Future Directions in Parity Violation: From Quarks to the Cosmos

I discuss the prospects for future studies of parity-violating (PV) interactions at low energies and the insights they might provide about open questions in the Standard Model as well as physics that lies beyond it. I cover four types of parity-violating observables: PV electron scattering; PV hadronic interactions; PV correlations in weak decays; and searches for the permanent electric dipole moments of quantum systems.Comment: Talk given at PAVI 06 workshop on parity-violating interactions, Milos, Greece (May, 2006); 10 page

A statistical approach to identify optimal inclusion criteria: An application to acute stroke clinical trials.

To develop a statistical approach that compares patient selection strategies across clinical trials and apply this approach to acute ischemic stroke clinical trials to identify the optimal inclusion criteria. We developed a statistical approach that compares the number needed to treat to achieve one success (NNT) along with the number needed to screen to achieve one success (NNS) and assesses if there are significant differences in inclusion criteria, treatment course, and clinical outcome among patients that may have been included/excluded in the trials. We applied this approach to the study population from four recent positive acute stroke clinical trials: MR CLEAN, EXTEND-IA, ESCAPE, and SWIFT PRIME, applying published trial criteria to an independent registry of 612 acute stroke patients, since we did not have access to the complete trial data. Although reported NNT were similar for EXTEND-IA, SWIFT PRIME and ESCAPE, and somewhat higher for MR CLEAN, NNS varied across the trials from 21 for EXTEND-IA, 27 for MR CLEAN, to 46 for ESCAPE and 64 for SWIFT PRIME, reflecting less and more stringent inclusion criteria, respectively. Although there were significant differences in imaging biomarkers and other clinical characteristics among patients that may have been included/excluded in the trials, these differences did not translate to significant differences in treatment course or clinical outcomes. Our study proposes a robust statistical approach that can be applied to a larger pooled trial dataset, if made available, to objectively compare across clinical trials and inform inclusion criteria of future trials. Pooled analysis of the acute stroke trial data is needed to determine which imaging biomarker inclusion criteria are critical and which may be relaxed. If this procedure were applied across the pooled trial data, it could decrease costs and refine the design of future trials to be the most efficacious for the greatest number of patients

Adjustment of the electric current in pulsar magnetospheres and origin of subpulse modulation

The subpulse modulation of pulsar radio emission goes to prove that the plasma flow in the open field line tube breaks into isolated narrow streams. I propose a model which attributes formation of streams to the process of the electric current adjustment in the magnetosphere. A mismatch between the magnetospheric current distribution and the current injected by the polar cap accelerator gives rise to reverse plasma flows in the magnetosphere. The reverse flow shields the electric field in the polar gap and thus shuts up the plasma production process. I assume that a circulating system of streams is formed such that the upward streams are produced in narrow gaps separated by downward streams. The electric drift is small in this model because the potential drop in narrow gaps is small. The gaps have to drift because by the time a downward stream reaches the star surface and shields the electric field, the corresponding gap has to shift. The transverse size of the streams is determined by the condition that the potential drop in the gaps is sufficient for the pair production. This yields the radius of the stream roughly 10% of the polar cap radius, which makes it possible to fit in the observed morphological features such as the "carousel" with 10-20 subbeams and the system of the core - two nested cone beams.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Intrinsic resistance to PIM kinase inhibition in AML through p38α-mediated feedback activation of mTOR signaling

Although conventional therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are effective in inducing remission, many patients relapse upon treatment. Hence, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. PIM kinases are often overexpressed in AML and DLBCL and are therefore an attractive therapeutic target. However, in vitro experiments have demonstrated that intrinsic resistance to PIM inhibition is common. It is therefore likely that only a minority of patients will benefit from single agent PIM inhibitor treatment. In this study, we performed an shRNA-based genetic screen to identify kinases whose suppression is synergistic with PIM inhibition. Here, we report that suppression of p38α (MAPK14) is synthetic lethal with the PIM kinase inhibitor AZD1208. PIM inhibition elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which subsequently activates p38α and downstream AKT/mTOR signaling. We found that p38α inhibitors sensitize hematological tumor cell lines to AZD1208 treatment in vitro and in vivo. These results were validated in ex vivo patient-derived AML cells. Our findings provide mechanistic and translational evidence supporting the rationale to test a combination of p38α and PIM inhibitors in clinical trials for AML and DLBCL

Asteroseismology of Eclipsing Binary Stars in the Kepler Era

Eclipsing binary stars have long served as benchmark systems to measure fundamental stellar properties. In the past few decades, asteroseismology - the study of stellar pulsations - has emerged as a new powerful tool to study the structure and evolution of stars across the HR diagram. Pulsating stars in eclipsing binary systems are particularly valuable since fundamental properties (such as radii and masses) can determined using two independent techniques. Furthermore, independently measured properties from binary orbits can be used to improve asteroseismic modeling for pulsating stars in which mode identifications are not straightforward. This contribution provides a review of asteroseismic detections in eclipsing binary stars, with a focus on space-based missions such as CoRoT and Kepler, and empirical tests of asteroseismic scaling relations for stochastic ("solar-like") oscillations.Comment: 28 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables; Proceedings of the AAS topical conference "Giants of Eclipse" (AASTCS-3), July 28 - August 2 2013, Monterey, C

Computing pseudotriangulations via branched coverings

We describe an efficient algorithm to compute a pseudotriangulation of a finite planar family of pairwise disjoint convex bodies presented by its chirotope. The design of the algorithm relies on a deepening of the theory of visibility complexes and on the extension of that theory to the setting of branched coverings. The problem of computing a pseudotriangulation that contains a given set of bitangent line segments is also examined.Comment: 66 pages, 39 figure

Sensitivity Achieved by the LIGO and Virgo Gravitational Wave Detectors during LIGO's Sixth and Virgo's Second and Third Science Runs

See paper for full list of authors - Associated data products are publicly accessible here https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=63432We summarize the sensitivity achieved by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors for low-mass compact binary coalescence (CBC) searches during LIGO's sixth science run and Virgo's second and third science runs. We present strain noise power spectral densities (PSDs) which are representative of the typical performance achieved by the detectors in these science runs. The data presented here and in the accompanying web-accessible data files are intended to be released to the public as a summary of detector performance for low-mass CBC searches during S6 and VSR2-3

Silent cerebral infarcts in patients with sickle cell disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purpose: Silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) are the most common neurological complication in children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). In this systematic review, we provide an overview of studies that have detected SCIs in patients with SCD by cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We focus on the frequency of SCIs, the risk factors involved in their development and their clinical consequences. Methods: The databases of Embase, MEDLINE ALL via Ovid, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Trials via Wiley and Google Scholar were searched from inception to June 1, 2019. Results: The search yielded 651 results of which 69 studies met the eligibility criteria. The prevalence of SCIs in patients with SCD ranges from 5.6 to 80.6% with most studies reported in the 20 to 50% range. The pooled prevalence of SCIs in HbSS and HbSβ0 SCD patients is 29.5%. SCIs occur more often in patients with the HbSS and HbSβ0 ge