Superparticle Sum Rules in the presence of Hidden Sector Dynamics

We derive sum rules among scalar masses for various boundary conditions of the hidden-visible couplings in the presence of hidden sector dynamics and show that they still can be useful probes of the MSSM and beyond.Comment: 22 page

Case-based similar image retrieval for weakly annotated large histopathological images of malignant lymphoma using deep metric learning

In the present study, we propose a novel case-based similar image retrieval (SIR) method for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histopathological images of malignant lymphoma. When a whole slide image (WSI) is used as an input query, it is desirable to be able to retrieve similar cases by focusing on image patches in pathologically important regions such as tumor cells. To address this problem, we employ attention-based multiple instance learning, which enables us to focus on tumor-specific regions when the similarity between cases is computed. Moreover, we employ contrastive distance metric learning to incorporate immunohistochemical (IHC) staining patterns as useful supervised information for defining appropriate similarity between heterogeneous malignant lymphoma cases. In the experiment with 249 malignant lymphoma patients, we confirmed that the proposed method exhibited higher evaluation measures than the baseline case-based SIR methods. Furthermore, the subjective evaluation by pathologists revealed that our similarity measure using IHC staining patterns is appropriate for representing the similarity of H&E-stained tissue images for malignant lymphoma

Dramatic Dietary Shift Maintains Sequestered Toxins in Chemically Defended Snakes

Unlike other snakes, most species of Rhabdophis possess glands in their dorsal skin, sometimes limited to the neck, known as nucho-dorsal and nuchal glands, respectively. Those glands contain powerful cardiotonic steroids known as bufadienolides, which can be deployed as a defense against predators. Bufadienolides otherwise occur only in toads (Bufonidae) and some fireflies (Lampyrinae), which are known or believed to synthesize the toxins. The ancestral diet of Rhabdophis consists of anuran amphibians, and we have shown previously that the bufadienolide toxins of frog-eating species are sequestered from toads consumed as prey. However, one derived clade, the Rhabdophis nuchalis Group, has shifted its primary diet from frogs to earthworms. Here we confirm that the worm-eating snakes possess bufadienolides in their nucho-dorsal glands, although the worms themselves lack such toxins. In addition, we show that the bufadienolides of R. nuchalis Group species are obtained primarily from fireflies. Although few snakes feed on insects, we document through feeding experiments, chemosensory preference tests, and gut contents that lampyrine firefly larvae are regularly consumed by these snakes. Furthermore, members of the R. nuchalis Group contain compounds that resemble the distinctive bufadienolides of fireflies, but not those of toads, in stereochemistry, glycosylation, acetylation, and molecular weight. Thus, the evolutionary shift in primary prey among members of the R. nuchalis Group has been accompanied by a dramatic shift in the source of the species’ sequestered defensive toxins

Prediction of Arrival Time of Vessels Considering Future Weather Conditions

International logistics is becoming increasingly active. Marine transportation, in particular, accounts for approximately 90% of the total volume managed in international logistics and plays a vital role in the supply chains of many companies. However, en route factors, such as weather conditions, often delay scheduled arrivals at destination ports, and an accurate prediction of the arrival time is required for supply chain efficiency. The arrival time has been predicted in previous studies by calculating the route to the destination port and the en route voyage speed without considering the influence of future weather conditions. Hence, the prediction accuracy may decrease when weather conditions change. In this study, we propose a prediction method that identifies the route from the voyage results of vessels whose weather condition is similar to the future one and uses Bayesian learning to calculate the voyage speed in consideration of future weather conditions. Consequently, future changes in weather conditions are reflected in the prediction results. The prediction accuracy of the proposed method is projected to be 28% higher than that from previous studies based on historical operational data of vessels carrying home appliance and automobile industry cargoes

Inhibition of fatty acid oxidation activates transforming growth factor-beta in cerebrospinal fluid and decreases spontaneous motor activity.

We have previously reported that transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is involved in the mechanism underlying the regulation of spontaneous motor activity (SMA) by the central nervous system after exercise. However, it remained unclear what physiological condition triggers the activation of TGF-beta. We hypothesized that the shortage of energy derived from fatty acid (FA) oxidation observed in the early phase of exercise activated TGF-beta in the CSF. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether mercaptoacetate (MA), an inhibitor of FA oxidation, could induce an activation of TGF-beta in the CSF and a decrease in SMA. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of MA activated TGF-beta in CSF in rats and depressed SMA; 2-deoxyglucose, an inhibitor of carbohydrate oxidation, on the other hand, depressed SMA but failed to activate CSF TGF-beta. Intracisternal administration of anti-TGF-beta antibody abolished the depressive effect of MA on SMA. We also found that the depression of SMA and the activation of TGF-beta in the CSF by i.p. MA administration were eliminated by vagotomy. Our data suggest that TGF-beta in the CSF is activated by the inhibition of FA oxidation via the vagus nerve and that this subsequently induces depression of SMA

Effects of colour narrative in community-dwelling older adults: A mixed methods study

Background Based on occupational storytelling/story-making, this study developed Colour Narrative, a program to promote the health and well-being of community-dwelling older adults. Objectives To conduct a pilot study to implement Colour Narrative in a heavy snowfall area of Japan and verify the participants' experiences in the program and its effectiveness. Material and methods An advanced mixed methods design was used. The participants were 22 members of a community-based social group for older adults. Quantitative measurements of life functions and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were conducted before and after the intervention. Qualitative data were collected from focus group interviews regarding the participants' experiences during the intervention process. Lastly, both datasets were integrated. Results The harsh living conditions due to heavy snowfall reduced the participants' overall activity. In this environment, Colour Narrative encouraged them to control their lives more in their own ways and enhanced their HRQOL. The core of their experiences was 'negotiating occupations'. This negotiation was a highly intellectual task that significantly improved their cognitive function. Conclusions The structure and content of Colour Narrative were found to be useful and feasible for community-dwelling older adults. Significance Colour Narrative offers a new occupation-based intervention strategy for preventive occupational therapy

Relativistic distortions in galaxy density-ellipticity correlations: gravitational redshift and peculiar velocity effects

We study relativistic effects, arising from the light propagation in an inhomogeneous universe. We particularly investigate the effects imprinted in a cross-correlation function between galaxy positions and intrinsic galaxy shapes (GI correlation). Considering the Doppler and gravitational redshift effects as major relativistic effects, we present an analytical model of the GI correlation function, from which we find that the relativistic effects induce non-vanishing odd multipole anisotropies. Focusing particularly on the dipole anisotropy, we show that the Doppler effect dominates at large scales, while the gravitational redshift effect originated from the halo potential dominates at the scales below $10$-$30\, {\rm Mpc}/h$, with the amplitude of the dipole GI correlation being positive over all the scales. Also, we newly derive the covariance matrix for the modelled GI dipole. Taking into account the full covariance, we estimate the signal-to-noise ratio and show that the GI dipole induced by the relativistic effects is detectable in future large-volume galaxy surveys. We discuss how the measurement of dipole GI correlation could be helpful to detect relativistic effects in combination with the conventional galaxy-galaxy cross correlation