Double radiative decay Z→ffˉγγZ \rightarrow f\bar{f}\gamma\gamma in the Standard Model

Z-boson decay $Z \rightarrow f\tilde{f}\gamma\gamma$ in the Standard Model is analysed. The distribution function on the invariant masses of the photon and fermion pairs is calculated in the leading logarithmic approximation. It is shown that this distribution function has a specific shape of a ``crest''. (To be published in Mod.Phys.Lett.A)Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX, (the figures are not included), Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl State University preprint YARU-HE-94/0

Feasibility of laparoscopic portal vein ligation prior to major hepatectomy

AbstractBackground. Patients noted to have an inadequate future liver remnant on pre operative volumetric assessment are considered to be candidates for portal vein embolization (PVE). A subset of patients undergo laparoscopic intervention prior to PVE for staging purposes or to address the primary in Stage IV colon cancer. These patients usually undergo PVE as a subsequent additional procedure by the transhepatic route. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of portal vein ligation by the laparoscopic approach in suitable patients. Materials and methods. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed to identify patients that underwent laparoscopic portal vein ligation (LPVL). The demographic, clinical, radiographic, operative and volumetric details were collected to determine the feasibility of portal vein ligation. Results. A total of nine patients underwent LPVL as part of a two stage procedure in preparation for subsequent major hepatectomy. With a median age of 67 yrs, the diagnoses included: colorectal metastasis (five patients), cholangiocarcinoma (three patients) and hepatocellular carcinoma (one patient). The ligation involved the right portal vein in all and was performed with silk ligature (seven patients) and clips (two patients). Volumetric data was available in six patients which showed a mean increase from 209.1 cc±97.76 to 495.83 cc±310.91 (increase by 181.5%) In two patients, inadequate hypertrophy mandated later embolization by percutaneous technique. Five patients underwent subsequent major hepatic resection as planned. The remaining four patients were noted to have progression of disease that precluded the planned procedure. There were no complications associated with LPVL. Conclusions. LPVL is feasible and can be safely performed. In a select group of patients, it may be considered as an alternative to subsequent embolization and thereby potentially absolve the need for an additional procedure with its attendant complications

Multiple-locus, variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) of the fish-pathogen Francisella noatunensis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since <it>Francisella noatunensis </it>was first isolated from cultured Atlantic cod in 2004, it has emerged as a global fish pathogen causing disease in both warm and cold water species. Outbreaks of francisellosis occur in several important cultured fish species making a correct management of this disease a matter of major importance. Currently there are no vaccines or treatments available. A strain typing system for use in studies of <it>F. noatunensis </it>epizootics would be an important tool for disease management. However, the high genetic similarity within the <it>Francisella </it>spp. makes strain typing difficult, but such typing of the related human pathogen <it>Francisella tullarensis </it>has been performed successfully by targeting loci with higher genetic variation than the traditional signature sequences. These loci are known as Variable Numbers of Tandem Repeat (VNTR). The aim of this study is to identify possible useful VNTRs in the genome of <it>F. noatunensis</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven polymorphic VNTR loci were identified in the preliminary genome sequence of <it>F. noatunensis </it>ssp. <it>noatunensis </it>GM2212 isolate. These VNTR-loci were sequenced in <it>F. noatunensis </it>isolates collected from Atlantic cod (<it>Gadus morhua</it>) from Norway (n = 21), Three-line grunt (<it>Parapristipoma trilineatum</it>) from Japan (n = 1), Tilapia (<it>Oreochromis </it>spp.) from Indonesia (n = 3) and Atlantic salmon (<it>Salmo salar</it>) from Chile (n = 1). The Norwegian isolates presented in this study show both nine allelic profiles and clades, and that the majority of the farmed isolates belong in two clades only, while the allelic profiles from wild cod are unique.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>VNTRs can be used to separate isolates belonging to both subspecies of <it>F. noatunensis</it>. Low allelic diversity in <it>F. noatunensis </it>isolates from outbreaks in cod culture compared to isolates wild cod, indicate that transmission of these isolates may be a result of human activity. The sequence based MLVA system presented in this study should provide a good starting point for further development of a genotyping system that can be used in studies of epizootics and disease management of francisellosis.</p

The Global Ocean Data Analysis Project version 2 (GLODAPv2) – an internally consistent data product for the world ocean

27 páginas, 11 tablas, 9 figuras.-- Are Olsen ... et al.-- This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.-- Proyecto CarbochangeVersion 2 of the Global Ocean Data Analysis Project (GLODAPv2) data product is composed of data from 724 scientific cruises covering the global ocean. It includes data assembled during the previous efforts GLODAPv1.1 (Global Ocean Data Analysis Project version 1.1) in 2004, CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic) in 2009/2010, and PACIFICA (PACIFic ocean Interior CArbon) in 2013, as well as data from an additional 168 cruises. Data for 12 core variables (salinity, oxygen, nitrate, silicate, phosphate, dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, pH, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, and CCl4) have been subjected to extensive quality control, including systematic evaluation of bias. The data are available in two formats: (i) as submitted but updated to WOCE exchange format and (ii) as a merged and internally consistent data product. In the latter, adjustments have been applied to remove significant biases, respecting occurrences of any known or likely time trends or variations. Adjustments applied by previous efforts were re-evaluated. Hence, GLODAPv2 is not a simple merging of previous products with some new data added but a unique, internally consistent data product. This compiled and adjusted data product is believed to be consistent to better than 0.005 in salinity, 1 % in oxygen, 2 % in nitrate, 2 % in silicate, 2 % in phosphate, 4 µmol kg−1 in dissolved inorganic carbon, 6 µmol kg−1 in total alkalinity, 0.005 in pH, and 5 % for the halogenated transient tracersThe GLODAPv2 project itself received support from a number of agencies and projects. Importantly, the EU-IP CARBOCHANGE (FP7 264878) provided funding for A. Olsen, M. Hoppema, S. van Heuven, and T. Tanhua as well as travel support for R. Key and the project framework that instigated GLODAPv2. A. Olsen further acknowledges generous support from the FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, the Centre for Climate Dynamics at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, the EU AtlantOS (grant agreement no. 633211) project, and the Norwegian Research Council project SNACS (229752). R. Key was supported by KeyCrafts grant 2012-001, CICS grants NA08OAR4320752 and NA14OAR4320106, NASA grant NNX12AQ22G, NSF grants OCE-0825163 (with a supplement via WHOI P.O. C119245) and PLR-1425989, and Battelle contract #4000133565 to CDIAC. A. Kozyr was supported by DOE contract DE-AC05-00OR2272 to UT-Battelle, operators of CDIAC under ORNL. S. K. Lauvset and E. Jeansson appreciate support from the Norwegian Research Council (projects DECApH, 214513 and VENTILATE, 229791). The International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP) also supported this activity through the U.S. National Science Foundation grant (OCE- 1243377) to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research. A. Velo and F. F. Pérez acknowledge the support provided by BOCATS project (CTM2013-41048-P) co-funded by the Spanish Government and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), and the AtlantOS project (grant agreement no. 633211) funded by EU H2020 research and innovation programme.Peer reviewe

Motor function may differentiate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from early onset bipolar disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Differentiating between bipolar spectrum disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood and adolescence is difficult because the clinical presentation is influenced by ongoing neural development, causing considerable symptom overlap. Motor problems and neurological soft signs have been associated with ADHD for decades. Little is known about motor skills in BD. Here we assess the diagnostic accuracy of neuromotor deviations in differentiating ADHD from BD in clinical practice. We also investigate if these deviations exist in concurrent ADHD and BD, thus indicating true comorbidity</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>64 patients 6-18 years (31 girls, 33 boys) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of BD, ADHD combined subtype (ADHD-C) or comorbid BD and ADHD-C, were compared using an age-standardized neuromotor test; NUBU. Categorical variables were analyzed using cross table with two-tailed chi square test or Fisher's exact test when appropriate. Continuous variables were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and, if significant, Mann-Whitney U test and ROC plots.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ADHD-C group and the comorbid ADHD-C and BD group both showed significantly more neurological soft signs (p less than 0.01) and lower mean static coordination percentile (p less than 0.01) than the BD group. The positive predictive value of NUBU in the diagnosis of ADHD-C with or without concurrent BD was 89% (80-95) for total soft signs and 87% (79-95) for static coordination below the 7.5 percentile.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An age-standardized neuromotor test battery may promote diagnostic accuracy in differentiating ADHD from BD in clinical practice, and help evaluating whether symptoms of ADHD in children who have BD reflect symptom overlap or real comorbidity. This may have important implications for everyday diagnostic work.</p

Nonrenormalization of Flux Superpotentials in String Theory

Recent progress in understanding modulus stabilization in string theory relies on the existence of a non-renormalization theorem for the 4D compactifications of Type IIB supergravity which preserve N=1 supersymmetry. We provide a simple proof of this non-renormalization theorem for a broad class of Type IIB vacua using the known symmetries of these compactifications, thereby putting them on a similar footing as the better-known non-renormalization theorems of heterotic vacua without fluxes. The explicit dependence of the tree-level flux superpotential on the dilaton field makes the proof more subtle than in the absence of fluxes.Comment: 16 pages, no figures. Final version, to appear in JHEP. Arguments for validity of R-symmetry made more explicit. Minor extra comments and references adde

Ocean acidification in the subpolar North Atlantic:Rates and mechanisms controlling pH changes

Repeated hydrographic sections provide critically needed data on and understanding of changes in basin-wide ocean CO2 chemistry over multi-decadal timescales. Here, high-quality measurements collected at twelve cruises carried out along the same track between 1991 and 2015 have been used to determine long-term changes in ocean CO2 chemistry and ocean acidification in the Irminger and Iceland basins of the North Atlantic Ocean. Trends were determined for each of the main water masses present and are discussed in the context of the basin-wide circulation. The pH has decreased in all water masses of the Irminger and Iceland basins over the past 25 years with the greatest changes in surface and intermediate waters (between -0.0010 ± 0.0001 and -0.0018 ± 0.0001 pH units yr-1). In order to disentangle the drivers of the pH changes, we decomposed the trends into their principal drivers: changes in temperature, salinity, total alkalinity (AT) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (both its natural and anthropogenic components). The increase in anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) was identified as the main agent of the pH decline, partially offset by AT increases. The acidification of intermediate waters caused by Cant uptake has been reinforced by the aging of the water masses over the period of our analysis. The pH decrease of the deep overflow waters in the Irminger basin was similar to that observed in the upper ocean and was mainly linked to the Cant increase, thus reflecting the recent contact of these deep waters with the atmosphere

Motional Squashed States

We show that by using a feedback loop it is possible to reduce the fluctuations in one quadrature of the vibrational degree of freedom of a trapped ion below the quantum limit. The stationary state is not a proper squeezed state, but rather a ``squashed'' state, since the uncertainty in the orthogonal quadrature, which is larger than the standard quantum limit, is unaffected by the feedback action.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the special Issue "Quantum Correlations and Fluctuations" of J. Opt.

Analysis of Iophenoxic Acid Analogues in Small Indian Mongoose (\u3ci\u3eHerpestes Auropunctatus\u3c/i\u3e) Sera for Use as an Oral Rabies Vaccination Biological Marker

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a reservoir of rabies virus (RABV) in Puerto Rico and comprises over 70% of animal rabies cases reported annually. The control of RABV circulation in wildlife reservoirs is typically accomplished by a strategy of oral rabies vaccination (ORV). Currently no wildlife ORV program exists in Puerto Rico. Research into oral rabies vaccines and various bait types for mongooses has been conducted with promising results. Monitoring the success of ORV relies on estimating bait uptake by target species, which typically involves evaluating a change in RABV neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) post vaccination. This strategy may be difficult to interpret in areas with an active wildlife ORV program or in areas where RABV is enzootic and background levels of RVNA are present in reservoir species. In such situations, a biomarker incorporated with the vaccine or the bait matrix may be useful. We offered 16 captive mongooses placebo ORV baits containing ethyl-iophenoxic acid (et-IPA) in concentrations of 0.4% and 1% inside the bait and 0.14% in the external bait matrix. We also offered 12 captive mongooses ORV baits containing methyl-iophenoxic acid (me-IPA) in concentrations of 0.035%, 0.07% and 0.14% in the external bait matrix. We collected a serum sample prior to bait offering and then weekly for up to eight weeks post offering. We extracted Iophenoxic acids from sera into acetonitrile and quantified using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. We analyzed sera for et-IPA or me-IPA by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found adequate marking ability for at least eight and four weeks for et- and me-IPA, respectively. Both IPA derivatives could be suitable for field evaluation of ORV bait uptake in mongooses. Due to the longevity of the marker in mongoose sera, care must be taken to not confound results by using the same IPA derivative during consecutive evaluations