Current view of neurotransmitter changes underlying tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of a monotonous sound not present in the environment. Nearly 20% of the U.S. population suffers from tinnitus, and tinnitus has been reported to be the most prevalent service-connected disability of all U.S. veterans （Henry et al., 2005; Eggermont, 2012; Veterans Benefits Administration, 2014）. Many types of peripheral injury have been understood to induce tinnitus, including damage to the cochlea by intense sound or ototoxic medications and destruction of the auditory nerve by cochlear ablation or nerve transection （Lee and God- frey, 2014）. The pathophysiological mechanisms by which tin- nitus develops are only poorly understood. In order to further clarify the pathogenesis, a need has been expressed for a better understanding of the rebalancing of excitatory and inhibitory signaling mechanisms that occur after peripheral injury （Gold and Bajo, 2014）. One of the current, prominent hypotheses of tinnitus development is that, after being triggered by peripheral injury, tinnitus may result from a maladaptation of the central auditory system to this peripheral dysfunction （Auerbach et al., 2014）, and that one of the mechanisms by which this occurs is a decrease in inhibitory neurotransmission. The major struc- tures that play a role in transmitting neural activity through the ascending central auditory system include the cochlear nucleus and superior olivary complex of the pons-medulla region, the inferior colliculus of the midbrain, the medial geniculate nude- us of the thalamus, and the auditory cortex.

Variations in tidal currents and suspended sediment concentration of the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary over the past 10 years

The tidal current duration （TCD） and velocity （TCV） and suspended sediment concentration （SSC） were measured in the dry season in December, 2011 and in the flood season in June, 2012 at the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary. They were assimilated with the measured data in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007, using the tidal range＇s proportion conversion. Variations in TCD and TCV, preferential flow and SSC have been calculated. Influences of typical engineering projects such as Qingcaosha fresh water reservoir, Yangtze River Bridge, and land reclamation on the ebb and flood TCD, TCV and SSC in the North Channel for the last 10 years are discussed. The results show that： （1） currently, in the upper part of North Channel, the ebb tide dominates; after the construction of the typical projects, ebb TCD and TCV tends to be larger and the vertical average ebb and flood SSC decrease during the flood season while SSC increases during the dry season; （2） changes in the vertical average TCV are mainly contributed by seasonal runoff variation during the flood season, which is larger in the flood season than that in the dry season; the controlling parameters of increasing ebb TCD and TCV are those large-scale engineering projects in the North Channel; variation in SSC may result mainly from the reduction of basin annual sediment loads, large-scale nearshore projects and so on.

The response of surface sedimental diatoms to the environment and its potential significance in the Taiwan Strait,western Pacific

As the most important component of marine siliceous organisms,diatoms are vital primary producers of the ocean that are often used as indicators of paleoenvironmental change.To understand the response of sedimental diatoms to regional environmental changes and the factors affecting the distribution of sedimental diatoms in the Taiwan Strait,this study quantified and classified the diatoms found in surface sediments collected during four surveys from 2019 to 2020.Overall,118 diatom taxa and 44 genera were identified with total diatom abundance of 8-27353 valves/g.Four diatom assemblages representing different environments were identified.Among them,assemblageⅠrepresented a coastal environment,assemblageⅡcomprised warm water species of a coastal environment,AssemblageⅢrepresented a coastal environment affected markedly by exorheism,AssemblageⅣrepresented a group with lowest diatom abundance.Seasonal variation in total diatom abundance was controlled by seven environmental factors:depth,sea surface salinity,mean grain size,silicate,nitrite,nitrate,and phosphate.Spatiotemporal variation in each of the diatom assemblages was substantial and strongly affected by various currents,upwelling,and low-salinity water.Specifically,it was found that the succession of diatom assemblages reflects change in the range of influence of local warm currents.

Study of Top Quark FCNC

We study the one-loop contribution of the effective flavor changing neutral couplings （FCNC） tcZ on the charm quark electric dipole moment. Using the known limits on the top and charm quarks electric dipole moments, we place limits on these FCNC anomalous couplings.

The Top－Charm Associated Production Within the R－Parity Violating Supersymmetric Model in Photon－Proton Collisions

The top-charm associated production with the effects from both B- and L-violating interactions in TeV scale photon-proton collisions is investigated in the framework of minimal supersymmetric standard model. Within the bounds on the relevant R-parity violating couplings, the total cross section will reach the order of 10 fb in some parts of the parameter space.

Top Quark Flavor Changing Decay t→ cH^0 in Little Higgs Model

We study theoretically the quantum effects of the littlest Higgs model (LH) mediated by flavor changing one-loop Feynman diagrams on the rare decay process t → cH0. The comparison of the decay width in the LH model with that in the standard model (SM) is made. We find that the decay branch ratio of t → cH0 in the LH model is at most of the order ～ 10-12, which is two order larger than in the SM. The numerical results show that the difference between the branch ratios in the LH model and the SM is generally sensitive to the LH model parameters, such as symmetry breaking scale f, Higgs boson mass mH0, and x = v'4f /v2 in our chosen parameter space, but relatively insensitive to the value choice of the cosine of the mixing angle c and the ratio λ1/λ2.

Studying the current properties of buffer solution through micro-fluidic channels driven with the pulse bias

In the research of bio-molecular chips and sensors, extra electric biases are most often employed to control and manipulate the DNA and protein molecules moving through micro/nano-fluidic channels. In order to accurately and flexibly control the bio-molecules as they move within the channels, a clear understanding of how the current changes within the buffer solution caused by an applied bias is fundamental. In this report, the current changed value of different buffer solutions, e.g., KC1, TE, and TBE was systematically studied with real-time monitoring and quantitative analysis in the situation of the buffers moving through a fluidic channel with a 5 μm inner diameter, driven by biases of 50 or 100 mV. The results revealed that the relation- ship between the current changed value and the pause interval of the applied electric field is highly consistent with the Hill Equation, which is helpful for accurately detecting and manipulating single biomolecules in microfluidic sensors and biochips.

Model dependent analysis of D^(+)_(s)→η^(′)l+v_(l) decays in beyond standard model

Motivated by the recent experimental results of branching fractions for D^(+)_(s)→η^(′)l+v_(l) decays,which deviate from their SM predictions,we hve investigated these decays in W' model and scalar leptoquark model to determine potential signatures of new physics(NP) in semileptonic charm decays induced by c→(s,d)l+v_(l) transitions.Using recent experimental results of branching fractions for semileptonic D meson decays,new coupling parameters are predicted for the aforementioned NP models.Branching fraction,forward-backward asymmetry,and lepton polarization asymmetry are examined by considering the predicted NP coupling parameters.The results of branching fractions in scalar leptoquark model are found very close to the experimental results and exist around the range of 1σ deviation.We presented a comparative study of the NP models to check their sensitivity on these decays.We anticipate that further research on these decays will significantly support our findings.

D^(+)→π^(+)v■decay process within the QCDSR approach

In this paper,we investigate the charmed meson rare decay process D^(+)→π^(+)v■using an approach based on QCD sum rules.First,the pion twist-2,3 distribution amplitude(DA)moments<ξ_(2)^(n);|μand<ξ3;π(p,σ),n>|μ,are calculated up to the tenth and fourth orders,respectively,in the QCD sum rules according to the background field theory.After constructing the light-cone harmonic oscillator model for the pion twist-2,3 D As,we obtain their behaviors by matching the calculatedξ-moments.Then,the D→πtransition form factors(TFFs)are calculated using an approach based on QCD light-cone sum rules.The vector form factor at the large recoil region is f_(+)^(D)→^(π)(0)=0.627_(-0.080)^(+0.120).Using the rapidly converging simplified series expansion of z(q^(2),t),we present the TFFs and corresponding angular coefficients in the whole squared momentum transfer physical region.Based on nonstandard neutrino interactions,the■^(0)→π^(+)e■_(e)decay can be related to the■^(0)→π^(+)e■_(e)decay indirectly.Thus,we first describe the semileptonic decay process■^(0)→π^(+)e■_(e),differential decay widths,and branching fraction with B(■^(0)→π^(+)e■_(e))=0.308_(-0.066)^(+0.155)×10^(2).The■^(0)→π^(+)e■_(e)differential/total predictions for forward-backward asymmetry,q^(2)-differential flat terms,and lepton polarization asymmetry are also reported.The prediction for the D^(+)→π^(+)v■branching fraction isB(D^(+)→π^(+)v■)=1.85_(-0.46)+^(0.93)×10^(-8).

Flavor-alignment in an S_(3)-symmetric Higgs sector and its RG-behavior

A three Higgs-doublet model exhibiting S_(3)-symmetry can predict the observed pattern of quark masses and their mixings. However, the same symmetry also introduces potential flavor-changing neutral currents(FCNCs)at the tree level. In this study, we assume that the scalar potential contains appropriate soft S_(3)-breaking terms to maintain flexible choices of scalar masses. We identify the parameters in the Yukawa Lagrangian of the quark sector responsible for such FCNCs and constrain them using data from flavor physics observables, such as meson-decays and meson-mixings. We also validate the corresponding model parameter space via renormalization group evaluation.