Muon g-2 discrepancy:new physics or a relatively light Higgs?

After a brief review of the muon g-2 status,we discuss hypothetical errors in the Standard Model prediction that might explain the present discrepancy with the experimental value.None of them seems likely.In particular,a hypothetical increase of the hadroproduction cross section in low-energy e+e-collisions could bridge the muon g-2 discrepancy,but it is shown to be unlikely in view of current experimental error estimates.If,nonetheless,this turns out to be the explanation of the discrepancy,then the 95% CL upper bound on the Higgs boson mass is reduced to about 135 GeV which,in conjunction with the experimental 114.4 GeV 95%CL lower bound,leaves a narrow window for the mass of this fundamental particle.     

Electroweak radiative corrections to muon capture

Electroweak radiative corrections to muon capture on nuclei are computed and found to be sizable. They enhance the capture rates for hydrogen and helium by 2.8% and 3.0%, respectively. As a result, the value of the induced pseudoscalar coupling, g(P)(exp), extracted from a recent hydrogen 1S singlet capture experiment is increased by about 21% to g(P)(exp)=7.3+/-1.2 and brought into good agreement with the prediction of chiral perturbation theory, g(P)(theory)=8.2+/-0.2. Implications for helium capture rate predictions are also discussed.     

Match statistics for sequence-based alleles in profiles from forensic PCR-mps kits

The first autosomal sequence-based allele (aka SNP-STR haplotype) frequency database for forensic massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has been published, thereby removing one of the remaining barriers to implementing MPS in casework. The database was developed using a specific set of flank trim sites. If different trim sites or different kits with different primers are used for casework, then SNP-STR haplotypes may be detected that do not have frequencies in the database. We describe a procedure to address calculation of match probabilities when casework samples are generated using an MPS kit with different trim sites than those present in the relevant population frequency database. The procedure provides a framework for comparison of any MPS kit or database combination while also accommodating comparison of MPS and CE profiles.     

Thermal processes in the systems with Li-battery cathode materials and LiPF6 -based organic solutions

Thermodynamic instability of positive electrodes (cathodes) in Li-ion batteries in humid air and battery solutions results in capacity fading and batteries degradation, especially at elevated temperatures. In this work, we studied thermal interactions between cathode materials Li₂MnO₃, xLi₂MnO₃ ^.(1???x)Li(MnNiCo)O₂,LiNi_0.33Mn_0.33Co_0.33O₂, LiNi_0.4Mn_0.4Co_0.2O₂, LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ LiMn_1.5Ni_0.5O₄, LiMn(or Fe)PO₄, and battery solutions containing ethylene carbonate (EC) or propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC) and LiPF₆ salt in the temperature range of 40–400 °C. It was found that these materials are stable chemically and well performing in LiPF₆-based solutions up to 60 °C. The thermal decomposition of the electrolyte solutions starts >180 °C. The macro-structural transformations of cathode materials upon exothermic reactions were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray difraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies have shown that the exothermic reactions in the temperature range of 60–140 °C lead to partial decomposition of both the cathode material and electrolyte solution. The systems thus formed consisted of partially decomposed solutions and partially chemically delithiated cathode materials covered by reactions products. Thermal reactions terminate and this system reaches equilibrium at about 120 °C. It remains stable up to the beginning of the solution decomposition at about 180 °C. The increased content of surface Li₂CO₃ is found to significantly affect the thermal processes at high temperature range due to extensive exothermic decomposition at low temperatures.     

Insights into the N-terminal Cu(II) and Cu(I) binding sites of the human copper transporter CTR1

Abstract

Copper transporter 1 (CTR1) is the main copper transporter in the eukaryotic system. CTR1 has several important roles: It binds Cu(II) ions that are present in the blood; it reduces those Cu(II) ions to Cu(I); and it subsequently transfers Cu(I) to the cytoplasmic domain, where the ion is delivered to various cellular pathways. Here, we seek to identify CTR1 binding sites for Cu(II) and Cu(I) and to shed light on the Cu(II)-to-Cu(I) reduction process. We focus on the first 14 amino acids of CTR1. This N-terminal segment is rich with histidine and methionine residues, which are known to bind Cu(II) and Cu(I), respectively; thus, this region has been suggested to have an important function in recruiting Cu(II) and reducing it to Cu(I). We utilize electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy together with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and UV-VIS spectroscopy and alanine substitution to reveal Cu(II) and Cu(I) binding sites in the focal 14-amino-acid segment. We show that H5 and H6 directly coordinate to Cu(II), whereas M7, M9, and M12 are involved in Cu(I) binding. This research is another step on the way to a complete understanding of the cellular copper regulation mechanism in humans.     

Tribological effect of iron oxide residual on the DLC film surface under seawater and saline solutions

This paper discusses the seawater and saline solutions effects on the tribological behavior of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. The adsorption of Fe on DLC surface is one of the mechanisms that is believed to be the cause of the decrease in dispersive component of the surface energy and increase of the I_D/I_G ratio leading to low friction coefficient and wear rate under corrosive environments. Tribological behaviors DLC films were experimentally evaluated under corrosive environments by using steel ball and DLC coated steel flat under rotational sliding conditions. The DLC films were prepared on 440 stainless steel disks by DC-pulsed PECVD using methane as a precursor gas. Two different set of tribological system was assembled, one when the liquids and the pairs were put inside of a stainless steel vessel and others inside of a PTFE. Every tribological test was performed under 10 N normal load120 mms^? 1 of sliding speed. The friction coefficients were evaluated during 1000 cycles.     

Quantum de Sitter algebra and some possible applications in cosmology

I summarize results recently obtained in collaboration with Amelino-Camelia, Bruno and Mandanici (preprint University of Rome “La Sapienza”, August, 2005) that concern an analysis of the path of a massless particle in a q-de Sitter space-time and an approximation scheme suitable for the corresponding analysis in a quantum FRW Universe. On the basis of some arguments in the quantum-gravity literature, the q deformation parameter is assumed to depend on both the Planck scale and the curvature, leading to results that are significantly different from those of other studies of Planck-scale effects in cosmology, where the possibility of an interplay between curvature and Planck scale was ignored. Presented at the International Colloquium “Integrable Systems and Quantum Symmetries”, Prague, 16–18 June 2005.