On the moduli space of elliptic Maxwell-Chern-Simons theories

We analyze the moduli space of the low-energy limit of 3-dimensional N=3 Maxwell-Chern-Simons theories described by circular quiver diagrams, as for 4-dimensional elliptic models. We define the theories by using D3-NS5-(k,1)5-brane systems with an arbitrary number of fivebranes. The supersymmetry is expected to be enhanced to N=4 in the low-energy limit. We show that the Higgs branch, in which all bifundamental scalar fields develop vacuum expectation values, is an abelian orbifold of C^4. We confirm that the same geometry is obtained as an M-theory dual of the brane system. We also consider theories realized by introducing more than two kinds of fivebranes, and obtain nontoric fourfolds as moduli spaces.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; published versio

Financial resource of public social security expenditure, the rule of law, and economic inequality: international comparison of legal origins

This study indicates that the strength of the rule of law affects social security expenditure and its financial resources. However, legal origins affect the strength of the rule of law. We use data from 36 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The legal origins affect the rule of law and have different marginal effects on public financial resources. Further, social security expenditures have a correction effect on economic inequality. However, the marginal effect of the social security expenditure on economic inequality differs based on its legal origins. Increasing social security expenditure affects correcting economic inequality to elaborate concerning all legal origins. Particularly in countries that adopted French legal origins, high social security expenditure further improves economic inequality. In contrast, increases in social security expenditures of countries with English legal origins do not improve economic inequality to a large extent. The results of this study suggest that differences in legal origins result in various types of capitalism

Surface transfer doping of hydrogen-terminated diamond probed by shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers

The surface conductivity of hydrogen-terminated diamond is a topic of great interest from both scientific and technological perspectives. This is primarily due to the fact that the conductivity is exceptionally high without the need for substitutional doping, thus enabling a wide range of electronic applications. Although the conductivity is commonly explained by the surface transfer doping due to air-borne surface acceptors, there remains uncertainty regarding the main determining factors that govern the degree of band bending and hole density, which are crucial for the design of electronic devices. Here, we elucidate the dominant factor influencing band bending by creating shallow nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers beneath the hydrogen-terminated diamond surface through nitrogen ion implantation at varying fluences. We measured the photoluminescence and optically detected magnetic resonance of the NV centers as well as the surface conductivity as a function of the implantation fluence. Our findings indicate that band bending is not exclusively determined by the work-function difference between diamond and the surface acceptor material, but by the finite density of surface acceptors. Furthermore, this study also suggests the presence of spatial inhomogeneities in the surface conductivity and the charge state of the NV centers when the implantation fluence is close to the density of negatively charged surface acceptors. This work emphasizes the importance of distinguishing work-function-difference-limited band bending and surface-acceptor-density-limited band bending when modeling the surface transfer doping and provides useful insights for the development of devices based on hydrogen-terminated diamond

The effect of variability in industrial emissions on ozone formation in Houston, Texas

Ambient observations have indicated that high concentrations of ozone observed in the Houston/Galveston area are associated with plumes of highly reactive hydrocarbons, mixed with NOx, from industrial facilities. Ambient observations and industrial process data, such as mass flow rates for industrial flares, indicate that the VOCs associated with these industrial emissions can have significant temporal variability. To characterize the effect of this variability in emissions on ozone formation in Houston, data were collected on the temporal variability of industrial emissions or emission surrogates (e.g., mass flow rates to flares). The observed emissions variability was then used to construct region-wide emission inventories with variable industrial emissions, and the impacts of the variability on ozone formation were examined for two types of meteorological conditions, both of which lead to high ozone concentrations in Houston. The air quality simulations indicate that variability in industrial emissions has the potential to cause increases and decreases of 10-52 ppb (13-316%), or more, in ozone concentration. The largest of these differences are restricted to regions of 10-20 km2, but the variability also has the potential to increase region wide maxima in ozone concentrations by up to 12 ppb. Keywords: Photochemical Grid Model, highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOC), ozone, uncertainty analysis, Monte Carlo simulation

Age- and sex-related differences of muscle cross-sectional area in iliocapsularis: a cross-sectional study

[Background] This study aimed to determine in how many individuals the iliocapsularis muscle (IC) could be identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whether age and sex are associated with the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the IC. [Methods] Thirty-seven healthy younger adults and 40 healthy older adults were assigned to four groups: 1) 20 younger men; 2) 17 younger women; 3) 20 older men; and 4) 20 older women. The CSAs of the IC, IP, the rectus femoris (RF) and the quadriceps (QUAD) were quantified on an axial MRI. [Results] The number of individuals with the identified IC was n = 17 (85.0%) of 20 younger men, n = 15 (88.2%) of 17 younger women, n = 18 (90.0%) of 20 older men, and 19 (95.0%) of 20 older women. Our results showed the main effect of sex, but not age, in the CSA of the IC. The men-groups had larger CSA of the IC than the women-groups; however, no difference in CSA of the IC was found between the younger and older groups. Meanwhile, the main effects of age and sex were found for the IP, RF, and QUAD; thus, younger or men groups have larger CSAs of the three muscles than the older or women groups. The IC muscle can be discriminated in 85% – 95% of healthy individuals. [Conclusion] Although sex and age are associated with the CSA of lower-limb muscles other than the IC, only sex is associated with the CSA of the IC