Investigation of the Periodic Magnetic Field Modulation Inside Apertures of LHC Superconducting Dipole Models

The windings of high-field accelerator magnets are usually made of Rutherford-type superconducting cables. The magnetic field distribution along the axis of such magnets exhibits a pronounced periodic modulation with a wavelength equal to the twist pitch length of the cable used in the winding. Such an effect, resulting from quasi-persistent currents, was investigated with a Hall probe array inserted inside the aperture of 1-metre long LHC superconducting dipole models. The amplitude and the time dependence of this periodic field oscillation have been studied as a function of the transport current history. The impact on the magnet stability of the non-uniform current redistribution producing such a field modulation is discussed

Investigation of the Periodic Magnetic Field Modulation in LHC Superconducting Dipoles

The windings of high-field accelerator magnets are usually made of Rutherford-type superconducting cables. The magnetic field distribution along the axis of such magnets exhibits a periodic modulation with a wavelength equal to the twist pitch length of the cable used in the winding. This effect, resulting from quasi-persistent currents, was investigated with a Hall probes array inserted inside the aperture of the LHC superconducting dipoles, both in short models and full-scale prototypes. The amplitude and the time dependence of this periodic field oscillation have been studied as a function of the magnet current history. The origin and the impact on the LHC dipoles stability of the non-uniform current redistribution producing such a field modulation are discussed

Lepton Polarization in Neutrino-Nucleon Interactions

We derive generic formulas for the polarization density matrix of leptons produced in neutrino and antineutrino collisions and briefly consider some important particular cases. Next we employ the general formalism in order to include the final lepton mass and spin into the popular model by Rein and Sehgal for single pion neutrinoproduction.Comment: Talk given at 10th International Workshop on High-Energy Spin Physics (SPIN 03), Dubna, Russia, 16-20 Sep 2003. 12 pages; extended version, typos remove

Codeless GPS Applications to Multi-Path: CGAMP

Cordless Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications to Multi-Path (CGAMP) is meeting the challenge of exploiting the L-band signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites for the measurement of the impulse response of radio transmission channels over space-Earth paths. This approach was originally suggested by E. K. Smith and has been pursued by J. Lemmon, without an affordable implementation being identifiable. In addition to the high cost of a suitable P code correlating GPS receiver, there is also the major impediment of the often announced Department of Defense policy of selective availability/anti-spoof (SA/AS) that clouds reliable access to the wideband (20 MHz) P channel of the GPS signals without cryptographic access. A technique proposed by MacDoran utilizes codeless methods for exploiting the P channel signals implemented by the use of a pair of antennas and cross correlation signal detection

Transfer Payment Systems and Financial Distress: Insights from Health Insurance Premium Subsidies

How should payment systems of means-tested benefits be designed to improve the financial situation of needy recipients most effectively? We study this question in the context of mandatory health insurance in Switzerland, where recipients initially received either a cash transfer or subsidized insurance premiums (a form of in-kind transfer). A federal reform in 2014 forced cantons (i.e. states) to universally switch to in-kind provision. We exploit this setting based on a difference-in-differences design, analyzing rich individual-level accounting data and applying a machine learning approach to identify cash recipients prior to the reform. We find that switching from cash to in-kind transfers reduces the likelihood of late premiums payments by about 20% and of government debt collection for long-term missed payments by approximately 16%. There is no evidence for a negative spillover effect on the timely payment of the non-subsidized coinsurance bills for health services after the regime change

Endogenous memory reactivation during sleep in humans is clocked by slow oscillation-spindle complexes

Sleep is thought to support memory consolidation via reactivation of prior experiences, with particular electrophysiological sleep signatures (slow oscillations (SOs) and sleep spindles) gating the information flow between relevant brain areas. However, empirical evidence for a role of endogenous memory reactivation (i.e., without experimentally delivered memory cues) for consolidation in humans is lacking. Here, we devised a paradigm in which participants acquired associative memories before taking a nap. Multivariate decoding was then used to capture endogenous memory reactivation during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in surface EEG recordings. Our results reveal reactivation of learning material during SO-spindle complexes, with the precision of SO-spindle coupling predicting reactivation strength. Critically, reactivation strength (i.e. classifier evidence in favor of the previously studied stimulus category) in turn predicts the level of consolidation across participants. These results elucidate the memory function of sleep in humans and emphasize the importance of SOs and spindles in clocking endogenous consolidation processes

Optimaalinen uhkasakko kolluusioiden estämiseksi

Tiivistelmä. Kolluusiolla tarkoitetaan yritysten välistä salaista yhteistyösopimusta, jolla yritykset pyrkivät kilpailulain vastaisesti esimerkiksi sopimaan tuotettavista määristä, jakamaan markkina-alueita tai korottamaan hintoja saadakseen kilpailullisten markkinoiden tuoton ylittäviä tuottoja. Europan unionissa ja Yhdysvalloissa käytettävät uhkasakkojärjestelmät ja niihin liittyvä armollisuuspolitiikka pyrkivät luomaan yrityksille pelotevaikutuksen, jotta ne eivät muodostaisi kolluusioita. Alennetuilla sakkorangaistuksilla pyritään antamaan yrityksille kannuste siihen, että ne itse paljastaisivat kolluusiot kilpailuviranomaiselle ja täten välttyisivät sakoilta. Nykyiset järjestelmät eivät kuitenkaan saa aikaan optimaalista pelotevaikutusta, eivätkä ne aseta tarpeeksi tehokkaita kannusteita kolluusioiden paljastamiseen. Väärin suunnitellut armollisuusohjelmat voivat pahimmillaan luoda negatiivisia ulkoisvaikutuksia, jotka päinvastoin tukevat kolluusioiden muodostumista. Tämä pro gradu -tutkielma vastaa kysymykseen: Minkälainen on optimaalinen uhkasakkomalli kolluusioiden estämiseksi? Eli millainen malli loisi tehokkaimman pelotteen kolluusion muodostaville tai sitä harkitseville yrityksille, ja samalla kannustaisi yrityksiä ilmiantamaan jo olemassa olevat kolluusiot? Teemaa analysoidaan peliteoreettisen teoriakehikon näkökulmasta ja peliteoreettisia analyysimetodeja käyttäen. Tutkimus pyrkii löytämään myös vastauksen kysymykseen, millainen uhkasakkojärjestelmä mahdollistaisi kolluusioista aiheutuvien hyvinvointitappioiden minimoinnin. Tutkimus tarkastelee myös nykyisin käytössä olevia Euroopan unionin ja Yhdysvaltain uhkasakkojärjestelmiä ja armollisuuspolitiikkaa, analysoiden niiden tehokkuutta (tai tehottomuutta), sekä esittelee mahdollisia optimaalisia uhkasakkomalleja. Tehdyn tutkimuksen ja analyysin perusteella havaitaan, että uhkasakkomallien sakkoja tulisi nostaa huomattavasti, ja niissä tulisi huomioida kiinnijäämisen todennäköisyys paremman pelotevaikutuksen aikaansaamiseksi. Armollisuuspolitiikkaa tulisi käyttää osana uhkasakkomalleja, mutta sakon alennukset ja sakkoimmuniteetti tulisi sallia vain ensimmäiselle kolluusion paljastavalle yritykselle. Optimaalisen alennetun uhkasakon tulisi olla täysi immuniteetti sakoista eli nolla euroa. Tämä maksimoisi pelotevaikutusta ja olisi myös peliteoreettisesta näkökulmasta optimaalisinta. Armollisuuspolitiikan tulisi sisältää kolluusion paljastamisesta palkitseva yrityksen henkilökunnalle suunnattu palkkiomalli, joka synnyttäisi kilpailulakia rikkovien yritysten sisällä päämies-agenttiongelman ja täten vahvistaisi pelotevaikutusta. Kolluusiot olisi yleisesti optimaalista kriminalisoida, jotta myös yrityksen henkilökunta joutuisi suoraan vastuuseen kilpailulain rikkomuksista

2OACTIVATION OF T CELLS UPON TREATMENT WITH BISPECIFIC ANTIBODIES CORRELATES WITH THE EXPRESSION OF CO-INHIBITORY RECEPTORS ON TUMOR-INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTES IN HUMAN LUNG CANCER

Introduction: T cell bispecific antibodies (TCB) are designed to recruit and simultaneously activate T cells against target cells such as tumor cells expressing a particular surface antigen. However, it is currently unknown how immuno-modulatory mechanisms active in the tumor microenvironment such as the expression of T cell co-inhibitory receptors may influence the therapeutic effect of TCBs. Methods: We performed a comprehensive phenotypic analysis of tumor infiltrating immune cells from lung carcinoma digests by multicolour flow cytometry. In particular, expression of T cell co-inhibitory and -stimulatory receptors was analyzed. Tumor digests were treated with catumaxomab, a TCB directed against CD3 and EpCAM. T cell activation and effector functions were assessed upon exposure to catumaxomab. Results: CD8+ T cells in lung carcinoma showed a broad heterogeneity in expression of the T cell co-inhibitory receptors PD-1, Tim-3, CTLA-4, Lag-3 and BTLA. Tumor stage and nodal status correlated with number and intensity of expressed receptors. Upon exposure to catumaxomab, a considerable heterogeneity in T cell activation among different tumors was observed. Of note, T cells expressing high levels and multiple co-inhibitory receptors were more impaired in their activation and effector functions after treatment with catumaxomab indicating a higher level of exhaustion. In a further analysis of CD8+ TIL subsets we found that BTLA+ T cells expressed more additional inhibitory receptors than all other subsets, namely PD-1, Tim-3, CTLA-4 and Lag-3, whereas only a small part of PD-1+ T cells expressed another receptor. Tim-3+ T cells usually co-expressed PD-1, but multiple receptors were found only on a low number of cells. Conclusion: In summary, our data suggest that the activity of TCBs is largely affected by the expression of T cell co-inhibitory receptors on tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Furthermore, these data provide a clinical rationale for combining bispecific antibodies with compounds which antagonize T cell exhaustion. Disclosure: D. Thommen, J. Schreiner, P. Herzig, P. Mueller and A. Zippelius: received research funding from Roche Glycart; V. Karanikas: is employed by Roche Glycart. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interes