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People's day-to-day routines have changed drastically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the changes to take place has been the transition to online learning due to the changing conditions in learning environments. One of the factors that guide students through learning environments is their emotions. The few existing scales that measure the emotions of adolescents in learning environments have been developed with consideration of face-to-face learning environments and their items do not adequately express the state of online environments. For this reason, this study aimed to develop a scale which reveals the emotions of adolescents that may affect their academic success with regard to this transition of learning environments as they attend online lessons. A total of 3,655 middle and high school students living in Istanbul, Turkey, participated in the study. The scoring system was designed with regard to the frequency with which each student reading an item experiences the relevant emotion for the item in the online learning environment. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted show the scale to possess a four-dimensional structure. These dimensions are enjoyment-pride, boredom-hopelessness, loneliness and anxiety. For all dimensions of the scale, Cronbach alpha values range between .93 and .83. 'Positive and Negative Affects Schedule-Children' was used to confirm the scale's criterion-related validity, and correlations between dimensions were examined. After validity and reliability studies, the Adolescent Emotion Scale for Online Lessons was found to be sufficient. The scale can be used by experts and teachers who wish to determine adolescents' emotions during a period of online learning.

Abstract Background Dysferlin-deficient limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (Dysf) mice are notorious for their mild phenotype. Raising plasma total cholesterol (CHOL) via apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout (KO) drastically exacerbates muscle wasting in Dysf mice. However, dysferlinopathic patients have abnormally reduced plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. The current study aimed to determine whether HDL-C lowering can exacerbate the mild phenotype of dysferlin-null mice. Methods Human cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a plasma lipid transfer protein not found in mice that reduces HDL-C, and/or its optimal adapter protein human apolipoprotein B (ApoB), were overexpressed in Dysf mice. Mice received a 2% cholesterol diet from 2 months of age and characterized through ambulatory and hanging functional tests, plasma analyses, and muscle histology. Results CETP/ApoB expression in Dysf mice caused reduced HDL-C (54.5%) and elevated ratio of CHOL/HDL-C (181.3%) compared to control Dysf mice in plasma, but without raising CHOL. Compared to the severe muscle pathology found in high CHOL Dysf/ApoE double knockout mice, Dysf/CETP/ApoB mice did not show significant changes in ambulation, hanging capacity, increases in damaged area, collagen deposition, or decreases in cross-sectional area and healthy myofibre coverage. Conclusions CETP/ApoB over-expression in Dysf mice decreases HDL-C without increasing CHOL or exacerbating muscle pathology. High CHOL or nonHDL-C caused by ApoE KO, rather than low HDL-C, likely lead to rodent muscular dystrophy phenotype humanization.

Objective Total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains the primary treatment option for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. This study aims to explore the risk factors associated with allogeneic blood transfusion after surgery and to develop a dynamic prediction model to predict post‐operative blood transfusion requirements. This will provide more accurate guidance for perioperative humoral management and rational allocation of medical resources. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 829 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures at three third‐class hospitals between January 2017 and August 2023. Patient data from one hospital were used for model development, whereas data from the other two hospitals were used for external validation. Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the characteristic subsets related to blood transfusion. Various machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression, SVA (support vector machine), K‐NN (k‐nearest neighbors), MLP (multilayer perceptron), naive Bayes, decision tree, random forest, and gradient boosting, were used to process the data and construct prediction models. A 10‐fold cross‐validation algorithm facilitated the comparison of the predictive performance of the models, resulting in the selection of the best‐performing model for the development of an open‐source computing program. Results BMI (body mass index), surgical duration, IBL (intraoperative blood loss), anticoagulant history, utilization rate of tranexamic acid, Pre‐Hb, and Pre‐ALB were included in the model as well as independent risk factors. The average area under curve (AUC) values for each model were as follows: logistic regression (0.98); SVA (0.91); k‐NN (0.87) MLP, (0.96); naive Bayes (0.97); decision tree (0.87); random forest (0.96); and gradient boosting (0.97). A web calculator based on the best model is available at: (https://nomo99.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/). Conclusion Utilizing a computer algorithm, a prediction model with a high discrimination accuracy (AUC > 0.5) was developed. The logistic regression model demonstrated superior differentiation and reliability, thereby successfully passing external validation. The model's strong generalizability and applicability have significant implications for clinicians, aiding in the identification of patients at high risk for postoperative blood transfusion.

Abstract We study axion-like particles (ALPs) with quark-flavor-violating couplings at the LHC. Specifically, we focus on the theoretical scenario with ALP-top-up and ALP-top-charm interactions, in addition to the more common quark-flavor-diagonal couplings. The ALPs can thus originate from decays of top quarks which are pair produced in large numbers at the LHC, and then decay to jets. If these couplings to the quarks are tiny and the ALPs have O 10 $$ \mathcal{O}(10) $$ GeV masses, they are long-lived, leading to signatures of displaced vertex plus multiple jets, which have the advantage of suppression of background events at the LHC. We recast a recent ATLAS search for the same signature and reinterpret the results in terms of bounds on the long-lived ALP in our theoretical scenario. We find that the LHC with the full Run 2 dataset can place stringent limits, while at the future high-luminosity LHC with 3 ab−1 integrated luminosity stronger sensitivities are expected.

Abstract A series of far-detector programs have been proposed for operation at various interaction points of the large hadron collider during the upcoming runs. Investigating the potential and complementarity of these experiments for new-physics searches goes through the estimation of their sensitivity to specific long-lived particle models. Here, we present an integrated numerical tool written in the C++ language and called Displaced Decay Counter, which we have created to this end and which can be used in association with MadGraph5, Pythia8, or any other state-of-the-art Monte-Carlo collider simulation tool. Several far-detector models have been implemented within the program, accounting for the geometry and integrated luminosity of projected detectors. Additional or more accurate designs can be easily constructed through a dedicated interface. The functionality of this tool is exemplified through the discussion of several benchmark scenarios, which we consider for the validation of the implemented detector models.

Abstract In the minimal U(1) extension of the Standard Model (SM), a new gauge boson referred to as “dark photon” is predicted. The dark-photon mass can be generated from an additional Higgs mechanism associated with a dark scalar boson. At B-factories such as Belle II, large numbers of B-mesons are produced and can decay to a kaon plus the dark scalar via the latter’s mixing with the SM Higgs boson. We evaluate the sensitivity of Belle II for the case in which the dark scalar decays exclusively into a pair of dark photons via the new U(1) gauge coupling, and the dark photons are long lived owing to a small kinetic mixing ϵ. We study the experimental signature in which each dark photon decays into a pair of charged leptons, pions, or kaons, resulting in a pair of displaced vertices, and argue that the search is essentially background-free. We perform detailed Monte-Carlo simulations to determine the expected number of signal events at Belle II with an integrated luminosity of 50 ab −1, taking into account the efficiencies for both final-state-particle identification and displaced tracking. We find that for experimentally allowed values of the scalar mixing angle and kinematically allowed dark-photon and dark-scalar masses, the proposed search is uniquely sensitive to the medium-ϵ regime, which is currently mostly unexcluded by experiments.

Abstract At the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a proton beam hits a fixed target leading to large production rates of mesons. These mesons can decay and potentially provide a source of long-lived neutral fermions. Examples of such long-lived fermions are heavy neutral leptons which can mix with the standard-model active neutrinos, and the bino-like lightest neutralino in R-parity-violating supersymmetry. We show that the Standard Model Effective Field Theory extended with right-handed singlet neutrinos can simultaneously describe heavy neutral leptons and bino-like neutralinos in a unified manner. We use the effective-field-theory framework to determine the sensitivity reach of the DUNE near detector in probing various scenarios of long-lived neutral fermions.

Abstract In R-parity-violating (RPV) supersymmetric models, light neutralinos with masses from the GeV-scale down to even zero are still allowed by all laboratory constraints. They are further consistent with dark matter observations, as they decay via RPV couplings. These RPV couplings are in general constrained to be small. Hence, such light neutralinos, if produced, e.g., at a beam-dump or collider experiment, appear as displaced vertices or missing energy at the detector level. The same signatures have been extensively searched for at various experiments in the theoretical context of sterile neutrinos which mix with active neutrinos. In this work, we recast the sensitivity of both past and present experiments to sterile neutrinos to obtain new bounds on RPV couplings associated with a light neutralino. We find experiments such as T2K, BEBC, FASER, DUNE, and MoEDAL-MAPP can improve the current bounds on RPV couplings by up to 3–4 orders of magnitude in several benchmark scenarios.

Background: Skin aging has recently gained significant attention in both society and skin care research. Understanding the biological processes of photoaging caused by long-term skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation is critical for preventing and treating skin aging. Therefore, it is important to identify genes related to skin photoaging and shed light on their functions. Methods: We used data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and conducted bioinformatics analyses to screen and extract microRNAs (miRNAs) and their downstream target genes related to skin photoaging, and to determine possible biological mechanisms of skin photoaging. Results: A total of 34 differentially expressed miRNAs and their downstream target genes potentially related to the biological process of skin photoaging were identified. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that these target genes were enriched in pathways related to human papillomavirus infection, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor signaling, estrogen receptor, skin development, epidermal development, epidermal cell differentiation, keratinocyte differentiation, structural components of the ECM, structural components of the skin epidermis, and others. Conclusion: Based on the GEO database-derived findings, we determined that target genes of two miRNAs, namely miR-4667-5P-KRT79 and miR-139-5P-FOS, play an important role in skin photoaging. These observations could provide theoretical support and guidance for further research on skin aging-related biological processes.

Abstract Many models beyond the Standard Model predict light and feebly interacting particles that are often long-lived. These long-lived particles (LLPs) in many cases can be produced from meson decays. In this work, we propose a simple and quick reinterpretation method for models predicting LLPs produced from meson decays. With the method, we are not required to run Monte-Carlo simulation, implement detector geometries and efficiencies, or apply experimental cuts in an event analysis, as typically done in recasting and reinterpretation works. The main ingredients our method requires are only the theoretical input, allowing for computation of the production and decay rates of the LLPs. There are two conditions for the method to work: firstly, the LLPs in the models considered should be produced from a set of mesons with similar mass and lifetime (or the same meson) and second, the LLPs should, in general, have a lab-frame decay length much larger than the distance between the interaction point and the detector. As an example, we use this method to reinterpret exclusion bounds on heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) in the minimal “3+1” scenario, into those for HNLs in the general effective-field-theory framework as well as for axion-like particles. We are able to reproduce existing results, and obtain new bounds via reinterpretation of past experimental results, in particular, from CHARM and Belle.

Abstract We propose a search for B meson decays to a baryon plus missing energy at the Belle II experiment to probe supersymmetry with a GeV-scale lightest neutralino χ ~ 1 0 $$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ and R-parity violation (RPV). We perform analytic computations of the signal branching fractions in the framework of effective field theory, with a single nonzero RPV operator λ ij 3 ′ ′ U ¯ i c D ¯ j c D ¯ 3 c $$ {\lambda}_{ij3}^{\prime \prime }{\overline{U}}_i^c{\overline{D}}_j^c{\overline{D}}_3^c $$ , where i, j = 1, 2. The hadronic form factors are calculated using an SU(3) phenomenological Lagrangian approach for the proton, as well as several hyperons and charmed baryons. Since the decay of the neutralino is kinematically and CKM suppressed in this theoretical scenario, it decays outside the detector and appears experimentally only as missing energy. We detail the analysis techniques at the experimental level and estimate the background in the B + → p χ ~ 1 0 $$ {B}^{+}\to p{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ search using published results for B + → K + ν ν ¯ $$ {B}^{+}\to {K}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ . Our final sensitivity plots are shown for both λ 113 ′ ′ $$ {\lambda}_{113}^{\prime \prime } $$ versus the squark mass m q ~ $$ {m}_{\tilde{q}} $$ and λ 113 ′ ′ / m q ~ 2 $$ {\lambda}_{113}^{\prime \prime }/{m}_{\tilde{q}}^2 $$ versus the neutralino mass m χ ~ 1 0 $$ {m}_{{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0} $$ . We find that the search at Belle II could probe λ 113 ′ ′ / m q ~ 2 $$ {\lambda}_{113}^{\prime \prime }/{m}_{\tilde{q}}^2 $$ down to the order of 10 −8 GeV −2 in the kinematically allowed m χ ~ 1 0 $$ {m}_{{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0} $$ range. We also obtain current limits on λ 123 ′ ′ $$ {\lambda}_{123}^{\prime \prime } $$ by recasting an existing search interpreted as B 0 → Λ 0 χ ~ 1 0 $$ {B}^0\to {\Lambda}^0{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ , and comment about searches for B + → Σ + χ ~ 1 0 $$ {B}^{+}\to {\Sigma}^{+}{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ , B 0 → Σ 0 χ 1 0 $$ {B}^0\to {\Sigma}^0{\chi}_1^0 $$ , B + → Λ c + χ ~ 1 0 $$ {B}^{+}\to {\Lambda}_c^{+}{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ , and B + → Ξ c + χ ~ 1 0 $$ {B}^{+}\to {\Xi}_c^{+}{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ . In closing, we briefly discuss potential searches at the LHCb and BESIII experiments.

Abstract In this work, we propose a search for a single photon at FASER and FASER2, produced from decays of bino-like, sub-GeV lightest neutralinos in the theoretical framework of the R-parity-violating (RPV) Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). We consider a list of representative benchmark scenarios with one or two non-vanishing RPV couplings. The photon has an energy 𝒪(0.1) − 𝒪(1) TeV. We find a sensitivity reach for RPV couplings beyond the current bounds by orders of magnitude at FASER and FASER2.

Abstract In the framework of the low-energy effective field theory of the Standard Model extended with heavy neutral leptons (HNLs), we calculate the production rates of HNLs from meson decays triggered by dimension-six operators. We consider both lepton-number-conserving and lepton-number-violating four-fermion operators involving either a pair of HNLs or a single HNL. Assuming that HNLs are long-lived, we perform simulations and investigate the reach of the proposed far detectors at the high-luminosity LHC to (i) active-heavy neutrino mixing and (ii) the Wilson coefficients associated with the effective operators, for HNL masses below the mass of the B-meson. We further convert the latter to the associated new-physics scales. Our results show that scales in excess of hundreds of TeV and the active-heavy mixing squared as small as 10 −15 can be probed by these experiments.

Pilomatrixomas are benign tumors derived from hair stromal cells; however, their exact etiology is unknown. A 31-year-old woman presented with a subcutaneous mass located precisely above the left eyebrow, with shedding of eyebrow hair around the mass, and the shedding area gradually expanded. Surgical removal of the mass failed to prevent eyebrow loss, and the entire left eyebrow shed 6 months postoperatively. Pathology and histology of the biopsy specimen revealed a pilomatrixoma comprising basaloid cells and ghost cells, with basaloid cells expressing high bcl-2 levels. Instead of apoptosis, the emergence and growth of pilomatrixoma-induced microinflammation around the hair follicles of the eyebrow may lead to eyebrow loss.

Abstract Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (MD) type 2B (LGMD2B) and Duchenne MD (DMD) are caused by mutations to the Dysferlin and Dystrophin genes, respectively. We have recently demonstrated in typically mild dysferlin- and dystrophin-deficient mouse models that increased plasma cholesterol levels severely exacerbate muscle wasting, and that DMD patients display primary dyslipidemia characterized by elevated plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Herein, we investigate lipoprotein abnormalities in LGMD2B and if statin therapy protects dysferlin-deficient mice (Dysf) from muscle damage. Herein, lipoproteins and liver enzymes from LGMD2B patients and dysferlin-null (Dysf) mice were analyzed. Simvastatin, which exhibits anti-muscle wasting effects in mouse models of DMD and corrects aberrant expression of key markers of lipid metabolism and endogenous cholesterol synthesis, was tested in Dysf mice. Muscle damage and fibrosis were assessed by immunohistochemistry and cholesterol signalling pathways via Western blot. LGMD2B patients show reduced serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to healthy controls and exhibit a greater prevalence of abnormal total cholesterol (CHOL)/HDL-C ratios despite an absence of liver dysfunction. While Dysf mice presented with reduced CHOL and associated HDL-C and LDL-C-associated fractions, simvastatin treatment did not prevent muscle wasting in quadriceps and triceps muscle groups or correct aberrant low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) protein expression. LGMD2B patients present with reduced serum concentrations of HDL-C, a major metabolic comorbidity, and as a result, statin therapy is unlikely to prevent muscle wasting in this population. We propose that like DMD, LGMD2B should be considered as a new type of genetic dyslipidemia.

Abstract We study a bino-like light neutralino ( χ ~ 1 0 $$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ ) produced at the LHC from the decay of a scalar lepton ( e ~ L $$ \tilde{e}_L $$ ) through the process pp → e ~ L $$ \tilde{e}_L $$ → e χ ~ 1 0 $$ e{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ in the context of R-parity-violating (RPV) supersymmetry where χ ~ 1 0 $$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ is the lightest supersymmetric particle. For small masses and RPV couplings, the neutralino is naturally long-lived and its decay products can be identified as displaced tracks. Following existing searches, we propose a displaced-vertex search strategy for such a light neutralino with a single RPV coupling switched on, λ 111 ′ $$ {\lambda}_{111}^{\prime } $$ , in the mass range 10 GeV ≲ m χ ~ 1 0 $$ {m}_{{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0} $$ ≲ 230 GeV. We perform Monte Carlo simulations and conclude that at the high-luminosity LHC, the proposed search can probe values of λ 111 ′ $$ {\lambda}_{111}^{\prime } $$ down to two orders of magnitude smaller than current bounds and up to 40 times smaller than projected limits from monolepton searches.

The flotation agent is an important collector in the production of potassium chloride and is brought into the crystallization stage with the reflux of the mother liquor. Octadecylamine Hydrochloride (ODA), 1-Dodecylamine Hydrochloride (DAH) and Sodium 1-dodecanesulfonate (SDS) were selected to study their effect on the nucleation of potassium chloride. Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement was used to collect the nucleation-induced periods of KCl in the presence of flotation agents at different supersaturations. Then, empirical equations, classical nucleation theory and growth mechanism equations were employed for data analysis. It was found that the presence of flotation agents increased the nucleation sequence m, and m(ODA) > m(SDS) > m(DAH) > m(H2O). In addition, the interfacial energy data obtained using classical nucleation theory suggest that the flotation agents used in our paper promoted the homogeneous nucleation of KCl (reduced from 5.3934 mJ·m−2 to 5.1434 mJ·m−2) and inhibited the heterogeneous nucleation of KCl (increased from 2.8054 mJ·m−2 to 3.6004 mJ·m−2). This investigation also revealed that the growth of potassium chloride was consistent with the 2D nucleation-mediated growth mechanism, and the addition of flotation agent did not change the growth mechanism of potassium chloride. Finally, the particle size distribution results were exactly consistent with the order of nucleation order m. The study of nucleation kinetics and growth mechanisms of different flotation agents on potassium chloride can provide guidance for optimizing the production process of potassium chloride and developing new flotation agents.

Abstract Assuming ALPs couple to gluons only, they can be produced via the pp → aj process and decay into two jets at the LHC. When the coupling parameter, C G ~ $$ {C}_{\overset{\sim }{G}} $$ /f a , is small, the lifetime of ALPs can be long enough leading to displaced final state jets. In this paper, we consider the signal including both the prompt and long-lived cases of ALPs by employing a specialized Delphes module to handle displaced jets. Relevant background processes are generated and simulated at the detector level, and multivariate analyses based on machine-learning are performed to discriminate signal and background events and achieve the best sensitivities. Based on the data accumulated for this study, we forecast the expected upper limits on C G ~ $$ {C}_{\overset{\sim }{G}} $$ /f a for ALP mass m a in the range 5–2300 GeV at 2-, 3- and 5-σ significances at the High Luminosity-LHC with 14 TeV center-of-mass energy and 3 ab−1 integrated luminosity. Vast previously unprobed regions in the parameter space spanned by C G ~ $$ {C}_{\overset{\sim }{G}} $$ /f a and m a are probed and the best upper limits on C G ~ $$ {C}_{\overset{\sim }{G}} $$ /f a at 2-σ significance are found to be around 1.0 × 10−2 TeV−1 for m a ∼ 500 GeV. The ALP mass is reconstructed from the kinematics of final state jets and we find that it is measurable with this method when m a is below about 1 TeV at the HL-LHC. The effects of systematic uncertainties and validation of the EFT framework are also checked and discussed.

Abstract Large numbers of τ leptons are produced at Belle II. These could potentially decay into sterile neutrinos that, for the mass range under consideration, are typically long-lived, leading to displaced-vertex signatures. Here, we study a displaced-vertex search in the context of the sterile-neutrino-extended Standard Model Effective Field Theory. The production and decay of the sterile neutrinos can be realized via either the standard active-sterile neutrino mixing or higher-dimensional operators in the effective Lagrangian. We perform Monte-Carlo simulations to estimate the Belle II sensitivities to such interactions. We find that Belle II can probe non-renormalizable dimension-six operators involving a single sterile neutrino up to a few TeV in the new-physics scale.

Abstract Interest in searches for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) at the LHC has increased considerably in the past few years. In the minimal scenario, HNLs are produced and decay via their mixing with active neutrinos in the Standard Model (SM) spectrum. However, many SM extensions with HNLs have been discussed in the literature, which sometimes change expectations for LHC sensitivities drastically. In the N R SMEFT, one extends the SM effective field theory with operators including SM singlet fermions, which allows to study HNL phenomenology in a “model independent” way. In this paper, we study the sensitivity of ATLAS to HNLs in the N R SMEFT for four-fermion operators with a single HNL. These operators might dominate both production and decay of HNLs, and we find that new physics scales in excess of 20 TeV could be probed at the high-luminosity LHC.

Abstract Long-lived particles have become a new frontier in the exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper, we present the implementation of four types of long-lived particle searches, viz. displaced leptons, disappearing track, displaced vertex with either muons or with missing transverse energy, and heavy charged tracks. These four categories cover the signatures of a large range of physics models. We illustrate their potential for exclusion and discuss their mutual overlaps in mass-lifetime space for two simple phenomenological models involving either a U(1)-charged or a coloured scalar.

Abstract We study charged lepton flavor violation associated with a light leptophilic axion-like particle (ALP), X, at the B-factory experiment Belle II. We focus on production of the ALP in the tau decays τ → Xl with l = e, μ, followed by its decay via X → l − l +. The ALP can be either promptly decaying or long-lived. We perform Monte-Carlo simulations, recasting a prompt search at Belle for lepton-flavor-violating τ decays, and propose a displaced-vertex (DV) search. For both types of searches, we derive the Belle II sensitivity reaches in both the product of branching fractions and the ALP coupling constants, as functions of the ALP mass and lifetime. The results show that the DV search exceeds the sensitivity reach of the prompt search to the relevant branching fractions by up to about a factor of 40 in the long decay length regime.

Abstract We investigate long-lived particles (LLPs) produced in pair from neutral currents and decaying into a displaced electron plus two jets at the LHC, utilizing the proposed minimum ionizing particle timing detector at CMS. We study two benchmark models: the R-parity-violating supersymmetry with the lightest neutralinos being the lightest supersymmetric particle and two different U(1) extensions of the standard model with heavy neutral leptons (HNLs). The light neutralinos are produced from the standard model Z-boson decays via small Higgsino components, and the HNLs arise from decays of a heavy gauge boson, Z′. By simulating the signal processes at the HL-LHC with the center-of-mass energy s $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 14 TeV and integrated luminosity of 3 ab −1, our analyses indicate that the search strategy based on a timing trigger and the final state kinematics has the potential to probe the parameter space that is complementary to other traditional LLP search strategies such as those based on the displaced vertex.

Abstract Heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) with masses around the electroweak scale are expected to be rather long-lived particles, as a result of the observed smallness of the active neutrino masses. In this work, we study long-lived HNLs in N R SMEFT, a Standard Model (SM) extension with singlet fermions to which we add non-renormalizable operators up to dimension-6. Operators which contain two HNLs can lead to a sizable enhancement of the production cross sections, compared to the minimal case where HNLs are produced only via their mixing with the SM neutrinos. We calculate the expected sensitivities for the ATLAS detector and the future far-detector experiments: AL3X, ANUBIS, CODEX-b, FASER, MATHUSLA, and MoEDAL-MAPP in this setup. The sensitive ranges of the HNL mass and of the active-heavy mixing angle are much larger than those in the minimal case. We study both, Dirac and Majorana, HNLs and discuss how the two cases actually differ phenomenologically, for HNL masses above roughly 100 GeV.

Objectives: We developed a 3D U-Net-based deep convolutional neural network for the automatic segmentation of the vertebral cortex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the 3D U-Net deep learning model.Methods: In this study, a fully automated vertebral cortical segmentation method with 3D U-Net was developed, and ten-fold cross-validation was employed. Through data augmentation, we obtained 1,672 3D images of chest CT scans. Segmentation was performed using a conventional image processing method and manually corrected by a senior radiologist to create the gold standard. To compare the segmentation performance, 3D U-Net, Res U-Net, Ki U-Net, and Seg Net were used to segment the vertebral cortex in CT images. The segmentation performance of 3D U-Net and the other three deep learning algorithms was evaluated using DSC, mIoU, MPA, and FPS.Results: The DSC, mIoU, and MPA of 3D U-Net are better than the other three strategies, reaching 0.71 ± 0.03, 0.74 ± 0.08, and 0.83 ± 0.02, respectively, indicating promising automated segmentation results. The FPS is slightly lower than that of Seg Net (23.09 ± 1.26 vs.30.42 ± 3.57).Conclusion: Cortical bone can be effectively segmented based on 3D U-net.

Abstract We study the prospects of a displaced-vertex search of sterile neutrinos at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the framework of the neutrino-extended Standard Model Effective Field Theory (νSMEFT). The production and decay of sterile neutrinos can proceed via the standard active-sterile neutrino mixing in the weak current, as well as through higher-dimensional operators arising from decoupled new physics. If sterile neutrinos are long-lived, their decay can lead to displaced vertices which can be reconstructed. We investigate the search sensitivities for the ATLAS/CMS detector, the future far-detector experiments: AL3X, ANUBIS, CODEX-b, FASER, MATHUSLA, and MoEDAL-MAPP, and at the proposed fixed-target experiment SHiP. We study scenarios where sterile neutrinos are predominantly produced via rare charm and bottom mesons decays through minimal mixing and/or dimension-six operators in the νSMEFT Lagrangian. We perform simulations to determine the potential reach of high-luminosity LHC experiments in probing the EFT operators, finding that these experiments are very competitive with other searches.

Abstract Background Transforming growth factor‐β‐activated kinase 1 (TAK1) plays a key role in regulating fibroblast and myoblast proliferation and differentiation. However, the TAK1 changes associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are poorly understood, and it remains unclear how TAK1 regulation could be exploited to aid the treatment of this disease. Methods Muscle biopsies were obtained from control donors or DMD patients for diagnosis (n = 6 per group, male, 2–3 years, respectively). Protein expression of phosphorylated TAK1 was measured by western blot and immunofluorescence analysis. In vivo overexpression of TAK1 was performed in skeletal muscle to assess whether TAK1 is sufficient to induce or aggravate atrophy and fibrosis. To explore whether TAK1 inhibition protects against muscle damage, mdx (loss of dystrophin) mice were treated with adeno‐associated virus (AAV)‐short hairpin TAK1 (shTAK1) or NG25 (a TAK1 inhibitor). Serum analysis, skeletal muscle performance and histology, muscle contractile function, and gene and protein expression were performed. Results We found that TAK1 was activated in the dystrophic muscles of DMD patients (n = 6, +72.2%, P

Abstract Profiling the Higgs boson requires the study of its non-standard decay modes. In this work we discuss the prospects of the Large Hadron electron Collider (LHeC) to detect scalar particles with masses ,≳ 10 GeV produced from decays of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson. These scalar particles decay mainly to bottom pairs, and in a vast portion of the allowed parameter space they acquire a macroscopic lifetime, hence giving rise to displaced hadronic vertices. The LHeC provides a very clean environment that allows for easy identification of these final states, in contrast to hadronic colliders where the overwhelming backgrounds and high pile-up render such searches incredibly challenging. We find that the LHeC provides a unique window of opportunity to detect scalar particles with masses between 10 and 30 GeV. In the Higgs Portal scenarios we can test the mixing angle squared, sin2 α, as low as 10 −5–10 −7, with the exact value depending on the vacuum expectation value of the new scalar. Our results are also presented in a model-independent fashion in the lifetime-branching ratio and mass-branching ratio planes. We have found that exotic branching ratios of the Higgs boson at the sub-percent level can be probed, for the scalar decay length in the range 10 −4 m ≲ cτ ≲ 10 −1 m. The expected coverage of the parameter space largely exceeds the published sensitivity of the indirect reach at the high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider via the invisible Higgs branching ratio.

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disease caused by the loss of dystrophin, which results in inflammation, fibrosis, and the inhibition of myoblast differentiation in skeletal muscle. Catalpol, an iridoid glycoside, improves skeletal muscle function by enhancing myogenesis; it has potential to treat DMD. We demonstrate the positive effects of catalpol in dystrophic skeletal muscle. Methods mdx (loss of dystrophin) mice (n = 18 per group) were treated with catalpol (200 mg/kg) for six consecutive weeks. Serum analysis, skeletal muscle performance and histology, muscle contractile function, and gene and protein expression were performed. Molecular docking and ligand–target interactions, RNA interference, immunofluorescence, and plasmids transfection were utilized to explore the protective mechanism in DMD by which catalpol binding with transforming growth factor‐β–activated kinase 1 (TAK1) in skeletal muscle. Results Six weeks of catalpol treatment improved whole‐body muscle health in mdx mice, which was characterized by reduced plasma creatine kinase (n = 18, −35.1%, P