Country-specific birth weight and length in type 1 diabetes high-risk HLA genotypes in combination with prenatal characteristics

Objective:To examine the relationship between high-risk human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes for type 1 diabetes and birth size in combination with prenatal characteristics in different countries.Study Design:Four high-risk HLA genotypes were enrolled in the Environmental determinants of Diabetes in the Young study newborn babies from the general population in Finland, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Stepwise regression analyses were used to adjust for country, parental physical characteristics and environmental factors during pregnancy.Result:Regression analyses did not reveal differences in birth size between the four type 1 diabetes high-risk HLA genotypes. Compared with DQ 4/8 in each country, (1) DQ 2/2 children were heavier in the United States (P=0.028) mostly explained however, by parental weight; (2) DQ 2/8 (P=0.023) and DQ 8/8 (P=0.046) children were longer in Sweden independent of parents height and as well as (3) in the United States for DQ 2/8 (P=0.023), but again dependent on parental height.Conclusion:Children born with type 1 diabetes high-risk HLA genotypes have comparable birth size. Longitudinal follow-up of these children should reveal whether birth size differences between countries contribute to the risk for islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes.Journal of Perinatology advance online publication, 28 April 2011; doi:10.1038/jp.2011.26

Observation of WZ Production

We report the first observation of the associated production of a W boson and a Z boson. This result is based on 1.1 fb-1 of integrated luminosity from ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We observe 16 WZ candidates passing our event selection with an expected background of 2.7 +/- 0.4 events. A fit to the missing transverse energy distribution indicates an excess of events compared to the background expectation corresponding to a significance equivalent to six standard deviations. The measured cross section is sigma(ppbar -> WZ) = 5.0^{+1.8}_{-1.6} pb, consistent with the standard model expectation.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of the Top-Quark Mass in All-Hadronic Decays in p pbar Collisions at CDF II

We present a measurement of the top-quark mass, $M_{\mathrm{top}}$, in the all-hadronic decay channel $t\bar{t} \to W^+b W^- \bar{b} \to q_1\bar{q}_2 b q_3 \bar{q}_4 \bar{b}$. The analysis is performed using 310 pb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}$=1.96 TeV $p\bar{p}$ collisions collected with the CDF II detector using a multi-jet trigger. The mass measurement is based on an event-by-event likelihood which depends on both the sample purity and the value of the top-quark mass, using 90 possible jet-to-parton assignments in the six-jet final state. The joint likelihood of 290 selected events yields a value of $M_{\mathrm{top}}$=177.1 $\pm$ 4.9 (stat.) $\pm$ 4.7 (syst.) GeV/$c^2$.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures and 1 table, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Ideological Labels in America

This paper extends Ellis and Stimson’s (Ideology in America. New York: Cambridge UniversityPress, 2012) study of the operational-symbolic paradox using issue-level measures of ideological incongruence based on respondent positions and symbolic labels for these positions across 14 issues. Like Ellis and Stimson, we find that substantial numbers—over 30 %—of Americans experience conflicted conservatism. Our issue-level data reveal, furthermore, that conflicted conservatism is most common on the issues of education and welfare spending. In addition, we also find that 20 % of Americans exhibit conflicted liberalism. We then replicate Ellis and Stimson’s finding that conflicted conservatism is associated with low sophistication and religiosity, but also find that it is associated with being socialized in a post-1960s generation and using Fox News as a main news source. Finally, we show the important role played by identities, with both conflicted conservatism and conflicted liberalism linked with partisan and ideological identities, and conflicted liberalism additionally associated with ethnic identities

Epithelial-immune cell interplay in primary Sjogren syndrome salivary gland pathogenesis

In primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS), the function of the salivary glands is often considerably reduced. Multiple innate immune pathways are likely dysregulated in the salivary gland epithelium in pSS, including the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway, the inflammasome and interferon signalling. The ductal cells of the salivary gland in pSS are characteristically surrounded by a CD4(+) T cell-rich and B cell-rich infiltrate, implying a degree of communication between epithelial cells and immune cells. B cell infiltrates within the ducts can initiate the development of lymphoepithelial lesions, including basal ductal cell hyperplasia. Vice versa, the epithelium provides chronic activation signals to the glandular B cell fraction. This continuous stimulation might ultimately drive the development of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. This Review discusses changes in the cells of the salivary gland epithelium in pSS (including acinar, ductal and progenitor cells), and the proposed interplay of these cells with environmental stimuli and the immune system. Current therapeutic options are insufficient to address both lymphocytic infiltration and salivary gland dysfunction. Successful rescue of salivary gland function in pSS will probably demand a multimodal therapeutic approach and an appreciation of the complicity of the salivary gland epithelium in the development of pSS. Salivary gland dysfunction is an important characteristic of primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS). In this Review, the authors discuss various epithelial abnormalities in pSS and the mechanisms by which epithelial cell-immune cell interactions contribute to disease development and progression

Measurement of the Inclusive Jet Cross Section using the k_T algorithm in pp-bar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV with the CDF II Detector

We report on measurements of the inclusive jet production cross section as a function of the jet transverse momentum in pp-bar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV}, using the k_T algorithm and a data sample corresponding to 1.0 fb^-1 collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab in Run II. The measurements are carried out in five different jet rapidity regions with |yjet| < 2.1 and transverse momentum in the range 54 < \ptjet < 700 GeV/c. Next-to-leading order perturbative QCD predictions are in good agreement with the measured cross sections.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Search for Wprime Boson Decaying to Electron-Neutrino Pairs in pbarp Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We present the results of a search for Wprime boson decaying to electron-neutrino pairs in pbarp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV, using a data sample corresponding to 205 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at Fermilab. We observe no evidence for this decay mode and set limits on the production cross section times branching fraction, assuming the neutrinos from Wprime boson decays to be light. If we assume the manifest left-right symmetric model, we exclude a Wprime boson with mass less than 788 GeV/c^2 at the 95% confidence level.Comment: submitted to Physical Review D Rapid Communcatio

Search for Excited and Exotic Muons in the mu+gamma Decay Channel in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for excited and exotic muon states mu*, conducted using an integrated luminosity of 371 pb^{-1} of data collected in p-pbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV at the Tevatron with the CDF II detector. We search for associated production of mu+mu* followed by the decay mu* -> mu+gamma, resulting in the mu+mu+gamma final state. We compare the data to model predictions as a function of the mass of the excited muon M(mu*), the compositeness energy scale Lambda, and the gauge coupling factor f. No signal above the standard model expectation is observed in the mu+gamma mass spectrum. In the contact interaction model, we exclude 107 < M(mu*) < 853 GeV/c^2 for Lambda = M(mu*); in the gauge-mediated model, we exclude 100 < M(mu) < 410 GeV/c^2 for f/Lambda = 0.01/GeV. These 95% confidence level exclusions extend previous limits and are the first hadron collider results on mu* production in the gauge-mediated model.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., 7 pages, 4 Figure

Search for excited and exotic muons in the mu gamma decay channel in p(p)over-bar collisions root s=1.96 TeV

We search for excited and exotic muon states mu(*) using an integrated luminosity of 371 pb(-1) of p (p) over bar collision data at root s=1.96 TeV. We search for associated production of mu mu(*) followed by the decay mu(*)-\u3emu gamma. We compare the data to model predictions as a function of the mass of the excited muon M-mu(*), the compositeness energy scale Lambda, and the gauge coupling factor f. No signal above the standard model expectation is observed. We exclude 107 \u3c M-mu(*)\u3c 853 GeV/c(2) for Lambda=M-mu(*) in the contact interaction model, and 100 \u3c M-mu(*)\u3c 410 GeV/c(2) for f/Lambda=10(-2) GeV-1 in the gauge-mediated model, both at the 95% confidence level