A
bstract
We study the
S
3
partition function of three-dimensional supersymmetric
N
=
4
U(
N
) SQCD with massive matter multiplets in the infinite mass limit with the so-called Coulomb branch ...localization. We show that in the infinite mass limit a specific point of the Coulomb branch is selected and contributes dominantly to the partition function. Therefore, we can argue whether each multiplet included in the theory is effectively massless in this limit, even on
S
3
, and conclude that the partition function becomes that of the effective theory on the specific point of the Coulomb branch in the infinite mass limit. In order to investigate which point of the Coulomb branch is dominant, we use the saddle point approximation in the large
N
limit because the solution of the saddle point equation can be regarded as a specific point of the Coulomb branch. Then, we calculate the partition functions for small rank
N
and confirm that their behaviors in the infinite mass limit are consistent with the conjecture from the results in the large
N
limit. Our result suggests that the partition function in the infinite mass limit corresponds to that of an interacting superconformal field theory.
A
bstract
We study phase structure of a three dimensional
N
= 6 superconformal theory deformed by mass parameters called mass-deformed ABJM theory, which has the gauge group U(
N
) × U(
N
) with ...Chern-Simons levels (
k
, −
k
) and may have a gravity dual. We discuss that the mass deformed ABJM theory on
S
3
breaks supersymmetry in a large-
N
limit if the mass is larger than a critical value. To see some evidence for this conjecture, we compute the partition function exactly, and numerically by using the Monte Carlo Simulation for some finite values of
N
. We discover that the partition function has zeroes as a function of the mass deformation parameters if
N
≥
k
, which supports the large-
N
supersymmetry breaking. We also find a solution to the large-
N
saddle point equations, where the free energy is consistent with the finite
N
result.
We examined various methods to enhance the accessibility of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technology to more users by making the technique easier, more efficient, and practical. First, the ...methods for artificially removing the mouse sperm tail were evaluated. Trypsin treatment was found to efficiently remove the sperm tails. The resultant sperm cells had a lower oocyte activation capacity; however, the use of activated oocytes resulted in the same fecundity as that of fresh, untreated sperm. Pre-activated oocytes were more resistant to physical damage, showed higher survival rates, and required less time per injection. Testing this method in rats yielded similar results, although the oocyte activation method was different. Remarkably, this method resulted in higher birth rates of rat progeny than with conventional methods of rat ICSI. Our method thereby streamlines mouse and rat ICSI, making it more accessible to laboratories across many disciplines.
A
bstract
Three dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories are often in a gapped phase, in which SUSY is spontaneously broken, if all the matter fields are massive and decoupled in the low energy. We ...study this phase in the large
N
limit using the localization technique for the theory on the ellipsoid, which interpolates the round three sphere and the flat space compactified on
S
1
. We find a large
N
saddle point solution for the gauge theory with some massive matter fields. This solution gives a vanishing (generalized) Polyakov loop in the flat space limit, thus, it corresponds to the confining phase at the leading order in the 1
/N
expansion.
This study assesses the applicability of the Weibull stress for the assessment of the crack-tip plastic constraint effect as well as the mixed mode I and II loading effect on brittle fracture ...resistance of a ferritic steel. Brittle fracture toughness under different crack-tip plastic constraint conditions and different loading mode conditions was respectively obtained by conducting 3-point bend (3PB) test for single edge cracked specimens with different crack depth subjected to mode I load, and 4-point shear (4PS) test for a single edge cracked specimen with deep crack depth subjected to mixed mode I and II load. By using the results of 3PB tests, the critical Weibull stresses distribution independent of crack-tip plastic constraint was identified, and the critical Weibull stresses obtained by 4PS tests provided significantly smaller distribution than that for 3PB specimen. The mixed mode loading provides the different combined stress field around the crack-tip from that under mode I loading, where the 4PS specimen showed the lower distribution of σ2/σ1 and σ3/σ1 than the 3PB specimens. The lower principal stress ratio to be enlarge the fracture driving force was found to have no or much less influence to linear energy release rate for micro-crack, that was employed in the conventional derivation of the Weibull stress. Consequently, the reason why the conventional Weibull stress could not evaluate the effect of loading mode on fracture resistance could be that the linear energy release rate could not exactly take into account the local fracture driving force enlarged due to the combined stress field under mixed mode loading.
•Brittle fracture resistance under different crack-tip plastic constraint conditions and different loading mode conditions.•Non-applicability of the conventional Weibull stress to the assessment of loading mode effect on brittle fracture.•Local fracture driving force based on non-linear energy release rate for a penny-shaped crack under combined stress field.
Lipid peroxidation is an endogenous source of aldehydes that gives rise to covalent modification of proteins in various pathophysiological states. In this study, a strategy for the comprehensive ...detection and comparison of adducts was applied to find a biomarker for lipid peroxidation-modified proteins in vivo. This adductome approach utilized liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) methods designed to detect the specific product ions from positively ionized adducts in a selected reaction monitoring mode. Using this procedure, we comprehensively analyzed lysine and histidine adducts generated in the in vitro oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and observed a prominent increase in several adducts, including a major lysine adduct. Based on the high resolution ESI-MS of the adduct and on the LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of the synthetic adduct candidates, the major lysine adduct detected in the oxidized LDL was identified as Nε-(8-carboxyoctanyl)lysine (COL). Strikingly, a significantly higher amount of COL was detected in the sera from atherosclerosis-prone mice and from patients with hyperlipidemia compared with the controls. These data not only offer structural insights into protein modification by lipid peroxidation products but also provide a platform for the discovery of biomarkers for human diseases.
The critical Weibull stresses for brittle fracture of cracked specimens tested under different loading mode, that is mode I and mixed mode of I and II, estimated with an original Beremin model based ...on a linear fracture mechanics does not present the unique value. Local fracture driving force to control brittle fracture of a micro-crack in the material under large-scale yielding and combined loading conditions is analyzed based on nonlinear elastic-plastic energy release rate, Local-J of a unit cell containing a penny-shaped crack. Local-J is enlarged due to decrease in normal stress subjected to the horizontal direction with respect to a crack surface under the same normal stress, whereas such stress did not influence the linear elastic energy release rate. Also, the Local-J is significantly enlarged by shear stress acting on the crack plane. These results implied that the local fracture driving force Local-J should be taken into account for estimating the combined loading effect on brittle fracture resistance under large scale yielding condition.
This study aims to develop a numerical simulation-based method for predicting ductile crack growth resistance curve (R-curve) for pre-strained components for rational assessment of ductile crack ...growth controlling fracture for pre-strained structural component with any plastic constraint. Experiments on R-curve of 3-point bend specimen with a shallow crack for steel pre-strained by 6% over uniform elongation provides that the pre-strain does not significantly reduce ductile crack initiation and growth resistance, even though the pre-strain induces disappearance of uniform elongation and work hardening together with drastic reduction in elongation. Observations of damage evolution in terms of micro-void formation indicate that ductile crack growth behaviors in both virgin and pre-strained steels are based on a micro-void nucleation-controlled ductile fracture mechanism. These experimental results demonstrate that the ductile damage model that we have already proposed for predicting R-curve for virgin steel that exhibits micro-void nucleation-controlled ductile fracture behaviors can be applicable for these virgin and pre-strained steels used. Thus, based on the previously proposed ductile damage model, a simulation-based method to predict the R-curve of pre-strained specimens only from the properties of virgin steel is proposed taking material degradation (change in strength and damage properties) due to pre-strain into account. The applicability of the proposed method is verified by showing the predicted R-curve for pre-strained steel are in good agreement with experimental results.
A woman in her 50s had suffered repeated hypoglycemic episodes since her 20s and been diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia 7 years ago. She was found to have diabetes (HbA1c: 9.3 %) with 15 kg of ...weight gain (body mass index: 26.0 kg/m2) and was admitted to our hospital 1 year ago. Although her glycemic control improved, hypoglycemia (30-40 mg/dL) began to occur from two months before her most recent admission, and she was referred to our hospital again. She was not taking any causative medication for the hypoglycemia. Insulin autoantibody was negative, and adrenal insufficiency was not found. No tumor lesions were detected in her pancreas. The 75 g-OGTT demonstrated remarkable hyperinsulinemia after glucose loading (Before: plasma glucose PG level, 94 mg/dL and immunoreactive insulin (IRI), 9.1 μU/mL; 120 min: PG, 209 mg/dL and IRI, 545.0 μU/mL), and the PG level decreased to 46 mg/dL at 5 h. A fasting test was negative (PG: 50 mg/dL, IRI: 2.1 μU/mL at 72 h), and the PG value increased after glucagon loading (ΔPG 17 mg/dL). The Selective Arterial Calcium Injection (SACI) test revealed that the serum IRI level more than doubled (8.6 to 17.7 μU/mL) after calcium injection into the superior mesenteric artery. Based on these observations, the pathophysiology of her hypoglycemia was considered to be non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS). After dulaglutide was started, her PG profile promptly flattened, and her symptomatic hypoglycemia disappeared.
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