Managing Access to Biobanks:How Can We Reconcile Privacy and Public Interests in Genetic Research?

This article is concerned with the ultimate objectives of genetic biobanks set up to promote the public interest—being the sharing of samples and data for medical research—and the consequences for personal privacy of realising them. Our aim is to chart the values, interests and principles in play, to consider the challenges of realizing biobanking objectives on a global scale, and to propose viable ways forward that ensure, as far as possible, that access provisions remain fit for purpose throughout the entire life of a biobank, while adequately protecting the privacy interests at stake. It is argued that key features in any robust access model must include mechanisms to (a) maintain participant trust in management of the resource and to measure and respond to participants’ expectations, (b) facilitate and promote the sharing of benefits, and (c) respond timeously and effectively to new challenges

Orbital M1 versus E2 strength in deformed nuclei: A new energy weighted sum rule

Within the unified model of Bohr and Mottelson we derive the following linear energy weighted sum rule for low energy orbital 1$^+$ excitations in even-even deformed nuclei S_{\rm LE}^{\rm lew} (M_1^{\rm orb}) \cong (6/5) \epsilon (B(E2; 0^+_1 \rightarrow 2_1^+ K=0)/Z e^2^2) \mu^2_N with B(E2) the E2 strength for the transition from the ground state to the first excited state in the ground state rotational band, $$ the charge r.m.s. radius squared and $\epsilon$ the binding energy per nucleon in the nuclear ground state. It is shown that this energy weighted sum rule is in good agreement with available experimental data. The sum rule is derived using a simple ansatz for the intrinsic ground state wave function that predicts also high energy 1$^+$ strength at 2$\hbar \omega$ carrying 50\% of the total $m_1$ moment of the orbital M1 operator.Comment: REVTEX (3.0), 9 pages, RU924

Comparison between four published definitions of hyposmia in Parkinson's disease

Objectives Hyposmia is a common feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), yet there is no standard method to define it. A comparison of four published methods was performed to explore and highlight differences. Materials and methods Olfactory testing was performed in 2097 cases of early PD in two prospective studies. Olfaction was assessed using various cut-offs, usually corrected by age and/or gender. Control data were simulated based on the age and gender structure of the PD cases and published normal ranges. Association with age, gender, and disease duration was explored by method and study cohort. Prevalence of hyposmia was compared with the age and gender-matched simulated controls. Between method agreement was measured using Cohen's kappa and Gwet's AC1. Results Hyposmia was present in between 69.1% and 97.9% of cases in Tracking Parkinson's cases, and between 62.2% and 90.8% of cases in the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative, depending on the method. Between-method agreement varied (kappa 0.09–0.80, AC1 0.55–0.86). The absolute difference between PD cases and simulated controls was similar for men and women across methods. Age and male gender were positively associated with hyposmia (p < .001, all methods). Odds of having hyposmia increased with advancing age (OR:1.06, 95% CI:1.03, 1.10, p < .001). Longer disease duration had a negative impact on overall olfactory performance. Conclusions Different definitions of hyposmia give different results using the same dataset. A standardized definition of hyposmia in PD is required, adjusting for age and gender, to account for the background decline in olfactory performance with ageing, especially in men

Two-phonon 1- state in 112Sn observed in resonant photon scattering

Results of a photon scattering experiment on 112Sn using bremsstrahlung with an endpoint energy of E_0 = 3.8 MeV are reported. A J = 1 state at E_x = 3434(1) keV has been excited. Its decay width into the ground state amounts to Gamma_0 = 151(17) meV, making it a candidate for a [2+ x 3-]1- two-phonon state. The results for 112Sn are compared with quasiparticle-phonon model calculations as well as the systematics of the lowest-lying 1- states established in other even-mass tin isotopes. Contrary to findings in the heavier stable even-mass Sn isotopes, no 2+ states between 2 and 3.5 MeV excitation energy have been detected in the present experiment.Comment: 10 pages, including 2 figures, Phys. Rev. C, in pres

Nuclear Scissors Mode with Pairing

The coupled dynamics of the scissors mode and the isovector giant quadrupole resonance are studied using a generalized Wigner function moments method taking into account pair correlations. Equations of motion for angular momentum, quadrupole moment and other relevant collective variables are derived on the basis of the time dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations. Analytical expressions for energy centroids and transitions probabilities are found for the harmonic oscillator model with the quadrupole-quadrupole residual interaction and monopole pairing force. Deformation dependences of energies and $B(M1)$ values are correctly reproduced. The inclusion of pair correlations leads to a drastic improvement in the description of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the scissors mode.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, the results of calculation by another method and the section concerning currents are adde

Transition Rates between Mixed Symmetry States: First Measurement in 94Mo

The nucleus 94Mo was investigated using a powerful combination of gamma-singles photon scattering experiments and gamma-gamma-coincidence studies following the beta-decay of 94mTc. The data survey short-lived J^pi=1+,2+ states and include branching ratios, E2/M1 mixing ratios, lifetimes, and transition strengths. The mixed-symmetry (MS) 1+ scissors mode and the 2+ MS state are identified from M1 strengths. A gamma transition between MS states was observed and its rate was measured. Nine M1 and E2 strengths involving MS states agree with the O(6) limit of the interacting boson model-2 using the proton boson E2 charge as the only free parameter.Comment: 9 pages, 3 PostScript figures included, ReVTeX, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, tentatively scheduled for August 9, 199

The impact of the third O-2 addition reaction network on ignition delay times of neo-pentane

We studied the oxidation of neo-pentane by combining experiments, theoretical calculations, and mechanistic developments to elucidate the impact of the 3rd O 2 addition reaction network on ignition delay time predictions. The experiments are based on photoionization mass spectrometry in jet-stirred and time-resolved flow reactors allowing for sensitive detection of the keto-hydroperoxide (KHP) and keto-dihydroperoxide (KDHP) intermediates. With neo-pentane exhibiting a unique symmetric molecular structure, which consequently results only in single KHP and KDHP isomers, theoretical calculations of ionization and fragment appearance energies and of absolute photoionization cross sections enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of the KHP intermediate. Its temperature and time-resolved profiles together with calculated and experimentally observed KHP-to-KDHP signal ratios were compared to simulation results based on a newly developed mechanism that describes the 3rd O-2 addition reaction network. A satisfactory agreement has been observed between the experimental data points and the simulation results, thus adding confidence to the model's overall performance. Finally, this mechanism was used to predict ignition delay times reported previously in shock tube and rapid compression machine experiments (J. Bugler et al., Combust. Flame 163 (2016) 138-156). While the model accurately reproduces the experimental data, simulations with and without the 3rd O-2 addition reaction network included reveal only a negligible effect on the predicted ignition delay times at 10 and 20 atm. According to model calculations, low temperatures and high pressures promote the importance of the 3rd O-2 addition reactions. (c) 2020 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Competing electric and magnetic excitations in backward electron scattering from heavy deformed nuclei

Important $E2$ contributions to the $(e,e^{\prime})$ cross sections of low-lying orbital $M1$ excitations are found in heavy deformed nuclei, arising from the small energy separation between the two excitations with $I^{\pi}K = 2^+1$ and 1$^+1$, respectively. They are studied microscopically in QRPA using DWBA. The accompanying $E2$ response is negligible at small momentum transfer $q$ but contributes substantially to the cross sections measured at $\theta = 165 ^{\circ}$ for $0.6 < q_{\rm eff} < 0.9$ fm$^{-1}$ ($40 \le E_i \le 70$ MeV) and leads to a very good agreement with experiment. The electric response is of longitudinal $C2$ type for $\theta \le 175 ^{\circ}$ but becomes almost purely transverse $E2$ for larger backward angles. The transverse $E2$ response remains comparable with the $M1$ response for $q_{\rm eff} > 1.2$ fm$^{-1}$ ($E_i > 100$ MeV) and even dominant for $E_i > 200$ MeV. This happens even at large backward angles $\theta > 175 ^{\circ}$, where the $M1$ dominance is limited to the lower $q$ region.Comment: RevTeX, 19 pages, 8 figures included Accepted for publication in Phys Rev