Top cross section ratios as a test of lepton universality in charged weak decays in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 7 TeV with the atlas detector

In this thesis partial production cross sections of ${tṫ}$ events are measured in four channels, defined by the final state leptons from the decay of the $W$ bosons and the triggering lepton, using ~5.6 fb$^{-1}$ of data taken with the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV. The di-lepton channel is defined as having one electron and one muon in the final state. The lepton plus tauchannels are defined as having a final state electron or muon and one hadronically decaying tau. Partial cross sections for these channels are estimated, and ratios of partial cross sections, defined with the same triggering lepton, are calculated. The di-lepton events are divided into two non-exclusive channels defined by the presence of a trigger matched lepton. The production cross-sections of $t$\overline{t} events with final states including an electron and a hadronically decaying tau, or an electron and a muon, were measured and used to calculate their ratio $R$$_{er}$ = 0.65$_{-0.10}$$^{+0.12}$($stat.$) ± 0.18($syst.$). The cross section ratio $R$$_{er}$ measured in data is compared to that inferred from the world average $W$ and tau branching fractions, $R$$_{er}$$^{Data}$/$R$$_{er}$$^{PDG}$ = 1.1$_{-0.17}$$^{+0.21}$($stats.$) ± 0.31($syst.$) and is found to be consistent with unity

Rethinking the Model of Moving Cosmic Strings Producing Anisotropy in the Microwave Background

We re-analyze the issue of redshifts induced by a moving cosmic string by looking at moving sources and observers on a conical spacetime in a fully relativistic approach. By replacing the concept of a moving spacetime with the more clearly defined concept of moving sources and observers in the string spacetime, we show that there is no effect: the only redshift is a Doppler shift due to the motion of the source or observer.Comment: 11 pages, LaTex file, 1 figure available in PostScript format at ftp://manitou.astro.utoronto.ca/pub/string/ (get fig1_mdp.ps

Medical Student Perspectives on Opioid Use Disorders: An Innovative MAT Waiver Training Integration during IM Clerkships

The opioid epidemic in the US has become a major issue in healthcare. In 2017, there was an estimated 72,306 drug overdose related deaths and Emergency Departments (ED) nationally saw a 30% increase in opioid related overdoses. Innovative programs can help ensure patients are offered optimal treatment options. Most primary care physicians self-report they lack the skills to identify and appropriately treat substance abuse disorders (SUDs). Studies have suggested that the best solution is to improve medical school curricula, which translates to better educated future physicians. Unfortunately, due to timing and exposure constraints, most medical school programs do not provide the necessary information to successfully manage and treat SUDs in practice. To prescribe buprenorphine, an 8-hour Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) training must be completed. Only 35,604 of the approximate 800,000 US physicians (\u3c3%) are registered to prescribe buprenorphine. We implemented an innovative approach to provide students with the skills to understand how to prescribe buprenorphine and build confidence to medically manage opioid use disorders in the future. By completing the training students will be eligible for a their MAT waiver upon obtaining their permanent license. Prior to integrating the training into the internal medicine clerkship, a preliminary study similar in nature was performed that focused on first and second year medical students perspectives. The results were analyzed and presented, and based on the positive results of the study, it was decided to implement the study into the internal medicine clerkship during the third year of medical school

Diverse Intestinal Bacteria Contain Putative Zwitterionic Capsular Polysaccharides with Anti-inflammatory Properties

Zwitterionic capsular polysaccharides (ZPSs) are bacterial products that modulate T cells, including inducing anti-inflammatory IL-10-secreting T regulatory cells (Tregs). However, only a few diverse bacteria are known to modulate the host immune system via ZPS. We present a genomic screen for bacteria encoding ZPS molecules. We identify diverse host-associated bacteria, including commensals and pathogens with known anti-inflammatory properties, with the capacity to produce ZPSs. Human mononuclear cells stimulated with lysates from putative ZPS-producing bacteria induce significantly greater IL-10 production and higher proportions of Tregs than lysates from non-ZPS-encoding relatives or a commensal strain of Bacteroides cellulosilyticus in which a putative ZPS biosynthetic operon was genetically disrupted. Similarly, wild-type B. cellulosilyticus DSM 14838, but not a close relative lacking a putative ZPS, attenuated experimental colitis in mice. Collectively, this screen identifies bacterial strains that may use ZPSs to interact with the host as well as those with potential probiotic properties

Detection of insecticide resistance markers in Anopheles funestus from the Democratic Republic of the Congo using a targeted amplicon sequencing panel

Vector control strategies have been successful in reducing the number of malaria cases and deaths globally, but the spread of insecticide resistance represents a significant threat to disease control. Insecticide resistance has been reported across Anopheles (An.) vector populations, including species within the An. funestus group. These mosquitoes are responsible for intense malaria transmission across sub-Saharan Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country contributing > 12% of global malaria infections and mortality events. To support the continuous efficacy of vector control strategies, it is essential to monitor insecticide resistance using molecular surveillance tools. In this study, we developed an amplicon sequencing (“Amp-seq”) approach targeting An. funestus, and using multiplex PCR, dual index barcoding, and next-generation sequencing for high throughput and low-cost applications. Using our Amp-seq approach, we screened 80 An. funestus field isolates from the DRC across a panel of nine genes with mutations linked to insecticide resistance (ace-1, CYP6P4, CYP6P9a, GSTe2, vgsc, and rdl) and mosquito speciation (cox-1, mtND5, and ITS2). Amongst the 18 non-synonymous mutations detected, was N485I, in the ace-1 gene associated with carbamate resistance. Overall, our panel represents an extendable and much-needed method for the molecular surveillance of insecticide resistance in An. funestus populations

A next generation targeted amplicon sequencing method to screen for insecticide resistance mutations in Aedes aegypti populations reveals a rdl mutation in mosquitoes from Cabo Verde.

Aedes mosquito vectors transmit many viruses of global health concern, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. These vector-borne viral diseases have a limited number of treatment options, and vaccines vary in their effectiveness. Consequently, integrated vector management is a primary strategy for disease control. However, the increasing emergence and spread of insecticide resistance is threatening the efficacy of vector control methods. Identifying mutations associated with resistance in vector populations is important to monitor the occurrence and evolution of insecticide resistance and inform control strategies. Rapid and cost-effective genome sequencing approaches are urgently needed. Here we present an adaptable targeted amplicon approach for cost-effective implementation within next generation sequencing platforms. This approach can identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions and deletions (indels) in genes involved in insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. We designed and tested eleven amplicons, which included segments of the ace-1 (carbamate target), the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel (vgsc; pyrethroids, DDT and organochlorines), and rdl (dieldrin) genes; thereby covering established knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations (e.g., S989P, I1011M/V, V1016G/I and F1534C), with the potential to identify novel ones. The amplicon assays were designed with internal barcodes, to facilitate multiplexing of large numbers of mosquitoes at low cost, and were sequenced using an Illumina platform. Our approach was evaluated on 152 Ae. aegypti mosquitoes collected in Cabo Verde, an archipelago with a history of arbovirus outbreaks. The amplicon sequence data revealed 146 SNPs, including four non-synonymous polymorphisms in the vgsc gene, one in ace-1 and the 296S rdl mutation previously associated with resistance to organochlorines. The 296S rdl mutation was identified in 98% of mosquitoes screened, consistent with the past use of an organochlorine compound (e.g., DDT). Overall, our work shows that targeted amplicon sequencing is a rapid, robust, and cost-effective tool that can be used to perform high throughput monitoring of insecticide resistance

Towards environmental detection, quantification, and molecular characterization of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti from experimental larval breeding sites.

The invasion and establishment of An. stephensi mosquitoes in the Horn of Africa represents a significant regional threat, which may jeopardise malaria control, particularly in urban areas which were formally free from disease transmission. Novel vector surveillance methods are urgently needed, both agnostic to mosquito larval morphology, and simple to implement at the sampling stage. Using new multiplex TaqMan assays, specifically targeting An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti, we validated the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for simultaneous vector detection in shared artificial breeding sites. Study findings demonstrated that An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti eDNA deposited by as few as one second instar larva in 1L of water was detectable. Characterization of molecular insecticide resistance mechanisms, using novel amplicon-sequencing panels for both vector species, was possible from eDNA shed by as few as 16-32 s instar larvae in 50 ml of water. An. stephensi eDNA, derived from emergent pupae for 24 h, was remarkably stable, and still detectable ~ 2 weeks later. eDNA surveillance has the potential to be implemented in local endemic communities and at points of country entry, to monitor the spread of invasive vector species. Further studies are required to validate the feasibility of this technique under field conditions

Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Diverse Intestinal Bacteria Contain Putative Zwitterionic Capsular Polysaccharides with Anti-inflammatory Properties

Zwitterionic capsular polysaccharides (ZPSs) are bacterial products that modulate T cells, including inducing anti-inflammatory IL-10-secreting T regulatory cells (Tregs). However, only a few diverse bacteria are known to modulate the host immune system via ZPS. We present a genomic screen for bacteria encoding ZPS molecules. We identify diverse host-associated bacteria, including commensals and pathogens with known anti-inflammatory properties, with the capacity to produce ZPSs. Human mononuclear cells stimulated with lysates from putative ZPS-producing bacteria induce significantly greater IL-10 production and higher proportions of Tregs than lysates from non-ZPS-encoding relatives or a commensal strain of Bacteroides cellulosilyticus in which a putative ZPS biosynthetic operon was genetically disrupted. Similarly, wild-type B. cellulosilyticus DSM 14838, but not a close relative lacking a putative ZPS, attenuated experimental colitis in mice. Collectively, this screen identifies bacterial strains that may use ZPSs to interact with the host as well as those with potential probiotic properties