Classification and dynamics of equivalence classes in SU(N) gauge theory on the orbifold S1/Z2S^1/Z_2

The dynamical determination of the boundary conditions in SU(N) gauge theory on the orbifold $S^1/Z_2$ is investigated. We classify the equivalence classes of the boundary conditions, and then the vacuum energy density of the theory in each equivalence class is evaluated at one loop order. Unambiguous comparison of the vacuum energy densities in the two theories in different equivalence classes becomes possible in supersymmetric theories. It is found that in the supersymmetric SU(5) models with the Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking, the theory with the boundary conditions yielding the standard model symmetry is in the equivalence class with the lowest energy density, though the low energy theory is not identically the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We also study how particular boundary conditions are chosen in the cosmological evolution of the universe.Comment: 29 pages. Numerical errors in the effective potential are correcte

University Students’ Preferences for Labour Conditions at a Mining Site: Evidence from Two Australian Universities

The mining industry makes up a large portion of the gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia, although securing human resources remains a problem in that field. The aim of this paper is to identify Australian university mining students’ preferences, considering it as potential employees’ preferences, for labour conditions at mining sites by means of a discrete choice experiment to promote efficient improvements in labour conditions in the mining industry. The data of 93 respondents analysed in this paper was collected by survey carried out in two universities in Australia. The result of the study showed that students have preferences on several factors such as wage, fatality rate, working position, commuting style, and company. Students having specific sociodemographic characters were found to show specific preferences on labour conditions. The results of this study indicate the potential average of appropriate monetary compensation for each factor

Colorectal Carcinoma with Extremely Low CA19-9

Aim. The aim of this study is to determine the significance of postoperative sequential measurements of serum CA19-9 in patients with extremely low serum level. Patients and Methods. Serum level of CA19-9 of 1096 patients who underwent surgery was measured preoperatively and every three months after surgery for 5 years. Patients with CA19-9 level of less than 2 U/mL at the time of diagnosis were defined as Extremely Low CA19-9 (ELCA). Results. One hundred and seven patients (9.8%) were ELCA. Of these, 86 underwent surgery with curative intent. Serum levels of CA19-9 in patients who did not undergo curative resection (N = 12) and who developed recurrence (N = 10) were less than 2.0 U/mL in all occasions during followup. In all patients without recurrence, serum level of CA19-9 also remained less than 2.0 U/mL. Conclusion. In patients with extremely low CA19-9, who consist of 9.8% of colorectal carcinoma cases, postoperative sequential measurement of serum level of CA19-9 contributed neither to assessment of curability of surgical resection nor to detection of recurrence

Dynamical Gauge-Higgs Unification in the Electroweak Theory

$SU(2)_L$ doublet Higgs fields are unified with gauge fields in the $U(3)_s \times U(3)_w$ model of Antoniadis, Benakli and Quir\'{o}s' on the orbifold $M^4 \times (T^2/Z_2)$. The effective potential for the Higgs fields (the Wilson line phases) is evaluated. The electroweak symmetry is dynamically broken to $U(1)_{EM}$ by the Hosotani mechanism. There appear light Higgs particles. There is a phase transition as the moduli parameter of the complex structure of $T^2$ is varied.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, v.

Intra- and Interspecies Variability of Single-Cell Innate Fluorescence Signature of Microbial Cell

Here we analyzed the innate fluorescence signature of the single microbial cell, within both clonal and mixed populations of microorganisms. We found that even very similarly shaped cells differ noticeably in their autofluorescence features and that the innate fluorescence signatures change dynamically with growth phases. We demonstrated that machine learning models can be trained with a data set of single-cell innate fluorescence signatures to annotate cells according to their phenotypes and physiological status, for example, distinguishing a wild-type Aspergillus nidulans cell from its nitrogen metabolism mutant counterpart and log-phase cells from stationary-phase cells of Pseudomonas putida We developed a minimally invasive method (confocal reflection microscopy-assisted single-cell innate fluorescence [CRIF] analysis) to optically extract and catalog the innate cellular fluorescence signatures of each of the individual live microbial cells in a three-dimensional space. This technique represents a step forward from traditional techniques which analyze the innate fluorescence signatures at the population level and necessitate a clonal culture. Since the fluorescence signature is an innate property of a cell, our technique allows the prediction of the types or physiological status of intact and tag-free single cells, within a cell population distributed in a three-dimensional space. Our study presents a blueprint for a streamlined cell analysis where one can directly assess the potential phenotype of each single cell in a heterogenous population by its autofluorescence signature under a microscope, without cell tagging.IMPORTANCE A cell\u27s innate fluorescence signature is an assemblage of fluorescence signals emitted by diverse biomolecules within a cell. It is known that the innate fluoresce signature reflects various cellular properties and physiological statuses; thus, they can serve as a rich source of information in cell characterization as well as cell identification. However, conventional techniques focus on the analysis of the innate fluorescence signatures at the population level but not at the single-cell level and thus necessitate a clonal culture. In the present study, we developed a technique to analyze the innate fluorescence signature of a single microbial cell. Using this novel method, we found that even very similarly shaped cells differ noticeably in their autofluorescence features, and the innate fluorescence signature changes dynamically with growth phases. We also demonstrated that the different cell types can be classified accurately within a mixed population under a microscope at the resolution of a single cell, depending solely on the innate fluorescence signature information. We suggest that single-cell autofluoresce signature analysis is a promising tool to directly assess the taxonomic or physiological heterogeneity within a microbial population, without cell tagging

Diabetes and hypertension markedly increased the risk of ischemic stroke associated with high serum resistin concentration in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Resistin, secreted from adipocytes, causes insulin resistance in mice. The relationship between resistin and coronary artery disease is highly controversial, and the information regarding resistin and ischemic stroke is limited. In the present study, the association between serum resistin concentration and cardiovascular disease (CVD) was investigated in a general Japanese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 3,201 community-dwelling individuals aged 40 years or older (1,382 men and 1,819 women) were divided into quintiles of serum resistin, and the association between resistin and CVD was examined cross-sectionally. The combined effect of either diabetes or hypertension and high serum resistin was also assessed. Serum resistin was measured using ELISA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to those without CVD, age- and sex-adjusted mean serum resistin concentrations were greater in subjects with CVD (p = 0.002) or ischemic stroke (p < 0.001), especially in those with lacunar and atherothrombotic infarction, but not elevated in subjects with hemorrhagic stroke or coronary heart disease. When analyzed by quintile of serum resistin concentration, the age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for having CVD and ischemic stroke increased with quintile of serum resistin (p for trends, 0.02 for CVD, < 0.001 for ischemic stroke), while such associations were not observed for hemorrhagic stroke or coronary heart disease. Compared to the first quintile, the age- and sex-adjusted OR of ischemic stroke was greater in the third (OR = 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-10.67; p = 0.02), fourth (OR = 4.48; 95% CI, 1.53-13.09; p = 0.006), and fifth quintiles (OR = 4.70; 95% CI, 1.62-13.61; p = 0.004). These associations remained substantially unchanged even after adjustment for other confounding factors including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. In the stratified analysis, the combination of high serum resistin and either diabetes or hypertension markedly increased the risk of ischemic stroke.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Elevated serum resistin concentration appears to be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, especially lacunar and atherothrombotic infarction in the general Japanese population. The combination of high resistin and the presence of either diabetes or hypertension increased the risk of ischemic stroke.</p

Higgs Boson Mass and Electroweak-Gravity Hierarchy from Dynamical Gauge-Higgs Unification in the Warped Spacetime

Dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking by the Hosotani mechanism in the Randall-Sundrum warped spacetime is examined, relations among the W-boson mass (m_W), the Kaluza-Klein mass scale (M_{KK}), and the Higgs boson mass (m_H) being derived. It is shown that M_{KK}/m_W = (2 pi kR)^{1/2} (pi/theta_W) and m_H /m_W = 0.058 kR (pi/theta_W), where k^2, R, and theta_W are the curvature and size of the extra-dimensional space and the Wilson line phase determined dynamically. For typical values kR = 12 and theta_W = (0.2 to 0.4) pi, one finds that M_{KK} = (1.7 to 3.5) TeV, k = (1.3 to 2.6) x 10^{19} GeV, and m_H = (140 to 280) GeV.Comment: 14 pages. The argument below (22) was elaborate

High Thermal Conductivity in Wafer Scale Cubic Silicon Carbide Crystals

High thermal conductivity electronic materials are critical components for high-performance electronic and photonic devices as either active functional materials or thermal management materials. We report an isotropic high thermal conductivity over 500 W m-1K-1 at room temperature in high-quality wafer-scale cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) crystals, which is the second highest among large crystals (only surpassed by diamond). Furthermore, the corresponding 3C-SiC thin films are found to have record-high in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity, even higher than diamond thin films with equivalent thicknesses. Our results resolve a long-lasting puzzle that the literature values of thermal conductivity for 3C-SiC are perplexingly lower than the structurally more complex 6H-SiC. Further analysis reveals that the observed high thermal conductivity in this work arises from the high purity and high crystal quality of 3C-SiC crystals which excludes the exceptionally strong defect-phonon scatterings in 3C-SiC. Moreover, by integrating 3C-SiC with other semiconductors by epitaxial growth, we show that the measured 3C-SiC-Si TBC is among the highest for semiconductor interfaces. These findings not only provide insights for fundamental phonon transport mechanisms, also suggest that 3C-SiC may constitute an excellent wide-bandgap semiconductor for applications of power electronics as either active components or substrates