Neutrino flavour as a test of the explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae

We study the ratio of neutrino-proton elastic scattering to inverse beta decay event counts, measurable in a scintillation detector like JUNO, as a key observable for identifying the explosion mechanism of a galactic core-collapse supernova. If the supernova is not powered by the core but rather, e.g., by collapse-induced thermonuclear explosion, then a prolonged period of accretion-dominated neutrino luminosity is predicted. Using 1D numerical simulations, we show that the distinct resulting flavour composition of the neutrino burst can be tested in JUNO with high significance, overcoming theoretical uncertainties in the progenitor star profile and equation of state.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figure

Looking for ultralight dark matter near supermassive black holes

Measurements of the dynamical environment of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are becoming abundant and precise. We use such measurements to look for ultralight dark matter (ULDM), which is predicted to form dense cores ("solitons") in the centre of galactic halos. We search for the gravitational imprint of an ULDM soliton on stellar orbits near Sgr A* and by combining stellar velocity measurements with Event Horizon Telescope imaging of M87*. Finding no positive evidence, we set limits on the soliton mass for different values of the ULDM particle mass $m$. The constraints we derive exclude the solitons predicted by a naive extrapolation of the soliton-halo relation, found in DM-only numerical simulations, for $2\times10^{-20}~{\rm eV}\lesssim m\lesssim8\times10^{-19}~{\rm eV}$ (from Sgr A*) and $m\lesssim4\times10^{-22}~{\rm eV}$ (from M87*). However, we present theoretical arguments suggesting that an extrapolation of the soliton-halo relation may not be adequate: in some regions of the parameter space, the dynamical effect of the SMBH could cause this extrapolation to over-predict the soliton mass by orders of magnitude.Comment: 9 pages + appendices, 5 + 2 figures. v2: some clarifications and references added; conclusions unchanged; version published in JCAP. v3: few typos correcte

When being wasteful appears better than feeling wasteful

"Waste not want not" expresses our culture's aversion to waste. "I could have gotten the same thing for less" is a sentiment that can diminish pleasure in a transaction. We study people's willingness to "pay" to avoid this spoiler. In one scenario, participants imagined they were looking for a rental apartment, and had bought a subscription to an apartment listing. If a cheaper subscription had been declined, respondents preferred not to discover post hoc that it would have sufficed. Specifically, they preferred ending their quest for the ideal apartment after seeing more, rather than fewer, apartments, so that the length of the search exceeds that available within the cheaper subscription. Other scenarios produced similar results. We conclude that people may sometimes prefer to be wasteful in order to avoid feeling wasteful.waste aversion, mental accounting, violation of dominance, counterfactual, regret

A novel allele of FILAMENTOUS FLOWER reveals new insights on the link between inflorescence and floral meristem organization and flower morphogenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The <it>Arabidopsis </it><it>FILAMENTOUS FLOWER (FIL) </it>gene encodes a YABBY (YAB) family putative transcription factor that has been implicated in specifying abaxial cell identities and thus regulating organ polarity of lateral organs. In contrast to double mutants of <it>fil </it>and other <it>YAB </it>genes, <it>fil </it>single mutants display mainly floral and inflorescence morphological defects that do not reflect merely a loss of abaxial identity. Recently, <it>FIL </it>and other <it>YABs </it>have been shown to regulate meristem organization in a non-cell-autonomous manner. In a screen for new mutations affecting floral organ morphology and development, we have identified a novel allele of FIL, <it>fil-9 </it>and characterized its floral and meristem phenotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>fil-9 </it>mutation results in highly variable disruptions in floral organ numbers and size, partial homeotic transformations, and in defective inflorescence organization. Examination of meristems indicates that both <it>fil-9 </it>inflorescence and floral meristems are enlarged as a result of an increase in cell number, and deformed. Furthermore, primordia emergence from these meristems is disrupted such that several primordia arise simultaneously instead of sequentially. Many of the organs produced by the inflorescence meristems are filamentous, yet they are not considered by the plant as flowers. The severity of both floral organs and meristem phenotypes is increased acropetally and in higher growth temperature.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Detailed analysis following the development of <it>fil-9 </it>inflorescence and flowers throughout flower development enabled the drawing of a causal link between multiple traits of <it>fil-9 </it>phenotypes. The study reinforces the suggested role of <it>FIL </it>in meristem organization. The loss of spatial and temporal organization of <it>fil-9 </it>inflorescence and floral meristems presumably leads to disrupted cell allocation to developing floral organs and to a blurring of organ whorl boundaries. This disruption is reflected in morphological and organ identity aberrations of <it>fil-9 </it>floral organs and in the production of filamentous organs that are not perceived as flowers. Here, we show the role of <it>FIL </it>in reproductive meristem development and emphasize the potential of using <it>fil </it>mutants to study mersitem organization and the related effects on flower morphogenesis.</p

Intellectual property, access to medicines, and health: new research horizons

In this introduction we briefly review the literature on intellectual property rights and access to medicines, identifying two distinct generations of research. The first generation analyzes the origins of new intellectual property rules, in particular the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and the significance of TRIPS to developing countries. The second generation examines national-level experiences, as countries adjust their laws and practices to conform to TRIPS. Based on the insights provided by the articles in the special issue, we contribute to the second generation by considering a pair of overarching sets of issues. First, we highlight the domestic political challenges that affect how countries go about implementing their new obligations under TRIPS. We argue that alliances and coalitions are necessary to underpin the use of policy instruments designed to conform to TRIPS while taking into account local conditions and needs, and we present insights that allow us to understand why alliances and coalitions are difficult to construct and sustain in this area. Second, we explain why policies that many countries adopt in response to TRIPS often do not generate their desired or intended outcomes. In the last section of the introduction we review the articles that appear in this special issue

Design and Validation of a Bimanual Haptic Epidural Needle Insertion Simulator

The case experience of anesthesiologists is one of the leading causes of accidental dural puncture and failed epidural - the most common complications of epidural analgesia. We designed a bimanual haptic simulator to train anesthesiologists and optimize epidural analgesia skill acquisition, and present a validation study conducted with 15 anesthesiologists of different competency levels from several hospitals in Israel. Our simulator emulates the forces applied on the epidural (Touhy) needle, held by one hand, and those applied on the Loss of Resistance (LOR) syringe, held by the second hand. The resistance is calculated based on a model of the Epidural region layers that is parameterized by the weight of the patient. We measured the movements of both haptic devices, and quantified the rate of results (success, failed epidurals and dural punctures), insertion strategies, and answers of participants to questionnaires about their perception of the realism of the simulation. We demonstrated good construct validity by showing that the simulator can distinguish between real-life novices and experts. Good face and content validity were shown in experienced users' perception of the simulator as realistic and well-targeted. We found differences in strategies between different level anesthesiologists, and suggest trainee-based instruction in advanced training stages.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure

“Everyone Is Normal, and Everyone Has a Disability”: Narratives of University Students with Visual Impairment

University students with visual impairment in Israel and worldwide face multiple academic and social barriers and must develop techniques, strategies and skills to adjust to the university environment. The current article is based on a longitudinal qualitative study aimed at incorporating students’ voices and offers some insight into the ways students experience their academic journeys. The research method combined grounded theory with the emancipatory disability research paradigm, which draws explicitly from people with disabilities’ collective experience and thus directly challenges this group’s widespread social oppression. This combination allowed the researcher to focus on students’ initial experiences as subjectively perceived. Sixteen students all defined as legally blind, from four universities in Israel, were interviewed over a 2-year period of their studies. The findings present two complementary narratives the interviewees used while configuring their identities. The article will focus on findings that suggest that during their academic journeys, students needed to manage a process of integrating their identity both as disabled and as students, choosing when and where to perform each identity and determining what the implications of each choice were along with each one’s related costs and benefits. The study’s implications and recommendations can help professionals and support services improve inclusion and equality in higher education