192 research outputs found
FASER: ForwArd Search ExpeRiment at the LHC
FASER, the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment, is a proposed experiment dedicated to
searching for light, extremely weakly-interacting particles at the LHC. Such
particles may be produced in the LHC's high-energy collisions in large numbers
in the far-forward region and then travel long distances through concrete and
rock without interacting. They may then decay to visible particles in FASER,
which is placed 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction point. In this work,
we describe the FASER program. In its first stage, FASER is an extremely
compact and inexpensive detector, sensitive to decays in a cylindrical region
of radius R = 10 cm and length L = 1.5 m. FASER is planned to be constructed
and installed in Long Shutdown 2 and will collect data during Run 3 of the 14
TeV LHC from 2021-23. If FASER is successful, FASER 2, a much larger successor
with roughly R ~ 1 m and L ~ 5 m, could be constructed in Long Shutdown 3 and
collect data during the HL-LHC era from 2026-35. FASER and FASER 2 have the
potential to discover dark photons, dark Higgs bosons, heavy neutral leptons,
axion-like particles, and many other long-lived particles, as well as provide
new information about neutrinos, with potentially far-ranging implications for
particle physics and cosmology. We describe the current status, anticipated
challenges, and discovery prospects of the FASER program.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted as Input to the European Particle
Physics Strategy Update 2018-2020 and draws on FASER's Letter of Intent,
Technical Proposal, and physics case documents (arXiv:1811.10243,
arXiv:1812.09139, and arXiv:1811.12522
Keeping Allergen Names Clear and Defined
The World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies (WHO/IUIS) Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee was established in 1986 by leading allergists to standardize names given to proteins that cause IgE-mediated reactions in humans. The Sub-Committee’s objective is to assign unique names to allergens based on a critical analysis of confidentially submitted biochemical and clinical data from researchers, often prior to publication to preserve consistency. The Sub-Committee maintains and revises the database as the understanding of allergens evolves. This report summarizes recent developments that led to updates in classification of cockroach group 1 and 5 allergens to animal as well as environmental and occupational allergens. Interestingly, routes, doses, and frequency of exposure often affects allergenicity as does the biochemical properties of the proteins and similarity to self and other proteins. Information required by the Sub-Committee now is more extensive than previously as technology has improved. Identification of new allergens requires identification of the amino acid sequence and physical characteristics of the protein as well as demonstration of IgE binding from subjects verified by described clinical histories, proof of the presence of the protein in relevant exposure substances, and demonstration of biological activity (skin prick tests, activation of basophils, or mast cells). Names are assigned based on taxonomy with the abbreviation of genus and species and assignment of a number, which reflects the priority of discovery, but more often now, the relationships with homologous proteins in related species
Motivations for Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination: A Comparative Study of Adolescent and Caregiver Perspectives in Germany
Given the crucial role of vaccination in halting the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to
understand the factors that motivate adolescents to get vaccinated. We surveyed adolescents and
their accompanying guardians scheduled to receive a COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) in an urban
region in Germany in mid-2021 regarding their motivation for getting vaccinated and collected data
on their sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, vaccination status, and any history of
COVID-19 infection in the family. We also queried information strategies related to the SARS-CoV-2
pandemic. Motivations for getting vaccinated were similar among adolescents and their parents.
The primary reasons for vaccination were protection against SARS-CoV-2-related illness and gaining
access to leisure facilities. This was not influenced by gender, health status, migration background, or
the presence of chronic or acute diseases. The percentage of parents who had received SARS-CoV-2
immunization and the proportion of parents with a high level of education were higher among study
participants than in the general population. Adolescents were especially willing to be vaccinated
if they came from a better educational environment and had a high vaccination rate in the family.
Emphasizing the importance of vaccination among all segments of the population and removing
barriers to vaccines may lead to an ameliorated acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines
Technical Proposal for FASER: ForwArd Search ExpeRiment at the LHC
FASER is a proposed small and inexpensive experiment designed to search for
light, weakly-interacting particles during Run 3 of the LHC from 2021-23. Such
particles may be produced in large numbers along the beam collision axis,
travel for hundreds of meters without interacting, and then decay to standard
model particles. To search for such events, FASER will be located 480 m
downstream of the ATLAS IP in the unused service tunnel TI12 and be sensitive
to particles that decay in a cylindrical volume with radius R=10 cm and length
L=1.5 m. FASER will complement the LHC's existing physics program, extending
its discovery potential to a host of new, light particles, with potentially
far-reaching implications for particle physics and cosmology.
This document describes the technical details of the FASER detector
components: the magnets, the tracker, the scintillator system, and the
calorimeter, as well as the trigger and readout system. The preparatory work
that is needed to install and operate the detector, including civil
engineering, transport, and integration with various services is also
presented. The information presented includes preliminary cost estimates for
the detector components and the infrastructure work, as well as a timeline for
the design, construction, and installation of the experiment.Comment: 82 pages, 62 figures; submitted to the CERN LHCC on 7 November 201
Tuning the 3D microenvironment of reprogrammed tubule cells enhances biomimetic modeling of polycystic kidney disease
Renal tubular cells frequently lose differentiation markers and physiological properties when propagated in conventional cell culture conditions. Embedding cells in 3D microenvironments or controlling their 3D assembly by bioprinting can enhance their physiological properties, which is beneficial for modeling diseases in vitro. A potential cellular source for modeling renal tubular physiology and kidney diseases in vitro are directly reprogrammed induced renal tubular epithelial cells (iRECs). iRECs were cultured in various biomaterials and as bioprinted tubular structures. They showed high compatibility with the embedding substrates and dispensing methods. The morphology of multicellular aggregates was substantially influenced by the 3D microenvironment. Transcriptomic analyses revealed signatures of differentially expressed genes specific to each of the selected biomaterials. Using a new cellular model for autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease, Pkd1 iRECs showed disrupted morphology in bioprinted tubules and a marked upregulation of the Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1a1 (Aldh1a1). In conclusion, 3D microenvironments strongly influence the morphology and expression profiles of iRECs, help to unmask disease phenotypes, and can be adapted to experimental demands. Combining a direct reprogramming approach with appropriate biomaterials will facilitate construction of biomimetic kidney tubules and disease models at the microscale
caGrid-Enabled caBIGTM Silver Level Compatible Head and Neck Cancer Tissue Database System
There are huge amounts of biomedical data generated by research labs in each cancer institution. The data are stored in various formats and accessed through numerous interfaces. It is very difficult to exchange and integrate the data among different cancer institutions, even among different research labs within the same institution, in order to discover useful biomedical knowledge for the healthcare community. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a caGrid-enabled caBIGTM silver level compatible head and neck cancer tissue database system. The system is implemented using a set of open source software and tools developed by the NCI, such as the caCORE SDK and caGrid. The head and neck cancer tissue database system has four interfaces: Web-based, Java API, XML utility, and Web service. The system has been shown to provide robust and programmatically accessible biomedical information services that syntactically and semantically interoperate with other resources
ERIS: revitalising an adaptive optics instrument for the VLT
ERIS is an instrument that will both extend and enhance the fundamental
diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy capability for the VLT. It will
replace two instruments that are now being maintained beyond their operational
lifetimes, combine their functionality on a single focus, provide a new
wavefront sensing module that makes use of the facility Adaptive Optics System,
and considerably improve their performance. The instrument will be competitive
with respect to JWST in several regimes, and has outstanding potential for
studies of the Galactic Center, exoplanets, and high redshift galaxies. ERIS
had its final design review in 2017, and is expected to be on sky in 2020. This
contribution describes the instrument concept, outlines its expected
performance, and highlights where it will most excel.Comment: 12 pages, Proc SPIE 10702 "Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation
for Astronomy VII
Umsetzung der Energiestrategie 2050 - Band II : Neue Ansätze für Staat und Wirtschaft
In diesem, dem zweiten Band von "Energy Governance" befassen sich die Autoren aus vielfältiger Perspektive mit zahlreichen Fragen zur Umsetzung der Energiestrategie 2050. Sie identifizieren jene Fälle von Solaranlagen, bei denen der Ersatz einer Baubewilligung zu Rechtsunsicherheit führt. Sie untersuchen die Wirkung moderner Finanzberichterstattung auf die Politik der kantonalen Beteiligungen an Energieversorgungsunternehmen in einer Marktumgebung tiefer Strompreis. Analysiert wird weiter die staatliche Förderung der erneuerbaren Stromproduktion im Hinblick auf ihre Wirkung. Eine kritische Analyse der "Smart City"-Projekte in der Schweiz und in den Nachbarländern Deutschland und Österreich führt zu Empfehlungen, wie solche Projekte effizienter geplant und umgesetzt werden können. Auch die Beziehung öffentlicher Organisationen zu ihrer "Stakeholder-Umwelt" wird behandelt
FASER's Physics Reach for Long-Lived Particles
FASER,the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment,is a proposed experiment dedicated to
searching for light, extremely weakly-interacting particles at the LHC. Such
particles may be produced in the LHC's high-energy collisions and travel long
distances through concrete and rock without interacting. They may then decay to
visible particles in FASER, which is placed 480 m downstream of the ATLAS
interaction point. In this work we briefly describe the FASER detector layout
and the status of potential backgrounds. We then present the sensitivity reach
for FASER for a large number of long-lived particle models, updating previous
results to a uniform set of detector assumptions, and analyzing new models. In
particular, we consider all of the renormalizable portal interactions, leading
to dark photons, dark Higgs bosons, and heavy neutral leptons (HNLs); light B-L
and gauge bosons; axion-like particles (ALPs) that are coupled
dominantly to photons, fermions, and gluons through non-renormalizable
operators; and pseudoscalars with Yukawa-like couplings. We find that FASER and
its follow-up, FASER 2, have a full physics program, with discovery sensitivity
in all of these models and potentially far-reaching implications for particle
physics and cosmology
Hereditary cataract in the Bengal cat in Poland
Background: This paper reports the significant prevalence of a presumed hereditary cataract in the Bengal cat breed in Poland. The nuclear part of the lens is affected and previous reports from Sweden and France for this type of feline cataract suggest that a recessive mode of inheritance is probably involved.
Results: Presumed congenital or neonatal cataract involving the posterior nuclear part of each lens was initially diagnosed in a 12 month old male Bengal cat. As both parents and a sibling were also affected with cataract, a group of 18 related and 11 non-related cats was then subsequently examined. Eight related cats and one non- related cat were found to be similarly affected. A breed survey was then completed using an additional five centres across Poland and a further 190 related cats were examined. A total of 223 cats have been involved in this study, with 75 (33%) being affected with several types of cataract and 67 (30%) being specifically affected with the same or similar nuclear lesions. Eight cats (3.6%) presented with other cataract types and a prominence of the posterior lens suture lines was recorded in 65 cats unaffected with cataract (29%). There were no demonstrable vision problems. Neither age nor coat colour was significantly associated with the nuclear cataract, but the nuclear cataract group had a higher proportion of females than the unaffected group. Pedigree analysis has indicated probable inheritance as a recessive trait.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that a presumably inherited nuclear cataract is present in the Bengal cat breed in Poland. It is considered to be either congenital or of very early onset, probably being inherited as a recessive trait. Although the lesion has no noticeable effect on vision, breeders in Poland and worldwide should be aware of the disease and clinical examination of young breeding stock prior to reproduction is advisable
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