Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

We review the potential to probe new physics with neutrinoless double beta decay $(A,Z) \to (A,Z+2) + 2 e^-$. Both the standard long-range light neutrino mechanism as well as short-range mechanisms mediated by heavy particles are discussed. We also stress aspects of the connection to lepton number violation at colliders and the implications for baryogenesis.Comment: Review prepared for the NJP focus issue on "Neutrino Physics". 23 pages, 10 figure

Change in population and land use intensity under the aspect of the physical environment and accessibility

The land use in the Tangale-Waja area is analysed according to the two basic categories of geography: Firstly the manifold interaction between men and environment which form the spatial characteristics of an area, and secondly the decrease of influence with increasing distance. The importance of these two elementary factors is described by indicators as accessibility for the period from the precolonial situation until the time after World War II, when new roads were constructed through the mountainous area. Living in a hilly environment the self contained population (formerly called "hill pagans") had developed special agricultural techniques which can be considered ecologically well adapted. The opening up of the area after the pacification, Christianity and education, led to a considerable increase in population, the expansion of land under cultivation, and the change of settlement structure by down-hill population movement. This resulted in overuse of the fragile natural resources. The size of farm steads became too small for the family unit and the still low accessibility of the hinterland of the main interregional roads as well as inappropriate techniques of agricultural production are shortcomings causing heavy damage to the physical environment and decreasing living standards of the local population

Comparison of resting state functional networks in HIV infected and uninfected children at age 9 years

Over 2.5 million children are infected with HIV, the majority of whom reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. Treatment coverage is steadily gaining momentum, reducing mortality and morbidity. Yet little is known about brain development in HIV-infected (HIV+) children who are on highly-active antiretroviral therapy (ART), with viral load suppression from a young age. Here, we use resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) to examine the impact of HIV and ART on the development of functional networks in 9-year-old vertically HIV-infected children compared to age-matched controls of similar socioeconomic status. We present analyses for a sample of 40 HIV+ (9.2 ± 0.20 years; 16 males) children from the Children with HIV Early Antiretroviral (CHER) clinical trial (Cotton et al. 2013; Violari et al. 2008) and 24 uninfected (12 exposed; 12 males; 9.6 ± 0.52 years) controls from an interlinking vaccine trial (Madhi et al. 2010). Scans were performed at the Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre (CUBIC) in Cape Town, South Africa. We investigated HIV-related differences in within- and between-network functional connectivity (FC) using independent component analysis(ICA) and seed-based correlation analysis (SCA). For SCA, seeds were placed in the structural core, in regions implicated in HIV-related between-group differences at age 7 years, and in regions associated with neuropsychological domains impaired in our cohort. In addition, we evaluated associations of past and present immune health measures with within-network connectivity using ICA. We found no HIV-related intra-network FC differences within any ICA-generated RSNs at age 9 years, perhaps as a result of within-network connectivity not being sufficiently robust at this age. We found a positive association of CD4%, both current and in infancy, with functional integration of left lobule 7 into the cerebellum network at age 9 years. Long-term impact of early immune health supports recently-revised policies of commencing ART immediately in HIV+ neonates. ii Compared to uninfected children, HIV+ children had increased FC to several seeds. Firstly, to seeds associated with the planning and visual perception neuropsychological domains. Secondly, to structural core seeds in the extrastriate visual cortex (of the medial visual network) and the right angular gyrus (of the temporoparietal network). Finally, to left paracentral (somatosensory network) and right precuneus (posterior DMN) seeds previously revealing between-group differences at age 7 years. The connections with greater FC in HIV+ children may variously indicate functional recruitment of additional brain capacity, immature excess of short-range connections, and/or immature excess of between-network connections. In conclusion, despite early ART and early virologic suppression, HIV+ children demonstrate instances of abnormal FC at age 9 years. Disruption to visual cortex is marked, consistent with indications from neuropsychological testing that visual perception is disrupted. The profile of HIV- and/or ART-related effects on FC differs considerably between the two ages of 7 and 9 years, but both show characteristics of immature functional organisation compared with age-matched controls

Zwei neue Brombeerarten der Serie Glandulosi (Wimmer & Grabowski) Focke aus Mitteleuropa

Zwei Brombeerarten der Sektion Rubus ser. Glandulosi (Wimmer & Grabowski) Fokke werden neu beschrieben. Beide sind in Thüringen und Nordbayern verbreitet: Rubus exarmatus H. E. Weber & W. Jansen spec. nov. und Rubus perlongus H.E. Weber & W. Jansen spec. nov. Die Arten sind durch Fotos ihrer Holotypen abgebildet, ihre bekannte Verbreitung ist durch Rasterkarten dargestellt.Two new bramble species of sect. Rubus ser. Glandulosi (Wimmer & Grabowski) Focke are described, both distributed in Thuringia and in northern Bavaria: Rubus exarmatus H.E. Weber & W. Jansen spec. nov., and Rubus perlongus H.E. Weber & W. Jansen spec. nov. The species are illustrated by photographs of their holotypes. Their known distribution is shown by grid maps