Impure Thoughts on Inelastic Dark Matter

The inelastic dark matter scenario was proposed to reconcile the DAMA annual modulation with null results from other experiments. In this scenario, WIMPs scatter into an excited state, split from the ground state by an energy delta comparable to the available kinetic energy of a Galactic WIMP. We note that for large splittings delta, the dominant scattering at DAMA can occur off of thallium nuclei, with A~205, which are present as a dopant at the 10^-3 level in NaI(Tl) crystals. For a WIMP mass m~100GeV and delta~200keV, we find a region in delta-m-parameter space which is consistent with all experiments. These parameters in particular can be probed in experiments with thallium in their targets, such as KIMS, but are inaccessible to lighter target experiments. Depending on the tail of the WIMP velocity distribution, a highly modulated signal may or may not appear at CRESST-II.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

The Impact of Satellite Trails on H.E.S.S. Astronomical Observations

The number of satellites launched into Earth orbit has almost tripled in the last three years (to over 4000) due to the increasing commercialisation of space. Multiple satellite constellations, consisting of over 400,000 individual satellites, have either been partially launched or are proposed for launch in the near future. Many of these satellites are highly reflective, resulting in a high optical brightness that affects ground-based astronomical observations. Despite this, the potential effect of these satellites on gamma-ray-observing Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) has largely been assumed to be negligible due to their nanosecond-scale integration times. This has, however, never been verified. As IACTs are sensitive to optical wavelength light, we aim to identify satellite trails in data taken by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) IACT array. This is to quantify the potential effects on data quality and extensive air shower event classification and reconstruction. Using night sky background measurements from H.E.S.S., we determine which observation times and pointing directions are affected most by these satellite trails, and evaluate the impact on the standard Hillas parameter variables used for event analysis. Due to the brightest trails, false trigger events can occur, however for most modern analyses the effect on astronomical results will be minimal. We observe a mild increase in the rate of trail detections over time (approximately doubling in three years), which is partially correlated with the number of satellite launches. But the fraction of H.E.S.S. data affected ($\sim0.2\%$ of dark time observations) is currently small. Nevertheless, these trails could have a non-negligible effect on future Cherenkov Telescope Array observations if advanced analysis techniques designed to lower the energy threshold of the instrument are used.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, 5 tables. Accepted in A&A. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, $\copyright$ ES

Antimicrobial and Mechanical Effects of Zeolite Use in Dental Materials: A Systematic Review

Objective: Ion-incorporated zeolite is a widely used antimicrobial material studied for various dental applications. At present, there is no other systematic review that evaluates the effectiveness of zeolite in all dental materials. The purpose of this study was to review all available literature that analyzed the antimicrobial effects and/or mechanical properties of zeolite as a restorative material in dentistry. Material and methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, an exhaustive search of PubMed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, Embase, and the Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source was conducted. No language or time restrictions were used and the study was conducted from June 1, 2020 to August 17, 2020. Only full text articles were selected that pertained to the usage of zeolite in dental materials including composite resin, bonding agents, cements, restorative root material, cavity base material, prosthesis, implants, and endodontics. Results: At the beginning of the study, 1534 studies were identified, of which 687 duplicate records were excluded. After screening for the title, abstract, and full texts, 35 articles remained and were included in the qualitative synthesis. An Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) test, which included a percent user agreement and reliability percent, was conducted for each of the 35 articles chosen. Conclusion: Although ion-incorporated zeolite may enhance the antimicrobial properties of dental materials, the mechanical properties of some materials, such as MTA and acrylic resin, may be compromised. Therefore, since the decrease in mechanical properties depends on zeolite concentration in the restorative material, it is generally recommended to add 0.2-2% zeolite by weight. © 2021 University of Zagreb. All rights reserved

Impaired cardiac and skeletal muscle bioenergetics in children, adolescents, and young adults with Barth syndrome

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X‐linked condition characterized by altered cardiolipin metabolism and cardioskeletal myopathy. We sought to compare cardiac and skeletal muscle bioenergetics in children, adolescents, and young adults with BTHS and unaffected controls and examine their relationships with cardiac function and exercise capacity. Children/adolescents and young adults with BTHS (n = 20) and children/adolescent and young adult control participants (n = 23, total n = 43) underwent (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P‐MRS) of the lower extremity (calf) and heart for estimation of skeletal muscle and cardiac bioenergetics. Peak exercise testing (VO (2peak)) and resting echocardiography were also performed on all participants. Cardiac PCr/ATP ratio was significantly lower in children/adolescents (BTHS: 1.5 ± 0.2 vs. Control: 2.0 ± 0.3, P < 0.01) and adults (BTHS: 1.9 ± 0.2 vs. Control: 2.3 ± 0.2, P < 0.01) with BTHS compared to Control groups. Adults (BTHS: 76.4 ± 31.6 vs. Control: 35.0 ± 7.4 sec, P < 0.01) and children/adolescents (BTHS: 71.5 ± 21.3 vs. Control: 31.4 ± 7.4 sec, P < 0.01) with BTHS had significantly longer calf PCr recovery (τ PCr) postexercise compared to controls. Maximal calf ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation (Qmax‐lin) was significantly lower in children/adolescents (BTHS: 0.5 ± 0.1 vs. Control: 1.1 ± 0.3 mmol/L per sec, P < 0.01) and adults (BTHS: 0.5 ± 0.2 vs. Control: 1.0 ± 0.2 mmol/L sec, P < 0.01) with BTHS compared to controls. Blunted cardiac and skeletal muscle bioenergetics were associated with lower VO(2peak) but not resting cardiac function. Cardiac and skeletal muscle bioenergetics are impaired and appear to contribute to exercise intolerance in BTHS

Antimikrobni i mehanički učinci upotrebe zeolita u dentalnim materijalima: sistematizirani pregledni rad

Objective: Ion-incorporated zeolite is a widely used antimicrobial material studied for various dental applications. At present, there is no other systematic review that evaluates the effectiveness of zeolite in all dental materials. The purpose of this study was to review all available literature that analyzed the antimicrobial effects and/or mechanical properties of zeolite as a restorative material in dentistry. Material and methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, an exhaustive search of PubMed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, Embase, and the Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source was conducted. No language or time restrictions were used and the study was conducted from June 1, 2020 to August 17, 2020. Only full text articles were selected that pertained to the usage of zeolite in dental materials including composite resin, bonding agents, cements, restorative root material, cavity base material, prosthesis, implants, and endodontics. Results: At the beginning of the study, 1534 studies were identified, of which 687 duplicate records were excluded. After screening for the title, abstract, and full texts, 35 articles remained and were included in the qualitative synthesis. An Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) test, which included a percent user agreement and reliability percent, was conducted for each of the 35 articles chosen. Conclusion: Although ion-incorporated zeolite may enhance the antimicrobial properties of dental materials, the mechanical properties of some materials, such as MTA and acrylic resin, may be compromised. Therefore, since the decrease in mechanical properties depends on zeolite concentration in the restorative material, it is generally recommended to add 0.2-2% zeolite by weight.Svrha istraživanja: Zeolit s ugrađenim ionima često je korišten antimikrobni materijal koji se proučava za različite primjene u stomatologiji. Trenutačno ne postoji ni jedan drugi sistematizirani pregledni rad u kojemu bi se ocjenjivala učinkovitost zeolita u svim dentalnim materijalima. Svrha ovoga istraživanja bila je pregledati svu objavljenu literaturu u kojoj su analizirani antimikrobni učinci i/ ili mehanička svojstva zeolita kao restaurativnog materijala u stomatologiji. Materijal i metode: Slijedeći smjernice PRISMA-e, od 1. lipnja do 17. kolovoza 2020. provedeno je iscrpno pretraživanje baza Pubmed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, Embasa te Dentistry i Oral Sciences Source. Nisu korištena jezična ili vremenska ograničenja. Odabrani su samo cjeloviti članci kojima je tema bila upotreba zeolita u dentalnim materijalima, uključujući kompozitne materijale, adhezive, cemente, restaurativne intrakorijenske materijale, podloge te materijale u protetici, implantologiji i endodonciji. Rezultati: Na početku su pronađena 1534 istraživanja, od kojih je isključeno 687 duplih zapisa. Nakon pregleda naslova, sažetka i cjelovitih tekstova, ostalo je 35 radova koji su uključeni u kvalitativnu sintezu. Za svaki od njih proveden je test pouzdanosti među ocjenjivačima (IRR) koji je obuhvaćao postotak slaganja i postotak pouzdanosti. Zaključak: Iako zeolit s ugrađenim ionima može pojačati antimikrobna svojstva dentalnih materijala, mehanička svojstva nekih mogu biti ugrožena, poput MTA i akrilatne smole. Stoga, s obzirom na to da pogoršanje mehaničkih svojstava ovisi o koncentraciji zeolita u restaurativnom materijalu, općenito se preporučuje dodavanje 0,2 do 2 mas.% zeolita