Economic Analysis of Trade-offs between Justices

We argue that economics - as the scientific method of analysing trade-offs - can be helpful (and may even be indispensable) for assessing the trade-offs between intergenerational and intragenerational justice. Economic analysis can delineate the "opportunity set" of politics with respect to the two normative objectives of inter- and intragenerational justice, i.e. it can describe which outcomes are feasible in achieving the two objectives in a given context, and which are not. It can distinguish efficient from inefficient uses of instruments of justice. It can identify the "opportunity cost" of attaining one justice to a higher degree, in terms of less achievement of the other. We find that, under very general conditions, (1) efficiency in the use of instruments of justice implies that there is rivalry between the two justices and the opportunity cost of either justice is positive; (2) negative opportunity costs of achieving one justice exist if there is facilitation between the two justices, which can only happen if instruments of justice are used inefficiently; (3) opportunity costs of achieving one justice are zero if the two justices are independent of each other, which is the case in the interior of the opportunity set where instruments of justice are used inefficiently

The Suprafroth (Superconducting Froth)

The structure and dynamics of froths have been subjects of intense interest due to the desire to understand the behaviour of complex systems where topological intricacy prohibits exact evaluation of the ground state. The dynamics of a traditional froth involves drainage and drying in the cell boundaries, thus it is irreversible. We report a new member to the froths family: suprafroth, in which the cell boundaries are superconducting and the cell interior is normal phase. Despite very different microscopic origin, topological analysis of the structure of the suprafroth shows that statistical von Neumann and Lewis laws apply. Furthermore, for the first time in the analysis of froths there is a global measurable property, the magnetic moment, which can be directly related to the suprafroth structure. We propose that this suprafroth is a new, model system for the analysis of the complex physics of two-dimensional froths

Separation of isomeric glycans by ion mobility spectrometry–the impact of fluorescent labelling

The analysis of complex oligosaccharides is traditionally based on multidimensional workflows where liquid chromatography is coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Due to the presence of multiple isomers, which cannot be distinguished easily using tandem MS, a detailed structural elucidation is still challenging in many cases. Recently, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) showed great potential as an additional structural parameter in glycan analysis. While the time-scale of the IMS separation is fully compatible to that of LC-MS-based workflows, there are very few reports in which both techniques have been directly coupled for glycan analysis. As a result, there is little knowledge on how the derivatization with fluorescent labels as common in glycan LC-MS affects the mobility and, as a result, the selectivity of IMS separations. Here, we address this problem by systematically analyzing six isomeric glycans derivatized with the most common fluorescent tags using ion mobility spectrometry. We report >150 collision cross-sections (CCS) acquired in positive and negative ion mode and compare the quality of the separation for each derivatization strategy. Our results show that isomer separation strongly depends on the chosen label, as well as on the type of adduct ion. In some cases, fluorescent labels significantly enhance peak-to-peak resolution which can help to distinguish isomeric specie

Caudal Polymorphism and Cephalic Morphology among First-Stage Larvae of \u3ci\u3eParelaphostrongylus odocoilei\u3c/i\u3e (Protostrongylidae: Elaphostrongylinae) in Dall’s Sheep from the Mackenzie Mountains, Canada

We demonstrate polymorphism in the structure of the tail among first-stage larvae of Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Protostrongylidae). Two distinct larvae, both with a characteristic dorsal spine, include (1) a morphotype with a kinked conical tail marked by three distinct transverse folds or joints and a symmetrical terminal tail spike and (2) a morphotype with a digitate terminal region lacking folds or joints and with an asymmetrical, subterminal tail spike. These divergent larval forms had been postulated as perhaps representing distinct species of elaphostrongyline nematodes. Application of a multilocus approach using ITS-2 sequences from the nuclear genome and COX-II sequences from the mitochondrial genome confirmed the identity of these larvae as P. odocoilei. Additionally, based on scanning electron microscopy (low-temperature field emission), the cephalic region of these larvae consisted of a cuticular triradiate stoma surrounded by six single circumoral papillae of the inner circle, ten papillae of the outer circle (four paired and two single), and two lateral amphids. Ours is the first demonstration of structural polymorphism among larval conspecifics in the Metastrongyloidea and Strongylida. The basis for this polymorphism remains undetermined, but such phenomena, if discovered to be more widespread, may contribute to continued confusion in discriminating among first-stage larvae for species, genera, and subfamilies within Protostrongylidae

Implications of unitarity and gauge invariance for simplified dark matter models

We show that simplified models used to describe the interactions of dark matter with Standard Model particles do not in general respect gauge invariance and that perturbative unitarity may be violated in large regions of the parameter space. The modifications necessary to cure these inconsistencies may imply a much richer phenomenology and lead to stringent constraints on the model. We illustrate these observations by considering the simplified model of a fermionic dark matter particle and a vector mediator. Imposing gauge invariance then leads to strong constraints from dilepton resonance searches and electroweak precision tests. Furthermore, the new states required to restore perturbative unitarity can mix with Standard Model states and mediate interactions between the dark and the visible sector, leading to new experimental signatures such as invisible Higgs decays. The resulting constraints are typically stronger than the ‘classic’ constraints on DM simplified models such as monojet searches and make it difficult to avoid thermal overproduction of dark matter

A precision study of the fine tuning in the DiracNMSSM

Recently the DiracNMSSM has been proposed as a possible solution to reduce the fine tuning in supersymmetry. We determine the degree of fine tuning needed in the DiracNMSSM with and without non-universal gaugino masses and compare it with the fine tuning in the GNMSSM. To apply reasonable cuts on the allowed parameter regions we perform a precise calculation of the Higgs mass. In addition, we include the limits from direct SUSY searches and dark matter abundance. We find that both models are comparable in terms of fine tuning, with the minimal fine tuning in the GNMSSM slightly smaller.Comment: 20 pages + appendices, 10 figure

The Gravitino-Stau Scenario after Catalyzed BBN

We consider the impact of Catalyzed Big Bang Nucleosynthesis on theories with a gravitino LSP and a charged slepton NLSP. In models where the gravitino to gaugino mass ratio is bounded from below, such as gaugino-mediated SUSY breaking, we derive a lower bound on the gaugino mass parameter m_1/2. As a concrete example, we determine the parameter space of gaugino mediation that is compatible with all cosmological constraints.Comment: 1+14 pages, 6 figures; v2: minor clarifications, 1 reference added, matches version to appear in JCA

Between-individual variation in nematode burden among juveniles in a wild host:Variation in nematode burdens of juvenile birds

Parasite infection in young animals can affect host traits related to demographic processes such as survival and reproduction, and is therefore crucial to population viability. However, variation in infection among juvenile hosts is poorly understood. Experimental studies have indicated that effects of parasitism can vary with host sex, hatching order and hatch date, yet it remains unclear whether this is linked to differences in parasite burdens. We quantified gastrointestinal nematode burdens of wild juvenile European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) using two in situ measures (endoscopy of live birds and necropsy of birds that died naturally) and one non-invasive proxy measure (fecal egg counts (FECs)). In situ methods revealed that almost all chicks were infected (98%), that infections established at an early age and that older chicks hosted more worms, but FECs underestimated prevalence. We found no strong evidence that burdens differed with host sex, rank or hatch date. Heavier chicks had higher burdens, demonstrating that the relationship between burdens and their costs is not straightforward. In situ measures of infection are therefore a valuable tool in building our understanding of the role that parasites play in the dynamics of structured natural populations

Economic Analysis of Trade-offs between Justices

We argue that economics – as the scientific method of analysing trade-offs – can be helpful (and may even be indispensable) for assessing the trade-offs between intergenerational and intragenerational justice. Economic analysis can delineate the “opportunity set” of politics with respect to the two normative objectives of inter- and intragenerational justice, i.e. it can describe which outcomes are feasible in achieving the two objectives in a given context, and which are not. It can distinguish efficient from inefficient uses of instruments of justice. It can identify the “opportunity cost” of attaining one justice to a higher degree, in terms of less achievement of the other. We find that, under very general conditions, (1) efficiency in the use of instruments of justice implies that there is rivalry between the two justices and the opportunity cost of either justice is positive; (2) negative opportunity costs of achieving one justice exist if there is facilitation between the two justices, which can only happen if instruments of justice are used inefficiently; (3) opportunity costs of achieving one justice are zero if the two justices are independent of each other, which is the case in the interior of the opportunity set where instruments of justice are used inefficiently

Ökonomische Analyse der Trade-offs zwischen Gerechtigkeiten

Wir argumentieren, dass die Ökonomik - als wissenschaftliche Methode zur Analyse von Trade-offs - hilfreich (und vielleicht sogar unverzichtbar) sein kann, um die Trade-offs zwischen intergenerationeller und intragenerationeller Gerechtigkeit zu beurteilen. Eine ökonomische Analyse kann die 'Möglichkeitenmenge' der Politik im Hinblick auf die beiden normativen Ziele der inter- und der intragenerationellen Gerechtigkeit darstellen; d.h. sie kann beschreiben, welche Ergebnisse bei der Realisierung dieser beiden Ziele innerhalb eines gegebenen Kontexts möglich sind und welche nicht. Zudem kann sie zwischen einer effizienten und ineffizienten Verwendung von Instrumenten der Gerechtigkeit unterscheiden. Sie kann die Opportunitätskosten der höheren Zielerreichung eines Gerechtigkeitsziels in Bezug zur geringeren Zielerreichung eines anderen darstellen. Wir stellen fest, dass unter sehr allgemeinen Bedingungen (1) Effizienz bei der Nutzung von Instrumenten der Gerechtigkeit impliziert, dass eine Rivalität zwischen den beiden Formen von Gerechtigkeit besteht und dass die Opportunitätskosten der beiden Gerechtigkeiten positiv sind; (2) negative Opportunitätskosten bei der Verwirklichung von einer Form von Gerechtigkeit dann entstehen, wenn es zwischen den beiden Gerechtigkeiten eine Begünstigung gibt, die nur dann zustande kommt, wenn die Instrumente der Gerechtigkeit ineffizient verwendet werden; (3) die Opportunitätskosten zur Verwirklichung einer Form von Gerechtigkeit gleich Null sind, wenn die beiden Gerechtigkeiten unabhängig voneinander sind, was im Inneren der Möglichkeitenmenge der Fall ist, wo Instrumente der Gerechtigkeit ineffizient eingesetzt werden