Capture and Decay of Electroweak WIMPonium

The spectrum of Weakly-Interacting-Massive-Particle (WIMP) dark matter generically possesses bound states when the WIMP mass becomes sufficiently large relative to the mass of the electroweak gauge bosons. The presence of these bound states enhances the annihilation rate via resonances in the Sommerfeld enhancement, but they can also be produced directly with the emission of a low-energy photon. In this work we compute the rate for SU(2) triplet dark matter (the wino) to bind into WIMPonium -- which is possible via single-photon emission for wino masses above 5 TeV for relative velocity v < O(10^{-2}) -- and study the subsequent decays of these bound states. We present results with applications beyond the wino case, e.g. for dark matter inhabiting a nonabelian dark sector; these include analytic capture and transition rates for general dark sectors in the limit of vanishing force carrier mass, efficient numerical routines for calculating positive and negative-energy eigenstates of a Hamiltonian containing interactions with both massive and massless force carriers, and a study of the scaling of bound state formation in the short-range Hulthen potential. In the specific case of the wino, we find that the rate for bound state formation is suppressed relative to direct annihilation, and so provides only a small correction to the overall annihilation rate. The soft photons radiated by the capture process and by bound state transitions could permit measurement of the dark matter's quantum numbers; for wino-like dark matter, such photons are rare, but might be observable by a future ground-based gamma-ray telescope combining large effective area and a low energy threshold.Comment: 3rd version. An interference sign fixed and changes propagated through the paper. Topline qualitative conclusions unchange

Photovoltaic–thermoelectric temperature control using a closed-loop integrated cooler

The Closed-Loop Integrated Cooler (CLIC) is a novel technique deployed on experimental apparatus to accurately measure, monitor and control the temperature of optoelectronic devices. Demonstrated here within a Concentrator Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric (CPV-TE) hybrid device, the thermoelectric module was used as a solid state sensor and heat pump in order to control the operational temperature for a triple-junction solar cell. The technique was used to achieve stable, reproducible and repeatable Standard Test Conditions (STC) of 25oC cell temperature, with 1000W/m2 irradiance and AM1.5G spectrum. During testing with Secondary Optical Element (SOE) optics in a solar simulator, the CLIC enabled accurate temperature control of the CPV cell. This would otherwise be unfeasible due to the spectral, reflective and diffusive effects of the SOE optics. The CLIC was used to obtain temporal and spatial constant temperature of the CPV-TE hybrid receiver during Current-Voltage measurement. This method highlights the future potential of the CLIC for accurate temperature control of optoelectronic devices both during testing and in future semiconductor device applications where temperature control is essential to performance or lifetime

Diversification and expression of the PIN, AUX/LAX, and ABCB families of putative auxin transporters in \u3cem\u3ePopulus\u3c/em\u3e

Intercellular transport of the plant hormone auxin is mediated by three families of membrane-bound protein carriers, with the PIN and ABCB families coding primarily for efflux proteins and the AUX/LAX family coding for influx proteins. In the last decade our understanding of gene and protein function for these transporters in Arabidopsis has expanded rapidly but very little is known about their role in woody plant development. Here we present a comprehensive account of all three families in the model woody species Populus, including chromosome distribution, protein structure, quantitative gene expression, and evolutionary relationships. The PIN and AUX/LAX gene families in Populus comprise 16 and 8 members respectively and show evidence for the retention of paralogs following a relatively recent whole genome duplication. There is also differential expression across tissues within many gene pairs. The ABCB family is previously undescribed in Populus and includes 20 members, showing a much deeper evolutionary history, including both tandem and whole genome duplication as well as probable gene loss. A striking number of these transporters are expressed in developing Populus stems and we suggest that evolutionary and structural relationships with known auxin transporters in Arabidopsis can point toward candidate genes for further study in Populus. This is especially important for the ABCBs, which is a large family and includes members in Arabidopsis that are able to transport other substrates in addition to auxin. Protein modeling, sequence alignment and expression data all point to ABCB1.1 as a likely auxin transport protein in Populus. Given that basipetal auxin flow through the cambial zone shapes the development of woody stems, it is important that we identify the full complement of genes involved in this process. This work should lay the foundation for studies targeting specific proteins for functional characterization and in situ localization

Can Simple Postural Instructions Modify Running Forms in Recreational Runners

Purpose/Hypothesis: Recent research suggests that alteration of trunk angle and foot strike pattern during running may result in beneficial changes that prevent running related injuries due to reduction in vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF). For example, running form emphasizing a forward trunk lean and a midfoot or forefoot strike pattern has been shown to be effective in reducing knee stress and the risks of other impact-related running injuries. In clinical practice however, it is currently unknown if simple postural cues given to runners can elicit motor learning that leads to modification of running form. The purpose of this study was to analyze the biomechanical changes in the running form of recreational runners after being instructed to run with a forward trunk lean and a forefoot strike pattern over a 4-week training period. Methods: Eighteen runners, 11 females and 7 males, mean age 28.5±6.10 years, mean body mass index= 23.18 kg/m2, that run at least five miles per week and are injury free at the time of the study participated. During a 4-week training period, the runners received the following simple postural instructions: 1) lean your trunk forward and 2) land on the front part of your foot. The runners were asked to focus on these postural cues whenever they ran on their own during the 5-week study period. Participants were assessed at the following time points: prior to training (PRE), immediately after receiving the instructions (iPST), at 2 weeks (2WK) and 4 weeks (4WK), and 7-10 days after the conclusion of training (RET). Assessment consisted of an initial running trial on a treadmill during which trunk angle and peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) in stance phase were assessed using a 3D motion capture system and a force plate-instrumented treadmill. The runners were assessed at their self-selected running speed and a predetermined speed of 2.5 m/s during which three 20-second trials were collected for each speed. One-way repeated measures ANOVA tests were used to compare the changes in trunk angle and peak vGRF over time. Results: There was a significant increase in forward trunk angle during running immediately after receiving the instructions for both running speeds (PRE vs. iPST, self-selected speed: 6.69º vs. 9.76º, p=0.001; 2.5m/s: 6.78º vs. 9.14º, p=0.005). When compared toPRE, there was a significant increase in trunk flexion angle at 4WK (PRE vs. 4WK, self-selected running speed: 6.69º vs. 9.94º, p=0.031; 2.5 m/s: 6.78º vs. 10.05º, p=0.002). When compared to PRE, there was a significant increase in trunk flexion angle at RET at 2.5 m/s speed (PRE vs. RET: 6.78º vs. 9.99º, p=0.044), however there was no significant increase in trunk flexion angle at RET for the self-selected speed (PRE vs. RET: 6.69º vs. 9.45º, p=0.111). There was no significant change in vGRF over the course of the training for the self-selected and 2.5 m/s speeds (p=0.644 and 0.187, respectively). Conclusions: Based on our findings, we conclude that simple postural instructions and training over 4 weeks can induce changes in trunk angle during running in recreational runners. However, vGRF may not significantly change after alteration of trunk posture. Clinical Relevance: This study demonstrated that simple postural instructions can induce short- and mid-term changes in running form in recreational runners

An Investigation of Implicit Theories of Well-Being, Optimism, and Coping Mechanism Selection

Folkman and Lazarus (1991) argue that incremental theorists have more faith in their ability to alter situations and would be more likely to select active coping strategies (Hong et al., 1999). An optimistic worldview may also have important implications for the way people choose to cope (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Using the MTurk online platform, the present study investigated the relationship between implicit personality theories (IPT), optimism, and coping mechanism selection. As hypothesized, incremental beliefs were associated with more optimism. However, they were also associated with a greater likelihood of using self-blame, which is typically conceptualized as a passive coping strategy (Carver et al., 1989). These findings suggest the need for the continued investigation of self-blame as a potential precursor to active coping strategies

Exploring COVID-19 Impacts on Maine Tourism Using an Online Photo-Sharing Site

This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel patterns and visitor spending within Maine using data from the social media site Flickr. The authors compared the geographic information attached to Flickr photo posts in Maine before and after March 2020 when pandemic travel restrictions began to be implemented. Maps show that Maine visitors shifted to more northern, rural, and inland areas. The direct economic impact of these patterns are indicated through the correlation of Flickr photo posts to sales tax data. Lastly, we examined divergent movement patterns and social media use of visitors coming from places with and without travel restrictions. Flickr photo analysis can be a safe, cost-effective, accessible way to help assess policy and develop tourism management strategies, especially useful during a time of rapid change and public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic

Acute and Chronic Effects of Inhalants in Intracranial Self-stimulation

Inhalants are a loosely defined diverse group of volatile substances which people abuse. Despite widespread misuse of inhalants, there are limited preclinical methods available to study the reinforcement-like properties of inhalants. One procedure which has demonstrated substantial promise as a tool to investigate inhalant pharmacology is the intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure. ICSS utilizes pulses of electrical stimulation to the mesolimbic reward pathway to serve as a temporally defined and controlled operant reinforcer with a highly adjustable efficacy. The first aim of the project was to characterize the effects of commonly abused inhalants: including toluene, trichloroethane, nitrous oxide, isoflurane and R134a in ICSS. The second aim was to attenuate inhalant-facilitated ICSS by utilization of compounds which would attenuate the pharmacological actions of toluene on GABAA receptors. The low efficacy benzodiazepine negative modulator Ro15-4513 significantly attenuated the ability of toluene to facilitate ICSS without itself significantly altering baseline ICSS responding. Pretreatment with Ro15-4513 also attenuated methamphetamine ICSS even though there is no evidence of methamphetamine interacting with GABAA receptors. Given these unexpected results, I employed a microdialysis procedure to examine the effect of Ro15-4513 on methamphetamine stimulated dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Pretreatment with Ro15-4513 significantly attenuated methamphetamine stimulated dopamine release while having a negligible effect on dopamine release when administered alone. These results suggest that a modest level of benzodiazepine-site negative modulation can reduce the reinforcement enhancing effects of abused drugs regardless of their primary mechanism of action through allosteric modulation of GABAergic neurons within the mesolimbic pathway. Further, these results may have implications for expanding the examination of GABAA negative modulator medications beyond those trials currently being conducted with alcohol. Finally, the effects of chronic intermittent toluene exposure on ICSS and nesting behaviors were examined. Subjects were systemically exposed to air, chronic intermittent toluene (CIT), or escalating chronic intermittent (ECIT) toluene for 15 min at 3300 PPM toluene vapor per exposure. The results show that ECIT resulted in decreased overall responding in ICSS relative to air control and showed a tolerance-like effect to facilitatory effects of 3300 ppm toluene during ICSS compared to CIT group. These results indicate that escalating use of toluene produces reductions in its reward-like effects and may contribute to escalation to other drugs of abuse

Interactional co-design and co-production through shared dialogue workshops

In 2017 660 million people remain without sustainable access to safe drinking water [1]. The majority of these are in rural areas with little hope in the foreseeable future of access to distributed treated water systems. Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a household water treatment using solar energy to inactivate pathogens in water stored in transparent containers placed in direct sunlight. SODIS is used by approximately 5 million people in developing countries daily [2], but uptake is slowing. The WATERSPOUTT project aims to increase user uptake of SODIS by designing, piloting and manufacturing technologies including solar jerry cans and solar-ceramic filtration. These are being designed in a multi-disciplinary collaboration between designers, engineers, health and social scientists and end users in Europe and Africa. This is achieved through co-design activities, context analysis and stakeholder dialogue workshops which aim to ensure that product designs meet both the technical and social needs of the more than 100 million potential end users in Africa. Examples of student design work highlight the importance of this shared dialogue and changes in design thinking that are evolving through the co-design approach. Through producing designs which are readily accepted and widely adopted in the case study communities, this paper addresses issues relevant to the topics of social issues in design education and new design education paradigms. It also addresses the wider theme of building community: design education for a sustainable future by showing how transdisciplinary approaches can ensure community engagement and design adoption

At Home/Chez Soi Winnipeg Site: Later Implementation Evaluation Report

Research report. iv, 20 pp., digital file.This report is the second documenting the implementation of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s At Home/Chez Soi project in Winnipeg, covering the late 2010 to late 2011 period. It reports on the changes in program fidelity over this time, and reflects on continued and emerging strengths and challenges in the implementation of the project. The results demonstrate that, while there are challenges, there have been many positive results for participants.Mental Health Commission of Canad