1,140 research outputs found
A Mass Matrix for Atmospheric, Solar, and LSND Neutrino Oscillations
We construct a mass matrix for the four neutrino flavors, three active and
one sterile, needed to fit oscillations in all three neutrino experiments:
atmospheric, solar, and LSND, simultaneously. It organizes the neutrinos into
two doublets whose central values are about 1 eV apart, and whose splittings
are of the order of 10^(-3) eV. Atmospheric neutrino oscillations are described
as maximal mixing within the upper doublet, and solar as the same within the
lower doublet. Then LSND is a weak transition from one doublet to the other. We
comment on the Majorana versus Dirac nature of the active neutrinos and show
that our mass matrix can be derived from an S_2 x S_2 permutation symmetry plus
an equal splitting rule.Comment: 4 pages, 0 figures, minor text change
Transcriptional analysis of the innate immune response of ducks to different species-of-origin low pathogenic H7 avian influenza viruses
BACKGROUND: Wild waterfowl, including ducks, represent the classic reservoir for low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses and play a major role in the worldwide dissemination of AIV. AIVs belonging to the hemagglutinin (H) 7 subtype are of epidemiological and economic importance due to their potential to mutate into a highly pathogenic form of the virus. Thus far, however, relatively little work has been conducted on elucidating the host-pathogen interactions of ducks and H7 LPAIVs. In the current study, three H7 LPAIVs isolated from either chicken, duck, or turkey avian species were evaluated for their comparative effect on the transcriptional innate immune response of ducks. RESULTS: Three H7 LPAIV isolates, chicken-origin (A/chicken/Maryland/MinhMa/2004), duck-origin (A/pintail/Minnesota/423/1999), and turkey-origin (A/turkey/Virginia/SEP-67/2002) were used to infect Pekin ducks. At 3 days post-infection, RNA from spleen tissue was used for transcriptional analysis using the Avian Innate Immune Microarray (AIIM) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Microarray analysis revealed that a core set of 61 genes was differentially regulated in response to all three LPAIVs. Furthermore, we observed 101, 135, and 628 differentially expressed genes unique to infection with the chicken-, duck-, or turkey-origin LPAIV isolates, respectively. qRT-PCR results revealed significant (p<0.05) induction of IL-1β, IL-2, and IFNγ transcription, with the greatest induction observed upon infection with the chicken-origin isolate. Several key innate immune pathways were activated in response to LPAIV infection including the toll-like receptor and RIG-I-like receptor pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Pekin ducks elicit a unique innate immune response to different species-of-origin H7 LPAIV isolates. However, twelve identifiable genes and their associated cell signaling pathways (RIG-I, NOD, TLR) are differentially expressed regardless of isolate origin. This core set of genes are critical to the duck immune response to AI. These data provide insight into the potential mechanisms employed by ducks to tolerate AI viral infection
Seasonal Variations of the 7Be Solar Neutrino Flux
Measuring the 7Be solar neutrino flux is crucial towards solving the solar
neutrino puzzle. The Borexino experiment, and possibly the KamLAND experiment,
will be capable of studying the 7Be neutrinos in the near future. We discuss
(1) how the seasonal variation of the Borexino and KamLAND data can be used to
measure the 7Be solar neutrino flux in a background independent way and (2) how
anomalous seasonal variations might be used to discover vacuum neutrino
oscillations, independent of the solar model and the measurement of the
background. In particular, we find that, after three years of Borexino or
KamLAND running, vacuum neutrino oscillations can be either established or
excluded for almost all values of (sin^2 2 theta, Delta m^2) preferred by the
Homestake, GALLEX, SAGE, and Super-Kamiokande data. We also discuss how well
seasonal variations of the data can be used to measure (sin^2 2 theta, Delta
m^2) in the case of vacuum oscillations.Comment: 39 pages, 13 figures, uses psfig. Now the impact of the MSW effect on
vacuum oscillations taken into account. Conclusions unchanged. References
adde
Searching for the MSW Enhancement
We point out that the length scale associated with the MSW effect is the
radius of the Earth. Therefore to verify matter enhancement of neutrino
oscillations, it will be necessary to study neutrinos passing through the
Earth. For the parameters of MSW solutions to the solar neutrino problem, the
only detectable effects occur in a narrow band of energies from 5 to 10 MeV. We
propose that serious consideration be given to mounting an experiment at a
location within 9.5 degrees of the equator.Comment: 10 pages, RevTe
Solar neutrinos: global analysis with day and night spectra from SNO
We perform global analysis of the solar neutrino data including the day and
night spectra of events at SNO. In the context of two active neutrino mixing,
the best fit of the data is provided by the LMA MSW solution with Delta m^2 =
6.15 10^{-5} eV^2, tan^2\theta = 0.41, f_B = 1.05, where f_B is the boron
neutrino flux in units of the corresponding flux in the Standard Solar Model
(SSM). At 3 sigma level we find the following upper bounds: tan^2\theta < 0.84
and Delta m^2 < 3.6 10^{-4} eV^2. From 1 sigma-interval we expect the day-night
asymmetries of the charged current and electron scattering events to be:
A_{DN}^{CC} = 3.9 +3.6-2.9 and A_{DN}^{ES} = 2.1 +2.1-1.4. The only other
solution which appears at 3 sigma-level is the VAC solution with Delta m^2 =
4.5 10^{-10} eV^2, tan^2\theta = 2.1 and f_B=0.75. The best fit point in the
LOW region, with Delta m^2 = 0.93 10^{-7} eV^2 and tan^2\theta = 0.64, is
accepted at 99.95% (3.5 sigma) C.L. . The least chi^2 point from the SMA
solution region, with Delta m^2 = 4.6 10^{-6} eV^2 and tan^2\theta = 5 10^{-4},
could be accepted at 5.5 sigma-level only. In the three neutrino context the
influence of theta_{13} is studied. We find that with increase of theta_{13}
the LMA best fit point shifts to larger Delta m^2, mixing angle is practically
unchanged, and the quality of the fit becomes worse. The fits of LOW and SMA
slightly improve. Predictions for KamLAND experiment (total rates, spectrum
distortion) have been calculated.Comment: Typos corrected, reference adde
Correlations of Solar Neutrino Observables for SNO
Neutrino oscillation scenarios predict correlations, and zones of avoidance,
among measurable quantities such as spectral energy distortions, total fluxes,
time dependences, and flavor content. The comparison of observed and predicted
correlations will enhance the diagnostic power of solar neutrino experiments. A
general test of all presently-allowed (two neutrino) oscillation solutions is
that future measurements must yield values outside the predicted zones of
avoidance. To illustrate the discriminatory power of the simultaneous analysis
of multiple observables, we map currently allowed regions of neutrino masses
and mixing angles onto planes of quantities measurable with the Sudbury
Neutrino Observatory (SNO). We calculate the correlations that are predicted by
vacuum and MSW (active and sterile) neutrino oscillation solutions that are
globally consistent with all available neutrino data. We derive approximate
analytic expressions for the dependence of individual observables and specific
correlations upon neutrino oscillations parameters. We also discuss the
prospects for identifying the correct oscillation solution using multiple SNO
observables.Comment: Accepted Phys Rev D. Included new figure. Related material
http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jn
Back reaction of a long range force on a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background
It is possible that there may exist long-range forces in addition to gravity.
In this paper we construct a simple model for such a force based on exchange of
a massless scalar field and analyze its effect on the evolution of a
homogeneous Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology. The presence of such an
interaction leads to an equation of state characterized by positive pressure
and to resonant particle production similar to that observed in preheating
scenarios.Comment: 14 pages, 6 color Postscript figures, LaTe
Solar Model Uncertainties, MSW Analysis, and Future Solar Neutrino Experiments
Various theoretical uncertainties in the standard solar model and in the
Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) analysis are discussed. It is shown that two
methods of estimating the solar neutrino flux uncertainties are equivalent: (a)
a simple parametrization of the uncertainties using the core temperature and
the nuclear production cross sections; (b) the Monte Carlo method of Bahcall
and Ulrich. In the MSW analysis, we emphasize proper treatments of correlation
of theoretical uncertainties between flux components and between different
detectors, the Earth effect, and multiple solutions in a combined
procedure. The MSW solutions for various standard and nonstandard solar models
are also shown. The MSW predictions of the global solutions for the future
solar neutrino experiments are given, emphasizing the measurement of the energy
spectrum and the day-night effect in Sudbury Neutrino Observatory and
Super-Kamiokande to distinguish the two solutions.Comment: (Revtex 3.0, 43 pages + 26 figures (uuencoded ps files attached),
Easy way: ps files of entire text with embedded figures available by
anonymous ftp://upenn5.hep.upenn.edu/pub/hata/papers/msw_analysis.u
Complete genomic sequence analysis of infectious bronchitis virus Ark DPI strain and its evolution by recombination
An infectious bronchitis virus Arkansas DPI (Ark DPI) virulent strain was sequenced, analyzed and compared with many different IBV strains and coronaviruses. The genome of Ark DPI consists of 27,620 nucleotides, excluding poly (A) tail, and comprises ten open reading frames. Comparative sequence analysis of Ark DPI with other IBV strains shows striking similarity to the Conn, Gray, JMK, and Ark 99, which were circulating during that time period. Furthermore, comparison of the Ark genome with other coronaviruses demonstrates a close relationship to turkey coronavirus. Among non-structural genes, the 5'untranslated region (UTR), 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro) and the polymerase (RdRp) sequences are 100% identical to the Gray strain. Among structural genes, S1 has 97% identity with Ark 99; S2 has 100% identity with JMK and 96% to Conn; 3b 99%, and 3C to N is 100% identical to Conn strain. Possible recombination sites were found at the intergenic region of spike gene, 3'end of S1 and 3a gene. Independent recombination events may have occurred in the entire genome of Ark DPI, involving four different IBV strains, suggesting that genomic RNA recombination may occur in any part of the genome at number of sites. Hence, we speculate that the Ark DPI strain originated from the Conn strain, but diverged and evolved independently by point mutations and recombination between field strains
Phenomenology of Neutrino Oscillations
The phenomenology of solar, atmospheric, supernova and laboratory neutrino
oscillations is described. Analytical formulae for matter effects are reviewed.
The results from oscillations are confronted with neutrinoless double beta
decay.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, latex, Plenary talk given at Workshop in High
Energy Particle Physics-6, Chennai, Indi
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