2,981 research outputs found
Between scientific publication and public perception : some economic remarks on the allocation of time in science
Like every other human being, scientists also have to allocate their scarce resources of time and production according to their personal preferences. Todayâs scientific system is domina-ted by different (external) incentives that influence a researcherâs decisions. With respect to the individual research strategy, there seems to be a conflict between scientific rigor and prac-tical relevance. In addition, only certain scientific results actually find their way into the ge-neral public. We assume therefore that the use of virological and economic expertise are two different forms of reception of science by another social sphere. If our assumption is correct, the question arises as to how such rules of reception are formed and stabilized. This question will be investigated in the present paper. With regard to his or her publication strategy, the scientist therefore has to decide interdependently. Based on the economic approach in general, and Gary S. Beckerâs theory of time allocation specifically, we develop a simple model to ex-plain scientific decision-making behavior. We derive several implications with regard to a strategy on time allocation in research processes, and thus contribute to a better understanding of scientific decision-making processes. In our paper, we concentrate on the general conditions in (business) economics, but the findings can also be applied to other (human) sciences. In order to be as up-to-date as possible, we take an additional look at the role of science in the current COVID-19 crisis as well
Contribution of the nucleon-hyperon reaction channels to K production in proton-nucleus collisions
The cross sections for producing K mesons in nucleon-hyperon elementary
processes are estimated assuming one-pion exchange and using the experimentally
known pion-hyperon cross sections. The results are implemented in a transport
model which is applied to calculation of proton-nucleus collisions. In
significant difference to earlier estimates for heavy-ion collisions the
inclusion of the nucleon-hyperon cross section roughly doubles the K
production in near-threshold proton-nucleus collisions
Uncovering sustainability concerns in software product lines
Sustainable living, i.e., living within the bounds of the available environmental, social, and economic resources, is the focus of many present-day social and scientific discussions. But what does sustainability mean within the context of Software Engineering? In this paper we undertake a comprehensive analysis of 8 case studies to address this question within the context of a specific SE approach, Software Product Line Engineering (SPLE). We identify the sustainability-related characteristics that arise in present-day studies that apply SPLE. We conclude that technical and economic sustainability are in prime focus on the present SPLE practice, with social sustainability issues, where they relate to organisations, also addressed to a good degree. On the other hand, the issues related to the personal sustainability are less prominent, and environmental considerations are nearly completely amiss. We present feature models and cross-relations that result from our analysis as a starting point for sustainability engineering through SPLE, suggesting that any new development should consider how these models would be instantiated and expanded for the intended socio-technical system. The good representation of sustainability features in these models is also validated with two additional case studies
First Measurement of Antikaon Phase-Space Distributions in Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions at Subthreshold Beam Energies
Differential production cross sections of K and K mesons have been
measured as function of the polar emission angle in Ni+Ni collisions at a beam
energy of 1.93 AGeV. In near-central collisions, the spectral shapes and the
widths of the rapidity distributions of K and K mesons are in agreement
with the assumption of isotropic emission. In non-central collisions, the K
and K rapidity distributions are broader than expected for a single thermal
source. In this case, the polar angle distributions are strongly
forward-backward peaked and the nonisotropic contribution to the total yield is
about one third both for K and K mesons. The K/K ratio is found
to be about 0.03 independent of the centrality of the reaction. This value is
significantly larger than predicted by microscopic transport calculations if
in-medium modifications of K mesons are neglected.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Physics Letters
Medium Effects in Kaon and Antikaon Production in Nuclear Collisions at Subthreshold Beam Energies
Production cross sections of K and K mesons have been measured in C+C
collisions at beam energies per nucleon below and near the nucleon-nucleon
threshold. At a given beam energy, the spectral slopes of the K mesons are
significantly steeper than the ones of the K mesons. The excitation
functions for K and K mesons nearly coincide when correcting for the
threshold energy. In contrast, the K yield exceeds the K yield by a
factor of about 100 in proton-proton collisions at beam energies near the
respective nucleon-nucleon thresholds.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
S100A7 (psoriasin) expression is associated with aggressive features and alteration of Jab1 in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
INTRODUCTION: The S100A7 (psoriasin) gene is highly expressed in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast and can be downregulated in invasive carcinoma. Persistent S100A7 expression in invasive carcinoma is associated with a worse prognosis, and this effect may be mediated in part through interaction with the multifunctional cell signaling protein Jab1. METHODS: In order to investigate the relationship between S100A7 and progression from DCIS to invasive carcinoma, we studied S100A7 expression in 136 patients with DCIS (including 46 patients with associated invasive carcinoma) by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: S100A7 expression was present in 63 out of 136 (46%) of DCIS lesions and was associated with estrogen receptor negative status (P = 0.0002), higher nuclear grade (P < 0.0001), necrosis (P < 0.0001) and inflammation (P < 0.0001). S100A7 status was no different between DCIS with and DCIS without an invasive component, but higher levels of S100A7 were present in DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma (P < 0.004). Analysis of a subset of cases showed that S100A7 expression was also associated with an increase in nuclear Jab1 (n = 43; P = 0.0019) and reduced p27(kip1 )(n = 47; P = 0.0168). In cases of DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma, there was also a significant reduction in S100A7 between in situ and invasive components (n = 46; P < 0.0001). In pure DCIS cases treated by local excision, there was no difference in frequency of S100A7 expression between patients with recurrence of DCIS (n = 9) and those without (n = 36). CONCLUSION: The findings reported here suggest that, although S100A7 may not be a marker for recurrence of DCIS, it is associated with poor prognostic markers in DCIS and may influence progression of breast carcinoma through its interaction with and influence on Jab1
Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays
We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed
decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the
CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by
the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard
deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching
fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) =
[42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm
2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) =
-0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for
Publicatio
Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS
has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions
at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection
criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined.
For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a
muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the
whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4,
while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The
efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than
90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall
momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The
transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity
for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be
better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions
of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO
Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS
has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions
at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection
criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined.
For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a
muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the
whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4,
while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The
efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than
90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall
momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The
transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity
for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be
better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions
of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO
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