Half-Monopole in the Weinberg-Salam Model

We present new axially symmetric half-monopole configuration of the SU(2)$\times$U(1) Weinberg-Salam model of electromagnetic and weak interactions. The half-monopole configuration possesses net magnetic charge $2\pi/e$ which is half the magnetic charge of a Cho-Maison monopole. The electromagnetic gauge potential is singular along the negative $z$-axis. However the total energy is finite and increases only logarithmically with increasing Higgs field self-coupling constant $\lambda^{1/2}$ at $\sin^2\theta_W=0.2312$. In the U(1) magnetic field, the half-monopole is just a one dimensional finite length line magnetic charge extending from the origin $r=0$ and lying along the negative $z$-axis. In the SU(2) 't Hooft magnetic field, it is a point magnetic charge located at $r=0$. The half-monopole possesses magnetic dipole moment that decreases exponentially fast with increasing Higgs field self-coupling constant $\lambda^{1/2}$ at $\sin^2\theta_W=0.2312$.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Figure

MAP, MAC, and Vortex-rings Configurations in the Weinberg-Salam Model

We report on the presence of new axially symmetric monopoles, antimonopoles and vortex-rings solutions of the SU(2)$\times$U(1) Weinberg-Salam model of electromagnetic and weak interactions. When the $\phi$-winding number $n=1$, and 2, the configurations are monopole-antimonopole pair (MAP) and monopole-antimonopole chain (MAC) with poles of alternating sign magnetic charge arranged along the $z$-axis. Vortex-rings start to appear from the MAP and MAC configurations when the winding number $n=3$. The MAP configurations possess zero net magnetic charge whereas the MAC configurations possess net magnetic charge of $4\pi n/e$. In the MAP configurations, the monopole-antimonopole pair is bounded by the ${\cal Z}^0$ field flux string and there is an electromagnetic current loop encircling it. The monopole and antimonopole possess magnetic charges $\pm\frac{4\pi n}{e}\sin^2\theta_W$ respectively. In the MAC configurations there is no string connecting the monopole and the adjacent antimonopole and they possess magnetic charges $\pm\frac{4\pi n}{e}$ respectively. The MAC configurations possess infinite total energy and zero magnetic dipole moment whereas the MAP configurations which are actually sphalerons possess finite total energy and magnetic dipole moment. The configurations were investigated for varying values of Higgs self-coupling constant $0\leq \lambda\leq 40$ at Weinberg angle $\theta_W=\frac{\pi}{4}$.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures, 2 table

Electrically Charged One and a Half Monopole Solution

Recently, we have discussed the coexistence of a finite energy one-half monopole and a 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole of opposite magnetic charges. In this paper, we would like to introduce electric charge into this new monopoles configuration, thus creating a one and a half dyon. This new dyon possesses finite energy, magnetic dipole moment and angular momentum and is able to precess in the presence of an external magnetic field. Similar to the other dyon solutions, when the Higgs self-coupling constant, $\lambda$, is nonvanishing, this new dyon solution possesses critical electric charge, total energy, magnetic dipole moment, and dipole separation as the electric charge parameter, $\eta$, approaches one. The electric charge and total energy increase with $\eta$ to maximum critical values as $\eta\rightarrow1$ for all nonvanishing $\lambda$. However, the magnetic dipole moment decreases with $\eta$ when $\lambda\geq0.1$ and the dipole separation decreases with $\eta$ when $\lambda\geq1$ to minimum critical values as $\eta\rightarrow1$.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1208.4893, arXiv:1112.149

Particles of One-Half Topological Charge

We would like to show the existence of finite energy SU(2) Yang-Mills-Higgs particles of one-half topological charge. The magnetic fields of these solutions at spatial infinity correspond to the magnetic field of a positive one-half magnetic monopole located at the origin and a semi-infinite Dirac string which carries a magnetic flux of $\frac{2\pi}{g}$ going into the center of the sphere at infinity. Hence the net magnetic charge of the configuration is zero. The solutions possess gauge potentials that are singular along one-half of the z-axis, elsewhere they are regular. There are two distinct configurations of these particles with different total energies and magnetic dipole moments. Their total energies are found to increase with the strength of the Higgs field self-coupling constant $\lambda$.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Rotating One-Half Topological Charge Dyon

Recently, we have shown the existence of a finite energy one-half monopole. In this paper, we would like to introduce electric charge into the one-half monopole configuration, thus creating a one-half dyon. This one-half dyon possesses finite energy, magnetic dipole moment and angular momentum. Hence it is able to rotate in the presence of an external magnetic field. Similar to the single pole dyons and the MAP dyons, this one-half dyon possesses critical (maximum) electric charge, total energy, and magnetic dipole moment when the Higgs self-coupling constant is nonvanishing, and the electric charge parameter approaches one. This one-half dyon solution does not satisfy the first order Bogomol'nyi equations and is a non-BPS solution in the limit of vanishing Higgs self-coupling constant.Comment: This paper has been withdrawn by the author due to the "arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1112.1492

Analysis of clinically relevant variants from ancestrally diverse Asian genomes

Asian populations are under-represented in human genomics research. Here, we characterize clinically significant genetic variation in 9051 genomes representing East Asian, South Asian, and severely under-represented Austronesian-speaking Southeast Asian ancestries. We observe disparate genetic risk burden attributable to ancestry-specific recurrent variants and identify individuals with variants specific to ancestries discordant to their self-reported ethnicity, mostly due to cryptic admixture. About 27% of severe recessive disorder genes with appreciable carrier frequencies in Asians are missed by carrier screening panels, and we estimate 0.5% Asian couples at-risk of having an affected child. Prevalence of medically-actionable variant carriers is 3.4% and a further 1.6% harbour variants with potential for pathogenic classification upon additional clinical/experimental evidence. We profile 23 pharmacogenes with high-confidence gene-drug associations and find 22.4% of Asians at-risk of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tier 1 genetic conditions concurrently harbour pharmacogenetic variants with actionable phenotypes, highlighting the benefits of pre-emptive pharmacogenomics. Our findings illuminate the diversity in genetic disease epidemiology and opportunities for precision medicine for a large, diverse Asian population.</p

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to &lt; 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of &amp; GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P &lt; 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo