introduction: Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are increasingly common among patients with heart failure. The unique physiologic characteristics of patients with LVADs present a challenge to emergency clinicians making treatment and disposition decisions. Despite the increasing prevalence of LVADs, literature describing emergency department (ED) visits among this population is sparse. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and outcomes among patients with LVADs seen in two quaternary-care EDs in a five-year period. Secondarily, we sought to evaluate mortality rates and ED return rates for bridge to transplant (BTT) and destination therapy (DT) patients.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients known to have an LVAD who were evaluated in two quaternary-care EDs from 2013–2017. Data were collected from the electronic health record and summarized with descriptive statistics. We assessed patient outcomes with mixed-effects logistic regression models including a random intercept to account for patients with multiple ED visits.Results: During the five-year study period, 290 ED visits among 107 patients met inclusion criteria. The median patient age was 61 years. The reason for LVAD implantation was BTT in 150 encounters (51.7%) and DT in 140 (48.3%). The most common presenting concerns were dyspnea (21.7%), bleeding (18.6%), and chest pain (11.4%). Visits directly related to the LVAD were infrequent (7.9%). Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharge was reported in 3.4% of visits. A majority of patients were dismissed home from the ED (53.8%), and 4.5% required intensive care unit admission. Among all patients, 37.9%returned to the ED within 30 days, with similar rates between DT and BTT patients (32.1 vs 43.3%; P = 0.055). The LVAD was replaced in three cases (1.0%) during hospitalization. No deaths occurred in the ED, and the mortality rate within 30 days was 2.1% among all patients.Conclusion: In this multicenter cohort study of ED visits among patients with an LVAD, dyspnea, bleeding, and chest pain were the most common presenting concerns. Visits directly related to the LVAD were uncommon. Approximately half of patients were dismissed home, although return ED visits were common.

Introduction: Healthcare workers, particularly those in the emergency department (ED), experience high rates of injuries caused by workplace violence (WPV).Objective: Our goal was to establish the incidence of WPV among multidisciplinary ED staff within a regional health system and assess its impact on staff victims.Methods: We conducted a survey study of all multidisciplinary ED staff at 18 Midwestern EDs encompassing a larger health system between November 18–December 31, 2020. We solicited the incidence of verbal abuse and physical assault experienced and witnessed by respondents over the prior six months, as well as its impact on staff.Results: We included responses from 814 staff (24.5% response rate) for final analysis with 585 (71.9%) indicating some form of violence experienced in the preceding six months. A total of 582 (71.5%) respondents indicated experiencing verbal abuse, and 251 (30.8%) indicated experiencing some form of physical assault. All disciplines experienced some type of verbal abuse and nearly all experienced some type of physical assault. One hundred thirty-five (21.9%) respondents indicated that being the victim of WPV has affected their ability to perform their job, and nearly half (47.6%) indicated it has changed the way they interact with or perceive patients. Additionally, 132 (21.3%) indicated experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and 18.5% reported they have considered leaving their position due to an incident.Conclusion: Emergency department staff suffer violence at a high rate, and there is no discipline that is spared. As health systems seek to prioritize staff safety in violence-prone areas such as the ED, it is imperative to recognize that the entire multidisciplinary team is impacted and requires targeted efforts for improvement in safety.

Tobacco and alcohol use are heritable behaviours associated with 15% and 5.3% of worldwide deaths, respectively, due largely to broad increased risk for disease and injury1-4. These substances are used across the globe, yet genome-wide association studies have focused largely on individuals of European ancestries5. Here we leveraged global genetic diversity across 3.4 million individuals from four major clines of global ancestry (approximately 21% non-European) to power the discovery and fine-mapping of genomic loci associated with tobacco and alcohol use, to inform function of these loci via ancestry-aware transcriptome-wide association studies, and to evaluate the genetic architecture and predictive power of polygenic risk within and across populations. We found that increases in sample size and genetic diversity improved locus identification and fine-mapping resolution, and that a large majority of the 3,823 associated variants (from 2,143 loci) showed consistent effect sizes across ancestry dimensions. However, polygenic risk scores developed in one ancestry performed poorly in others, highlighting the continued need to increase sample sizes of diverse ancestries to realize any potential benefit of polygenic prediction.

ObjectiveTo investigate the genetic architecture of internalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence.MethodIn 22 cohorts, multiple univariate genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were performed using repeated assessments of internalizing symptoms, in a total of 64,561 children and adolescents between 3 and 18 years of age. Results were aggregated in meta-analyses that accounted for sample overlap, first using all available data, and then using subsets of measurements grouped by rater, age, and instrument.ResultsThe meta-analysis of overall internalizing symptoms (INToverall) detected no genome-wide significant hits and showed low single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritability (1.66%, 95% CI = 0.84-2.48%, neffective = 132,260). Stratified analyses indicated rater-based heterogeneity in genetic effects, with self-reported internalizing symptoms showing the highest heritability (5.63%, 95% CI = 3.08%-8.18%). The contribution of additive genetic effects on internalizing symptoms appeared to be stable over age, with overlapping estimates of SNP heritability from early childhood to adolescence. Genetic correlations were observed with adult anxiety, depression, and the well-being spectrum (|rg| > 0.70), as well as with insomnia, loneliness, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, and childhood aggression (range |rg| = 0.42-0.60), whereas there were no robust associations with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or anorexia nervosa.ConclusionGenetic correlations indicate that childhood and adolescent internalizing symptoms share substantial genetic vulnerabilities with adult internalizing disorders and other childhood psychiatric traits, which could partially explain both the persistence of internalizing symptoms over time and the high comorbidity among childhood psychiatric traits. Reducing phenotypic heterogeneity in childhood samples will be key in paving the way to future GWAS success.

Community languages (CL) schools have grown rapidly to accommodate an increasing number of learners globally. However, teacher development for CL schools remains under-researched, and a deficit view of the CL teachers continues to dominate. Contextualised in Victoria Australia, and theoretically driven by the concept of funds of knowledge, this study explores how CL teachers' everyday life and work practices might constitute sources of knowledge that are worthy of curricular and pedagogical notice. Specifically, this study addresses two research questions: what funds of knowledge do CL teachers have? How do they use such knowledge for teaching in CL schools? Qualitative data and descriptive statistics were collected through teacher surveys, teacher journals and workshop observation of 70 CL teachers of 15 languages in Victoria, Australia. CL teachers' funds of knowledge were analysed and defined in terms of domains of practices, teacher meta-awareness, and knowledge transferability. We delineate four interwoven domains of CL teachers' funds of knowledge, which have been generated through and embedded in their interpersonal, intercultural, inter-schooling and interdisciplinary practices. We argue for professional development of CL teachers to build upon increasing CL teachers' meta-awareness and facilitating specific and broad transfers of their funds of knowledge.