Quark Loop Contributions to Neutron, Deuteron, and Mercury EDMs from Supersymmetry without R parity

We present a detailed analysis of the neutron, deuteron and mercury electric dipole moment from supersymmetry without R parity, focusing on the quark-scalar loop contributions. Being proportional to top Yukawa and top mass, such contributions are often large. Analytical expressions illustrating the explicit role of the R-parity violating parameters are given following perturbative diagonalization of mass-squared matrices for the scalars. Dominant contributions come from the combinations $B_i \lambda^{\prime}_{ij1}$ for which we obtain robust bounds. It turns out that neutron and deuteron EDMs receive much stronger contributions than mercury EDM and any null result at the future deuteron EDM experiment or Los Alamos neutron EDM experiment can lead to extra-ordinary constraints on RPV parameter space. Even if R-parity violating couplings are real, CKM phase does induce RPV contribution and for some cases such a contribution is as strong as contribution from phases in the R-parity violating couplings.Hence, we have bounds directly on $|B_i \lambda^{\prime}_{ij1}|$ even if the RPV parameters are all real. Interestingly, even if slepton mass and/or $\mu_0$ is as high as 1 TeV, it still leads to neutron EDM that is an order of magnitude larger than the sensitivity at Los Alamos experiment. Since the results are not much sensitive to $\tan \beta$, our constraints will survive even if other observables tighten the constraints on $\tan \beta$.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Reducing the Impact of Weak-lensing Errors on Gravitational-wave Standard Sirens

The mergers of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) can serve as standard sirens: the gravitational wave (GW) analog of standard candles. The upcoming space-borne GW detectors will be able to discover such systems and estimate their luminosity distances precisely. Unfortunately, weak gravitational lensing can induce significant errors in the measured distance of these standard sirens at high redshift, severely limiting their usefulness as precise distance probes. The uncertainty due to weak lensing can be reduced if the lensing magnification of the siren can be estimated independently, a procedure called 'delensing'. With the help of up-to-date numerical simulations, here we investigate how much the weak-lensing errors can be reduced using convergence maps reconstructed from shear measurements. We also evaluate the impact of delensing on cosmological parameter estimation with bright standard sirens. We find that the weak-lensing errors for sirens at $z_s = 2.9$ can be reduced by about a factor of two on average, but to achieve this would require expensive ultra-deep field observations for every siren. Such an approach is likely to be practical in only limited cases, and the reduction in the weak-lensing error is therefore likely to be insufficient to significantly improve the cosmological parameter estimation. We conclude that performing delensing corrections is unlikely to be worthwhile, in contrast to the more positive expectations presented in previous studies. For delensing to become more practicable and useful in the future will require significant improvements in the resolution/depth of the weak-lensing surveys themselves and/or the accuracy of the methods to reconstruct convergence maps from these surveys.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figures, preparing for submitting to MNRA

Urban Design of Bristol Waterfront, Lower Thames Street

The marketplace is going to be one of the highlights on Thames Street, serving as a destination for leisure, shopping and dining. The concept of the project is to have indoor space continue out to the water, providing an outdoor space for dining and leisure, but also giving the boardwalk a resting point. The building is planned as two floors, with the fish market and multipurpose area on the first and an eatery, sitting area, balcony and facilities on the second. The building will be made of a light metal frame with panels to enclose the space and is designed with a folded glass panel that can be opened up to the outside, yet decrease wind pressure in a storm

Tears of the fascia cruris demonstrate characteristic sonographic features: a case series analysis

BACKGROUND: fascia cruris (FC) tears have recently been recognised in the literature, although little is known about their characteristic ultrasound findings. The aim was to describe the echo-graphic features of FC tears in order to improve recognition and diagnosis. METHODS: the ultrasound reports and images of >600 patients attending a specialist musculoskeletal clinic for Achilles tendon ultrasound scans between October 2010–May 2014 were reviewed. Any patient diagnosed with a FC tear had a structured data set extracted. All ultrasound images were performed by one consultant radiologist. Bilateral Achilles images were available for analysis. RESULTS: sixteen patients from >600 subjects were diagnosed with a FC tear. Fourteen subjects were male and two female (mean age 37.8; range 23–61), with seven elite level sports men. Nine tears were right sided and seven left, with eight situated laterally and seven medially. Seven of the tears were situated in the musculotendinous junction. Symptomatic Achilles tendinopathy co-existed in ten of sixteen subjects (average transverse diameter of Achilles tendon = 7.1±2.0 mm). CONCLUSION: FC tears should be considered in the differential diagnoses for Achillodynia, diagnosed using their characteristic ultrasound findings, with a hypoechoic area at the medial or lateral attachment to the Achilles tendon in the transverse plane

Acute tear of the fascia cruris at the attachment to the Achilles tendon: a new diagnosis

BACKGROUND: The fascia cruris encloses the posterior structures of the calf and connects to the paratenon and the Achilles tendon. We describe the clinical presentation, ultrasound imaging characteristics and the time to the recovery of tears of the fascia cruris at the attachment to the Achilles tendon. METHODS: Retrospective review of 11 tears of the fascia cruris in the different legs as separate events in 9 patients (6 male and 3 female, mean age 35.52 years, range 11–48) identified using diagnostic ultrasound, after presenting with Achillodynia. RESULTS: 11 participants presented at a mean of 4.5 weeks (range 0.5–12) after onset of symptoms. The left Achilles was more commonly injured than the right (7 : 4) and the lateral side more than the medial (6 : 4) with one case with medial and lateral presentation. Clinically, there was swelling and tenderness over the medial or lateral border in the mid to upper portion of the Achilles. 7 of the 11 (63.6%) had functional overpronation. Ultrasound appearances of a tear were identified as hypoechoic area extending from the medial or lateral border of the Achilles extending along the anatomical plane of the fascia cruris. Average return to activity was 5.2 weeks (range 1–22). Participants presenting later had longer recovery but all participants returned to full activity (r=0.4). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of the clinical details and sonographic findings of a tear to the fascia cruris at its attachment to the Achilles tendon. This needs to be considered as a cause of Achillodynia in athletes as recognition will affect the management

Large-scale features of Pliocene climate: results from the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project

Climate and environments of the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.264 to 3.025 Ma) have been extensively studied. Whilst numerical models have shed light on the nature of climate at the time, uncertainties in their predictions have not been systematically examined. The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project quantifies uncertainties in model outputs through a coordinated multi-model and multi-model/data intercomparison. Whilst commonalities in model outputs for the Pliocene are clearly evident, we show substantial variation in the sensitivity of models to the implementation of Pliocene boundary conditions. Models appear able to reproduce many regional changes in temperature reconstructed from geological proxies. However, data/model comparison highlights that models potentially underestimate polar amplification. To assert this conclusion with greater confidence, limitations in the time-averaged proxy data currently available must be addressed. Furthermore, sensitivity tests exploring the known unknowns in modelling Pliocene climate specifically relevant to the high latitudes are essential (e.g. palaeogeography, gateways, orbital forcing and trace gasses). Estimates of longer-term sensitivity to CO2 (also known as Earth System Sensitivity; ESS), support previous work suggesting that ESS is greater than Climate Sensitivity (CS), and suggest that the ratio of ESS to CS is between 1 and 2, with a "best" estimate of 1.5

Therapeutic application of CCK2R-targeting PP-F11: influence of particle range, activity and peptide amount

Background: Targeted radionuclide therapy with high-energy beta-emitters is generally considered suboptimal to cure small tumours (90Y, 177Lu or 213Bi, accounting for the radionuclide specific activities (SAs), the tumour absorbed doses and tumour (radio) biology. Methods: Tumour uptake of 111In-PP-F11 was determined in nude mice bearing CCK2 receptor-transfected A431 xenografts at 1 and 4 h post-injection for escalating peptide masses of 0.03 to 15 nmol/mouse. The absorbed tumour dose was estimated, assuming comparable biodistributions of the 90Y, 177Lu or 213Bi radiolabelled peptides. The linear-quadratic (LQ) model was used to calculate the tumour control probabilities (TCP) as a function of tumour mass and growth. Results: Practically achievable maximum SAs for PP-F11 labelled with 90Y and 177Lu were 400 MBq 90Y/nmol and 120 MBq177Lu/nmol. Both the large elution volume from the 220 MBq 225Ac generator used and reaction kinetics diminished the maximum achieved 213Bi SA in practice: 40 MBq 213Bi/nmol. Tumour uptakes decreased rapidly with increasing peptide amounts, following a logarithmic curve with ED50 = 0.5 nmol. At 0.03 nmol peptide, the (300 mg) tumour dose was 9 Gy after 12 MBq 90Y-PP-F11, and for 111In and 177Lu, this was 1 Gy. A curative dose of 60 Gy could be achieved with a single administration of 111 MBq 90Y labelled to 0.28 nmol PP-F11 or with 4 × 17 MBq 213Bi (0.41 nmol) when its α-radiation relative biological effectiveness (RBE) was assumed to be 3.4. Repeated dosing is preferable to avoid complete tumour receptor saturation. Tumours larger than 200 mg are curable with 90Y-PP-F11; the other radionuclides perform better in smaller tumours. Furthermore, 177Lu is not optimal for curing fast-growing tumours. Conclusions: Receptor saturation, specific radiopharmaceutical activities and absorbed doses in the tumour together favour therapy with the CCK2 receptor-binding peptide PP-F11 labelled with 90Y, despite its longer β-particle range in tissue, certainly for tumours larger than 300 mg. The predicted TCPs are of theoretical nature and need to be compared with the outcome of targeted radionuclide experiments

Towards the conversion of carbohydrate biomass feedstocks to biofuels via hydroxylmethylfurfural

This review appraises the chemical conversion processes recently reported for the production of hydroxylmethylfurfural (HMF), a key biorefining intermediate, from carbohydrate biomass feedstocks. Catalytic sites or groups required for the efficient and selective conversion of hexose substrates to HMF are examined. The principle of concerted catalysis was used to rationalise the dehydration of fructose and glucose to HMF in non-aqueous media. A survey of reported reaction routes to diesel-range biofuel intermediates from HMF or furfural is presented and self-condensation reaction routes for linking two or more HMF and furfural units together toward obtaining kerosene and diesel-range biofuel intermediates are highlighted. The reaction routes include: benzoin condensation, condensation of furfuryl alcohols, hetero Diels–Alder reaction and ketonisation reaction. These reaction routes are yet to be exploited despite their potential for obtaining kerosene and diesel-range biofuel intermediates exclusively from furfural or hydroxylmethylfurfural