362 research outputs found
Updated Post-WMAP Benchmarks for Supersymmetry
We update a previously-proposed set of supersymmetric benchmark scenarios,
taking into account the precise constraints on the cold dark matter density
obtained by combining WMAP and other cosmological data, as well as the LEP and
b -> s gamma constraints. We assume that R parity is conserved and work within
the constrained MSSM (CMSSM) with universal soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar
and gaugino masses m_0 and m_1/2. In most cases, the relic density calculated
for the previous benchmarks may be brought within the WMAP range by reducing
slightly m_0, but in two cases more substantial changes in m_0 and m_1/2 are
made. Since the WMAP constraint reduces the effective dimensionality of the
CMSSM parameter space, one may study phenomenology along `WMAP lines' in the
(m_1/2, m_0) plane that have acceptable amounts of dark matter. We discuss the
production, decays and detectability of sparticles along these lines, at the
LHC and at linear e+ e- colliders in the sub- and multi-TeV ranges, stressing
the complementarity of hadron and lepton colliders, and with particular
emphasis on the neutralino sector. Finally, we preview the accuracy with which
one might be able to predict the density of supersymmetric cold dark matter
using collider measurements.Comment: 43 pages LaTeX, 13 eps figure
Analysis of the Neutralino System in Three--Body Leptonic Decays of Neutralinos
Neutralinos in supersymmetric theories, the spin--1/2
Majorana--type superpartners of the U(1) and SU(2) neutral electroweak gauge
bosons and SU(2) neutral Higgs bosons, are expected to be among light
supersymmetric particles so that they can be produced copiouslyvia direct pair
production and/or from cascade decays of other sparticles such as sleptons at
the planned Large Hadron Collider and the prospective International Linear
Collider. Considering the prospects of having both highly polarized neutralinos
and possibility of reconstructing their decay rest frames, we provide a
systematic investigation of the three--body leptonic decays of the neutralinos
in the minimal supersymmetric standard model and demonstrate alternative ways
for probing the Majorana nature of the neutralinos and CP violation in the
neutralino system.Comment: Version to appear in Eur.Phys.J.
Modeling Linkage Disequilibrium Increases Accuracy of Polygenic Risk Scores
Polygenic risk scores have shown great promise in predicting complex disease risk and will become more accurate as training sample sizes increase. The standard approach for calculating risk scores involves linkage disequilibrium (LD)-based marker pruning and applying a p value threshold to association statistics, but this discards information and can reduce predictive accuracy. We introduce LDpred, a method that infers the posterior mean effect size of each marker by using a prior on effect sizes and LD information from an external reference panel. Theory and simulations show that LDpred outperforms the approach of pruning followed by thresholding, particularly at large sample sizes. Accordingly, predicted R(2) increased from 20.1% to 25.3% in a large schizophrenia dataset and from 9.8% to 12.0% in a large multiple sclerosis dataset. A similar relative improvement in accuracy was observed for three additional large disease datasets and for non-European schizophrenia samples. The advantage of LDpred over existing methods will grow as sample sizes increase
Ibrutinib versus Ofatumumab in Previously Treated Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia
Background In patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a short duration of response to therapy or adverse cytogenetic abnormalities are associated with a poor outcome. We evaluated the efficacy of ibrutinib, a covalent inhibitor of Bruton\u27s tyrosine kinase, in patients at risk for a poor outcome. Methods In this multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study, we randomly assigned 391 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL or SLL to receive daily ibrutinib or the anti-CD20 antibody ofatumumab. The primary end point was the duration of progression-free survival, with the duration of overall survival and the overall response rate as secondary end points. Results At a median follow-up of 9.4 months, ibrutinib significantly improved progression-free survival; the median duration was not reached in the ibrutinib group (with a rate of progression-free survival of 88% at 6 months), as compared with a median of 8.1 months in the ofatumumab group (hazard ratio for progression or death in the ibrutinib group, 0.22;
Consensus Nomenclature for Reporting Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Data: Consensus on Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Nomenclature Study Group
© 2019 American Academy of Ophthalmology Purpose: To establish a process to evaluate and standardize a state-of-the-art nomenclature for reporting neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) data. Design: Consensus meeting. Participants: An international panel of retina specialists, imaging and image reading center experts, and ocular pathologists. Methods: During several meetings organized under the auspices of the Macula Society, an international study group discussed and codified a set nomenclature framework for classifying the subtypes of neovascular AMD and associated lesion components. Main Outcome Measures: A consensus classification of neovascular AMD. Results: The study group created a standardized working definition of AMD. The components of neovascular AMD were defined and subclassified. Disease consequences of macular neovascularization were delineated. Conclusions: The framework of a consensus nomenclature system, a definition of AMD, and a delineation of the subtypes of neovascular AMD were developed. Establishing a uniform set of definitions will facilitate comparison of diverse patient groups and different studies. The framework presented is modified and updated readily, processes that are anticipated to occur on a periodic basis. The study group suggests that the consensus standards outlined in this article be used in future reported studies of neovascular AMD and clinical practice
Use of teledermatology by dermatology hospitalists is effective in the diagnosis and management of inpatient disease.
BACKGROUND:Patient outcomes are improved when dermatologists provide inpatient consults. Inpatient access to dermatologists is limited, illustrating an opportunity to utilize teledermatology. Little is known about the ability of dermatologists to accurately diagnose and manage inpatients using teledermatology, particularly utilizing non-dermatologist generated clinical data. METHODS:This prospective study assessed the ability of teledermatology to diagnose and manage 41 dermatology consults from a large urban tertiary care center utilizing internal medicine referral documentation and photos. Twenty-seven dermatology hospitalists were surveyed. Interrater agreement was assessed by the kappa statistic. RESULTS:There was substantial agreement between in-person and teledermatology assessment of the diagnosis with differential diagnosis (median kappa = 0.83), substantial agreement in laboratory work-up decisions (median kappa = 0.67), almost perfect agreement in imaging decisions (median kappa = 1.0), and moderate agreement in biopsy decisions (median kappa = 0.43). There was almost perfect agreement in treatment (median kappa = 1.0), but no agreement in follow-up planning (median kappa = 0.0). There was no association between raw photo quality and the primary plus differential diagnosis or primary diagnosis alone. LIMITATIONS:Selection bias and single-center nature. CONCLUSIONS:Teledermatology may be effective in the inpatient setting, with concordant diagnosis, evaluation, and management decisions
Two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at = 2.76 TeV
The first measurement of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb
collisions at TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is
presented. We observe a growing trend with energy now not only for the
longitudinal and the outward but also for the sideward pion source radius. The
pion homogeneity volume and the decoupling time are significantly larger than
those measured at RHIC.Comment: 17 pages, 5 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 12,
published version, figures at
http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/388
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