The two-loop five-particle amplitude in N=8\mathcal{N}=8 supergravity

We compute for the first time the two-loop five-particle amplitude in $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity. Starting from the known integrand, we perform an integration-by-parts reduction and express the answer in terms of uniform weight master integrals. The latter are known to evaluate to non-planar pentagon functions, described by a 31-letter symbol alphabet. We express the final result for the amplitude in terms of uniform weight four symbols, multiplied by a small set of rational factors. The amplitude satisfies the expected factorization properties when one external graviton becomes soft, and when two external gravitons become collinear. We verify that the soft divergences of the amplitude exponentiate, and extract the finite remainder function. The latter depends on fewer rational factors, and is independent of one of the symbol letters. By analyzing identities involving rational factors and symbols we find a remarkably compact representation in terms of a single seed function, summed over all permutations of external particles. Finally, we work out the multi-Regge limit, and present explicitly the leading logarithmic terms in the limit. The full symbol of the IR-subtracted hard function is provided as an ancillary file.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, 8 ancillary file

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUPERCONDUCTING, TOPOLOGICAL TERNARY CHALCOGENIDE FAMILY [Tl4](SnxTl1-x)Te3

It has been recently discovered that the perovskite superconductor Tl5Te3 and its tin-doped derivative, [Tl4](Tl 0.4Sn0.6)Te3 have topologically protected metallic surface states. However, when Tl5Te3 is fully doped with tin, the system is predicted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) to be without surface states. This implies that there exists a topological transition determined by amount of tin that is doped in the system. Here we report the physical properties of the [Tl4](SnxTl1-x)Te3 family of materials. Structurally, a symmetry lowering distortion occurs when tin and thallium order on the perovskite “B” site, causing a loss of the 4-fold axis and tetragonal symmetry of the parent I4/mcm space group. This structural transition coincides with the loss of superconductivity around x=0.5. The large superconducting fraction of Tl5Te3, the superconducting dome, and the strong Sn composition-property coupling, make [Tl4](Tl 0.4Sn0.6)Te3 an ideal platform in which to probe the topological phase transition in a superconductor

All master integrals for three-jet production at NNLO

We evaluate analytically all previously unknown nonplanar master integrals for massless five-particle scattering at two loops, using the differential equations method. A canonical form of the differential equations is obtained by identifying integrals with constant leading singularities, in $D$ space-time dimensions. These integrals evaluate to $\mathbb{Q}$-linear combinations of multiple polylogarithms of uniform weight at each order in the expansion in the dimensional regularization parameter, and are in agreement with previous conjectures for nonplanar pentagon functions. Our results provide the complete set of two-loop Feynman integrals for any massless $2\to 3$ scattering process, thereby opening up a new level of precision collider phenomenology.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, 5 ancillary files; v2: references added; full boundary values in s12 physical region included; v3: values of the master integrals in the ancillary files update

Highly charged ion X-rays from Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources

Radiation from the highly-charged ions contained in the plasma of Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources constitutes a very bright source of X-rays. Because the ions have a relatively low kinetic energy ($\approx 1$ eV) transitions can be very narrow, containing only small Doppler broadening. We describe preliminary accurate measurements of two and three-electron ions with Z=16--18. We show how these measurement can test sensitively many-body relativistic calculations or can be used as X-ray standards for precise measurements of X-ray transitions in exotic atoms

On the characterisation of a Bragg spectrometer with X-rays from an ECR source

Narrow X-ray lines from helium-like argon emitted from a dedicated ECR source have been used to determine the response function of a Bragg crystal spectrometer equipped with large area spherically bent silicon (111) or quartz (10$\bar{1}$) crystals. The measured spectra are compared with simulated ones created by a ray-tracing code based on the expected theoretical crystal's rocking curve and the geometry of the experimental set-up.Comment: Version acceptee (NIM

Risk factors for human infection with West Nile Virus in Connecticut: a multi-year analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The optimal method for early prediction of human West Nile virus (WNV) infection risk remains controversial. We analyzed the predictive utility of risk factor data for human WNV over a six-year period in Connecticut.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>Using only environmental variables or animal sentinel data was less predictive than a model that considered all variables. In the final parsimonious model, population density, growing degree-days, temperature, WNV positive mosquitoes, dead birds and WNV positive birds were significant predictors of human infection risk, with an ROC value of 0.75.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A real-time model using climate, land use, and animal surveillance data to predict WNV risk appears feasible. The dynamic patterns of WNV infection suggest a need to periodically refine such prediction systems.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using multiple logistic regression, the 30-day risk of human WNV infection by town was modeled using environmental variables as well as mosquito and wild bird surveillance.</p

Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Osteomyelitis in Diabetic Foot Infections.

PURPOSE: The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in foot infections in diabetics was investigated. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of MRI, plain radiography, and nuclear scanning were determined for diagnosing osteomyelitis, and a cost comparison was made. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with diabetic foot infections were studied prospectively. All patients underwent MRI and plain radiography. Twenty-two patients had technetium bone scans, and 19 patients had Indium scans. Nineteen patients had all four tests performed. Patients with obvious gangrene or a fetid foot were excluded. RESULTS: The diagnosis of osteomyelitis was established by pathologic specimen (n = 18), bone culture (n = 3), or successful response to medical management (n = 6). Osteomyelitis was confirmed in nine of the pathologic specimens. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for MRI was 88%, 100%, and 95%, respectively, for plain radiography it was 22%, 94%, and 70%, respectively, for technetium bone scanning it was 50%, 50%, and 50%, respectively, and for Indium leukocyte scanning it was 33%, 69%, and 58%, respectively. The data were analyzed statistically with the two-tailed Fisher\u27s exact test. MRI was the only test that was statistically significant (p \u3c 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MRI appeared to be the single best test for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis associated with diabetic foot infections. It had a better diagnostic accuracy than conventional modalities and appeared to be more cost-effective than the frequently used Indium scan

Invasion of Two Tick-borne Diseases Across New England: Harnessing Human Surveillance Data to Capture Underlying Ecological Invasion Processes

Modelling the spatial spread of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens maintained in enzootic transmission cycles remains a major challenge. The best available spatio-temporal data on pathogen spread often take the form of human disease surveillance data. By applying a classic ecological approach-occupancy modelling-to an epidemiological question of disease spread, we used surveillance data to examine the latent ecological invasion of tick-borne pathogens. Over the last half-century, previously undescribed tick-borne pathogens including the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis have rapidly spread across the northeast United States. Despite their epidemiological importance, the mechanisms of tick-borne pathogen invasion and drivers underlying the distinct invasion trajectories of the co-vectored pathogens remain unresolved. Our approach allowed us to estimate the unobserved ecological processes underlying pathogen spread while accounting for imperfect detection of human cases. Our model predicts that tick-borne diseases spread in a diffusion-like manner with occasional long-distance dispersal and that babesiosis spread exhibits strong dependence on Lyme disease

The Extrachromosomal EAST Protein of Drosophila Can Associate with Polytene Chromosomes and Regulate Gene Expression

The EAST protein of Drosophila is a component of an expandable extrachromosomal domain of the nucleus. To better understand its function, we studied the dynamics and localization of GFP-tagged EAST. In live larval salivary glands, EAST-GFP is highly mobile and localizes to the extrachromosomal nucleoplasm. When these cells are permeabilized, EAST-GFP rapidly associated with polytene chromosomes. The affinity to chromatin increases and mobility decreases with decreasing salt concentration. Deleting the C-terminal residues 1535 to 2301 of EAST strongly reduces the affinity to polytene chromosomes. The bulk of EAST-GFP co-localizes with heterochromatin and is absent from transcriptionally active chromosomal regions. The predominantly chromosomal localization of EAST-GFP can be detected in non-detergent treated salivary glands of pupae as they undergo apoptosis, however not in earlier stages of development. Consistent with this chromosomal pattern of localization, genetic evidence indicates a role for EAST in the repression of gene expression, since a lethal east mutation is allelic to the viable mutation suppressor of white-spotted. We propose that EAST acts as an ion sensor that modulates gene expression in response to changing intracellular ion concentrations

The Diagnostic Value of the Pleural Fluid C-Reactive Protein in Parapneumonic Effusions

properly cited. Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of pleural C-reactive protein (CRP) biomarker levels in identifying parapneumonic effusions. Methods. A single-center, retrospective review of 244 patients diagnosed with pleural effusions was initiated among patients at the Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel, between January 2011 and December 2013. The patients were categorized into 4 groups according to their type of pleural effusion as follows: heart failure, malignant, postlung transplantation, and parapneumonic effusion. Results. The pleural CRP levels significantly differentiated the four groups ( &lt; 0.001) with the following means: parapneumonic effusion, 5.38 ± 4.85 mg/dL; lung transplant, 2.77 ± 2.66 mg/dL; malignancy, 1.19±1.51 mg/dL; and heart failure, 0.57±0.81 mg/dL. The pleural fluid CRP cut-off value for differentiating among parapneumonic effusions and the other 3 groups was 1.38 mg/dL. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 84.2%, 71.5%, 37%, and 95%, respectively. A backward logistic regression model selected CRP as the single predictor of parapneumonic effusion (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.37-1.89). Conclusions. Pleural fluid CRP levels can be used to distinguish between parapneumonic effusions and other types of exudative effusions. CRP levels &lt; 0.64 mg/dL are likely to indicate a pleural effusion from congestive heart failure, whereas levels ≥ 1.38 mg/dL are suggestive of an infectious etiology