Axions in string theory — slaying the Hydra of dark radiation

It is widely believed that string theory easily allows for a QCD axion in the cosmologically favored mass range. The required small decay constant, f(a) << M-P, can be implemented by using a large compactification volume. This points to the Large Volume Scenario which in turn makes certain cosmological predictions: first, the closed string axion behaves similarly to a field-theoretic axion in the pre-inflationary scenario, i.e. the initial value can be tuned but one is constrained by isocurvature fluctuations. In addition, the volume represents a long-lived modulus that may lead to an early matter-dominated phase. Finally, the decay of the volume modulus to its own axion tends to overproduce dark radiation. In this paper we aim to carefully analyze the cosmology by studying models that not only allow for a QCD axion but also include inflation. Quite generally, limits on isocurvature fluctuations restrict us to relatively low-scale inflation, which in the present stringy context points to Kahler moduli inflation. As a novel feature we find that the lightest (volume) modulus couples strongly to the Higgs. It hence quickly decays to the SM, thus resolving the original dark radiation problem. This decay is much faster than that of the inflaton, implying that reheating is determined by the inflaton decay. The inflaton could potentially reintroduce a dark radiation problem since it decays to lighter moduli and their axions with equal rates. However, due its mixing with the QCD-saxion, the inflaton has also a direct decay rate to the SM, enhanced by the number of SM gauge bosons. This results in an amount of dark radiation that is consistent with present limits but potentially detectable in future measurements

Longitudinal stability in relation to the use of an automatic pilot

The effect of restraint in pitching introduced by an automatic pilot upon the longitudinal stability of an airplane has been studied. Customary simplifying assumptions have been made in setting down the equations of motion, and the results of computations based on the simplified equations are presented to show the effect of an automatic pilot installed in an airplane of known dimensions and characteristics. The equations developed have been applied by making calculations for a Clark biplane and a Fairchild 22 monoplane

Améliorer la connaissance du patrimoine en France pour une gestion durable du patrimoine des réseaux d'eau potable

IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, Tokyo, JPN, 16-/09/2018 - 21/09/2018International audienceWith the aim of improving the implementation and evaluation of public policy in France relating to sustainable drinking water asset management (regulation at national level and subsidies at watershed level) the French Ministry of Ecology asked Irstea, a state research body, to create an ongoing system to manage technical and financial knowledge relating to drinking water network assets. In this study we develop a statistical approach to model pipe length by category, based on the geographical characteristics of the territory in which they are installed. Multivariate models including road length have been found to be pertinent. This technical analysis is accompanied by a study of asset values and renewal costs, based on a typology of water suppliers and an examination of economic and financial ratios. A number of disparities between territories are highlighted

The hippocampal CA3 region can generate two distinct types of sharp wave-ripple complexes, in vitro.

Hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SPW-Rs) occur during slow wave sleep and behavioral immobility and are thought to play an important role in memory formation. We investigated the cellular and network properties of SPW-Rs with simultaneous laminar multielectrode and intracellular recordings in a rat hippocampal slice model, using physiological bathing medium. Spontaneous SPW-Rs were generated in the dentate gyrus (DG), CA3 and CA1 regions. These events were characterized by a local field potential gradient (LFPg) transient, increased fast oscillatory activity and increased multiple unit activity (MUA). Two types of SPW-Rs were distinguished in the CA3 region based on their different LFPg and current source density (CSD) pattern. Type 1 (T1) displayed negative LFPg transient in the pyramidal cell layer, and the associated CSD sink was confined to the proximal dendrites. Type 2 (T2) SPW-Rs were characterized by positive LFPg transient in the cell layer, and showed CSD sinks involving both the apical and basal dendrites. In both types, consistent with the somatic CSD source, only a small subset of CA3 pyramidal cells fired, most pyramidal cells were hyperpolarized, while most interneurons increased firing rate before the LFPg peak. Different neuronal populations, with different proportions of pyramidal cells and distinct subsets of interneurons were activated during T1 and T2 SPW-Rs. Activation of specific inhibitory cell subsets - with the possible leading role of perisomatic interneurons - seems to be crucial to synchronize distinct ensembles of CA3 pyramidal cells finally resulting in the expression of different SPW-R activities. This suggests that the hippocampus can generate dynamic changes in its activity stemming from the same excitatory and inhibitory circuits, and so, might provide the cellular and network basis for an input-specific and activity-dependent information transmission. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Untersuchungen zur Zerstäubung von höherviskosen Modelllebensmitteln mittels innenmischender pneumatischer Ringströmungsdüsen

Die Sprühtrocknung ist ein weit verbreitetes Verfahren zur Überführung von Lebens-mittelflüssigkeiten in einen festen, pulverförmigen Zustand. Da Trocknungsprozesse zu den energieintensivsten Prozessen der Lebensmittelverarbeitung zählen, gibt es hier ein hohes Energieeinsparpotenzial. Eine Möglichkeit zur Reduktion des Gesamtenergiebedarfs des Sprühtrocknungsprozesses ist die Aufkonzentrierung der verwendeten Konzentrate zu höheren Trockenmassen mittels energiesparender, vorgeschalteter Prozesse. Allerdings steigt mit steigender Trockenmasse auch die Viskosität der zu zerstäubenden Flüssigkeit, was die Zerteilung in feine Tropfen grundsätzlich erschwert. Eine Möglichkeit für die Zerstäubung höherviskoser Flüssigkeiten bei relativ geringem Energieeintrag stellen innenmischende pneumatische Zerstäuber dar, bei denen sich im Düsenauslasskanal eine stabile Ringströmung einstellt. Diese Erkenntnis resultiert unter anderem aus Arbeiten mit einem optisch zugänglichen Effervescent Atomizer [1]. Auf dieser Grundlage wurde ein neues Zerstäuberdesign vorgeschlagen, welches bei geringem Gaseinsatz über einen großen Viskositätsbereich gezielt eine Ringströmung im Düsenauslasskanal erzeugen kann. Bei diesem sogenannten Air-Core-Liquid-Ring Zerstäuber (ACLR) wird das Zerstäubungsgas kurz vor dem Düsenauslasskanal mittels einer Kapillaren zentral in den Flüssigkeitsstrom eingebracht. Dadurch wird gezielt eine Gaskernbildung erzwungen. In dieser Arbeit wurde der ACLR-Zerstäuber hinsichtlich der Zerstäubungseffizienz und –stetigkeit untersucht und mit dem zuvor genannten Effervescent Atomizer verglichen. Der ACLR-Zerstäuber erzielt dabei vergleichbare mittlere Tropfengrößen bei deutlich geringeren Fluktuationen des mittleren Sprühtropfendurchmessers, insbesondere bei gesteigerten Flüssigkeitsviskositäten. Diese geringe Fluktuation ist entscheidend für den Einsatz im Sprühtrocknungsbereich, da hier prozessbedingt eine enge Tropfengrößenverteilung erforderlich ist

Air-Core–Liquid-Ring (ACLR) Atomization Part II: Influence of Process Parameters on the Stability of Internal Liquid Film Thickness and Resulting Spray Droplet Sizes

Air-core–liquid-ring (ACLR) atomization presents a specific type of internal mixing pneumatic atomization. It can be used for disintegration of high viscous feed liquids into small droplets at relatively low gas consumptions. However, the specific principle of ACLR atomization is still under research and no guidelines for process and atomizer design are available. Regarding literature on pre-filming atomizers, it can be hypothesized for ACLR atomization that the liquid film thickness inside the exit orifice of the atomizer, as well as the resulting spray droplet sizes decrease with increasing air-to-liquid ratio (ALR) and decreasing feed viscosity. In this study, the time dependent liquid film thickness inside the exit orifice of the atomizer was predicted by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Results were compared to high speed video images and correlated to measured spray droplet sizes. In conclusion, the hypothesis could be validated by simulation and experimental data, however, at high viscosity and low ALR, periodic gas core breakups were detected in optical measurements. These breakups could not be predicted in CFD simulations, as the simplification of an incompressible gas phase was applied in order to reduce computational costs and time. Nevertheless, the presented methods show good potential for improvement of atomizer geometry and process design as well as for further investigation of the ACLR atomization principle

The technologies of isolation: apocalypse and self in Kurosawa Kiyoshi's Kairo

In this investigation of the Japanese film Kairo, I contemplate how the horrors present in the film relate to the issue of self, by examining a number of interlocking motifs. These include thematic foci on disease and technology which are more intimately and inwardly focused that the film's conclusion first appears to suggest. The true horror here, I argue, is ontological: centred on the self and its divorcing from the exterior world, especially founded in an increased use of and reliance on communicative technologies. I contend that these concerns are manifested in Kairo by presenting the spread of technology as disease-like, infecting the city and the individuals who are isolated and imprisoned by their urban environment. Finally, I investigate the meanings of the apocalypse, expounding how it may be read as hopeful for the future rather than indicative of failure or doom

Pericentromeric satellite repeat expansions through RNA-derived DNA intermediates in cancer

Aberrant transcription of the pericentromeric human satellite II (HSATII) repeat is present in a wide variety of epithelial cancers. In deriving experimental systems to study its deregulation, we observed that HSATII expression is induced in colon cancer cells cultured as xenografts or under nonadherent conditions in vitro, but it is rapidly lost in standard 2D cultures. Unexpectedly, physiological induction of endogenous HSATII RNA, as well as introduction of synthetic HSATII transcripts, generated cDNA intermediates in the form of DNA/RNA hybrids. Single molecule sequencing of tumor xenografts showed that HSATII RNA-derived DNA (rdDNA) molecules are stably incorporated within pericentromeric loci. Suppression of RT activity using small molecule inhibitors reduced HSATII copy gain. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing data revealed that HSATII copy number gain is a common feature in primary human colon tumors and is associated with a lower overall survival. Together, our observations suggest that cancer-associated derepression of specific repetitive sequences can promote their RNA-driven genomic expansion, with potential implications on pericentromeric architecture

A BRCA1 deficient-like signature is enriched in breast cancer brain metastases and predicts DNA damage-induced poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor sensitivity

Introduction: There is an unmet clinical need for biomarkers to identify breast cancer patients at an increased risk of developing brain metastases. The objective is to identify gene signatures and biological pathways associated with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) brain metastasis. Methods: We combined laser capture microdissection and gene expression microarrays to analyze malignant epithelium from HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases with that from HER2+ nonmetastatic primary tumors. Differential gene expression was performed including gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) using publicly available breast cancer gene expression data sets. Results: In a cohort of HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases, we identified a gene expression signature that anti-correlates with overexpression of BRCA1. Sequence analysis of the HER2+ brain metastases revealed no pathogenic mutations of BRCA1, and therefore the aforementioned signature was designated BRCA1 Deficient-Like (BD-L). Evaluation of an independent cohort of breast cancer metastases demonstrated that BD-L values are significantly higher in brain metastases as compared to other metastatic sites. Although the BD-L signature is present in all subtypes of breast cancer, it is significantly higher in BRCA1 mutant primary tumors as compared with sporadic breast tumors. Additionally, BD-L signature values are significantly higher in HER2-/ER- primary tumors as compared with HER2+/ER + and HER2-/ER + tumors. The BD-L signature correlates with breast cancer cell line pharmacologic response to a combination of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor and temozolomide, and the signature outperformed four published gene signatures of BRCA1/2 deficiency. Conclusions: A BD-L signature is enriched in HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases without pathogenic BRCA1 mutations. Unexpectedly, elevated BD-L values are found in a subset of primary tumors across all breast cancer subtypes. Evaluation of pharmacological sensitivity in breast cancer cell lines representing all breast cancer subtypes suggests the BD-L signature may serve as a biomarker to identify sporadic breast cancer patients who might benefit from a therapeutic combination of PARP inhibitor and temozolomide and may be indicative of a dysfunctional BRCA1-associated pathway

Home Defence and the Sandys Defence White Paper, 1957

Long understood as the key document in Britain's Cold War history, the Duncan Sandys Defence White Paper of 1957 nevertheless has a largely forgotten context: home defence. This article argues that understanding this context allows important new conclusions to be drawn concerning the drafting, presentation and the reception of the document and the deterrent strategy it expounded. It argues that the Paper failed to establish a new doctrine for civil defence which reconciled the policy with the wider deterrent strategy. In doing this, the Paper presented a muddled policy to the public: one which failed to justify the reductions in civil defence provision but which stressed the destructive power of thermonuclear weapons. This had the effect of encouraging the critics of the government's nuclear strategy to flag up the absence of adequate civil defence measures and highlight the 'admission' that there was no defence against the hydrogen bomb