Observational Aspects of Symmetries of the Neutral B Meson System

We revisit various results, which have been obtained by the BABAR and Belle Collaborations over the last twelve years, concerning symmetry properties of the Hamiltonian, which governs the time evolution and the decay of neutral B mesons.We find that those measurements, which established CP violation in B meson decay, 12 years ago, had as well established T (time-reversal) symmetry violation. They also confirmed CPT symmetry in the decay (T_CPT = 0) and symmetry with respect to time-reversal (epsilon? = 0) and to CPT (delta? = 0) in the B0 ?B0bar oscillation.Comment: Original arguments and conclusions unchanged. Relation to other work explained in more detail. 2 references adde

Trends in Influenza Vaccination Coverage Rates in Germany over Six Seasons from 2001/02 to 2006/07

Abstract : Background and Purpose: : Influenza is a considerable health problem all over the world. Vaccination is the most important measure for preventing influenza and reducing morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to assess influenza vaccination coverage from 2001 to 2007 in Germany, to understand motivations and barriers to vaccination, and to identify vaccination intentions for season 2007/08. Methods: : In representative household surveys, 12,039 telephone interviews with individuals aged ≥ 14 years were conducted between 2001 and 2007. Essentially the same questionnaire was used in all seasons. Results: : In season 2006/07, the overall influenza vaccination coverage rate dropped from 32.5% in the previous season to 27.4%. In the elderly (≥ 60 years), the rate decreased from 51.6% to 44.7% and the odds ratio of being vaccinated, compared to those not belonging to a high-risk group, remained < 5. Chronically ill elderly persons had an odds ratio of vaccination of 7, while younger chronically ill persons and health-care workers had odds ratios of about 2. Perceiving influenza as a serious illness was the most frequent reason for getting vaccinated. 14% of those vaccinated in 2006/07 indicated the threat of avian flu as a reason. The main reason for not getting vaccinated was thinking not to be likely to catch the flu. A recommendation by the family doctor/nurse was perceived as the major encouraging factor for vaccination. A total of 44.7% of the respondents intended to get vaccinated against influenza in 2007/08. Conclusion: : A trend of increasing vaccination rates was observed from 2001 to 2006 in Germany, but the rates dipped by almost a sixth after 2005/06. The loss of media interest in the threat of avian influenza after February 2006 and stalling reimbursement programs may have contributed to the recent drop in vaccination rate

Seasonal changes in energy expenditure, body temperature and activity patterns in llamas (Lama glama)

The authors thank Knut Salzmann und Arne Oppermann for technical help and for taking care of the animals and Anna Stölzl for help with the administering of the ruminal unit of the telemetry system. The study was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to A.R. (RI 1796/3-1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Novel treatment strategies for chronic kidney disease: insights from the animal kingdom

Many of the &gt;2 million animal species that inhabit Earth have developed survival mechanisms that aid in the prevention of obesity, kidney disease, starvation, dehydration and vascular ageing; however, some animals remain susceptible to these complications. Domestic and captive wild felids, for example, show susceptibility to chronic kidney disease (CKD), potentially linked to the high protein intake of these animals. By contrast, naked mole rats are a model of longevity and are protected from extreme environmental conditions through mechanisms that provide resistance to oxidative stress. Biomimetic studies suggest that the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) offers protection in extreme environmental conditions and promotes longevity in the animal kingdom. Similarly, during months of fasting, immobilization and anuria, hibernating bears are protected from muscle wasting, azotaemia, thrombotic complications, organ damage and osteoporosis - features that are often associated with CKD. Improved understanding of the susceptibility and protective mechanisms of these animals and others could provide insights into novel strategies to prevent and treat several human diseases, such as CKD and ageing-associated complications. An integrated collaboration between nephrologists and experts from other fields, such as veterinarians, zoologists, biologists, anthropologists and ecologists, could introduce a novel approach for improving human health and help nephrologists to find novel treatment strategies for CKD

Prototype Cryospheric Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radiometer (CESAR)

Present satellite microwave radiometers typically have a coarse spatial resolution of several kilometers or more. This is only adequate only over homogenous areas. Significantly enhanced spatial resolution is critically important to reduce the uncertainty of estimated cryospheric parameters in heterogeneous and climatically-sensitive areas. Examples include: (1) dynamic sea ice areas with frequent lead and polynya developments and variable ice thicknesses, (2) mountainous areas that require improved retrieval of snow water equivalent, and (3) melting outlet glacier or ice shelf areas along the coast of Greenland and Antarctica. For these situations and many others, an Earth surface spot size of no more than 100 m is necessary to retrieve the information needed for significant new scientific progress, including the synthesis of field observations with satellite observations with high confidence

Orlicz-type Function Spaces and Generalized Gradient Flows with Degenerate Dissipation Potentials in Non-Reflexive Banach Spaces: Theory and Application

This thesis explores two important areas in the mathematical analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations: Generalized gradient flows and vector valued Orlicz spaces. The first part deals with the existence of strong solutions for generalized gradient flows, overcoming challenges such as non-coercive and infinity-valued dissipation potentials and non-monotone subdifferential operators on non-reflexive Banach spaces. The second part focuses on the study of Banach-valued Orlicz spaces, a flexible class of Banach spaces for quantifying the growth of nonlinear functions. Besides improving many known results by imposing minimal assumptions, we extend the theory by handling infinity-valued Orlicz integrands and arbitrary Banach-values in the duality theory. The combination of these results offers a powerful tool for analyzing differential equations involving functions of arbitrary growth rates and leads to a significant improvement over previous results, demonstrated through the existence of weak solutions for a doubly nonlinear initial-boundary value problem of Allen-Cahn-Gurtin type.Comment: Doctoral thesi

Orlicz-type function spaces and generalized gradient flows with degenerate dissipation potentials in non-reflexive banach spaces: theory and application

This thesis explores two important areas in the mathematical analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations: Generalized gradient flows and vector valued Orlicz spaces. The first part deals with the existence of strong solutions for generalized gradient flows, overcoming challenges such as non-coercive and infinity-valued dissipation potentials and non-monotone subdifferential operators on non-reflexive Banach spaces. The second part focuses on the study of Banach-valued Orlicz spaces, a flexible class of Banach spaces for quantifying the growth of nonlinear functions. Besides improving many known results by imposing minimal assumptions, we extend the theory by handling infinity-valued Orlicz integrands and arbitrary Banach-values in the duality theory. The combination of these results offers a powerful tool for analyzing differential equations involving functions of arbitrary growth rates and leads to a significant improvement over previous results, demonstrated through the existence of weak solutions for a doubly nonlinear initial-boundary value problem of Allen-Cahn-Gurtin type.Diese Arbeit untersucht zwei wichtige Bereiche der mathematischen Analysis nichtlinearer partieller Differentialgleichungen: Generalisierte Gradientenflüsse und vektorwertige Orlicz-Räume. Der erste Teil befasst sich mit der Existenz starker Lösungen für generalisierte Gradientenflüsse und bietet eine Lösung für Herausforderungen wie nicht-koerzive und unendlichwertige Dissipationspotentiale und nicht-monotonen Subdifferentialoperatoren auf nicht-reflexiven Banachräumen. Der zweite Teil konzentriert sich auf die Untersuchung von Banach-wertigen Orlicz-Räumen, einer flexiblen Klasse von Banachräumen zur Quantifizierung des Wachstums nichtlinearer Funktionen. Neben der Verbesserung vieler bekannter Ergebnisse durch minimale Annahmen erweitern wir die Theorie, indem wir uns mit unendlichwertigen Orlicz-Integranden und beliebigen Banach-Werten in der Dualitätstheorie befassen. Die Kombination dieser Ergebnisse bietet ein leistungsstarkes Werkzeug zur Analyse von Differentialgleichungen, die Funktionen beliebiger Wachstumsraten beinhalten, und führt zu einer signifikanten Verbesserung gegenüber früheren Ergebnissen, wie sie durch die Existenz schwacher Lösungen für ein doppelt nichtlineares Anfangs-Randwertproblem vom Allen-Cahn-Gurtin-Typ gezeigt wird