Investigating the Varying Behaviors of Magnesium, Tin, and Lead Oxalate Under High-Pressure

Recent developments in the field of useful hard x-ray induced chemistry synthesized a novel strontium-based CO derived material under extreme conditions. In hopes of synthesizing this material in larger quantities and in less expensive costs, we report three high-pressure Diamond Anvil Cell investigations on Tin Oxalate (SnC2O4), Magnesium Oxalate (MgC2O4), and Lead Oxalate (PbC2O4) subjected to extreme conditions without the use of hard x-rays. MgC2O4 were acquired up to 25 GPa, with a possible phase transition at 2.4 Gpa. SnC2O4 was pressurized up to 31 GPa inducing irreversible changes in both the Raman spectra and its qualitative properties. Three phase transitions were observed at 2.6 GPa, 15 GPa, and 20 GPa. PbC2O4 was compressed up to 64 GPa, showing very similar behavior as in SnC2O4. Our results demonstrated that each material formed crystallized films after pressurization, which could indicate polymerization of new material(s).https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1002/thumbnail.jp

Disposiciones emitidas a través del Régimen de Derechos Humanos de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) relativo a la prohibición de la práctica del aborto en situaciones de violación sexual en niñas y adolescentes y su vinculación con el Sistema Normativo de El Salvador

La interrupción del embarazo es considerada una temática que genera debate a nivel mundial debido a las distintas regulaciones normativas de los Estados, principalmente ante su prohibición en los casos de violaciones sexuales en niñas y adolescentes (NyA) y la vulneración de derechos humanos que esto representa. En el caso de El Salvador, con la reforma al Código Penal (1998), el aborto se consideró un delito bajo cualquier circunstancia, esto dio paso a la creación de disposiciones en instrumentos jurídicos del Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos (DIDH) dirigidos al Estado salvadoreño, con el objetivo de que este, cumpla con los compromisos adquiridos en la materia. Cabe destacar que, con el desarrollo de esta investigación se puede dilucidar que el marco normativo salvadoreño vigente respecto al aborto, principalmente en casos de violaciones sexuales en niñas y adolescentes, no posee vinculación con las obligaciones adquiridas en tratados y convenciones internacionales de derechos humanos auspiciados por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU). Por lo anteriormente mencionado, se ha concluido que el Estado salvadoreño es sujeto de responsabilidad internacional por la causa de violación de derechos humanos de niñas y adolescentes, tales como: el derecho a la vida, el derecho a la salud, el derecho a no ser sometido a torturas ni a penas o tratos crueles e inhumanos, entre otros, los cuales no están siendo garantizados dentro del contexto de la violación sexual, el embarazo forzado y el acceso al aborto ético, representando así, uno de los mayores retos a los cuales se enfrenta el país en la actualidad

Damaging Tobacco Mosaic Virus Using Electrochemistry: A Novel Method to Synthesize High-Quality Vaccines

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to develop novel and rapid ways to synthesize highly targeted and effective vaccines. We report a study that tested the effectiveness of using electrochemistry to damage the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV). We hypothesized that by utilizing the acidic properties of DNA and RNA contained by viruses, viral genetic material can be selectively denatured using electrochemistry. We also hypothesized that the viral capsid would be less damaged due to its non-acidic properties and thus the intact capsid could be used as a vaccine vector to promote immune system response. We tested TMV potency by infecting pinto bean seedlings with electrochemically treated and untreated TMV and observed their growth for four weeks. Various spectroscopic techniques such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy were implemented to assess changes in the electrochemically-treated viruses. Finally, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) was used to examine oxidative damage in the samples. It was observed that plants infected with electrochemically-treated TMV developed significantly fewer necrotic lesions compared to plants infected with untreated TMV. We also found significant changes in the UV-Vis spectral peaks, NMR spectral peaks, and cyclic voltammograms before and after electrochemical damage. Preliminary results were obtained which suggest that the electrochemical techniques used in this study effectively damaged the TMV virions. Through further testing and improvements, this innovative technique could be used to develop highly targeted and effective vaccines.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1079/thumbnail.jp

Complete Genome Sequences of Mycobacterium smegmatis Phages Chewbacca, Reptar3000, and Riparian, Isolated in Las Vegas, Nevada

Here, we present the complete genome sequences of Mycobacterium smegmatis phages Chewbacca, Reptar3000, and Riparian, isolated from soil in Las Vegas, NV. The phages were isolated and annotated by undergraduate students enrolled in the Phage Discovery course offered by the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vega

Characterizing the Cool KOIs III. KOI-961: A Small Star with Large Proper Motion and Three Small Planets

We present the characterization of the star KOI 961, an M dwarf with transit signals indicative of three short-period exoplanets, originally discovered by the Kepler Mission. We proceed by comparing KOI 961 to Barnard's Star, a nearby, well-characterized mid-M dwarf. By comparing colors, optical and near-infrared spectra, we find remarkable agreement between the two, implying similar effective temperatures and metallicities. Both are metal-poor compared to the Solar neighborhood, have low projected rotational velocity, high absolute radial velocity, large proper motion and no quiescent H-alpha emission--all of which is consistent with being old M dwarfs. We combine empirical measurements of Barnard's Star and expectations from evolutionary isochrones to estimate KOI 961's mass (0.13 +/- 0.05 Msun), radius (0.17 +/- 0.04 Rsun) and luminosity (2.40 x 10^(-3.0 +/- 0.3) Lsun). We calculate KOI 961's distance (38.7 +/- 6.3 pc) and space motions, which, like Barnard's Star, are consistent with a high scale-height population in the Milky Way. We perform an independent multi-transit fit to the public Kepler light curve and significantly revise the transit parameters for the three planets. We calculate the false-positive probability for each planet-candidate, and find a less than 1% chance that any one of the transiting signals is due to a background or hierarchical eclipsing binary, validating the planetary nature of the transits. The best-fitting radii for all three planets are less than 1 Rearth, with KOI 961.03 being Mars-sized (Rp = 0.57 +/- 0.18 Rearth), and they represent some of the smallest exoplanets detected to date.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Search for dark photons in Higgs boson production via vector boson fusion in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search is presented for a Higgs boson that is produced via vector boson fusion and that decays to an undetected particle and an isolated photon. The search is performed by the CMS collaboration at the LHC, using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 130 fb−1, recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016–2018. No significant excess of events above the expectation from the standard model background is found. The results are interpreted in the context of a theoretical model in which the undetected particle is a massless dark photon. An upper limit is set on the product of the cross section for production via vector boson fusion and the branching fraction for such a Higgs boson decay, as a function of the Higgs boson mass. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, assuming the standard model production rates, the observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction is 3.5 (2.8)%. This is the first search for such decays in the vector boson fusion channel. Combination with a previous search for Higgs bosons produced in association with a Z boson results in an observed (expected) upper limit on the branching fraction of 2.9 (2.1)% at 95% confidence level

Measurement of the top quark forward-backward production asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric and chromomagnetic moments in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Abstract The parton-level top quark (t) forward-backward asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric (d̂ t) and chromomagnetic (μ̂ t) moments have been measured using LHC pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected in the CMS detector in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1. The linearized variable AFB(1) is used to approximate the asymmetry. Candidate t t ¯ events decaying to a muon or electron and jets in final states with low and high Lorentz boosts are selected and reconstructed using a fit of the kinematic distributions of the decay products to those expected for t t ¯ final states. The values found for the parameters are AFB(1)=0.048−0.087+0.095(stat)−0.029+0.020(syst),μ̂t=−0.024−0.009+0.013(stat)−0.011+0.016(syst), and a limit is placed on the magnitude of | d̂ t| < 0.03 at 95% confidence level. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Search for top squark pair production using dilepton final states in pp collision data collected at root s=13TeV

A search is presented for supersymmetric partners of the top quark (top squarks) in final states with two oppositely charged leptons (electrons or muons), jets identified as originating from bquarks, and missing transverse momentum. The search uses data from proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1). Hypothetical signal events are efficiently separated from the dominant top quark pair production background with requirements on the significance of the missing transverse momentum and on transverse mass variables. No significant deviation is observed from the expected background. Exclusion limits are set in the context of simplified supersymmetric models with pair-produced lightest top squarks. For top squarks decaying exclusively to a top quark and a lightest neutralino, lower limits are placed at 95% confidence level on the masses of the top squark and the neutralino up to 925 and 450 GeV, respectively. If the decay proceeds via an intermediate chargino, the corresponding lower limits on the mass of the lightest top squark are set up to 850 GeV for neutralino masses below 420 GeV. For top squarks undergoing a cascade decay through charginos and sleptons, the mass limits reach up to 1.4 TeV and 900 GeV respectively for the top squark and the lightest neutralino.Peer reviewe

An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe