Confronting models on cosmic ray interactions with particle physics at LHC energies

Inelastic pp collisions are dominated by soft (low momentum transfer) physics where perturbative QCD cannot be fully applied. A deep understanding of both soft and semi-hard processes is crucial for predictions of minimum bias and underlying events of the now coming on line pp Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Moreover, the interaction of cosmic ray particles entering in the atmosphere is extremely sensitive to these soft processes and consequently cannot be formulated from first principles. Because of this, air shower analyses strongly rely on hadronic interaction models, which extrapolate collider data several orders of magnitude. A comparative study of Monte Carlo simulations of pp collisions (at the LHC center-of-mass energy ~ 14 TeV) using the most popular hadronic interaction models for ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (SIBYLL and QGSJET) and for collider physics (the PYTHIA multiparton model) is presented. The most relevant distributions are studied including those observables from diffractive events with the aim of discriminating between the different models.Comment: 8 pages revtex, 8 figures, added reference

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Mycorrhiza-induced resistance: more than the sum of its parts?

Plants can develop an enhanced defensive capacity in response to infection by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This ‘mycorrhiza-induced resistance’ (MIR) provides systemic protection against a wide range of attackers and shares characteristics with systemic acquired resistance (SAR) after pathogen infection and induced systemic resistance (ISR) following root colonisation by non-pathogenic rhizobacteria. It is commonly assumed that fungal stimulation of the plant immune system is solely responsible for MIR. In this opinion article, we present a novel model of MIR that integrates different aspects of the induced resistance phenomenon. We propose that MIR is a cumulative effect of direct plant responses to mycorrhizal infection and indirect immune responses to ISR-eliciting rhizobacteria in the mycorrhizosphere

Microbial Translocation Is Associated with Extensive Immune Activation in Dengue Virus Infected Patients with Severe Disease

Background:Severe dengue virus (DENV) disease is associated with extensive immune activation, characterized by a cytokine storm. Previously, elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in dengue were found to correlate with clinical disease severity. In the present cross-sectional study we identified markers of microbial translocation and immune activation, which are associated with severe manifestations of DENV infection.Methods:Serum samples from DENV-infected patients were collected during the outbreak in 2010 in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Levels of LPS, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), soluble CD14 (sCD14) and IgM and IgG endotoxin core antibodies were determined by ELISA. Thirty cytokines were quantified using a multiplex luminex system. Patients were classified according to the 2009 WHO classification and the occurrence of plasma leakage/shock and hemorrhage. Moreover, a (non-supervised) cluster analysis based on the expression of the quantified cytokines was applied to identify groups of patients with similar cytokine profiles. Markers of microbial translocation were linked to groups with similar clinical disease severity and clusters with similar cytokine profiles.Results:Cluster analysis indicated that LPS levels were significantly increased in patients with a profound pro-inflammatory cytokine profile. LBP and sCD14 showed significantly increased levels in patients with severe disease in the clinical classification and in patients with severe inflammation in the cluster analysis. With both the clinical classification and the cluster analysis, levels of IL-6, IL-8, sIL-2R, MCP-1, RANTES, HGF, G-CSF and EGF were associated with severe disease.Conclusions:The present study provides evidence that both microbial translocation and extensive immune activation occur during severe DENV infection and may play an important role in the pathogenesis

Milagro limits and HAWC sensitivity for the rate-density of evaporating Primordial Black Holes

postprin

Search for black holes and other new phenomena in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for heavy resonances decaying into a vector boson and a Higgs boson in final states with charged leptons, neutrinos, and b quarks

Peer reviewe

Search for high-mass diphoton resonances in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV and combination with 8 TeV search

Peer reviewe

Family involvement in eating disorder treatment among Latinas

Latinos are less likely to seek health care for eating disorders and more likely to drop out of treatment than members of other ethnic groups, highlighting existing challenges to engagement in traditional mental health care. This study explored the role of family in the treatment of adult Latinas with eating disorders through content analysis of family sessions adjunctive to cognitive behavioral therapy. This study yielded insight into the experiences of 10 Latinas with eating disorders (M age = 39.90 years) and 10 relatives (M age = 39.50) from the Promoviendo una Alimentación Saludable trial who were randomly selected to receive six family enhancement sessions. Data from 53 sessions were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Family intervention might serve as a valuable adjunct to conventional treatment by positively influencing social, family, and emotional support for Latinas with eating disorders

Search for leptophobic Z ' bosons decaying into four-lepton final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe