Landscape of Supersymmetric Particle Mass Hierarchies in Deflected Mirage Mediation

With the aim of uncovering viable regions of parameter space in deflected mirage mediation (DMM) models of supersymmetry breaking, we study the landscape of particle mass hierarchies for the lightest four non-Standard Model states for DMM models and compare the results to that of minimal supergravity/constrained MSSM (mSUGRA/CMSSM) models, building on previous studies of Feldman, Liu, and Nath. Deflected mirage mediation is a string-motivated scenario in which the soft terms include comparable contributions from gravity mediation, gauge mediation, and anomaly mediation. DMM allows a wide variety of phenomenologically preferred models with light charginos and neutralinos, including novel patterns in which the heavy Higgs particles are lighter than the lightest superpartner. We use this analysis to motivate two DMM benchmark points to be used for more detailed collider studies. One model point has a higgsino-dominated lightest superpartner and a compressed yet heavy spectrum, while the other has a stau NLSP and similar features to mSUGRA/CMSSM models, but with a slightly less stretched spectrum.Comment: 33 pages, 23 figure

Signal-to-noise ratio of Gaussian-state ghost imaging

The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of three Gaussian-state ghost imaging configurations--distinguished by the nature of their light sources--are derived. Two use classical-state light, specifically a joint signal-reference field state that has either the maximum phase-insensitive or the maximum phase-sensitive cross correlation consistent with having a proper $P$ representation. The third uses nonclassical light, in particular an entangled signal-reference field state with the maximum phase-sensitive cross correlation permitted by quantum mechanics. Analytic SNR expressions are developed for the near-field and far-field regimes, within which simple asymptotic approximations are presented for low-brightness and high-brightness sources. A high-brightness thermal-state (classical phase-insensitive state) source will typically achieve a higher SNR than a biphoton-state (low-brightness, low-flux limit of the entangled-state) source, when all other system parameters are equal for the two systems. With high efficiency photon-number resolving detectors, a low-brightness, high-flux entangled-state source may achieve a higher SNR than that obtained with a high-brightness thermal-state source.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. This version incorporates additional references and a new analysis of the nonclassical case that, for the first time, includes the complete transition to the classical signal-to-noise ratio asymptote at high source brightnes

Deeply-Supervised CNN for Prostate Segmentation

Prostate segmentation from Magnetic Resonance (MR) images plays an important role in image guided interven- tion. However, the lack of clear boundary specifically at the apex and base, and huge variation of shape and texture between the images from different patients make the task very challenging. To overcome these problems, in this paper, we propose a deeply supervised convolutional neural network (CNN) utilizing the convolutional information to accurately segment the prostate from MR images. The proposed model can effectively detect the prostate region with additional deeply supervised layers compared with other approaches. Since some information will be abandoned after convolution, it is necessary to pass the features extracted from early stages to later stages. The experimental results show that significant segmentation accuracy improvement has been achieved by our proposed method compared to other reported approaches.Comment: Due to a crucial sign error in equation

Gaussian-State Theory of Two-Photon Imaging

Biphoton states of signal and idler fields--obtained from spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) in the low-brightness, low-flux regime--have been utilized in several quantum imaging configurations to exceed the resolution performance of conventional imagers that employ coherent-state or thermal light. Recent work--using the full Gaussian-state description of SPDC--has shown that the same resolution performance seen in quantum optical coherence tomography and the same imaging characteristics found in quantum ghost imaging can be realized by classical-state imagers that make use of phase-sensitive cross correlations. This paper extends the Gaussian-state analysis to two additional biphoton-state quantum imaging scenarios: far field diffraction-pattern imaging; and broadband thin-lens imaging. It is shown that the spatial resolution behavior in both cases is controlled by the nonzero phase-sensitive cross correlation between the signal and idler fields. Thus, the same resolution can be achieved in these two configurations with classical-state signal and idler fields possessing a nonzero phase-sensitive cross correlation.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Primary vs. Secondary Antibody Deficiency: Clinical Features and Infection Outcomes of Immunoglobulin Replacement

<div><p>Secondary antibody deficiency can occur as a result of haematological malignancies or certain medications, but not much is known about the clinical and immunological features of this group of patients as a whole. Here we describe a cohort of 167 patients with primary or secondary antibody deficiencies on immunoglobulin (Ig)-replacement treatment. The demographics, causes of immunodeficiency, diagnostic delay, clinical and laboratory features, and infection frequency were analysed retrospectively. Chemotherapy for B cell lymphoma and the use of Rituximab, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications were the most common causes of secondary antibody deficiency in this cohort. There was no difference in diagnostic delay or bronchiectasis between primary and secondary antibody deficiency patients, and both groups experienced disorders associated with immune dysregulation. Secondary antibody deficiency patients had similar baseline levels of serum IgG, but higher IgM and IgA, and a higher frequency of switched memory B cells than primary antibody deficiency patients. Serious and non-serious infections before and after Ig-replacement were also compared in both groups. Although secondary antibody deficiency patients had more serious infections before initiation of Ig-replacement, treatment resulted in a significant reduction of serious and non-serious infections in both primary and secondary antibody deficiency patients. Patients with secondary antibody deficiency experience similar delays in diagnosis as primary antibody deficiency patients and can also benefit from immunoglobulin-replacement treatment.</p></div

Renewing Criminalized and Hegemonic Cultural Landscapes

The Mafia's long historical pedigree in Mezzogiorno, Southern Italy, has empowered the Mafioso as a notorious, uncontested, and hegemonic figure. The counter-cultural resistance against the mafiosi culture began to be institutionalized in the early 1990s. Today, Libera Terra is the largest civil society organization in the country that uses the lands confiscated from the Mafia as a space of cultural repertoire to realize its ideals. Deploying labor force through volunteer participation, producing biological fruits and vegetables, and providing information to the students on the fields are the principal cultural practices of this struggle. The confiscated lands make the Italian experience of anti-Mafia resistance a unique example by connecting the land with the ideals of cultural change. The sociocultural resistance of Libera Terra conveys a political message through these practices and utters that the Mafia is not invincible. This study draws the complex panorama of the Mafia and anti-Mafia movement that uses the ‘confiscated lands’ as cultural and public spaces for resistance and socio-cultural change. In doing so, this article sheds new light on the relationship between rural criminology and crime prevention policies in Southern Italy by demonstrating how community development practice of Libera Terra changes the meaning of landscape through iconographic symbolism and ethnographic performance

Pregnancy outcomes in women with cardiovascular disease: evolving trends over 10 years in the ESC Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC)

Aims Reducing maternal mortality is a World Health Organization (WHO) global health goal. Although maternal deaths due to haemorrhage and infection are declining, those related to heart disease are increasing and are now the most important cause in western countries. The aim is to define contemporary diagnosis-specific outcomes in pregnant women with heart disease. Methods and results From 2007 to 2018, pregnant women with heart disease were prospectively enrolled in the Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC). Primary outcome was maternal mortality or heart failure, secondary outcomes were other cardiac, obstetric, and foetal complications. We enrolled 5739 pregnancies; the mean age was 29.5. Prevalent diagnoses were congenital (57%) and valvular heart disease (29%). Mortality (overall 0.6%) was highest in the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) group (9%). Heart failure occurred in 11%, arrhythmias in 2%. Delivery was by Caesarean section in 44%. Obstetric and foetal complications occurred in 17% and 21%, respectively. The number of high-risk pregnancies (mWHO Class IV) increased from 0.7% in 2007–2010 to 10.9% in 2015–2018. Determinants for maternal complications were pre-pregnancy heart failure or New York Heart Association >II, systemic ejection fraction <40%, mWHO Class 4, and anticoagulants use. After an increase from 2007 to 2009, complication rates fell from 13.2% in 2010 to 9.3% in 2017. Conclusion Rates of maternal mortality or heart failure were high in women with heart disease. However, from 2010, these rates declined despite the inclusion of more high-risk pregnancies. Highest complication rates occurred in women with PAH

Codes of Commitment to Crime and Resistance: Determining Social and Cultural Factors over the Behaviors of Italian Mafia Women

This article categorizes thirty-three women in four main Italian Mafia groups and explores social and cultural behaviors of these women. This study introduces the feminist theory of belief and action. The theoretical inquiry investigates the sometimes conflicting behaviors of women when they are subject to systematic oppression. I argue that there is a cultural polarization among the categorized sub-groups. Conservative radicals give their support to the Mafia while defectors and rebels resist the Mafia. After testing the theory, I assert that emancipation of women depends on the strength of their beliefs to perform actions against the Mafiosi culture

Two-Dimensional 1,3,5-Tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene Self-Assembly at the 1-Phenyloctane/Graphite Interface Revisited

International audienceTwo-dimensional (2D) self-assembly of star-shaped 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene molecules is investigated. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that this molecule can form three hydrogen-bonded networks at the 1-phenyloctane/graphite interface. One of these structures is close-packed and the two other ones are porous structures, with hexagonal and rectangular cavities. The network with rectangular cavities appears to be the most stable structure