Single Leptoquark Solutions to the BB-physics Anomalies

We examine various scenarios in which the Standard Model is extended by a light leptoquark state to explain one or both $B$-physics anomalies. Combining low-energy constraints and direct searches at the LHC, we confirm that the only single leptoquark model that can explain both anomalies at the same time is a vector leptoquark, known as $U_1$. Focusing on $U_1$, we highlight the complementarity between LHC and low--energy constraints, and argue that improving the experimental bound on $\mathcal{B}(B\to K\mu\tau)$ by two orders of magnitude could compromise its viability as a solution to the $B$-physics anomalies.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, 1 table; contribution to the 2019 EW session of the 54th Rencontres de Moriond; based on arXiv:1808.0817

Should the Glidescope video laryngoscope be used first line for all oral intubations or only in those with a difficult airway? A review of current literature

The purpose of this study was to review literature that looked into the efficacy of the Glidescope video laryngoscope versus the Macintosh laryngoscope in oral endotracheal intubations. We aimed to answer the question 'Should the Glidescope video laryngoscope laryngoscopes be used as first line intubation aids or only in the difficult airway?’ A systematic search of electronic databases was made. The inclusion criteria included: Glidescope, video laryngoscope, and Macintosh laryngoscope in human studies. The study aimed to compare first attempt success rate, glottic view and intubation time in papers dating between 2009 and 2017. Eleven trials with a total of 7,919 patients with both difficult and normal airways were included. The trials showed an improvement in first attempt success rate and glottic view with the Glidescope video laryngoscope especially in those with difficult airways. Overall time to intubate showed no significant differences between the Glidescope video laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope although it was identified that with increased training and experience with the Glidescope video laryngoscope, intubation time was reduced. Glidescope video laryngoscopes show advantages over the Macintosh laryngoscopes in obtaining better glottic views in those with difficult airways. However its use is not supported in all routine intubations

Enzyme economy in metabolic networks

Metabolic systems are governed by a compromise between metabolic benefit and enzyme cost. This hypothesis and its consequences can be studied by kinetic models in which enzyme profiles are chosen by optimality principles. In enzyme-optimal states, active enzymes must provide benefits: a higher enzyme level must provide a metabolic benefit to justify the additional enzyme cost. This entails general relations between metabolic fluxes, reaction elasticities, and enzyme costs, the laws of metabolic economics. The laws can be formulated using economic potentials and loads, state variables that quantify how metabolites, reactions, and enzymes affect the metabolic performance in a steady state. Economic balance equations link them to fluxes, reaction elasticities, and enzyme levels locally in the network. Economically feasible fluxes must be free of futile cycles and must lead from lower to higher economic potentials, just like thermodynamics makes them lead from higher to lower chemical potentials. Metabolic economics provides algebraic conditions for economical fluxes, which are independent of the underlying kinetic models. It justifies and extends the principle of minimal fluxes and shows how to construct kinetic models in enzyme-optimal states, where all enzymes have a positive influence on the metabolic performance

Production of liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels by oligomerization of biomass-derived C9 alkenes

A process is described to produce renewable liquid fuels, similar to existing petroleum-derived transportation fuels, through the oligomerization over solid acid catalysts of C9-alkenes derived from γ-valerolactone (GVL). Larger, non-terminal alkenes are shown to be less reactive than short chain α-alkenes for oligomerization over solid acid sites, and Amberlyst-70 has been identified to be an active and stable catalyst with sufficient acidity to couple C9-alkenes. The inhibiting effect of water on alkene oligomerization can be minimized, because C9 alkenes derived from aqueous solutions of GVL separate spontaneously from water. The effect of other impurities arising from the cascade process for production of C9 alkenes from GVL, such as 5-nonanone and 5-nonanol, has been studied. Ketones are shown to be inert, while alcohols readily dehydrate on acid sites, producing an equivalent of water, which inhibits the rate of oligomerization. Small amounts of 5-nonanol present with C9-alkenes (< 1%) have a promotional effect, due to swelling of the catalyst by polar molecules; however, large amounts of 5-nonanol lead to inhibition of oligomerization. Other more reactive alkenes present in C9-alkenes produced from GVL, such as hexene and heptene isomers, compete for acid sites with the nonene feed. These smaller, more reactive alkenes are readily coupled at high conversion. Accordingly, with this process approximately 50 kg of liquid hydrocarbons can be produced from 100 kg of GVL retaining more than 90% of its energy content

Genomics Virtual Laboratory: a practical bioinformatics workbench for the cloud

Analyzing high throughput genomics data is a complex and compute intensive task, generally requiring numerous software tools and large reference data sets, tied together in successive stages of data transformation and visualisation. A computational platform enabling best practice genomics analysis ideally meets a number of requirements, including: a wide range of analysis and visualisation tools, closely linked to large user and reference data sets ; workflow platform(s) enabling accessible, reproducible, portable analyses, through a flexible set of interfaces ; highly available, scalable computational resources ; and flexibility and versatility in the use of these resources to meet demands and expertise of a variety of users. Access to an appropriate computational platform can be a significant barrier to researchers, as establishing such a platform requires a large upfront investment in hardware, experience, and expertise

Light-Front QCD(1+1) Coupled to Chiral Adjoint Fermions

We consider SU(N) gauge theory in 1+1 dimensions coupled to chiral fermions in the adjoint representation of the gauge group. With all fields in the adjoint representation the gauge group is actually SU(N)/Z_N, which possesses nontrivial topology. In particular, there are N distinct topological sectors and the physical vacuum state has a structure analogous to a \theta vacuum. We show how this feature is realized in light-front quantization for the case N=2, using discretization as an infrared regulator. In the discretized form of the theory the nontrivial vacuum structure is associated with the zero momentum mode of the gauge field A^+. We find exact expressions for the degenerate vacuum states and the analog of the \theta vacuum. The model also possess a condensate which we calculate. We discuss the difference between this chiral light-front theory and the theories that have previously been considered in the equal-time approach.Comment: 14 pages, RevTeX, two figures requiring BoxedEPS.tex. References added and some typos correcte