The HIBEAM program: search for neutron oscillations at the ESS

With the construction of the European Spallation Source, a remarkable opportunity has emerged to conduct high sensitivity searches for neutron oscillations, including a first search for thirty years for free neutrons converting to antineutrons. Furthermore, searches can be made for transitions of neutrons and antineutrons to sterile neutron states. The HIBEAM program provides an increase in sensitivity of an order of magnitude compared to previous work. The HIBEAM program corresponds to baryon number violation by one and two units. The observation of a process satisfying a Sakharov condition addresses the open question of the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. Sterile neutron states would belong to a `dark' sector of particles which may explain dark matter. As electrically neutral, meta-stable objects that can be copiously produced and studied, neutrons represent an attractive portal to a `dark' sector. This paper describes the capability, design, infrastructure, and potential of the HIBEAM program. This includes a dedicated beamline, neutron optical system, magnetic shielding and control, and detectors for neutrons and antineutrons.Comment: 41 pages, 12 figure

Vitamin D deficiency contributes directly to the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Rationale: Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a pathogenic factor in sepsis and intensive therapy unit mortality but has not been assessed as a risk factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Causality of these associations has never been demonstrated. Objectives: To determine if ARDS is associated with vitamin D deficiency in a clinical setting and to determine if vitamin D deficiency in experimental models of ARDS influences its severity. Methods: Human, murine and in vitro primary alveolar epithelial cell work were included in this study. Findings: Vitamin D deficiency (plasma 25(OH)D levels 600 genes. In a clinical setting, pharmacological repletion of vitamin D prior to oesophagectomy reduced the observed changes of in vivo measurements of alveolar capillary damage seen in deficient patients. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is common in people who develop ARDS. This deficiency of vitamin D appears to contribute to the development of the condition, and approaches to correct vitamin D deficiency in patients at risk of ARDS should be developed

A comparative study of biomolecule and polymer surface modifications by a surface microdischarge

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) sources are attractive sources of reactive species with promising industrial and biomedical applications, but an understanding of underlying surface mechanisms is lacking. A kHz-powered surface microdischarge (SMD) operating with N2/O2 mixtures was used to study the biological deactivation of two immune-stimulating biomolecules: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN), found in bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Model polymers were also studied to isolate specific functional groups. Changes in the surface chemistry were measured to understand which plasma-generated species and surface modifications are important for biological deactivation. The overall goal of this work is to determine which effects of CAP treatment are generic and which bonds are susceptible to attack. CAP treatment deactivated biomolecules, oxidized surfaces, and introduced surface bound NO3. These effects can be controlled by the N2 fraction in O2 and applied voltage and vary among different target surfaces. The SMD was compared with an Ar/O2/N2-fed kHz-powered atmospheric pressure plasma jet and showed much higher surface modifications and surface chemistry tunability compared to the jet. Possible mechanisms are discussed and findings are compared with recent computational investigations. Our results demonstrate the importance of long-lived plasma-generated species and advance an atomistic understanding of CAP-surface interactions