150 research outputs found
D-brane Charges in Gravitational Duals of 2+1 Dimensional Gauge Theories and Duality Cascades
We perform a systematic analysis of the D-brane charges associated with
string theory realizations of d=3 gauge theories, focusing on the examples of
the N=4 supersymmetric U(N)xU(N+M) Yang-Mills theory and the N=3 supersymmetric
U(N)xU(N+M) Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory. We use both the brane construction
of these theories and their dual string theory backgrounds in the supergravity
approximation. In the N=4 case we generalize the previously known gravitational
duals to arbitrary values of the gauge couplings, and present a precise mapping
between the gravity and field theory parameters. In the N=3 case, which (for
some values of N and M) flows to an N=6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons-matter
theory in the IR, we argue that the careful analysis of the charges leads to a
shift in the value of the B-field in the IR solution by 1/2, in units where its
periodicity is one, compared to previous claims. We also suggest that the N=3
theories may exhibit, for some values of N and M, duality cascades similar to
those of the Klebanov-Strassler theory.Comment: 47 pages, 9 figures; minor changes, references adde
Risk management of biosimilars in oncology: each medicine is a work in progress
Drug licensing and drug safety monitoring for standard chemical entities have been established and are routinely used. These have resulted in a solid foundation of knowledge from which confident therapeutic decisions can be made. For many chemical entities, this advanced level of experience is also present for the generic products. The expertise surrounding the development of biosimilar competitor versions is increasing and progress is encouraging. To address the re-engineering and comparability complexities of biosimilars, the European Union imposed a requirement that risk management plans be included in the medications’ marketing applications. This paper summarizes and discusses the circumstances complicating the public’s view of drug safety, historical incidents during the transition from innovative to competitor products, as well as retrospective assessments of the development and post-marketing experiences thus far with two biosimilars. Through assessing the market entries and post-marketing experiences of biosimilars used in oncology, the healthcare field can better prepare for the next wave of comparator-products: biosimilar monoclonal antibodies
Current tidal power technologies and their suitability for applications in coastal and marine areas
A considerable body of research is currently being performed to quantify available tidal energy resources and to develop efficient devices with which to harness them. This work is naturally focussed on maximising power generation from the most promising sites, and a review of the literature suggests that the potential for smaller scale, local tidal power generation from shallow near-shore sites has not yet been investigated. If such generation is feasible, it could have the potential to provide sustainable electricity for nearby coastal homes and communities as part of a distributed generation strategy, and would benefit from easier installation and maintenance, lower cabling and infrastructure requirements and reduced capital costs when compared with larger scale projects. This article reviews tidal barrages and lagoons, tidal turbines, oscillating hydrofoils and tidal kites to assess their suitability for small-scale electricity generation in shallow waters. This is achieved by discussing the power density, scalability, durability, maintainability, economic potential and environmental impacts of each concept. The performance of each technology in each criterion is scored against axial-flow turbines, allowing for them to be ranked according to their overall suitability. The review suggests that tidal kites and range devices are not suitable for small-scale shallow water applications due to depth and size requirements respectively. Cross-flow turbines appear to be the most suitable technology, as they have high power densities and a maximum size that is not constrained by water depth
The effect of electroporation pulses on functioning of the heart
Electrochemotherapy is an effective antitumor treatment currently applied to cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors. Electrochemotherapy of tumors located close to the heart could lead to adverse effects, especially if electroporation pulses were delivered within the vulnerable period of the heart or if they coincided with arrhythmias of some types. We examined the influence of electroporation pulses on functioning of the heart of human patients by analyzing the electrocardiogram. We found no pathological morphological changes in the electrocardiogram; however, we demonstrated a transient RR interval decrease after application of electroporation pulses. Although no adverse effects due to electroporation have been reported so far, the probability for complications could increase in treatment of internal tumors, in tumor ablation by irreversible electroporation, and when using pulses of longer durations. We evaluated the performance of our algorithm for synchronization of electroporation pulse delivery with electrocardiogram. The application of this algorithm in clinical electroporation would increase the level of safety for the patient and suitability of electroporation for use in anatomical locations presently not accessible to existing electroporation devices and electrodes
Preventive treatments for breast cancer: recent developments
Breast cancer is a burden for western societies, and an increasing one in emerging economies, because of its high incidence and enormous psychological, social, sanitary and economic costs. However, breast cancer is a preventable disease in a significant proportion. Recent developments in the armamentarium of effective drugs for breast cancer prevention (namely exemestane and anastrozole), the new recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to use preventative drugs in women at high risk as well as updated Guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American Society of Clinical Oncology should give renewed momentum to the pharmacological prevention of breast cancer. In this article we review recent major developments in the field and examine their ongoing repercussion for breast cancer prevention. As a practical example, the potential impact of preventive measures in Spain is evaluated and a course of practical actions is delineated
Observation of Two New Excited Ξb0 States Decaying to Λb0 K-π+
Two narrow resonant states are observed in the Λb0K-π+ mass spectrum using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb-1. The minimal quark content of the Λb0K-π+ system indicates that these are excited Ξb0 baryons. The masses of the Ξb(6327)0 and Ξb(6333)0 states are m[Ξb(6327)0]=6327.28-0.21+0.23±0.12±0.24 and m[Ξb(6333)0]=6332.69-0.18+0.17±0.03±0.22 MeV, respectively, with a mass splitting of Δm=5.41-0.27+0.26±0.12 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the Λb0 mass measurement. The measured natural widths of these states are consistent with zero, with upper limits of Γ[Ξb(6327)0]<2.20(2.56) and Γ[Ξb(6333)0]<1.60(1.92) MeV at a 90% (95%) credibility level. The significance of the two-peak hypothesis is larger than nine (five) Gaussian standard deviations compared to the no-peak (one-peak) hypothesis. The masses, widths, and resonant structure of the new states are in good agreement with the expectations for a doublet of 1D Ξb0 resonances
Test of lepton universality in decays
The first simultaneous test of muon-electron universality using
and decays is performed, in two ranges of the dilepton
invariant-mass squared, . The analysis uses beauty mesons produced in
proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and
2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 . Each
of the four lepton universality measurements reported is either the first in
the given interval or supersedes previous LHCb measurements. The
results are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-046.html (LHCb
public pages
Precision measurement of violation in the penguin-mediated decay
A flavor-tagged time-dependent angular analysis of the decay
is performed using collision data collected
by the LHCb experiment at % at TeV, the center-of-mass energy of
13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb^{-1}. The
-violating phase and direct -violation parameter are measured
to be rad and
, respectively, assuming the same values
for all polarization states of the system. In these results, the
first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These parameters
are also determined separately for each polarization state, showing no evidence
for polarization dependence. The results are combined with previous LHCb
measurements using collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV,
yielding rad and . This is the most precise study of time-dependent violation
in a penguin-dominated meson decay. The results are consistent with
symmetry and with the Standard Model predictions.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-001.html (LHCb
public pages
Observation of a resonant structure near the threshold in the decay
An amplitude analysis of the decay is carried out to
study for the first time its intermediate resonant contributions, using
proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass
energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. A near-threshold peaking structure, referred to as
, is observed in the invariant-mass spectrum with
significance greater than 12 standard deviations. The mass, width and the
quantum numbers of the structure are measured to be MeV,
MeV and , respectively, where the first
uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The properties of the
new structure are consistent with recent theoretical predictions for a state
composed of quarks. Evidence for an additional structure is
found around 4140 MeV in the invariant mass, which might be
caused either by a new resonance with the assignment or by a coupled-channel effect.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-018.html (LHCb
public pages
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