The muon Smasher's guide.

We lay out a comprehensive physics case for a future high-energy muon collider, exploring a range of collision energies (from 1 to 100 TeV) and luminosities. We highlight the advantages of such a collider over proposed alternatives. We show how one can leverage both the point-like nature of the muons themselves as well as the cloud of electroweak radiation that surrounds the beam to blur the dichotomy between energy and precision in the search for new physics. The physics case is buttressed by a range of studies with applications to electroweak symmetry breaking, dark matter, and the naturalness of the weak scale. Furthermore, we make sharp connections with complementary experiments that are probing new physics effects using electric dipole moments, flavor violation, and gravitational waves. An extensive appendix provides cross section predictions as a function of the center-of-mass energy for many canonical simplified models.

Light Dark Matter at Neutrino Experiments.

Sub-GeV dark matter particles up-scattered by cosmic rays gain enough kinetic energy to pass the thresholds of large volume detectors on Earth. We then use public Super-Kamiokande and MiniBooNE data to derive a novel limit on the scattering cross section of dark matter with electrons that extends down to sub-keV masses, closing a previously allowed wide region of parameter space. We finally discuss search strategies and prospects at existing and planned neutrino facilities.

R-Axion at Colliders.

We study the effective theory of a generic class of hidden sectors where supersymmetry is broken together with an approximate R-symmetry at low energy. The light spectrum contains the gravitino and the pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of the R-symmetry, the R-axion. We derive new model-independent constraints on the R-axion decay constant for R-axion masses ranging from GeV to TeV, which are of relevance for hadron colliders, lepton colliders, and B factories. The current bounds allow for the exciting possibility that the first sign of supersymmetry will be the R-axion. We point out its most distinctive signals, providing a new experimental handle on the properties of the hidden sector and a solid motivation for searches of axionlike particles.

The value of the current histological scores and classifications of ANCA glomerulonephritis in predicting long-term outcome.

Background: Three different histological scores-histopathologic classification (Berden), Renal Risk Score (RRS) and the Mayo Clinic Chronicity Score (MCCS)-for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (ANCA-GN) were compared to evaluate their association with patient and kidney prognosis of ANCA-GN. Methods: Patients aged >18 years with at least 1 year of follow-up and biopsy-proven ANCA-GN entered this retrospective study. Renal biopsies were classified according to Berden's classification, RRS and MCCS. The first endpoint was end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), defined as chronic dialysis or estimated glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min/1.73 m2. The second endpoint was ESKD or death. Results: Of 152 patients 84 were males, with median age of 63.8 years and followed for 46.9 (interquartile range 12.8-119) months, 59 (38.8%) reached the first endpoint and 20 died. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that Berden and RRS were associated with first (Berden: P = .004, RRS: P < .001) and second (Berden: P = .001, RRS: P < .001) endpoint, MCCS with the first endpoint only when minimal + mild vs moderate + severe groups were compared (P = .017), and with the second endpoint (P < .001). Among the clinical/histological presentation features, arterial hypertension [odds ratio (OR) = 2.75, confidence interval (95% CI) 1.50-5.06; P = .0011], serum creatinine (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.09-1.25; P < .0001), and the percentage of normal glomeruli (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.99; P = .009) were the independent predictors of ESKD at multivariate analysis. When the three scores were included in multivariate analysis, RRS (OR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.15-4.24; P = .017) and MCCS (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.04-3.95; P = .037) remained predictive of ESKD, but Berden (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.62-2.22; P = .691) did not. Conclusion: RRS and MCCS scores were independent predictors of kidney survival together with high serum creatinine and arterial hypertension at diagnosis, while Berden classification was not.

Corrigendum to "Changing Phenotypes and Clinical Outcomes Over Time in Microscopic Polyangiitis" [Kidney International Reports Volume 8, Issue 10, October 2023, Pages 2107-2116].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2023.07.008.].

Changing Phenotypes and Clinical Outcomes Over Time in Microscopic Polyangiitis.

Introduction: Diagnosis and management of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) have evolved considerably over the past decades, but it is unknown whether clinical and histological presentation and patient and renal outcomes have changed accordingly. Methods: We compared clinical and histopathological characteristic at diagnosis, risk of death, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and relapse rate in patients diagnosed with MPA between 1980 and 2022, after grouping them in 2 periods (p): p1980-2001 and p2002-2022. We compared the mortality rate between the 2 periods using Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox-regression, and competing risks of ESKD and death using the Aalen-Johansen estimator, Fine-Gray multiple regression, and multistate models. Results: Out of 187 patients, 77 were in p1980-2001 and 110 in p2002 to 2022. Patients in p2002 to 2022 were older (66.2 ± 14.0 SD vs. 57.7 ± 15.8; P < 0.001), had a better kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 25.9 ± 24.8 vs. 21.5 ± 28.2 ml/min per 1.73 m2; P = 0.011) and a lower prevalence of the Berden sclerotic class (5.9 vs. 20.9%; P = 0.011). Despite a similar crude and adjusted patient survival, the risk of ESKD decreased during p2002 to 2022 (subdistribution hazard ratio [HR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.57; P < 0.001). The results remained significant after accounting for death after ESKD and after adjusting for potential confounders (HR 0.33 [95% CI: 0.18-0.63; P < 0.001]). The risk of relapse was numerically higher during p2002 to 2022 (subdistribution-HR 1.64 [95% CI: 0.95-2.83; P = 0.075]). Conclusion: MPA kidney involvement has become less severe over the past decades, leading to a reduced risk of ESKD and a higher relapse rate, despite a comparable risk of death.

In vitro inhibitory potential of Cynara scolymus, Silybum marianum, Taraxacum officinale, and Peumus boldus on key enzymes relevant to metabolic syndrome.

Boldocynara®, a proprietary dietary supplement product consisting of the plants Cynara scolymus, Silybum marianum, Taraxacum officinale, and Peumus boldus, used to promote functions of the liver and the gallbladder. It was the aim of the present study to look from a different perspective at the product by investigating the in vitro potential of Boldocynara® as a combination product and its individual extracts on key enzymes relevant to metabolic syndrome. Peumus boldus extract exhibited pronounced inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase (80% inhibition at 100 µg/ml, IC50: 17.56 µg/ml). Silybum marianum had moderate pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activities (30% at 100 µg/ml) whereas Cynara scolymus showed moderate ACE inhibitory activity (31% at 100 µg/ml). The combination had moderate to weak effects on the tested enzymes. In conclusion, our results indicate some moderate potential of the dietary supplement Boldocynara® and its single ingredients for the prevention of metabolic disorders.