Flavor and CP Violation with Fourth Generations Revisited

The Standard Model predicts a very small CP violation phase $\sin2\Phi^{\rm SM}_{B_s} \simeq -0.04$%= \arg M_{12} \simeq \arg\,(V^*_{ts}V_{tb})^2$in$B_s$--$\bar B_s$mixing.$\lambda^2\eta$. Any finite value of$\Phi_{B_s}$measured at the Tevatron would imply New Physics. With recent hints for finite$\sin2\Phi_{B_s}$, experiments at the Tevatron, we reconsider the possibility of a 4th generation. As recent direct search bounds have become considerably heavier than 300 GeV, we take the$t'$mass to be near the unitarity bound of 500 GeV. Combining the measured values of$\Delta m_{B_s}$with${\cal B}(B \to X_s\ell^+\ell^-)$, together with typical$f_{B_s}$values, we find a sizable$\sin2\Phi^{\rm SM4}_{B_s} \sim -0.33$. Using$m_{b'} = 480$GeV, we extract the range$0.06 < |V_{t'b}| < 0.13$from the constraints of$\Gamma(Z\to b\bar b)$,$\Delta m_{D}$and${\cal B}(K^+\to\pi^+\nu\bar\nu)$. A future measurement of${\cal B}(K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar\nu)$will determine$V_{t'd}$.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure

Fourth Generation Leptons and Muon g−2g-2

We consider the contributions to $g_\mu-2$ from fourth generation heavy neutral and charged leptons, $N$ and $E$, at the one-loop level. Diagrammatically, there are two types of contributions: boson-boson-$N$, and $E$-$E$-boson in the loop diagram. In general, the effect from $N$ is suppressed by off-diagonal lepton mixing matrix elements. For $E$, we consider flavor changing neutral couplings arising from various New Physics models, which are stringently constrained by $\mu\to e\gamma$. We assess how the existence of a fourth generation would affect these New Physics models.Comment: Minor changes, with references update

Cultivating intergroup emotions: An intergroup threat theory approach

The current study tests whether media consumption is associated with negative intergroup emotions toward Blacks, Latinos, and Asians and whether media use indirectly influences intergroup emotions via threat perceptions. We do so using a two-study survey design. Results from Study 1 indicated that media consumption is associated with anger toward Latinos and Asians but not anger toward Blacks. We also found that media use was associated with anxiety toward Blacks, Latinos, and Asians. Results from Study 2 indicated that media use indirectly influences anger and anxiety toward Blacks and Latinos through perceptions of threat. Media consumption did not indirectly influence anger and anxiety toward Asians, though perceptions of threat did directly influence intergroup emotions toward this group. The discussion highlights the important, but negative, role of media in intergroup processes

Nuclear phylogeny and insights into whole-genome duplications and reproductive development of Solanaceae plants

Solanaceae, the nightshade family, have ∼2700 species, including the important crops potato and tomato, ornamentals, and medicinal plants. Several sequenced Solanaceae genomes show evidence for whole-genome duplication (WGD), providing an excellent opportunity to investigate WGD and its impacts. Here, we generated 93 transcriptomes/genomes and combined them with 87 public datasets, for a total of 180 Solanaceae species representing all four subfamilies and 14 of 15 tribes. Nearly 1700 nuclear genes from these transcriptomic/genomic datasets were used to reconstruct a highly resolved Solanaceae phylogenetic tree with six major clades. The Solanaceae tree supports four previously recognized subfamilies (Goetzeioideae, Cestroideae, Nicotianoideae, and Solanoideae) and the designation of three other subfamilies (Schizanthoideae, Schwenckioideae, and Petunioideae), with the placement of several previously unassigned genera. We placed a Solanaceae-specific whole-genome triplication (WGT1) at ∼81 million years ago (mya), before the divergence of Schizanthoideae from other Solanaceae subfamilies at ∼73 mya. In addition, we detected two gene duplication bursts (GDBs) supporting proposed WGD events and four other GDBs. An investigation of the evolutionary histories of homologs of carpel and fruit developmental genes in 14 gene (sub)families revealed that 21 gene clades have retained gene duplicates. These were likely generated by the Solanaceae WGT1 and may have promoted fleshy fruit development. This study presents a well-resolved Solanaceae phylogeny and a new perspective on retained gene duplicates and carpel/fruit development, providing an improved understanding of Solanaceae evolution

Immune microenvironment dysfunctions enable malignification at the onset of myelodysplastic syndromes

View full abstracthttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/leading-edge/1002/thumbnail.jp

Probing Flavor Changing Neutral Higgs Couplings at LHC

Uniquely heavy with mass at the weak scale, the top quark may have large flavor changing couplings to Higgs bosons that are as yet unexplored. We show that such couplings can be directly probed at the LHC through the parton subprocess $c(\bar c)g \to t (\bar t)A^0$, where the pseudoscalar $A^0$ subsequently decays into $t \bar c$ or ${\bar t} c$, giving rise to the intriguing final state of like sign top quark pairs. After demanding $\ell^\pm\ell^\pm$, missing energy and two $b$-jets, the major background turns out to be $q\bar q' \to Wt \bar t$, which can be partially suppressed by jet counting. The signal can then manifest itself in the asymmetry of numbers of $\ell^+\ell^+$ and $\ell^-\ell^-$ events. To further improve the signal over background, efficient $t$ vs. $\bar t$ tagging methods should be developed.Comment: 14 pages, REVTEX, 3 figures include

Flavor Changing Neutral Higgs Couplings and Top-Charm Production at Next Linear Collider

We explore the possibility of detecting flavor changing neutral Higgs couplings at the Next Linear Collider (NLC) through $e^+e^-\to \nu_e\bar{\nu_e} t\bar{c}$. In the framework of a general two-Higgs doublet model, we perform a complete calculation and find that $\sigma (e^+e^-\to \nu_e\nu_e t\bar{c}, \nu_e\bar{\nu_e} {\bar t}c)$ could reach $\sim 9$ fb for $\sqrt{s}=2 TeV$. This amounts to an annual production of 500 $t\bar{c}$ plus $\bar{t}c$ pairs at the NLC with an integrated luminosity of 50 fb$^{-1}$. The dependence of $tc$-production rate on the neutral scalar mixing angle is mild except when $\sin^2\alpha \to 0 or 1$. The $\nu\nu W^+W^-$ background should be manageable after $b$-tagging, while $\nu\nu t\bar t$ background should not be a problem when the signal event rate is still interesting. The process, together with $e^+e^-\to \nu_e\bar{\nu_e} W^+W^-, \nu_e\bar{\nu_e} ZZ$ studies, offer the chance of measuring the $t$-$c$-Higgs coupling.Comment: REVTEX, 18 pages, 7 figures; Report number change

Clinical Study Clinical Evaluation of CyberKnife in the Treatment of Vestibular Schwannomas

Objective. This study assessed the posttreatment tumor control and auditory function of vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients after CyberKnife (CK) and analyzed the possible prognostic factors of hearing loss. Methods. We retrospectively studied 117 VS patients, with Gardner-Robertson (GR) classification grades I to IV, who underwent CK between 2006 and 2012. Data including radiosurgery treatment parameters, pre-and postoperative tumor size, and auditory function were collected and examined. Results. With CK, 117 patients had excellent tumor control rates (99.1%), with a mean imaging followup of 61.1 months. Excluding 52 patients (GR III-IV pretreatment), 53 (81.5%) of the remaining 65 patients (initial GR I-II) maintained GR I or II hearing after CK, with a mean audiometric followup of 64.5 months. Twelve patients experienced hearing degradation (91.6% were GR II pretreatment); they appeared to have significantly larger tumor sizes, significantly smaller cochlear sizes, and higher prescribed cochlear doses, compared to the patients with preserved hearing. Conclusion. Our data showed that CK treatment provided an excellent tumor control rate and a comparable hearing preservation rate in VS patients. Patients with pretreatment GR II hearing levels, larger tumor volumes, smaller cochlear sizes, and higher prescribed cochlear doses may have poor hearing prognoses

Epidemiological survey of orthopedic joint dislocations based on nationwide insurance data in Taiwan, 2000-2005

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The epidemiology of acute orthopedic dislocations is poorly understood. A nationwide database provides a valuable resource for examining this issue in the Taiwanese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A 6-year retrospective cohort study of 1,000,000 randomly-sampled beneficiaries from the year 2005 was used as the original population. Based on the hospitalized and ambulatory data, the concomitant ICD9-CM diagnosis codes and treatment codes were evaluated and classified into 8 and 3 major categories, respectively. The cases matching both inclusive criteria of dislocation-related diagnosis codes and treatment codes were defined as incident cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During 2000-2005, the estimated annual incidence (per 100,000 population) of total orthopedic dislocations in Taiwan was 42.1 (95%CI: 38.1-46.1). The major cause of these orthopedic dislocations was traffic accidents (57.4%), followed by accident falls (27.5%). The annual incidence dislocation by location was shoulder, 15.3; elbow, 7.7; wrist, 3.5; finger, 4.6; hip, 5.2; knee, 1.4; ankle, 2.0; and foot, 2.4. Approximately 16% of shoulder dislocations occurred with other concomitant fractures, compared with 17%, 53%, 16%, 76% and 52%, respectively, of dislocated elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle cases. Including both simple and complex dislocated cases, the mean medical cost was US$612 for treatment of a shoulder dislocation,$504 for the elbow, $1,232 for the wrist,$1,103 for the hip, $1,888 for the knee, and$1,248 for the ankle.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In Taiwan, three-quarters of all orthopedic dislocations were of the upper limbs. The most common complex fracture-dislocation was of the knee, followed by the wrist and the ankle. Those usually needed a treatment combined with open reduction of fractures and resulted in a higher direct medical expenditure.</p

Resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in an APOE3 Christchurch homozygote: a case report.

We identified a PSEN1 (presenilin 1) mutation carrier from the world's largest autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease kindred, who did not develop mild cognitive impairment until her seventies, three decades after the expected age of clinical onset. The individual had two copies of the APOE3 Christchurch (R136S) mutation, unusually high brain amyloid levels and limited tau and neurodegenerative measurements. Our findings have implications for the role of APOE in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease