First Search for Dark-Trident Processes Using the MicroBooNE Detector.

We present a first search for dark-trident scattering in a neutrino beam using a dataset corresponding to 7.2×10^{20} protons on target taken with the MicroBooNE detector at Fermilab. Proton interactions in the neutrino target at the main injector produce π^{0} and η mesons, which could decay into dark-matter (DM) particles mediated via a dark photon A^{'}. A convolutional neural network is trained to identify interactions of the DM particles in the liquid-argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) exploiting its imagelike reconstruction capability. In the absence of a DM signal, we provide limits at the 90% confidence level on the squared kinematic mixing parameter ϵ^{2} as a function of the dark-photon mass in the range 10≤M_{A^{'}}≤400 MeV. The limits cover previously unconstrained parameter space for the production of fermion or scalar DM particles χ for two benchmark models with mass ratios M_{χ}/M_{A^{'}}=0.6 and 2 and for dark fine-structure constants 0.1≤α_{D}≤1.

fmo-4 promotes longevity and stress resistance via ER to mitochondria calcium regulation in C. elegans.

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are a conserved family of xenobiotic enzymes upregulated in multiple longevity interventions, including nematode and mouse models. Previous work supports that C. elegans fmo-2 promotes longevity, stress resistance, and healthspan by rewiring endogenous metabolism. However, there are five C. elegans FMOs and five mammalian FMOs, and it is not known whether promoting longevity and health benefits is a conserved role of this gene family. Here, we report that expression of C. elegans fmo-4 promotes lifespan extension and paraquat stress resistance downstream of both dietary restriction and inhibition of mTOR. We find that overexpression of fmo-4 in just the hypodermis is sufficient for these benefits, and that this expression significantly modifies the transcriptome. By analyzing changes in gene expression, we find that genes related to calcium signaling are significantly altered downstream of fmo-4 expression. Highlighting the importance of calcium homeostasis in this pathway, fmo-4 overexpressing animals are sensitive to thapsigargin, an ER stressor that inhibits calcium flux from the cytosol to the ER lumen. This calcium/ fmo-4 interaction is solidified by data showing that modulating intracellular calcium with either small molecules or genetics can change expression of fmo-4 and/or interact with fmo-4 to affect lifespan and stress resistance. Further analysis supports a pathway where fmo-4 modulates calcium homeostasis downstream of activating transcription factor-6 ( atf-6 ), whose knockdown induces and requires fmo-4 expression. Together, our data identify fmo-4 as a longevity- promoting gene whose actions interact with known longevity pathways and calcium homeostasis.

Demographic differences in access to health/therapeutic services over first year of the pandemic: a SPARK COVID-19 impact survey analysis.

Introduction: This analysis examined changes in services received and service recovery one-year post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels in children with ASD aged between 19 months and 17 years in various subgroups based on factors such as age, income, race/ethnicity, geographic location, and sex. Methods: An online, parent report survey was completed by the parents of children with ASD in the SPARK study cohort (N = 6,393). Descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, and Spearman correlations were performed to study associations between various factors and service access, pre-pandemic and one-year, post-pandemic. Results: One year after pandemic, the lag in service recovery in children with ASD was greatest for PT/OT services followed by SLT. ABA services only recovered in half of the subgroups. In contrast, SES fully recovered and MH and MED services superseded pre-pandemic levels. Across majority of the timepoints, younger children received more SLT, PT/OT, and ABA services whereas older children received more SES, MH, and MED services. Higher income families accessed more SES, SLT, and ABA whereas lower income families received more MH services. White families received less SLT compared to non-white families. Hispanic families received more SLT services compared to non-Hispanic families. Compared to rural families, urban families received more ABA services at baseline which also recovered one year after the pandemic. Certain counterintuitive findings may be attributed to home/remote schooling leading to reduced access to related services. Conclusions: Future research and policy changes are needed to address the American healthcare vulnerabilities when serving children with ASD by enhancing the diversity of healthcare formats for continued service access during future pandemics and other similar crises.

First Measurement of η Meson Production in Neutrino Interactions on Argon with MicroBooNE.

We present a measurement of η production from neutrino interactions on argon with the MicroBooNE detector. The modeling of resonant neutrino interactions on argon is a critical aspect of the neutrino oscillation physics program being carried out by the DUNE and Short Baseline Neutrino programs. η production in neutrino interactions provides a powerful new probe of resonant interactions, complementary to pion channels, and is particularly suited to the study of higher-order resonances beyond the Δ(1232). We measure a flux-integrated cross section for neutrino-induced η production on argon of 3.22±0.84(stat)±0.86(syst) 10^{-41} cm^{2}/nucleon. By demonstrating the successful reconstruction of the two photons resulting from η production, this analysis enables a novel calibration technique for electromagnetic showers in GeV accelerator neutrino experiments.

A novel extension of half-logistic distribution with statistical inference, estimation and applications.

In the present study, we develop and investigate the odd Frechet Half-Logistic (OFHL) distribution that was developed by incorporating the half-logistic and odd Frechet-G family. The OFHL model has very adaptable probability functions: decreasing, increasing, bathtub and inverted U shapes are shown for the hazard rate functions, illustrating the model's capacity for flexibility. A comprehensive account of the mathematical and statistical properties of the proposed model is presented. In estimation viewpoint, six distinct estimation methodologies are used to estimate the unknown parameters of the OFHL model. Furthermore, an extensive Monte Carlo simulation analysis is used to evaluate the effectiveness of these estimators. Finally, two applications to real data are used to demonstrate the versatility of the suggested method, and the comparison is made with the half-logistic and some of its well-known extensions. The actual implementation shows that the suggested model performs better than competing models.

Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Electron-Positron and Neutral-Pion Final States with the MicroBooNE Detector.

We present the first search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) decaying into νe^{+}e^{-} or νπ^{0} final states in a liquid-argon time projection chamber using data collected with the MicroBooNE detector. The data were recorded synchronously with the NuMI neutrino beam from Fermilab's main injector corresponding to a total exposure of 7.01×10^{20} protons on target. We set upper limits at the 90% confidence level on the mixing parameter |U_{µ4}|^{2} in the mass ranges 10≤m_{HNL}≤150 MeV for the νe^{+}e^{-} channel and 150≤m_{HNL}≤245 MeV for the νπ^{0} channel, assuming |U_{e4}|^{2}=|U_{τ4}|^{2}=0. These limits represent the most stringent constraints in the mass range 35

Bacteria associated with ovine gut parasites Trichuris ovis and Haemonchus contortus.

An associated microbiome of any host helps it in different metabolic processes ranging from the decomposition of food to the maturation of gametes. Organisms with a parasitic mode of life, though present at nutritious sites inside their host, maintain their own microbiome. Nevertheless, the comprehensive characterization and functionality of microbiome in parasitic organisms remain understudied. We selected two nematode parasites of Kashmir Merino sheep viz;Haemonchus contortus and Trichuris ovis based on their higher prevalence, difference in mode of nutrition, habitation site and effect on host. The objective of the study was to explore the bacteria associated with these parasitic nematodes of sheep. We adopted a 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing approach to estimate and compare the bacterial communities present in these two nematode species. Nematode parasites from Kashmir Merino sheep were identified morphologically and confirmed with DNA characterization. H. contortus was dominated by phylum Proteobacteria (57%), Firmicutes (25%), Bacteroidota (15%) and Actinobacteriota (3%). Conversely, T. ovis showed Proteobacteria (78%) followed by Firmicutes (8%), Bacteroidota (8%), Actinobacteriota (1%), Fusobacteriota (1%) and other phyla (4%). This study provides a comprehensive account of the microbiome composition of H. contortus and T. ovis, both of which are highly prevalent among Kashmir Merino sheep. Additionally, T. ovis exhibited a greater bacterial diversity compared to H. contortus. Notably, these nematodes were found to harbor certain pathogenic bacteria. This study can further be carried forward in gaining insights into the complex relationship between the microbiota of a parasite and its pathogenicity, reproductive potential and host microbiome modification.

Complete genome sequence of a divergent strain of cardamom mosaic virus.

Cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV; genus Macluravirus), which causes mosaic (katte) disease in cardamom, is a highly variable member of the family Potyviridae. So far, the complete genome sequence of one isolate from Karnataka (KS) has been reported. In the present study, we determined the complete genome sequence of a CdMV isolate from Kerala (KI) and the complete CP gene sequences of nine isolates of CdMV from Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, India. The complete genome of CdMV (KI) consists of 8255 nucleotides (nt) with two open reading frames (ORFs). The large ORF, potentially coding for a polyprotein of 2638 amino acids (aa), is further processed into nine mature proteins at eight cleavage sites. The second ORF, PIPO (pretty interesting Potyviridae ORF) starting with a C(A)6 motif, encodes a small protein of 56 aa. The viral genome contains an additional 13 nt in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) and 6 nt in the CP gene, as well as a deletion of 13 nt at the 3' UTR in comparison to the KS isolate of CdMV. The complete viral genome and polyprotein share 76% and 85% sequence identity with the KS isolate of CdMV, indicating that the present isolate is highly divergent from the KS isolate. Sequencing and analysis of the CP sequences of 16 CdMV isolates from different regions revealed high heterogeneity among them, suggesting that they should be considered members of more than one species.

An endoscopic and histopathological assessment and correlation of endoscopic score with clinical activity index (CIBDAI) in the diagnosis of canine idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs is often characterized by a relapsing and remitting clinical course. Determination of inflammatory activity is important for assessing the disease extent, severity, and tailoring appropriate treatment. Aims: The study was conducted to record the macroscopic and microscopic changes associated with IBD to assess the usefulness of endoscopy in the diagnosis of the disease and to correlate the clinical activity index (CIBDAI) with endoscopic score. Methods: Thirty-three dogs with idiopathic IBD were selected after thorough examination and exclusion. Gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were performed to document the gross macroscopic intestinal lesions. Histopathology of endoscopic aided biopsy samples was used to confirm the disease. Results: Mucosal erythema and increased friability were the most predominant endoscopic findings in the stomach, duodenum, and colon of IBD dogs. Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration was predominant in the mucosal samples on histopathology and diffuse form of IBD is more common in canines. Gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy in combination with endoscopically guided biopsy and histopathology are of value in the assessment and diagnosis of IBD. There was no correlation between the clinical inflammatory bowel disease activity index (CIBDAI) with the endoscopic score. Conclusion: A diffuse form of IBD and colitis is more common in dogs in comparison to human IBD where the disease manifests in two distinct forms. Colonoscopy with ileal biopsy could act as a gold standard in the confirmation of diffuse IBD in dogs. CIBDAI can be used as a reliable measure of clinical signs of inflammation and histopathology can be used as a definitive diagnosis of intestinal inflammation.

A survey in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom of current practice in managing hypotension in lower segment caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Spinal anaesthesia, the most common form of anaesthesia for caesarean section, leads to sympathetic blockade and profound maternal hypotension resulting in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Hypotension, nausea and vomiting remain common but until the publication of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2021 guidance, no national guideline existed on how best to manage maternal hypotension following spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section. A 2017 international consensus statement recommended prophylactic vasopressor administration to maintain a systolic blood pressure of >90% of an accurate pre-spinal value, and to avoid a drop to <80% of this value. This survey aimed to assess regional adherence to these recommendations, the presence of local guidelines for management of hypotension during caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia, and the individual clinician's treatment thresholds for maternal hypotension and tachycardia. METHODS: The West Midlands Trainee-led Research in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Network co-ordinated surveys of obstetric anaesthetic departments and consultant obstetric anaesthetists across 11 National Health Service Trusts in the Midlands, England. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-two consultant obstetric anaesthetists returned the survey and 73% of sites had a policy for vasopressor use; 91% used phenylephrine as the first-line drug but a wide range of recommended delivery methods was noted and target blood pressure was only listed in 50% of policies. Significant variation existed in both vasopressor delivery methods and target blood pressures. CONCLUSIONS: Although NICE has since recommended prophylactic phenylephrine infusion and a target blood pressure, the previous international consensus statement was not adhered to routinely.

Rapid onsite detection of piper yellow mottle virus infecting black pepper by recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow assay (RPA-LFA).

Piper yellow mottle virus (PYMoV) is a pararetrovirus associated with stunt disease in black pepper. As the primary spread of the virus occurs through vegetative propagation, effective diagnostics are required for the production of virus-free plants. Currently available assays are time-consuming, require expensive equipment, and are not suitable for on-site detection. In the present study, two rapid assays based on the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with lateral flow assay (LFA) using (i) 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) labeled nfo probe and biotin-labeled reverse primer and (ii) FAM labeled forward and biotin-labeled reverse primer was developed for the detection of PYMoV. The assays were performed using TwistAmp DNA amplification reagents and crude extract from the infected plant and mealybug as templates. Both assays were optimized for parameters like concentration of magnesium acetate, temperature, and time. The RPA product was then diluted and applied to the sample pad of a lateral flow device for visualizing the results. The formation of a colored line at the test line was considered positive for PYMoV. The entire process from sample preparation to visualization of results could be completed in about 30 min. The developed assays were specific and 10 times more sensitive than PCR. The assays were validated using field samples of black pepper and mealybug vectors.

Trichostrongylosis: a zoonotic disease of small ruminants.

In the present world a significant threat to human health is posed by zoonotic diseases. Helminth parasites of ruminants are one of the most common zoonotic organisms on the planet. Among them, trichostrongylid nematodes of ruminants, found worldwide, parasitize humans in different parts of the world with varying rates of incidence, particularly among rural and tribal communities with poor hygiene, pastoral livelihood and poor access to health services. In the Trichostrongyloidea superfamily, Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Marshallagia marshalli, Nematodirus abnormalis and Trichostrongylus spp. are zoonotic in nature. Species of the genus Trichostrongylus are the most prevalent gastrointestinal nematode parasites of ruminants that transmit to humans. This parasite is prevalent in pastoral communities around the world and causes gastrointestinal complications with hypereosinophilia which is typically treated with anthelmintic therapy. The scientific literature from 1938 to 2022 revealed the occasional incidence of trichostrongylosis throughout the world with abdominal complications and hypereosinophilia as the predominant manifestation in humans. The primary means of transmission of Trichostrongylus to humans was found to be close contact with small ruminants and food contaminated by their faeces. Studies revealed that conventional stool examination methods such as formalin-ethyl acetate concentration or Willi's technique combined with polymerase chain reaction-based approaches are important for the accurate diagnosis of human trichostrongylosis. This review further found that interleukin 33, immunoglobulin E, immunoglobulin G1, immunoglobulin G2, immunoglobulin M, histamine, leukotriene C4, 6-keto prostaglandin F1α, and thromboxane B2 are vital in the fight against Trichostrongylus infection with mast cells playing a key role. This review focuses on the prevalence, pathogenicity and immunological aspects of Trichostrongylus spp. in humans.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis: a non-randomized two-armed study comparing ultrasound-guided steroid injection with surgical release.

PURPOSE: Ultrasonography is currently used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in de Quervain's tenosynovitis. There is a dearth of information on how effective an ultrasound-guided (USG) steroid injection is when compared to surgical release of the first extensor compartment. Hence, we performed a non-randomized two-armed comparison study to test our hypothesis that USG guided steroid injection is equally effective as surgery. METHOD: 62 consecutive patients participated in the study with 32 of them selecting the option of USG guided injection (Set A), and the rest undergoing surgical release (Set B). We reviewed them after 3 and 6 weeks and 6 months for functional outcome using DASH, PRWE and VAS scores, recurrence, or any complications. They were further followed if they were symptomatic. RESULTS: The DASH/PRWE/VAS scores improved at the end of 6 months from 81.7/79.3/6.8 to 1.0/1.7/1.0, respectively for patients undergoing USG guided steroid injection. Similarly, for the patient undergoing surgery, the scores improved from 82.2/81.5/6.7 to 1.7/3.4/1.0, respectively. This was statistically significant in both the groups (p < 0.05) and was comparable to each other. Two patients in Set A came back with recurrence at eight and 10 months and two reported occasional pain on heavy work. Three patients had tenderness and two had numbness in Set B at the scar site. CONCLUSION: We observed that USG guided steroid injections are comparable to surgical release in terms of pain relief, functional outcome, complications.

Comparative evaluation of straight and curved extension dialysis catheters for continuous renal replacement therapy in dogs with acute kidney injury.

Background: A patent dual-lumen dialysis catheter is one of the basic requirements for efficient extracorporeal (EC) therapy. Aims: The objective of this study was to measure the resistance to blood flow offered by straight and curved-extension dual-lumen dialysis catheters used for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods: Twenty dogs suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI) were subjected to CRRT. The dogs were allocated randomly to Group-I (curved extension catheter, n=12) or Group II (straight extension catheter, n=8), based on the type of dual-lumen catheter used in CRRT. The catheter outflow and inflow pressures were recorded at blood pump speeds of 50 ml/min and 99-100 ml/min. Data were tested for normality, and differences in mean inflow and outflow catheter resistances were evaluated for statistical significance using independent samples t-tests. Results: Straight extension catheters offered lower inflow resistance than curved extension catheters at both 50 ml/min (41.50 ± 5.84 mm Hg vs. 63.75 ± 6.88 mm Hg, P=0.03) and 99-100 ml/min (63.00 ± 8.11 mm Hg vs. 86.92 ± 7.02 mm Hg, P=0.04) blood flow rates. Straight extension catheters also offered lower outflow resistance than curved catheters at 99-100 ml/min blood flow rate (-94.12 ± 7.91 mm Hg vs. -128.25 ± 7.56 mm Hg, P=0.01; the negative signs only indicate the direction of blood flow). Conclusion: These findings suggest that straight-extension dual-lumen dialysis catheters perform better than the curved model in extracorporeal renal replacement therapy by considering their lower resistance to blood flow.

Search for an Excess of Electron Neutrino Interactions in MicroBooNE Using Multiple Final-State Topologies.

We present a measurement of ν_{e} interactions from the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber to address the nature of the excess of low energy interactions observed by the MiniBooNE Collaboration. Three independent ν_{e} searches are performed across multiple single electron final states, including an exclusive search for two-body scattering events with a single proton, a semi-inclusive search for pionless events, and a fully inclusive search for events containing all hadronic final states. With differing signal topologies, statistics, backgrounds, reconstruction algorithms, and analysis approaches, the results are found to be either consistent with or modestly lower than the nominal ν_{e} rate expectations from the Booster Neutrino Beam and no excess of ν_{e} events is observed.

Effect of overdispersion of lethal lesions on cell survival curves.

The linear-quadratic (LQ) model is the most commonly used mechanism to predict radiobiological outcomes. It has been used extensively to describe dose-responsein vitroandin vivo. There are, however, some questions about its applicability in terms of its capacity to represent some profound mechanistic behaviour. Specifically, empirical evidence suggests that the LQ model underestimates the survival of cells at low doses while overestimating cell death at higher doses. It is believed to be driven from the usual LQ model assumption that radiogenic lesions are Poisson distributed. In this context, we use a negative binomial (NB) distribution to study the effect of overdispersion on the shapes and the possibility of reducing dose-response curvature at higher doses. We develop an overdispersion model for cell survival using the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanism to investigate the effects of the overdispersion on probabilities of repair of DSBs. The error distribution is customised to ensure that the refined overdispersion parameter depends on the mean of the distribution. The predicted cell survival responses for V79, AG and HSG cells exposed to protons, helium and carbon ions are compared with the experimental data in low and high dose regions at various linear energy transfer (LET) values. The results indicate straightening of dose-response and approaching a log-linear behaviour at higher doses. The model predictions with the measured data show that the NB modelled survival curves agree with the data following medium and high doses. Model predictions are not validated at very tiny and very high doses; the approach presented provides an analysis of mechanisms at the microscopic level. This may help improve the understanding of radiobiological responses of survival curves and resolve discrepancies between experimental and theoretical predictions of cell survival models.

First Measurement of Energy-Dependent Inclusive Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Sections on Argon with the MicroBooNE Detector.

We report a measurement of the energy-dependent total charged-current cross section σ(E_{ν}) for inclusive muon neutrinos scattering on argon, as well as measurements of flux-averaged differential cross sections as a function of muon energy and hadronic energy transfer (ν). Data corresponding to 5.3×10^{19} protons on target of exposure were collected using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber located in the Fermilab booster neutrino beam with a mean neutrino energy of approximately 0.8 GeV. The mapping between the true neutrino energy E_{ν} and reconstructed neutrino energy E_{ν}^{rec} and between the energy transfer ν and reconstructed hadronic energy E_{had}^{rec} are validated by comparing the data and Monte Carlo (MC) predictions. In particular, the modeling of the missing hadronic energy and its associated uncertainties are verified by a new method that compares the E_{had}^{rec} distributions between data and a MC prediction after constraining the reconstructed muon kinematic distributions, energy, and polar angle to those of data. The success of this validation gives confidence that the missing energy in the MicroBooNE detector is well modeled and underpins first-time measurements of both the total cross section σ(E_{ν}) and the differential cross section dσ/dν on argon.

Piper DNA virus 1 and 2 are endogenous pararetroviruses integrated into chromosomes of black pepper (Piper nigrum L).

A previous study named 7178 and 892 bp contigs obtained through high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of black pepper as Piper DNA virus 1 (PDV-1) and PDV-2 respectively. In the present study, HTS results were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. The sequenced region of both PDV-1 and PDV-2 contained partial genomes with motifs characteristic of pararetroviruses. BLAST analysis of PDV-1 and PDV-2 against the whole genome sequence of the black pepper showed integration of the PDV-1 at 22 loci in chromosome number 14, and PDV-2 at two loci in chromosome number 12 of black pepper. The integration was confirmed through amplification and sequencing of the junction regions. The present study suggests that both PDV-1 and PDV-2 occur as endogenous viruses in black pepper. Further studies are needed to determine whether these endogenous viruses occur in episomal forms, their complete genome sequence and whether they are activable under abiotic stress conditions. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-021-00752-w.

Search for Neutrino-Induced Neutral-Current Δ Radiative Decay in MicroBooNE and a First Test of the MiniBooNE Low Energy Excess under a Single-Photon Hypothesis.

We report results from a search for neutrino-induced neutral current (NC) resonant Δ(1232) baryon production followed by Δ radiative decay, with a ⟨0.8⟩ GeV neutrino beam. Data corresponding to MicroBooNE's first three years of operations (6.80×10^{20} protons on target) are used to select single-photon events with one or zero protons and without charged leptons in the final state (1γ1p and 1γ0p, respectively). The background is constrained via an in situ high-purity measurement of NC π^{0} events, made possible via dedicated 2γ1p and 2γ0p selections. A total of 16 and 153 events are observed for the 1γ1p and 1γ0p selections, respectively, compared to a constrained background prediction of 20.5±3.65(syst) and 145.1±13.8(syst) events. The data lead to a bound on an anomalous enhancement of the normalization of NC Δ radiative decay of less than 2.3 times the predicted nominal rate for this process at the 90% confidence level (C.L.). The measurement disfavors a candidate photon interpretation of the MiniBooNE low-energy excess as a factor of 3.18 times the nominal NC Δ radiative decay rate at the 94.8% C.L., in favor of the nominal prediction, and represents a greater than 50-fold improvement over the world's best limit on single-photon production in NC interactions in the sub-GeV neutrino energy range.