The neutral heavy scalar productions associated with ZLZ_L in the littlest Higgs model at ILC and CLIC

In this work, the production processes of heavy neutral scalar and pseudo scalar associated with standard model gauge boson $Z_L$ at future $e^{+}e^{-}$ colliders (ILC and CLIC) are examined. The total and differential cross sections are calculated for the processes in the context of the littlest Higgs model. Also dependence of production processes to littlest Higgs model parameters in the range of compatibility with electroweak precision measurements and decays to lepton flavor violating final states are analyzed. We have found that both heavy scalar and pseudoscalar will be produced in $e^+e^-$ colliders. Also the depending on the model parameters, the neutral heavy scalar can be reconstructed or lepton flavor violating signals can be observed.Comment: 16 pages, version in APP

PGB pair production at LHC and ILC as a probe of the topcolor-assisted technicolor models

The topcolor-assisted technicolor (TC2) model predicts some light pseudo goldstone bosons (PGBs), which may be accessible at the LHC or ILC. In this work we study the pair productions of the charged or neutral PGBs at the LHC and ILC. For the productions at the LHC we consider the processes proceeding through gluon-gluon fusion and quark-antiquark annihilation, while for the productions at the ILC we consider both the electron-positron collision and the photon-photon collision. We find that in a large part of parameter space the production cross sections at both colliders can be quite large compared with the low standard model backgrounds. Therefore, in future experiments these productions may be detectable and allow for probing TC2 model.Comment: 26 pages, 16 figures. slight changes in the text; notations for curves changed; references adde

Nation-level moderators of the extent to which self-efficacy and relationship harmony predict students’ depression and life satisfaction: evidence from ten cultures

Previous two-nation comparisons have provided evidence that self-efficacy may be a protective factor against depression in individualist cultures, whereas relationship harmony may be a stronger protective factor in collectivist cultures. However, wider sampling and more specific measures of cultural difference are required to test these conclusions. Student ratings of depression and life satisfaction were surveyed in 10 samples drawn from nine nations. Culture-level individualism positively moderated the relationship of self-efficacy to low depression. However, culture-level collectivism negatively moderated the linkage of relationship harmony to depression. To better understand these effects, four separate nation-level predictors derived from dimensions of self-construal were employed. Effects of self-efficacy were strongest where cultural models of selfhood emphasized self-direction (vs. receptiveness to influence); effects of relationship harmony were strongest where cultural models of selfhood emphasized dependence on others (vs. self-reliance). These results illustrate the value of unpackaging the diffusely defined concept of individualism-collectivism

Distributionally Robust Linear Quadratic Control

peer reviewedLinear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) control is a fundamental control paradigm that is studied in various fields such as engineering, computer science, economics, and neuroscience. It involves controlling a system with linear dynamics and imperfect observations, subject to additive noise, with the goal of minimizing a quadratic cost function for the state and control variables. In this work, we consider a generalization of the discrete-time, finite-horizon LQG problem, where the noise distributions are unknown and belong to Wasserstein ambiguity sets centered at nominal (Gaussian) distributions. The objective is to minimize a worst-case cost across all distributions in the ambiguity set, including non-Gaussian distributions. Despite the added complexity, we prove that a control policy that is linear in the observations is optimal for this problem, as in the classic LQG problem. We propose a numerical solution method that efficiently characterizes this optimal control policy. Our method uses the Frank-Wolfe algorithm to identify the least-favorable distributions within the Wasserstein ambiguity sets and computes the controller's optimal policy using Kalman filter estimation under these distributions

Functional outcomes of Vibrant Soundbridge applied on the middle ear windows in comparison with conventional hearing aids

Conclusion: Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) application to the middle ear windows yields better functional outcomes than conventional hearing aids. However, speech discrimination scores obtained with VSB and conventional hearing aids are similar. Objective: To assess audiological outcomes of round and oval window applications of VSB in comparison with conventional hearing aids. Methods: Nineteen adult patients were included in the study. The patients had mild to moderate, moderate or moderate to profound conductive or mixed hearing loss. During surgery the floating mass transducer (FMT) was placed on the round (n = 14) or oval (n = 5) window. After the surgery, audiometric evaluation and free field audiometric evaluation of both ears was carried out. Results: The hearing thresholds in the low frequencies were not significantly different between the conventional hearing aids and VSB. The functional gains obtained with oval and round window approaches were similar except for 500 Hz. The hearing thresholds in the mid and high frequencies were significantly better with VSB than the conventional hearing aids. The functional gain in the low frequencies was not significantly different between VSB and conventional hearing aids. The functional gain in the other frequencies was significantly better with VSB than conventional hearing aids

Method and apparatus for handling personal information

The present invention relates to maintaining personal information for use by medical service providers. The user may display information (6) for use by medical service providers; allow another user to edit information (7) stored on the device (4); exit (8) an auto-run application and allow disengagement of the device (4) from processor means; or, enter into a memory device (9) not necessarily subjected to restricted access. The device when used in conjunction with a data processing system for displaying personal information carried thereon may use an AUTORUN feature. In editing ' stored information on device (4), a security password is required. Using layered security, a second user being a service provider might have digital signature based access to a part of the data without using the user password. The patient may authorize the practitioner to edit/view the information for the first time giving the particular practitioner permanent access to selected features of the patients device