6,326 research outputs found
Inspiration from Intersecting D-branes: General Supersymmetry Breaking Soft Terms in No-Scale -
Motivated by D-brane model building, we evaluate the - model
with additional vector-like particle multiplets, referred to as flippons,
within the framework of No-Scale Supergravity with non-vanishing general
supersymmetry breaking soft terms at the string scale. The viable phenomenology
is uncovered by applying all current experimental constraints, including but
not limited to the correct light Higgs boson mass, WMAP and Planck relic
density measurements, and several LHC constraints on supersymmetric particle
spectra. Four interesting regions of the parameter space arise, as well as
mixed scenarios, given by: (i) light stop coannihilation; (ii) pure Higgsino
dark matter; (iii) Higgs funnel; and (iv) light stau coannihilation. All
regions can generate the observed value of the relic density commensurate with
a 125 GeV light Higgs boson mass, with the exception of the relatively small
relic density value for the pure Higgsino lightest supersymmetric particle
(LSP). This work is concluded by gauging the model against present LHC search
constraints and derivation of the final states observable at the LHC for each
of these scenarios.Comment: 13 pages, 4 Figures, 4 Table
Multilevel analysis of nuclear dynamics in lamin perturbed fibroblasts
The nuclear lamina provides structural support to the nucleus and has a central role in defining nuclear organization. Defects in its filamentous constituents, the lamins, lead to a class of diseases collectively referred to as laminopathies. On the cellular level, lamin mutations affect the physical integrity of nuclei and nucleo-cytoskeletal interactions, resulting in increased susceptibility to mechanical stress and altered gene expression [1]. Most studies regarding the mechanical properties of the nucleus in laminopathic conditions are based on the induction of extracellular stress, such as strain or compression, and focus on nuclear integrity and/or nucleo-cytoskeletal interaction [2]. Far less is known about the role of nuclear organization and mobility under basal steady-state conditions.
In this study, we quantitatively compared nuclear organization, nuclear deformation and chromatin mobility of fibroblasts from a Hutchinson-Gilford progeria patient with cells from a lamin A/C-deficient patient and wild-type dermal fibroblasts. To this end, we created a toolbox in imageJ for automatically analyzing both nuclear as well as subnuclear dynamics in living cells. Simultaneously, we developed a workflow for comparing cellular morphology and subcellular protein distribution in a high content fashion.
We found that the absence of functional lamin A/C leads to increased nuclear plasticity on the hour and minute time scale but also to increased intranuclear mobility down to the seconds time scale. In contrast, progeria cells showed overall reduced nuclear dynamics. In addition, high content analysis revealed marked morphological and topological differences between different culture passages within a cell type and between different pathological variants of culture-age matched laminopathic cell types
Ground and space based optical analysis of materials degradation in low-Earth-orbit
There is strong interest in being able to accurately and sensitively monitor materials degradation in both ground-based and space-based environments. Two optical techniques for sensitive degradation monitoring are reviewed: spectroscopic ellipsometry and photothermal spectroscopy. These techniques complement each other in that ellipsometry is sensitive to atomically thin surface and subsurface changes, and photothermal spectroscopy is sensitive to local defects, pin-holes, subsurface defects, and delamination. Progress in applying these spectroscopies (both ex situ and in situ) to atomic oxygen degradation of space materials is reviewed
Slipping friction of an optically and magnetically manipulated microsphere rolling at a glass-water interface
The motion of submerged magnetic microspheres rolling at a glass-water
interface has been studied using magnetic rotation and optical tweezers
combined with bright-field microscopy particle tracking techniques. Individual
microspheres of varying surface roughness were magnetically rotated both in and
out of an optical trap to induce rolling, along either plain glass cover slides
or glass cover slides functionalized with polyethylene glycol. It has been
observed that the manipulated microspheres exhibited nonlinear dynamic
rolling-while-slipping motion characterized by two motional regimes: At low
rotational frequencies, the speed of microspheres free-rolling along the
surface increased proportionately with magnetic rotation rate; however, a
further increase in the rotation frequency beyond a certain threshold revealed
a sharp transition to a motion in which the microspheres slipped with respect
to the external magnetic field resulting in decreased rolling speeds. The
effects of surface-microsphere interactions on the position of this threshold
frequency are posed and investigated. Similar experiments with microspheres
rolling while slipping in an optical trap showed congruent results.Comment: submitted to Journal of Applied Physics, 11 figure
Photonic quasicrystals for general purpose nonlinear optical frequency conversion
We present a general method for the design of 2-dimensional nonlinear
photonic quasicrystals that can be utilized for the simultaneous phase-matching
of arbitrary optical frequency-conversion processes. The proposed scheme--based
on the generalized dual-grid method that is used for constructing tiling models
of quasicrystals--gives complete design flexibility, removing any constraints
imposed by previous approaches. As an example we demonstrate the design of a
color fan--a nonlinear photonic quasicrystal whose input is a single wave at
frequency and whose output consists of the second, third, and fourth
harmonics of , each in a different spatial direction
The Myth of Individual Suffrage : The Voting Rights of Men, Women, and Households in the Netherlands in the Nineteenth Century
ArticlesThe history of suffrage in the Netherlands between 1795 and 1917 is typically viewed through the lens of present-day liberal-individual political thought. Consequently, Dutch suffrage in the nineteenth century is mostly regarded as essentially individual, meaning that individuals were granted the right to vote and habitually exercised it. However, this ignores the fact that the family, or household, still formed the basis of the natural order of society. Paying taxes was an important requirement to qualify as a voter and in principle, the tax assessment was imposed on the household, not on the individual. If a family paid the minimum amount of taxes required, the head of the family had the right to vote. This was relevant for the suffrage of women, since they could also run a household, such as a widow or an unmarried woman living on her own. Indeed, until 1850, these women were frequently granted the right to vote as head of the family, although they could not always exercise it. To use this right, she had to authorise her eldest son. The fact that some women could vote until 1850 is also often ignored in Dutch historiography. In this article, we argue that these two issues, household suffrage and suffrage for women, were closely related. Essentially, universal suffrage for women was not possible in an electoral system based on the household, since the household was typically headed by a man. This conundrum was only solved in 1917, when universal male suffrage was granted on an individual basis and the decision was made to grant voting rights to women in the near future
Brand and generic use of inhalation medication and frequency of switching in children and adults : a population-based cohort study
BACKGROUND: The expiration of patents of brand inhalation medications and the ongoing pressure on healthcare budgets resulted in a growing market for generics.
AIM: To study the use of brand and generic inhalation medication and the frequency of switching between brand and generic and between devices. In addition, we investigated whether switching affected adherence.
METHODS: From dispensing data from the Dutch PHARMO Database Network a cohort aged ≥ 5 years, using ≥ 1 year of inhalation medication between 2003 and 2012 was selected. Switching was defined as changing from brand to generic or vice versa. In addition, we studied change in aerosol delivery device type (e.g., DPI, pMDI, and nebulizers). Adherence was calculated using the medication possession ratio (MPR).
RESULTS: The total cohort comprised 70,053 patients with 1,604,488 dispensations. Per calendar year, 5% switched between brand and generic inhalation medication and 5% switched between devices. Median MPRs over the first 12 months ranged between 33 and 55%. Median MPR over the total period was lower after switch from brand to generic and vice versa for formoterol (44.5 vs. 42.1 and 63.5 vs. 53.8) and beclomethasone (93.8 vs. 59.8 and 81.3 vs. 55.9).
CONCLUSION: Per year, switching between brand and generic inhalation medication was limited to 5% of the patients, switching between device types was observed in 5% as well. Adherence to both generic and brand inhalation medication was low. Effect of switching on adherence was contradictory; depending on time period, medication and type, and direction of switching. Further research on reasons for switching and potential impact on clinical outcomes is warranted
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