We use the LHC Higgs data to derive updated constraints on electroweak-scale sterile neutrinos that naturally occur in many low-scale seesaw extensions of the Standard Model to explain the neutrino ...masses. We also analyze the signal sensitivity for a new final state involving a single charged lepton and two jets with missing energy, which arises from the decay of sterile neutrinos produced through the Higgs and W, Z boson mediated processes at the LHC. Future prospects of these sterile neutrino signals in precision Higgs measurements, as well as at a future 100 TeV collider, are also discussed.
Given the mode of transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), healthcare workers (HCWs) in contact with MERS patients are expected to be at risk of MERS infections. We evaluated the ...prevalence of MERS coronavirus (CoV) immunoglobulin (Ig) G in HCWs exposed to MERS patients and calculated the incidence of MERS-affected cases in HCWs. We enrolled HCWs from hospitals where confirmed MERS patients had visited. Serum was collected 4 to 6 weeks after the last contact with a confirmed MERS patient. We performed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen for the presence of MERS-CoV IgG and an indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT) to confirm MERS-CoV IgG. We used a questionnaire to collect information regarding the exposure. We calculated the incidence of MERS-affected cases by dividing the sum of PCR-confirmed and serology-confirmed cases by the number of exposed HCWs in participating hospitals. In total, 1169 HCWs in 31 hospitals had contact with 114 MERS patients, and among the HCWs, 15 were PCR-confirmed MERS cases in study hospitals. Serologic analysis was performed for 737 participants. ELISA was positive in five participants and borderline for seven. IIFT was positive for two (0.3%) of these 12 participants. Among the participants who did not use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), seropositivity was 0.7% (2/294) compared to 0% (0/443) in cases with appropriate PPE use. The incidence of MERS infection in HCWs was 1.5% (17/1169). The seroprevalence of MERS-CoV IgG among HCWs was higher among participants who did not use appropriate PPE.
We inspect the model-independent study of practical Dirac Majorana confusion theorem (pDMCT) – a wide spread belief that the difference between Dirac and Majorana neutrinos via any kinematical ...observable would be practically impossible to determine because of the difference only being proportional to the square of neutrino mass – in context of processes that have at least a neutrino antineutrino pair in their final state. We scrutinize the domain of applicability of pDMCT and also highlight those aspects that are often misunderstood. We try to clarify some of the frequently used concepts that are used to assert pDMCT as a generic feature irrespective of the process, or observable, such as the existence of any analytic continuity between Dirac and Majorana neutrinos in the limit
m
ν
→
0
.
In summary, we illustrate that pDMCT is not any fundamental property of neutrinos, instead, it is a phenomenological feature of neutrino non-observation, depending on models and processes.
Highlights • The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway inhibits T cell functions. • The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway functions as immune evasion in some cancers. • Clinical trials targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 show impressive ...response rates.
Aimed at students and researchers, this is the very first book to present functional analysis in a unified manner, along with applications to economics, social sciences, and engineering. It is a ...rigorous study of modern functional analysis.
BackgroundThe secondary cell wall is a defining feature of xylem cells and allows them to resist both gravitational forces and the tension forces associated with the transpirational pull on their ...internal columns of water. Secondary walls also constitute the majority of plant biomass. Formation of secondary walls requires co-ordinated transcriptional regulation of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. This co-ordinated control appears to involve a multifaceted and multilayered transcriptional regulatory programme.ScopeTranscription factor MYB46 (At5g12870) has been shown to function as a master regulator in secondary wall formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Recent studies show that MYB46 not only regulates the transcription factors but also the biosynthesis genes for all of the three major components (i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) of secondary walls. This review considers our current understanding of the MYB46-mediated transcriptional regulatory network, including upstream regulators, downstream targets and negative regulators of MYB46.Conclusions and OutlookMYB46 is a unique transcription factor in that it directly regulates the biosynthesis genes for all of the three major components of the secondary wall as well as the transcription factors in the biosynthesis pathway. As such, MYB46 may offer a useful means for pathway-specific manipulation of secondary wall biosynthesis. However, realization of this potential requires additional information on the ‘MYB46-mediated transcriptional regulatory programme’, such as downstream direct targets, upstream regulators and interacting partners of MYB46.
ABSTRACT We present a new, detailed analysis of the morphologies and molecular gas fractions (MGFs) for a complete sample of 65 local luminous infrared galaxies from Great Observatories All-Sky ...Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRG) Survey using high resolution I-band images from The Hubble Space Telescope, the University of Hawaii 2.2 m Telescope and the Pan-STARRS1 Survey. Our classification scheme includes single undisturbed galaxies, minor mergers, and major mergers, with the latter divided into five distinct stages from pre-first pericenter passage to final nuclear coalescence. We find that major mergers of molecular gas-rich spirals clearly play a major role for all sources with however, below this luminosity threshold, minor mergers and secular processes dominate. Additionally, galaxies do not reach until late in the merger process when both disks are near final coalescence. The mean MGF ( ) for non-interacting and early-stage major merger LIRGs is 18 2%, which increases to 33 3%, for intermediate stage major merger LIRGs, consistent with the hypothesis that, during the early-mid stages of major mergers, most of the initial large reservoir of atomic gas (HI) at large galactocentric radii is swept inward where it is converted into molecular gas (H2).
ABSTRACT
Although there is strong evidence that bisphosphonates prevent certain types of osteoporotic fractures, there are concerns that these medications may be associated with rare atypical femoral ...fractures (AFF). Recent published studies examining this potential association are conflicting regarding the existence and strength of this association. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published studies examining the association of bisphosphonates with subtrochanteric, femoral shaft, and AFF. The random‐effects model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of adjusted risk ratios (RR). Subgroup analysis was performed by study design, for studies that used validated outcome definitions for AFF, and for studies reporting on duration of bisphosphonate use. Eleven studies were included in the meta‐analysis: five case‐control and six cohort studies. Bisphosphonate exposure was associated with an increased risk of subtrochanteric, femoral shaft, and AFF, with adjusted RR of 1.70 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.22–2.37). Subgroup analysis of studies using the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research criteria to define AFF suggests a higher risk of AFF, with bisphosphonate use with RR of 11.78 (95% CI, 0.39–359.69) as compared to studies using mainly diagnosis codes (RR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.18–2.22), although there is a wide confidence interval and severe heterogeneity (I2 = 96.15%) in this subgroup analysis. Subgroup analysis of studies examining at least 5 years of bisphosphonate use showed adjusted RR of 1.62 (95% CI, 1.29–2.04). This meta‐analysis suggests there is an increased risk of subtrochanteric, femoral shaft, and AFF among bisphosphonate users. Further research examining the risk of AFF with long‐term use of bisphosphonates is indicated as there was limited data in this subgroup. The public health implication of this observed increase in AFF risk is not clear.
Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) made from In-based III–V semiconductors are emerging as a printable infrared material. However, the formulation of infrared inks and the formation of electrically ...conductive QD coatings is hampered by a limited understanding of the surface chemistry of In-based QDs. In this work, we present a case study on the surface termination of IR active III–V QDs absorbing at 1220 nm that were synthesized by reducing a mixture of indium halides and an aminoarsine by an aminophosphine in oleylamine. We find that this recently established synthesis method yields In(As,P) QDs with minor phosphorus admixing and a surface terminated by a mixture of oleylamine and chloride. Exposing these QDs to protic surface-active compounds RXH, such as fatty acids or alkanethiols, initiates a ligand exchange reaction involving the binding of the conjugate base RX– and the desorption of 1 equiv of alkylammonium chloride. Using density functional theory simulations, we confirm that the formation of the alkylammonium chloride salt can provide the energy needed to drive such acid/base mediated ligand exchange reactions, even for weak organic acids such as alkanethiols. We conclude that the unique surface termination of In(As,P) QDs, consisting of a mixture of L-type and X-type ligands and acid/base mediated ligand exchange, can form a general model for In-based III–V QDs synthesized using indium halides and aminopnictogens.
Observation of growing phase space density (PSD) peak in the outer electron radiation belt has been considered evidence for local wave‐driven acceleration as a primary cause of radiation belt ...enhancement. However, recent studies showed that strong substorm‐associated MeV electron injections can also cause significant radiation belt enhancements on fast timescales (∼10s min). Such rapid enhancements pose challenges for determining true spatial PSD profiles. To address this, we conduct a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of electron flux and PSD during an enhancement event, using Van Allen Probes data. Our analysis reveals rapid and intermittent flux enhancements. During these rapid enhancements, inbound spacecraft observed false PSD peaks, due to spacecraft's relatively slow movement. However, we identify time intervals of stable fluxes between enhancements, enabling us to determine quasi‐stationary PSD profiles with no noticeable peaks. This study provides new insights into accurate PSD analysis, critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying radiation belt enhancements.
Plain Language Summary
Radiation belt physics studies the origin and dynamics of high‐energy electrons trapped in the Earth's radiation belts. The radial profiles of these electrons' phase space density (PSD) are essential parameters for investigating their origin and dynamics. Outward‐increasing PSD profiles indicate that electrons have been transported radially (injections) from outside the radiation belt, while locally peaked profiles suggest that they were generated locally within the belt. Obtaining accurate PSD profiles is challenging due to significant temporal changes in electron flux, particularly rapid flux enhancements from injections as observed in recent studies. To examine the impact of rapid flux enhancements on PSD analysis, we closely tracked electron flux changes in space and time during an enhancement event using data from NASA's Van Allen Probes. Our results show that inbound spacecraft can observe falsely peaked PSD profiles during rapid flux enhancements, which are temporal artifacts from relatively slower spacecraft motion. By identifying time intervals of stable electron flux between enhancements, we were able to determine the true spatial PSD profiles, which overall exhibited outward‐increasing trends, consistent with injections. Our findings offer new perspective on accurately determining PSD radial profiles, which is essential for unraveling the origins of high‐energy electrons in the Earth's radiation belts.
Key Points
Rapid and intermittent electron enhancement pattern significantly impacts phase space density (PSD) analysis
Inbound spacecraft can observe a temporal PSD peak during rapid electron enhancements driven by injections
Quasi‐stationary time intervals between enhancements enable accurate determination of PSD radial profiles
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