Search for Low Scale Gravity Effects in e+e- Collisions at LEP

Recent theories propose that quantum gravity effects may be observable at LEP energies via gravitons that couple to Standard Model particles and propagate into extra spatial dimensions. The associated production of a graviton and a photon is searched for as well as the effects of virtual graviton exchange in the processes: e+e- -> gamma gamma, ZZ, WW, mu mu, tau tau, qq and ee No evidence for this new interaction is found in the data sample collected by the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies up to 183 GeV. Limits close to 1 TeV on the scale of this new scenario of quantum gravity are set

Search for Charginos with a Small Mass Difference with the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle at \sqrt{s} = 189 GeV

A search for charginos nearly mass-degenerate with the lightest supersymmetric particle is performed using the 176 pb^-1 of data collected at 189 GeV in 1998 with the L3 detector. Mass differences between the chargino and the lightest supersymmetric particle below 4 GeV are considered. The presence of a high transverse momentum photon is required to single out the signal from the photon-photon interaction background. No evidence for charginos is found and upper limits on the cross section for chargino pair production are set. For the first time, in the case of heavy scalar leptons, chargino mass limits are obtained for any \tilde{\chi}^{+-}_1 - \tilde{\chi}^0_1 mass difference

Search for Branons at LEP

We search, in the context of extra-dimension scenarios, for the possible existence of brane fluctuations, called branons. Events with a single photon or a single Z-boson and missing energy and momentum collected with the L3 detector in e^+ e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies sqrt{s}=189-209$ GeV are analysed. No excess over the Standard Model expectations is found and a lower limit at 95% confidence level of 103 GeV is derived for the mass of branons, for a scenario with small brane tensions. Alternatively, under the assumption of a light branon, brane tensions below 180 GeV are excluded

The antiproton decelerator: AD

A simplified scheme for the provision of antiprotons at 100 MeV/c based on fast extraction is described. The scheme uses the existing production target area and the modified Antiproton Collector Ring in their current location. The physics programme is largely based on capturing and storing antiprotons in Penning traps for the production and spectroscopy of antihydrogen. The machine modifications necessary to deliver batches of 1 107 /min at 100 MeV/c are described. Details of the machine layout and the experimental area in the existing AAC Hall are given

Strategic approaches to restoring ecosystems can triple conservation gains and halve costs.

International commitments for ecosystem restoration add up to one-quarter of the world's arable land. Fulfilling them would ease global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity decline but could displace food production and impose financial costs on farmers. Here, we present a restoration prioritization approach capable of revealing these synergies and trade-offs, incorporating ecological and economic efficiencies of scale and modelling specific policy options. Using an actual large-scale restoration target of the Atlantic Forest hotspot, we show that our approach can deliver an eightfold increase in cost-effectiveness for biodiversity conservation compared with a baseline of non-systematic restoration. A compromise solution avoids 26% of the biome's current extinction debt of 2,864 plant and animal species (an increase of 257% compared with the baseline). Moreover, this solution sequesters 1 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent (a 105% increase) while reducing costs by US$28 billion (a 57% decrease). Seizing similar opportunities elsewhere would offer substantial contributions to some of the greatest challenges for humankind

Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Response to Smallpox Vaccine in Preimmunized Volunteers

CONTEXT: In March 2003, the French Ministry of Health implemented a program on preparedness and response to a biological attack using smallpox as weapon. This program included the establishment of a preoutbreak national team that could be revaccinated against smallpox. OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with vaccination success defined as the presence of a pustule at the inoculation site at day 8 (days 7-9), with an undiluted vaccinia virus derived from a Lister strain among preimmunized volunteers. VOLUNTEERS AND METHODS: From March 2003 to November 2006, we have studied prospectively 226 eligible volunteers. Demographic data were recorded for each volunteer (age, sex, number of previously smallpox vaccinations and date of the last vaccination). Smallpox vaccine adverse reactions were diagnosed on the basis of clinical examination performed at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 after revaccination. RESULTS: A total of 226 volunteers (sex ratio H/F = 2.7) were revaccinated. Median age was 45 years (range: 27-63 yrs). All volunteers completed follow-up. Median number of vaccinations before revaccination was 2 (range: 1-8). The median delay between time of the study and the last vaccination was 29 years (range; 18-60 yrs). Sixty-one volunteers (27%) experienced one (n = 40) or more (n = 21) minor side effects during the 2-14 days after revaccination. Successful vaccination was noted in 216/226 volunteers (95.6%) at day 8 and the median of the pustule diameter was 5 mm (range: 1-20 mm). Size of the pustule at day 8 was correlated with age (p = 0.03) and with the presence of axillary adenopathy after revaccination (p = 0.007). Sex, number of prior vaccinations, delay between the last vaccination and revaccination, and local or systemic side effects with the exception of axillary adenopathy, were not correlated with the size of the pustule at day 8. CONCLUSIONS: Previously vaccinated volunteers can be successfully revaccinated with the Lister strain

Methodology used in studies reporting chronic kidney disease prevalence: a systematic literature review

Background Many publications report the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. Comparisons across studies are hampered as CKD prevalence estimations are influenced by study population characteristics and laboratory methods. Methods For this systematic review, two researchers independently searched PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify all original research articles that were published between 1 January 2003 and 1 November 2014 reporting the prevalence of CKD in the European adult general population. Data on study methodology and reporting of CKD prevalence results were independently extracted by two researchers. Results We identified 82 eligible publications and included 48 publications of individual studies for the data extraction. There was considerable variation in population sample selection. The majority of studies did not report the sampling frame used, and the response ranged from 10 to 87%. With regard to the assessment of kidney function, 67% used a Jaffe assay, whereas 13% used the enzymatic assay for creatinine determination. Isotope dilution mass spectrometry calibration was used in 29%. The CKD-EPI (52%) and MDRD (75%) equations were most often used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). CKD was defined as estimated GFR (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 in 92% of studies. Urinary markers of CKD were assessed in 60% of the studies. CKD prevalence was reported by sex and age strata in 54 and 50% of the studies, respectively. In publications with a primary objective of reporting CKD prevalence, 39% reported a 95% confidence interval. Conclusions The findings from this systematic review showed considerable variation in methods for sampling the general population and assessment of kidney function across studies reporting CKD prevalence. These results are utilized to provide recommendations to help optimize both the design and the reporting of future CKD prevalence studies, which will enhance comparability of study result

The multi-wavelength view of shocks in the fastest nova V1674 Her

Classical novae are shock-powered multi-wavelength transients triggered by a thermonuclear runaway on an accreting white dwarf. V1674 Her is the fastest nova ever recorded (time to declined by two magnitudes is t_2=1.1 d) that challenges our understanding of shock formation in novae. We investigate the physical mechanisms behind nova emission from GeV gamma-rays to cm-band radio using coordinated Fermi-LAT, NuSTAR, Swift and VLA observations supported by optical photometry. Fermi-LAT detected short-lived (18 h) 0.1-100 GeV emission from V1674 Her that appeared 6 h after the eruption began; this was at a level of (1.6 +/- 0.4)x10^-6 photons cm^-2 s^-1. Eleven days later, simultaneous NuSTAR and Swift X-ray observations revealed optically thin thermal plasma shock-heated to kT_shock = 4 keV. The lack of a detectable 6.7 keV Fe K_alpha emission suggests super-solar CNO abundances. The radio emission from V1674 Her was consistent with thermal emission at early times and synchrotron at late times. The radio spectrum steeply rising with frequency may be a result of either free-free absorption of synchrotron and thermal emission by unshocked outer regions of the nova shell or the Razin-Tsytovich effect attenuating synchrotron emission in dense plasma. The development of the shock inside the ejecta is unaffected by the extraordinarily rapid evolution and the intermediate polar host of this nova.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Accepted to MNRA

Single-cell RNA-sequencing resolves self-antigen expression during mTEC development

The crucial capability of T cells for discrimination between self and non-self peptides is based on negative selection of developing thymocytes by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). The mTECs purge autoreactive T cells by expression of cell-type specific genes referred to as tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). Although the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein is known to promote the expression of a subset of TRAs, its mechanism of action is still not fully understood. The expression of TRAs that are not under the control of AIRE also needs further characterization. Furthermore, expression patterns of TRA genes have been suggested to change over the course of mTEC development. Herein we have used single-cell RNA-sequencing to resolve patterns of TRA expression during mTEC development. Our data indicated that mTEC development consists of three distinct stages, correlating with previously described jTEC, mTEChi and mTEClo phenotypes. For each subpopulation, we have identified marker genes useful in future studies. Aire-induced TRAs were switched on during jTEC-mTEC transition and were expressed in genomic clusters, while otherwise the subsets expressed largely overlapping sets of TRAs. Moreover, population-level analysis of TRA expression frequencies suggested that such differences might not be necessary to achieve efficient thymocyte selection.RM is supported by a PhD Fellowship from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (SFRH/ BD/51950/2012). XZ is supported by an Advanced Postdoc Mobility Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, grant number P300P2_151352). Part of the work was performed during XZ’s visit to the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing. TL is supported by the Academy of Finland (Decision 311081). The authors would like to thank Bee Ling Ng and the staff of the Cytometry Core Facility, and Stephan Lorenz and the staff of the Single Cell Genomics Core Facility for their contribution. Mark Lynch is acknowledged for technical assistance with the Fluidigm C1 platform. Mike Stubbington and Kylie James are acknowledged for revising the language of the manuscript. We thank Sarah Teichmann for help and discussions regarding the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Parasympathetic Activity and Blood Catecholamine Responses Following a Single Partial-Body Cryostimulation and a Whole-Body Cryostimulation

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a single whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) and a partial-body cryostimulation (PBC) (i.e., not exposing the head to cold) on indices of parasympathetic activity and blood catecholamines. Two groups of 15 participants were assigned either to a 3-min WBC or PBC session, while 10 participants constituted a control group (CON) not receiving any cryostimulation. Changes in thermal, physiological and subjective variables were recorded before and during the 20-min after each cryostimulation. According to a qualitative statistical analysis, an almost certain decrease in skin temperature was reported for all body regions immediately after the WBC (mean decrease±90% CL, -13.7±0.7°C) and PBC (-8.3±0.3°C), which persisted up to 20-min after the session. The tympanic temperature almost certainly decreased only after the WBC session (-0.32±0.04°C). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were very likely increased after the WBC session, whereas these changes were trivial in the other groups. In addition, heart rate almost certainly decreased after PBC (-10.9%) and WBC (-15.2%) sessions, in a likely greater proportion for WBC compared to PBC. Resting vagal-related heart rate variability indices (the root-mean square difference of successive normal R-R intervals, RMSSD, and high frequency band, HF) were very likely increased after PBC (RMSSD: +54.4%, HF: +138%) and WBC (RMSSD: +85.2%, HF: +632%) sessions without any marked difference between groups. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations were likely to very likely increased after PBC (+57.4%) and WBC (+76.2%), respectively. Finally, cold and comfort sensations were almost certainly altered after WBC and PBC, sensation of discomfort being likely more pronounced after WBC than PBC. Both acute cryostimulation techniques effectively stimulated the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with a predominance of parasympathetic tone activation. The results of this study also suggest that a whole-body cold exposure induced a larger stimulation of the ANS compared to partial-body cold exposure