Measurement of the associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into b-quarks with a vector boson at high transverse momentum in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson decaying into leptons and where the Higgs boson decays to a bb¯ pair is measured in the high vector-boson transverse momentum regime, above 250 GeV, with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1, were collected in proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV. The measured signal strength, defined as the ratio of the measured signal yield to that predicted by the Standard Model, is 0.72−0.36+0.39 corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.1 (2.7) standard deviations. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into b quark pairs with a W or Z gauge boson, decaying into leptons, are measured in two exclusive vector boson transverse momentum regions, 250–400 GeV and above 400 GeV, and interpreted as constraints on anomalous couplings in the framework of a Standard Model effective field theory.</p

Measurements of multijet event isotropies using optimal transport with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of novel event shapes quantifying the isotropy of collider events is performed in 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions with s = 13 TeV centre-of-mass energy recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. These event shapes are defined as the Wasserstein distance between collider events and isotropic reference geometries. This distance is evaluated by solving optimal transport problems, using the ‘Energy-Mover’s Distance’. Isotropic references with cylindrical and circular symmetries are studied, to probe the symmetries of interest at hadron colliders. The novel event-shape observables defined in this way are infrared- and collinear-safe, have improved dynamic range and have greater sensitivity to isotropic radiation patterns than other event shapes. The measured event-shape variables are corrected for detector effects, and presented in inclusive bins of jet multiplicity and the scalar sum of the two leading jets’ transverse momenta. The measured distributions are provided as inputs to future Monte Carlo tuning campaigns and other studies probing fundamental properties of QCD and the production of hadronic final states up to the TeV-scale.</p

Implementation of corticosteroids in treatment of COVID-19 in the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK: prospective, cohort study

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone was the first intervention proven to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 being treated in hospital. We aimed to evaluate the adoption of corticosteroids in the treatment of COVID-19 in the UK after the RECOVERY trial publication on June 16, 2020, and to identify discrepancies in care. METHODS: We did an audit of clinical implementation of corticosteroids in a prospective, observational, cohort study in 237 UK acute care hospitals between March 16, 2020, and April 14, 2021, restricted to patients aged 18 years or older with proven or high likelihood of COVID-19, who received supplementary oxygen. The primary outcome was administration of dexamethasone, prednisolone, hydrocortisone, or methylprednisolone. This study is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN66726260. FINDINGS: Between June 17, 2020, and April 14, 2021, 47 795 (75·2%) of 63 525 of patients on supplementary oxygen received corticosteroids, higher among patients requiring critical care than in those who received ward care (11 185 [86·6%] of 12 909 vs 36 415 [72·4%] of 50 278). Patients 50 years or older were significantly less likely to receive corticosteroids than those younger than 50 years (adjusted odds ratio 0·79 [95% CI 0·70-0·89], p=0·0001, for 70-79 years; 0·52 [0·46-0·58], p80 years), independent of patient demographics and illness severity. 84 (54·2%) of 155 pregnant women received corticosteroids. Rates of corticosteroid administration increased from 27·5% in the week before June 16, 2020, to 75-80% in January, 2021. INTERPRETATION: Implementation of corticosteroids into clinical practice in the UK for patients with COVID-19 has been successful, but not universal. Patients older than 70 years, independent of illness severity, chronic neurological disease, and dementia, were less likely to receive corticosteroids than those who were younger, as were pregnant women. This could reflect appropriate clinical decision making, but the possibility of inequitable access to life-saving care should be considered. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research and UK Medical Research Council.</p

DEIMOS spectroscopy of z = 6 protocluster candidate in COSMOS - a massive protocluster embedded in a large-scale structure?

We present the results of our Keck/DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph spectroscopic follow-up of candidate galaxies of i-band-dropout protocluster candidate galaxies at z ∼6 in the COSMOS field. We securely detect Lyman α emission lines in 14 of the 30 objects targeted, 10 of them being at z = 6 with a signal-to-noise ratio of 5-20; the remaining galaxies are either non-detections or interlopers with redshift too different from z = 6 to be part of the protocluster. The 10 galaxies at z ≈ 6 make the protocluster one of the riches at z > 5. The emission lines exhibit asymmetric profiles with high skewness values ranging from 2.87 to 31.75, with a median of 7.37. This asymmetry is consistent with them being Ly α, resulting in a redshift range of z = 5.85-6.08. Using the spectroscopic redshifts, we recalculate the overdensity map for the COSMOS field and find the galaxies to be in a significant overdensity at the 4σ level, with a peak overdensity of δ= 11.8 (compared to the previous value of δ= 9.2). The protocluster galaxies have stellar masses derived from Bagpipes spectral energy distribution fits of and star formation rates of, placing them on the main sequence at this epoch. Using a stellar-to-halo-mass relationship, we estimate the dark matter halo mass of the most massive halo in the protocluster to be. By comparison with halo mass evolution tracks from simulations, the protocluster is expected to evolve into a Virgo- or Coma-like cluster in the present day.</p

Rights and Duties of Individuals in International Law and the Challenge of Domestic Application in Pakistan

This chapter examines the evolving status of individuals and groups, such as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), in international law, with a specific focus on the challenges of domestic application in Pakistan. It aims to address the issue of how individuals, traditionally not considered primary subjects of international law, have acquired rights and obligations, as well as the implications of this shift. The chapter argues that while individuals have increasingly been recognised as subjects of international law with certain rights and capacities, significant limitations and challenges remain, particularly in the context of enforcement and domestic application, as illustrated by Pakistan’s state practice and legislation. The chapter first provides an overview of the evolution of individuals’ status in international law, followed by an analysis of their rights and capacities under various international treaties. It then examines the specific case of Pakistan, highlighting the gaps and challenges in implementing international conventions domestically. The chapter concludes that despite recognising individuals’ rights in international law, enforcement mechanisms are often weak, and domestic implementation remains inconsistent. In Pakistan, further efforts are needed to align national laws with international obligations. These findings underscore the need for stronger international and domestic mechanisms to protect and realise individuals’ rights.</p

‘We’re saying that we trust them but really we don’t’

One key consequence of the UK leaving the EU (Brexit) is that it now has full responsibility for making its own international trade policy. In this context, NatCen and the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy initiated Citizens’ Juries on the topic of trade policy. From the transcripts of these juries, we created a corpus of 317,974 words. Using corpus-assisted discourse analysis, we focus on the concept of trust in trade policy. We find that trust conferred on actors in trade policy is limited. The greatest degree of trust is conferred on experts, on account of their epistemically-elevated position. The government is broadly not trusted. Jurors wished to be consulted about trade policy decisions and be assured that they are based on sound advice, but few wished to have a role in actually making them. Our findings highlight a deficit of trust among the jurors that could be remedied by greater perceived honesty and transparency from the government.</p

The framework convention for the protection of national minorities and the Northern Ireland peace process

This chapter examines the shift in the role of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) over the last three decades in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process, demonstrating the ongoing politicisation of language, culture and identity rights to the present day. The chapter specifically addresses the recent recognition of Ulster Scots as a national minority in the UK, utilising a longitudinal perspective to analyse changes in the role and perceptions of the FCNM over time in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process. The chapter provides illustrations of the continued significance and adaptability of the FCNM, as well as discussing the ongoing politicisation over its application in a very specific historical and geopolitical context. This chapter illustrates the power of minority rights to continue to evolve through particularisation, as well as the need for caution against over-simplification and conflation of issues and identities in the process.</p

A resilience-based alcohol education intervention for adolescents in the UK

Background: Alcohol education often encourages avoidance of excessive drinking, but is rarely designed to help young people to develop the skills required to manage alcohol in social situations. A resilience-based approach could help young people to limit alcohol intake by encouraging the development of skills to manage alcohol in social situations. Methods: We developed a two-lesson school-based intervention designed to model, and facilitate discussion of, moderate drinking. A prospective longitudinal design was used to examine the intervention impact on personal resilience, drink-refusal self-efficacy (DRSE), and intended and actual alcohol intake. The sample consisted of 16-18 year olds in intervention schools and 2 control schools (total N = 500). Findings: Analyses provide important information about students’ responses to the new classroom materials. Comparisons between intervention and control schools indicate that these new lessons may have an important impact on resilience, DRSE, and alcohol intake. Discussion: Resilience-based interventions employing realistic models of behaviour may be an important complement to existing alcohol education in facilitating healthy behaviours among young people, particularly in cultures of normative alcohol use.</p

Under one roof: the social relations and relational work of energy retrofit for the occupants of multi-owned properties

In the UK a significant proportion of Multi-Owned Properties (MoPs) – characterised by buildings segmented into individually owned flats – must undergo retrofitting to achieve net zero emissions. Despite this requirement, advancement has been minimal, with existing government policy failing to consider a pivotal role of social dynamics among residents in the retrofit decision-making process. This research adopts an innovative perspective grounded in relational sociology, leveraging Viviana A. Zelizer's concept of ‘relational work’ and integrating two of the three types of social relations identified by Hargreaves and Middlemiss' (intimacy and institutions) to dissect the retrofit challenges faced by owners of historic MoPs in South Glasgow, UK. The study reveals that the necessity for heightened relational work among property owners acts as a barrier to retrofit initiative. Nevertheless, it identifies potential pathway to invigorate the retrofit sector by enhancing neighbourly connections and recognising the influential, yet underexplored, role of property managers in facilitating retrofit activities within MoPs. This inquiry not only underscores the significance of social relations in environmental retrofit projects but also suggests a re-evaluation of policy frameworks to accommodate the social intricacies inherent in MoPs, thereby fostering a more conducive environment for achieving net-zero targets.</p

Universal signature of quantum entanglement across cosmological distances

Although the paradigm of inflation has been extensively studied to demonstrate how macroscopic inhomogeneities in our Universe originate from quantum fluctuations, most of the established literature ignores the crucial role that entanglement between the modes of the fluctuating field plays in its observable predictions. In this paper, we import techniques from quantum information theory to reveal hitherto undiscovered predictions for inflation which, in turn, signals how quantum entanglement across cosmological scales can affect large scale structure. Our key insight is that observable long-wavelength modes must be part of an open quantum system, so that the quantum fluctuations can decohere in the presence of an environment of short-wavelength modes. By assuming the simplest model of single-field inflation, and considering the leading order interaction term from the gravitational action, we derive a universal lower bound on the observable effect of such inescapable entanglement. Although this signal is too weak for direct detection in the foreseeable future, we discuss the importance of its theoretical implications.</p