Unitary Positive-Energy Representations of Scalar Bilocal Quantum Fields

The superselection sectors of two classes of scalar bilocal quantum fields in D>=4 dimensions are explicitly determined by working out the constraints imposed by unitarity. The resulting classification in terms of the dual of the respective gauge groups U(N) and O(N) confirms the expectations based on general results obtained in the framework of local nets in algebraic quantum field theory, but the approach using standard Lie algebra methods rather than abstract duality theory is complementary. The result indicates that one does not lose interesting models if one postulates the absence of scalar fields of dimension D-2 in models with global conformal invariance. Another remarkable outcome is the observation that, with an appropriate choice of the Hamiltonian, a Lie algebra embedded into the associative algebra of observables completely fixes the representation theory.Comment: 27 pages, v3: result improved by eliminating redundant assumptio

Anticentromere antibody levels and isotypes and the development of systemic sclerosis

Objective Little is known on the disease course of very early systemic sclerosis (SSc). Among the information yet to be elucidated is whether anticentromere antibody (ACA) isotype levels can serve as biomarkers for future SSc development and for organ involvement. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether IgG, IgM, and IgA ACA levels in IgG ACA-positive patients are associated with disease severity and/or progression from very early SSc to definite SSc. Methods IgG ACA-positive patients from 5 different cohorts who had very early SSc or SSc fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2013 criteria were included. A diagnosis of very early SSc was based on the presence of IgG ACAs and Raynaud's phenomenon, and/or puffy fingers and/or abnormal nailfold capillaroscopy, but not fulfilling the ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria for SSc. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to determine the association between baseline ACA isotype levels and progression to definite SSc with organ involvement. Results Six hundred twenty-five IgG ACA-positive patients were included, of whom 138 (22%) fulfilled the criteria for very early SSc and 487 (78%) had definite SSc. Levels of IgG ACAs (odds ratio 2.5 [95% confidence interval 1.8-3.7]) and IgM ACAs (odds ratio 1.8 [95% confidence interval 1.3-2.3]) were significantly higher in patients with definite SSc. Of 115 patients with very early SSc with follow-up, progression to definite SSc occurred within 5 years in 48 (42%). Progression to definite SSc was associated with higher IgG ACA levels at baseline (odds ratio 4.3 [95% confidence interval 1.7-10.7]). Conclusion ACA isotype levels may serve as biomarkers to identify patients with very early SSc who are at risk for disease progression to definite SSc.Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease

Photochemically produced SO2 in the atmosphere of WASP-39b

S.-M.T. is supported by the European Research Council advanced grant EXOCONDENSE (no. 740963; principal investigator: R. T. Pierrehumbert). E.K.H.L. is supported by the SNSF Ambizione Fellowship grant (no. 193448). X.Z. is supported by NASA Exoplanet Research grant 80NSSC22K0236. O.V. acknowledges funding from the ANR project ‘EXACT’ (ANR-21-CE49-0008-01), from the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) and from the CNRS/INSU Programme National de Planétologie (PNP). L.D. acknowledges support from the European Union H2020-MSCA-ITN-2109 under grant no. 860470 (CHAMELEON) and the KU Leuven IDN/19/028 grant Escher. This work benefited from the 2022 Exoplanet Summer Program at the Other Worlds Laboratory (OWL) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a programme financed by the Heising-Simons Foundation. T.D. is an LSSTC Catalyst Fellow. J.K. is an Imperial College Research Fellow. B.V.R. is a 51 Pegasi b Fellow. L.W. is an NHFP Sagan Fellow. A.D.F. is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.Photochemistry is a fundamental process of planetary atmospheres that regulates the atmospheric composition and stability1. However, no unambiguous photochemical products have been detected in exoplanet atmospheres so far. Recent observations from the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program2,3 found a spectral absorption feature at 4.05 μm arising from sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere of WASP-39b. WASP-39b is a 1.27-Jupiter-radii, Saturn-mass (0.28 MJ) gas giant exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star with an equilibrium temperature of around 1,100 K (ref. 4). The most plausible way of generating SO2 in such an atmosphere is through photochemical processes5,6. Here we show that the SO2 distribution computed by a suite of photochemical models robustly explains the 4.05-μm spectral feature identified by JWST transmission observations7 with NIRSpec PRISM (2.7σ)8 and G395H (4.5σ)9. SO2 is produced by successive oxidation of sulfur radicals freed when hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is destroyed. The sensitivity of the SO2 feature to the enrichment of the atmosphere by heavy elements (metallicity) suggests that it can be used as a tracer of atmospheric properties, with WASP-39b exhibiting an inferred metallicity of about 10× solar. We further point out that SO2 also shows observable features at ultraviolet and thermal infrared wavelengths not available from the existing observations.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

The Influence of Age and Sex on Genetic Associations with Adult Body Size and Shape : A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Interaction Study

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 100 genetic variants contributing to BMI, a measure of body size, or waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI, WHRadjBMI), a measure of body shape. Body size and shape change as people grow older and these changes differ substantially between men and women. To systematically screen for age-and/or sex-specific effects of genetic variants on BMI and WHRadjBMI, we performed meta-analyses of 114 studies (up to 320,485 individuals of European descent) with genome-wide chip and/or Metabochip data by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium. Each study tested the association of up to similar to 2.8M SNPs with BMI and WHRadjBMI in four strata (men 50y, women 50y) and summary statistics were combined in stratum-specific meta-analyses. We then screened for variants that showed age-specific effects (G x AGE), sex-specific effects (G x SEX) or age-specific effects that differed between men and women (G x AGE x SEX). For BMI, we identified 15 loci (11 previously established for main effects, four novel) that showed significant (FDR= 50y). No sex-dependent effects were identified for BMI. For WHRadjBMI, we identified 44 loci (27 previously established for main effects, 17 novel) with sex-specific effects, of which 28 showed larger effects in women than in men, five showed larger effects in men than in women, and 11 showed opposite effects between sexes. No age-dependent effects were identified for WHRadjBMI. This is the first genome-wide interaction meta-analysis to report convincing evidence of age-dependent genetic effects on BMI. In addition, we confirm the sex-specificity of genetic effects on WHRadjBMI. These results may providefurther insights into the biology that underlies weight change with age or the sexually dimorphism of body shape.Peer reviewe