New Physics in Bs -> J/psi phi: a General Analysis

Recently, the CDF and D0 collaborations measured indirect CP violation in Bs -> J/psi phi and found a hint of a signal. If taken at face value, this can be interpreted as a nonzero phase of Bs-Bsbar mixing (beta_s), in disagreement with the standard model, which predicts that beta_s ~= 0. In this paper, we argue that this analysis may be incomplete. In particular, there can be new physics (NP) in the bbar -> sbar c cbar decay. If so, the value of beta_s is different than for the case in which NP is assumed to be present only in the mixing. We have examined several models of NP and found that, indeed, there can be significant contributions to the decay. These effects are consistent with measurements in B -> J/psi K* and Bd -> J/psi Ks. Due to the NP in the decay, polarization-dependent indirect CP asymmetries and triple-product asymmetries are predicted in Bs -> J/psi phi.Comment: 28 pages, JHEP, no figures. Considerable changes made. Abstract and main text of paper modified to alter presentation. Appendix added. References added. Conclusions unchanged

Neuroprotection in a Novel Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

The authors acknowledge the support of the Barts and the London Charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, USA, notably the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research, and the Wellcome Trust (grant no. 092539 to ZA). The siRNA was provided by Quark Pharmaceuticals. The funders and Quark Pharmaceuticals had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Neutral Gauge Boson Contributions to the Dimuon Charge Asymmetry in B Decays

Recently, the D0 Collaboration measured the CP-violating like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry in neutral B decays, finding a 3.2sigma difference from the standard-model (SM) prediction. A non-SM charge asymmetry a_sl^s suggests a new-physics (NP) contribution to Bs-Bsbar mixing. In this case, in order to explain the measured value of a_sl^s within its 1sigma range, NP must be present in Gamma_12^s, the absorptive part of the mixing. In this paper, we examine whether such an explanation is possible in models with flavor-changing Z (ZFCNC) or Z' (Z'FCNC) gauge bosons. The models must also reproduce the measured values of the indirect CP asymmetry S_psi-phi in Bs -> J/psi phi, and Delta Gamma_s, the Bs-Bsbar width difference. We find that the ZFCNC model cannot reproduce the present measured values of S_psi-phi and a_sl^s within their 1sigma ranges. On the other hand, in the Z'FCNC model, the values of all three observables can be simultaneously reproduced.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, JHEP format. Some ZFCNC equations corrected, ZFCNC analysis redone, references added, conclusions unchange

Canine respiratory coronavirus employs caveolin-1-mediated pathway for internalization to HRT-18G cells

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV), identified in 2003, is a member of the Coronaviridae family. The virus is a betacoronavirus and a close relative of human coronavirus OC43 and bovine coronavirus. Here, we examined entry of CRCoV into human rectal tumor cells (HRT-18G cell line) by analyzing co-localization of single virus particles with cellular markers in the presence or absence of chemical inhibitors of pathways potentially involved in virus entry. We also targeted these pathways using siRNA. The results show that the virus hijacks caveolin-dependent endocytosis to enter cells via endocytic internalization

Dynamics of a Quantum Phase Transition and Relaxation to a Steady State

We review recent theoretical work on two closely related issues: excitation of an isolated quantum condensed matter system driven adiabatically across a continuous quantum phase transition or a gapless phase, and apparent relaxation of an excited system after a sudden quench of a parameter in its Hamiltonian. Accordingly the review is divided into two parts. The first part revolves around a quantum version of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism including also phenomena that go beyond this simple paradigm. What they have in common is that excitation of a gapless many-body system scales with a power of the driving rate. The second part attempts a systematic presentation of recent results and conjectures on apparent relaxation of a pure state of an isolated quantum many-body system after its excitation by a sudden quench. This research is motivated in part by recent experimental developments in the physics of ultracold atoms with potential applications in the adiabatic quantum state preparation and quantum computation.Comment: 117 pages; review accepted in Advances in Physic

Investigation of the mechanism of chromium removal in (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane functionalized mesoporous silica

We are proposed that a possible mechanism for Cr(VI) removal by functionalized mesoporous silica. Mesoporous silica was functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) using the post-synthesis grafting method. The synthesized materials were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N-2 adsorption-desorption analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to confirm the pore structure and functionalization of amine groups, and were subsequently used as adsorbents for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. As the concentration of APTMS increases from 0.01 M to 0.25 M, the surface area of mesoporous silica decreases from 857.9 m(2)/g to 402.6 m(2)/g. In contrast, Cr(VI) uptake increases from 36.95 mg/g to 83.50 mg/g. This indicates that the enhanced Cr(VI) removal was primarily due to the activity of functional groups. It is thought that the optimum concentration of APTMS for functionalization is approximately 0.05 M. According to XPS data, NH3+ and protonated NH2 from APTMS adsorbed anionic Cr(VI) by electrostatic interaction and changed the solution pH. Equilibrium data are well fitted by Temkin and Sips isotherms. This research shows promising results for the application of amino functionalized mesoporous silica as an adsorbent to removal Cr(VI) from aqueous solution

Evaluating the Combined Effectiveness of Influenza Control Strategies and Human Preventive Behavior

Control strategies enforced by health agencies are a major type of practice to contain influenza outbreaks. Another type of practice is the voluntary preventive behavior of individuals, such as receiving vaccination, taking antiviral drugs, and wearing face masks. These two types of practices take effects concurrently in influenza containment, but little attention has been paid to their combined effectiveness. This article estimates this combined effectiveness using established simulation models in the urbanized area of Buffalo, NY, USA. Three control strategies are investigated, including: Targeted Antiviral Prophylaxis (TAP), workplace/school closure, community travel restriction, as well as the combination of the three. All control strategies are simulated with and without regard to individual preventive behavior, and the resulting effectiveness are compared. The simulation outcomes suggest that weaker control strategies could suffice to contain influenza epidemics, because individuals voluntarily adopt preventive behavior, rendering these weaker strategies more effective than would otherwise have been expected. The preventive behavior of individuals could save medical resources for control strategies and avoid unnecessary socio-economic interruptions. This research adds a human behavioral dimension into the simulation of control strategies and offers new insights into disease containment. Health policy makers are recommended to review current control strategies and comprehend preventive behavior patterns of local populations before making decisions on influenza containment

Neurodegeneration progresses despite complete elimination of clinical relapses in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: [corrected] Multiple Sclerosis has two clinical phases reflecting distinct but inter-related pathological processes: focal inflammation drives the relapse-remitting stage and neurodegeneration represents the principal substrate of secondary progression. In contrast to the increasing number of effective anti-inflammatory disease modifying treatments for relapse-remitting disease, the absence of therapies for progressive disease represents a major unmet clinical need. This raises the unanswered question of whether elimination of clinical relapses will prevent subsequent progression and if so how early in the disease course should treatment be initiated. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the Biozzi ABH mouse recapitulates the clinical and pathological features of multiple sclerosis including relapse-remitting episodes with inflammatory mediated demyelination and progressive disability with neurodegeneration. To address the relationship between inflammation and neurodegeneration we used an auto-immune tolerance strategy to eliminate clinical relapses in EAE in a manner analogous to the clinical effect of disease modifying treatments. RESULTS: By arresting clinical relapses in EAE at two distinct stages, early and late disease, we demonstrate that halting immune driven demyelination even after the first major clinical event is insufficient to prevent long-term neurodegeneration and associated gliosis. Nonetheless, early intervention is partially neuroprotective, whereas later interventions are not. Furthermore early tolerisation is also associated with increased remyelination. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with both a partial uncoupling of inflammation and neurodegeneration and that the regenerative response of remyelination is negatively correlated with inflammation. These findings strongly support the need for early combinatorial treatment of immunomodulatory therapies and neuroprotective treatments to prevent long-term neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente