bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal ratio as an index of animal growth rate
Authors: Kong Wye‐Lup , Miki Takeshi , Lin Ya‐Ying , Makino Wataru , Urabe Jotaro , Gu Shi‐Hong , Machida Ryuji J.
Published: October 2019

Quantification of growth is an important step to understand the flow of elements and energy in food webs, although in situ estimation of the growth rate is generally very difficult. The present study proposes the nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal ratio as a novel index of animal growth rate. Mitochondrial ribosomes are responsible for biosynthesis of energy (adenosine triphosphate) producing proteins, while nuclear‐encoded cytosolic ribosomes are responsible for other proteins, including cell growth and division. Synthesis of ribosomes requires large amounts of environmentally limiting nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the allocation of those elements between the two ribosome types changes with nutrient availability and hence, affects growth rate. The present study conducted laboratory growth experiments of Daphnia magna using various food concentration and temperature treatments. A positive correlation was found between nuclear‐encoded cytosolic to mitochondrial ribosomal ratio and somatic growth rate. A significant positive correlation was found between food concentration treatments and the ratio, but not between temperature treatments and the ratio. Our results demonstrate that the ratio between nuclear‐encoded cytosolic and mitochondrial ribosomes has the potential to be an effective growth rate estimator, but requires further modification and improvement. As total RNA of community samples is mostly composed of ribosomal RNA, analysis of sequence frequencies using high‐throughput sequencers allow application of our findings. Ratios of the obtained ribosomal RNA sequences from the community sample give us not only the taxonomic composition of the community but also a growth index of each group.
Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate (PHB) Improves Nursery-Phase Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei Defense against Vibriosis
Authors: Situmorang Magdalena Lenny , Suantika Gede , Santoso Marchelia , Khakim Abdul , Wibowo Indra , Aditiawati Pingkan , Haniswita
Published: October 2019

This study assessed the effect of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) on the growth, survival, and disease resistance of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A 20-d feeding test using 30-d-postlarval Pacific white shrimp (100 shrimp/tank) tested three different diets: 0.3 g PHB/kg diet, 0.5 g PHB/kg diet, and commercial feed containing no PHB as the control. The feeding test was followed by a 10-d bacterial challenge test using Vibrio harveyi. After the feeding test, the highest average final body weight, specific growth rate, and total biomass (mean ± SD = 0.44 ± 0.28 g, 28.82 ± 2.08%/d, and 25.91 ± 7.19 g, respectively) were found in the 0.5 g PHB/kg diet group, while the 0.3 g PHB/kg diet showed the highest survival rate (67.00 ± 8.83%). After the Vibrio harveyi challenge test, both PHB diet treatments resulted in the same significantly higher survival rate (96.66 ± 4.71%) compared with the control treatment (70.00 ± 4.71%). The highest body weight gain during the challenge test was seen in the 0.5 g PHB/kg diet group. Total abundance of heterotrophic bacteria and Vibrio spp. was relatively similar for all treatments. Histopathological analysis showed that hepatopancreas samples from PHB-supplemented Pacific white shrimp showed decreasing tubular epithelial cell lesions as a result of Vibrio harveyi infection, suggesting that PHB protected the hepatopancreas of Pacific white shrimp from the destructive effect of Vibrio harveyi infection. Supplementation at 0.5 g PHB/kg significantly increased Pacific white shrimp survival and growth with or without Vibrio harveyi infection and, thus, has high potential for further use in Pacific white shrimp aquaculture.
The combined plastic and discrete fracture deformation framework for finite‐discrete element methods
Authors: Rougier Esteban , Munjiza Antonio , Lei Zhou , Chau Viet Tuan , Knight Earl Eugene , Hunter Abigail , Srinivasan Gowri
Published: October 2019

The combined finite‐discrete element method (FDEM) was originally developed for fracture and fragmentation of brittle materials, more specifically for cementitious and rock‐like materials. In this work, a combination of a discrete crack and plastic deformation has been combined and applied to FDEM simulation of fracture. The deformation is described using a FDEM‐specific mechanistic approach with plastic deformation being formulated in material embedded coordinate systems leading to multiplicative decomposition and plastic flow, that is, resolved in stretch space; this is combined with the FDEM fracture and fragmentation criteria. The result and main novelty of the present work is a robust framework for simulation of large strain solid deformation combined with a multiplicative decomposition‐based model that simultaneously involves elasticity, plasticity, and fracture.
Enhanced properties of phthalonitrile resins under lower curing temperature via complex curing agent
Authors: Weng Zhihuan , Hu Yue , Qi Yu , Zhang Shouhai , Liu Cheng , Wang Jinyan , Jian Xigao
Published: October 2019

High curing temperature has been restricting the application and development of phthalonitrile resin. A complex curing agent containing melamine (ME) and ZnCl2 was developed to promote the curing reaction of resorcinol‐based phthalonitrile resin (DPPH). The thermal stability of ME can be significantly enhanced via adding ZnCl2, which was due to the interaction between ZnCl2 and amino group in ME. Moreover, the activities of pristine ZnCl2 and ME were improved via mixing, especially, the curing temperature for DPPH can be effectively reduced. Even at a curing temperature of 300°C, the 5% weight loss temperature of the resulting resin cured with complex curing agent still exceeded 500°C, which was much higher than those with pristine curing agents. In addition, the good long‐term oxidation stability and relatively low water absorption can also be obtained in the resins cured with novel curing agent. This work affords a facile route for designing high‐performance curing agent to improve the curing process of phthalonitrile resin.
22%‐efficient Cd‐free Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cell by all‐dry process using Zn0.8Mg0.2O and Zn0.9Mg0.1O:B as buffer and transparent conductive oxide layers
Authors: Chantana Jakapan , Kawano Yu , Nishimura Takahito , Kimoto Yoshinori , Kato Takuya , Sugimoto Hiroki , Minemoto Takashi
Published: October 2019

Cd‐free Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe)‐based solar cell fabricated by all‐dry process is developed to eliminate optical loss in CdS buffer and be readily applied into in‐line process. (Zn,Mg)O:B (BZMO) films can be deposited with the increased band‐gap energy (Eg) by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and their optical and electrical properties are compared with those of (Zn,Mg)O:Al (AZMO) films prepared by sputtering method. It is shown that the AZMO and BZMO are suitable as transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer to avoid the optical loss at short wavelength of the solar cell. The free‐carrier absorption of the BZMO films is additionally lower than that of the AZMO, attributable to the lower carrier concentration. The low resistivity of the BZMO films with Mg content up to 0.1 in a range of 3 × 10−2 to 6 × 10−2 Ω.cm is observed. The CIGSSe solar cells are then fabricated with the Cs‐treated CIGSSe layers as the absorbers. Consequently, the CIGSSe solar cell with the conventional CdS buffer layer possesses the conversion efficiency (η) of 21.7%. In addition, Cd‐free CIGSSe solar with a structure of glass/Mo/CIGSSe/Zn0.8Mg0.2O/Zn0.9Mg0.1O:B has the increased short‐circuit current density to 39.8 mA/cm2, thereby enhancing the η to 22.0%. This is because there is the reduced free‐carrier absorption and increased Eg (3.57 eV) of Zn0.9Mg0.1O:B layer, which is proved for the high‐level technology. The recombination rates of the solar cells are moreover discussed.
Nanoscale Polarization‐Resolved Surface Photovoltage of a Pleochroic Squaraine Thin Film
Authors: Balzer Frank , Abdullaeva Oliya S. , Maderitsch Angelika , Schulz Matthias , Lützen Arne , Schiek Manuela
Published: October 2019

Local polarized surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy is used to characterize an organic squaraine‐fullerene photovoltaic layer blend. The anisotropic optical response of the textured photoactive layer is dominated by the largely Davydov‐split absorption within the deep red of the crystallized donor compound. Through knowledge of the crystallographic texture, the local molecular in‐plane orientation is deduced. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) maps the differential SPV of the active layer on the nanoscale without complications by interfaces, which is spatially correlated with the pleochroic optical response of the thin film. The SPV shows a wavelength‐dependent, bichromatic change upon rotating the polarization axis of the illuminating light. With that subtler, nanoscaled optoelectronic sensing or actuating platforms become possible.
Focused Ultrasound Preconditioning for Augmented Nanoparticle Penetration and Efficacy in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Mead Brian P. , Curley Colleen T. , Kim Namho , Negron Karina , Garrison William J. , Song Ji , Rao Divya , Miller G. Wilson , Mandell James W. , Purow Benjamin W. , Suk Jung Soo , Hanes Justin , Price Richard J.
Published: October 2019

Microbubble activation with focused ultrasound (FUS) facilitates the noninvasive and spatially‐targeted delivery of systemically administered therapeutics across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). FUS also augments the penetration of nanoscale therapeutics through brain tissue; however, this secondary effect has not been leveraged. Here, 1 MHz FUS sequences that increase the volume of transfected brain tissue after convection‐enhanced delivery of gene‐vector “brain‐penetrating” nanoparticles were first identified. Next, FUS preconditioning is applied prior to trans‐BBB nanoparticle delivery, yielding up to a fivefold increase in subsequent transgene expression. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses of tissue temperature and Ktrans confirm that augmented transfection occurs through modulation of parenchymal tissue with FUS. FUS preconditioning represents a simple and effective strategy for markedly improving the efficacy of gene vector nanoparticles in the central nervous system.
Enhanced Li‐Storage of Ni3S2 Nanowire Arrays with N‐Doped Carbon Coating Synthesized by One‐Step CVD Process and Investigated Via Ex Situ TEM
Authors: Yao Zhujun , Zhou Linming , Yin Haoyu , Wang Xiuli , Xie Dong , Xia Xinhui , Gu Changdong , Tu Jiangping
Published: October 2019

In this work, a facile strategy for the construction of single crystalline Ni3S2 nanowires coated with N‐doped carbon shell (NC) forming Ni3S2@NC core/shell arrays by one‐step chemical vapor deposition process is reported. In addition to the good electronic conductivity from the NC shell, the nanowire structure also ensures the accommodation of large volume expansion during cycling, leading to pre‐eminent high‐rate capacities (470 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 and 385 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1) and outstanding cycling stability with a capacity retention of 91% after 100 cycles at 1 A g−1. Furthermore, ex situ transmission electron microscopy combined with X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectra are used to investigate the reaction mechanism of Ni3S2@NC during the charge/discharge process. The product after delithiation consists of Ni3S2 and sulfur, suggesting that the capacity of the electrode comes from the conversion reaction of both Ni3S2 and sulfur with Li2S.
Hysteretic performance of reinforced concrete cavity shear walls
Authors: Xu Gang , Li Aiqun
Published: October 2019

Cavity shear wall, as a kind of precast wall with internal cavity, is divided into strong and weak areas. It is hoped that the structure stiffness, lateral load capacity, and ductility could be better matched in the cavity shear wall. Therefore, the quasi‐static tests were carried out to study the hysteretic performance of reinforced concrete cavity shear walls. Test results indicated that the regular squat shear wall's failure mode is dominated by shear and the setting of the cavity can effectively reduce the stiffness and lateral load capacity. The cavity makes the development and distribution of cracks in the sidewalls more uniform and finer, which is more conducive to energy dissipation. The rational match of the stiffness, lateral load capacity, and ductility can be achieved by arranging reasonable cavity in the shear wall. The purpose of improving the ductility and optimizing the failure mode of shear wall can also be achieved by relaxing the constraints of the bottom of the shear wall or setting several cavities. In addition, the multilayer shell model was adopted to simulate the specimens and parametric analysis was also carried out. The verification shows that the numerical model can predict the lateral responses of the cavity shear wall with reasonable accuracy. The parametric analysis shows that the initial stiffness and peak load of the shear wall would be reduced if there is cavity or horizontal seam at the bottom. However, the ductility could be improved if the cavity or horizontal seam is arranged in a reasonable combination. The influence of cavity and horizontal seam on the strain arch leads to the change of lateral capacity and response.
Quantifying Within‐Season Repeat Spawning by Rainbow Smelt with Implications for Comparing Sex Ratios and Survey Catches among Runs
Authors: Enterline Claire L. , Elzey Scott P. , Chase Bradford C. , Ayer Matthew H.
Published: October 2019

Anadromous Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax provide an important nearshore prey base, but they have experienced severe population declines during the last century. Population estimates from spawning run surveys have not been calculated because within‐season repeat spawning, a behavior qualitatively described for this species based on previous studies, has not been quantified. Our objective was to determine repeat spawning behavior at two spawning sites by using passive integrated transponder technology. A preliminary laboratory tag retention and mortality study was performed to determine the effect of tagging on study results, and it showed that tagging did not cause significant mortality and tags were well retained. In our field studies, continuous monitoring of tagged fish showed that Rainbow Smelt made movements to the spawning grounds against the tide and at low tide, allowing the fish to be at the spawning grounds during the darkest nighttime hours. This is in contrast to past assumptions that Rainbow Smelt only spawn during nighttime high tide. We found that repeat spawning behavior was a predominantly male behavior, consistent with past studies. The behavior of males did vary between the two sites, although at each site the behavior was consistent among study years. In contrast, the behavior of females was consistent both among study years and between the sites. This finding indicates that future assessments of spawning populations of Rainbow Smelt could be improved by using female catch numbers, similar to other species that display skewed sex ratios.
High‐dimensional covariance matrix estimation
Authors: Lam Clifford
Published: October 2019

Covariance matrix estimation plays an important role in statistical analysis in many fields, including (but not limited to) portfolio allocation and risk management in finance, graphical modeling, and clustering for genes discovery in bioinformatics, Kalman filtering and factor analysis in economics. In this paper, we give a selective review of covariance and precision matrix estimation when the matrix dimension can be diverging with, or even larger than the sample size. Two broad categories of regularization methods are presented. The first category exploits an assumed structure of the covariance or precision matrix for consistent estimation. The second category shrinks the eigenvalues of a sample covariance matrix, knowing from random matrix theory that such eigenvalues are biased from the population counterparts when the matrix dimension grows at the same rate as the sample size.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Analysis of High Dimensional Data

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Multivariate Analysis

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Nonparametric Methods
Thin‐layer inertial effects in plasticity and dynamics in the Prandtl problem
Authors: Georgievskii D. V. , Müller W. H. , Abali B. E.
Published: October 2019

Especially in metal forming, large plastic deformation occurs in thin plates. The problem of compressing dies is analyzed to evaluate the spreading of a thin layer in between. The velocity of dies is a given function in time so that the kinematics of the process is known. This problem can be considered as a generalization of the classical Prandtl problem by taking inertial effects into account and introducing dimensionless parameters as internal variables depending on time. The first parameter is purely geometric corresponding to the thin‐layer approximation; the second and the third parameters are dimensionless velocity and acceleration during the dies getting pressed. We use singular asymptotic expansions of unknown functions and study how these parameters vary preceding the dies of moment. Depending on this relation, the dynamic corrections to the quasistatic solution is a part of various terms of the asymptotic series. The corresponding analytical investigation both for general case and for particular typical regimes of plates motion is carried out.
Ambivalence and the Illusion of Hegemony
Authors: Christophe Barbara
Published: October 2019

Christophe’s chapter explores how cultural memory interacts with the teaching of the Cold War and the place of the political in history teaching. Christophe draws on her own research, interviews with teachers from Germany (divided into East and West) and Switzerland, who were presented with a quotation from a textbook on the Cold War, to examine the variations between the teacher’s responses and the role of ambivalence in teaching. The chapter questions whether ambivalence in modern textbooks actually conceals competing accounts of the Cold War given that each teacher, and indeed writer, brings to textbooks the hegemonic narrative they themselves have been taught, a narrative predominantly dependent upon the shared, accepted cultural memory of a nation.
Americans and Russians as Representatives of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: Contemporary Swedish School History Textbooks and their Portrayals of the Central Characters of the Cold War
Authors: Persson Anders
Published: October 2019

Persson analyses five contemporary Swedish school textbooks in order to understand how they present the USA and the USSR’s roles in the Cold War, examining how the superpowers’ origins and motives are presented, judgements about their actions offered, and the extent to which they are ‘othered’, stereotyped or homogenised, criticised or made into objects of identification. Persson draws on Arendt’s theory of ‘mak(ing) visits’ to explore how students might recognise themselves in the American or Russian people, arguing that to promote personal growth (and not just produce nationalists), textbooks should encourage recognition with both oppressors and victims. Persson aims to prompt further study on how the most recent shifts in political opinion and Swedish selfconception have affected textbook narratives.
The Cold War and the Polish Question
Authors: Wojdon Joanna
Published: October 2019

Wojdon’s chapter approaches the topic of teaching the Cold War to secondary school students in Poland. She analyses and compares four different, widely used Polish textbooks and also observes a ‘typical’ secondary school lesson in order to understand how much scope there is within both mediums for opening up space for alternative interpretations of the Cold War and for the deliberate acknowledgement of different historians’ voices on the subject. She explores how international and non-political as well as national events are covered in the curriculum and why a Western interpretation of the Cold War, an idealised version of the West and a tendency towards classical, positivist reconstructions of the past continue to prevail in Polish classrooms and textbooks.
Counting superstrata
Authors: Shigemori Masaki
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We count the number of regular supersymmetric solutions in supergravity, called superstrata, that represent non-linear completion of linear fluctuations around empty AdS3
×S
3. These solutions carry the same charges as the D1-D5-P black hole and represent its microstates. We estimate the entropy using thermodynamic approximation and find that it is parametrically smaller than the area-entropy of the D1-D5-P black hole. Therefore, these superstrata based on AdS3
× S
3 are not typical microstates of the black hole. What are missing in the superstrata based on AdS3
× S
3 are higher and fractional modes in the dual CFT language. We speculate on what kind of other configurations to look at as possible realization of those modes in gravity picture, such as superstrata based on other geometries, as well as other brane configurations.
The Higgs width in the SMEFT
Authors: Brivio Ilaria , Corbett Tyler , Trott Michael
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We calculate the total and partial inclusive Higgs widths at leading order in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). We report results incorporating SMEFT corrections for two and four body Higgs decays through vector currents in this limit. The narrow width approximation is avoided and all phase space integrals are directly evaluated. We explain why the narrow width approximation fails more significantly in the SMEFT compared to the SM, despite the narrowness of the observed SU(2) × U(1) bosons in both theories. Our results are presented in a manner that allows various input parameter schemes to be used, and they allow the inclusive branching ratios and decay widths of the Higgs to be numerically determined without a Monte Carlo generation of phase space for each Wilson coefficient value chosen.
Clockwork neutrinos
Authors: Hong Sungwoo , Kurup Gowri , Perelstein Maxim
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Clockwork (CW) mechanism can explain the smallness of neutrino masses without introducing unnaturally small input parameters. In this paper we study the simplest CW neutrino model, the “uniform” clockwork, as well as a broader class of “generalized” clockwork models. We derive constraints on such models from lepton-flavor violating processes, as well as precision electroweak fits. These constraints allow excited CW neutrino states with masses of order 100 GeV–1 TeV, within reach of the LHC and proposed lepton colliders, as long as the input neutrino Yukawa coupling is of order 10
−1–10
−2. We study collider phenomenology of these models. At the LHC, models with light (∼ 100 GeV) CW neutrinos can be discovered using the "Image missing" signature. Lepton colliders will be able to discover the CW neutrinos as long as they are within their kinematic range.
Some comments on symmetric orbifolds of K3
Authors: Volpato Roberto
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We consider two dimensional

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= (4, 4) superconformal field theories in the moduli space of symmetric orbifolds of K3. We complete a classification of the discrete groups of symmetries of these models, conditional to a series of assumptions and with certain restrictions. Furthermore, we provide a partial classification of the set of twining genera, encoding the action of a discrete symmetry g on a space of supersymmetric states in these models. These results suggest the existence of a number of surprising identities between seemingly different Borcherds products, representing Siegel modular forms of degree two and level N > 1. We also provide a critical review of various properties of the moduli space of these superconformal field theories, including the groups of dualities, the set of singular models and the locus of symmetric orbifold points, and describe some puzzles related to our (lack of) understanding of these properties.
Higher derivative terms, toroidal compactification, and Weyl anomalies in six-dimensional (2, 0) theories
Authors: Córdova Clay , Dumitrescu Thomas T. , Yin Xi
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We systematically analyze the effective action on the moduli space of (2, 0) superconformal field theories in six dimensions, as well as their toroidal compactification to maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in five and four dimensions. We present a streamlined approach to non-renormalization theorems that constrain this effective action. The first several orders in its derivative expansion are determined by a one-loop calculation in five-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. This fixes the leading higher-derivative operators that describe the renormalization group flow into theories residing at singular points on the moduli space of the compactified (2, 0) theories. This understanding allows us to compute the a-type Weyl anomaly for all (2, 0) superconformal theories. We show that it decreases along every renormalization group flow that preserves (2, 0) supersymmetry, thereby establishing the a-theorem for this class of theories. Along the way, we encounter various field-theoretic arguments for the ADE classification of (2, 0) theories.
Rényi entanglement entropies for the compactified massless boson with open boundary conditions
Authors: Bastianello Alvise
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We investigate the Rényi entanglement entropies for the one-dimensional massless free boson compactified on a circle, which describes the low energy sector of several interacting many-body 1d systems (Luttinger Liquid). We focus on systems on a finite segment with open boundary conditions and possible inhomogeneities in the couplings. We provide expressions for the Rényi entropies of integer indices in terms of Fredholm determinant-like expressions. Within the homogeneous case, we reduce the problem to the solution of linear integral equations and the computation of Riemann Theta functions. We mainly focus on a single interval in the middle of the system, but results for generic bipartitions are given as well.
Chiral charge dynamics in Abelian gauge theories at finite temperature
Authors: Figueroa Daniel G. , Florio Adrien , Shaposhnikov Mikhail
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We study fermion number non-conservation (or chirality breaking) in Abelian gauge theories at finite temperature. We consider the presence of a chemical potential μ for the fermionic charge, and monitor its evolution with real-time classical lattice simula- tions. This method accounts for short-scale fluctuations not included in the usual effective magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) treatment. We observe a self-similar decay of the chemi- cal potential, accompanied by an inverse cascade process in the gauge field that leads to a production of long-range helical magnetic fields. We also study the chiral charge dynamics in the presence of an external magnetic field B, and extract its decay rate

$$ {\varGamma}_5\equiv \frac{d\ \log\ \mu }{dt} $$

Γ
5

≡

d

log

μ

dt

. We provide in this way a new determination of the gauge coupling and magnetic field de- pendence of the chiral rate, which exhibits a best fit scaling as

$$ {\varGamma}_5{\propto}^{\raisebox{1ex}{$11$}\!\left/ \!\raisebox{-1ex}{$2$}\right.}{B}^2 $$

Γ
5

∝

11
2

B
2

. We confirm numerically the fluctuation-dissipation relation between Γ5 and Γdiff , the Chern-Simons diffusion rate, which was obtained in a previous study. Remarkably, even though we are outside the MHD range of validity, the dynamics observed are in qualitative agreement with MHD predictions. The magnitude of the chiral/diffusion rate is however a factor ∼ 10 times larger than expected in MHD, signaling that we are in reality exploring a dif- ferent regime accounting for short scale fluctuations. This discrepancy calls for a revision of the implications of fermion number and chirality non-conservation in finite tempera- ture Abelian gauge theories, though no definite conclusion can be made at this point until hard-thermal-loops are included in the lattice simulations.
Boundary scattering in the ϕ6 model
Authors: Lima Fred C. , Simas Fabiano C. , Nobrega K. Z. , Gomes Adalto R.
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We study the non-integrable 𝜙6 model on the half-line. The model has two topological sectors. We chose solutions from just one topological sector to fix the initial con­ ditions. The scalar field satisfies a Neumann boundary condition 𝜙
x
(0, t) = H. We study the scattering of a kink (antikink) with all possible regular and stable boundaries. For H = 0 the results are the same observed for scattering for the same model in the full line. For H ≠ 0, sensible modifications appear in the dynamics with several possibilities for the out­put depending on the initial velocity and the boundary. Our results are confronted with the topological structure and linear stability analysis of kink, antikink and boundary solutions.
On conformal blocks, crossing kernels and multi-variable hypergeometric functions
Authors: Chen Heng-Yu , Kyono Hideki
Published: October 2019

Abstract

In this note, we present an alternative representation of the conformal block with external scalars in general spacetime dimensions in terms of afinitesummation over Appell fourth hypergeometric functionF4. We also construct its generalization to the non-local primary exchange operator with continuous spin and its corresponding Mellin representation which are relevant for Lorentzian spacetime. Using these results we apply the Lorentzian inversion formula to compute the so-called crossing kernel in general spacetime dimensions, the resultant expression can be written as a double infinite summation over certain Kampé de Fériet hypergeometric functions with the correct double trace operator singularity structures. We also include some complementary computations in AdS space, demonstrating the orthogonality of conformal blocks and performing the decompositions.
Electroweak corrections to dark matter direct detection in a vector dark matter model
Authors: Glaus Seraina , Mühlleitner Margarete , Müller Jonas , Patel Shruti , Santos Rui
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Although many astrophysical and cosmological observations point towards the existence of Dark Matter (DM), the nature of the DM particle has not been clarified to date. In this paper, we investigate a minimal model with a vector DM (VDM) candidate. Within this model, we compute the cross section for the scattering of the VDM particle with a nucleon. We provide the next-to-leading order (NLO) cross section for the direct detection of the DM particle. Subsequently, we study the phenomenological implications of the NLO corrections, in particular with respect to the sensitivity of the direct detection DM experi- ments. We further investigate more theoretical questions such as the gauge dependence of the results and the remaining theoretical uncertainties due to the applied approximations.
Primary fields in celestial CFT
Authors: Fotopoulos Angelos , Taylor Tomasz R.
Published: October 2019

Abstract

The basic ingredient of CCFT holography is to regard four-dimensional amplitudes describing conformal wave packets as two-dimensional conformal correlation functions of the operators associated to external particles. By construction, these operators transform as quasi-primary fields under SL(2, ℂ) conformal symmetry group of the celestial sphere. We derive the OPE of the CCFT energy-momentum tensor with the operators representing gauge bosons and show that they transform as Virasoro primaries under diffeomorphisms of the celestial sphere.
Search for muon-philic new light gauge boson at Belle II
Authors: Jho Yongsoo , Kwon Youngjoon , Park Seong Chan , Tseng Po-Yan
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Motivated by the long-lasting 3.5σ discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of muon, we consider a new muon-specific force mediated by a light gauge boson, X, with mass m

X
 < 2m

μ
and the coupling constant gX ∼ (10−4, 10−3) . We show that the Belle II experiment has a robust chance to probe such a light boson in e
+
e
− → μ
+
μ
− + X channel and cover the most interesting parameter space explaining the discrepancy with the planned target luminosity,

$$ \int dt\ \mathcal{L}=50\ {\mathrm{ab}}^{-1} $$

∫
dt

L
=
50

ab

−
1

. The clean signal of muon-pair plus missing energy at Belle II can be a smoking gun for the new gauge boson. We expect that the (invisibly decaying) muon-philic light (m

X
 ≲ 2m

μ
) gauge boson can be probed down to g

X
 ≲ 1.5 × 10−4(4.6 × 10−4,  2.3 × 10−4) for 50 (1, 10) ab−1 search.
Noncommutativity and the weak cosmic censorship
Authors: Gupta Kumar S. , Jurić Tajron , Samsarov Andjelo , Smolić Ivica
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We show that a noncommutative massless scalar probe can dress a naked singularity in AdS3 spacetime, consistent with the weak cosmic censorship. The dressing occurs at high energies, which is typical at the Planck scale. Using a noncommutative duality, we show that the dressed singularity has the geometry of a rotating BTZ black hole which satisfies all the laws of black hole thermodynamics. We calculate the entropy and the quasi-normal modes of the dressed singularity and show that the corresponding spacetime can be quantum mechanically complete. The noncommutative duality also gives rise to a light scalar, which can be relevant for early universe cosmology.
Nonlinear dynamics of the cold atom analog false vacuum
Authors: Braden Jonathan , Johnson Matthew C. , Peiris Hiranya V. , Pontzen Andrew , Weinfurtner Silke
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We investigate the nonlinear dynamics of cold atom systems that can in princi- ple serve as quantum simulators of false vacuum decay. The analog false vacuum manifests as a metastable vacuum state for the relative phase in a two-species Bose-Einstein con- densate (BEC), induced by a driven periodic coupling between the two species. In the appropriate low energy limit, the evolution of the relative phase is approximately governed by a relativistic wave equation exhibiting true and false vacuum configurations. In previous work, a linear stability analysis identified exponentially growing short-wavelength modes driven by the time-dependent coupling. These modes threaten to destabilize the analog false vacuum. Here, we employ numerical simulations of the coupled Gross-Pitaevski equa- tions (GPEs) to determine the non-linear evolution of these linearly unstable modes. We find that unless a physical mechanism modifies the GPE on short length scales, the analog false vacuum is indeed destabilized. We briefly discuss various physically expected correc- tions to the GPEs that may act to remove the exponentially unstable modes. To investigate the resulting dynamics in cases where such a removal mechanism exists, we implement a hard UV cutoff that excludes the unstable modes as a simple model for these corrections. We use this to study the range of phenomena arising from such a system. In particular, we show that by modulating the strength of the time-dependent coupling, it is possible to observe the crossover between a second and first order phase transition out of the false vacuum.
Holographic entropy cone with time dependence in two dimensions
Authors: Czech Bart-lomiej , Dong Xi
Published: October 2019

Abstract

In holographic duality, if a boundary state has a geometric description that realizes the Ryu-Takayanagi proposal then its entanglement entropies must obey certain inequalities that together define the so-called holographic entropy cone. A large family of such inequalities have been proven under the assumption that the bulk geometry is static, using a method involving contraction maps. By using kinematic space techniques, we show that in two boundary (three bulk) dimensions, all entropy inequalities that can be proven in the static case by contraction maps must also hold in holographic states with time dependence.
Momentum space approach to crossing symmetric CFT correlators. Part II. General spacetime dimension
Authors: Isono Hiroshi , Noumi Toshifumi , Shiu Gary
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Our previous work [1] constructed, in three-dimensional momentum space, a manifestly crossing symmetric basis for scalar conformal four-point functions, based on the factorization property proposed by Polyakov. This work extends this construction to general dimensional conformal field theory. To facilitate the treatment of symmetric traceless tensors, we exploit techniques of spherical harmonics in general dimensions.
Mortality by diseases and medical conditions in the offspring of parents with severe mental illness
Authors: Protsenko Maria , Kerkelä M. , Miettunen J. , Auvinen J. , Järvelin M.-R. , Gissler M. , Veijola J.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The lifespan of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is shorter compared to the general population. There might be common familial pathway leading to a high co-occurrence of somatic disorders and SMI. To study this we explored the long-term mortality for natural causes in the offspring of people with SMI.

Methods

Participants were members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966;N = 11,325). The data on cause of deaths of the members were obtained from the Population Register Center until year 2015. The data on hospital-treated psychiatric disorders of parents were obtained from nationwide Care Register for Health Care. Cumulative incidences by age were calculated in the NFBC1966 members having a parent with SMI and those who did not have. We were able to take into account multiple confounders.

Results

Of the total sample of 11,325 offspring, 853 (7.4%) died during the follow-up period, 74 (8.7%) from the study cohort and 779 (91.3%) from the comparison group. These numbers included 160 stillborn children. There were 557 cases of deaths from diseases and medical conditions and 296 deaths from external causes. The adjusted risk ratio for offspring of mothers with SMI was 1.08 (0.72–1.64), and for offspring of fathers with SMI 0.58 (0.36–0.93).

Conclusions

This was the first long-term follow-up study (up to age 49) of all-cause mortality in offspring of parents with SMI. Our findings were contrary to expectations. Offspring of parents with SMI had no increased risk for dying. In fact, the risk for dying in the group of offspring of fathers with SMI was lower than in the comparison group. This study does not support the assumption of common familial pathway leading to a high co-occurrence of somatic disorders and SMI.
Bioavailability, metabolism, and excretion of a complex Alternaria culture extract versus altertoxin II: a comparative study in rats
Authors: Puntscher Hannes , Aichinger Georg , Grabher Stephanie , Attakpah Eva , Krüger Franziska , Tillmann Katharina , Motschnig Tomas , Hohenbichler Julia , Braun Dominik , Plasenzotti Roberto , Pahlke Gudrun , Höger Harald , Marko Doris , Warth Benedikt
Published: October 2019

Despite the frequent infection of agricultural crops by Alternaria spp., their toxic secondary metabolites and potential food contaminants lack comprehensive metabolic characterization. In this study, we investigated their bioavailability, metabolism, and excretion in vivo. A complex Alternaria culture extract (50 mg/kg body weight) containing 11 known toxins and the isolated lead toxin altertoxin II (0.7 mg/kg body weight) were administered per gavage to groups of 14 Sprague Dawley rats each. After 3 h and 24 h, plasma, urine and feces were collected to determine toxin recoveries. For reliable quantitation, an LC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of 20 Alternaria toxins and metabolites was developed and optimized for either biological matrix. The obtained results demonstrated efficient excretion of alternariol (AOH) and its monomethyl ether (AME) via feces (> 89%) and urine (> 2.6%) after 24 h, while the majority of tenuazonic acid was recovered in urine (20 and 87% after 3 and 24 h, respectively). Moreover, modified forms of AOH and AME were identified in urine and fecal samples confirming both, mammalian phase-I (4-hydroxy-AOH) and phase-II (sulfates) biotransformation in vivo. Despite the comparably high doses, perylene quinones were recovered only at very low levels (altertoxin I, alterperylenol, < 0.06% in urine and plasma, < 5% in feces) or not at all (highly genotoxic, epoxide-holding altertoxin II, stemphyltoxin III). Interestingly, altertoxin I was detected in all matrices of rats receiving altertoxin II and suggests enzymatic de-epoxidation in vivo. In conclusion, the present study contributes valuable information to advance our understanding of the emerging Alternaria mycotoxins and their relevance on food safety.
Increased Morbidity and Mortality of Emergency Laparotomy in Elderly Patients
Authors: Chua Melissa Sin Hui , Chan Dedrick Kok Hong
Published: October 2019

Background

There is an increasing incidence of elderly patients requiring emergency laparotomy. Our study compares the outcomes of elderly patients undergoing emergency laparotomy against the outcomes of non‐elderly patients.

Methodology

Patients who underwent emergency laparotomy between 2015 and 2017 from the National University Hospital, Singapore, were included. Apart from demographic data, indication of surgery and surgical procedure performed were collected. Prospectively collected nutritional scores were evaluated. Outcome measures included duration of surgery, length of ICU and total hospital stay, post‐operative complications, and mortality indices. We performed multivariate Cox regression analysis to determine the contribution of various risk factors towards overall survival following emergency laparotomy.

Results

A total of 170 emergency laparotomies were performed. Compared to non‐elderly patients, elderly patients had a significantly longer mean stay in hospital (31.5 vs. 18.6 days, p = 0.006) and mean stay in ICU (13.1 vs. 5.3 days, p = 0.003). More elderly patients suffered from post‐laparotomy complications compared with non‐elderly patients (65.8% vs. 37.4%, p < 0.001). 30‐day mortality (31.5% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.019) and 1‐year mortality (27.9% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.023) were higher in elderly patients compared with non‐elderly patients. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant difference between elderly and non‐elderly groups in both the global 3‐MinNS as well as the global SGA nutritional scores. ASA status (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.05–6.45, p = 0.038) was an independent risk factor for decreased survival following emergency laparotomy. Notably, while age ≥ 65 demonstrated a significant correlation with survival on univariate analysis (HR 1.03 (1.01–1.05), p = 0.003), this effect was lost following multivariate regression (HR 1.01 (0.453–2.23), p = 0.989).

Conclusion

Elderly patients suffer worse morbidity and mortality following emergency laparotomy. This is likely contributed by comorbidities resulting in higher ASA status.
R18C is a new viable P2-like bacteriophage of rabbit origin infecting Citrobacter rodentium and Shigella sonnei strains
Authors: Sváb Domonkos , Horváth Balázs , Rohde Manfred , Maróti Gergely , Tóth István
Published: October 2019

Here, we report a novel virulent P2-like bacteriophage, R18C, isolated from rabbit faeces, which, in addition to Escherichia coli K-12 strains, was able to be propagated on Citrobacter rodentium strain ICC169 and a range of Shigella sonnei strains with high efficiency of plating (EOP). It represents the first lytic bacteriophage originating from rabbit and the first infectious P2-like phage of animal origin. In the three characteristic moron-containing regions of P2-like phages, R18C contains genes with unknown function that have so far only been found in cryptic P2-like prophages.
The value of a Patient Access Portal in primary care: a cross-sectional survey of 62,486 registered users in the UK
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed A. , Montague Jane , Faisal Muhammad , Lamming Laura
Published: October 2019

In England, primary care patients have access to Patient Access Portals (PAPs), enabling them to book appointments, request repeat medication prescriptions, send/receive messages and review their medical records. Few studies have elicited user views and value of PAPs, especially in a publicly funded primary care setting. This study aimed to elicit the value users of PAPs place on online access to medical records and linked services. Secondary data analysis of the completed electronic survey (available 2 May 2015–27 June 2015) distributed via the EMIS PAP to all its registered users. EMIS designed the survey; responses were voluntary. There were 62,486 responders (95.7% self-completed). The PAP was mainly used for medication requests (86.3%) and online appointment bookings (78.4%), and, to a lesser extent, medical record viewing (18.3%) and messaging (9.5%). The majority (70%) reported a positive impact from using it. One in five rated it as their favourite online service second only to online banking. Almost three out of four responders stated that availability of online access would influence their move to another practice. Nonetheless, responders were reluctant to award a high monetary value to it. These findings correlated with the number of long-term conditions. The majority of users place a relatively high value, but not monetary value, on the PAP and report a positive impact from using it. The potential for PAPs to enhance patient experience, especially for those with long-term conditions, appears to be largely untapped. Research exploring the reasons for non-use is also required.
Subcarrier Domain of Multicarrier Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution
Authors: Gyongyosi Laszlo , Imre Sandor
Published: October 2019

The subcarrier domain of multicarrier continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) is defined. In a multicarrier CVQKD scheme, the information is granulated into Gaussian subcarrier CVs and the physical Gaussian link is divided into Gaussian sub-channels. The subcarrier domain injects physical attributes to the description of the subcarrier transmission. We prove that the subcarrier domain is a natural representation of the subcarrier-level transmission in a multicarrier CVQKD scheme. We also extend the subcarrier domain to a multiple-access multicarrier CVQKD setting. We demonstrate the results through the adaptive multicarrier quadrature-division (AMQD) CVQKD scheme and the AMQD-MQA (multiuser quadrature allocation) multiple-access multicarrier scheme. The subcarrier domain representation provides a general apparatus that can be utilized for an arbitrary multicarrier CVQKD scenario.
Cytotoxicity of doxorubicin conjugated with C60 fullerene. Structural and in vitro studies
Authors: Butowska Kamila , Kozak Witold , Zdrowowicz Magdalena , Makurat Samanta , Rychłowski Michał , Hać Aleksandra , Herman-Antosiewicz Anna , Piosik Jacek , Rak Janusz
Published: October 2019

Conjugating an anticancer drug of high biological efficacy but large cytotoxicity with a “transporting” molecule of low toxicity constitutes a valuable approach to design safe drug delivery system. In the present study, doxorubicin (DOX) a drug of large cardiotoxicity was chemically conjugated to a C60-fullerene. The synthesized molecule, a fullerene-doxorubicin conjugate (Ful-DOX), was characterized using the 1H NMR and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry. The absorption and fluorescence spectra and dynamic light scattering of the conjugate were recorded in an aqueous solution, while the impact on viability of several cancer cell lines of the free DOX and the conjugate was compared using the SRB and WST-1 assays. A low antiproliferative activity of the conjugate as compared to the free DOX is a consequence of the presence of fullerene moiety in the former, which is also responsible for the conjugate aggregation in an aqueous solution. Unlike free DOX, these aggregates cannot pass through the nuclear membrane (as demonstrated by the confocal microscopy measurements), which makes them marginally cytotoxic.