Electroweak axion string and superconductivity

We study the axion strings with the electroweak gauge flux in the DFSZ axion model and show that these strings, called the electroweak axion strings, can exhibit superconductivity without fermionic zero modes. We construct three types of electroweak axion string solutions. Among them, the string with $W$-flux can be lightest in some parameter space, which leads to a stable superconducting cosmic string. We also show that a large electric current can flow along the string due to the Peccei-Quinn scale much higher than the electroweak scale. This large current induces a net attractive force between the axion strings with the same topological charge, which opens a novel possibility that the axion strings form Y-junctions in the early universe.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures; v3: published versio

Leptonic CP asymmetry and Light flavored scalar

We consider a situation where right-handed neutrinos couple to a light scalar which is possibly a Nambu-Goldstone boson resulting from high-energy symmetry breaking. Its coupling is typically complex-valued and flavor-dependent. In this work, we investigate the possibility of the leptonic asymmetry generation in the Universe from tree-level right-handed neutrino decay to flavorful light scalar. Furthermore a new source of asymmetry generation from a single decay process is pointed out, which is characteristic of the present setting.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figure

Clonal origin of Epstein-Barr virus-infected T/NK-cell subpopulations in chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection

Clonal expansion of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected B-cells occasionally occurs in immunocompromized subjects. EBV-infected T/natural killer (NK)-cells proliferate in patients with chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) that is a rare mononucleosis syndrome. It is classified into either T-cell type or NK-cell type according to the primary target of infection, while the pathogenesis remains unclear. To search the clonal origin of EBV-infected T/NK-cells, virus distribution and clonotype were assessed by using highly purified cell fractions obtained from 6 patients. Patient 1 had a monoclonal proliferation of EBV-infected T-cell receptor Vδ2/Vγ9-expressing cells, and carried lower copy number of EBV in αβT-cells. Patients 2 and 3 had a clonal expansion of EBV-infected CD4+T-cells, and lower EBV load in CD56+cells. Patients 4, 5 and 6 had an expansion of CD56+cells with higher EBV load than CD3+cells. EBV-terminal repeats were determined as clonal bands in the minor targeted populations of 5 patients. The size of terminal repeats indicated the same clonotype in minor subsets as in major subsets of 4 patients. However, EBV was not detected in bone marrow-derived lineage negative CD34+cells of patients. These results suggested that EBV could infect T/NK-cells at differentiation stage, but spared bone marrow CD34+hematopoietic stem cells in CAEBV patients

Quantum current dissipation in superconducting strings and vortons

In this work, the current stability is discussed for cosmic strings with the bosonic superconductivity. A non-vanishing curvature of string generally induce the quantum instability of the current-carrying particle. Its decay rates are explored for various types of model parameters, curved string shapes, and decay processes. As a cosmological application, the stability is examined for superconducting strings in the string network and also for cosmic vortons by evaluating their cosmological evolution. The zero mode and hence the vorton cannot be stable in various cases, e.g., with a hierarchy between the current-carrying particle mass off the string and the string tension or with sizable couplings of the current-carrying particle to light species such as the Standard Model particles.Comment: 42 pages, 14 figures, 1 tabl

Peptide ligand screening of α-synuclein aggregation modulators by in silico panning

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>α-Synuclein is a Parkinson's-disease-related protein. It forms aggregates <it>in vivo</it>, and these aggregates cause cell cytotoxicity. Aggregation inhibitors are expected to reduce α-synuclein cytotoxicity, and an aggregation accelerator has recently been reported to reduce α-synuclein cytotoxicity. Therefore, amyloid aggregation modulating ligands are expected to serve as therapeutic medicines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We screened peptide ligands against α-synuclein by <it>in silico </it>panning, a method which we have proposed previously. In this study, we selected as the target a very hydrophobic region known as the amyloid-core-forming region. Since this region cannot be dissolved in water, it is difficult to carry out the <it>in vitro </it>screening of its peptide ligand. We carried out 6 rounds of <it>in silico </it>panning using a genetic algorithm and a docking simulation. After the <it>in silico </it>panning, we evaluated the top peptides screened <it>in silico </it>by <it>in vitro </it>assay. These peptides were capable of binding to α-synuclein.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrated that it is possible to screen α-synuclein-binding peptides by <it>in silico </it>panning. The screened peptides bind to α-synuclein, thus affecting the aggregation of α-synuclein.</p