Minimal Pati-Salam Model from String Theory Unification

We provide what we believe is the minimal three family ${\cal N} = 1$ SUSY and conformal Pati-Salam Model from type IIB superstring theory. This $Z_3$ orbifolded AdS$\otimes S^5$ model has long lived protons and has potential phenomenological consequences for LHC.Comment: 8 page

Review of recent advances in local approaches applied to pre-stressed components under fatigue loading

Fatigue strength of mechanical components in the high cycle regime depends on both the applied loading and the intensity of any residual stress field induced by either non-homogeneous plastic deformation or the solidification of a local portion of material due to welding operations. In presence of geometric variations that are amenable to being modelled as a sharp V-notch, the residual stress distribution near the notch tip is singular and follows the same form as the solution obtained by Williams in 1952 where the intensity of the asymptotic stress field is quantified by the notch stress intensity factor (NSIF). However, the residual stress varies during fatigue loading and a stable value may be reached. Numerical models have been developed for the calculation of the residual NSIFs and their variation under fatigue loading. Taking advantage of these models, new local approaches have also been recently developed which are able to predict the fatigue strength of pre-stressed notched components. The present paper provides a brief review of such recent advances

Chance and sudden death

AbstractAn aura of mystery has always surrounded the subject of sudden unexpected death. Part of the explanation is an absence of a single or usual explanation, although electrical instability of the heart does serve as a unifying concept for the final common pathway. In this review, emphasis is placed on the random aggregation of a wide variety of contributing factors in the pathogenesis of sudden death. Such factors include coronary disease, platelet aggregation, neural control of the heart, apoplexy of the heart, normal and abnormal variations in the structure of the atrioventricular junction, lessons from certain rare cardiac tumors and the nature of ventricular fibrillation. Useful thinking about these and related causes should employ both a horizontal (concurrence of events) and vertical (sequence of events) matrix, in all of which chance plays a major role. One impediment to understanding sudden death associated with coronary disease is the prevalent assumption that one is due to the other without proper examination of the other factors involved, some of which may be more susceptible to intervention or modification. The multifactorial nature of the pathogenesis of sudden death and the recognition that chance is a major determinant of which factors convene and when they will aggregate in the victim are essential elements to consider if more effective means of treatment and prevention are to be obtained

Are we prepared to meet the demands of a challenging, but promising future?

We are living in exciting times with a veritable explosion in our understanding of human biology, providing insight into how we can prevent and treat disease. Approaches for preventing, controlling and curing many serious conditions like cancer and heart disease are advancing rapidly, and these are increasingly in the form of biologics. The fundamental question is obvious, “Are we ready to meet the demands of this future state and deliver the opportunities that biologic therapies offer?” While advances in technology in the biopharma industry over the past decade are very promising, the rate of change over the last 40 years or so has been relatively slow. The complexity of reproducibly manufacturing biologics in a highly-regulated environment has propagated conservative approaches by both the industry and regulatory agencies. The slow rate of improvements in manufacturing technologies runs the risk of impeding the acceptance and affordability of promising biologic therapies. This talk will survey some of the patterns and trends in the biopharma industry, as well as offer some possible solutions. One such solution is the title and focus of this conference; Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing

Pulse and Impulse in the Sinus Node

Recent experiments at the Henry Ford Hospital indicate that a relationship exists between pulsation in the sinus node artery and impulse formation by the sinus node. This paper describes the experiments and presents anatomic, physiologic and pharmacologic evidence along with observations that should interest the physicist and mathematician, as well

Range-resolved signal processing for fibre segment interferometry applied to dynamic long-gauge length strain sensing

A range-resolved interferometric signal processing technique using sinusoidal optical frequency modulation is applied to fibre segment interferometry. Here, six optical fibre segments of gauge length 12.5 cm are used as interferometric strain sensors and are formed between seven weak, broadband fibre Bragg gratings, acting as in-fibre partial reflectors. In a very simple and cost-effective optical setup using injection current modulation of a laser diode source, interferometric measurement of acoustic wave propagation in a metal rod is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the technique

Value added or misattributed? A multi-institution study on the educational benefit of labs for reinforcing physics content

Instructional labs are widely seen as a unique, albeit expensive, way to teach scientific content. We measured the effectiveness of introductory lab courses at achieving this educational goal across nine different lab courses at three very different institutions. These institutions and courses encompassed a broad range of student populations and instructional styles. The nine courses studied had two key things in common: the labs aimed to reinforce the content presented in lectures, and the labs were optional. By comparing the performance of students who did and did not take the labs (with careful normalization for selection effects), we found universally and precisely no added value to learning from taking the labs as measured by course exam performance. This work should motivate institutions and departments to reexamine the goals and conduct of their lab courses, given their resource-intensive nature. We show why these results make sense when looking at the comparative mental processes of students involved in research and instructional labs, and offer alternative goals and instructional approaches that would make lab courses more educationally valuable.Comment: Accepted to Phys Rev PE

Nano-Kelvin thermometry and temperature control: beyond the thermal noise limit

We demonstrate thermometry with a resolution of 80 $\mathrm{nK} / \sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ using an isotropic crystalline whispering-gallery mode resonator based on a dichroic dual-mode technique. We simultaneously excite two modes that have a mode frequency ratio very close to two ($\pm0.3$ppm). The wavelength- and temperature-dependence of the refractive index means that the frequency difference between these modes is an ultra-sensitive proxy of the resonator temperature. This approach to temperature sensing automatically suppresses sensitivity to thermal expansion and vibrationally induced changes of the resonator. We also demonstrate active suppression of temperature fluctuations in the resonator by controlling the intensity of the driving laser. The residual temperature fluctuations are shown to be below the limits set by fundamental thermodynamic fluctuations of the resonator material

Sudden death due to isolated acute infarction of the His bundle

AbstractA 29 year old black man considered to be in good health died suddenly and unexpectedly. At postmortem examination there were no significant gross abnormalities, all drug screens were normal and sicklemia was not present. Special studies of the cardiac conduction system demonstrated isolated acute infarction of the His bundle, with no similar evidence of myocardial infarction anywhere else in the heart. The atrioventricular (AV) node artery was moderately narrowed, but its branch supplying the His bundle was occluded >95% by focal fibromuscular dysplasia. There were no other significant coronary lesions or other abnormalities in the heart