247 research outputs found
New Leptoquark Mechanism of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
A new mechanism for neutrinoless double beta (\znbb) decay based on
leptoquark exchange is discussed. Due to the specific helicity structure of the
effective four-fermion interaction this contribution is strongly enhanced
compared to the well-known mass mechanism of \znbb decay. As a result the
corresponding leptoquark parameters are severely constrained from
non-observation of \znbb-decay. These constraints are more stringent than
those derived from other experiments.Comment: LaTeX, 6 pages, 1 figur
Radioactive decays at limits of nuclear stability
The last decades brought an impressive progress in synthesizing and studying
properties of nuclides located very far from the beta stability line. Among the
most fundamental properties of such exotic nuclides, usually established first,
is the half-life, possible radioactive decay modes, and their relative
probabilities. When approaching limits of nuclear stability, new decay modes
set in. First, beta decays become accompanied by emission of nucleons from
highly excited states of daughter nuclei. Second, when the nucleon separation
energy becomes negative, nucleons start to be emitted from the ground state.
Here, we present a review of the decay modes occurring close to the limits of
stability. The experimental methods used to produce, identify and detect new
species and their radiation are discussed. The current theoretical
understanding of these decay processes is overviewed. The theoretical
description of the most recently discovered and most complex radioactive
process - the two-proton radioactivity - is discussed in more detail.Comment: Review, 68 pages, 39 figure
R-parity Conserving Supersymmetry, Neutrino Mass and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
We consider contributions of R-parity conserving softly broken supersymmetry
(SUSY) to neutrinoless double beta (\znbb) decay via the (B-L)-violating
sneutrino mass term. The latter is a generic ingredient of any weak-scale SUSY
model with a Majorana neutrino mass. The new R-parity conserving SUSY
contributions to \znbb are realized at the level of box diagrams. We derive
the effective Lagrangian describing the SUSY-box mechanism of \znbb-decay and
the corresponding nuclear matrix elements. The 1-loop sneutrino contribution to
the Majorana neutrino mass is also derived.
Given the data on the \znbb-decay half-life of Ge and the neutrino
mass we obtain constraints on the (B-L)-violating sneutrino mass. These
constraints leave room for accelerator searches for certain manifestations of
the 2nd and 3rd generation (B-L)-violating sneutrino mass term, but are most
probably too tight for first generation (B-L)-violating sneutrino masses to be
searched for directly.Comment: LATEX, 29 pages + 4 (uuencoded) figures appende
Microscopic theories of neutrino-^{12}C reactions
In view of the recent experiments on neutrino oscillations performed by the
LSND and KARMEN collaborations as well as of future experiments, we present new
theoretical results of the flux averaged and
cross sections. The approaches used are
charge-exchange RPA, charge-exchange RPA among quasi-particles (QRPA) and the
Shell Model. With a large-scale shell model calculation the exclusive cross
sections are in nice agreement with the experimental values for both reactions.
The inclusive cross section for coming from the decay-in-flight of
is to be compared to the experimental value
of , while the one due to
coming from the decay-at-rest of is which
agrees within experimental error bars with the measured values. The shell model
prediction for the decay-in-flight neutrino cross section is reduced compared
to the RPA one. This is mainly due to the different kind of correlations taken
into account in the calculation of the spin modes and partially due to the
shell-model configuration basis which is not large enough, as we show using
arguments based on sum-rules.Comment: 17 pages, latex, 5 figure
Quantitative trait loci conferring grain mineral nutrient concentrations in durum wheat 3 wild emmer wheat RIL population
Mineral nutrient malnutrition, and particularly
deficiency in zinc and iron, afflicts over 3 billion people
worldwide. Wild emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp.
dicoccoides, genepool harbors a rich allelic repertoire for
mineral nutrients in the grain. The genetic and physiological
basis of grain protein, micronutrients (zinc, iron,
copper and manganese) and macronutrients (calcium,
magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur) concentration
was studied in tetraploid wheat population of 152
recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from a cross
between durum wheat (cv. Langdon) and wild emmer
(accession G18-16). Wide genetic variation was found
among the RILs for all grain minerals, with considerable
transgressive effect. A total of 82 QTLs were mapped for
10 minerals with LOD score range of 3.2–16.7. Most QTLs
were in favor of the wild allele (50 QTLs). Fourteen pairs
of QTLs for the same trait were mapped to seemingly
homoeologous positions, reflecting synteny between the A
and B genomes. Significant positive correlation was found
between grain protein concentration (GPC), Zn, Fe and Cu,
which was supported by significant overlap between the
respective QTLs, suggesting common physiological and/or
genetic factors controlling the concentrations of these
mineral nutrients. Few genomic regions (chromosomes 2A,
5A, 6B and 7A) were found to harbor clusters of QTLs for
GPC and other nutrients. These identified QTLs may
facilitate the use of wild alleles for improving grain
nutritional quality of elite wheat cultivars, especially in
terms of protein, Zn and Fe
Safety and Feasibility of Minimally Invasive Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection in Patients With Melanoma (SAFE-MILND): Report of a Prospective Multi-institutional Trial.
BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive inguinal lymph node dissection (MILND) is a novel approach to inguinal lymphadenectomy. SAFE-MILND (NCT01500304) is a multicenter, phase I/II clinical trial evaluating the safety and feasibility of MILND for patients with melanoma in a group of surgeons newly adopting the procedure.
METHODS: Twelve melanoma surgeons from 10 institutions without any previous MILND experience, enrolled patients into a prospective study after completing specialized training including didactic lectures, participating in a hands-on cadaveric laboratory, and being provided an instructional DVD of the procedure. Complications and adverse postoperative events were graded using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0.
RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients underwent a MILND. Seventy-seven cases (88.5%) were completed via a minimally invasive approach. The median total inguinal lymph nodes pathologically examined (SLN + MILND) was 12.0 (interquartile range 8.0, 14.0). Overall, 71% of patients suffered an adverse event (AE); the majority of these were grades 1 and 2, with 26% of patients experiencing a grade 3 AE. No grade 4 or 5 AEs were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: After a structured training program, high-volume melanoma surgeons adopted a novel surgical technique with a lymph node retrieval rate that met or exceeded current oncologic guidelines and published benchmarks, and a favorable morbidity profile
The impact of laxative use upon symptoms in patients with proven slow transit constipation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Constipation severity is often defined by symptoms including feelings of complete evacuation, straining, stool frequency and consistency. These descriptors are mostly obtained in the absence of laxative use. For many constipated patients laxative usage is ubiquitous and long standing. Our aim was to determine the impact of laxative use upon the stereotypic constipation descriptors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with confirmed slow transit constipation completed 3-week stool diaries, detailing stool frequency and form, straining, laxative use and pain and bloating scores. Each diary day was classified as being under laxative affect (laxative affected days) or not (laxative unaffected days). Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess the affects of laxatives on constipation symptoms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ninety four patients with scintigraphically confirmed slow transit constipation were enrolled in the study. These patients reported a stool frequency of 5.6 ± 4.3 bowel motions/week, only 21 patients reported <3 bowel motions/week. Similarly, 21 patients reported a predominant hard stool at defecation. The majority (90%) of patients reported regular straining. A regular feeling of complete evacuation was reported in just 7 patients. Daily pain and/or bloating were reported by 92% of patients. When compared with laxative unaffected days, on the laxative affected days patients had a higher stool frequency (OR 2.23; <it>P </it><0.001) and were more likely to report loose stools (OR 1.64; <it>P </it><0.009). Laxatives did not increase the number of bowel actions associated with a feeling of complete evacuation. Laxative use had no affect upon straining, pain or bloating scores</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The reporting of frequent and loose stools with abdominal pain and/or bloating is common in patients with slow transit constipation. While laxative use is a significant contributor to altering stool frequency and form, laxatives have no apparent affect on pain or bloating or upon a patients feeling of complete evacuation. These factors need to be taken into account when using constipation symptoms to define this population.</p
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