Pinning by a sparse potential

We consider a directed polymer interacting with a diluted pinning potential restricted to a line. We characterize explicitely the set of disorder configurations that give rise to localization of the polymer. We study both relevant cases of dimension 1+1 and 1+2. We also discuss the case of massless effective interface models in dimension 2+1.Comment: to appear in Stochastic Processes and their Application

Factors Influencing the Filing of Complaints, Their Investigation, and Subsequent Legal Judgment in Cases of Sexual Assault.

In Geneva, examination of victims of sexual assault is performed by a gynecologist and a medical examiner. 48% of the victims file a complaint and we wanted to investigate the factors leading to file a complaint, those leading the Prosecutor to go to trial, and those influencing a conviction. Between 2006 and 2012, 676 victims of sexual assault were investigated (averaged age 26 year, mean 22). Information on injuries, perpetrators, and circumstances of the assault was collected and analyzed. The attacker being the ex-spouse or a friend and the presence of semen were factors leading to file a complaint. The assailant being a family member or ex-spouse and the presence of genital/anal lesions were factors influencing the Prosecutor. The presence of nongenital lesions, the assailant being known by the victim, influenced conviction. This study shows that the medical examiner plays a vital role in the investigation of cases of sexual assault

Neurobiology of suicide: do biomarkers exist?

Clinical risk factors have a low predictive value on suicide. This may explain the increasing interest in potential neurobiological correlates and specific heritable markers of suicide vulnerability. This review aims to present the current neurobiological findings that have been shown to be implicated in suicide completers and to discuss how postmortem studies may be useful in characterizing these individuals. Data on the role of the main neurobiological systems in suicidality, such as the neurotransmitter families, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotrophic factors, and polyamines, are exposed at the different biochemical, genetic, and epigenetic levels. Some neuroanatomic and neuropathological aspects as well as their in vivo morphological and functional neuroimaging correlates are also described. Except for the serotoninergic system, particularly with respect to the polymorphism of the gene coding for the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, data did not converge to produce a univocal consensus. The possible limitations of currently published studies are discussed, as well as the scope for long-term prospective studies

TRStalker: an efficient heuristic for finding fuzzy tandem repeats

Motivation: Genomes in higher eukaryotic organisms contain a substantial amount of repeated sequences. Tandem Repeats (TRs) constitute a large class of repetitive sequences that are originated via phenomena such as replication slippage and are characterized by close spatial contiguity. They play an important role in several molecular regulatory mechanisms, and also in several diseases (e.g. in the group of trinucleotide repeat disorders). While for TRs with a low or medium level of divergence the current methods are rather effective, the problem of detecting TRs with higher divergence (fuzzy TRs) is still open. The detection of fuzzy TRs is propaedeutic to enriching our view of their role in regulatory mechanisms and diseases. Fuzzy TRs are also important as tools to shed light on the evolutionary history of the genome, where higher divergence correlates with more remote duplication events

Come back Marshall, all is forgiven? : Complexity, evolution, mathematics and Marshallian exceptionalism

Marshall was the great synthesiser of neoclassical economics. Yet with his qualified assumption of self-interest, his emphasis on variation in economic evolution and his cautious attitude to the use of mathematics, Marshall differs fundamentally from other leading neoclassical contemporaries. Metaphors inspire more specific analogies and ontological assumptions, and Marshall used the guiding metaphor of Spencerian evolution. But unfortunately, the further development of a Marshallian evolutionary approach was undermined in part by theoretical problems within Spencer's theory. Yet some things can be salvaged from the Marshallian evolutionary vision. They may even be placed in a more viable Darwinian framework.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Thorough characterization of a EUV mask

We reported that we were successful in our 45nm technology node device demonstration in February 2008 and 22nm node technology node device patterning in February 2009 using ASML's Alpha Demo Tool (ADT). In order to insert extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography at the 15nm technology node and beyond, we have thoroughly characterized one EUV mask, a so-called NOVACD mask. In this paper, we report on three topics, The first topic is an analysis of line edge roughness (LER) using a mask Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and the Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) to compare resist images printed with the ASML ADT. The results of the analysis show a good correlation between the mask AFM and the mask SEM measurements, However, the resist printing results for the isolated space patterns are slightly different. The cause ofthis discrepancy may be resist blur, image log slope and SEM image quality and so on. The second topic is an analysis of mask topography using an AFM and relative reflectivity of mirror and absorber surface using the AIT, The AFM data show 6 and 7 angstrom rms roughness for mirror and absorber, respectively. The reflectivity measurements show that the mirror reflects EUV light about 20 times higher than absorber. The last topic is an analysis of a 32nm technology node SRAM cell which includes a comparison of mask SEM image, AIT image, resist image and simulation results. The ADT images of the SRAM pattern were of high quality even though the mask patters were not corrected for OPC or any EUV-specific effects. Image simulation results were in good agreement with the printing results

Neutral and Charged Polymers at Interfaces

Chain-like macromolecules (polymers) show characteristic adsorption properties due to their flexibility and internal degrees of freedom, when attracted to surfaces and interfaces. In this review we discuss concepts and features that are relevant to the adsorption of neutral and charged polymers at equilibrium, including the type of polymer/surface interaction, the solvent quality, the characteristics of the surface, and the polymer structure. We pay special attention to the case of charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) that have a special importance due to their water solubility. We present a summary of recent progress in this rapidly evolving field. Because many experimental studies are performed with rather stiff biopolymers, we discuss in detail the case of semi-flexible polymers in addition to flexible ones. We first review the behavior of neutral and charged chains in solution. Then, the adsorption of a single polymer chain is considered. Next, the adsorption and depletion processes in the many-chain case are reviewed. Profiles, changes in the surface tension and polymer surface excess are presented. Mean-field and corrections due to fluctuations and lateral correlations are discussed. The force of interaction between two adsorbed layers, which is important in understanding colloidal stability, is characterized. The behavior of grafted polymers is also reviewed, both for neutral and charged polymer brushes.Comment: a review: 130 pages, 30 ps figures; final form, added reference

Measurement of the Running of the Electromagnetic Coupling at Large Momentum-Transfer at LEP

The evolution of the electromagnetic coupling, alpha, in the momentum-transfer range 1800GeV^2 < -Q^2 < 21600GeV^2 is studied with about 40000 Bhabha-scattering events collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies 189-209GeV. The running of alpha is parametrised as: alpha(Q^2) = alpha_0/(1-C Delta alpha(Q^2)), where alpha_0=\alpha(Q^2=0) is the fine-structure constant and C=1 corresponds to the evolution expected in QED. A fit to the differential cross section of the e+e- ->e+e- process for scattering angles in the range |cos theta|<0.9 excludes the hypothesis of a constant value of alpha, C=0, and validates the QED prediction with the result: C = 1.05 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.14, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic

Economic Integration, Competition and Hierarchization of the Atlantic Ports of Northern Spain (13 th-15 th centuries)

Resumen: El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las relaciones y la jerarquía de las villas portuarias del Atlántico norte de España entre los siglos XIII y XV. Los puertos del norte peninsular operaban en un nivel intermedio, regional e internacional, de la estructura comercial europea. Las cincuenta villas portuarias de la costa cantábrica desempeñaron un papel vital en la conectividad urbana del tráfico marítimo internacional entre el Mediterráneo y el Atlántico. El fenómeno portuario del Cantábrico, a pesar de su falta de homogeneidad, fue un éxito porque se basó en algunos factores claves, como las características geográficas, las infraestructuras portuarias, el apoyo regio y unas sociedades muy dinámicas; además, la política y la gobernanza adoptaron unas características comunes y distintas en estas villas periféricas para responder a las necesidades y condiciones locales, muy influidas por su carácter de frontera marítima de la Corona de Castilla.Abstract: The aim of this article is to analyze the relationships and the hierarchy of the port-towns of Atlantic Northern Spain between the 13th and 15th centuries. The port-towns operated in an intermediate level, both regional and international, of the European trade structure. The half a hundred port-towns on the Cantabrian coast played a vital role in the urban connectivity of the international maritime traffi c between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. This phenomenon, despite lacking an homogeneity, was a success because it was based on some key factors, such as geographical features, port infrastructures, royal support and very dynamic societies. Besides, politics and governance adopted common and distinct characteristics in these peripheral towns to respond to local needs and conditions, very infl uenced by their character as a maritime border of the kingdom of Castile.Este trabajo se inscribe en las tareas de investigación de los proyectos: “Política, instituciones y gobernanza de las villas y ciudades portuarias de la Europa Atlántica en la Baja Edad Media: análisis comparativo transnacional” (HAR2017-83801-P); de la Red de Excelencia La Gobernanza de los puertos atlánticos, siglos XIV-XXI (HAR2016-81812-REDT) y “Social and Political Order of the Communal Towns in the European Peripheries from the 12th to 16th Century” (340880, ARMONIA, HS3)