50 research outputs found
U(2)-like Flavor Symmetries and Approximate Bimaximal Neutrino Mixing
Models involving a U(2) flavor symmetry, or any of a number of its
non-Abelian discrete subgroups, can explain the observed hierarchy of charged
fermion masses and CKM angles. It is known that a large neutrino mixing angle
connecting second and third generation fields may arise via the seesaw
mechanism in these models, without a fine tuning of parameters. Here we show
that it is possible to obtain approximate bimaximal mixing in a class of models
with U(2)-like Yukawa textures. We find a minimal form for Dirac and Majorana
neutrino mass matrices that leads to two large mixing angles, and show that our
result can quantitatively explain atmospheric neutrino oscillations while
accommodating the favored, large angle MSW solution to the solar neutrino
problem. We demonstrate that these textures can arise in models by presenting a
number of explicit examples.Comment: 20 pages RevTex4, 2 figure
Detecting Physics At The Post-GUT And String Scales By Linear Colliders
The ability of linear colliders to test physics at the post-GUT scale is
investigated. Using current estimates of measurements available at such
accelerators, it is seen that soft breaking masses can be measured with errors
of about (1-20)%. Three classes of models in the post-GUT region are examined:
models with universal soft breaking masses at the string scale, models with
horizontal symmetry, and string models with Calabi-Yau compactifications. In
each case, linear colliders would be able to test directly theoretical
assumptions made at energies beyond the GUT scale to a good accuracy,
distinguish between different models, and measure parameters that are expected
to be predictions of string models.Comment: Latex, 21 pages, no figure
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19: A fiction, hope or hype? An updated review
In December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) that began in China had infected so far more than 109,217,366 million individuals worldwide and accounted for more than 2,413,912 fatalities. With the dawn of this novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), there was a requirement to select potential therapies that might effectively kill the virus, accelerate the recovery, or decrease the case fatality rate. Besides the currently available antiviral medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (CQ/HCQ) regimen with or without azithromycin has been repurposed in China and was recommended by the National Health Commission, China in mid-February 2020. By this time, the selection of this regimen was based on its efficacy against the previous SARS-CoV-1 virus and its potential to inhibit viral replication of the SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. There was a shortage of robust clinical proof about the effectiveness of this regimen against the novel SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, extensive research effort has been made by several researchers worldwide to investigate whether this regimen is safe and effective for the management of COVID-19. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of the CQ/HCQ regimen, summarizing data from in vitro studies and clinical trials for the protection against or the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Despite the initial promising results from the in vitro studies and the widespread use of CQ/HCQ in clinical settings during the 1st wave of COVID-19, current data from well-designed randomized controlled trials showed no evidence of benefit from CQ/HCQ supplementation for the treatment or prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Particularly, the two largest randomized controlled trials to date (RECOVERY and WHO SOLIDARITY trials), both confirmed that CQ/HCQ regimen does not provide any clinical benefit for COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of this regimen in COVID-19 patients outside the context of clinical trials
Kaluza-Klein Type Robertson Walker Cosmological Model With Dynamical Cosmological Term
In this paper we have analyzed the Kaluza-Klein type Robertson Walker (RW)
cosmological models by considering three different forms of variable :
, and
. It is found that, the connecting free parameters of the
models with cosmic matter and vacuum energy density parameters are equivalent,
in the context of higher dimensional space time. The expression for the look
back time, luminosity distance and angular diameter distance are also derived.
This work has thus generalized to higher dimensions the well-known results in
four dimensional space time. It is found that there may be significant
difference in principle at least, from the analogous situation in four
dimensional space time.Comment: 16 pages, no figur
Prospective exploratory muscle biopsy, imaging, and functional assessment in patients with late-onset Pompe disease treated with alglucosidase alfa: The EMBASSY Study
Background Late-onset Pompe disease is characterized by progressive skeletal myopathy followed by respiratory muscle weakness, typically leading to loss of ambulation and respiratory failure. In this population, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa has been shown to stabilize respiratory function and improve mobility and muscle strength. Muscle pathology and glycogen clearance from skeletal muscle in treatment-naïve adults after ERT have not been extensively examined. Methods This exploratory, open-label, multicenter study evaluated glycogen clearance in muscle tissue samples collected pre- and post- alglucosidase alfa treatment in treatment-naïve adults with late-onset Pompe disease. The primary endpoint was the quantitative reduction in percent tissue area occupied by glycogen in muscle biopsies from baseline to 6 months. Secondary endpoints included qualitative histologic assessment of tissue glycogen distribution, secondary pathology changes, assessment of magnetic resonance images (MRIs) for intact muscle and fatty replacement, and functional assessments. Results Sixteen patients completed the study. After 6 months of ERT, the percent tissue area occupied by glycogen in quadriceps and deltoid muscles decreased in 10 and 8 patients, respectively. No changes were detected on MRI from baseline to 6 months. A majority of patients showed improvements on functional assessments after 6 months of treatment. All treatment-related adverse events were mild or moderate. Conclusions This exploratory study provides novel insights into the histopathologic effects of ERT in late-onset Pompe disease patients. Ultrastructural examination of muscle biopsies demonstrated reduced lysosomal glycogen after ERT. Findings are consistent with stabilization of disease by ERT in treatment-naïve patients with late-onset Pompe disease
Observation of exclusive DVCS in polarized electron beam asymmetry measurements
We report the first results of the beam spin asymmetry measured in the
reaction e + p -> e + p + gamma at a beam energy of 4.25 GeV. A large asymmetry
with a sin(phi) modulation is observed, as predicted for the interference term
of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering and the Bethe-Heitler process. The
amplitude of this modulation is alpha = 0.202 +/- 0.028. In leading-order and
leading-twist pQCD, the alpha is directly proportional to the imaginary part of
the DVCS amplitude.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Complete measurement of three-body photodisintegration of 3He for photon energies between 0.35 and 1.55 GeV
The three-body photodisintegration of 3He has been measured with the CLAS
detector at Jefferson Lab, using tagged photons of energies between 0.35 GeV
and 1.55 GeV. The large acceptance of the spectrometer allowed us for the first
time to cover a wide momentum and angular range for the two outgoing protons.
Three kinematic regions dominated by either two- or three-body contributions
have been distinguished and analyzed. The measured cross sections have been
compared with results of a theoretical model, which, in certain kinematic
ranges, have been found to be in reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 22 pages, 25 eps figures, 2 tables, submitted to PRC. Modifications:
removed 2 figures, improvements on others, a few minor modifications to the
tex
eta-prime photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 1.527 to 2.227 GeV
Differential cross sections for the reaction gamma p -> eta-prime p have been
measured with the CLAS spectrometer and a tagged photon beam with energies from
1.527 to 2.227 GeV. The results reported here possess much greater accuracy
than previous measurements. Analyses of these data indicate for the first time
the coupling of the etaprime N channel to both the S_11(1535) and P_11(1710)
resonances, known to couple strongly to the eta N channel in photoproduction on
the proton, and the importance of j=3/2 resonances in the process.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Measurement of the Deuteron Structure Function F2 in the Resonance Region and Evaluation of Its Moments
Inclusive electron scattering off the deuteron has been measured to extract
the deuteron structure function F2 with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer
(CLAS) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The measurement
covers the entire resonance region from the quasi-elastic peak up to the
invariant mass of the final-state hadronic system W~2.7 GeV with four-momentum
transfers Q2 from 0.4 to 6 (GeV/c)^2. These data are complementary to previous
measurements of the proton structure function F2 and cover a similar
two-dimensional region of Q2 and Bjorken variable x. Determination of the
deuteron F2 over a large x interval including the quasi-elastic peak as a
function of Q2, together with the other world data, permit a direct evaluation
of the structure function moments for the first time. By fitting the Q2
evolution of these moments with an OPE-based twist expansion we have obtained a
separation of the leading twist and higher twist terms. The observed Q2
behaviour of the higher twist contribution suggests a partial cancellation of
different higher twists entering into the expansion with opposite signs. This
cancellation, found also in the proton moments, is a manifestation of the
"duality" phenomenon in the F2 structure function
Cold Plus Hot Dark Matter Cosmology in the Light of Solar and Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations
We explore the implications of possible neutrino oscillations, as indicated
by the solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments, for the cold plus hot dark
matter scenario of large scale structure formation. We find that there are
essentially three distinct schemes that can accommodate the oscillation data
and which also allow for dark matter neutrinos. These include (i) three nearly
degenerate (in mass) neutrinos, (ii) non-degenerate masses with in
the eV range, and (iii) nearly degenerate pair (in the eV
range), with the additional possibility that the electron neutrino is
cosmologically significant. The last two schemes invoke a `sterile' neutrino
which is light (< or ~ eV). We discuss the implications of these schemes for
and oscillation, and find
that scheme (ii) in particular, predicts them to be in the observable range. As
far as structure formation is concerned, we compare the one neutrino flavor
case with a variety of other possibilities, including two and three degenerate
neutrino flavors. We show, both analytically and numerically, the effects of
these neutrino mass scenarios on the amplitude of cosmological density
fluctuations. With a Hubble constant of 50 km s Mpc, a spectral
index of unity, and , the two and three flavor
scenarios fit the observational data marginally better than the single flavor
scheme. However, taking account of the uncertainties in these parameters, we
show that it is premature to pick a clear winner.Comment: 1 LaTEX file plus 1 uuencoded Z-compressed tar file with 3 postscript
figure