55 research outputs found
Turning to God in the Face of Ostracism: Effects of Social Exclusion on Religiousness
The present research proposes that individuals who are socially excluded can turn to religion to cope with the experience. Empirical studies conducted to test this hypothesis consistently found that socially excluded persons reported (a) significantly higher levels of religious affiliation (Studies 1, 2, and 4) and (b) stronger intentions to engage in religious behaviors (Study 2) than comparable, nonexcluded individuals. Direct support for the stress-buffering function of religiousness was also found, with a religious prime reducing the aggression-eliciting effects of consequent social rejection (Study 5). These effects were observed in both Christian and Muslim samples, revealing that turning to religion can be a powerful coping response when dealing with social rejection. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed
Squark Mixing in Electron-Positron Reactions
Squark mixing plays a large role in the phenomenology of the minimal
supersymmetric standard model, determining the mass of the lightest Higgs boson
and the electroweak interactions of the squarks themselves. We examine how
mixing may be investigated in high energy reactions, both at LEP-II
and the proposed linear collider. In particular, off-diagonal production of one
lighter and one heavier squark allows one to measure the squark mixing angle,
and would allow one to test the mass relations for the light Higgs boson. In
some cases off-diagonal production may provide the best prospects to discover
supersymmetry. In the context of the light bottom squark scenario, we show that
existing data from LEP-II should show definitive evidence for the heavier
bottom squark provided that its mass GeV.Comment: 22 pages, latex, 6 figure
Orbitally Driven Spin Pairing in the 3D Non-Magnetic Mott Insulator BaVS3: Evidence from Single Crystal Studies
Static electrical and magnetic properties of single crystal BaVS_3 were
measured over the structural (T_S=240K), metal-insulator (T_MI=69K), and
suspected orbital ordering (T_X=30K) transitions. The resistivity is almost
isotropic both in the metallic and insulating states. An anomaly in the
magnetic anisotropy at T_X signals a phase transition to an ordered low-T
state. The results are interpreted in terms of orbital ordering and spin
pairing within the lowest crystal field quasi-doublet. The disordered insulator
at T_X<T<T_MI is described as a classical liquid of non-magnetic pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, revtex, epsf, and multicol style. Problem with
figures fixed. To appear in Phys. Rev. B Rap. Com
Relativistic graphene ratchet on semidisk Galton board
Using extensive Monte Carlo simulations we study numerically and analytically
a photogalvanic effect, or ratchet, of directed electron transport induced by a
microwave radiation on a semidisk Galton board of antidots in graphene. A
comparison between usual two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and electrons in
graphene shows that ratchet currents are comparable at very low temperatures.
However, a large mean free path in graphene should allow to have a strong
ratchet transport at room temperatures. Also in graphene the ratchet transport
emerges even for unpolarized radiation. These properties open promising
possibilities for room temperature graphene based sensitive photogalvanic
detectors of microwave and terahertz radiation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Research done at Quantware
http://www.quantware.ups-tlse.fr/. More detailed analysis is give
The Dynamics of Brane-World Cosmological Models
Brane-world cosmology is motivated by recent developments in string/M-theory
and offers a new perspective on the hierarchy problem. In the brane-world
scenario, our Universe is a four-dimensional subspace or {\em brane} embedded
in a higher-dimensional {\em bulk} spacetime. Ordinary matter fields are
confined to the brane while the gravitational field can also propagate in the
bulk, leading to modifications of Einstein's theory of general relativity at
high energies. In particular, the Randall-Sundrum-type models are
self-consistent and simple and allow for an investigation of the essential
non-linear gravitational dynamics. The governing field equations induced on the
brane differ from the general relativistic equations in that there are nonlocal
effects from the free gravitational field in the bulk, transmitted via the
projection of the bulk Weyl tensor, and the local quadratic energy-momentum
corrections, which are significant in the high-energy regime close to the
initial singularity. In this review we discuss the asymptotic dynamical
evolution of spatially homogeneous brane-world cosmological models containing
both a perfect fluid and a scalar field close to the initial singularity. Using
dynamical systems techniques it is found that, for models with a physically
relevant equation of state, an isotropic singularity is a past-attractor in all
orthogonal spatially homogeneous models (including Bianchi type IX models). In
addition, we describe the dynamics in a class of inhomogeneous brane-world
models, and show that these models also have an isotropic initial singularity.
These results provide support for the conjecture that typically the initial
cosmological singularity is isotropic in brane-world cosmology.Comment: Einstein Centennial Review Article: to appear in CJ
Respiratory function during enzyme replacement therapy in late-onset Pompe disease: longitudinal course, prognostic
Objective: To examine respiratory muscle function among late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) patients in the Pompe Registry (NCT00231400/Sanofi Genzyme) during enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa by assessing the longitudinal course of forced vital capacity (FVC), prognostic factors for FVC, and impact of time from diagnosis to ERT initiation. Methods: Longitudinal FVC data from LOPD (symptom onset > 12 months or †12 months without cardiomyopathy) patients were analyzed. Patients had to have baseline FVC (percent predicted upright) assessments at ERT start and â„ 2 valid post-baseline assessments. Longitudinal analyses used linear mixed-regression models. Results: Among 396 eligible patients, median baseline FVC was 66.9% (range 9.3â126.0). FVC remained stable during the 5-year follow-up (slope = â 0.17%, p = 0.21). Baseline FVC was lower among various subgroups, including patients who were male; older at ERT initiation; had a longer duration from symptom onset to ERT initiation; and had more advanced disease at baseline (based on respiratory support use, inability to ambulate, ambulation device use). Age at symptom onset was not associated with baseline degree of respiratory dysfunction. Differences between subgroups observed at baseline remained during follow-up. Shorter time from diagnosis to ERT initiation was associated with higher FVC after 5 years in all patients and the above subgroups using a cut-off of 1.7 years. Conclusion: FVC stability over 5 years suggests that respiratory function is preserved during long-term ERT in real-world settings. Early initiation of alglucosidase alfa was associated with preservation of FVC in LOPD patients with better respiratory function at the time of treatment initiation
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