Detecting multi-atomic composite states in optical lattices

We propose and discuss methods for detecting quasi-molecular complexes which are expected to form in strongly interacting optical lattice systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the detection of composite fermions forming in Bose-Fermi mixtures. We argue that, as an indirect indication of the composite fermions and a generic consequence of strong interactions, periodic correlations must appear in the atom shot noise of bosonic absorption images, similar to the bosonic Mott insulator [S. F\"olling, et al., Nature {\bf 434}, 481 (2005)]. The composites can also be detected directly and their quasi-momentum distribution measured. This method -- an extension of the technique of noise correlation interferometry [E. Altman et al., Phys. Rev. A {\bf 79}, 013603 (2004)] -- relies on measuring higher order correlations between the bosonic and fermionic shot noise in the absorption images. However, it fails for complexes consisting of more than three atoms.Comment: 9 revtex page

Immunogenicity of Therapeutic Proteins: The Use of Animal Models

Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins lowers patient well-being and drastically increases therapeutic costs. Preventing immunogenicity is an important issue to consider when developing novel therapeutic proteins and applying them in the clinic. Animal models are increasingly used to study immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. They are employed as predictive tools to assess different aspects of immunogenicity during drug development and have become vital in studying the mechanisms underlying immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. However, the use of animal models needs critical evaluation. Because of species differences, predictive value of such models is limited, and mechanistic studies can be restricted. This review addresses the suitability of animal models for immunogenicity prediction and summarizes the insights in immunogenicity that they have given so far

Black Hole Entropy Associated with Supersymmetric Sigma Model

By means of an identity that equates elliptic genus partition function of a supersymmetric sigma model on the $N$-fold symmetric product $S^N X$ of $X$ ($S^N X=X^N/S_N$, $S_N$ is the symmetric group of $N$ elements) to the partition function of a second quantized string theory, we derive the asymptotic expansion of the partition function as well as the asymptotic for the degeneracy of spectrum in string theory. The asymptotic expansion for the state counting reproduces the logarithmic correction to the black hole entropy.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, version to appear in the Phys. Rev. D (2003

Reemergence of pertussis in the highly vaccinated population of the Netherlands: observations on surveillance data.

We analyzed pertussis reporting, death, hospitalization, and serodiagnostic data from 1976 to 1998 to help explain the cause of the 1996 pertussis outbreak in the Netherlands. The unexpected outbreak was detected by an increase in pertussis reporting and by other surveillance methods. In 1996, according to reporting and serologic data, the increase in pertussis incidence among (mostly unvaccinated) children less than 1 year of age was similar to the increase in hospital admissions. Among older (mostly vaccinated) persons, the increase in hospital admissions was relatively small. The increase in pertussis incidence was higher among vaccinated than among unvaccinated persons of all ages. This resulted in lower estimates of vaccine effectiveness. The proportion of pertussis infections resulting in recognizable symptoms may have increased among vaccinated persons because of a mismatch of the vaccine strain and circulating Bordetella pertussis strains. The small immunogenicity profile of the Dutch vaccine may have resulted in greater vulnerability to antigenic changes in B. pertussis

Systematic approach to cyclic orbifolds

We introduce an orbifold induction procedure which provides a systematic construction of cyclic orbifolds, including their twisted sectors. The procedure gives counterparts in the orbifold theory of all the current-algebraic constructions of conformal field theory and enables us to find the orbifold characters and their modular transformation properties.Comment: 39 pages, LaTeX. v2,3: references added. v4: typos correcte

Pertussis in The Netherlands: an outbreak despite high levels of immunization with whole-cell vaccine.

In 1996, a sudden increase in pertussis incidence was reported in the Netherlands (2.1 per 100,000 in 1995, 18 per 100,000 in 1996). Although not all potential surveillance artifacts could be excluded, it is highly probable that the data reflect a true outbreak. However, the cause of this increase has not yet been determined. Further research is directed to the severity of disease and a possible mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating Bordetella strains

On the Classification of Diagonal Coset Modular Invariants

We relate in a novel way the modular matrices of GKO diagonal cosets without fixed points to those of WZNW tensor products. Using this we classify all modular invariant partition functions of $su(3)_k\oplus su(3)_1/su(3)_{k+1}$ for all positive integer level $k$, and $su(2)_k\oplus su(2)_\ell/su(2)_{k+\ell}$ for all $k$ and infinitely many $\ell$ (in fact, for each $k$ a positive density of $\ell$). Of all these classifications, only that for $su(2)_k\oplus su(2)_1/su(2)_{k+1}$ had been known. Our lists include many new invariants.Comment: 24 pp (plain tex

Youth in transition:Study protocol of a prospective cohort study into the long-term course of addiction, mental health problems and social functioning in youth entering addiction treatment

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent in the general population, tend to follow a chronic course, are associated with many individual and social problems, and often have their onset in adolescence. However, the knowledge base from prospective population surveys and treatment-outcome studies on the course of SUD in adolescents is limited at best. The present study aims to fill this gap and focuses on a subgroup that is particularly at risk for chronicity: adolescents in addiction treatment. We will investigate the rate of persistent SUD and its predictors longitudinally from adolescence to young adulthood among youth with DSM-5 SUD from the start of their addiction treatment to 2 and 4 years following treatment-entry. In addition to SUD, we will investigate the course of comorbid mental disorders, social functioning, and quality of life and their association with SUD over time. METHODS/DESIGN: In a naturalistic, multi-center prospective cohort design, we will include youths (n = 420), who consecutively enter addiction treatment at ten participating organizations in the Netherlands. Inclusion is prestratified by treatment organization, to ensure a nationally representative sample. Eligible youths are 16 to 22 years old and seek help for a primary DSM-5 cannabis, alcohol, cocaine or amphetamine use disorder. Assessments focus on lifetime and current substance use and SUD, non-SUD mental disorders, family history, life events, social functioning, treatment history, quality of life, chronic stress indicators (hair cortisol) and neuropsychological tests (computerized executive function tasks) and are conducted at baseline, end of treatment, and 2 and 4 years post-baseline. Baseline data and treatment data (type, intensity, duration) will be used to predict outcome – persistence of or desistance from SUD. DISCUSSION: There are remarkably few prospective studies worldwide that investigated the course of SUD in adolescents in addiction treatment for longer than 1 year. We are confident that the Youth in Transition study will further our understanding of determinants and consequences of persistent SUD among high-risk adolescents during the critical transition from adolescence to young adulthood. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Netherlands National Trial Register Trial NL7928. Date of registration January 17, 2019