13,127 research outputs found
Towards Trusted Identities for Swiss Researchers and their Data
In this paper we report on efforts to enhance the Swiss persistent identifier (PID) ecosystem. We will firstly describe the current situation and the need for improvement in order to describe in full detail the steps undertaken to create a Swiss-wide model. A case study was undertaken by using several data sets from the domains of art and design in the context of the ICOPAD project. We will provide a set of recommendations to enable a PID service that could mint Archival Resource Key (ARK) identifiers or a flavour of Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) as complement to Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). We will conclude with some remarks concerning the transferability of this approach to other areas and the requirements for a national hub for PID management in Switzerland
Theory of non-equilibrium electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer
We develop a theoretical description of interaction-induced phenomena in an
electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer formed by integer quantum Hall edge
states (with \nu =1 and 2 channels) out of equilibrium. Using the
non-equilibrium functional bosonization framework, we derive an effective
action which contains all the physics of the problem. We apply the theory to
the model of a short-range interaction and to a more realistic case of
long-range Coulomb interaction. The theory takes into account
interaction-induced effects of dispersion of plasmons, charging, and
decoherence. In the case of long-range interaction we find a good agreement
between our theoretical results for the visibility of Aharonov-Bohm
oscillations and experimental data.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure
Recombinant Measles Viruses Defective for RNA Editing and V Protein Synthesis Are Viable in Cultured Cells
AbstractThe measles virus (MV) phosphoprotein (P) gene encodes three proteins, P, C, and V. The V protein is synthesized by pseudo-templated transcription, also designated as RNA editing: during P gene transcription one G residue is inserted at a defined position in about 50% of the mRNAs. To study the importance of sequence elements for the nontemplated G insertion, we generated recombinant MVs in which six different mutations were introduced within the region where editing occurs (3âČ UUUUUCCC, template strand). These viruses were then analyzed for their ability to edit their P mRNA and to produce V protein. Single U to C changes within the U stretch abolished editing. Extending the template by three C residues at the site of G insertion resulted in a less precise editing phenotype and overproduction of V. None of these mutants were impaired in their multiplication behavior when analyzed in cultured cells. However, the syncytia of a recombinant MV overproducing V protein were in general smaller and lysed 1 to 2 days later than usual
The Relative Humidity in an Isentropic AdvectionâCondensation Model: Limited Poleward Influence and Properties of Subtropical Minima
An idealized model of advection and condensation of water vapor is considered as a representation of processes influencing the humidity distribution along isentropic surfaces in the free troposphere. Results are presented for how the mean relative humidity distribution varies in response to changes in the distribution of saturation specific humidity and in the amplitude of a tropical moisture source. Changes in the tropical moisture source are found to have little effect on the relative humidity poleward of the subtropical minima, suggesting a lack of poleward influence despite much greater water vapor concentrations at lower latitudes. The subtropical minima in relative humidity are found to be located just equatorward of the inflection points of the saturation specific humidity profile along the isentropic surface. The degree of mean subsaturation is found to vary with the magnitude of the meridional gradient of saturation specific humidity when other parameters are held fixed.
The atmospheric relevance of these results is investigated by comparison with the positions of the relative humidity minima in reanalysis data and by examining poleward influence of relative humidity in simulations with an idealized general circulation model. It is suggested that the limited poleward influence of relative humidity may constrain the propagation of errors in simulated humidity fields
Creation of orbital angular momentum states with chiral polaritonic lenses
Controlled transfer of orbital angular momentum to exciton-polariton
Bose-Einstein condensate spontaneously created under incoherent, off-resonant
excitation conditions is a long-standing challenge in the field of microcavity
polaritonics. We demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, a simple and
efficient approach to generation of nontrivial orbital angular momentum states
by using optically-induced potentials -- chiral polaritonic lenses.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Relationships between work satisfaction, emotional exhaustion and mental health among Swiss primary care physicians
Background: Work-related satisfaction is an important determinant of quality of care. However, its relationship with doctors' mental health is poorly understood. It could have an independent beneficial effect on mental health (direct association) or simply reduce the impact of work stress on mental health (moderating or âbuffering' role). Methods: One thousand seven hundred and thirty-two Swiss primary care physicians (824 board-certified generalists, 436 general internists, 162 paediatricians, 147 internal medicine specialists and 163 physicians without specialty qualification) completed a mailed questionnaire. Previously, validated instruments were used to measure mental health (SF-12), emotional exhaustion [Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)] and work-related satisfaction. Linear regression models with mental health as dependant variable were used to study the relationships between these variables. Differences in mental health scores were standardized to represent a one standard deviation (SD) difference in the other scales [standardized beta coefficients (SBC)]. Results: In multivariate analyses, higher levels of mental health were found in respondents with higher work-related satisfaction with current income and social prestige (SBC 1.04) and professional relations (SBC 0.57), and in respondents with lower emotional exhaustion (SBC â4.98) and higher personal accomplishment scores (SBC 1.72). Interaction terms between these dimensions of work-related satisfaction and emotional exhaustion were significant, supporting a âbuffering' role of these dimensions. Conclusion: Work-satisfaction with current income, social prestige and professional relations are important correlates of mental health among primary care physicians, as well as emotional exhaustion. Higher levels of these dimensions of work-related satisfaction seems to mitigate the relationship between emotional exhaustion and physicians' mental healt
Influence of static electric fields on an optical ion trap
We recently reported on a proof-of-principle experiment demonstrating optical
trapping of an ion in a single-beam dipole trap superimposed by a static
electric potential [Nat. Photonics 4, 772--775 (2010)]. Here, we first discuss
the experimental procedures focussing on the influence and consequences of the
static electric potential. These potentials can easily prevent successful
optical trapping, if their configuration is not chosen carefully. Afterwards,
we analyse the dipole trap experiments with different analytic models, in which
different approximations are applied. According to these models the
experimental results agree with recoil heating as the relevant heating effect.
In addition, a Monte-Carlo simulation has been developed to refine the
analysis. It reveals a large impact of the static electric potential on the
dipole trap experiments in general. While it supports the results of the
analytic models for the parameters used in the experiments, the analytic models
cease their validity for significantly different parameters. Finally, we
propose technical improvements for future realizations of experiments with
optically trapped ions.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figure
Salt Appetite and its Effects on Cardiovascular Risk in Primary Aldosteronism
First described in 1955 by Jerome W. Conn, primary aldosteronism (PA) today is well established as a relevant cause of secondary hypertension and accounts for about 5â10 % of hypertensives. The importance of considering PA is based on its deleterious target organ damage far beyond the effect of elevated blood pressure and on PA being a potentially curable form of hypertension. Aside the established contributory role of high dietary salt intake to arterial hypertension and cardiovascular disease, high salt intake is mandatory for aldosterone-mediated deleterious effects on target-organ damage in patients with primary aldosteronism. Consequently, counselling patients on the need to reduce salt intake represents a major component in the treatment of PA to minimize cardiovascular damage. Unfortunately, in PA patients salt intake is high and far beyond the target values of 5âg per day, recommended by the World Health Organization. Insufficient patient motivation for lifestyle interventions can be further complicated by enhancing effects of aldosterone on salt appetite, via central and gustatory pathways. In this context, treatment for PA by adrenalectomy results in a spontaneous decrease in dietary salt intake and might therefore provide further reduction of cardiovascular risk in PA than specific medical treatment alone. Furthermore, there is evidence from clinical studies that even after sufficient treatment of PA dietary salt intake remains a relevant prognostic factor for cardiovascular risk. This review will focus on the synergistic benefits derived from both blockade of aldosterone-mediated effects and reduction in dietary salt intake on cardiovascular risk
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