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Probing the coupling of axions to tops and gluons with LHC measurements
No full textWe study axion-like particles (ALPs) whose dominant interactions are with gluons and third-generation quarks, and whose couplings to light Standard Model (SM) particles arise at one loop. These loop-induced effects lead to ALP decays and production channels that can be probed at the LHC, even when tree-level couplings are absent. Using an effective field theory (EFT) description that includes momentum-dependent corrections from radiative effects, we reinterpret a wide range of LHC measurements via the Contur framework to derive model-independent constraints on the ALP parameter space. We show that LHC data place meaningful bounds in the plane of effective couplings ct0/fa and cG~0/fa, and that these limits are sensitive to the UV origin of the ALP-top and ALP-gluon couplings. We discuss representative scenarios where either ct0 or cG~0 vanishes at the matching scale, and highlight the role of EFT running and mixing in generating observable signals. We also assess the domain of validity of the EFT approach by comparing the typical momentum transfer ŝ in sensitive regions to the underlying scale fa. Our results demonstrate the power of loop-aware EFT reinterpretation of SM measurements in probing otherwise elusive ALP scenarios. The framework presented here can be readily extended to include couplings to other fermions and to accommodate ALP decay or long-lived signatures
Water, Territory and Power in the 2014 Water Crisis in the State of São Paulo
No full textInter-basin water transfers are increasingly recognized as political infrastructures that re-produce territorial inequality, yet their intersection with financialized governance remains undertheorized. This article examines São Paulo's 2014–2015 water crisis through the Cantareira System, advancing three contributions: it situates the system within debates on large-scale water infrastructure and hydro-territorial extraction; it reconstructs governance decisions across water-rights renegotiation cycles through an original documentary cor-pus; and it demonstrates how Sabesp's mixed-capital structure embedded shareholder im-peratives into crisis management. The analysis reveals that instruments such as the Risk-Aversion Curve and the Water Bank consolidated Sabesp's operational discretion rather than ensuring equitable allocation, and that successive renewals preserved structural asymmetries between the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo and the donor basin despite adaptive reforms. The findings argue that scarcity under financialized governance is pro-duced rather than merely managed, pointing to the need to confront the spatial and finan-cial logics embedded in large-scale water infrastructure
Measurement of CP asymmetry in D 0 → K S 0 K S 0 decays with Run 3 data
No full textA measurement of CP asymmetry in D0→KS0KS0 decays is reported, based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector in 2024 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.2 fb−1. The D0→KS0π+π− decay is used as calibration channel to cancel residual detection and production asymmetries. The time-integrated CP asymmetry for the D0→KS0KS0 mode is measured to beACPD0→KS0KS0=1.86±1.04±0.41%, where the first uncertainty is statistical, and the second is systematic. This measurement represents the most precise single-experiment determination of this quantity to date
Geophagy in Gibraltar Barbary macaques is a primate tradition anthropogenically induced
No full textWe report, for the first time, geophagy – the deliberate consumption of earth – in the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) population living at the human-primate interface in Gibraltar. We evaluate potential adaptive functions of this behavior in an anthropogenic context, drawing on predictions from the protection and supplementation hypotheses. Geophagy occurred at exceptionally high rates compared to other macaque species and locations, and it was more common in summer when tourist numbers peak. It was also more likely when macaques consumed greater amounts of tourist-derived food, supporting a protective function. Local ecological factors contributed as well, with the distribution of red soil (terra rossa) influencing geophagy frequency. Although the behavior was not linked to female reproductive status, supplementation cannot be fully dismissed given the very limited insectivory in this population. We propose that tourist-derived foods may disrupt gut microbiome composition, producing discomfort that individuals mitigate through soil ingestion. Geophagy is likely socially learned, as groups showed consistent preferences for specific soil types, and its practice in presence of conspecifics offered opportunities for social learning. Reports from other sites indicate that geophagy is not unique to Gibraltar, but in this population it appears to be anthropogenically induced and socially transmitted, forming a locally maintained tradition
Five-year review of corticosteroid duration and complications in the management of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related diarrhoea and colitis in advanced melanoma.
No full textBACKGROUND: Immune-related diarrhoea/colitis (ir-D/C) is a common adverse event of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Guidelines recommend corticosteroid (CS) treatment; however, the average treatment duration for ir-D/C remains poorly defined. METHODS: All advanced melanoma patients treated with ICI therapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital between 2011 and 2016 were reviewed to identify ir-D/C cases alongside clinical variables. RESULTS: 117 any-grade ir-D/C episodes occurred in 109 (21%) patients out of a total of 519 patients treated (ipilimumab=77 episodes, anti-PD1=17 (nivolumab or pembrolizumab), ipilimumab and nivolumab=23 (ipi+nivo)) (seven patients had ir-D/C more than once on different lines of treatment) and >/=grade 3 ir-D/C occurred most frequently (63/519 patients (12%) vs 29/519 (5%) grade 1, and 25/519 (5%) grade 2). Median onset (days) of all-grade ir-D/C after starting ICI therapy was 41 for ipilimumab (IQR 24 to 59, n=77), 91 for anti-PD1 (IQR 46 to 355, n=17) and 45 for ipi+nivo (IQR 24 to 67, n=23). In 71/117 (61%) patients, ir-D/C episodes were treated with CS (17% grade 2; 79% grade 3/4): 54 being steroid-responsive; 17 being steroid-refractory and received additional anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment. Median grade 3 ir-D/C CS duration was similar across treatments, averaging 58 days. Median overall CS duration (days) was longer in the grade 3/4 D/C steroid-refractory group (94 vs 45 days). Infection developed in 11/71 (15%) CS recipients and in 6/17 (35%) anti-TNF recipients. In 65/117 (55%) patients, ir-D/C episodes were investigated with flexible sigmoidoscopy. Of these patients, 38/65 (58%) had macroscopic colitis and 12/65 (18%) had microscopic colitis. The steroid-refractory group had more macroscopic changes, 13/17 (76%), than the steroid-responsive group, 22/41 (54%). CONCLUSION: Rates of grade 3 ir-D/C were higher than reported in clinical trials. The 58-day median duration of CS therapy for grade 3 ir-D/C places a significant number of patients at risk of complications. We demonstrate that microscopic colitis is an important subgroup, advocating biopsies in ir-D/C even with macroscopically normal bowel
Hybrid B- and T-Cell Immunity Associates With Protection Against Breakthrough Infection After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) Participants
No full textBackground: Immunological memory to vaccination and viral infection involves the coordinated action of B and T cells; thus, integrated analysis of these 2 components is critical for understanding their respective contributions to protection against breakthrough infections (BIs) after vaccination. Methods: We investigated cellular and humoral immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and/or vaccination in 300 adult participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Participants were grouped by those with (cases) and without (controls) a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To provide a quantitative correlate for protection against BI in the 8-month period after the study, Youden index thresholds were calculated for all immune measures analyzed. Results: The magnitude of antibody and T-cell responses following the second vaccine dose was associated with protection against BI in participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (cases), but not in infection-naive controls. Over 8 months of follow-up, 2 threshold combinations provided the best performance for protection against BI in cases: (i) anti-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) (≥666.4 binding antibody units [BAU]/mL) combined with anti-nucleocapsid pan-immunoglobulin (pan-Ig) (≥0.1332 BAU/mL) and (ii) spike 1–specific T cells (≥195.6 spot-forming units/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells) combined with anti-N pan-Ig (≥0.1332 BAU/mL). Both combinations offered 100% specificity for detecting cases without BI, with sensitivities of 83.3% and 72.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Collectively, these results suggest that hybrid B- and T-cell immunity offers superior protection from BI after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, and this finding has implications for designing next-generation COVID-19 vaccines that are capable of eliciting immunity to a broader repertoire of SARS-CoV-2 proteins
‘Am I less British?’: Racism, belonging, and the children of refugees and immigrants in North London
No full textEnergy consumption of standard and contrast-enhanced mammography: a step towards sustainable breast imaging.
No full textOBJECTIVES: To quantify and compare the energy consumption of standard digital mammography (DM) and contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), assess differences across manufacturers, and identify strategies to improve energy efficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study measured direct energy consumption from three mammography systems across two vendors in a tertiary breast care centre. In total, 193 examinations were analysed: 79 on Machine A, 92 on Machine B, and 22 CEM exams on Machine C. Minute-by-minute power monitoring provided net and gross energy per exam. A multivariable regression model adjusted for machine type, exam characteristics, and patient variables. Daily-level analyses evaluated baseload energy relative to workload, and annual energy use was estimated via Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS: Machine B consumed more net energy per exam but achieved the lowest gross energy use due to minimal standby power. Machine A showed lower net but higher gross energy, primarily from greater idle consumption. Machine C had comparable net energy to A but higher gross energy per exam as a consequence of fewer daily exams. Machine type was the dominant determinant of energy use, while exam type, breast thickness, and density had no significant impact. Higher daily exam volumes improved energy efficiency across all systems, particularly for C. Annual energy estimates ranged from ~1660 to 2300 kWh per machine, with B consistently most efficient. CONCLUSION: Mammography exhibits modest energy consumption, largely driven by standby operation rather than imaging activity. Vendor-specific differences exist, but DM and CEM show comparable net energy use. KEY POINTS: Question Measure the energy use of standard digital and CEM, evaluate energy efficiency across vendors, and identify ways to reduce energy consumption. Findings Mammography uses relatively little energy, mostly during idle time; energy efficiency varies by manufacturer, and CEM does not increase net energy demand. Clinical relevance Optimizing scheduling appointments, powering down machines after hours, and considering vendor efficiency can significantly cut the environmental footprint of breast imaging without compromising patient care
Archival Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer Photometry and Zwicky Transient Facility Localization of Galactic Novae: Quiescent Constraints and Improved Coordinates
No full textWe present archival photometry from the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) for four Galactic novae discovered between 2017 and 2024, spanning some of the faintest ZTF24aaomlxy and PGIR22akgylf (at a marginal near-limit level consistent with the practical limiting magnitude of calibrated L to the brightest V1405 Cas and V1674 Her recent eruptions. For each object, we extract GOTO measurements obtained at or near the pre-eruption state, excluding data points with observational uncertainties exceeding 0.5 mag (except for the faintest PGIR22akgylf). The resulting light curves show that GOTO can detect nova progenitors close to its observable limiting depth at calibrated L magnitudes approaching the survey’s practical limiting magnitude, providing meaningful constraints on quiescent brightness, possibly for systems that were only sparsely monitored using surveys such as ZTF and PGIR. These detections demonstrate that wide-field imaging originally designed for gravitational-wave follow-up can yield meaningful limits on both faint and fast-evolving nova progenitors. Simultaneously, we improve the sky positions of five Galactic novae—ZTF24aaomlxy, V3732 Oph, V2000 Aql, V3666 Oph, and V659 Sct—whose published coordinates are affected by crowding or limited precision. Using high-cadence photometry from ZTF and AAVSO, we identify the actual eruption source in each field and obtain revised coordinates that differ by several arcseconds. These findings highlight the importance of time-domain archives for identifying faint nova progenitors and improving astrometric accuracy across the Galactic nova population
Asymmetries in human judgements of distance for approaching and receding sounds are predicted by a loudness model for time-varying sounds
No full textJudging the distance of approaching threats is fundamental to an organism’s survival. The adaptive looming bias theory posits that the auditory system evolved to produce a bias for approaching sounds, predicting: (1) judged start/end distances of approaching sounds will be smaller than the judged end/start distances of receding sounds moving over equivalent distances; (2) such asymmetries will be larger for closer than for farther distances; (3) asymmetries will be greater for tones than broadband noise; (4) approaching sounds will be judged to travel a greater distance than receding sounds. Blindfolded participants judged starting and end distances for virtual anechoic approaching or receding tones and white noise, moving 11 m over three distance ranges (close, middle, and far). Participants also judged static sound distances. The results were consistent with predictions (1) and (2), but not (3) and (4). The pattern of results was accurately predicted using a model of loudness for time-varying sounds, suggesting that when level is the primary distance cue, distance judgements for static and dynamic sounds are based on loudness; it is not necessary to invoke the adaptive perceptual bias theory to account for asymmetries in loudness and distance judgements between approaching and receding sounds