ABCD of Beta Ensembles and Topological Strings

We study beta-ensembles with Bn, Cn, and Dn eigenvalue measure and their relation with refined topological strings. Our results generalize the familiar connections between local topological strings and matrix models leading to An measure, and illustrate that all those classical eigenvalue ensembles, and their topological string counterparts, are related one to another via various deformations and specializations, quantum shifts and discrete quotients. We review the solution of the Gaussian models via Macdonald identities, and interpret them as conifold theories. The interpolation between the various models is plainly apparent in this case. For general polynomial potential, we calculate the partition function in the multi-cut phase in a perturbative fashion, beyond tree-level in the large-N limit. The relation to refined topological string orientifolds on the corresponding local geometry is discussed along the way.Comment: 33 pages, 1 figur

Rural-urban disparities in maternal immunization knowledge and childhood health-seeking behavior in Nigeria: A mixed method study

Background: Immunization and appropriate health-seeking behavior are effective strategies to reduce child deaths.Objectives: To compare maternal knowledge about immunization, use of growth chart and childhood health-seeking behavior in rural and urban areas.Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study done in Lagos, Nigeria. Questionnaire survey and focus group discussions were done. 300 respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling while discussants were purposively selected.Results:Awareness of immunization was high but knowledge of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) was poor in both areas. Urban women utilized preventive services more; growth monitoring (p<0.001) and immunization (p<0.001) while higher proportions of rural women utilized nutritional counseling (p=0.005) and treatment of illness (p<0.001). Growth chart utilization was better in the urban areas (p<0.001). Increasing maternal education increased use of growth chart in both areas. Both groups of women use multiple treatment sources for children (more in urban), determined by cost, time, perceived severity of illness and type of ailment (urban) and peculiarity of illness (rural). There is a preference for orthodox care in the rural area.Conclusions:Knowledge of VPDs was poor and multiple treatment sources were common among rural and urban women. Education is vital to improve immunization knowledge and health-seeking behavior in both areas.Key Words: Immunization; growth chart; health-seeking behavior; child health; Nigeri

Effect of synthesis conditions on room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of Mg-O nanoparticles

Cubic, terraced, and spherical Mg-MgO nanoparticles (NPs), ranging in average particle size from 30 up to 80 nm, were prepared through vaporization and condensation of Mg metal in mix gas flow (argon + air) at conditions of the levitation-jet aerosol synthesis. These NPs were collected in three zones, located at different distances from an evaporator. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET measurements, UV–Vis, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM) were used for characterized of NPs. The results indicated an essential effect of synthesis conditions on the nanoparticle properties. Room temperature ferromagnetism with the maximum magnetization of up to 0.65 emu/g was found in the nanoparticles. The maximum specific magnetization of the NPs depends on the value of specific surface area multiplied by oxide content in the form of two-peaks function. It was discovered a clear increase in the maximum magnetization of NPs, collected in the different zones, with an increase in the distance of these zones from the evaporator. It was suggested that the observed ferromagnetic ordering may be related to the Mg-deficient defects on the surface of NPs. This suggestion was in agreement with the results of optical experiments, particularly, with an increase in the Raman peak intensities. In addition, XPS studies reveal an oscillating quenching dependence of the maximum magnetization on Mg 2p peak width value. It was also supposed that various values of the maximum magnetization origin from the different fabrication conditions promoting defects propagation on the surface of NPs

Levitation-jet synthesis of In-O nanoparticles with room-temperature ferromagnetic properties

Octahedral and roughly spherical In-In2O3 nanoparticles ranging in average particle size from 30 up to 300 nm were prepared by levitation-jet aerosol synthesis through condensation of metal indium vapor in helium gas flow with gaseous oxygen/air injection at ambient and reduced pressure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET measurements, UV–vis, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM) characterized the nanoparticles. Room-temperature ferromagnetism with maximum magnetization of up to 0.17 emu/g was recorded for the nanoparticles. The results indicate a predominant role of the actual microstructure on the nanoparticle properties. It is suggested that the observed ferromagnetic ordering may be related to intrinsic defects at the In/In2O3 interface structure of such a composite material. This suggestion is in good agreement with the results of optical and XPS experiments on the NPs

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

The International Human Epigenome Consortium: A Blueprint for Scientific Collaboration and Discovery

The International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) coordinates the generation of a catalog of high-resolution reference epigenomes of major primary human cell types. The studies now presented (see the Cell Press IHEC web portal at http://www.cell.com/consortium/IHEC) highlight the coordinated achievements of IHEC teams to gather and interpret comprehensive epigenomic datasets to gain insights in the epigenetic control of cell states relevant for human health and disease

Delayed Lubricant Depletion of Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces Using Precision Nanostructures

Slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) are an important class of repellent materials, comprising micro/nanotextures infused with a lubricating liquid. Unlike superhydrophobic surfaces, SLIPS do not rely on a stable air-liquid interface and thus can better manage low surface tension fluids, are less susceptible to damage under physical stress, and are able to self-heal. However, these collective properties are only efficient as long as the lubricant remains infused, which has proved challenging. We hypothesized that, in comparison to a nanohole and nanopillar morphology, the "hybrid" morphology of a hole within a nanopillar, namely a nanotube, would be able to retain and redistribute lubricant more effectively, owing to capillary forces trapping a reservoir of lubricant within the tube, while lubricant between tubes can facilitate redistribution to depleted areas. By virtue of recent fabrication advances in spacer defined intrinsic multiple patterning (SDIMP), we fabricated an array of silicon nanotubes and equivalent arrays of nanoholes and nanopillars (pitch, 560 nm; height, 2 μm). After infusing the nanostructures (prerendered hydrophobic) with lubricant Krytox 1525, we probed the lubricant stability under dynamic conditions and correlated the degree of the lubricant film discontinuity to changes in the contact angle hysteresis. As a proof of concept, the durability test, which involved consecutive deposition of droplets onto the surface amounting to 0.5 L, revealed 2-fold and 1.5-fold enhancements of lubricant retention in nanotubes in comparison to nanopillars and nanoholes, respectively, showing a clear trajectory for prolonging the lifetime of a slippery surface

Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in sqrt(s) =7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for new phenomena in final states with four or more leptons (electrons or muons) is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s}=7\;\mathrm{TeV}$ proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in two signal regions: one that requires moderate values of missing transverse momentum and another that requires large effective mass. The results are interpreted in a simplified model of R-parity-violating supersymmetry in which a 95% CL exclusion region is set for charged wino masses up to 540 GeV. In an R-parity-violating MSUGRA/CMSSM model, values of m 1/2 up to 820 GeV are excluded for 10 < tan β < 40

Caspase involvement in autophagy

Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases widely known as the principal mediators of the apoptotic cell death response, but considerably less so as the contributors to the regulation of pathways outside cellular demise. In regards to autophagy, the modulatory roles of caspases have only recently begun to be adequately described. In contrast to apoptosis, autophagy promotes cell survival by providing energy and nutrients through the lysosomal degradation of cytoplasmic constituents. Under basal conditions autophagy and apoptosis cross-regulate each other through an elaborate network of interconnections which also includes the interplay between autophagyrelated proteins (ATGs) and caspases. In this review we focus on the effects of this crosstalk at the cellular level, as we aim to concentrate the main observations from research conducted so far on the fine-tuning of autophagy by caspases. Several members of this protease-family have been found to directly interact with key ATGs involved in different tiers across the autophagic cascade. Therefore, we firstly outline the core mechanism of macroautophagy in brief. In an effort to emphasize the importance of the intricate cross-regulation of ATGs and caspases, we also present examples drawn from Drosophila and plant models regarding the contribution of autophagy to apoptotic cell death during normal development