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Probing the Higgs Portal to a Strongly-Interacting Dark Sector at the FCC-ee
No full textThis work explores exotic signatures from confining dark sectors that may arise in the e+e- collision mode at the Future Circular Collider. Assuming the Higgs boson mediates the interaction between the Standard Model and the dark sector, dark quarks can be produced in e+e- collisions. The ensuing strong dynamics may lead to semi-visible jet final states, containing both visible and invisible particles. We investigate semi-visible jets with different fractions of invisible states, and enriched in leptons and photons. When the invisible component is large, selections based on kinematic features, such as the missing energy in the event, already provide good signal-to-background discrimination. For smaller invisible fractions, the reduced missing energy makes these signals more similar to Standard Model events, and we therefore employ a graph neural network jet tagger exploiting differences in jet substructure. This machine learning strategy improves sensitivity and enhances the discovery prospects of Higgs boson-induced semi-visible jets at the Future Circular Collider. Our results show that the proposed strategy can effectively probe a wide parameter space for the models considered, and a variety of signatures, constraining the Higgs boson exotic branching ratios into dark quarks at the permille-level
Assessing the role of exogenous NO on plants and microbial communities in soil
No full textNitric oxide (NO) is a reactive gas that functions as a signaling molecule regulating plant growth and stress responses, while also exerting various roles for microorganisms. In soil, NO is produced through microbial activity, plant metabolism, and physico-chemical processes. However, the impact of exogenous NO on plant physiology and the associated root microbiota remains unexplored. Here, we evaluated the effects of NO exposure on plant physiology, trace gas fluxes and N cycling, as well as the abundance, diversity, and composition of root-associated microbiota. We conducted two 37-day experiments with either Arabidopsis thaliana or tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants using innovative plant–soil mesocosms that allowed NO flushing while monitoring the CO, NO and NO fluxes. The mesocosms were subjected to four NO flushing periods (3–4 days each) at 0 ppbv or 400 ppbv. Our results revealed that exogenous NO exerted plant-specific effects. While flushing with NO had no effect on tomato plants or associated microbiota, it increased leaf area in Arabidopsis and modulated the expression of two genes involved in plant growth-defense balance compared to flushing with NO. These changes in Arabidopsis physiology were concomitant with modest alterations in the fungal community and a decrease in the abundance of bacterial ammonia-oxidizers, N recovery as NO₃−, and cumulative CO₂ fluxes. However, it is still unclear how much of these effects were indirectly driven by plant–soil feedbacks. Our findings offer intriguing insights into the possible, though modest, effects of exogenous NO in shaping plant–microbe interactions
Dibenzazepine Bridged Network Polymeric Phthalocyanines as Degradable Heterogeneous Photocatalysts
No full textRecyclability and energy efficiency are inevitable requirements in today´s synthetic materials, as well as functional efficiency. Network polymeric phthalocyanines (NP-Pcs) are versatile molecular frameworks which widely utilized in energy and electron transfer demanding applications, but light hasn´t played a role before in their “design and degradation”. Herein, we introduce photodynamic dibenzazepine moiety into NP-Pcs to obtain degradable heterogeneous photocatalysts (NP-ZnPc and NP-CoPc). Singlet oxygen generation efficiency of NP-ZnPc is found to be high, almost completely quenching the absorbance of diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) within 30 s upon red light (λ = 630 nm) irradiation. Supplementary reactions show that NP-ZnPc has the capability to oxidize methylphenyl sulfide with 100% yield in 4 h reaction time. Subsequently, PET-RAFT polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate is successfully initiated by NP-ZnPc in the presence of a chain transfer agent upon red light (λ = 647 nm) irradiation. The linearity in the increase in molecular weight (14,400–21,200 g/mol) and the decrease in monomer concentration (ln([M]0/[M] = 0.6–3.4) demonstrate the living characteristic of PET-RAFT polymerization. Thanks to its heterogeneous nature, NP-ZnPc is readily recovered and reused after polymerization up to three consecutive cycles without significant loss of performance. Notably, complete degradation of NP-Pcs was achieved under 254 nm light irradiation
The ‘Swabian MOSES 2023’ re-analysis: How do high-resolution campaign observations change a convective-scale analysis?
No full textThe Genetic Factors Controlling the Accumulation of Amylase/Trypsin Inhibitors (ATIs) in Barley for Enhancing Human Nutrition and Health
No full textAmylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are a group of proteins in all cereals\u27 seeds, including wheat, barley, rye, and maize. Currently, ATIs are the most studied wheat components since they are linked to celiac disease and baker\u27s asthma. The interest has increased since 2012, when they were shown to trigger the innate immune system and intestinal and extra-intestinal inflammation. Even though ATIs are present in many plant-based diets, the genetic factors underlying these proteins have not yet been investigated in barley. To this end, this study was designed to measure ten ATI proteins in a diverse barley collection grown under field conditions. Ample natural variation among the accessions in ten ATIs has been measured, which showed a substantial role in the accumulation of ATI_total, such as CMa, CMd, CMe, BTI_CMc, and AIBDAI_1. A genome-wide association scan (GWAS) utilizing a large number of molecular markers demonstrated that the accumulation of ATIs was influenced by many small to medium quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs). Eight QTNs showed the highest association with ATIs, particularly AIBDAI, whereas these QTNs negatively influenced ATI accumulation. Genomic investigations identified Serine/threonine protein phosphatase as a putative candidate gene. Our research provides the initial analysis of the ATI proteins found in barley, which might potentially contribute to enhancing the quality of barley-based food products. As a result, the study demonstrated that cultivars with lower ATI proteins can speed up their integration to improve the quality of barley products and diminish the possibility of some diseases
Cathode chemistry innovations in anode-free aqueous zinc metal batteries
No full textThe emergence of anode-free aqueous zinc metal batteries (AF-ZMBs) represents a transformative approach that combines intrinsic safety and low cost with maximized energy density. While significant research has focused on electrolyte optimization and interface engineering to enhance zinc reversibility, comprehensive analysis of cathode chemistry specifically tailored for anode-free configurations remains limited. This review systematically examines recent advancements in innovative cathode design strategies, spanning intercalation, hybrid-ion, dual-ion, and conversion mechanisms, and analyzes their respective capabilities in maintaining zinc inventory and structural stability. By critically assessing the current landscape and future potential of these cathode systems, this work aims to establish fundamental design principles for developing practical anode-free zinc battery technologies
