A Simple Empirical Calibration of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA) on the Cornea

Monitoring of the corneal electrolyte content is important for the study of chemical eye burns. This paper describes quantitative measurements on gelatin standards, corneas and a cornea homogenate with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Ten micrometers thick cryosections were freeze-dried and mounted on solid carbon supports. The applied quantification procedure was a local peak background analysis with a specifically designed computer program. Similar chemical and physical properties of gelatin, cornea homogenate, and cornea were proven by EDX-analysis and wet chemical analysis. Gelatin standards with known concentrations of different added salts showed linear correlations with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.95 for all considered elements. The local background generation on carbon supports was the same for gelatin standards and corneal tissue. The results demonstrate that quantitative EDX analysis of semi-thin samples, mounted on neutral carbon supports, can be reliably used for the assessment of the corneal mineral composition

The Belle II Physics Book (Dec, 10.1093/ptep/ptz106, 2019) - correction

Autorzy: Kou, E., Urquijo, P., Altmannshofer, W., Beaujean, F., Bell, G., Beneke, M., Bigi, I.I., Bishara, F., Blanke, M., Bobeth, C., Bona, M., Brambilla, N., Braun, V.M., Brod, J., Buras, A.J., Cheng, H.Y., Chiang, C.W., Ciuchini, M., Colangelo, G., Crivellin, A., Czyz, H., Datta, A., De Fazio, F., Deppisch, T., Dolan, M.J., Evans, J., Fajfer, S., Feldmann, T., Godfrey, S., Gronau, M., Grossman, Y., Guo, F.K., Haisch, U., Hanhart, C., Hashimoto, S., Hirose, S., Hisano, J., Hofer, L., Hoferichter, M., Hou, W.S., Huber, T., Hurth, T., Jaeger, S., Jahn, S., Jamin, M., Jones, J., Jung, M., Kagan, A.L., Kahlhoefer, F., Kamenik, J.F., Kaneko, T., Kiyo, Y., Kokulu, A., Kosnik, N., Kronfeld, A.S., Ligeti, Z., Logan, H., Lu, C.D., Lubicz, V., Mahmoudi, F., Maltman, K., Mishima, S., Misiak, M., Moats, K., Moussallam, B., Nefediev, A., Nierste, U., Nomura, D., Offen, N., Olsen, S.L., Passemar, E., Paul, A., Paz, G., Petrov, A.A., Pich, A., Polosa, A.D., Pradler, J., Prelovsek, S., Procura, M., Ricciardi, G., Robinson, D.J., Roig, P., Rosiek, J., Schacht, S., Schmidt-Hoberg, K., Schwichtenberg, J., Sharpe, S.R., Shigemitsu, J., Shih, D., Shimizu, N., Shimizu, Y., Silvestrini, L., Simula, S., Smith, C., Stoffer, P., Straub, D., Tackmann, F.J., Tanaka, M., Tayduganov, A., Tetlalmatzi-Xolocotzi, G., Teubner, T., Vairo, A., Van Dyk, D., Virto, J., Was, Z., Watanabe, R., Watson, I., Westhoff, S., Zupan, J., Zwicky, R., Abudinén, F., Adachi, I., Adamczyk, K., Ahlburg, P., Aihara, H., Aloisio, A., Andricek, L., Anh Ky, N., Arndt, M., Asner, D.M., Atmacan, H., Aushev, T., Aushev, V., Ayad, R., Aziz, T., Baehr, S., Bahinipati, S., Bambade, P., Ban, Y., Barrett, M., Baudot, J., Behera, P., Belous, K., Bender, M., Bennett, J., Berger, M., Bernieri, E., Bernlochner, F.U., Bessner, M., Besson, D., Bettarini, S., Bhardwaj, V., Bhuyan, B., Bilka, T., Bilmis, S., Bilokin, S., Bonvicini, G., Bozek, A., Bračko, M., Branchini, P., Braun, N., Briere, R.A., Browder, T.E., Burmistrov, L., Bussino, S., Cao, L., Caria, G., Casarosa, G., Cecchi, C., Červenkov, D., Chang, M.-C., Chang, P., Cheaib, R., Chekelian, V., Chen, Y., Cheon, B.G., Chilikin, K., Cho, K., Choi, J., Choi, S.-K., Choudhury, S., Cinabro, D., Cremaldi, L.M., Cuesta, D., Cunliffe, S., Dash, N., De La Cruz Burelo, E., De Lucia, E., De Nardo, G., De Nuccio, M., De Pietro, G., De Yta Hernandez, A., Deschamps, B., Destefanis, M., Dey, S., Di Capua, F., Di Carlo, S., Dingfelder, J., Doležal, Z., Domínguez Jiménez, I., Dong, T.V., Dossett, D., Duell, S., Eidelman, S., Epifanov, D., Fast, J.E., Ferber, T., Fiore, S., Fodor, A., Forti, F., Frey, A., Frost, O., Fulsom, B.G., Gabriel, M., Gabyshev, N., Ganiev, E., Gao, X., Gao, B., Garg, R., Garmash, A., Gaur, V., Gaz, A., Geßler, T., Gebauer, U., Gelb, M., Gellrich, A., Getzkow, D., Giordano, R., Giri, A., Glazov, A., Gobbo, B., Godang, R., Gogota, O., Goldenzweig, P., Golob, B., Gradl, W., Graziani, E., Greco, M., Greenwald, D., Gribanov, S., Guan, Y., Guido, E., Guo, A., Halder, S., Hara, K., Hartbrich, O., Hauth, T., Hayasaka, K., Hayashii, H., Hearty, C., Heredia De La Cruz, I., Hernandez Villanueva, M., Hershenhorn, A., Higuchi, T., Hoek, M., Hollitt, S., Hong Van, N.T., Hsu, C.-L., Hu, Y., Huang, K., Iijima, T., Inami, K., Inguglia, G., Ishikawa, A., Itoh, R., Iwasaki, Y., Iwasaki, M., Jackson, P., Jacobs, W.W., Jaegle, I., Jeon, H.B., Ji, X., Jia, S., Jin, Y., Joo, C., Künzel, M., Kadenko, I., Kahn, J., Kakuno, H., Kaliyar, A.B., Kandra, J., Kang, K.H., Kato, Y., Kawasaki, T., Ketter, C., Khasmidatul, M., Kichimi, H., Kim, J.B., Kim, K.T., Kim, H.J., Kim, D.Y., Kim, K., Kim, Y., Kimmel, T.D., Kindo, H., Kinoshita, K., Konno, T., Korobov, A., Korpar, S., Kotchetkov, D., Kowalewski, R., Križan, P., Kroeger, R., Krohn, J.-F., Krokovny, P., Kuehn, W., Kuhr, T., Kulasiri, R., Kumar, M., Kumar, R., Kumita, T., Kuzmin, A., Kwon, Y.-J., Lacaprara, S., Lai, Y.-T., Lalwani, K., Lange, J.S., Lee, S.C., Lee, J.Y., Leitl, P., Levit, D., Levonian, S., Li, S., Li, L.K., Li, Y., Li, Y.B., Li, Q., Li Gioi, L., Libby, J., Liptak, Z., Liventsev, D., Longo, S., Loos, A., Lopez Castro, G., Lubej, M., Lueck, T., Luetticke, F., Luo, T., Müller, F., Müller, T., Macqueen, C., Maeda, Y., Maggiora, M., Maity, S., Manoni, E., Marcello, S., Marinas, C., Martinez Hernandez, M., Martini, A., Matvienko, D., Mckenna, J.A., Meier, F., Merola, M., Metzner, F., Miller, C., Miyabayashi, K., Miyake, H., Miyata, H., Mizuk, R., Mohanty, G.B., Moon, H.K., Moon, T., Morda, A., Morii, T., Mrvar, M., Muroyama, G., Mussa, R., Nakamura, I., Nakano, T., Nakao, M., Nakayama, H., Nakazawa, H., Nanut, T., Naruki, M., Nath, K.J., Nayak, M., Nellikunnummel, N., Neverov, D., Niebuhr, C., Ninkovic, J., Nishida, S., Nishimura, K., Nouxman, M., Nowak, G., Ogawa, K., Onishchuk, Y., Ono, H., Onuki, Y., Pakhlov, P., Pakhlova, G., Pal, B., Paoloni, E., Park, H., Park, C.-S., Paschen, B., Passeri, A., Paul, S., Pedlar, T.K., Perelló, M., Peruzzi, I.M., Pestotnik, R., Piilonen, L.E., Podesta Lerma, L., Popov, V., Prasanth, K., Prencipe, E., Prim, M., Purohit, M.V., Rabusov, A., Rasheed, R., Reiter, S., Remnev, M., Resmi, P.K., Ripp-Baudot, I., Ritter, M., Ritzert, M., Rizzo, G., Rizzuto, L., Robertson, S.H., Rodriguez Perez, D., Roney, J.M., Rosenfeld, C., Rostomyan, A., Rout, N., Rummel, S., Russo, G., Sahoo, D., Sakai, Y., Salehi, M., Sanders, D.A., Sandilya, S., Sangal, A., Santelj, L., Sasaki, J., Sato, Y., Savinov, V., Scavino, B., Schram, M., Schreeck, H., Schueler, J., Schwanda, C., Schwartz, A.J., Seddon, R.M., Seino, Y., Senyo, K., Seon, O., Seong, I.S., Sevior, M.E., Sfienti, C., Shapkin, M., Shen, C.P., Shimomura, M., Shiu, J.-G., Shwartz, B., Sibidanov, A., Simon, F., Singh, J.B., Sinha, R., Skambraks, S., Smith, K., Sobie, R.J., Soffer, A., Sokolov, A., Solovieva, E., Spruck, B., Stanič, S., Starič, M., Starinsky, N., Stolzenberg, U., Stottler, Z., Stroili, R., Strube, J.F., Stypula, J., Sumihama, M., Sumisawa, K., Sumiyoshi, T., Summers, D., Sutcliffe, W., Suzuki, S.Y., Tabata, M., Takahashi, M., Takizawa, M., Tamponi, U., Tan, J., Tanaka, S., Tanida, K., Taniguchi, N., Tao, Y., Taras, P., Tejeda Munoz, G., Tenchini, F., Tippawan, U., Torassa, E., Trabelsi, K., Tsuboyama, T., Uchida, M., Uehara, S., Uglov, T., Unno, Y., Uno, S., Ushiroda, Y., Usov, Y., Vahsen, S.E., Van Tonder, R., Varner, G., Varvell, K.E., Vinokurova, A., Vitale, L., Vos, M., Vossen, A., Waheed, E., Wakeling, H., Wan, K., Wang, M.-Z., Wang, X.L., Wang, B., Warburton, A., Webb, J., Wehle, S., Wessel, C., Wiechczynski, J., Wieduwilt, P., Won, E., Xu, Q., Xu, X., Yabsley, B.D., Yamada, S., Yamamoto, H., Yan, W., Yan, W., Yang, S.B., Ye, H., Yeo, I., Yin, J.H., Yonenaga, M., Yoshinobu, T., Yuan, W., Yuan, C.Z., Yusa, Y., Zakharov, S., Zani, L., Zeyrek, M., Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhou, X., Zhukova, V., Zhulanov, V., Zupanc, A.This is a correction to: Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Volume 2019, Issue 12, December 2019, 123C01, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptz10

The ALTCRISS project on board the International Space Station

The Altcriss project aims to perform a long term survey of the radiation environment on board the International Space Station. Measurements are being performed with active and passive devices in different locations and orientations of the Russian segment of the station. The goal is to perform a detailed evaluation of the differences in particle fluence and nuclear composition due to different shielding material and attitude of the station. The Sileye-3/Alteino detector is used to identify nuclei up to Iron in the energy range above 60 MeV/n. Several passive dosimeters (TLDs, CR39) are also placed in the same location of Sileye-3 detector. Polyethylene shielding is periodically interposed in front of the detectors to evaluate the effectiveness of shielding on the nuclear component of the cosmic radiation. The project was submitted to ESA in reply to the AO in the Life and Physical Science of 2004 and data taking began in December 2005. Dosimeters and data cards are rotated every six months: up to now three launches of dosimeters and data cards have been performed and have been returned with the end of expedition 12 and 13.Comment: Accepted for publication on Advances in Space Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2007.04.03

Bayesian Fit of Exclusive b→sℓˉℓb \to s \bar\ell\ell Decays: The Standard Model Operator Basis

We perform a model-independent fit of the short-distance couplings $C_{7,9,10}$ within the Standard Model set of $b\to s\gamma$ and $b\to s\bar\ell\ell$ operators. Our analysis of $B \to K^* \gamma$, $B \to K^{(*)} \bar\ell\ell$ and $B_s \to \bar\mu\mu$ decays is the first to harness the full power of the Bayesian approach: all major sources of theory uncertainty explicitly enter as nuisance parameters. Exploiting the latest measurements, the fit reveals a flipped-sign solution in addition to a Standard-Model-like solution for the couplings $C_i$. Each solution contains about half of the posterior probability, and both have nearly equal goodness of fit. The Standard Model prediction is close to the best-fit point. No New Physics contributions are necessary to describe the current data. Benefitting from the improved posterior knowledge of the nuisance parameters, we predict ranges for currently unmeasured, optimized observables in the angular distributions of $B\to K^*(\to K\pi)\,\bar\ell\ell$.Comment: 42 pages, 8 figures; v2: Using new lattice input for f_Bs, considering Bs-mixing effects in BR[B_s->ll]. Main results and conclusion unchanged, matches journal versio

Epigenetic modification of histone 3 at lysine 9 in sheep zygotes and its relationship with DNA methylation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies indicated that, unlike mouse zygotes, sheep zygotes lacked the paternal DNA demethylation event. Another epigenetic mark, histone modification, especially at lysine 9 of histone 3 (H3K9), has been suggested to be mechanically linked to DNA methylation. In mouse zygotes, the absence of methylated H3K9 from the paternal pronucleus has been thought to attribute to the paternal DNA demethylation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By using the immunofluorescence staining approach, we show that, despite the difference in DNA methylation, modification of H3K9 is similar between the sheep and mouse zygotes. In both species, H3K9 is hyperacetylated or hypomethylated in paternal pronucleus relative to maternal pronucleus. In fact, sheep zygotes can also undergo paternal DNA demethylation, although to a less extent than the mouse. Further examinations of individual zygotes by double immunostaining revealed that, the paternal levels of DNA methylation were not closely associated with that of H3K9 acetylation or tri-methylation. Treatment of either 5-azacytidine or Trichostatin A did not induce a significant decrease of paternal DNA methylation levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that in sheep lower DNA demethylation of paternal genomes is not due to the H3K9 modification and the methylated DNA sustaining in paternal pronucleus does not come from DNA <it>de novo </it>methylation.</p

Implications from clean observables for the binned analysis of B -> K*ll at large recoil

We perform a frequentist analysis of q^2-dependent B-> K*(->Kpi)ll angular observables at large recoil, aiming at bridging the gap between current theoretical analyses and the actual experimental measurements. We focus on the most appropriate set of observables to measure and on the role of the q^2-binning. We highlight the importance of the observables P_i exhibiting a limited sensitivity to soft form factors for the search for New Physics contributions. We compute predictions for these binned observables in the Standard Model, and we compare them with their experimental determination extracted from recent LHCb data. Analyzing b->s and b->sll transitions within four different New Physics scenarios, we identify several New Physics benchmark points which can be discriminated through the measurement of P_i observables with a fine q^2-binning. We emphasise the importance (and risks) of using observables with (un)suppressed dependence on soft form factors for the search of New Physics, which we illustrate by the different size of hadronic uncertainties attached to two related observables (P_1 and S_3). We illustrate how the q^2-dependent angular observables measured in several bins can help to unravel New Physics contributions to B-> K*(->Kpi)ll, and show the extraordinary constraining power that the clean observables will have in the near future. We provide semi-numerical expressions for these observables as functions of the relevant Wilson coefficients at the low scale.Comment: 50 pages, 21 figures. Improved form factor analysis, conclusions unchanged. Plots with full resolution. Version published in JHE

Cornering New Physics in b --> s Transitions

We derive constraints on Wilson coefficients of dimension-six effective operators probing the b --> s transition, using recent improved measurements of the rare decays Bs --> mu+mu-, B --> K mu+mu- and B --> K* mu+mu- and including all relevant observables in inclusive and exclusive decays. We consider operators present in the SM as well as their chirality-flipped counterparts and scalar operators. We find good agreement with the SM expectations. Compared to the situation before winter 2012, we find significantly more stringent constraints on the chirality-flipped coefficients due to complementary constraints from B --> K mu+mu- and B --> K* mu+mu- and due to the LHCb measurement of the angular observable S_3 in the latter decay. We also list the full set of observables sensitive to new physics in the low recoil region of B --> K* mu+mu-.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables. v3: typos correcte

EOS: a software for flavor physics phenomenology

EOS is an open-source software for a variety of computational tasks in flavor physics. Its use cases include theory predictions within and beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, Bayesian inference of theory parameters from experimental and theoretical likelihoods, and simulation of pseudo events for a number of signal processes. EOS ensures high-performance computations through a C++ back-end and ease of usability through a Python front-end. To achieve this flexibility, EOS enables the user to select from a variety of implementations of the relevant decay processes and hadronic matrix elements at run time. In this article, we describe the general structure of the software framework and provide basic examples. Further details and in-depth interactive examples are provided as part of the EOS online documentation

5-Methylcytosine and 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Spatiotemporal Profiles in the Mouse Zygote

Background: In the mouse zygote, DNA methylation patterns are heavily modified, and differ between the maternal and paternal pronucleus. Demethylation of the paternal genome has been described as an active and replication-independent process, although the mechanisms responsible for it remain elusive. Recently, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine has been suggested as an intermediate in this demethylation. Methodology/principal findings: In this study, we quantified DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in both pronuclei of the mouse zygote during the replication period and we examined their patterns on the pericentric heterochromatin using 3D immuno-FISH. Our results demonstrate that 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine localizations on the pericentric sequences are not complementary; indeed we observe no enrichment of either marks on some regions and an enrichment of both on others. In addition, we show that DNA demethylation continues during DNA replication, and is inhibited by aphidicolin. Finally, we observe notable differences in the kinetics of demethylation and hydroxymethylation; in particular, a peak of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, unrelated to any change in 5-methylcytosine level, is observed after completion of replication. Conclusion/significance: Together our results support the already proposed hypothesis that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is not a simple intermediate in an active demethylation process and could play a role of its own during early development