370 research outputs found
National identification, endorsement of acculturation ideologies and prejudice: The impact of perceived threat of immigration
This paper examines how the perceived threat of immigration affects the links between national identification, endorsement of assimilation or multiculturalism, and prejudice against immigrants in France. One hundred thirty-five French undergraduates completed a questionnaire measuring these factors. Path analysis showed that higher national identification increased perception of immigrants as a threat, which in turn predicted increased endorsement of assimilation for immigrants. The link between endorsement of assimilation and prejudice was not significant. In contrast, lower national identification decreased perception of immigrants as a threat and, in turn, increased endorsement of multiculturalism and reduced levels of prejudice. An alternative model specifying perception of threat as an outcome of preferences for multiculturalism or assimilation did not fit the data well. Results suggest that perceived threat from immigration is the key factor that guides the preferences of the majority group for acculturation ideologies and, through these preferences, shapes intergroup attitudes
Nonequilibrium Approach to Bloch-Peierls-Berry Dynamics
We examine the Bloch-Peierls-Berry dynamics under a classical nonequilibrium
dynamical formulation. In this formulation all coordinates in phase space
formed by the position and crystal momentum space are treated on equal footing.
Explicitly demonstrations of the no (naive) Liouville theorem and of the
validity of Darboux theorem are given. The explicit equilibrium distribution
function is obtained. The similarities and differences to previous approaches
are discussed. Our results confirm the richness of the Bloch-Peierls-Berry
dynamics
Dark matter effective field theory and an application to vector dark matter
The Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) and the Low Energy Effective Field Theory (LEFT) can be extended by adding additional spin 0, 1/2 and 1 dark matter particles which are singlets under the Standard Model (SM) gauge group. We classify all gauge invariant interactions in the Lagrangian up to terms of dimension six, and present the tree-level matching conditions between the two theories at the electroweak scale. The most widely studied dark matter models, such as those based on the Higgs portal or on kinetic mixing between the photon and a dark photon, are based on dimension-four interactions with the SM sector. We consider a model with dark vector particles with a ℤ2 symmetry, so that the lightest dark matter particle is stable. The leading interaction with the SM is through dimension-six operators involving two dark vector field-strength tensors and the electromagnetic field-strength tensor. This model is a viable dark matter model in the freeze-in scenario for a wide range of parameters
Effective field theory interpretation of lepton magnetic and electric dipole moments
We perform a model-independent analysis of the magnetic and electric dipole
moments of the muon and electron. We give expressions for the dipole moments in
terms of operator coefficients of the low-energy effective field theory (LEFT)
and the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT). We use one-loop
renormalization group improved perturbation theory, including the one-loop
matching from SMEFT onto LEFT, and one-loop lepton matrix elements of the
effective-theory operators. Semileptonic four-fermion operators involving light
quarks give sizable non-perturbative contributions to the dipole moments, which
are included in our analysis. We find that only a very limited set of the SMEFT
operators is able to generate the current deviation of the magnetic moment of
the muon from its Standard Model expectation.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figures; v2: numbers updated to new experimental value
for g-2; version published in JHE
Fermi surface renormalization in Hubbard ladders
We derive the one-loop renormalization equations for the shift in the
Fermi-wavevectors for one-dimensional interacting models with four Fermi-points
(two left and two right movers) and two Fermi velocities v_1 and v_2. We find
the shift to be proportional to (v_1-v_2)U^2, where U is the Hubbard-U. Our
results apply to the Hubbard ladder and to the t_1-t_2 Hubbard model. The
Fermi-sea with fewer particles tends to empty. The stability of a saddle point
due to shifts of the Fermi-energy and the shift of the Fermi-wavevector at the
Mott-Hubbard transition are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 Postscript figure
Materials with Colossal Dielectric Constant: Do They Exist?
Experimental evidence is provided that colossal dielectric constants, epsilon
>= 1000, sometimes reported to exist in a broad temperature range, can often be
explained by Maxwell-Wagner type contributions of depletion layers at the
interface between sample and contacts, or at grain boundaries. We demonstrate
this on a variety of different materials. We speculate that the largest
intrinsic dielectric constant observed so far in non-ferroelectric materials is
of order 100.Comment: 3 figure
Dielectric catastrophe at the Mott transition
We study the Mott transition as a function of interaction strength in the
half-filled Hubbard chain with next-nearest-neighbor hopping t' by calculating
the response to an external electric field using the Density Matrix
Renormalization Group. The electric susceptibility chi diverges when
approaching the critical point from the insulating side. We show that the
correlation length xi characterizing this transition is directly proportional
to fluctuations of the polarization and that chi ~ xi^2. The critical behavior
shows that the transition is infinite-order for all t', whether or not a spin
gap is present, and that hyperscaling holds.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figures, REVTe
Mucosal Inducible NO Synthase–Producing IgA+ Plasma Cells in Helicobacter pylori–Infected Patients
Dépistage de l’infection à SARS-CoV-2 chez les voyageurs - Quelle approche pour évaluer le risque de transmis [SARS-CoV-2 screening in travelers: what approach to assess transmission risk ?]
Before a trip, a screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR is often required and raises the problem of detection of residual viral RNA at distance from the acute infection (post-Covid). At the University Hospital of Geneva, we developed an expertise to distinguish acute from post-Covid infections. Between October and December 2020, 30% of the people tested positive were able to travel because the result corresponded to post-Covid and 65% were put in isolation because of an acute infection with a risk of transmission. To overcome the detection of residual viral RNA by RT-PCR, a rapid antigenic test would be an interesting and less expensive alternative. It could also be performed a few hours before departure
Chronic Delivery of Antibody Fragments Using Immunoisolated Cell Implants as a Passive Vaccination Tool
BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments are powerful biotherapeutics for various debilitating diseases. However, high production costs, functional limitations such as inadequate pharmacokinetics and tissue accessibility are the current principal disadvantages for broadening their use in clinic.
METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report a novel method for the long-term delivery of antibody fragments. We designed an allogenous immunoisolated implant consisting of polymer encapsulated myoblasts engineered to chronically release scFv antibodies targeted against the N-terminus of the Aβ peptide. Following a 6-month intracerebral therapy we observed a significant reduction of the production and aggregation of the Aβ peptide in the APP23 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, functional assessment showed prevention of behavioral deficits related to anxiety and memory traits.
CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The chronic local release of antibodies using immunoisolated polymer cell implants represents an alternative passive vaccination strategy in Alzheimer's disease. This novel technique could potentially benefit other diseases presently treated by local and systemic antibody administration
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