Constructing Gauge Theory Geometries from Matrix Models

We use the matrix model -- gauge theory correspondence of Dijkgraaf and Vafa in order to construct the geometry encoding the exact gaugino condensate superpotential for the N=1 U(N) gauge theory with adjoint and symmetric or anti-symmetric matter, broken by a tree level superpotential to a product subgroup involving U(N_i) and SO(N_i) or Sp(N_i/2) factors. The relevant geometry is encoded by a non-hyperelliptic Riemann surface, which we extract from the exact loop equations. We also show that O(1/N) corrections can be extracted from a logarithmic deformation of this surface. The loop equations contain explicitly subleading terms of order 1/N, which encode information of string theory on an orientifolded local quiver geometry.Comment: 52 page

Optimization of Rhodium-Based Catalysts for Mixed Alcohol Synthesis -- 2010 Progress Report

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been conducting research for the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy, Biomass Program to investigate the feasibility of producing mixed alcohols from biomass-derived synthesis gas. In recent years this research has primarily involved the further development of a silica-supported catalyst containing rhodium and manganese that was selected from earlier catalyst screening tests. A major effort during 2010 was to examine alternative catalyst supports to determine whether other supports, besides the Davisil 645 silica, would improve performance. Optimization of the Davisil 645 silica-supported catalyst also was continued with respect to candidate promoters iridium, platinum, and gallium, and examination of selected catalyst preparation and activation alternatives for the baseline RhMn/SiO2 catalyst

Very-high energy gamma-ray astronomy: A 23-year success story in high-energy astroparticle physics

Very-high energy (VHE) gamma quanta contribute only a minuscule fraction - below one per million - to the flux of cosmic rays. Nevertheless, being neutral particles they are currently the best "messengers" of processes from the relativistic/ultra-relativistic Universe because they can be extrapolated back to their origin. The window of VHE gamma rays was opened only in 1989 by the Whipple collaboration, reporting the observation of TeV gamma rays from the Crab nebula. After a slow start, this new field of research is now rapidly expanding with the discovery of more than 150 VHE gamma-ray emitting sources. Progress is intimately related with the steady improvement of detectors and rapidly increasing computing power. We give an overview of the early attempts before and around 1989 and the progress after the pioneering work of the Whipple collaboration. The main focus of this article is on the development of experimental techniques for Earth-bound gamma-ray detectors; consequently, more emphasis is given to those experiments that made an initial breakthrough rather than to the successors which often had and have a similar (sometimes even higher) scientific output as the pioneering experiments. The considered energy threshold is about 30 GeV. At lower energies, observations can presently only be performed with balloon or satellite-borne detectors. Irrespective of the stormy experimental progress, the success story could not have been called a success story without a broad scientific output. Therefore we conclude this article with a summary of the scientific rationales and main results achieved over the last two decades.Comment: 45 pages, 38 figures, review prepared for EPJ-H special issue "Cosmic rays, gamma rays and neutrinos: A survey of 100 years of research

Seasonal variations in the diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors: a national cancer registry study in austria

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Seasonal variations in cancer diagnosis could already be demonstrated in prostate and breast cancer. The reasons for this observed seasonal pattern are still unclear. The health care system or other determinants such as the protective function of vitamin D3 in carcinogenesis could be assumed as one explanation. Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common developed malignancy among young men. The aim of our study was to investigate, for the first time, the seasonal variations in the clinical diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors. We have been able to confirm that the frequency of monthly newly diagnosed cases of testicular cell tumors in Austria has a strong seasonality, with a significant reduction in the tumor incidence during the summer months and an increase during the winter months. ABSTRACT: We conducted a retrospective National Cancer Registry study in Austria to assess a possible seasonal variation in the clinical diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). In total, 3615 testicular cancer diagnoses were identified during an 11-year period from 2008 to 2018. Rate ratios for the monthly number of TGCT diagnoses, as well as of seasons and half-years, were assessed using a quasi-Poisson model. We identified, for the first time, a statistically significant seasonal trend (p < 0.001) in the frequency of monthly newly diagnosed cases of TGCT. In detail, clear seasonal variations with a reduction in the tumor incidence during the summer months (Apr–Sep) and an increase during the winter months (Oct–Mar) were observed (p < 0.001). Focusing on seasonality, the incidence during the months of Oct–Dec (p = 0.008) and Jan–Mar (p < 0.001) was significantly higher compared to the months of Jul–Sep, respectively. Regarding histopathological features, there is a predominating incidence in the winter months compared to summer months, mainly concerning pure seminomas (p < 0.001), but not the non-seminoma or mixed TGCT groups. In conclusion, the incidence of TGCT diagnoses in Austria has a strong seasonal pattern, with the highest rate during the winter months. These findings may be explained by a delay of self-referral during the summer months. However, the hypothetical influence of vitamin D3 in testicular carcinogenesis underlying seasonal changes in TGCT diagnosis should be the focus of further research

Synpolydactyly and HOXD13 polyalanine repeat: addition of 2 alanine residues is without clinical consequences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Type II syndactyly or synpolydactyly (SPD) is clinically very heterogeneous, and genetically three distinct SPD conditions are known and have been designated as SPD1, SPD2 and SPD3, respectively. SPD1 type is associated with expansion mutations in <it>HOXD13</it>, resulting in an addition of ≥ 7 alanine residues to the polyalanine repeat. It has been suggested that expansions ≤ 6 alanine residues go without medical attention, as no such expansion has ever been reported with the SPD1 phenotype.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We describe a large Pakistani and an Indian family with SPD. We perform detailed clinical and molecular analyses to identify the genetic basis of this malformation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have identified four distinct clinical categories for the SPD1 phenotype observed in the affected subjects in both families. Next, we show that a milder foot phenotype, previously described as a separate entity, is in fact a part of the SPD1 phenotypic spectrum. Then, we demonstrate that the phenotype in both families segregates with an identical expansion mutation of 21 bp in <it>HOXD13</it>. Finally, we show that the HOXD13 polyalanine repeat is polymorphic, and the expansion of 2 alanine residues, evident in unaffected subjects of both families, is without clinical consequences.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is the first molecular evidence supporting the hypothesis that expansion of ≤ 6 alanine residues in the HOXD13 polyalanine repeat is not associated with the SPD1 phenotype.</p

Study of Tau-pair Production in Photon-Photon Collisions at LEP and Limits on the Anomalous Electromagnetic Moments of the Tau Lepton

Tau-pair production in the process e+e- -> e+e-tau+tau- was studied using data collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP2 during the years 1997 - 2000. The corresponding integrated luminosity is 650 pb^{-1}. The values of the cross-section obtained are found to be in agreement with QED predictions. Limits on the anomalous magnetic and electric dipole moments of the tau lepton are deduced.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by Eur. Phys. J.

CP asymmetry in B→ϕKSB \to \phi K_S in a general two-Higgs-doublet model with fourth-generation quarks

We discuss the time-dependent CP asymmetry of decay $B \to \phi K_S$ in an extension of the Standard Model with both two Higgs doublets and additional fourth-generation quarks. We show that although the Standard Model with two-Higgs-doublet and the Standard model with fourth generation quarks alone are not likely to largely change the effective $\sin 2 \beta$ from the decay of $B \to \phi K_S$, the model with both additional Higgs doublet and fourth-generation quarks can easily account for the possible large negative value of $\sin 2 \beta$ without conflicting with other experimental constraints. In this model, additional large CP violating effects may arise from the flavor changing Yukawa interactions between neutral Higgs bosons and the heavy fourth generation down type quark, which can modify the QCD penguin contributions. With the constraints obtained from $b \to s \bar{s} s$ processes such as $B \to X_s \gamma$ and $\Delta m_{B_s^0}$, this model can lead to the effective $\sin 2 \beta$ to be as large as $- 0.4$ in the CP asymmetry of $B \to \phi K_S$.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, references added, to appear in Eur.Phys.J.

Energy dependence of Cronin momentum in saturation model for p+Ap+A and A+AA+A collisions

We calculate $\sqrt{s}$ dependence of Cronin momentum for $p+A$ and $A+A$ collisions in saturation model. We show that this dependence is consistent with expectation from formula which was obtained using simple dimentional consideration. This can be used to test validity of saturation model (and distinguish among its variants) and measure $x$ dependence of saturation momentum from experimental data.Comment: LaTeX2e, 12 pages, 8 figure

A Precise Measurement of the Tau Lifetime

The tau lepton lifetime has been measured with the e+e- -> tau+tau- events collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP in the years 1991-1995. Three different methods have been exploited, using both one-prong and three-prong tau decay channels. Two measurements have been made using events in which both taus decay to a single charged particle. Combining these measurements gave tau_tau (1 prong) = 291.8 +/- 2.3 (stat) +/- 1.5 (sys) fs. A third measurement using taus which decayed to three charged particles yielded tau_tau (3 prong) = 288.6 +/- 2.4 (stat) +/- 1.3 (sys) fs. These were combined with previous DELPHI results to measure the tau lifetime, using the full LEP1 data sample, to be tau_tau = 290.9 +/- 1.4 (stat) +/- 1.0 (sys) fs.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure