de Sitter Vacua in Type IIB String Theory: Classical Solutions and Quantum Corrections

We revisit the classical theory of ten-dimensional two-derivative gravity coupled to fluxes, scalar fields, D-branes, anti D-branes and Orientifold-planes. We show that such set-ups do not give rise to a four-dimensional positive curvature spacetime with the isometries of de Sitter spacetime. We further argue that a de Sitter solution in type IIB theory may still be achieved if the higher-order curvature corrections are carefully controlled. Our analysis relies on the derivation of the de Sitter condition from an explicit background solution by going beyond the supergravity limit of type IIB theory. As such this also tells us how the background supersymmetry should be broken and under what conditions D-term uplifting can be realized with non self-dual fluxes

Teleology and Realism in Leibniz's Philosophy of Science

This paper argues for an interpretation of Leibniz’s claim that physics requires both mechanical and teleological principles as a view regarding the interpretation of physical theories. Granting that Leibniz’s fundamental ontology remains non-physical, or mentalistic, it argues that teleological principles nevertheless ground a realist commitment about mechanical descriptions of phenomena. The empirical results of the new sciences, according to Leibniz, have genuine truth conditions: there is a fact of the matter about the regularities observed in experience. Taking this stance, however, requires bringing non-empirical reasons to bear upon mechanical causal claims. This paper first evaluates extant interpretations of Leibniz’s thesis that there are two realms in physics as describing parallel, self-sufficient sets of laws. It then examines Leibniz’s use of teleological principles to interpret scientific results in the context of his interventions in debates in seventeenth-century kinematic theory, and in the teaching of Copernicanism. Leibniz’s use of the principle of continuity and the principle of simplicity, for instance, reveal an underlying commitment to the truth-aptness, or approximate truth-aptness, of the new natural sciences. The paper concludes with a brief remark on the relation between metaphysics, theology, and physics in Leibniz

A gene-tree test of the traditional taxonomy of American deer: the importance of voucher specimens, geographic data, and dense sampling

The taxonomy of American deer has been established almost entirely on the basis of morphological data and without the use of explicit phylogenetic methods; hence, phylogenetic analyses including data for all of the currently recognized species, even if based on a single gene, might improve current understanding of their taxonomy. We tested the monophyly of the morphology-defined genera and species of New World deer (Odocoileini) with phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. This is the first such test conducted using extensive geographic and taxonomic sampling. Our results do not support the monophyly of Mazama, Odocoileus, Pudu, M. americana, M. nemorivaga, Od. hemionus, and Od. virginianus. Mazama contains species that belong to other genera. We found a novel sister-taxon relationship between “Mazama” pandora and a clade formed by Od. hemionus columbianus and Od. h. sitkensis, and transfer pandora to Odocoileus. The clade formed by Od. h. columbianus and Od. h. sitkensis may represent a valid species, whereas the remaining subspecies of Od. hemionus appear closer to Od. virginianus. Pudu (Pudu) puda was not found sister to Pudu (Pudella) mephistophiles. If confirmed, this result will prompt the recognition of the monotypic Pudella as a distinct genus. We provide evidence for the existence of an undescribed species now confused with Mazama americana, and identify other instances of cryptic, taxonomically unrecognized species-level diversity among populations here regarded as Mazama temama, “Mazama” nemorivaga, and Hippocamelus antisensis. Noteworthy records that substantially extend the known distributions of M. temama and “M.” gouazoubira are provided, and we unveil a surprising ambiguity regarding the distribution of “M.” nemorivaga, as it is described in the literature. The study of deer of the tribe Odocoileini has been hampered by the paucity of information regarding voucher specimens and the provenance of sequences deposited in GenBank. We pinpoint priorities for future systematic research on the tribe Odocoileini.Eliécer E. Gutiérrez, Kristofer M. Helgen, Molly M. McDonough, Franziska Bauer, Melissa T.R. Hawkins, Luis A. Escobedo-Morales, Bruce D. Patterson, Jesus E. Maldonad

Affordance matching predictively shapes the perceptual representation of others’ ongoing actions.

Matthew Hudson is now at the School of Business, National College of Ireland. Patric Bach is now at the School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.A preprint of this article has been uploaded to PsyArXiv and is available at https://psyarxiv.com/mbea2. The data in this article are available at https://osf.io/des8x/. The results have been presented as a poster at the Future of Social Cognition conference (University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, 2018), MeeTo (University of Turin, Italy, 2018), and the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience Annual Meeting (University of Plymouth, United Kingdom, 2017). Katrina L. McDonough, Marcello Costantini, Matthew Hudson, Eleanor Ward, and Patric Bach devised the experiment. Stimuli were created by Marcello Costantini and edited by Katrina L. McDonough. The program was developed by Matthew Hudson and Katrina L. McDonough. Data were collected by Katrina L. McDonough. Data were analyzed by Katrina L. McDonough, Eleanor Ward, and Patric Bach. The manuscript was written by Katrina L. McDonough, Patric Bach, and Matthew Hudson, and Eleanor Ward provided critical feedback. All authors gave final approval for publication. This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (Grant ES/J019178/1) awarded to Patric Bach, and a University of Plymouth doctoral student grant awarded to Katrina L. McDonough.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Designing and Piloting a Tool for the Measurement of the Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

What appears to be indispensable to drive the field forward and ensure that research findings will be comparable across studies and provide a sound basis for feasible pedagogic proposals is to draw up a classification of PLS and design on that basis a valid and reliable data collection tool which could be employed to measure the use of these strategies in different groups of learners, correlate it with individual and contextual variables, and appraise the effects of training programs. In accordance with this rationale, the present paper represents an attempt to propose a tentative categorization of pronunciation learning strategies, adopting as a point of reference the existing taxonomies of strategic devices (i.e. O'Malley and Chamot 1990; Oxford 1990) and the instructional options teachers have at their disposal when dealing with elements of this language subsystem (e.g. Kelly 2000; Goodwin 2001). It also introduces a research instrument designed on the basis of the classification that shares a number of characteristics with Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning but, in contrast to it, includes both Likert-scale and open-ended items. The findings of a pilot study which involved 80 English Department students demonstrate that although the tool requires considerable refinement, it provides a useful point of departure for future research into PLS

Youth experience matters: participation in physical activity by young people with physical disability. A protocol for a national participation snapshot and Delphi consensus study

Data availability: Underlying data: No underlying data are associated with this article. Extended data: Figshare: Youth Experience Matters: Parent Information Leaflet https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23278283.v1 This project contains the following extended data: AD6791_YEM_Parent_A5Booklet_V6.pdf Figshare: Youth Experience Matters: Young Person Information Leaflet https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23278316.v1 This project contains the following extended data: AD6791_YEM_YoungPerson_A5Booklet_V3.pdf Figshare: Youth Experience Matters: Promotional material https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23278370.v1 This project contains the following extended data: AD6791_YEM_Pull-Up-V1.pdf Figshare: Youth Experience Matters: Round 1 survey (Parts 1 and 2) - for information only (not for completion by participants.) https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23280209.v1 This project contains the following extended data: YEM_SurveyR1_reproduced.pdf Figshare: Youth Experience Matters Data Management Plan 02 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23277638.v1 This project contains the following extended data: HRCI-HRB-2022-006_Youth_Experience_Matters-DMP_v1.2_02May2023.pdf Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY 4.0).Copyright: © 2023 Brady K et al. Young people with physical disability experience challenges to being physically active. To attain the health benefits of physical activity (PA) and sustain engagement, it is essential that participation is meaningful and enjoyable. This study aims to understand “what really matters” for participating in PA, from the perspectives of adolescents with physical disability. A parallel convergent mixed methods study will be undertaken, comprising a national cross-sectional quantitative assessment of PA participation (“Participation Snapshot”) and Delphi consensus study (“Delphi”). Young people (n=100) aged 13-17 years with a primary physical disability diagnosis will be invited to take part. The Participation Snapshot primary outcome is the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE). Contextual factors including disability diagnosis, demographics, mobility (Functional Mobility Scale), hand function (Manual Ability Classification System) and health related quality of life (Child Health Utility 9D) will also be collected. The Delphi will comprise two to four survey rounds, until consensus is reached. Round 1 (“Your Experience”) consists of a bespoke survey, designed and piloted with a public and patient involvement (PPI) panel, with open-ended questions and Likert scales inviting contributions from young people on their prior experience, barriers and facilitators, and ideas on participation in PA. Responses will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to construct the key themes, conceptualized under the “F-words” framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). These themes will be presented back to participants in subsequent rounds for selection and ranking, until consensus is achieved on the “top 10 priorities”. The project team and PPI panel will then co-design dissemination material and identify targets for dissemination to relevant stakeholder or policy groups. The findings will provide a basis for developing interventions aiming to empower, encourage and sustain future physical activity participation in a meaningful way by young people with physical disability.Health Research Board Ireland (HRCI-JFS-2022-006) via the Health Research Charities Ireland / Health Research Board Joint Funding Scheme 2022

First Observation of the Rare Decay Mode K-long -> e+ e-

In an experiment designed to search for and study very rare two-body decay modes of the K-long, we have observed four examples of the decay K-long -> e+ e-, where the expected background is 0.17+-0.10 events. This observation translates into a branching fraction of 8.7^{+5.7}_{-4.1} X 10^{-12}, consistent with recent theoretical predictions. This result represents by far the smallest branching fraction yet measured in particle physics.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Specific heat of Ce_{0.8}La_{0.2}Al_{3} in magnetic fields: a test of the anisotropic Kondo picture

The specific heat C of Ce_{0.8}La_{0.2}Al_{3} has been measured as a function of temperature T in magnetic fields up to 14 T. A large peak in C at 2.3 K has recently been ascribed to an anisotropic Kondo effect in this compound. A 14-T field depresses the temperature of the peak by only 0.2 K, but strongly reduces its height. The corresponding peak in C/T shifts from 2.1 K at zero field to 1.7 K at 14 T. The extrapolated specific heat coefficient C/T(T->0) increases with field over the range studied. We show that these trends are inconsistent with the anisotropic Kondo model.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, ReVTeX + eps

Geo-neutrinos: A systematic approach to uncertainties and correlations

Geo-neutrinos emitted by heat-producing elements (U, Th and K) represent a unique probe of the Earth interior. The characterization of their fluxes is subject, however, to rather large and highly correlated uncertainties. The geochemical covariance of the U, Th and K abundances in various Earth reservoirs induces positive correlations among the associated geo-neutrino fluxes, and between these and the radiogenic heat. Mass-balance constraints in the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE) tend instead to anti-correlate the radiogenic element abundances in complementary reservoirs. Experimental geo-neutrino observables may be further (anti)correlated by instrumental effects. In this context, we propose a systematic approach to covariance matrices, based on the fact that all the relevant geo-neutrino observables and constraints can be expressed as linear functions of the U, Th and K abundances in the Earth's reservoirs (with relatively well-known coefficients). We briefly discuss here the construction of a tentative "geo-neutrino source model" (GNSM) for the U, Th, and K abundances in the main Earth reservoirs, based on selected geophysical and geochemical data and models (when available), on plausible hypotheses (when possible), and admittedly on arbitrary assumptions (when unavoidable). We use then the GNSM to make predictions about several experiments ("forward approach"), and to show how future data can constrain - a posteriori - the error matrix of the model itself ("backward approach"). The method may provide a useful statistical framework for evaluating the impact and the global consistency of prospective geo-neutrino measurements and Earth models.Comment: 17 pages, including 4 figures. To appear on "Earth, Moon, and Planets," Special Issue on "Neutrino Geophysics," Proceedings of Neutrino Science 2005 (Honolulu, Hawaii, Dec. 2005

A Comparative Study of Drosophila and Human A-Type Lamins

Nuclear intermediate filament proteins, called lamins, form a meshwork that lines the inner surface of the nuclear envelope. Lamins contain three domains: an N-terminal head, a central rod and a C-terminal tail domain possessing an Ig-fold structural motif. Lamins are classified as either A- or B-type based on structure and expression pattern. The Drosophila genome possesses two genes encoding lamins, Lamin C and lamin Dm0, which have been designated A- and B-type, respectively, based on their expression profile and structural features. In humans, mutations in the gene encoding A-type lamins are associated with a spectrum of predominantly tissue-specific diseases known as laminopathies. Linking the disease phenotypes to cellular functions of lamins has been a major challenge. Drosophila is being used as a model system to identify the roles of lamins in development. Towards this end, we performed a comparative study of Drosophila and human A-type lamins. Analysis of transgenic flies showed that human lamins localize predictably within the Drosophila nucleus. Consistent with this finding, yeast two-hybrid data demonstrated conservation of partner-protein interactions. Drosophila lacking A-type lamin show nuclear envelope defects similar to those observed with human laminopathies. Expression of mutant forms of the A-type Drosophila lamin modeled after human disease-causing amino acid substitutions revealed an essential role for the N-terminal head and the Ig-fold in larval muscle tissue. This tissue-restricted sensitivity suggests a conserved role for lamins in muscle biology. In conclusion, we show that (1) localization of A-type lamins and protein-partner interactions are conserved between Drosophila and humans, (2) loss of the Drosophila A-type lamin causes nuclear defects and (3) muscle tissue is sensitive to the expression of mutant forms of A-type lamin modeled after those causing disease in humans. These studies provide new insights on the role of lamins in nuclear biology and support Drosophila as a model for studies of human laminopathies involving muscle dysfunction