Anatomy of F_D-Term Hybrid Inflation

We analyze the cosmological implications of F-term hybrid inflation with a subdominant Fayet--Iliopoulos D-term whose presence explicitly breaks a D-parity in the inflaton-waterfall sector. This scenario of inflation, which is called F_D-term hybrid model for brevity, can naturally predict lepton number violation at the electroweak scale, by tying the mu-parameter of the MSSM to an SO(3)-symmetric Majorana mass m_N, via the vacuum expectation value of the inflaton field. We show how a negative Hubble-induced mass term in a next-to-minimal extension of supergravity helps to accommodate the present CMB data and considerably weaken the strict constraints on the theoretical parameters, resulting from cosmic string effects on the power spectrum P_R. The usual gravitino overabundance constraint may be significantly relaxed in this model, once the enormous entropy release from the late decays of the ultraheavy waterfall gauge particles is properly considered. As the Universe enters a second thermalization phase involving a very low reheat temperature, which might be as low as about 0.3 TeV, thermal electroweak-scale resonant leptogenesis provides a viable mechanism for successful baryogenesis, while thermal right-handed sneutrinos emerge as new possible candidates for solving the cold dark matter problem. In addition, we discuss grand unified theory realizations of F_D-term hybrid inflation devoid of cosmic strings and monopoles, based on the complete breaking of an SU(2) subgroup. The F_D-term hybrid model offers rich particle-physics phenomenology, which could be probed at high-energy colliders, as well as in low-energy experiments of lepton flavour or number violation.Comment: 73 pages, LaTeX, minor rewordings, references added, to appear in JHE

Versuchsbeschrieb und Qualität des frischen Wiesenfutters : Serie Systemvergleich Hohenrain II

Im Systemvergleich Hohenrain II wurden drei Fütterungssysteme auf Basis von frischem Wiesenfutter miteinander verglichen. Dazu wurden von 2014-2016 die zwei Systeme Teilweide mit Eingrasen und reduzierter (EGKF) beziehungsweise erhöhter Kraftfuttergabe (EGKFplus) mit der Vollweide (VW) als Referenzsystem verglichen. Auf dem Gutsbetrieb des BBZN Hohenrain in Luzern wurden drei Herden in je einem Fütterungssystem gehalten. Allen Herden stand dieselbe Futterfläche zur Verfügung. Auch 36 Pilotbetriebe aus dem Schweizer Mittelland beteiligten sich am Projekt und unterstützten über die Teilnahme an Arbeitskreisen die Praxisverknüpfung und den Wissenstransfer. Die höchsten Energiegehalte im Eingrasfutter wurden im Frühjahr erreicht. Diese sind mit den bekannten Tabellenwerten vergleichbar. Gegenüber den Kurzrasenweiden lagen die Gehalte bedeutend tiefer und waren insbesondere über die Sommermonate starken Schwankungen unterworfen. Dies wird auf das Nutzungsstadium und die sommerlichen Witterungseinflüsse zurückgeführt, welche die Verdaulichkeit des Wiesenfutters wesentlich beeinflussen. Analog zur Weide sollten deshalb Entscheidungshilfen entwickelt werden, welche die Praxis bei der Nutzung der Eingrasbestände im optimalen Stadium unterstützen.In Svizzera molte aziende produttrici di latte fanno uso di sostanziali percentuali di foraggio verde nella razione alimentare. Obiettivo di questo progetto è stata la comparazione tra tre sistemi che si basano sull’alimentazione del bestiame con man-gime verde fresco. A tale scopo, tra il 2014 e il 2016, i due sistemi a pascolo parziale con afforaggiamento di erba fresca e apporto di concentrati ridotto (EGKF) o maggiorato (EGKFplus) sono stati messi a confronto, assumendo il pascolo integrale (VW) come sistema di riferimento. Il presente articolo informa sul dispositivo dell’esperimento e sui primi risultati riguardanti il contenuto di energia del foraggio verde fresco. Nell’a-zienda agricola del centro di formazione professionale BBZN di Hohenrain (LU) il bestiame da latte (70 capi) è stato suddiviso in tre mandrie e inserito nei rispettivi sistemi di foraggiamento. Ad ogni mandria è stata messa a disposizione la stessa superficie di terreno per il pascolo o le colture foraggere (12 ha), mentre la media del numero di mucche e la quantità di mangime concen-trato impiegato erano differenziate in base ai diversi sistemi. Anche 36 aziende agricole dell’altopiano svizzero hanno preso parte al progetto, sostenendo la messa in pratica e il trasferimento del sapere tramite la parteci-pazione a gruppi di lavoro. I tenori più alti di energia netta di lattazione (NEL) nel forag-gio verde (MJ/kg SS) sono stati raggiunti in primavera, ed erano paragonabili ai valori delle tabelle di riferimento. I tenori sono risultati essere significativamente inferiori rispetto a quelli del pascolo ad erba corta e sono stati soggetti a forti oscillazioni soprat-tutto nei mesi estivi. Ciò è da ricondurre all’irregolare stadio di maturazione dell’erba al momento della raccolta e alle condizioni metereologiche, che influenzano di molto la digeribilità del foraggio verde. Supporti decisionali alla pratica dell’afforaggiamento di erba fresca potrebbero contribuire a migliorare la situazione.Partial grazing with indoor feeding of fresh grass is an important feeding system for Swiss dairy farms. From 2014 to 2016, three production systems – ‘partial grazing with indoor feeding of fresh grass with reduced (EGKF, 418 kg) and increased concentrate supplementation (EGKFplus; 1161 kg) was compared with full-time grazing (FG) with reduced concentrate supplementation on 36 pilot farms in Switzerland. This article describes the set-up and initial results regarding the energy content of the fresh grass. The seventy-head dairy herd on the BBZN Hohenrain school farm in Lucerne was divided into three sub-herds, each of which was kept in one of the three feeding systems. While all three herds had the same amount of land at their disposal as pasture or foddergrowing land (12 ha), the average number of cows and the quantity of concentrate used differed according to the system. Thirty-six pilot farms in the Swiss Plateau were also involved in the project and gave support by participating in study groups focussing on linking practice and transferring knowledge. The highest NEL contents in grass fodder (MJ/kg DM) were measured in spring. These were comparable with reference values. However, compared to continuous grazing, the contents were significantly lower and, particularly during summer, were subject to strong fluctuations. This is a result of the irregular utilisation stage and the influence of summer weather conditions, both of which significantly impact the digestibility of grass fodder. Decision-making aids to support practitioners with forage harvesting could lead to improvements here

Teaching modern foreign languages in multilingual classrooms: an examination of Key Stage 2 teachers’ experiences

The statutory inclusion of modern foreign languages (MFL) into the Key Stage 2 curriculum in England in 2014 aimed to raise the language skills of younger learners in preparation for their secondary education. This change to the curriculum has occurred at a time in which the linguistic diversity within primary schools across the country has been consistently increasing. This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to qualitatively examine the impact of the curriculum change on teachers implementing it in multilingual classrooms in Greater Manchester. Six teachers with varying experience in teaching MFL participated in semistructured interviews focussing on different aspects of the curriculum change. This paper focuses on the teaching of MFL, as well as on teachers’ perceptions of English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils’ aptitude for language learning in comparison to their monolingual peers. The superordinate themes identified from the data included the inconsistent delivery of MFL in primary schools, and the role of multilingual classrooms as opportunities for augmented MFL provision. The findings from this study will have implications for teachers, head teachers, and policy-makers regarding the effectiveness of the initial implementation of MFL into the primary curriculum, with specific reference to the EAL school population

MondoA regulates gene expression in cholesterol biosynthesis-associated pathways required for zebrafish epiboly

The glucose-sensing Mondo pathway regulates expression of metabolic genes in mammals. Here, we characterized its function in the zebrafish and revealed an unexpected role of this pathway in vertebrate embryonic development. We showed that knockdown of mondoa impaired the early morphogenetic movement of epiboly in zebrafish embryos and caused microtubule defects. Expression of genes in the terpenoid backbone and sterol biosynthesis pathways upstream of pregnenolone synthesis was coordinately downregulated in these embryos, including the most downregulated gene nsdhl. Loss of Nsdhl function likewise impaired epiboly, similar to MondoA loss of function. Both epiboly and microtubule defects were partially restored by pregnenolone treatment. Maternal-zygotic mutants of mondoa showed perturbed epiboly with low penetrance and compensatory changes in the expression of terpenoid/sterol/steroid metabolism genes. Collectively, our results show a novel role for MondoA in the regulation of early vertebrate development, connecting glucose, cholesterol and steroid hormone metabolism with early embryonic cell movements

Melatonin inhibira lipidnu peroksidaciju u jetri štakora uzrokovanu benzenom

We studied the antioxidative role of melatonin against benzene toxicity in rat liver. The inhibition of mitochondrial and microsomal lipid peroxidation differed between 24-hour (single-dose), 15-day, and 30-day treatments. Inhibition of mitochondrial lipid peroxidation was the highest after the single dose of melatonin, whereas highest microsomal inhibition was recorded after 30 days of melatonin treatment. No signifi cant difference was recorded between 15-day and 30-day treatments. Cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP4502E1) activity declined after the single-dose and 15-day melatonin treatment in the benzenetreated group, but it rose again, though not signifi cantly after 30 days of treatment. Liver histopathology generally supported these fi ndings. Phenol concentration in the urine samples declined in melatonin and benzene-treated rats. Our results show that melatonin affects CYP4502E1, which is responsible for benzene metabolism. Inhibition of its metabolism correlated with lower lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, melatonin was found to be protective against lipid peroxidation induced by benzene.Istražena je antioksidacijska uloga melatonina u zaštiti protiv toksičnoga djelovanja benzena u jetri štakora. Utvrđeno je da kratkoročno odnosno dugoročnije liječenje štakora melatoninom u različitoj mjeri štiti štakore istodobno izložene benzenu. Inhibicija lipidne peroksidacije mitohondrija i mikrosoma bila je različita nakon 24 h, 15 dana, odnosno 30 dana liječenja melatoninom. Najveća inhibicija lipidne peroksidacije mitohondrija zamijećena je nakon primjene jednokratne doze melatonina, dok je najizraženija inhibicija u mikrosomima zamijećena nakon 30 dana liječenja melatoninom. Slična istraživanja pokazuju da razina glutationa (GSH) najviše raste nakon 24 h liječenja melatoninom. Nije zamijećena razlika između liječenja u trajanju od 15 odnosno 30 dana. U štakora koji su uz benzen istodobno primali i melatonin razine citokroma P4502E1 pale su nakon 24 h odnosno 15 dana izloženosti. U štakora koji su primali samo melatonin te su razine nakon 30 dana statistički neznačajno porasle u odnosu na skupinu izloženu samo benzenu. Histopatološka analiza jetre načelno je potvrdila ove nalaze. Koncentracije fenola u mokraći bile su niže u štakora koji su istodobno primali melatonin i benzen. Ovi rezultati pokazuju da melatonin utječe na citokrom P4502E1, koji je odgovoran za metabolizam benzena. Inhibira li se njegov metabolizam, smanjuje se lipidna peroksidacija. Zaključak je da melatonin štiti od lipidne peroksidacije uzrokovane benzenom

Relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with memory and attention in preschoolers (Ballabeina): A cross-sectional and longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: The debate about a possible relationship between aerobic fitness and motor skills with cognitive development in children has recently re-emerged, because of the decrease in children's aerobic fitness and the concomitant pressure of schools to enhance cognitive performance. As the literature in young children is scarce, we examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with spatial working memory and attention in preschool children. METHODS: Data from 245 ethnically diverse preschool children (mean age: 5.2 (0.6) years, girls: 49.4%) analyzed at baseline and 9 months later. Assessments included aerobic fitness (20 m shuttle run) and motor skills with agility (obstacle course) and dynamic balance (balance beam). Cognitive parameters included spatial working memory (IDS) and attention (KHV-VK). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, migration status, parental education, native language and linguistic region. Longitudinal analyses were additionally adjusted for the respective baseline value. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analysis, aerobic fitness was associated with better attention (r=0.16, p=0.03). A shorter time in the agility test was independently associated with a better performance both in working memory (r=-0.17, p=0.01) and in attention (r=-0.20, p=0.01). In the longitudinal analyses, baseline aerobic fitness was independently related to improvements in attention (r=0.16, p=0.03), while baseline dynamic balance was associated with improvements in working memory (r=0.15, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In young children, higher baseline aerobic fitness and motor skills were related to a better spatial working memory and/or attention at baseline, and to some extent also to their future improvements over the following 9 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT0067454

Brain metastases in gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma: Insights into the role of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)

Background: Gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinomas rarely metastasize to the central nervous system (CNS). The role of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in patients with these cancers and CNS involvement is presently unknown.Patients and Methods: A multicentre registry was established to collect data from patients with gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinomas and CNS involvement both retrospectively and prospectively. Inclusion in the study required a predefined clinical data set, a central neuro-radiological or histopathological confirmation of metastatic CNS involvement and central assessment of HER2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridisation (ISH). In addition, expression of E-cadherin and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins were assessed by IHC. Results: One hundred patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The population's median age was 59 years (interquartile range: 54-68), of which 85 (85%) were male. Twenty-five patients were of Asian and 75 of Caucasian origin. HER2 status was positive in 36% (95% CI: 26.6-46.2) of cases. Median time from initial diagnosis to the development of brain metastases (BMets) or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) was 9.9 months (95% CI: 8.5-15.0). Median overall survival from diagnosis was 16.9 months (95% CI: 14.0-20.7) and was not related to the HER2 status. E-cadherin loss was observed in 9% of cases and loss of expression in at least one DNA MMR proteins in 6%. Conclusions: The proportion of a positive HER2 status in patients with gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma and CNS involvement was higher than expected. The impact of anti-HER2 therapies should be studied prospectively