Mitigation: Plausible mitigation targets

Whether the widely accepted 2 °C limit for climate change is practically achievable depends partly on climate sensitivity, but predominantly on complex socio-economic dynamics

Predictions from Lattice QCD

In the past year, we calculated with lattice QCD three quantities that were unknown or poorly known. They are the $q^2$ dependence of the form factor in semileptonic $D\to Kl\nu$ decay, the decay constant of the $D$ meson, and the mass of the $B_c$ meson. In this talk, we summarize these calculations, with emphasis on their (subsequent) confirmation by experiments.Comment: v1: talk given at the International Conference on QCD and Hadronic Physics, Beijing, June 16-20, 2005; v2: poster presented at the XXIIIrd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Dublin, July 25-3

Baryon Washout, Electroweak Phase Transition, and Perturbation Theory

We analyze the conventional perturbative treatment of sphaleron-induced baryon number washout relevant for electroweak baryogenesis and show that it is not gauge-independent due to the failure of consistently implementing the Nielsen identities order-by-order in perturbation theory. We provide a gauge-independent criterion for baryon number preservation in place of the conventional (gauge-dependent) criterion needed for successful electroweak baryogenesis. We also review the arguments leading to the preservation criterion and analyze several sources of theoretical uncertainties in obtaining a numerical bound. In various beyond the standard model scenarios, a realistic perturbative treatment will likely require knowledge of the complete two-loop finite temperature effective potential and the one-loop sphaleron rate.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures; v2 minor typos correcte

Sputum and nasal lavage lung-specific biomarkers before and after smoking cessation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known about the effect of smoking cessation on airway inflammation. Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor (SLPI), Clara Cell protein 16 (CC16), elafin and human defensin beta-2 (HBD-2) protect human airways against inflammation and oxidative stress. In this longitudinal study we aimed to investigate changes in sputum and nasal lavage SLPI, CC16, elafin and HBD-2 levels in healthy smokers after 6 and 12 months of smoking cessation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Induced sputum and nasal lavage was obtained from healthy current smokers (n = 76) before smoking cessation, after 6 months of smoking cessation (n = 29), after 1 year of smoking cessation (n = 22) and from 10 healthy never smokers. SLPI, CC16, elafin and HBD-2 levels were measured in sputum and nasal lavage supernatants by commercially available ELISA kits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sputum SLPI and CC-16 levels were increased in healthy smokers before smoking cessation versus never-smokers (p = 0.005 and p = 0.08 respectively). SLPI and CC16 levels did not differ before and 6 months after smoking cessation (p = 0.118 and p = 0.543 respectively), neither before and 1 year after smoking cessation (p = 0.363 and p = 0.470 respectively). Nasal lavage SLPI was decreased 12 months after smoking cessation (p = 0.033). Nasal lavage elafin levels were increased in healthy smokers before smoking cessation versus never-smokers (p = 0.007), but there were no changes 6 months and 1 year after smoking cessation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Only nasal lavage SLPI decrease after 1 year after smoking cessation. We may speculate that there is an ongoing inflammatory process stimulating the production of counter-regulating proteins in the airways of healthy ex-smokers.</p

Distinct spatial characteristics of industrial and public research collaborations: Evidence from the 5th EU Framework Programme

This study compares the spatial characteristics of industrial R&D networks to those of public research R&D networks (i.e. universities and research organisations). The objective is to measure the impact of geographical separation effects on the constitution of cross-region R&D collaborations for both types of collaboration. We use data on joint research projects funded by the 5th European Framework Programme (FP) to proxy cross-region collaborative activities. The study area is composed of 255 NUTS-2 regions that cover the EU-25 member states (excluding Malta and Cyprus) as well as Norway and Switzerland. We adopt spatial interaction models to analyse how the variation of cross-region industry and public research networks is affected by geography. The results of the spatial analysis provide evidence that geographical factors significantly affect patterns of industrial R&D collaboration, while in the public research sector effects of geography are much smaller. However, the results show that technological distance is the most important factor for both industry and public research cooperative activities.Comment: 28 page

Planck intermediate results. XLI. A map of lensing-induced B-modes

The secondary cosmic microwave background (CMB) $B$-modes stem from the post-decoupling distortion of the polarization $E$-modes due to the gravitational lensing effect of large-scale structures. These lensing-induced $B$-modes constitute both a valuable probe of the dark matter distribution and an important contaminant for the extraction of the primary CMB $B$-modes from inflation. Planck provides accurate nearly all-sky measurements of both the polarization $E$-modes and the integrated mass distribution via the reconstruction of the CMB lensing potential. By combining these two data products, we have produced an all-sky template map of the lensing-induced $B$-modes using a real-space algorithm that minimizes the impact of sky masks. The cross-correlation of this template with an observed (primordial and secondary) $B$-mode map can be used to measure the lensing $B$-mode power spectrum at multipoles up to $2000$. In particular, when cross-correlating with the $B$-mode contribution directly derived from the Planck polarization maps, we obtain lensing-induced $B$-mode power spectrum measurement at a significance level of $12\,\sigma$, which agrees with the theoretical expectation derived from the Planck best-fit $\Lambda$CDM model. This unique nearly all-sky secondary $B$-mode template, which includes the lensing-induced information from intermediate to small ($10\lesssim \ell\lesssim 1000$) angular scales, is delivered as part of the Planck 2015 public data release. It will be particularly useful for experiments searching for primordial $B$-modes, such as BICEP2/Keck Array or LiteBIRD, since it will enable an estimate to be made of the lensing-induced contribution to the measured total CMB $B$-modes.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures; Accepted for publication in A&A; The B-mode map is part of the PR2-2015 Cosmology Products; available as Lensing Products in the Planck Legacy Archive http://pla.esac.esa.int/pla/#cosmology; and described in the 'Explanatory Supplement' https://wiki.cosmos.esa.int/planckpla2015/index.php/Specially_processed_maps#2015_Lensing-induced_B-mode_ma

Polymorphisms in genes of interleukin 12 and its receptors and their association with protection against severe malarial anaemia in children in western Kenya

Abstract Background: Malarial anaemia is characterized by destruction of malaria infected red blood cells and suppression of erythropoiesis. Interleukin 12 (IL12) significantly boosts erythropoietic responses in murine models of malarial anaemia and decreased IL12 levels are associated with severe malarial anaemia (SMA) in children. Based on the biological relevance of IL12 in malaria anaemia, the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of IL12 and its receptors and SMA was examined. Methods: Fifty-five tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms covering genes encoding two IL12 subunits, IL12A and IL12B, and its receptors, IL12RB1 and IL12RB2, were examined in a cohort of 913 children residing in Asembo Bay region of western Kenya. Results: An increasing copy number of minor variant (C) in IL12A (rs2243140) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of SMA (P = 0.006; risk ratio, 0.52 for carrying one copy of allele C and 0.28 for two copies). Individuals possessing two copies of a rare variant (C) in IL12RB1 (rs429774) also appeared to be strongly protective against SMA (P = 0.00005; risk ratio, 0.18). In addition, children homozygous for another rare allele (T) in IL12A (rs22431348) were associated with reduced risk of severe anaemia (SA) (P = 0.004; risk ratio, 0.69) and of severe anaemia with any parasitaemia (SAP) (P = 0.004; risk ratio, 0.66). In contrast, AG genotype for another variant in IL12RB1 (rs383483) was associated with susceptibility to high-density parasitaemia (HDP) (P = 0.003; risk ratio, 1.21). Conclusions: This study has shown strong associations between polymorphisms in the genes of IL12A and IL12RB1 and protection from SMA in Kenyan children, suggesting that human genetic variants of IL12 related genes may significantly contribute to the development of anaemia in malaria patients

Monitoring Bacterial Community of Human Gut Microbiota Reveals an Increase in Lactobacillus in Obese Patients and Methanogens in Anorexic Patients

Background: Studies of the bacterial communities of the gut microbiota have revealed a shift in the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in obese patients. Determining the variations of microbial communities in feces may be beneficial for the identification of specific profiles in patients with abnormal weights. The roles of the archaeon Methanobrevibacter smithii and Lactobacillus species have not been described in these studies. Methods and Findings: We developed an efficient and robust real-time PCR tool that includes a plasmid-based internal control and allows for quantification of the bacterial divisions Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Lactobacillus as well as the methanogen M. smithii. We applied this technique to the feces of 20 obese subjects, 9 patients with anorexia nervosa, and 20 normal-weight healthy controls. Our results confirmed a reduction in the Bacteroidetes community in obese patients (p<0.01). We found a significantly higher Lactobacillus species concentration in obese patients than in lean controls (p = 0.0197) or anorexic patients (p = 0.0332). The M. smithii concentration was much higher in anorexic patients than in the lean population (p = 0.0171). Conclusions: Lactobacillus species are widely used as growth promoters in the farm industry and are now linked to obesity in humans. The study of the bacterial flora in anorexic patients revealed an increase in M. smithii. This increase might represent an adaptive use of nutrients in this population

Rapid Genotyping of Soybean Cultivars Using High Throughput Sequencing

Soybean (Glycine max) breeding involves improving commercially grown varieties by introgressing important agronomic traits from poor yielding accessions and/or wild relatives of soybean while minimizing the associated yield drag. Molecular markers associated with these traits are instrumental in increasing the efficiency of producing such crosses and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are particularly well suited for this task, owing to high density in the non-genic regions and thus increased likelihood of finding a tightly linked marker to a given trait. A rapid method to develop SNP markers that can differentiate specific loci between any two parents in soybean is thus highly desirable. In this study we investigate such a protocol for developing SNP markers between multiple soybean accessions and the reference Williams 82 genome. To restrict sampling frequency reduced representation libraries (RRLs) of genomic DNA were generated by restriction digestion followed by library construction. We chose to sequence four accessions Dowling (PI 548663), Dwight (PI 597386), Komata (PI200492) and PI 594538A for their agronomic importance as well as Williams 82 as a control