Revealing the short-range structure of the mirror nuclei 3H and 3He.

When protons and neutrons (nucleons) are bound into atomic nuclei, they are close enough to feel significant attraction, or repulsion, from the strong, short-distance part of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. These strong interactions lead to hard collisions between nucleons, generating pairs of highly energetic nucleons referred to as short-range correlations (SRCs). SRCs are an important but relatively poorly understood part of nuclear structure1-3, and mapping out the strength and the isospin structure (neutron-proton (np) versus proton-proton (pp) pairs) of these virtual excitations is thus critical input for modelling a range of nuclear, particle and astrophysics measurements3-5. Two-nucleon knockout or 'triple coincidence' reactions have been used to measure the relative contribution of np-SRCs and pp-SRCs by knocking out a proton from the SRC and detecting its partner nucleon (proton or neutron). These measurements6-8 have shown that SRCs are almost exclusively np pairs, but they had limited statistics and required large model-dependent final-state interaction corrections. Here we report on measurements using inclusive scattering from the mirror nuclei hydrogen-3 and helium-3 to extract the np/pp ratio of SRCs in systems with a mass number of three. We obtain a measure of the np/pp SRC ratio that is an order of magnitude more precise than previous experiments, and find a marked deviation from the near-total np dominance observed in heavy nuclei. This result implies an unexpected structure in the high-momentum wavefunction for hydrogen-3 and helium-3. Understanding these results will improve our understanding of the short-range part of the nucleon-nucleon interaction.

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

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.

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.

Novel Measurement of the Neutron Magnetic Form Factor from A=3 Mirror Nuclei.

The electromagnetic form factors of the proton and neutron encode information on the spatial structure of their charge and magnetization distributions. While measurements of the proton are relatively straightforward, the lack of a free neutron target makes measurements of the neutron's electromagnetic structure more challenging and more sensitive to experimental or model-dependent uncertainties. Various experiments have attempted to extract the neutron form factors from scattering from the neutron in deuterium, with different techniques providing different, and sometimes large, systematic uncertainties. We present results from a novel measurement of the neutron magnetic form factor using quasielastic scattering from the mirror nuclei ^{3}H and ^{3}He, where the nuclear effects are larger than for deuterium but expected to largely cancel in the cross-section ratios. We extracted values of the neutron magnetic form factor for low-to-modest momentum transfer, 0.6

First Constraints on Light Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Combined Appearance and Disappearance Searches with the MicroBooNE Detector.

We present a search for eV-scale sterile neutrino oscillations in the MicroBooNE liquid argon detector, simultaneously considering all possible appearance and disappearance effects within the 3+1 active-to-sterile neutrino oscillation framework. We analyze the neutrino candidate events for the recent measurements of charged-current ν_{e} and ν_{µ} interactions in the MicroBooNE detector, using data corresponding to an exposure of 6.37×10^{20} protons on target from the Fermilab booster neutrino beam. We observe no evidence of light sterile neutrino oscillations and derive exclusion contours at the 95% confidence level in the plane of the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2} and the sterile neutrino mixing angles θ_{µe} and θ_{ee}, excluding part of the parameter space allowed by experimental anomalies. Cancellation of ν_{e} appearance and ν_{e} disappearance effects due to the full 3+1 treatment of the analysis leads to a degeneracy when determining the oscillation parameters, which is discussed in this Letter and will be addressed by future analyses.

First Double-Differential Measurement of Kinematic Imbalance in Neutrino Interactions with the MicroBooNE Detector.

We report the first measurement of flux-integrated double-differential quasielasticlike neutrino-argon cross sections, which have been made using the Booster Neutrino Beam and the MicroBooNE detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The data are presented as a function of kinematic imbalance variables which are sensitive to nuclear ground-state distributions and hadronic reinteraction processes. We find that the measured cross sections in different phase-space regions are sensitive to different nuclear effects. Therefore, they enable the impact of specific nuclear effects on the neutrino-nucleus interaction to be isolated more completely than was possible using previous single-differential cross section measurements. Our results provide precision data to help test and improve neutrino-nucleus interaction models. They further support ongoing neutrino-oscillation studies by establishing phase-space regions where precise reaction modeling has already been achieved.

First Measurement of Quasielastic Λ Baryon Production in Muon Antineutrino Interactions in the MicroBooNE Detector.

We present the first measurement of the cross section of Cabibbo-suppressed Λ baryon production, using data collected with the MicroBooNE detector when exposed to the neutrinos from the main injector beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The data analyzed correspond to 2.2×10^{20} protons on target running in neutrino mode, and 4.9×10^{20} protons on target running in anti-neutrino mode. An automated selection is combined with hand scanning, with the former identifying five candidate Λ production events when the signal was unblinded, consistent with the GENIE prediction of 5.3±1.1 events. Several scanners were employed, selecting between three and five events, compared with a prediction from a blinded Monte Carlo simulation study of 3.7±1.0 events. Restricting the phase space to only include Λ baryons that decay above MicroBooNE's detection thresholds, we obtain a flux averaged cross section of 2.0_{-1.7}^{+2.2}×10^{-40} cm^{2}/Ar, where statistical and systematic uncertainties are combined.

Experimental Search for Neutron to Mirror Neutron Oscillations as an Explanation of the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly.

An unexplained >4σ discrepancy persists between "beam" and "bottle" measurements of the neutron lifetime. A new model proposed that conversions of neutrons n into mirror neutrons n^{'}, part of a dark mirror sector, can increase the apparent neutron lifetime by 1% via a small mass splitting Δm between n and n^{'} inside the 4.6 T magnetic field of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Beam Lifetime experiment. A search for neutron conversions in a 6.6 T magnetic field was performed at the Spallation Neutron Source which excludes this explanation for the neutron lifetime discrepancy.

Incorporating Oral Health as Part of Routine Diabetes Care in Ireland.

Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder of glucose metabolism that is increasingly prevalent in the Irish population. It is associated with a range of complications leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. A less well-recognized complication of diabetes is periodontal disease. This is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the periodontium, the specialized group of tissues that surround and support the teeth, including the gingiva (gums) and alveolar bone. Periodontal disease affects patients with diabetes with a greater prevalence and incidence than non-diabetic patients, and can itself exert negative effects on glucose control in people with diabetes. The National Clinical Programme for Diabetes in Ireland aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes, which includes the development and dissemination of guidelines supporting integrated care. Based on the bidirectional relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease, we recommend that an oral health evaluation, as well as any necessary onward referral, be incorporated into the Irish recommendations for routine diabetes care, as part of the National Clinical Programme.

Limits on a gravitational field dependence of the proton-electron mass ratio from H2 in white dwarf stars.

Spectra of molecular hydrogen (H2) are employed to search for a possible proton-to-electron mass ratio (µ) dependence on gravity. The Lyman transitions of H2, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope towards white dwarf stars that underwent a gravitational collapse, are compared to accurate laboratory spectra taking into account the high temperature conditions (T∼13 000 K) of their photospheres. We derive sensitivity coefficients Ki which define how the individual H2 transitions shift due to µ dependence. The spectrum of white dwarf star GD133 yields a Δµ/µ constraint of (-2.7±4.7stat±0.2syst)×10(-5) for a local environment of a gravitational potential ϕ∼10(4) ϕEarth, while that of G29-38 yields Δµ/µ=(-5.8±3.8stat±0.3syst)×10(-5) for a potential of 2×10(4) ϕEarth.

Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Care Utilization and Oral Health Conditions in the United States.

PURPOSE: We aim to understand the impact of the COVID-19 on health care utilization and oral health conditions of patients at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), where patients are disproportionately low income, publicly insured, or uninsured. METHODS: Using deidentified electronic health records of patients at FQHCs in the United States from January 2019 through December 2020 (n = 431,509), variations in health care utilization since the COVID-19 outbreak were observed by procedure types and patient characteristics. Changes in dental utilization and oral health conditions were characterized using mixed-effect negative binomial and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Dental utilization decreased more drastically than medical utilization during shelter-in-place periods in 2020 and rebounded more slowly after the reopening. Greater demands for oral surgery and teledentistry and less demands for preventive services were observed in 2020. As compared to 2019, patients experienced more psychological stress-related dental conditions with odds ratios of 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.76) for uninsured, 1.48 (95% CI, 1.07-2.02) for Medicaid enrollees, and 2.38 (95% CI, 1.68-3.40) for private insurance beneficiaries. CONCLUSION: As a result of COVID-19, patients received more invasive dental procedures due to delayed treatment and experienced a higher risk of psychological stress-related dental conditions. Continued support for statewide policies to expand access to oral health care and oral health promotion strategies for the vulnerable populations would be encouraged. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: Our study describes the impact of COVID-19 on dental care use and oral health conditions at Federally Qualified Health Centers, targeted to provide care for some of the most vulnerable populations in the United States. The results of this retrospective cohort study can be used by clinicians and policymakers on understanding the clinical needs of the vulnerable populations after the pandemic. It highlights the need for continued support to expand access to oral health care and oral health promotion to these populations.

Modeling the Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Insurance Coverage and Utilization.

Unemployment rates in the United States are rapidly increasing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant economic disruption. As employees lose their jobs, many will lose their employer-sponsored dental insurance (ESDI). Changes in insurance coverage are directly related to the oral health of the population, with many at risk of losing access to dental care. We assessed the impact of recent unemployment rates on insurance coverage and dental utilization. We estimated changes in dental insurance coverage at the state level, using previously applied econometric estimates. Expected changes in types of dental procedures performed at dental practices nationwide were assessed using a microsimulation model, using national practice survey data. Changes in emergency department (ED) visits for dental problems were estimated by fitting trendlines to ED visit patterns by payer type. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess how variations in unemployment rates and rates of ESDI in response to unemployment could alter the results. Since March 2020, the national unemployment rate has increased by 8.40 percentage points, an increase expected to result in more than 16 million individuals losing ESDI in the United States. Of these individuals, 45.0% are likely to enroll in their state's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program, and 47.0% are expected to become uninsured. With these expected changes in dental insurance coverage, the average dental practice would experience decreases in routine checkup visits but increases in tooth extraction, a procedure that is highly used by publicly insured or uninsured patients. In addition, dental-related ED visits would be expected to grow by 4.0%. Losses of employment caused by the COVID-19 in the United States can have countervailing effects on people's health by impeding access to dental care. Lack of dental insurance is expected to be more pronounced in states that have not expanded Medicaid or do not provide Medicaid dental benefits for adults.

Prospects for beyond the Standard Model physics searches at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment: DUNE Collaboration.

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a powerful tool for a variety of physics topics. The high-intensity proton beams provide a large neutrino flux, sampled by a near detector system consisting of a combination of capable precision detectors, and by the massive far detector system located deep underground. This configuration sets up DUNE as a machine for discovery, as it enables opportunities not only to perform precision neutrino measurements that may uncover deviations from the present three-flavor mixing paradigm, but also to discover new particles and unveil new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model (SM). Of the many potential beyond the Standard Model (BSM) topics DUNE will probe, this paper presents a selection of studies quantifying DUNE's sensitivities to sterile neutrino mixing, heavy neutral leptons, non-standard interactions, CPT symmetry violation, Lorentz invariance violation, neutrino trident production, dark matter from both beam induced and cosmogenic sources, baryon number violation, and other new physics topics that complement those at high-energy colliders and significantly extend the present reach.

Fluorescent-antibody studies of haplosporidian parasites of oysters in Chesapeake and Delaware bays.

A fluorescent antibody was produced against a plasmodial oyster parasite thought to be a haplosporidian, Minchinia nelsoni, which was termed MSX. The antibody reacted with this type of plasmodia from oysters, Crassostrea virginica ( Gmelin), from all sources, and it also reacted with its sporulating and spore stages. This reaction indicates cospecificity of the stages. No reaction occurred with any stage of another oyster haplosporidian, Minchinia costalis, indi- cating that the M. nelsoni and the M. costalis are antigenically distinct species.

AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylates transcription factors of the CREB family.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been identified as a regulator of gene transcription, increasing mitochondrial proteins of oxidative metabolism as well as hexokinase expression in skeletal muscle. In mice, muscle-specific knockout of LKB1, a component of the upstream kinase of AMPK, prevents contraction- and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR)-induced activation of AMPK in skeletal muscle, and the increase in hexokinase II protein that is normally observed with chronic AICAR activation of AMPK. Since previous reports show a cAMP response element in the promoter region of the hexokinase II gene, we hypothesized that the cAMP-response element (CRE) binding protein (CREB) family of transcription factors could be targets of AMPK. Using radioisotopic kinase assays, we found that recombinant and rat liver and muscle AMPK phosphorylated CREB1 at the same site as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). AMPK was also found to phosphorylate activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1), CRE modulator (CREM), and CREB-like 2 (CREBL2), but not ATF2. Treatment of HEK-293 cells stably transfected with a CREB-driven luciferase reporter with AICAR increased luciferase activity approximately threefold over a 24-h time course. This increase was blocked with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. In addition, AICAR-induced activation of AMPK in incubated rat epitrochlearis muscles resulted in an increase in both phospho-acetyl-CoA carboxylase and phospho-CREB. We conclude that CREB and related proteins are direct downstream targets for AMPK and are therefore likely involved in mediating some effects of AMPK on expression of genes having a CRE in their promoters.

Blinded proficiency testing of FTA-ABS test.

In 1976 and 1977, 28 state laboratories participated in a blinded proficiency testing study of syphilis serologic tests. The test considered of a battery of 50 duplicate reagin-positive sera; 12 specimens were obtained from syphilitic patients. The median reproducibility scores for the VDRL and FTA-ABS tests were the same, 92%, and the scores for the two tests were correlated. Given the relatively low prevalence of untreated syphilis in the United States today, serologic results that are highly predictive of syphilis are obtainable only from the most proficient laboratories, if unselected sera are tested. Reactivity in the VDRL and FTA-ABS tests does not prove the diagnosis of syphilis. Physicians must use clinical judgment to preselect patients for serologic testing.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of dihydropyrimidinone C-5 amides as potent and selective alpha(1A) receptor antagonists for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

alpha(1) Adrenergic receptors mediate both vascular and lower urinary tract tone, and alpha(1) receptor antagonists such as terazosin (1b) are used to treat both hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Recently, three different subtypes of this receptor have been identified, with the alpha(1A) receptor being most prevalent in lower urinary tract tissue. This paper explores 4-aryldihydropyrimidinones attached to an aminopropyl-4-arylpiperidine via a C-5 amide as selective alpha(1A) receptor subtype antagonists. In receptor binding assays, these types of compounds generally display K(i) values for the alpha(1a) receptor subtype <1 nM while being greater than 100-fold selective versus the alpha(1b) and alpha(1d) receptor subtypes. Many of these compounds were also evaluated in vivo and found to be more potent than terazosin in both a rat model of prostate tone and a dog model of intra-urethral pressure without significantly affecting blood pressure. While many of the compounds tested displayed poor pharmacokinetics, compound 48 was found to have adequate bioavailability (>20%) and half-life (>6 h) in both rats and dogs. Due to its selectivity for the alpha(1a) over the alpha(1b) and alpha(1d) receptors as well as its favorable pharmacokinetic profile, 48 has the potential to relieve the symptoms of BPH without eliciting effects on the cardiovascular system.

Cosmology, life, and the anthropic principle.

We discuss some ways in which the age, size, and structure of the Universe, together with the values of its defining constants, satisfy the necessary conditions for life. The implications for teleology and the existence of other universes are also discussed.

Randomized trial of intermittent or continuous amnioinfusion for variable decelerations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether continuous or intermittent bolus amnioinfusion is more effective in relieving variable decelerations. METHODS: Patients with repetitive variable decelerations were randomized to an intermittent bolus or continuous amnioinfusion. The intermittent bolus infusion group received boluses of 500 mL of normal saline, each over 30 minutes, with boluses repeated if variable decelerations recurred. The continuous infusion group received a bolus infusion of 500 mL of normal saline over 30 minutes and then 3 mL per minute until delivery occurred. The ability of the amnioinfusion to abolish variable decelerations was analyzed, as were maternal demographic and pregnancy outcome variables. Power analysis indicated that 64 patients would be required. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were randomized to intermittent infusion and 30 to continuous infusion. There were no differences between groups in terms of maternal demographics, gestational age, delivery mode, neonatal outcome, median time to resolution of variable decelerations, or the number of times variable decelerations recurred. The median volume infused in the intermittent infusion group (500 mL) was significantly less than that in the continuous infusion group (905 mL, P =.003). CONCLUSION: Intermittent bolus amnioinfusion is as effective as continuous infusion in relieving variable decelerations in labor. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether either of these techniques is associated with increased occurrence of rare complications such as cord prolapse or uterine rupture.