2,787 research outputs found
Influence of thermophysiology on thermal behavior: the essentials of categorization
Predicted energy use of dwellings often deviates from the actual energy use. Thermoregulatory behavior of the occupant might explain this difference. Such behavior is influenced by thermal sensation and thermal comfort. These subjective ratings in turn are linked to physiological parameters such as core and skin temperatures. However, it is unclear which physiological parameters best predict thermoregulatory behavior. The objective of this research was to study physiological parameters that potentially can be used to predict thermoregulatory behavior. Sixteen healthy females (18-30years) were exposed to two dynamic temperature protocols: a gradual increase (+4K/h, ranging from 24 degrees C to 32 degrees C) and a gradual decrease in ambient temperature (-4K/h, ranging from 24 degrees C to 16 degrees C). During the experiments physiological responses, thermal sensation, thermal preference and the intention of thermoregulatory behavior were measured. Thermal sensation is highly correlated with thermal preference (r=-0.933, P<0.001). The skin temperature of the wrist best predicts thermal sensation (R2=0.558, P<0.001) and therefore seems useful as a physiological parameter to predict the intention of thermoregulatory behavior. When the subjects are categorized based on their thermal sensation votes, more precise predictions of thermal sensation can be made. This categorization therefore can be of value for the determination of the actual energy use of occupant in dwellings
Approximate Homomorphisms of Ternary Semigroups
A mapping between ternary semigroups will be
called a ternary homomorphism if . In this paper,
we prove the generalized Hyers--Ulam--Rassias stability of mappings of
commutative semigroups into Banach spaces. In addition, we establish the
superstability of ternary homomorphisms into Banach algebras endowed with
multiplicative norms.Comment: 10 page
Electroweak Baryogenesis in Non-minimal Composite Higgs Models
We address electroweak baryogenesis in the context of composite Higgs models,
pointing out that modifications to the Higgs and top quark sectors can play an
important role in generating the baryon asymmetry. Our main observation is that
composite Higgs models that include a light, gauge singlet scalar in the
spectrum [as in the model based on the symmetry breaking pattern SO(6)/SO(5)],
provide all necessary ingredients for viable baryogenesis. In particular, the
singlet leads to a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition and
introduces new sources of CP violation in dimension-five operators involving
the top quark. We discuss the amount of baryon asymmetry produced and the
experimental constraints on the model.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
Physical training of school children with spastic cerebral palsy: effects on daily activity, fat mass and fitness.
Probing for Invisible Higgs Decays with Global Fits
We demonstrate by performing a global fit on Higgs signal strength data that
large invisible branching ratios Br_{inv} for a Standard Model (SM) Higgs
particle are currently consistent with the experimental hints of a scalar
resonance at the mass scale m_h ~ 124 GeV. For this mass scale, we find
Br_{inv} < 0.64 (95 % CL) from a global fit to individual channel signal
strengths supplied by ATLAS, CMS and the Tevatron collaborations. Novel tests
that can be used to improve the prospects of experimentally discovering the
existence of a Br_{inv} with future data are proposed. These tests are based on
the combination of all visible channel Higgs signal strengths, and allow us to
examine the required reduction in experimental and theoretical errors in this
data that would allow a more significantly bounded invisible branching ratio to
be experimentally supported. We examine in some detail how our conclusions and
method are affected when a scalar resonance at this mass scale has couplings
deviating from the SM ones.Comment: 32pp, 15 figures v2: JHEP version, ref added & comment added after
Eq.
Early multidrug resistance, defined by changes in intracellular doxorubicin distribution, independent of P-glycoprotein.
Resistance to multiple antitumour drugs, mostly antibiotics or alkaloids, has been associated with a cellular plasma membrane P-glycoprotein (Pgp), causing energy-dependent transport of drugs out of cells. However, in many common chemotherapy resistant human cancers there is no overexpression of Pgp, which could explain drug resistance. In order to characterise early steps in multidrug resistance we have derived a series of P-glycoprotein-positive (Pgp/+) and P-glycoprotein-negative (Pgp/-) multidrug resistant cell lines, from a human non-small cell lung cancer cell line, SW-1573, by stepwise selection with increasing concentrations of doxorubicin. These cells were exposed to doxorubicin and its fluorescence in nucleus (N) and cytoplasm (C) was quantified with laserscan microscopy and image analysis. The fluorescence N/C ratio in parent cells was 3.8 and decreased both in Pgp/+ and Pgp/- cells with increasing selection pressure to 1.2-2.6 for cells with a resistance factor of 7-17. N/C ratios could be restored partly with verapamil only in Pgp/+ cells. N/C ratio measurements may define a general Pgp-independent type of defense of mammalian cells against certain anticancer agents which may precede Pgp expression in early doxorubicin resistance
Screen-detected breast cancers have a lower mitotic activity index
We know that screening for breast cancer leads to detection of smaller tumours with less lymph node metastases. Could it be possible that the decrease in mortality after screening is not only caused by this earlier stage, but also by a different mitotic activity index (MAI) of the tumours that are detected by screening? Is MAI a prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival? A retrospective study was carried out of 387 patients with breast cancer, treated at the University Hospital Nijmegen between January 1992 and September 1997. Ninety patients had screen-detected breast cancer, 297 patients had breast cancers detected outside the screening programme. The MAI, other prognostic factors and recurrence-free survival were determined. In non-screen-detected tumours the MAI is twice as high as in screen-detected tumours, even after correction for age took place. The MAI correlated well with other tumour characteristics. The MAI in itself is a prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival. Favourable outcome in screen detected breast cancer is not entirely caused by detecting cancer in early stages: quantitative features such as the MAI indicate a less malignant character of screen detected breast cancer. The MAI is an independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig
Probing Nonstandard Standard Model Backgrounds with LHC Monojets
Monojet events at colliders have been used to probe models of dark matter and
extra dimensions. We point out that these events also probe extensions of the
Standard Model modifying neutrino-quark interactions. Such nonstandard
interactions (NSI) have been discussed in connection with neutrino oscillation
experiments. Assuming first that NSI remain contact at LHC energies, we derive
stringent bounds that approach the levels suggested by the Boron-8 solar data.
We next explore the possibility that the mediators of the NSI can be produced
at colliders. The constraints are found to be strongest for mediator masses in
the 10^2-10^3 GeV range, with the best bounds above ~ 200 GeV coming from ATLAS
and below from CDF. For mediators with masses below 30 GeV the monojet bounds
are weaker than in the contact limit. These results also directly apply to
light dark matter searches. Lastly, we discuss how neutrino NSI can be
distinguished from dark matter or Kaluza-Klein states with charged lepton
searches.Comment: updated to match the PLB version; references added, discussion
updated and expanded, particularly in the multilepton sectio
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