The cosmic ray shadow of the Moon observed with the ANTARES neutrino telescope.

One of the main objectives of the ANTARES telescope is the search for point-like neutrino sources. Both the pointing accuracy and the angular resolution of the detector are important in this context and a reliable way to evaluate this performance is needed. In order to measure the pointing accuracy of the detector, one possibility is to study the shadow of the Moon, i.e. the deficit of the atmospheric muon flux from the direction of the Moon induced by the absorption of cosmic rays. Analysing the data taken between 2007 and 2016, the Moon shadow is observed with 3.5 σ statistical significance. The detector angular resolution for downward-going muons is 0 . 73 ∘ ± 0 . 14 ∘ . The resulting pointing performance is consistent with the expectations. An independent check of the telescope pointing accuracy is realised with the data collected by a shower array detector onboard of a ship temporarily moving around the ANTARES location.

An algorithm for the reconstruction of high-energy neutrino-induced particle showers and its application to the ANTARES neutrino telescope.

A novel algorithm to reconstruct neutrino-induced particle showers within the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. The method achieves a median angular resolution of [Formula: see text] for shower energies below 100 TeV. Applying this algorithm to 6 years of data taken with the ANTARES detector, 8 events with reconstructed shower energies above 10 TeV are observed. This is consistent with the expectation of about 5 events from atmospheric backgrounds, but also compatible with diffuse astrophysical flux measurements by the IceCube collaboration, from which 2-4 additional events are expected. A [Formula: see text] C.L. upper limit on the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux with a value per neutrino flavour of [Formula: see text] is set, applicable to the energy range from 23 TeV to 7.8 PeV, assuming an unbroken [Formula: see text] spectrum and neutrino flavour equipartition at Earth.

Sperm whale long-range echolocation sounds revealed by ANTARES, a deep-sea neutrino telescope.

Despite dedicated research has been carried out to adequately map the distribution of the sperm whale in the Mediterranean Sea, unlike other regions of the world, the species population status is still presently uncertain. The analysis of two years of continuous acoustic data provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope revealed the year-round presence of sperm whales in the Ligurian Sea, probably associated with the availability of cephalopods in the region. The presence of the Ligurian Sea sperm whales was demonstrated through the real-time analysis of audio data streamed from a cabled-to-shore deep-sea observatory that allowed the hourly tracking of their long-range echolocation behaviour on the Internet. Interestingly, the same acoustic analysis indicated that the occurrence of surface shipping noise would apparently not condition the foraging behaviour of the sperm whale in the area, since shipping noise was almost always present when sperm whales were acoustically detected. The continuous presence of the sperm whale in the region confirms the ecological value of the Ligurian sea and the importance of ANTARES to help monitoring its ecosystems.

Topical diclofenac sodium in the management of anesthetic abuse keratopathy.

PURPOSE: To report a case of anesthetic abuse keratopathy and to suggest the use of topical diclofenac sodium in the management of this disorder. METHOD: Narcotics and topical diclofenac were used to control pain in a patient who developed a corneal ulcer after abusing topical anesthetics. RESULT: After the institution of topical diclofenac, the patient reported substantial improvement in comfort and less reliance on narcotic agents for analgesia. CONCLUSION: We found topical diclofenac to be useful in controlling pain in this patient with anesthetic abuse keratopathy.

Acanthamoeba dendriform keratitis.

A soft contact lens patient complained of persistent redness, blurry vision and photophobia of the right eye. Both tap water and distilled water were used in his contact lens care regimen. Atypical corneal epithelial dendriform patterns were noted and the patient was treated for presumed herpes simplex keratitis and corneal erosion. The definitive diagnosis of Acanthamoeba dendriform keratitis was made upon isolation of the offending organism from the patient's contact lens case. The clinical course is presented to help define early clinical signs of the disease.

Ocular hemorrhages in thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia is a deficiency in circulating platelets. Abnormal ocular bleeding can result when thrombocytopenia is severe. Two cases of ocular hemorrhage attributed to thrombocytopenia are presented. Platelet abnormalities should be considered in the investigation of excessive or spontaneous bleeding.

Quadrantanopic field defect associated with intracranial calcification.

A homonymous quadrantanopic visual field defect was discovered in a healthy, asymptomatic 43-year-old female. Computerized tomography revealed the source of the field defect. Since visual field defects can be associated with life threatening disorders, eye examinations should include some assessment of the visual field.

Acanthamoeba keratitis in soft contact lens wearers.

Two wearers of soft cosmetic contact lenses developed corneal infection by the protozoa Acanthamoeba. Contact lens solutions were found to be contaminated in both cases. The clinical course and management are described in this report. Factors that may predispose contact lens wearers to infection by Acanthamoeba and preventative measures are discussed.

Ectoparasitic infestation of the lashes.

Phthirus pubis, commonly known as the crab louse, has as its habitat the pubic and inguinal regions of the body. Transfer between hosts is most commonly a result of sexual contact. On occasion, Phthirus pubis will leave its usual seat of predilection and infest other hair-bearing body parts. When infestation of the eyelashes occurs, it is known as phthiriasis palpebrarum. The case presented is an example of phthiriasis palpebrarum in a young female, apparently contracted as a result of transfer from the genital region of an affected male by hand contact.