8,261 research outputs found

    Pocketbook Voting, Social Preferences, and Expressive Motives in Referenda

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    A Theory of Trade Liberalization and Innovations with Heterogeneous Firms

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    A modified deep learning weather prediction using cubed sphere for global precipitation

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    Deep learning (DL), a potent technology to develop Digital Twin (DT), for weather prediction using cubed spheres (DLWP-CS) was recently proposed to facilitate data-driven simulations of global weather fields. DLWP-CS is a temporal mapping algorithm wherein time-stepping is performed through U-NET. Although DLWP-CS has shown impressive results for fields, such as temperature and geopotential height, this technique is complicated and computationally challenging for a complex, non-linear field, such as precipitation, which depends on other prognostic environmental co-variables. To address this challenge, we modify the DLWP-CS and call our technique “modified DLWP-CS” (MDLWP-CS). In this study, we transform the architecture from a temporal to a spatio-temporal mapping (multivariate setup), wherein precursor(s) of precipitation can be used as input. As a proof of concept, as a first simple case, a 2-m surface air temperature is used to predict precipitation using MDLWP-CS. The model is trained using hourly ERA-5 reanalysis and the resulting experimental findings are compared to two benchmark models, viz, the linear regression and an operational numerical weather prediction model, which is the Global Forecast System (GFS). The fidelity of MDLWP-CS is much better compared to linear regression and the results are equivalent to GFS output in terms of daily precipitation prediction with 1 day lag. These results provide an encouraging framework for an efficient DT that can facilitate speedy, high fidelity precipitation predictions.</jats:p

    Cellular adaptations to hypoxia and acidosis during somatic evolution of breast cancer

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    Conceptual models of carcinogenesis typically consist of an evolutionary sequence of heritable changes in genes controlling proliferation, apoptosis, and senescence. We propose that these steps are necessary but not sufficient to produce invasive breast cancer because intraductal tumour growth is also constrained by hypoxia and acidosis that develop as cells proliferate into the lumen and away from the underlying vessels. This requires evolution of glycolytic and acid-resistant phenotypes that, we hypothesise, is critical for emergence of invasive cancer. Mathematical models demonstrate severe hypoxia and acidosis in regions of intraductal tumours more than 100 m from the basement membrane. Subsequent evolution of glycolytic and acid-resistant phenotypes leads to invasive proliferation. Multicellular spheroids recapitulating ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) microenvironmental conditions demonstrate upregulated glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) as adaptation to hypoxia followed by growth into normoxic regions in qualitative agreement with model predictions. Clinical specimens of DCIS exhibit periluminal distribution of GLUT-1 and Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) indicating transcriptional activation by hypoxia and clusters of the same phenotype in the peripheral, presumably normoxic regions similar to the pattern predicted by the models and observed in spheroids. Upregulated GLUT-1 and NHE-1 were observed in microinvasive foci and adjacent intraductal cells. Adaptation to hypoxia and acidosis may represent key events in transition from in situ to invasive cancer

    MFV Reductions of MSSM Parameter Space

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    The 100+ free parameters of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) make it computationally difficult to compare systematically with data, motivating the study of specific parameter reductions such as the cMSSM and pMSSM. Here we instead study the reductions of parameter space implied by using minimal flavour violation (MFV) to organise the R-parity conserving MSSM, with a view towards systematically building in constraints on flavour-violating physics. Within this framework the space of parameters is reduced by expanding soft supersymmetry-breaking terms in powers of the Cabibbo angle, leading to a 24-, 30- or 42-parameter framework (which we call MSSM-24, MSSM-30, and MSSM-42 respectively), depending on the order kept in the expansion. We provide a Bayesian global fit to data of the MSSM-30 parameter set to show that this is manageable with current tools. We compare the MFV reductions to the 19-parameter pMSSM choice and show that the pMSSM is not contained as a subset. The MSSM-30 analysis favours a relatively lighter TeV-scale pseudoscalar Higgs boson and tanβ10\tan \beta \sim 10 with multi-TeV sparticles.Comment: 2nd version, minor comments and references added, accepted for publication in JHE

    Mass-Matching in Higgsless

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    Modern extra-dimensional Higgsless scenarios rely on a mass-matching between fermionic and bosonic KK resonances to evade constraints from precision electroweak measurements. After analyzing all of the Tevatron and LEP bounds on these so-called Cured Higgsless scenarios, we study their LHC signatures and explore how to identify the mass-matching mechanism, the key to their viability. We find singly and pair produced fermionic resonances show up as clean signals with 2 or 4 leptons and 2 hard jets, while neutral and charged bosonic resonances are visible in the dilepton and leptonic WZ channels, respectively. A measurement of the resonance masses from these channels shows the matching necessary to achieve S0S\simeq 0. Moreover, a large single production of KK-fermion resonances is a clear indication of compositeness of SM quarks. Discovery reach is below 10 fb1^{-1} of luminosity for resonances in the 700 GeV range.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figure

    Combined effects of cigarette smoking, gene polymorphisms and methylations of tumor suppressor genes on non small cell lung cancer: a hospital-based case-control study in China

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cigarette smoking is the most established risk factor, and genetic variants and/or gene promoter methylations are also considered to play an essential role in development of lung cancer, but the pathogenesis of lung cancer is still unclear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We collected the data of 150 cases and 150 age-matched and sex-matched controls on a Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in China. Face to face interviews were conducted using a standardized questionnaire. Gene polymorphism and methylation status were measured by RFLP-PCR and MSP, respectively. Logistic regressive model was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for different levels of exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After adjusted age and other potential confounding factors, smoking was still main risk factor and significantly increased 3.70-fold greater risk of NSCLC as compared with nonsmokers, and the ORs across increasing levels of pack years were 1, 3.54, 3.65 and 7.76, which the general dose-response trend was confirmed. Our striking findings were that the risk increased 5.16, 8.28 and 4.10-fold, respectively, for NSCLC with promoter hypermethylation of the <it>p16</it>, <it>DAPK </it>or <it>RARβ </it>gene in smokers with <it>CYP1A1 </it>variants, and the higher risk significantly increased in smokers with null <it>GSTM1 </it>and the OR was 17.84 for NSCLC with <it>p16 </it>promoter hypermethylation, 17.41 for <it>DAPK</it>, and 8.18 for <it>RARβ </it>in smokers with null <it>GSTM1 </it>compared with controls (all p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study suggests the strong combined effects of cigarette smoke, <it>CYP1A1 </it>and <it>GSTM1 </it>Polymorphisms, hypermethylations of <it>p16</it>, <it>DAPK </it>and <it>RARβ </it>promoters in NSCLC, implying complex pathogenesis of NSCLC should be given top priority in future research.</p

    Bio-nanotechnology application in wastewater treatment

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    The nanoparticles have received high interest in the field of medicine and water purification, however, the nanomaterials produced by chemical and physical methods are considered hazardous, expensive, and leave behind harmful substances to the environment. This chapter aimed to focus on green-synthesized nanoparticles and their medical applications. Moreover, the chapter highlighted the applicability of the metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) in the inactivation of microbial cells due to their high surface and small particle size. Modifying nanomaterials produced by green-methods is safe, inexpensive, and easy. Therefore, the control and modification of nanoparticles and their properties were also discussed
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