Revisit to Non-decoupling MSSM

Dipole operator $\bar{s}\sigma_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}b$ requires the helicity flip in the involving quark states thus the breaking of chiral $U(3)_{Q}\times U(3)_{d}$. On the other hand, the $b$-quark mass generation is also a consequence of chiral $U(3)_{Q}\times U(3)_{d}$ symmetry breaking. Therefore, in many models, there might be strong correlation between the $b\to s\gamma$ and $b$ quark Yukawa coupling. We use non-decoupling MSSM model to illustrate this feature. The light Higgs boson may evade the direct search experiments at LEPII or Tevatron while the 125 GeV Higgs-like boson is identified as the heavy Higgs boson in the spectrum. A light charged Higgs is close to the heavy Higgs boson which is of 125 GeV and its contribution to $b\to s \gamma$ requires large supersymmetric correction with large PQ and $R$ symmetry breaking. The large supersymmetric contribution at the same time significantly modifies the $b$ quark Yukawa co upling. With combined flavor constraints $B\to X_{s}\gamma$ and $B_{s}\to \mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ and direct constraints on Higgs properties, we find best fit scenarios with light stop of $\cal O$(500 GeV), negative $A_{t}$ around -750 GeV and large $\mu$-term of 2-3 TeV. In addition, reduction in $b\bar{b}$ partial width may also result in large enhancement of $\tau\tau$ decay branching fraction. Large parameter region in the survival space under all bounds may be further constrained by $H\to \tau\tau$ if no excess of $\tau\tau$ is confirmed at LHC. We only identify a small parameter region with significant $H\to hh$ decay that is consistent with all bounds and reduced $\tau\tau$ decay branching fraction.Comment: 18pages, 6 figure

Gamma-rays from Nearby Clusters: Constraints on Selected Decaying Dark Matter Models

Recently, the Fermi-LAT collaboration reported upper limits on the GeV gamma-ray flux from nearby clusters of galaxies. Motivated by these limits, we study corresponding constraints on gamma-ray emissions from two specific decaying dark matter models, one via grand unification scale suppressed operators and the other via R-parity violating operators. Both can account for the PAMELA and Fermi-LAT excesses of e^\pm. For GUT decaying dark matter, the gamma-rays from the M49 and Fornax clusters, with energy in the range of 1 to 10 GeV, lead to the most stringent constraints to date. As a result, this dark matter is disfavored with conventional model of e^\pm background. In addition, it is likely that some tension exists between the Fermi-LAT e^\pm excess and the gamma ray constraints for any decaying dark matter model, provided conventional model of e^\pm background is adopted. Nevertheless, the GUT decaying dark matter can still solely account for the PAMELA positron fraction excess without violating the gamma-ray constraints. For the gravitino dark matter model with R-parity violation, cluster observations do not give tight constraints. This is because a different e^\pm background has been adopted which leads to relatively light dark matter mass around 200 GeV.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Altered metabolic-functional coupling in the epileptogenic network could predict surgical outcomes of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between glucose metabolism and functional activity in the epileptogenic network of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and to determine whether this relationship is associated with surgical outcomes.Methods18F-FDG PET and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) scans were performed on a hybrid PET/MR scanner in 38 MTLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis (MR-HS), 35 MR-negative patients and 34 healthy controls (HC). Glucose metabolism was measured using 18F-FDG PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) relative to cerebellum; Functional activity was obtained by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). The betweenness centrality (BC) of metabolic covariance network and functional network were calculated using graph theoretical analysis. Differences in SUVR, fALFF, BC and the spatial voxel-wise SUVR-fALFF couplings of the epileptogenic network, consisting of default mode network (DMN) and thalamus, were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test (using the false discovery rate [FDR] for multiple comparison correction). The top ten SUVR-fALFF couplings were selected by Fisher score to predict surgical outcomes using logistic regression model.ResultsThe results showed decreased SUVR-fALFF coupling in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus (PFDR = 0.0230, PFDR = 0.0296) in MR-HS patients compared to healthy controls. Coupling in the ipsilateral hippocampus was marginally increased (PFDR = 0.0802) in MR-HS patients along with decreased BC of metabolic covariance network and functional network (PFDR = 0.0152; PFDR = 0.0429). With Fisher score ranking, the top ten SUVR-fALFF couplings in regions from DMN and thalamic subnuclei could predict surgical outcomes with the best performance being a combination of ten SUVR-fALFF couplings with an AUC of 0.914.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the altered neuroenergetic coupling in the epileptogenic network is associated with surgical outcomes of MTLE patients, which may provide insight into their pathogenesis and help with preoperative evaluation

How single-cell techniques help us look into lung cancer heterogeneity and immunotherapy

Lung cancer patients tend to have strong intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity and complex tumor microenvironment, which are major contributors to the efficacy of and drug resistance to immunotherapy. From a new perspective, single-cell techniques offer an innovative way to look at the intricate cellular interactions between tumors and the immune system and help us gain insights into lung cancer and its response to immunotherapy. This article reviews the application of single-cell techniques in lung cancer, with focuses directed on the heterogeneity of lung cancer and the efficacy of immunotherapy. This review provides both theoretical and experimental information for the future development of immunotherapy and personalized treatment for the management of lung cancer

YeastFab:the design and construction of standard biological parts for metabolic engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

It is a routine task in metabolic engineering to introduce multicomponent pathways into a heterologous host for production of metabolites. However, this process sometimes may take weeks to months due to the lack of standardized genetic tools. Here, we present a method for the design and construction of biological parts based on the native genes and regulatory elements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have developed highly efficient protocols (termed YeastFab Assembly) to synthesize these genetic elements as standardized biological parts, which can be used to assemble transcriptional units in a single-tube reaction. In addition, standardized characterization assays are developed using reporter constructs to calibrate the function of promoters. Furthermore, the assembled transcription units can be either assayed individually or applied to construct multi-gene metabolic pathways, which targets a genomic locus or a receiving plasmid effectively, through a simple in vitro reaction. Finally, using β-carotene biosynthesis pathway as an example, we demonstrate that our method allows us not only to construct and test a metabolic pathway in several days, but also to optimize the production through combinatorial assembly of a pathway using hundreds of regulatory biological parts

Typical and extreme weather datasets for studying the resilience of buildings to climate change and heatwaves

peer reviewedWe present unprecedented datasets of current and future projected weather files for building simulations in 15 major cities distributed across ten climate zones worldwide. The datasets include ambient air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, direct and diffuse solar irradiance, and wind speed at hourly resolution, which are essential climate elements needed to undertake building simulations. The datasets contain typical and extreme weather years in the EnergyPlus weather file (EPW) format and multiyear projections in comma-separated value (CSV) format for three periods: historical (2001-2020), future mid-term (2041-2060), and future long-term (2081-2100). The datasets were generated from projections of one regional climate model, which were bias-corrected using multiyear observational data for each city. The methodology used makes the datasets among the first to incorporate complex changes in the future climate for the frequency, duration, and magnitude of extreme temperatures. These datasets, created within the IEA EBC Annex 80 “Resilient Cooling for Buildings”, are ready to be used for different types of building adaptation and resilience studies to climate change and heatwaves.11. Sustainable cities and communitie

Excited States and Photodebromination of Selected Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers: Computational and Quantitative Structure—Property Relationship Studies

This paper presents a density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) study on the lowest lying singlet and triplet excited states of 20 selected polybrominateddiphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, with the solvation effect included in the calculations using the polarized continuum model (PCM). The results obtained showed that for most of the brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners, the lowest singlet excited state was initiated by the electron transfer from HOMO to LUMO, involving a π–σ* excitation. In triplet excited states, structure of the BDE congeners differed notably from that of the BDE ground states with one of the specific C–Br bonds bending off the aromatic plane. In addition, the partial least squares regression (PLSR), principal component analysis-multiple linear regression analysis (PCA-MLR), and back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) approaches were employed for a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) study. Based on the previously reported kinetic data for the debromination by ultraviolet (UV) and sunlight, obtained QSPR models exhibited a reasonable evaluation of the photodebromination reactivity even when the BDE congeners had same degree of bromination, albeit different patterns of bromination