Aix-Marseille University

About: Aix-Marseille University is a education organization based out in Marseille, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 24326 authors who have published 54240 publications receiving 1455416 citations. The organization is also known as: University Aix-Marseille & université d'Aix-Marseille.

Search for Dark Matter Annihilations towards the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

Abstract: The inner region of the Milky Way halo harbors a large amount of dark matter (DM). Given its proximity, it is one of the most promising targets to look for DM. We report on a search for the annihilations of DM particles using γ-ray observations towards the inner 300 parsecs of the Milky Way, with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. The analysis is based on a 2D maximum likelihood method using Galactic center (GC) data accumulated by H.E.S.S. over the last 10 years (2004-2014), and does not show any significant γ-ray signal above background. Assuming Einasto and Navarro-Frenk-White DM density profiles at the GC, we derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σv⟩. These constraints are the strongest obtained so far in the TeV DM mass range and improve upon previous limits by a factor 5. For the Einasto profile, the constraints reach ⟨σv⟩ values of 6×10−26cm3s−1 in the W+W− channel for a DM particle mass of 1.5 TeV, and 2×10−26cm3s−1 in the τ+τ− channel for 1 TeV mass. For the first time, ground-based γ-ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to probe ⟨σv⟩ values expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma (IFCT-1501 MAPS2): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, non-comparative, phase 2 trial

Abstract: Summary Background There is no recommended therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma that has progressed after first-line pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy. Disease control has been less than 30% in all previous studies of second-line drugs. Preliminary results have suggested that anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody could be efficacious in these patients. We thus aimed to prospectively assess the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody alone or in combination with anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods This multicentre randomised, non-comparative, open-label, phase 2 trial was done at 21 hospitals in France. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1, histologically proven malignant pleural mesothelioma progressing after first-line or second-line pemetrexed and platinum-based treatments, measurable disease by CT, and life expectancy greater than 12 weeks. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive intravenous nivolumab (3 mg/kg bodyweight) every 2 weeks, or intravenous nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) plus intravenous ipilimumab (1 mg/kg every 6 weeks), given until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Central randomisation was stratified by histology (epithelioid vs non-epithelioid), treatment line (second line vs third line), and chemosensitivity to previous treatment (progression ≥3 months vs Findings Between March 24 and August 25, 2016, 125 eligible patients were recruited and assigned to either nivolumab (n=63) or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (n=62). In the first 108 eligible patients, 12-week disease control was achieved by 24 (44%; 95% CI 31–58) of 54 patients in the nivolumab group and 27 (50%; 37–63) of 54 patients in the nivolumab plus ipilimumab group. In the intention-to-treat population, 12-week disease control was achieved by 25 (40%; 28–52) of 63 patients in the nivolumab group and 32 (52%; 39–64) of 62 patients in the combination group. Nine (14%) of 63 patients in the nivolumab group and 16 (26%) of 61 patients in the combination group had grade 3–4 toxicities. The most frequent grade 3 adverse events were asthenia (one [2%] in the nivolumab group vs three [5%] in the combination group), asymptomatic increase in aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase (none vs four [7%] of each), and asymptomatic lipase increase (two [3%] vs one [2%]). No patients had toxicities leading to death in the nivolumab group, whereas three (5%) of 62 in the combination group did (one fulminant hepatitis, one encephalitis, and one acute kidney failure). Interpretation Anti-PD-1 nivolumab monotherapy or nivolumab plus anti-CTLA-4 ipilimumab combination therapy both showed promising activity in relapsed patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, without unexpected toxicity. These regimens require confirmation in larger clinical trials. Funding French Cooperative Thoracic Intergroup.

Masses, radii, and orbits of small kepler planets: the transition from gaseous to rocky planets

Abstract: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Kepler Participating Scientist Program NNX12AC76G)

Dijet cross sections and parton densities in diffractive DIS at HERA

Abstract: Differential dijet cross sections in diffractive deep-inelastic scattering are measured with the H1 detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 51.5 pb−1. The selected events are of the type ep → eXY , where the system X contains at least two jets and is well separated in rapidity from the low mass proton dissociation system Y . The dijet data are compared with QCD predictions at next-to-leading order based on diffractive parton distribution functions previously extracted from measurements of inclusive diffractive deepinelastic scattering. The prediction describes the dijet data well at low and intermediate zIP (the fraction of the momentum of the diffractive exchange carried by the parton entering the hard interaction) where the gluon density is well determined from the inclusive diffractive data, supporting QCD factorisation. A new set of diffractive parton distribution functions is obtained through a simultaneous fit to the diffractive inclusive and dijet cross sections. This allows for a precise determination of both the diffractive quark and gluon distributions in the range 0.05 < zIP < 0.9. In particular, the precision on the gluon density at high momentum fractions is improved compared to previous extractions.