Gravitational waves from first order electroweak phase transition in models with the U(1)XU(1)_X^{} gauge symmetry

We consider a standard model extension equipped with a dark sector where the $U(1)_X^{}$ Abelian gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken by the dark Higgs mechanism. In this framework, we investigate patterns of the electroweak phase transition as well as those of the dark phase transition, and examine detectability of gravitational waves (GWs) generated by such strongly first order phase transition. It is pointed out that the collider bounds on the properties of the discovered Higgs boson exclude a part of parameter space that could otherwise generate detectable GWs. After imposing various constraints on this model, it is shown that GWs produced by multi-step phase transitions are detectable at future space-based interferometers, such as LISA and DECIGO, if the dark photon is heavier than 25 GeV. Furthermore, we discuss the complementarity of dark photon searches or dark matter searches with the GW observations in these models with the dark gauge symmetry.Comment: 23 pages, 22 figures, version published in Journal of High Energy Physic

Quantitative analysis of computed tomography of the lungs in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis treated with sirolimus

Objectives: We aimed to study sirolimus-related lung parenchymal changes by quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) of the lungs in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Methods: We studied 20 participants from the Multicenter Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Sirolimus Trial for Safety study, who had undergone both thin-section CT scans and pulmonary function tests at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Quantitative CT parameters such as CT-derived total lung capacity, percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%), lung density histogram, fractal property of low attenuation area, and airway dimensions were analyzed, and correlations were conducted between the longitudinal change in each quantitative CT measurement and changes in pulmonary function were examined. Among 20 participants, pre-trial (n = 8) and post-trial (n = 16) CT data were also analyzed to deduce pathophysiologic implications of the serial changes in CT parameters during trial periods. Results: FEV1 significantly increased from baseline to 24 months (slope 3.71 ± 1.50 ml/month) whereas FVC didn't during sirolimus therapy. Strikingly, LAA%, and skewness and kurtosis of density histogram significantly increased from baseline to 24 months, while mean and mode CT values significantly decreased from baseline to 24 months. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between ΔFEV1 and Δskewness (r = 0.465, p = 0.045). Taking the changes in lung density during pre-trial period into consideration, sirolimus decreases the area of -800 to -750 Housefield unit (HU) density and inhibits the decrease of -950 to -800 HU area during treatment, then producing the increased LAA% during the trial and post-trial periods. Given few sirolimus-related changes in airway dimensions, possible changes in lung mechanics may have contributed to increased FEV1. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the lung density histogram parameters, kurtosis, and skewness, may be useful as indicators of the efficacy of sirolimus