Probing highly collimated photon-jets with deep learning

Many extensions of the standard model (SM) predict the existence of axion-like particles and/or dark Higgs in the sub-GeV scale. Two new sub-GeV particles, a scalar and a pseudoscalar, produced through the Higgs boson exotic decays, are investigated. The decay signatures of these two new particles with highly collimated photons in the final states are discriminated from the ones of SM backgrounds using the Convolutional Neural Networks and Boosted Decision Trees techniques. The sensitivities of searching for such new physics signatures at the Large Hadron Collider are obtained

Burden of Glaucoma in the United Kingdom: A Multicenter Analysis of United Kingdom Glaucoma Services

OBJECTIVE: ,To determine the spectrum of glaucoma-associated health care resource utilization among outpatients attending National Health Service (NHS) hospital glaucoma clinics and the costs of managing glaucoma in this setting. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study using electronic medical record data. SUBJECTS: Patients aged ≥ 18 years attending 5 NHS glaucoma clinics in the United Kingdom (2013‒2018) with ≥ 12 months of continuous electronic medical record data. METHODS: Deidentified Medisoft Ophthalmology electronic medical record data (January 2013‒December 2018) from 43 742 eligible patients were categorized by year of clinic visit. Extracted information included patient demographics, glaucoma diagnoses, topical glaucoma medication prescription start/stop dates, types/numbers of glaucoma clinic visits, glaucoma investigations (visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field, and OCT), and glaucoma procedures received over 12 months after the first (“index”) visit of the specified year. Direct glaucoma-related health care costs (clinic visits, investigations, procedures, and ongoing glaucoma medication initiated in the clinic) were estimated from event volumes and unit costs (UK national tariffs) and expressed from the direct-payer perspective. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Glaucoma diagnoses and topical glaucoma medication use at the index clinic visit; numbers of glaucoma clinic visits, investigations and procedures; and glaucoma-related health care costs over 12 months postindex. RESULTS: For the 2016 cohort (n = 21 719), the estimated average total cost of NHS-provided glaucoma care over 12 months was £405 per patient (medical staff services £209, glaucoma investigations £126, glaucoma medication £40, glaucoma procedures £26). Among this cohort, 40.8% had ocular hypertension/suspected glaucoma, 70% had 0-to-mild visual field impairment, and 14% had undergone a glaucoma procedure. Over 12 months, patients received (mean) 2.0 glaucoma clinic visits and 1.5 visual field tests, and 7% underwent glaucoma procedure(s). Results were similar for the other years examined. CONCLUSIONS: Cost estimates for managing patients with glaucoma in the UK are required for effective service planning. Appreciable proportions of patients managed in NHS glaucoma clinics may be considered at low risk of blindness (glaucoma suspects and those with ocular hypertension with mild visual field loss) and may be more appropriately managed with alternative, more affordable models of care

Correlation between Office Locations, Corporate Governance and Business Performance

The concept of “corporate governance” developed in an era marked by global economic liberalization, continuing enterprise expansion, and separation enterprise ownership and management trends. Good corporate governance is important to enhance corporate value and national competitiveness. “Locations” refer to spaces wherein human social activities are held. Office activities have become important economic human activities, and enterprise headquarters are the primary places where enterprises issue orders, carry out corporate control, and make decisions. Hence, they are vital to the overall operation of enterprises. Do the locations of enterprise headquarters influence corporate governance quality, and thus, the overall business performance of enterprises? This research analyzes Taiwan's listed and over-the-counter companies. As per empirical results: (1) Corporate business performance significantly correlates with corporate governance and office locations, with a significant difference between various areas, and (2) the quality of corporate governance of Taiwanese enterprises significantly correlates and varies with their office locations. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Business Performance, Location Theory JEL Classifications: G34, M10, R3

Wnt/Lef1 signaling acts via Pitx2 to regulate somite myogenesis

AbstractWnt signaling has been implicated in somite, limb, and branchial arch myogenesis but the mechanisms and roles are not clear. We now show that Wnt signaling via Lef1 acts to regulate the number of premyogenic cells in somites but does not regulate myogenic initiation in the limb bud or maintenance in the first or second branchial arch. We have also analysed the function and regulation of a putative downstream transcriptional target of canonical Wnt signaling, Pitx2. We show that loss-of-function of Pitx2 decreases the number of myogenic cells in the somite, whereas overexpression increases myocyte number particularly in the epaxial region of the myotome. Increased numbers of mitotic cells were observed following overexpression of Pitx2 or an activated form of Lef1, suggesting an effect on cell proliferation. In addition, we show that Pitx2 expression is regulated by canonical Wnt signaling in the epaxial somite and second branchial arch, but not in the limb or the first branchial arch. These results suggest that Wnt/Lef1 signaling regulates epaxial myogenesis via Pitx2 but that this link is uncoupled in other regions of the body, emphasizing the unique molecular networks that control the development of various muscles in vertebrates

Dye-Affinity Nanofibrous Membrane for Adsorption of Lysozyme: Preparation and Performance Evaluation

Nanomembrana od poliakrilonitrila pripremljena je metodom elektropredenja. Nakon toplinske obrade i alkalne hidrolize, na membranu, koja je slabi ionski izmjenjivač, vezan je hitozan, a zatim je membrana kovalentno imobilizirana bojom Cibacron Blue F3GA. Ispitani su sljedeći parametri: promjer vlakana, propusnost i veličina pora membrane te gustoća imobilizirane boje. Osim toga, u šaržnom je postupku ispitana sposobnost membrane da veže lizozim promjenom različitih parametara, kao što su: pH-vrijednost, masa hitozana po volumenu otopine, koncentracija boje, snaga ionske veze i temperatura. Rezultati ispitivanja primijenjeni su za pročišćavanje lizozima iz bjelanjka kokošjeg jajeta pomoću membranske kromatografije. Dobiveni podaci pokazuju da je u jednom stupnju procesa učinkovitost vezivanja lizozima bila 90 %, iskoristivost membrane 87 %, a lizozim je pročišćen 47 puta. Sposobnost vezivanja ostala je nepromijenjena tijekom pet ciklusa ponavljanja postupaka adsorpcije i desorpcije. Rad je pokazao da nanomembrana koja sadržava ligande što vežu boju pruža velike mogućnosti pročišćavanja lizozima izravno iz sirovine.Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous membrane was prepared by an electrospinning technique. After heat treatment and alkaline hydrolysis, the weak ion exchange membrane was grafted with chitosan molecule and then covalently immobilized with a Cibacron Blue F3GA (CB). Fibre diameter, porosity and pore size of the membrane and immobilized dye density were characterized. Furthermore, the membrane was applied to evaluate the binding performance of lysozyme under various operating parameters (pH, chitosan mass per volume ratio, dye concentration, ionic strength and temperature) in batch mode. The experimental results were directly applied to purify lysozyme from chicken egg white by membrane chromatography. The results showed that the capture efficiency, recovery yield and purification factor were 90 and 87 %, and 47-fold, respectively, in a single step. The binding capacity remained consistent after five repeated cycles of adsorption-desorption operations. This work demonstrates that the dye-affinity nanofibrous membrane holds great potential for purification of lysozyme from real feedstock

Lignocellulosic saccharification by a newly isolated bacterium, Ruminiclostridium thermocellum M3 and cellular cellulase activities for high ratio of glucose to cellobiose

Background: Lignocellulosic biomass is one of earth's most abundant resources, and it has great potential for biofuel production because it is renewable and has carbon-neutral characteristics. Lignocellulose is mainly composed of carbohydrate polymers (cellulose and hemicellulose), which contain approximately 75 % fermentable sugars for biofuel fermentation. However, saccharification by cellulases is always the main bottleneck for commercialization. Compared with the enzyme systems of fungi, bacteria have evolved distinct systems to directly degrade lignocellulose. However, most reported bacterial saccharification is not efficient enough without help from additional β-glucosidases. Thus, to enhance the economic feasibility of using lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production, it will be extremely important to develop a novel bacterial saccharification system that does not require the addition of β-glucosidases. Results: In this study, a new thermophilic bacterium named Ruminiclostridium thermocellum M3, which could directly saccharify lignocellulosic biomass, was isolated from horse manure. The results showed that R. thermocellum M3 can grow at 60 °C on a variety of carbon polymers, including microcrystalline cellulose, filter paper, and xylan. Upon utilization of these substrates, R. thermocellum M3 achieved an oligosaccharide yield of 481.5 ± 16.0 mg/g Avicel, and a cellular β-glucosidase activity of up to 0.38 U/mL, which is accompanied by a high proportion (approximately 97 %) of glucose during the saccharification. R. thermocellum M3 also showed potential in degrading natural lignocellulosic biomass, without additional pretreatment, to oligosaccharides, and the oligosaccharide yields using poplar sawdust, corn cobs, rice straw, and cornstalks were 52.7 ± 2.77, 77.8 ± 5.9, 89.4 ± 9.3, and 107.8 ± 5.88 mg/g, respectively. Conclusions: The newly isolated strain R. thermocellum M3 degraded lignocellulose and accumulated oligosaccharides. R. thermocellum M3 saccharified lignocellulosic feedstock without the need to add β-glucosidases or control the pH, and the high proportion of glucose production distinguishes it from all other known monocultures of cellulolytic bacteria. R. thermocellum M3 is a potential candidate for lignocellulose saccharification, and it is a valuable choice for the refinement of bioproducts

Taiwan Oscillation Network

The Taiwan Oscillation Network (TON) is a ground-based network to measure solar intensity oscillations to study the internal structure of the Sun. K-line full-disk images of 1000 pixels diameter are taken at a rate of one image per minute. Such data would provide information onp-modes withl as high as 1000. The TON will consist of six identical telescope systems at proper longitudes around the world. Three telescope systems have been installed at Teide Observatory (Tenerife), Huairou Solar Observing Station (near Beijing), and Big Bear Solar Observatory (California). The telescopes at these three sites have been taking data simultaneously since October of 1994. Anl – v diagram derived from 512 images is included to show the quality of the data