The CP properties of the lightest Higgs boson with sbottom effects

In the framework of the recently proposed gluino-axion model, using the effective potential method and taking into account the top-stop as well as the bottom-sbottom effects, we discuss the CP--properties of the lightest Higgs boson, in particular its CP--odd composition, which can offer new opportunities at collider searches. It is found that although the CP-odd composition of the lightest Higgs increases slightly with the inclusion of the sbottom effects, it never exceeds %0.17 for all values of the renormalization scale Q ranging from top mass to TeV scaleComment: 24 pp, 12 eps fig

Halfvortices in flat nanomagnets

We discuss a new type of topological defect in XY systems where the O(2) symmetry is broken in the presence of a boundary. Of particular interest is the appearance of such defects in nanomagnets with a planar geometry. They are manifested as kinks of magnetization along the edge and can be viewed as halfvortices with winding numbers \pm 1/2. We argue that halfvortices play a role equally important to that of ordinary vortices in the statics and dynamics of flat nanomagnets. Domain walls found in experiments and numerical simulations are composite objects containing two or more of these elementary defects. We also discuss a closely related system: the two-dimensional smectic liquid crystal films with planar boundary condition.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, To appear as a chapter in Les Houches summer school on Quantum Magnetis

Performance assessment of a membrane liquid desiccant dehumidification cooling system based on experimental investigations

A membrane-based liquid desiccant dehumidification cooling system is studied in this paper for energy efficient air conditioning with independent temperature and humidity controls. The system mainly consists of a dehumidifier, a regenerator, an evaporative cooler and an air-to-air heat exchanger. Its feasibility in the hot and humid region is assessed with calcium chloride solution, and the influences of operating variables on the dehumidifier, regenerator, evaporative cooler and overall system performances are investigated through experimental work. The experimental results indicate that the inlet air condition greatly affects the dehumidification and regeneration performances. The system regeneration temperature should be controlled appropriately for a high energy efficiency based on the operative solution concentration ratio. It is worth noting that the solution concentration ratio plays a considerable role in the system performance. The higher the solution concentration ratio, the better the dehumidification performance. However simultaneously more thermal input power is required for the solution regeneration, and a crystallization risk in the normal operating temperature range should be noted as well. The system mass balance between the dehumidifier and regenerator is crucial for the system steady operation. Under the investigated steady operating condition, the supply air temperature of 20.4°C and system COP of 0.70 are achieved at a solution concentration ratio of 36%

A Fluorescent Probe for Diacetyl Detection

A water-soluble fluorescent probe, rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH), was prepared and its properties for recognition of diacetyl were studied. The method employs the reaction of diacetyl with RBH, a colorless and non-fluorescent rhodamine B spiro form derivative to give a pink-colored fluorescent substance. In weakly acidic media, RBH reacts more selectively with diacetyl than with other carbonyls, causing a large increase in fluorescence intensity and thereby providing an easy assay for the determination of diacetyl

Leisure-time versus full-day energy expenditure: a cross-sectional study of sedentarism in a Portuguese urban population

BACKGROUND: Low physical activity is known to be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. With high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the Portuguese urban population, little is known about how sedentary this population is and what factors are associated to sedentary lifestyles. This study's objective was to examine sedentary lifestyles and their determinants through a cross-sectional study. METHODS: 2134 adults (18 years and older) were interviewed using a standard questionnaire, comprising of social, behavioural and clinical information. Time spent in a variety of activities per day, including: work, household chores, sports, sedentary leisure time and sleep, were self-reported. Energy expenditure was estimated based on the related metabolic equivalent (MET) and time spent in each activity (min/day). Those with less than 10% of energy expenditure at a moderate intensity of 4 METs or higher were categorised as sedentary. The proportion of sedentary people and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were calculated, and the magnitude of associations, between sedentary lifestyles and the population characteristics, were computed as age-adjusted odds ratios using logistic regression. RESULTS: Sedentarism in both genders during leisure time is high at 84%, however in full day energy expenditure, which includes physical activity at work, sleeping hours and household chores, 79% of males and 86% of females are found to be sedentary. In leisure-time only, increased age is associated with higher odds of being sedentary in both genders, as well as in women with increased BMI. In comparison, in full-day energy expenditure, sedentarism is more likely to occur in those with higher levels of education and in white-collar workers. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of sedentarism is found in the study participants when measuring leisure-time and full-day energy expenditure. The Portuguese population may therefore benefit from additional promotion of physical activity

Relations between assemblages of carpological remains and modern vegetation in a shallow reservoir in southern Poland

This paper explores relations between assemblages of carpological remains and vegetation in and around a small, shallow reservoir in southern Poland. The study was conducted from 2006 to 2008. Quantity and distribution of species in the reservoir were recorded annually during the growing season. In October 2008, 40 samples of surface sediment (top 2 cm) were collected along transects at 10 m intervals. Samples of 100 cm3 were prepared for analysis of plant macroremains. Assemblages of carpological remains generally reflect local vegetation well. In some cases, however, even analysis of numerous samples failed to fully capture the species composition or reflect plant ratios in the parent phytocenosis. Reasons for this include factors that affect seed production, transport and fossilization, which differ among species. Among the best-represented macroremains were plants of the rush phytocenosis. In analysed samples, macroremains of 68.8 % of extant rushes were identified. Sixty percent of submerged and floating-leaf taxa were found in carpological samples, whereas 26.7 % of the trees and bushes were represented in sediment deposits. Species composition of phytocenoses in the reservoir and in surrounding areas was best reflected by macroremains from the nearby reed bed. Numbers of diaspores of Mentha aquatica, Hippuris vulgaris and Carex reflected well their relative abundance in phytocenoses. Chara sp., Juncus inflexus and Eupatorium cannabinum were overrepresented, whereas Typha latifolia and Sparganium minimum were poorly represented in relation to contemporary plant cover. There were no diaspores of Phragmites australis, which dominates the contemporary reed bed. Besides the shape of a reservoir, the key factor influencing diaspore numbers is distribution of plant cover. In many cases, single diaspores (Potentilla erecta, Myosotis scorpioides, Lythrum salicaria, Scutellaria galericulata), or higher concentrations (Hippuris vulgaris, Mentha aquatica, Eleocharis palustris, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Chara sp.) reflected well the location of parent vegetation. The findings indicate that carpological remains in sediments can be an important source of information about plants in and around lakes. They generally reflect well local vegetation and in some cases may be used to identify taxa that dominated in the past

Manipulation of kinase signaling by bacterial pathogens

Bacterial pathogens use effector proteins to manipulate their hosts to propagate infection. These effectors divert host cell signaling pathways to the benefit of the pathogen and frequently target kinase signaling cascades. Notable pathways that are usurped include the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, and p21-activated kinase (PAK) pathways. Analyzing the functions of pathogenic effectors and their intersection with host kinase pathways has provided interesting insights into both the mechanisms of virulence and eukaryotic signaling

The impact of change in a doctor's job position: a five-year cohort study of job satisfaction among Norwegian doctors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Job satisfaction among physicians may be of importance to their individual careers and their work with patients. We lack prospective studies on whether a change in a doctor's job position influences their job satisfaction over a five-year period if we control for other workload factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A longitudinal national cohort of all physicians who graduated in Norway in 1993 and 1994 was surveyed by postal questionnaire in 2003 (T1) and 2008 (T2). Outcomes were measured with a 10-item job satisfaction scale. Predictor variables in a multiple regression model were: change in job position, reduction in work-home interface stress, reduction in work hours, age, and gender.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 59% of subjects (306/522) responded at both time points. The mean value of job satisfaction in the total sample increased from 51.6 (SD = 9.0) at T1 to 53.4 (SD = 8.2) at T2 (paired <it>t </it>test, <it>t </it>= 3.8, <it>p </it>< 0.001). The major groups or positions at T1 were senior house officers (45%), chief specialists in hospitals (23%), and general practitioners (17%), and the latter showed the highest levels of job satisfaction. Physicians who changed position during the period (n = 176) experienced an increase in job satisfaction from 49.5 (SD = 8.4) in 2003 to 52.9 (SD = 7.5) in 2008 (paired <it>t </it>test, <it>t </it>= 5.2, <it>p </it>< 0.001). Job satisfaction remained unchanged for physicians who stayed in the same position. There was also an increase in satisfaction among those who changed from positions other than senior house officer at T1 (<it>p </it>< 0.01). The significant adjusted predictor variables in the multiple regression model were the change in position from senior house officer at T1 to any other position (β = 2.83, <it>p </it>< 0.001), any change in job position (from any position except SHO at T1) (β = 4.18, <it>p </it>< 0.01) and reduction in work-home interface stress (β = 1.04, <it>p </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The physicians experienced an increase in job satisfaction over a five-year period, which was predicted by a change in job position and a reduction in work-home stress. This study has implications with respect to career advice for young doctors.</p

Klebsiella pneumoniae Multiresistance Plasmid pMET1: Similarity with the Yersinia pestis Plasmid pCRY and Integrative Conjugative Elements

Dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes has become an important public health and biodefense threat. Plasmids are important contributors to the rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance by pathogenic bacteria.The nucleotide sequence of the Klebsiella pneumoniae multiresistance plasmid pMET1 comprises 41,723 bp and includes Tn1331.2, a transposon that carries the bla(TEM-1) gene and a perfect duplication of a 3-kbp region including the aac(6')-Ib, aadA1, and bla(OXA-9) genes. The replication region of pMET1 has been identified. Replication is independent of DNA polymerase I, and the replication region is highly related to that of the cryptic Yersinia pestis 91001 plasmid pCRY. The potential partition region has the general organization known as the parFG locus. The self-transmissible pMET1 plasmid includes a type IV secretion system consisting of proteins that make up the mating pair formation complex (Mpf) and the DNA transfer (Dtr) system. The Mpf is highly related to those in the plasmid pCRY, the mobilizable high-pathogenicity island from E. coli ECOR31 (HPI(ECOR31)), which has been proposed to be an integrative conjugative element (ICE) progenitor of high-pathogenicity islands in other Enterobacteriaceae including Yersinia species, and ICE(Kp1), an ICE found in a K. pneumoniae strain causing primary liver abscess. The Dtr MobB and MobC proteins are highly related to those of pCRY, but the endonuclease is related to that of plasmid pK245 and has no significant homology with the protein of similar function in pCRY. The region upstream of mobB includes the putative oriT and shares 90% identity with the same region in the HPI(ECOR31).The comparative analyses of pMET1 with pCRY, HPI(ECOR31), and ICE(Kp1 )show a very active rate of genetic exchanges between Enterobacteriaceae including Yersinia species, which represents a high public health and biodefense threat due to transfer of multiple resistance genes to pathogenic Yersinia strains

Oxygen vacancy engineering in spinel-structured nanosheet wrapped hollow polyhedra for electrochemical nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions

Electrochemical nitrogen-to-ammonia conversion by the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions is regarded as a potential approach to tackle the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process with excessive CO2 emission. However, the NRR is still restricted by low faradaic efficiency and NH3 yield, which is due to the chemical inertness of N-related groups for efficient adsorption/activation on the electrocatalysts. Here, a series of spinel-structured nanosheet wrapped hollow nitrogen-doped carbon polyhedra with abundant oxygen vacancies are constructed successfully. From theoretical aspects, these materials show increased charge density on their surface for enhanced capture and activation of N2 molecules. As a result, oxygen vacancy-rich NiCo2O4 on hollow N-carbon polyhedra (Vo-rich NiCo2O4@HNCP) shows outstanding electrocatalytic NRR performance with high production yield (NH3: 4.1 μg h−1 cm−2/17.8 μg h−1 mg−1; faradaic efficiency: 5.3%) and high stability under ambient conditions and is superior to the counterpart oxygen vacancy-poor electrocatalysts. Oxygen vacancy engineering introduces a new concept for rational design of advanced NRR catalysts for energy conversion systems