First Simultaneous Measurement of Differential Muon-Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Sections on Argon for Final States with and without Protons Using MicroBooNE Data.

We report the first double-differential neutrino-argon cross section measurement made simultaneously for final states with and without protons for the inclusive muon neutrino charged-current interaction channel. The proton kinematics of this channel are further explored with a differential cross section measurement as a function of the leading proton's kinetic energy that extends across the detection threshold. These measurements use data collected with the MicroBooNE detector from 6.4×10^{20} protons on target from the Fermilab booster neutrino beam with a mean neutrino energy of ∼0.8 GeV. Extensive data-driven model validation utilizing the conditional constraint formalism is employed. This motivates enlarging the uncertainties with an empirical reweighting approach to minimize the possibility of extracting biased cross section results. The extracted nominal flux-averaged cross sections are compared to widely used event generator predictions revealing severe mismodeling of final states without protons for muon neutrino charged-current interactions, possibly from insufficient treatment of final state interactions. These measurements provide a wealth of new information useful for improving event generators which will enhance the sensitivity of precision measurements in neutrino experiments.

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.

Validating motor delays across the developmental coordination disorder-questionnaire and the Vineland adaptive behavior scales (VABS) in children with autism spectrum disorderASD: A SPARK dataset analysis.

Motor delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are being increasingly recognized using a brief screening tool, called the Developmental Coordination Disorder-Questionnaire (DCD-Q). Further validation of these motor delays using a more robust normed, developmental measure is clearly warranted. In this analysis, a nationally representative sample from the SPARK study was used wherein parents completed the DCD-Q and a more widely used developmental/adaptive functioning measure, called the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); which comprises of various developmental domains including the motor domain (N = 2,644 completed the DCD-Q and VABS). Eighty two percent children with ASD had a motor delay based on their DCD-Q scores whereas 77% children with ASD had a motor delay based on their VABS motor domain scores. Approximately 70% children with ASD had concurrent motor delay on the DCD-Q and the VABS (i.e., positive predictive value of DCD-Q). Furthermore, there was 81.2% accuracy in reporting a risk/no risk of motor delay across both measures. Overall, these statistics align with the recent reports on proportions of children with ASD having motor delays. Parents of ~70% children with ASD are reporting motor delays that are corroborated across two different motor measures. This not only validates the motor delays reported based on the DCD-Q but also indicates the need for concurrent motor screening using both DCD-Q and VABS for better detection of motor delays in children with ASD. Only 10%-32% of the current SPARK sample received any physical or recreational therapies. This mismatch between presence of motor delays and the lack of access to motor services highlights the need for more motor intervention referrals for children with ASD.

Development of reverse transcriptase-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assay for rapid detection of large cardamom chirke virus.

Large cardamom chirke virus (LCCV) causing chirke disease of large cardamom is a major production constraint of this crop. Rapid and accurate detection of LCCV is important for managing the disease. In the present study an isothermal assay namely, reverse transcriptase-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) was developed for the detection of LCCV. Total RNA isolated by two different methods and crude extracts isolated using five different methods as templates were assessed for their ability to detect LCCV. Of these, only the total RNA isolated by both methods gave consistent and repeatable results while all the crude extracts used as templates gave non-specific amplification. RT-RPA was up to 1000 times more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR for the detection of LCCV. The detection limit of RPA was 10 fg when recombinant plasmid was used as the template. The RT-RPA assay was validated using field samples and found suitable for large-scale screening of large cardamom plants against LCCV for the selection of virus-free plants. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-024-00861-2.

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.

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

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.

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.

Acceleration of cutaneous wound healing by Lucilia sericata maggots in diabetic Wistar rats

@#The study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of maggot therapy in healing of cutaneous infected wound in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic Wistar rat. For live maggots, the sterilized eggs of Lucilia sericata were obtained from colonies established in laboratory. Diabetes model was established in 48 male Wister rat by intra-peritoneal injection of STZ at the dose of 60 mg/kg body-weight. Cutaneous wounds exposed with mixed colonies of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were prepared in all rat. The animals equally divided in 4 groups with 12 rats each being presented as treatment group of control, antibiotic, maggot and maggot with antibiotic in combination. All treatments were done once and hold for 24 hours. Wound kinetics and bacterial bio burden were measured at weekly interval to till complete healing. Significant reduction in wound area with maximum contraction was found (>95%) in maggot treated group when compared to antibiotic treated (79%) and control (72%). In maggot as well as maggot and antibiotic in combination group showed early elimination of bacterial bio-burden 7.88±0.03log CFU/ml to 1.12±0.65log CFU/ml and 7.86±0.04) log CFU/ml to 1.54±0.52log CFU/ml respectively in three weeks of time. Early healing indication was also experienced on histomorphological examination of wounded tissue of maggot treated groups by early and better epithelialization, collagenation and neovascularization with complete healing of wound in three weeks in comparison to antibiotic and control respectively. However, the present study did not show any difference in healing of wound with use of maggot alone or in antibiotic combination. Live maggot of Lucilia sericata effectively lower bacterial bioburden and and accelerate healing of infected cutaneous wound in diabetic conditions.

Therapeutic use of Lucilia sericata maggot in controlling bacterial bio-burden in Rat wound model

@#Delayed wound healing due to extraneous bacterial contamination, antibacterial resistance and other associated factors are of great concern in dealing patients having chronically infected wound. Medicinal properties of certain maggots of Calliphoridae family are known for its effective wound debridement therapy. The objective of the study was to evaluate the wound healing potential of maggots of Lucilia sericata in an experimentally infected cutaneous wound model in Wistar rat. The study was carried out by using male Wistar rats (n=48) by creating excisional wounds and later contaminated with mixed population of gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. Animals were divided randomly in to four groups with 12 individuals each, being denominated as control, antibiotic treated, maggot treated, and antibiotic plus maggot combination treated group. Ten pre-sterilized maggots were applied per centimetre square wound bed for 24 hours. Different wound kinetics in L. sericata maggot treated wounds revealed significant reduction in wound area with maximum contraction, early elimination of bacterial bioburden as compared to group of infected control and group of rats receiving only antibiotic treatment. The histopathological examination of wounded tissue of maggot treated groups showed early and better epithelialization, collagenation and neovascularization with complete healing of wound in two weeks. The maggot effects on healing when used singly or in combination with antibiotic were recorded to be similar. The results of the present study clearly demonstrate that the maggots of L. sericata possesses a definite antibacterial action along with removal of dead tissues and effectively reduced the bacterial bio-burden in infected wound and induced wound healing quickly.

Inner preputial flap as tunica albuginea replacement in the management of previously untreated fracture of the penis

To assess the efficacy of an inner preputial skin flap as replacement for the tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum after excision of fibrous plaque. Patients and Methods In this retrospective study we evaluated 5 men who presented with impotence; chordee; painful erection and/or painful coitus after previously undiagnosed or untreated penile fracture. In two patients soft tissue X-rays suggested calcification of the plaque; while ultrasonography revealed extension of fibrosis in four cases. In all patients the plaque was excised and the defect in the tunica albuginea was closed with an inner preputial pedicle skin flap. Results The flaps had taken well in all cases at 3 months follow-up and all patients reported having normal sexual intercourse. Conclusion Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for management of symptomatic fibrous plaques occurring in undiagnosed; untreated or conservatively managed penile fracture. A defect of more than 1.5 cm after excision of the plaque requires tunica replacement; and an inner preputial flap is a good replacement