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Abstract We calculate the cross sections of the processes $$T_{cc}^+ \pi , T_{cc}^+ \rho \rightarrow D^{(*)} D^{(*)} $$ T cc + π , T cc + ρ → D ( ∗ ) D ( ∗ ) and of the corresponding inverse reactions. We use effective Lagrangians to account for the couplings between light and heavy mesons, and give special attention to the form factors in the vertices. Using QCD sum rules we calculate here for the first time the $$ T_{cc}^+ - D - D^*$$ T cc + - D - D ∗ form factor. The $$T_{cc}^+$$ T cc + absorption cross sections are found to be larger than the production ones. We compare our results with the only other existing estimate of these quantities, presented in a work by J. Hong, S. Cho, T. Song and S. H. Lee, in which the authors employed the quasi-free approximation. We find cross sections which are one order of magnitude smaller.

The objective of this meta-epidemiological study was to explore the impact of attrition rates on treatment effect estimates in randomised trials of chronic inflammatory diseases (CID) treated with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying drugs. We sampled trials from Cochrane reviews. Attrition rates and primary endpoint results were retrieved from trial publications; Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated from the odds of withdrawing in the experimental intervention compared to the control comparison groups (i.e., differential attrition), as well as the odds of achieving a clinical response (i.e., the trial outcome). Trials were combined using random effects restricted maximum likelihood meta-regression models and associations between estimates of treatment effects and attrition rates were analysed. From 37 meta-analyses, 179 trials were included, and 163 were analysed (301 randomised comparisons; n = 62,220 patients). Overall, the odds of withdrawal were lower in the experimental compared to control groups (random effects summary OR = 0.45, 95% CI, 0.41-0.50). The corresponding overall treatment effects were large (random effects summary OR = 4.43, 95% CI 3.92-4.99) with considerable heterogeneity across interventions and clinical specialties (I2 = 85.7%). The ORs estimating treatment effect showed larger treatment benefits when the differential attrition was more prominent with more attrition in the control group (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.55-0.96). Higher attrition rates from the control arm are associated with larger estimated benefits of treatments with biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying drugs in CID trials; differential attrition may affect estimates of treatment benefit in randomised trials.

We report a fine-scale assessment of cross-boundary wildfire events for the western US. We used simulation modeling to quantify the extent of fire exchange among major federal, state, and private land tenures and mapped locations where fire ignitions can potentially affect populated places. We examined how parcel size affects wildfire transmission and partitioned the relative amounts of transmitted fire between human and natural ignitions. We estimated that 85 % of the total predicted wildfire activity, as measured by area burned, originates from four land tenures (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, private, and state lands) and 63 % of the total amount results from natural versus human ignitions. On average, one-third of the area burned by predicted wildfires was nonlocal, meaning that the source ignition was on a different land tenure. Land tenures with smaller parcels tended to receive more incoming fire on a proportional basis, while the largest fires were generated from ignitions in national parks, national forests, and public and tribal lands. Among the 11 western states, the amount and pattern of cross-boundary fire varied substantially in terms of which land tenures were mostly exposed, by whom, and to what extent. We also found spatial variability in terms of community exposure among states, and more than half of the predicted structure exposure was caused by ignitions on private lands or within the wildland–urban interface areas. This study addressed gaps in existing wildfire risk assessments that do not explicitly consider cross-boundary fire transmission and do not identify the source of fire. The results can be used by state, federal, and local fire planning organizations to help improve risk mitigation programs.

Negative symptoms are a core feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders associated with poor outcomes such as low remission rates and impairments in daily functioning and quality of life in early psychosis. The assessment of negative symptoms in early psychotic disorders is predominantly conducted by use of first-generation scales such as the PANSS and the SANS, along with the SIPS and CAARMS for the psychosis clinical high-risk (CHR) state. Following the progressed conceptualization of negative symptoms, it has, however, been recognized that these scales suffer important methodological limitations. This warrants a use of second-generation scales such as the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) in early intervention settings in order to achieve a more accurate assessment of the negative symptom complex. Advancing the assessment of negative symptoms in early psychosis may also guide more targeted intervention approaches aimed at improving functional outcome. Albeit recognizing that negative symptoms constitute an important barrier to a good functional outcome in psychotic disorders, few studies have directly aimed at alleviating negative symptoms in early psychosis. Meta-analytical evidence does, however, exist on the efficacy of the combined treatment modalities incorporated in Early Intervention Services (e.g. intensive and assertive case management, family involvement etc.) in reducing negative symptoms in first-episode psychosis. Evidence on the effect of interventions for improving negative symptoms in the CHR state is lacking. Developing targeted, and possibly more individualized negative symptoms treatment approaches, constitute an essential future research area.

Abstract In this work we investigate the $$Z_b (10610)$$ Zb(10610) (called simply $$Z_b$$ Zb ) abundance in the hot hadron gas produced in heavy ion collisions after the quark–gluon plasma phase. We use effective Lagrangians to calculate the thermally averaged cross sections of $$Z_b $$ Zb production in processes such as $$B^{(*)} + \bar{B}^{(*)} \rightarrow \pi + Z_b (10610)$$ B(∗)+B¯(∗)→π+Zb(10610) and also of its absorption in the corresponding inverse processes. We then solve the rate equation to follow the time evolution of the $$Z_b$$ Zb multiplicity. We find that, if we neglect the $$Z_b$$ Zb decay, the number of $$Z_b$$ Zb ’s produced at the end of the quark–gluon plasma phase remains almost constant during the hadron phase. The introduction of the decay in the rate equation leads to a suppression in the final yield by a factor two.

The protein c-CBL is a ubiquitin ligase. It catalyzes the last step of the transfer of ubiquitin to target proteins. Upon completion of polyubiquitination, the target proteins are degraded. Clinically, it is important that c-CBL is mutated in a subset of patients who develop myeloid malignancies, which are diseases of the hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. c-CBL has also been shown to be expressed by human spermatogonia. The whole spermatogonial cell population possesses a subset that comprises also the spermatogonial stem cells. Based on these findings we hypothesized that c-CBL might be a general stem cell marker. To test this, we first validated the antibody using marmoset bone marrow and adult testis. In both tissues, the expected staining pattern was observed. Western blot analysis revealed only one band of the expected size. Then, we examined the expression of c-CBL in marmoset monkey embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and adult stem cells. We found that c-CBL is strongly expressed in undifferentiated marmoset iPS cells and ES cells. However, adult stem cells in the gut and the stomach did not express c-CBL, indicating that c-CBL is not a general stem cell marker. In summary, c-CBL is strongly expressed in pluripotent stem cells of the marmoset monkey as well as in selected adult stem cell types. Future studies will define the function of c-CBL in pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract While quiescent galaxies have comparable amounts of cool gas in their outer circumgalactic medium (CGM) compared to star-forming galaxies, they have significantly less interstellar gas. However, open questions remain on the processes causing galaxies to stop forming stars and stay quiescent. Theories suggest dynamical interactions with the hot corona prevent cool gas from reaching the galaxy, therefore predicting the inner regions of quiescent galaxy CGMs are devoid of cool gas. However, there is a lack of understanding of the inner regions of CGMs due to the lack of spatial information in quasar-sightline methods. We present integral-field spectroscopy probing 10–20 kpc (2.4–4.8 Re) around a massive quiescent galaxy using a gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxy. We detect absorption from Magnesium (MgII) implying large amounts of cool atomic gas (108.4–109.3 M⊙ with T~104 Kelvin), in comparable amounts to star-forming galaxies. Lens modeling of Hubble imaging also reveals a diffuse asymmetric component of significant mass consistent with the spatial extent of the MgII absorption, and offset from the galaxy light profile. This study demonstrates the power of galaxy-scale gravitational lenses to not only probe the gas around galaxies, but to also independently probe the mass of the CGM due to it’s gravitational effect.

We calculate the time evolution of the X(3872) abundance in the hot hadron gas produced in the late stage of heavy ion collisions. We use effective field Lagrangians to obtain the production and dissociation cross sections of X(3872). In this evaluation we include diagrams involving the anomalous couplings πD⁎D¯⁎ and XD¯⁎D⁎ and also the couplings of the X(3872) with charged D and D⁎ mesons. With these new terms the X(3872) interaction cross sections are much larger than those found in previous works. Using these cross sections as input in rate equations, we conclude that during the expansion and cooling of the hadronic gas, the number of X(3872), originally produced at the end of the mixed QGP/hadron gas phase, is reduced by a factor of 4.

To understand the nature of the X(5568), recently observed in the mass spectrum of the Bs0π± system by the D0 Collaboration, we have investigated, in a previous work, a scalar tetraquark (diquak–antidiquark) structure for it, within the two-point QCD sum rules method. We found that it is possible to obtain a stable value of the mass compatible with the D0 result, although a rigorous QCD sum rule constrained analysis led to a higher value of mass. As a continuation of our investigation, we calculate the width of the tetraquark state with same quark content as X(5568), to the channel Bs0π±, using the three-point QCD sum rule. We obtain a value of (20.4±8.7) MeV for the mass ∼ 5568 MeV, which is compatible with the experimental value of 21.9±6.4(sta)−2.5+5.0(syst) MeV/c2. We find that the decay width to Bs0π± does not alter much for a higher mass state.

Although quality guidelines for single-case intervention research emphasize the importance of concurrent baselines in multiple-baseline and multiple-probe designs, nonconcurrent variations on these designs persist in the research literature. This study describes a systematic review of special education intervention studies (k = 406) between 1988 and 2020 that report using nonconcurrent multiple-baseline or multiple-probe designs to test interventions for individuals with disabilities ages 21 years and younger. We coded and synthesized study characteristics pertaining to participants, settings, interventions, data reporting, and contextual factors. Findings indicate the prevalence of nonconcurrent designs for intervention studies in a variety of settings addressing social and communication needs of individuals with disabilities. We discuss implications for research and practice and offer suggestions for improving the validity of nonconcurrent designs. A PRISMA-compliant abstract is available at https://osf.io/sdnj5/?view_only=f386b1fe5f14430a8d63fceed293718d.

We calculate the branching ratio for the production of the meson Y(4260) in the decay B−→Y(4260)K−. We use QCD sum rules approach and we consider the Y(4260) to be a mixture between charmonium and exotic tetraquark, [c¯q¯][qc], states with JPC=1−−. Using the value of the mixing angle determined previously as: θ=(53.0±0.5)∘, we get the branching ratio B(B→Y(4260)K)=(1.34±0.47)×10−6, which allows us to estimate an interval on the branching fraction 3.0×10−8

The Greenland NGRIP ice core continuously covers the period from present day back to 123 ka before present, which includes several thousand years of ice from the previous interglacial period, MIS 5e or the Eemian. In the glacial part of the core, annual layers can be identified from impurity records and visual stratigraphy, and stratigraphic layer counting has been performed back to 60 ka. In the deepest part of the core, however, the ice is close to the pressure melting point, the visual stratigraphy is dominated by crystal boundaries, and annual layering is not visible to the naked eye. In this study, we apply a newly developed setup for high-resolution ice core impurity analysis to produce continuous records of dust, sodium and ammonium concentrations as well as conductivity of melt water. We analyzed three 2.2 m sections of ice from the Eemian and the glacial inception. In all of the analyzed ice, annual layers can clearly be recognized, most prominently in the dust and conductivity profiles. Part of the samples is, however, contaminated in dust, most likely from drill liquid. It is interesting that the annual layering is preserved despite a very active crystal growth and grain boundary migration in the deep and warm NGRIP ice. Based on annual layer counting of the new records, we determine a mean annual layer thickness close to 11 mm for all three sections, which, to first order, confirms the modeled NGRIP time scale (ss09sea). The counting does, however, suggest a longer duration of the climatically warmest part of the NGRIP record (MIS5e) of up to 1 ka as compared to the model estimate. Our results suggest that stratigraphic layer counting is possible basically throughout the entire NGRIP ice core, provided sufficiently highly-resolved profiles become available.

Abstract Since 2007, unprecedented marine heatwave events are occurring over the Arctic Ocean. Here we identify the fraction of the likelihood of Arctic marine heatwaves magnitude that is attributable to greenhouse gas forcing. Results reveal that Arctic marine heatwaves are primarily triggered by an abrupt sea-ice retreat, which coincides with the maximum downward radiative fluxes. Up to 82% of the sea surface temperature variability over the shallow Arctic marginal seas, where marine heatwaves are prone to occur, can be explained by net accumulation of seasonal surface heat flux in the ocean. Event attribution analysis demonstrates that the 103-day long 2020 event – the most intense (4 ∘C) recorded so far in the Arctic – would be exceptionally unlikely in the absence of greenhouse gas forcing in terms of both intensity and duration. Our further results imply that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, along with the expansion of first-year ice extent, moderate marine heatwaves in the Arctic will very likely persistently reoccur.

We study tight wavelet frame systems in Lp(ℝd) and prove that such systems (under mild hypotheses) give atomic decompositions of Lp(ℝd) for 1≺p≺∞. We also characterize Lp(ℝd) and Sobolev space norms by the analysis coefficients for the frame. We consider Jackson inequalities for best m-term approximation with the systems in Lp(ℝd) and prove that such inequalities exist. Moreover, it is proved that the approximation rate given by the Jackson inequality can be realized by thresholding the frame coefficients. Finally, we show that in certain restricted cases, the approximation spaces, for best m-term approximation, associated with tight wavelet frames can be characterized in terms of (essentially) Besov spaces.

PURPOSEGermline genetic testing (GGT) significantly affects cancer care. While universal testing has been studied in Western societies, less is known about adoption elsewhere.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this study, 3,319 unselected, pan-cancer Jordanian patients diagnosed between April 2021 and September 2022 received GGT. Pathogenic germline variant (PGV) frequency among patients who were in-criteria (IC) or out-of-criteria (OOC; 2020 National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria) and changes in clinical management in response to GGT results were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using two-tailed Fisher's exact test with significance level P < .05.RESULTSThe cohort was predominantly female (69.9%), with a mean age of 53.7 years at testing, and 53.1% were IC. While patients who were IC were more likely than patients who were OOC to have a PGV (15.8% v 9.6%; P < .0001), 149 (34.8%) patients with PGVs were OOC. Clinical management recommendations in response to GGT, including changes to treatment and/or follow-up, were made for 57.3% (161 of 281) of patients with high- or moderate-risk PGVs, including 26.1% (42 of 161) of patients who were OOC.CONCLUSIONUniversal GGT of patients with newly diagnosed cancer was successfully implemented in Jordan and led to identification of actionable PGVs that would have been missed with guidelines-based testing.

Background: Oxygen supplementation is ubiquitous in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute hypoxaemia, but the optimal oxygenation target has not been established. Methods: This was a pre-planned subgroup analysis of the Handling Oxygenation Targets in the ICU (HOT-ICU) trial, which allocated patients with acute hypoxaemia to a lower oxygenation target (partial pressure of arterial oxygen [Pao2] of 8 kPa) vs a higher target (Pao2 of 12 kPa) during ICU admission, for up to 90 days; the allocation was stratified for presence or absence of COPD. Here, we report key outcomes for patients with COPD. Results: The HOT-ICU trial enrolled 2928 patients of whom 563 had COPD; 277 were allocated to the lower and 286 to the higher oxygenation group. After allocation, the median Pao2 was 9.1 kPa (inter-quartile range 8.7–9.9) in the lower group vs 12.1 kPa (11.2–12.9) in the higher group. Data for arterial carbon dioxide (Paco2) were available for 497 patients (88%) with no between-group difference in time-weighted average; median Paco2 6.0 kPa (5.2–7.2) in the lower group vs 6.2 kPa (5.4–7.3) in the higher group. At 90 days, 122/277 patients (44%) in the lower oxygenation group had died vs 132/285 patients (46%) in the higher (relative risk 0.98; 95% confidence interval 0.82–1.17; P=0.67). No statistically significant differences were found in any secondary outcome. Conclusions: In ICU patients with COPD and acute hypoxaemia, a lower vs a higher oxygenation target did not reduce mortality. There were no between-group differences in Paco2 or in secondary outcomes. Clinical trial registration: NCT 03174002, EudraCT number 2017-000632-34.

Abstract The receptor-binding domain, region II, of the Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBPII) binds the Duffy antigen on the reticulocyte surface to mediate invasion. A heterologous vaccine challenge trial recently showed that a delayed dosing regimen with recombinant PvDBPII SalI variant formulated with adjuvant Matrix-MTM reduced the in vivo parasite multiplication rate (PMR) in immunized volunteers challenged with the Thai P. vivax isolate PvW1. Here, we describe extensive analysis of the polyfunctional antibody responses elicited by PvDBPII immunization and identify immune correlates for PMR reduction. A classification algorithm identified antibody features that significantly contribute to PMR reduction. These included antibody titre, receptor-binding inhibitory titre, dissociation constant of the PvDBPII-antibody interaction, complement C1q and Fc gamma receptor binding and specific IgG subclasses. These data suggest that multiple immune mechanisms elicited by PvDBPII immunization are likely to be associated with protection and the immune correlates identified could guide the development of an effective vaccine for P. vivax malaria. Importantly, all the polyfunctional antibody features that correlated with protection cross-reacted with both PvDBPII SalI and PvW1 variants, suggesting that immunization with PvDBPII should protect against diverse P. vivax isolates.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic variants are most notably known for their divergent impact on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. While APOE genotype has been consistently shown to modulate lipid metabolism in a variety of cellular contexts, the effect of APOE alleles on the lipidome in hepatocytes is unknown. In this study, we investigated the contribution of APOE alleles to lipidomic profiles of donor-derived primary human hepatocytes from 77 subjects. Lipidomic data obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were analyzed across ε2/ε3, ε3/ε3, and ε3/ε4 genotypes to reveal how APOE modulates lipid relative levels over age and between groups. Hepatic APOE concentration, measured by ELISA, was assessed for correlation with lipid abundance in subjects grouped as per APOE genotype and sex. APOE genotype-specific differential lipidomic signatures associated with age for multiple lipid classes but did not differ between sexes. Compared to ε2/ε3, ε3/ε4 hepatocytes had higher abundance of acylcarnitines (AC) and acylphosphatidylglycerol (AcylPG) as a class, as well as higher medium and long-chain ACs, AcylPG, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), bis(monoacylglycerol)phosphate (BMP), monoacylglycerol (MG) and diacylglycerol (DG) species. The ε3/ε4 hepatocytes also exhibited a higher abundance of medium and long-chain ACs compared to the ε3/ε3 hepatocytes. Only in the ε3/ε4 hepatocytes, APOE concentration was lower and showed a negative correlation with BMP levels, specifically in females. APOE genotype dictates a differential lipidome in primary human hepatocytes. The lipids involved suggest mitochondrial dysfunction with accompanying alterations in neutral lipid storage, reflective of a general disturbance of free fatty acid metabolism in human hepatocytes with the ε4 allele.

We have previously reported primary endpoints of a clinical trial testing two vaccine platforms for the delivery of Plasmodium vivax malaria DBPRII: viral vectors (ChAd63, MVA), and protein/adjuvant (PvDBPII with 50µg Matrix-M™ adjuvant). Delayed boosting was necessitated due to trial halts during the pandemic and provides an opportunity to investigate the impact of dosing regimens. Here, using flow cytometry – including agnostic definition of B cell populations with the clustering tool CITRUS – we report enhanced induction of DBPRII-specific plasma cell and memory B cell responses in protein/adjuvant versus viral vector vaccinees. Within protein/adjuvant groups, delayed boosting further improved B cell immunogenicity compared to a monthly boosting regimen. Consistent with this, delayed boosting also drove more durable anti-DBPRII serum IgG. In an independent vaccine clinical trial with the P. falciparum malaria RH5.1 protein/adjuvant (50µg Matrix-M™) vaccine candidate, we similarly observed enhanced circulating B cell responses in vaccinees receiving a delayed final booster. Notably, a higher frequency of vaccine-specific (putatively long-lived) plasma cells was detected in the bone marrow of these delayed boosting vaccinees by ELISPOT and correlated strongly with serum IgG. Finally, following controlled human malaria infection with P. vivax parasites in the DBPRII trial, in vivo growth inhibition was observed to correlate with DBPRII-specific B cell and serum IgG responses. In contrast, the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses were impacted by vaccine platform but not dosing regimen and did not correlate with in vivo growth inhibition in a challenge model. Taken together, our DBPRII and RH5 data suggest an opportunity for protein/adjuvant dosing regimen optimisation in the context of rational vaccine development against pathogens where protection is antibody-mediated.

The evolution of charge carriers in photoexcited room temperature ZnO nanoparticles in solution is investigated using ultrafast ultraviolet photoluminescence spectroscopy, ultrafast Zn K-edge absorption spectroscopy, and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The photoluminescence is excited at 4.66 eV, well above the band edge, and shows that electron cooling in the conduction band and exciton formation occur in

Une nouvelle expérience de stérilisation temporaire des béliers par la pose d'un sac plastique sur le scrotum a été réalisée au Cameroun, en région de moyenne altitude. Elle a montré que la libido est maintenue en permanence mais que le bélier est certainement stérile à partir du 20e jour après le retrait. Il faut cependant attendre deux mois environ pour une récupération totale de la qualité du sperme. Cette méthode permet de maîtriser la fréquence des agnelages sans modifier les techniques traditionnelles d'élevage villageois