New classes of modified teleparallel gravity models

New classes of modified teleparallel theories of gravity are introduced. The action of this theory is constructed to be a function of the irreducible parts of torsion $f(T_{\rm ax},T_{\rm ten},T_{\rm vec})$, where $T_{\rm ax},T_{\rm ten}$ and $T_{\rm vec}$ are squares of the axial, tensor and vector components of torsion, respectively. This is the most general (well-motivated) second order teleparallel theory of gravity that can be constructed from the torsion tensor. Different particular second order theories can be recovered from this theory such as new general relativity, conformal teleparallel gravity or $f(T)$ gravity. Additionally, the boundary term $B$ which connects the Ricci scalar with the torsion scalar via $R=-T+B$ can also be incorporated into the action. By performing a conformal transformation, it is shown that the two unique theories which have an Einstein frame are either the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity or $f(-T+B)=f(R)$ gravity, as expected.Comment: v2: 10 pages, accepted for publication in PLB; for a detailed derivation of the field equations see Appendix A in v

Implementing ALiS: Towards a Reference Architecture for Augmented Living Spaces

Augmented reality (AR) is currently discussed as an approach to promote the personal health of elderly and cognitively impaired people, with spatial AR being a promising, wearable-less solution to enable. an augmented living space (ALiS) that immersively provides and communicates individual, needs-oriented functionalities in the areas of perception, mobility, organization, and medicine. To address the knowledge gap of missing knowledge concerning the implementation of such assistance systems that support autonomy in everyday life, we derived a reference architecture (RA) based on an existing design theory. Our RA contains UML diagrams for components and sequence flows, accompanying text descriptions, and a user interface design. We successfully implemented a prototype to show the RAs feasibility and conducted an expert survey for its general usefulness with positive results. Our contributions add to the prescriptive knowledge base of the community as the results may be adapted by researchers and practitioners

Raising Aid Efficiency with International Development Aid Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

Background: Since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), or more specifically perhaps the Monterrey Consensus, there has been a distinct shift in the conversation around assessing the development effectiveness of international aid programs.  Initially, the focus had been on establishing monitoring and evaluation systems that served the needs to bilateral and multilateral donors to demonstrate the effectiveness of their assistance vis-à-vis their own constituencies. Today, there is an increasing recognition that recipient countries should be equally concerned with the effectiveness of donor resources as they are with the use of national resources devoted to development programs.    Purpose: This article reveals the current efforts of the sovereign new and traditional donors in establishing and operationalizing the international development assistance (IDA) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to raise the efficiency of IDA programs.   Setting: N/A   Intervention: N/A   Research Design: A review of previous studies and international practicies of IDA M&E.   Data Collection and Analysis: Employing game theory the authors identify the choice of particular IDA M&E system by traditional and new donors and analyze key elements and factors affecting M&E systems operationalization. They elaborate a set of policy recommendations on how to use M&E systems both in donor and recipient countries to raise aid effectiveness.   Findings: The authors conclude that in spite of donor and recipient countries having different purposes and approaches in implementing IDA projects, the use of the M&E is usually helpful to bridge their interests and to increase aid effectiveness

Normal Incidence of Diabetes in NOD Mice Tolerant to Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase

Experiments in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice that lacked expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in β cells have suggested that GAD represents an autoantigen essential for initiating and maintaining the diabetogenic immune response. Several attempts of inducing GAD-specific recessive tolerance to support this hypothesis have failed. Here we report on successful tolerance induction by expressing a modified form of GAD under control of the invariant chain promoter resulting in efficient epitope display. In spite of specific tolerance insulitis and diabetes occurred with normal kinetics indicating that GAD is not an essential autoantigen in the pathogenesis of diabetes

Multiband Superconductivity in KFe2As2: Evidence for one Isotropic and several Liliputian Energy Gaps

We report a detailed low-temperature thermodynamic investigation (heat capacity and magnetization) of the superconducting state of KFe2As2 for H || c axis. Our measurements reveal that the properties of KFe2As2 are dominated by a relatively large nodeless energy gap (Delta?0 = 1.9 kBTc) which excludes dx2-y2 symmetry. We prove the existence of several additional extremely small gaps (?Delta0 < 1.0 kBTc) that have a profound impact on the low-temperature and low-field behavior, similar to MgB2, CeCoIn5 and PrOs4Sb12. The zero-field heat capacity is analyzed in a realistic self-consistent 4-band BCS model which qualitatively reproduces the recent laser ARPES results of Okazaki et al. (Science 337 (2012) 1314). Our results show that extremely low-temperature measurements, i.e. T < 0.1 K, will be required in order to resolve the question of the existence of line nodes in this compound.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Current practices in children with severe acute asthma across European PICUs:an ESPNIC survey

Most pediatric asthma guidelines offer evidence-based or best practice approaches to the management of asthma exacerbations but struggle with evidence-based approaches for severe acute asthma (SAA). We aimed to investigate current practices in children with SAA admitted to European pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), in particular, adjunct therapies, use of an asthma severity score, and availability of a SAA guideline. We designed a cross-sectional electronic survey across European PICUs. Thirty-seven PICUs from 11 European countries responded. In 8 PICUs (22%), a guideline for SAA management was unavailable. Inhaled beta-agonists and anticholinergics, combined with systemic steroids and IV MgSO4 was central in SAA treatment. Seven PICUs (30%) used a loading dose of a short-acting beta-agonist. Eighteen PICUs (49%) used an asthma severity score, with 8 different scores applied. Seventeen PICUs (46%) observed an increasing trend in SAA admissions. Conclusion: Variations in the treatment of children with SAA mainly existed in the use of adjunct therapies and asthma severity scores. Importantly, in 22% of the PICUs, a SAA guideline was unavailable. Standardizing SAA guidelines across PICUs in Europe may improve quality of care. However, the limited number of PICUs represented and the data compilation method are constraining our findings.What is Known:center dot Recent reports demonstrate increasing numbers of children with SAA requiring PICU admission in several countries across the world.center dot Most pediatric guidelines offer evidence-based approaches to the management of asthma exacerbations, but struggle with evidence-based approaches for SAA beyond these initial steps.What is New:center dot A large arsenal of adjunct therapies and 8 different asthma scores were used.center dot In a large number of PICUs, a written guideline for SAA management is lacking

Current practices in children with severe acute asthma across European PICUs: an ESPNIC survey

Most pediatric asthma guidelines offer evidence-based or best practice approaches to the management of asthma exacerbations but struggle with evidence-based approaches for severe acute asthma (SAA). We aimed to investigate current practices in children with SAA admitted to European pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), in particular, adjunct therapies, use of an asthma severity score, and availability of a SAA guideline. We designed a cross-sectional electronic survey across European PICUs. Thirty-seven PICUs from 11 European countries responded. In 8 PICUs (22%), a guideline for SAA management was unavailable. Inhaled beta-agonists and anticholinergics, combined with systemic steroids and IV MgSO4 was central in SAA treatment. Seven PICUs (30%) used a loading dose of a short-acting beta-agonist. Eighteen PICUs (49%) used an asthma severity score, with 8 different scores applied. Seventeen PICUs (46%) observed an increasing trend in SAA admissions. Conclusion: Variations in the treatment of children with SAA mainly existed in the use of adjunct therapies and asthma severity scores. Importantl

Power spectrum for the Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter

We assume that dark matter is composed of scalar particles that form a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) at some point during the cosmic evolution. Afterwards, cold dark matter is in the form of a condensate and behaves slightly different from the standard dark matter component. We study the large scale perturbative dynamics of the BEC dark matter in a model where this component coexists with baryonic matter and cosmological constant. The perturbative dynamics is studied using neo- Newtonian cosmology (where the pressure is dynamically relevant for the homogeneous and isotropic background) which is assumed to be correct for small values of the sound speed. We show that BEC dark matter effects can be seen in the matter power spectrum if the mass of the condensate particle lies in the range 15meV < m < 700meV leading to a small, but perceptible, excess of power at large scales.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Physics Letters