KamLAND Bounds on Solar Antineutrinos and neutrino transition magnetic moments

We investigate the possibility of detecting solar electron antineutrinos with the KamLAND experiment. These electron antineutrinos are predicted by spin-flavor oscillations at a significant rate even if this mechanism is not the leading solution to the SNP. KamLAND is sensitive to antineutrinos originated from solar ${}^8$B neutrinos. From KamLAND negative results after 145 days of data taking, we obtain model independent limits on the total flux of solar electron antineutrinos $\Phi({}^8 B)< 1.1-3.5\times 10^4 cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}$, more than one order of magnitude smaller than existing limits, and on their appearance probability$P<0.15%$(95antineutrino production by spin-flavor precession, this upper bound implies an upper limit on the product of the intrinsic neutrino magnetic moment and the value of the solar magnetic field$\mu B< 2.3\times 10^{-21}$MeV 95LMA$(\Delta m^2, \tan^2\theta)$values). Limits on neutrino transition moments are also obtained. For realistic values of other astrophysical solar parameters these upper limits would imply that the neutrino magnetic moment is constrained to be, in the most conservative case,$\mu\lsim 3.9\times 10^{-12} \mu_B$(95CL) for a relatively small field$B= 50$kG. For higher values of the magnetic field we obtain:$\mu\lsim 9.0\times 10^{-13} \mu_B$for field$B= 200$kG and$\mu\lsim 2.0\times 10^{-13} \mu_B$for field$B= 1000$ kG at the same statistical significance.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Prison de-radicalization strategies, programs and risk assessment tools in Europe

open3noWith financial support from the Criminal Justice Programme of the European Union Call: JUST-AG-2016-03 Project Number: 763710 Project Acronym: PRP Duration (months): 24 Project Title: European Prison Observatory. Prison de-radicalization strategies, programmes and risk assessment tools in Europe. Coordinator: ANTIGONE ONLUS Alvise Sbraccia wrote the Part One of this Report; Daniela Ronco wrote Part Two, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Giovanni Torrente wrote Part Two, chapters 9-10. The conclusions have been written by all the authorsThis project’s goal is to assess strategies and programmes which prevent, deter and counter radicalization in prison and identify and analyse good practices regarding new or existing de-radicalization, disengagement and rehabilitation programmes and risk assessment tools. The analysis has been carried out having in mind the international and European standards for the the protection of detainees' rights. Research incorporates qualitative and quantitative data analysis on official government documents and interviews with stakeholders from prison administration and management, prison staff, Imams, chaplains and other religious representatives.openDaniela Ronco, Alvise Sbraccia, Giovanni TorrenteDaniela Ronco, Alvise Sbraccia, Giovanni Torrent

KamLAND, solar antineutrinos and the solar magnetic field

In this work the possibility of detecting solar electron antineutrinos produced by a solar core magnetic field from the KamLAND recent observations is investigated. We find a scaling of the antineutrino probability with respect to the magnetic field profile in the sense that the same probability function can be reproduced by any profile with a suitable peak field value. In this way the solar electron antineutrino spectrum can be unambiguosly predicted. We use this scaling and the negative results indicated by the KamLAND experiment to obtain upper bounds on the solar electron antineutrino flux. We get $\phi_{\bar\nu}<3.8\times 10^{-3}\phi(^8B)$ at 95% CL. For 90% CL this becomes $\phi_{\bar\nu}<3.4\times 10^{-3}\phi(^8B)$, an improvement by a factor of 3-5 with respect to existing bounds. These limits are independent of the detailed structure of the magnetic field in the solar interior. We also derive upper bounds on the peak field value which are uniquely determined for a fixed solar field profile. In the most efficient antineutrino producing case, we get (95% CL) an upper limit on the product of the neutrino magnetic moment by the solar field $\mu B< 2.8\times 10^{-19}$ MeV or $B_0 \leq 4.9 \times 10^7 G$ for $\mu_\nu=10^{-12}\mu_B$.Comment: 15 pages. References corrected. Minor changes in the tex

Inhibition of TXNRD or SOD1 overcomes NRF2-mediated resistance to β-lapachone

Alterations in the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway result in the constitutive activation of NRF2, leading to the aberrant induction of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, including NQO1. The NQO1 bioactivatable agent β-lapachone can target cells with high NQO1 expression but relies in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are actively scavenged in cells with NRF2/KEAP1 mutations. However, whether NRF2/KEAP1 mutations influence the response to β-lapachone treatment remains unknown. To address this question, we assessed the cytotoxicity of β-lapachone in a panel of NSCLC cell lines bearing either wild-type or mutant KEAP1. We found that, despite overexpression of NQO1, KEAP1 mutant cells were resistant to β-lapachone due to enhanced detoxification of ROS, which prevented DNA damage and cell death. To evaluate whether specific inhibition of the NRF2-regulated antioxidant enzymes could abrogate resistance to β-lapachone, we systematically inhibited the four major antioxidant cellular systems using genetic and/or pharmacologic approaches. We demonstrated that inhibition of the thioredoxin-dependent system or copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) could abrogate NRF2-mediated resistance to β-lapachone, while depletion of catalase or glutathione was ineffective. Interestingly, inhibition of SOD1 selectively sensitized KEAP1 mutant cells to β-lapachone exposure. Our results suggest that NRF2/KEAP1 mutational status might serve as a predictive biomarker for response to NQO1-bioactivatable quinones in patients. Further, our results suggest SOD1 inhibition may have potential utility in combination with other ROS inducers in patients with KEAP1/NRF2 mutations

Synthesis and characterization of Na‑P1 (GIS) zeolite using a kaolinitic rock

This work focuses on the hydrothermal synthesis of Na-P1 zeolite by using a kaolinite rock coming from Romana (Sassari, Italy). The kaolin is calcined at a temperature of 650 °C and then mixed with calculated quantities of NaOH. The synthesis runs are carried out at ambient pressure and at variable temperatures of 65 and 100 °C. For the first time compared to the past, the Na-P1 zeolite is synthesized without the use of additives and through a protocol that reduces both temperatures and synthesis times. The synthesis products are analysed by X-ray diffraction, high temperature X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The cell parameters are calculated using the Rietveld method. Density and specific surface area are also calculated. The absence of amorphous phases and impurities in synthetic powders is verified through quantitative phase analysis using the combined Rietveld and reference intensity ratio methods. The results make the experimental protocol very promising for an industrial transfer

Intramolecular C-H oxidative addition to iridium(I) triggered by trimethyl phosphite in N,N′-diphosphanesilanediamine complexes

The reaction of [Ir(SiNP)(cod)][PF] ([1][PF]) and of IrCl(SiNP)(cod) (5) (SiNP = SiMe{N(4-CHCH)PPh}) with trimethyl phosphite affords the iridium(iii) derivatives of the formula [IrHCl(SiNP-H){P(OMe)}] (x = 0, 3; x = 1, 6) containing the κC,P,P′-coordinated SiNP-H ligand (SiNP-H = Si(CH)(CH){N(4-CHCH)PPh}). The thermally unstable pentacoordinated cation [Ir(SiNP){P(OMe)}(cod)] (2) has been detected as an intermediate of the reaction and has been fully characterised in solution. Also, the mechanism of the C-H oxidative addition has been elucidated by DFT calculations showing that the square planar iridium(i) complexes of the formula [IrCl(SiNP){P(OMe)}] (x = 0, 4; x = 1, 7) should be firstly obtained from 2 and finally should undergo the C-H oxidative addition to iridium(i) via a concerted intramolecular mechanism. The influence of the counterion of 2 on the outcome of the C-H oxidative addition reaction has also been investigated.Financial support from Spanish “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” (CTQ2013–42532–P), “Diputación General de Aragón” (Group E07) and University of Zaragoza (UZCUD2014–CIE–13) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Intramolecular C-H oxidative addition to iridium(I) in complexes containing a N,N'-diphosphanosilanediamine ligand

The iridium(I) complexes of formula Ir(cod)(SiNP)+ (1+) and IrCl(cod)(SiNP) (2) are easily obtained from the reaction of SiMe2{N(4-C6H4CH3)PPh2}2 (SiNP) with [Ir(cod)(CH3CN)2]+ or [IrCl(cod)]2, respectively. The carbonylation of [1][PF6] affords the cationic pentacoordinated complex [Ir(CO)(cod)(SiNP)]+ (3+), while the treatment 2 with CO gives the cation 3+ as an intermediate, finally affording an equilibrium mixture of IrCl(CO)(SiNP) (4) and the hydride derivative of formula IrHCl(CO)(SiNP–H) (5) resulting from the intramolecular oxidative addition of the C–H bond of the SiCH3 moiety to the iridium(I) center. Furthermore, the prolonged exposure of [3]Cl or 2 to CO resulted in the formation of the iridium(I) pentacoordinated complex Ir(SiNP–H)(CO)2 (6). The unprecedented κ3C,P,P′ coordination mode of the [SiNP–H] ligand observed in 5 and 6 has been fully characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the single-crystal X-ray structure of 6 is reported.Financial support from Spanish “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” (CTQ2010– 15221) and “Diputación General de Aragón” (Group E07) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Formation of dispersive hybrid bands at an organic-metal interface

An electronic band with quasi-one dimensional dispersion is found at the interface between a monolayer of a charge-transfer complex (TTF-TCNQ) and a Au(111) surface. Combined local spectroscopy and numerical calculations show that the band results from a complex mixing of metal and molecular states. The molecular layer folds the underlying metal states and mixes with them selectively, through the TTF component, giving rise to anisotropic hybrid bands. Our results suggest that, by tuning the components of such molecular layers, the dimensionality and dispersion of organic-metal interface states can be engineered

Relic Neutralino Density in Scenarios with Intermediate Unification Scale

We analyse the relic neutralino density in supersymmetric models with an intermediate unification scale. In particular, we present concrete cosmological scenarios where the reheating temperature is as small as $\cal{O}$ $1 - 1000$ MeV). When this temperature is associated to the decay of moduli fields producing neutralinos, we show that the relic abundance increases considerably with respect to the standard thermal production. Thus the neutralino becomes a good dark matter candidate with 0.1\lsim \Omega h^2 \lsim 0.3, even for regions of the parameter space where large neutralino-nucleon cross sections, compatible with current dark matter experiments, are present. This is obtained for intermediate scales $M_I\sim 10^{11}-10^{14}$ GeV, and moduli masses $m_\phi\sim 100-1000$ GeV. On the other hand, when the above temperature is associated to the decay of an inflaton field, the relic abundance is too small.Comment: Latex, 11 pages, 2 figure

Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor 2 across Muscle Homeostasis: Implications for Treating Muscular Dystrophy

The insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) plays a major role in binding and regulating the circulating and tissue levels of the mitogenic peptide insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). IGF2/IGF2R interaction influences cell growth, survival, and migration in normal tissue development, and the deregulation of IGF2R expression has been associated with growth-related disease and cancer. IGF2R overexpression has been implicated in heart and muscle disease progression. Recent research findings suggest novel approaches to target IGF2R action. This review highlights recent advances in the understanding of the IGF2R structure and pathways related to muscle homeostasis