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Searching for Earth-sized planets in data from Kepler's extended mission (K2) is a niche that still remains to be fully exploited. The TFAW survey is an ongoing project that aims to re-analyse all light curves in K2 C1-C8 and C12-C18 campaigns with a wavelet-based detrending and denoising method, and the period search algorithm TLS to search for new transit candidates not detected in previous works. We have analysed a first subset of 24 candidate planetary systems around relatively faint host stars (10.9 < Kp < 15.4) to allow for follow-up speckle imaging observations. Using vespa and TRICERATOPS, we statistically validate six candidates orbiting four unique host stars by obtaining false-positive probabilities smaller than 1 per cent with both methods. We also present 13 vetted planet candidates that might benefit from other, more precise follow-up observations. All of these planets are sub-Neptune-sized with two validated planets and three candidates with sub-Earth sizes, and have orbital periods between 0.81 and 23.98 d. Some interesting systems include two ultra-short-period planets, three multiplanetary systems, three sub-Neptunes that appear to be within the small planet Radius Gap, and two validated and one candidate sub-Earths (EPIC 210706310.01, K2-411 b, and K2-413 b) orbiting metal-poor stars. © 2022 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

We report the measurement of K*0 meson at midrapidity (|y|< 1.0) in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, and 39 GeV collected by the STAR experiment during the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) beam energy scan program. The transverse momentum spectra, yield, and average transverse momentum of K*0 are presented as functions of collision centrality and beam energy. The K*0/K yield ratios are presented for different collision centrality intervals and beam energies. The K*0/K ratio in heavy-ion collisions are observed to be smaller than that in small-system collisions (e+e and p+p). The K*0/K ratio follows a similar centrality dependence to that observed in previous RHIC and Large Hadron Collider measurements. The data favor the scenario of the dominance of hadronic rescattering over regeneration for K*0 production in the hadronic phase of the medium.

We report on measurements of sequential Υ suppression in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%–60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (RAA), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the Υ(3S) RAA is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the Υ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the Υ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for Υ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited Υ states.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis is widely believed to be associated with the production and deposition of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are composed of a highly-phosphorylated form of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Based on the above hypothesis, there are currently no sufficiently effective technologies and drugs for early detection and treatment of AD. Even the most promising new drug Lecanemab that is based on an anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody therapy, has only partially slowed down the cognitive performance of patients with mild impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease. The main symptoms of AD brain tissue lesions in patients are the deposition of β-amyloid peptide and the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, which aggregates the microtubule structure of neurons. Therefore, Aβ deposition and hyperphosphorylation of Tau are important pathological biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the main targets of research for AD prevention, detection and pharmaceuticals are still Aβ and Tau protein. The aim of this study was to detect the changes of Aβ and Tau proteins in the mouse brain tissue with AD and control samples using Visible Resonance Raman (VRR) spectroscopic technology. An attempt was made to develop criteria for the detection of early AD lesions by optical spectroscopy technology. The VRR spectra of AD, the control mouse brain tissues, and Aβ and Tau proteins were recorded and analyzed. The AD and the control mouse brain tissue samples were selected from the thalamus, frontal lobe cortex and hippocampus brain areas. VRR technology with high spatial resolution and the resonance-enhanced features of certain protein molecules is first used in this study to detect and characterize the changes of Aβ and Tau proteins in AD mouse brain model. The optical spectroscopy biomarkers of AD and Control brain tissue were identified in fingerprint and the high-wavenumber regions. The Raman spectra of the secondary structure of protein in amide (I-II-III-B-A) are detected and analyzed. The results indicate that the intensity of Amide I decreased at the 1666 cm^-1 corresponding to the β-sheet structure, and the intensity of the amide III bands (1220- 1320 cm^-1) increased in all AD brain tissues. It was also observed that the Raman peaks of 1448 and 980 cm^-1 related to the abundance of proline, serine, and threonine at tau phosphorylation sites were significantly enhanced in the frontal lobe cortex and hippocampus of AD brain tissues. The intensity ratio biomarker of high phosphorylation in the high wavenumber range from 2898 to 2932 cm-1 increased in all AD brain tissues. Changes of protein secondary conformation and abnormally phosphorylated tau or tauopathies were observed. In summary, VRR is a sensitive tool for characterizing protein structural changes and monitoring the tau phosphorylation. It may potentially be used for early detection of AD.

Native fluorescence spectra of retinoic acid (RA)-treated and untreated human breast cancer cells were measured using selective wavelengths of 300 nm and 340 nm for excitation. The spectral data of the two types of cells were analyzed using machine learning algorithms for linear unmixing and classification which yielded high accuracy. The results show that the concentrations of the native fluorophores such as tryptophan, NADH and flavins in the human malignant breast cells change when they are treated with RA. The study shows the dual-wavelength fluorescence spectroscopy aided by machine learning has potential clinical applications in drug development and chemotherapeutic studies.

There is still a lack of reliable intraoperative tools for glioma diagnosis and to guide the maximal safe resection of glioma. We report continuing work on the optical biopsy method to detect glioma grades and assess glioma boundaries intraoperatively using the VRR-LRRTM Raman analyzer, which is based on the visible resonance Raman spectroscopy (VRR) technique. A total of 2220 VRR spectra were collected during surgeries from 63 unprocessed fresh glioma tissues using the VRR-LRRTM Raman analyzer. After the VRR spectral analysis, we found differences in the native molecules in the fingerprint region and in the high-wavenumber region, and differences between normal (control) and different grades of glioma tissues. A principal component analysis–support vector machine (PCA-SVM) machine learning method was used to distinguish glioma tissues from normal tissues and different glioma grades. The accuracy in identifying glioma from normal tissue was over 80%, compared with the gold standard of histopathology reports of glioma. The VRR-LRRTM Raman analyzer may be a new label-free, real-time optical molecular pathology tool aiding in the intraoperative detection of glioma and identification of tumor boundaries, thus helping to guide maximal safe glioma removal and adjacent healthy tissue preservation.

We report a measurement of cumulants and correlation functions of event-by-event proton multiplicity distributions from fixed-target Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 3 GeV measured by the STAR experiment. Protons are identified within the rapidity (y) and transverse momentum (pT) region −0.9<y<0 and 0.4<pT<2.0 GeV/c in the center-of-mass frame. A systematic analysis of the proton cumulants and correlation functions up to sixth order as well as the corresponding ratios as a function of the collision centrality, pT, and y are presented. The effect of pileup and initial volume fluctuations on these observables and the respective corrections are discussed in detail. The results are compared to calculations from the hadronic transport UrQMD model as well as a hydrodynamic model. In the most central 5% collisions, the value of proton cumulant ratio C4/C2 is negative, drastically different from the values observed in Au+Au collisions at higher energies. Compared to model calculations including lattice QCD, a hadronic transport model, and a hydrodynamic model, the strong suppression in the ratio of C4/C2 at 3 GeV Au+Au collisions indicates an energy regime dominated by hadronic interactions.

Azimuthal anisotropy of produced particles is one of the most important observables used to access the collective properties of the expanding medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. In this paper, we present second (v2) and third (v3) order azimuthal anisotropies of KS0, φ, Λ, Ξ, and ω at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sNN=54.4 GeV measured by the STAR detector. The v2 and v3 are measured as a function of transverse momentum and centrality. Their energy dependence is also studied. v3 is found to be more sensitive to the change in the center-of-mass energy than v2. Scaling by constituent quark number is found to hold for v2 within 10%. This observation could be evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in 54.4 GeV Au+Au collisions. Differences in v2 and v3 between baryons and antibaryons are presented, and ratios of v3/v23/2 are studied and motivated by hydrodynamical calculations. The ratio of v2 of φ mesons to that of antiprotons [v2(φ)/v2(p¯)] shows centrality dependence at low transverse momentum, presumably resulting from the larger effects from hadronic interactions on antiproton v2. © 2023 American Physical Society.

We present the first measurements of transverse momentum spectra of π±, K±, p(p¯) at midrapidity (|y|<0.1) in U+U collisions at sNN= 193 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The centrality dependence of particle yields, average transverse momenta, particle ratios and kinetic freeze-out parameters are discussed. The results are compared with the published results from Au+Au collisions at sNN= 200 GeV in STAR. The results are also compared to those from A Multi-Phase Transport (ampt) model. © 2023 American Physical Society.

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C5, C6) and factorial cumulants (κ5, κ6) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sNN) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C6/C2 for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μB≤110 MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κn, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μB∼750 MeV at sNN=3 GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μB∼24 MeV at sNN=200 GeV and higher collision energies. © 2023 American Physical Society.

A decisive experimental test of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) is considered one of the major scientific goals at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) towards understanding the nontrivial topological fluctuations of the Quantum Chromodynamics vacuum. In heavy-ion collisions, the CME is expected to result in a charge separation phenomenon across the reaction plane, whose strength could be strongly energy dependent. The previous CME searches have been focused on top RHIC energy collisions. In this Letter, we present a low energy search for the CME in Au+Au collisions at sNN=27 GeV. We measure elliptic flow scaled charge-dependent correlators relative to the event planes that are defined at both mid-rapidity |η|<1.0 and at forward rapidity 2.1<|η|<5.1. We compare the results based on the directed flow plane (Ψ1) at forward rapidity and the elliptic flow plane (Ψ2) at both central and forward rapidity. The CME scenario is expected to result in a larger correlation relative to Ψ1 than to Ψ2, while a flow driven background scenario would lead to a consistent result for both event planes. In 10-50% centrality, results using three different event planes are found to be consistent within experimental uncertainties, suggesting a flow driven background scenario dominating the measurement. We obtain an upper limit on the deviation from a flow driven background scenario at the 95% confidence level. This work opens up a possible road map towards future CME search with the high statistics data from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan Phase-II.

The linear and mode-coupled contributions to higher-order anisotropic flow are presented for Au+Au collisions at sNN = 27, 39, 54.4, and 200 GeV and compared to similar measurements for Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The coefficients and the flow harmonics' correlations, which characterize the linear and mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, indicate a beam energy dependence consistent with an influence from the specific shear viscosity (η/s). In contrast, the dimensionless coefficients, mode-coupled response coefficients, and normalized symmetric cumulants are approximately beam-energy independent, consistent with a significant role from initial-state effects. These measurements could provide unique supplemental constraints to (i) distinguish between different initial-state models and (ii) delineate the temperature (T) and baryon chemical potential (μB) dependence of the specific shear viscosity ηs(T,μB).

The Stokes shift spectra (S3) of human cancerous and normal prostate tissues were collected label free at a selected wavelength interval of 40 nm to investigate the efficacy of the approach based on three key molecules—tryptophan, collagen, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)—as cancer biomarkers. S3 combines both fluorescence and absorption spectra in one scan. The S3 spectra were analyzed using machine learning (ML) algorithms, including principal component analysis (PCA), nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), and support vector machines (SVMs). The components retrieved from the S3 spectra were considered principal biomarkers. The differences in the weights of the components between the two types of tissues were found to be significant. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated to evaluate the performance of SVM classification. This research demonstrates that S3 spectroscopy is effective for detecting the changes in the relative concentrations of the endogenous fluorophores in tissues due to the development of cancer label free. © 2023 Optica Publishing Group.

Notwithstanding decades of progress since Yukawa first developed a description of the force between nucleons in terms of meson exchange1, a full understanding of the strong interaction remains a considerable challenge in modern science. One remaining difficulty arises from the non-perturbative nature of the strong force, which leads to the phenomenon of quark confinement at distances on the order of the size of the proton. Here we show that, in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, in which quarks and gluons are set free over an extended volume, two species of produced vector (spin-1) mesons, namely ϕ and K*0, emerge with a surprising pattern of global spin alignment. In particular, the global spin alignment for ϕ is unexpectedly large, whereas that for K*0 is consistent with zero. The observed spin-alignment pattern and magnitude for ϕ cannot be explained by conventional mechanisms, whereas a model with a connection to strong force fields2–6, that is, an effective proxy description within the standard model and quantum chromodynamics, accommodates the current data. This connection, if fully established, will open a potential new avenue for studying the behaviour of strong force fields. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Elliptic flow measurements from two-, four-, and six-particle correlations are used to investigate flow fluctuations in collisions of U+U at √sNN=193 GeV, Cu+Au at √sNN=200 GeV and Au+Au spanning the range √sNN=11.5–200 GeV. The measurements show a strong dependence of the flow fluctuations on collision centrality, a modest dependence on system size, and very little if any, dependence on particle species and beam energy. The results, when compared to similar LHC measurements, viscous hydrodynamic calculations, and trento model eccentricities, indicate that initial-state-driven fluctuations predominate the flow fluctuations generated in the collisions studied.

The green, sustainable, and inexpensive creation of novel materials, primarily nanoparticles, with effective energy-storing properties, is key to addressing both the rising demand for energy storage and the mounting environmental concerns throughout the world. Here, an orange peel extract is used to make cobalt oxide nanoparticles from cobalt nitrate hexahydrate. The orange peel extract has Citrus reticulata, which is a key biological component that acts as a ligand and a reducing agent during the formation of nanoparticles. Additionally, the same nanoparticles were also obtained from various precursors for phase and electrochemical behavior comparisons. The prepared Co-nanoparticles were also sulfurized and phosphorized to enhance the electrochemical properties. The synthesized samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopic and X-ray diffraction techniques. The cobalt oxide nanoparticle showed a specific capacitance of 90 F/g at 1 A/g, whereas the cobalt sulfide and phosphide samples delivered an improved specific capacitance of 98 F/g and 185 F/g at 1 A/g. The phosphide-based nanoparticles offer more than 85% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. This study offers a green strategy to prepare nanostructured materials for energy applications.

Two-particle correlation measurements projected onto two-dimensional, transverse rapidity coordinates (yT1,yT2) provide an independent, orthogonal view of the multidimensional correlation distribution that is most often studied via angular projections. As such, these independent transverse projections allow access to manifestations of dynamical fluctuations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions that angular-correlation measurements may not be sensitive to. We report nonidentified charged-particle correlations for Au+Au minimum-bias collisions at √sNN=200 GeV taken by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). Correlations are presented as two-dimensional functions of transverse rapidity for like-sign, unlike-sign, and all charged-particle pairs, as well as for particle pairs whose relative azimuthal angles lie on the near-side, the away-side, or at all relative azimuth. The correlations are constructed using charged particles with transverse momentum pT≥0.15 GeV/c, pseudorapidity from −1 to 1, and azimuthal angles from −π to π. The significant correlation structures that are observed evolve smoothly with collision centrality. The major correlation features include a saddle shape plus a broad peak with maximum near yT≈3, corresponding to pT≈1.5 GeV/c. The broad peak is observed in both like- and unlike-sign charge combinations and in near- and away-side relative azimuthal angles. The all-charge, all-azimuth correlation measurements are compared with the predictions of hijing and epos to provide theoretical context for these new measurements. The results indicate that the correlations for peripheral to mid-central collisions can be approximately described as a superposition of nucleon + nucleon collisions with minimal effects from the quantum chromodynamics medium. Strong medium effects are indicated in mid- to most-central collisions.

The STAR Collaboration reports measurements of the transverse single-spin asymmetries, AN, for inclusive jets and identified “hadrons within jets” production at midrapidity from transversely polarized pp collisions at √s=200 GeV, based on data recorded in 2012 and 2015. The inclusive jet asymmetry measurements include AN for inclusive jets and AN for jets containing a charged pion carrying a momentum fraction z>0.3 of the jet momentum. The identified hadron within jet asymmetry measurements include the Collins effect for charged pions, kaons, and protons, and the Collins-like effect for charged pions. The measured asymmetries are determined for several distinct kinematic regions characterized by the jet transverse momentum pT and pseudorapidity η, as well as the hadron momentum fraction z and momentum transverse to the jet axis jT. These results probe higher momentum scales (Q2 up to ∼900 GeV2) than current, semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering measurements, and they provide new constraints on quark transversity in the proton and enable tests of evolution, universality, and factorization breaking in the transverse-momentum-dependent formalism.

Quark interactions with topological gluon configurations can induce local chirality imbalance and parity violation in quantum chromodynamics, which can lead to the chiral magnetic effect (CME)—an electric charge separation along the strong magnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The CME-sensitive azimuthal correlator observable (Δγ) is contaminated by background arising, in part, from resonance decays coupled with elliptic anisotropy (v2). We report here differential measurements of the correlator as a function of the pair invariant mass (minv) in 20–50% centrality Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV by the STAR experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Strong resonance background contributions to Δγ are observed. At large minv where this background is significantly reduced, the Δγ value is found to be significantly smaller. An event-shape-engineering technique is deployed to determine the v2 background shape as a function of minv. We extract a v2-independent and minv-averaged signal Δγsig=(0.03±0.06±0.08)×10−4, or (2±4±5)% of the inclusive Δγ(minv>0.4 GeV/c2)=(1.58±0.02±0.02)×10−4, within pion pT=0.2–0.8 GeV/c and averaged over pseudorapidity ranges of −1<η<−0.05 and 0.05<η<1. This represents an upper limit of 0.23×10−4, or 15% of the inclusive result, at 95% confidence level for the minv-integrated CME contribution.

We report on the use of label-free, native fluorescence (NFL) spectroscopy and machine learning (ML) algorithms to study the correlation of relative tryptophan levels with prostate cancer aggressiveness. Three extensively studied prostate cancer cell lines were used; PC3, an aggressive, androgen-resistant line, with a high tendency to metastasize in vivo, DU-145, a less aggressive cancer cell line, also androgen-resistant, and LNCaP, an androgen sensitive line, which has a low tendency to metastasize. Using an excitation of 300nm, differences in the NFL spectral profiles from these cell lines were found to correlate with changes in the relative concentrations of tryptophan and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The use of ML may present a powerful tool for the assessment of the likelihood of a cancer to metastasize. This technique could aid in the decision whether to use highly aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgical resection of a prostate cancer.