Weak mixing angle in the Thomson limit Erler, Jens; Ferro-Hernández, Rodolfo
The journal of high energy physics,
03/2018, Letnik:
2018, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A
bstract
We present a calculation of the weak mixing angle in the
M
S
¯
renormalization scheme which is relevant for experiments performed at very low energies or momentum transfers. We include ...higher orders in the perturbative QCD expansion, as well as updated phenomenological and theoretical input, and obtain the result
sin
2
θ
^
W
0
=
0.23868
5
2
for the reference values
α
^
s
M
Z
=
0.1182
and
m
^
c
m
^
c
=
1.272
GeV
. The first quoted error is from the current Standard Model evaluation of the mixing angle at the
Z
boson mass scale. The second error represents the theoretical and parametric uncertainties induced by the evolution to the Thomson limit and is discussed in detail.
The Particle Data Group recommends a set of procedures to be applied when discrepant data are to be combined. We introduce an alternative method based on a more general and solid statistical ...framework, providing a robust way to include possible unknown systematic effects interfering with experimental measurements or their theoretical interpretation. The limit of large data sets and practical cases of interest are discussed in detail.
Hadronic effects in Møller scattering at NNLO Erler, Jens; Ferro-Hernández, Rodolfo; Freitas, Ayres
The journal of high energy physics,
08/2022, Letnik:
2022, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A
bstract
Two-loop electroweak corrections to polarized Møller scattering are studied in two different schemes at low energies. We find the finite
Q
2
corrections to be well under control. The ...hadronic and perturbative QCD corrections to the
γZ
two-point function are incorporated through the weak mixing angle at low energies, which introduce an error of 0
.
08
×
10
−
3
in the weak charge of the electron
Q
W
e
. Furthermore, by studying the scheme dependence, we obtain an estimate of the current perturbative electroweak uncertainty,
δ
Q
W
e
≈
0
.
23
×
10
−
3
, which is five times smaller than the precision estimated for the MOLLER experiment (
δ
Q
W
e
= 1
.
1
×
10
−
3
). Future work is possible to reduce the theory error further.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of human cancers and carcinogenesis of several environmental pollutants. Nevertheless, the function of ...circRNAs in cadmium carcinogenesis is unclear. circ-SHPRH is down-regulated in many cancers including non-small cell lung cancer. In our present study, during cadmium-induced transformation of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was induced. Meanwhile, at the middle and late stages of cell transformation, cadmium down-regulated the expression of circ-SHPRH, as well as QKI, a tumor suppressor protein known to prevent the proliferation and EMT during progression of human cancers, compared with passage-matched control BEAS-2B cells. Overexpression of circ-SHPRH in cadmium-transformed BEAS-2B cells promoted the expression of QKI and significantly inhibited proliferation, EMT, invasion, migration and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar of the cells. Mechanistic studies showed that circ-SHPRH functioned as a sponge of miR-224–5p to regulate QKI expression. Interestingly, QKI and circ-SHPRH could form a positive-feedback loop that perpetuated circ-SHPRH/miR-224–5p/QKI axis. Collectively, our results demonstrated that circ-SHPRH inhibited cadmium-induced transformation of BEAS-2B cells through sponging miR-224–5p to regulate QKI expression under cadmium treatment. Our study uncovered a novel molecular mechanism involved in circRNAs in the development of lung cancer due to cadmium exposure.
Display omitted
•Circ-SHPRH was decreased during cadmium-induced transformation of BEAS-2B cells.•Circ-SHPRH acted as an miR-224–5p sponge and downregulated miR-224–5p target QKI.•Downregulated QKI promoted cell transformation induced by cadmium.•Circ-SHPRH and QKI could provoke a positive-feedback loop in cadmium-treated cells.•Circ-SHPRH and QKI are promising targets to protect against cadmium-induced lung cancer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ad5-nCoV vaccine was applied to the Mexican population before the WHO approved it. In a transversal study, we compare the CanSino vaccine efficacy and a natural ...SARS-CoV-2 infection in eliciting neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Guadalajara, Mexico. Participants between 30-60 years were included in the study and classified into three groups: 1) Natural immunity (unvaccinated), 2) Vaccine-induced immunity (vaccinated individuals without a COVID-19 history), and 3) Natural immunity + vaccine-induced immunity. These groups were matched by age and gender. We assessed the ability of individuals' serum to neutralize the Delta variant and compared the results of the different groups using a neutralization test followed by plaque-forming units. Results showed that 39% of individuals' serum with a history of COVID-19 (natural immunity, Group 1) could not neutralize the Delta variant, compared to 33% in vaccinated individuals without COVID-19 (vaccine immunity, Group 2). In contrast, only 7% of vaccinated individuals with a history of COVID-19 (natural + vaccine immunities) could not neutralize the Delta variant. We concluded that the effectiveness of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine to induce neutralizing antibodies against the Delta variant is comparable to that of natural infection (61% vs. 67%). However, in individuals with both forms of immunity (Group 3), it increased to 93%. Based on these results, despite the Ad5-nCoV vaccine originally being designed as a single-dose regimen, it could be recommended that even those who have recovered from COVID-19 should consider vaccination to boost their immunity against this variant.
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of sight loss, and early detection and treatment is important. For patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration in one ...eye, it is usual practice to monitor the unaffected eye. The test used to diagnose neovascular age-related macular degeneration, fundus fluorescein angiography, is an invasive test. Non-invasive tests are available, but their diagnostic accuracy is unclear.
The primary objective was to determine the diagnostic monitoring performance of tests for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the second eye of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The secondary objectives were the cost-effectiveness of tests and to identify predictive factors of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
This was a multicentre, prospective, cohort, comparative diagnostic accuracy study in a monitoring setting for up to 3 years. A Cox regression risk prediction model and a Markov microsimulation model comparing cost-effectiveness of the index tests over 25 years were used.
This took place in hospital eye services.
Participants were adults (aged 50-95 years) with newly diagnosed (within the previous 6 weeks) neovascular age-related macular degeneration in one eye and an unaffected second (study) eye who were attending for treatment injections in the first eye and who had a study eye baseline visual acuity of ≥ 68 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters.
The index tests were Amsler chart (completed by participants), fundus clinical examination, optical coherence tomography, self-reported vision assessment (completed by participants) and visual acuity. The reference standard was fundus fluorescein angiography.
The main outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity; the performance of the risk predictor model; and costs and quality-adjusted life-years.
In total, 552 out of 578 patients who consented from 24 NHS hospitals (
= 16 ineligible;
= 10 withdrew consent) took part. The mean age of the patients was 77.4 years (standard deviation 7.7 years) and 57.2% were female. For the primary analysis, 464 patients underwent follow-up fundus fluorescein angiography and 120 developed neovascular age-related macular degeneration on fundus fluorescein angiography. The diagnostic accuracy sensitivity (%) (95% confidence interval); specificity (%) (95% confidence interval) was as follows: optical coherence tomography 91.7 (85.2 to 95.6); 87.8 (83.8 to 90.9), fundus clinical examination 53.8 (44.8 to 62.5); 97.6 (95.3 to 98.9), Amsler 33.7 (25.1 to 43.5); 81.4 (76.4 to 85.5), visual acuity 30.0 (22.5 to 38.7); 66.3 (61.0 to 71.1) and self-reported vision 4.2 (1.6 to 9.8); 97.0 (94.6 to 98.5). Optical coherence tomography had the highest sensitivity across all secondary analyses. The final prediction model for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the non-affected eye included smoking status, family history of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, the presence of nodular drusen with or without reticular pseudodrusen, and the presence of pigmentary abnormalities
-statistic 0.66 (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.71). Optical coherence tomography monitoring generated the greatest quality-adjusted life-years gained per patient (optical coherence tomography, 5.830; fundus clinical examination, 5.787; Amsler chart, 5.736, self-reported vision, 5.630; and visual acuity, 5.600) for the lowest health-care and social care costs (optical coherence tomography, £19,406; fundus clinical examination, £19,649; Amsler chart, £19,751; self-reported vision, £20,198; and visual acuity, £20,444) over the lifetime of the simulated cohort. Optical coherence tomography dominated the other tests or had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio below the accepted cost-effectiveness thresholds (£20,000) across the scenarios explored.
The diagnostic performance may be different in an unselected population without any history of neovascular age-related macular degeneration; the prediction model did not include genetic profile data, which might have improved the discriminatory performance.
Optical coherence tomography was the most accurate in diagnosing conversion to neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the fellow eye of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Economic modelling suggests that optical coherence tomography monitoring is cost-effective and leads to earlier diagnosis of and treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the second eye of patients being treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in their first eye.
Future works should investigate the role of home monitoring, improved risk prediction models and impact on long-term visual outcomes.
This study was registered as ISRCTN48855678.
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in
; Vol. 26, No. 8. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
BackgroundGallstone disease (cholelithiasis) is common. In most people it is asymptomatic and does not require treatment, but in about 20% it can become symptomatic, causing pain and other ...complications requiring medical attention and/or surgery. A proportion of symptomatic people with uncomplicated gallstone disease do not experience further episodes of pain and, therefore, could be treated conservatively. Moreover, surgery carries risks of perioperative and postoperative complications.Methods and analysisC-Gall is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation to assess whether cholecystectomy is cost-effective compared with observation/ conservative management (here after referred to as medical management) at 18 months post-randomisation (with internal pilot).Primary outcome measurePatient-reported quality of life (QoL) (36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) bodily pain domain) up to 18 months after randomisation.The primary economic outcome is incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained at 18 months.Secondary outcome measuresSecondary outcome measures include condition-specific QoL, SF-36 domains, complications, further treatment, persistent symptoms, healthcare resource use, and costs assessed at 18 and 24 months after randomisation. The bodily pain domain of the SF-36 will also be assessed at 24 months after randomisation.A sample size of 430 participants was calculated. Computer-generated 1:1 randomisation was used.The C-Gall Study is currently in follow-up in 20 UK research centres. The first patient was randomised on 1 August 2016, with follow-up to be completed by 30 November 2021.Statistical analysisStatistical analysis of the primary outcome will be intention-to-treat and a per-protocol analysis. The primary outcome, area under the curve (AUC) for the SF-36 bodily pain up to 18 months, will be generated using the Trapezium rule and analysed using linear regression with adjustment for the minimisation variables (recruitment site, sex and age). For the secondary outcome, SF-36 bodily pain, AUC up to 24 months will be analysed in a similar way. Other secondary outcomes will be analysed using generalised linear models with adjustment for minimisation and baseline variables, as appropriate. Statistical significance will be at the two-sided 5% level with corresponding CIs.Ethics and disseminationThe North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee approved this study (16/NS/0053). The dissemination plans include Health Technology Assessment monograph, international scientific meetings and publications in high-impact, open-access journals.Trial registration numberISRCTN55215960; pre-results.
Many glaucoma referrals from the community to hospital eye services are unnecessary. Imaging technologies can potentially be useful to triage this population.
To assess the diagnostic performance and ...cost-effectiveness of imaging technologies as triage tests for identifying people with glaucoma.
Within-patient comparative diagnostic accuracy study. Markov economic model comparing the cost-effectiveness of a triage test with usual care.
Secondary care.
Adults referred from the community to hospital eye services for possible glaucoma.
Heidelberg Retinal Tomography (HRT), including two diagnostic algorithms, glaucoma probability score (HRT-GPS) and Moorfields regression analysis (HRT-MRA); scanning laser polarimetry glaucoma diagnostics (GDx); and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The reference standard was clinical examination by a consultant ophthalmologist with glaucoma expertise including visual field testing and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement.
(1) Diagnostic performance of imaging, using data from the eye with most severe disease. (2) Composite triage test performance (imaging test, IOP measurement and visual acuity measurement), using data from both eyes, in correctly identifying clinical management decisions, that is 'discharge' or 'do not discharge'. Outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity and incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).
Data from 943 of 955 participants were included in the analysis. The average age was 60.5 years (standard deviation 13.8 years) and 51.1% were females. Glaucoma was diagnosed by the clinician in at least one eye in 16.8% of participants; 37.9% of participants were discharged after the first visit. Regarding diagnosing glaucoma, HRT-MRA had the highest sensitivity 87.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 80.2% to 92.1% but the lowest specificity (63.9%, 95% CI 60.2% to 67.4%) and GDx had the lowest sensitivity (35.1%, 95% CI 27.0% to 43.8%) but the highest specificity (97.2%, 95% CI 95.6% to 98.3%). HRT-GPS had sensitivity of 81.5% (95% CI 73.9% to 87.6%) and specificity of 67.7% (95% CI 64.2% to 71.2%) and OCT had sensitivity of 76.9% (95% CI 69.2% to 83.4%) and specificity of 78.5% (95% CI 75.4% to 81.4%). Regarding triage accuracy, triage using HRT-GPS had the highest sensitivity (86.0%, 95% CI 82.8% to 88.7%) but the lowest specificity (39.1%, 95% CI 34.0% to 44.5%), GDx had the lowest sensitivity (64.7%, 95% CI 60.7% to 68.7%) but the highest specificity (53.6%, 95% CI 48.2% to 58.9%). Introducing a composite triage station into the referral pathway to identify appropriate referrals was cost-effective. All triage strategies resulted in a cost reduction compared with standard care (consultant-led diagnosis) but with an associated reduction in effectiveness. GDx was the least costly and least effective strategy. OCT and HRT-GPS were not cost-effective. Compared with GDx, the cost per QALY gained for HRT-MRA is £22,904. The cost per QALY gained with current practice is £156,985 compared with HRT-MRA. Large savings could be made by implementing HRT-MRA but some benefit to patients will be forgone. The results were sensitive to the triage costs.
Automated imaging can be effective to aid glaucoma diagnosis among individuals referred from the community to hospital eye services. A model of care using a triage composite test appears to be cost-effective.
There are uncertainties about glaucoma progression under routine care and the cost of providing health care. The acceptability of implementing a triage test needs to be explored.
The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of cattle and act as vectors for disease-causing microorganisms. Conventional tick control is based on the ...application of chemical acaricides; however, their uncontrolled use has increased resistant tick populations, as well as food and environmental contamination. Alternative immunological tick control has shown to be partially effective. Therefore, there is a need to characterize novel antigens in order to improve immunological protection. The aim of this work was to evaluate Cys-loop receptors as vaccine candidates. N-terminal domains of a glutamate receptor and of a glycine-like receptor were recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli. Groups of BALB/c mice were independently immunized with four doses of each recombinant protein emulsified with Freund's adjuvant. Both vaccine candidates were immunogenic in mice as demonstrated by western blot analysis. Next, recombinant proteins were independently formulated with the adjuvant Montanide ISA 50 V2 and evaluated in cattle infested with Rhipicephalus microplus tick larvae. Groups of three European crossbred calves were immunized with three doses of each adjuvanted protein. ELISA test was used to evaluate the IgG immune response elicited against the recombinant proteins. Results showed that vaccine candidates generated a moderate humoral response on vaccinated cattle. Vaccination significantly affected the number of engorged adult female ticks, having no significant effects on tick weight, egg weight and egg fertility values. Vaccine efficacies of 33% and 25% were calculated for the glutamate receptor and the glycine-like receptor, respectively.
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