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We construct the phase space of a spherically symmetric causal diamond in $(d+2)$-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Utilizing the covariant phase space formalism, we identify the relevant degrees of freedom that localize to the $d$-dimensional bifurcate horizon and, upon canonical quantization, determine their commutators. On this phase space, we find two Iyer-Wald charges. The first of these charges, proportional to the area of the causal diamond, is responsible for shifting the null time along the horizon and has been well-documented in the literature. The second charge is much less understood, being integrable for $d \geq 2$ only if we allow for field-dependent diffeomorphisms and is responsible for changing the size of the causal diamond., Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures

Human astrovirus is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Astrovirus infection causes gastrointestinal symptoms and can lead to encephalitis in immunocompromised patients. Positive-strand RNA viruses typically utilize host intracellular membranes to form replication organelles, which are potential antiviral targets. Many of these replication organelles are double-membrane vesicles (DMVs). Here, we show that astrovirus infection leads to an increase in DMV formation through a replication-dependent mechanism that requires some early components of the autophagy machinery. Results indicate that the upstream class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) complex, but not LC3 conjugation machinery, is utilized in DMV formation. Both chemical and genetic inhibition of the PI3K complex lead to significant reduction in DMVs, as well as viral replication. Elucidating the role of autophagy machinery in DMV formation during astrovirus infection reveals a potential target for therapeutic intervention for immunocompromised patients. IMPORTANCE These studies provide critical new evidence that astrovirus replication requires formation of double-membrane vesicles, which utilize class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), but not LC3 conjugation autophagy machinery, for biogenesis. These results are consistent with replication mechanisms for other positive-sense RNA viruses suggesting that targeting PI3K could be a promising therapeutic option for not only astrovirus, but other positive-sense RNA virus infections.

We study the effects of geontropic vacuum fluctuations in quantum gravity on next-generation terrestrial gravitational wave detectors. If the VZ effect proposed in Ref. [1], as modeled in Refs. [2, 3], appears in the upcoming GQuEST experiment, we show that it will be a large background for astrophysical gravitational wave searches in observatories like Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures

We study the effects of geontropic vacuum fluctuations in quantum gravity on next-generation terrestrial gravitational wave detectors. If the VZ effect proposed in Ref. [1], as modeled in Refs. [2, 3], appears in the upcoming GQuEST experiment, we show that it will be a large background for astrophysical gravitational wave searches in observatories like Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures

The Snowmass report on rare processes and precision measurements recommended Mu2e-II and a next generation muon facility at Fermilab (Advanced Muon Facility) as priorities for the frontier. The Workshop on a future muon program at FNAL was held in March 2023 to discuss design studies for Mu2e-II, organizing efforts for the next generation muon facility, and identify synergies with other efforts (e.g., muon collider). Topics included high-power targetry, status of R&D for Mu2e-II, development of compressor rings, FFA and concepts for muon experiments (conversion, decays, muonium and other opportunities) at AMF. This document summarizes the workshop discussions with a focus on future R&D tasks needed to realize these concepts., Comment: 68 pages, 36 figures

Procedures for environmental risk assessment for pesticides are under continuous development and subject to debate, especially at higher tier levels. Spatiotemporal dynamics of both pesticide exposure and effects at the landscape scale are largely ignored, which is a major flaw of the current risk assessment system. Furthermore, concrete guidance on risk assessment at landscape scales in the regulatory context is lacking. In this regard, we present an integrated modular simulation model system that includes spatiotemporally explicit simulation of pesticide application, fate, and effects on aquatic organisms. As a case study, the landscape model was applied to the Rummen, a river catchment in Belgium with a high density of pome fruit orchards. The application of a pyrethroid to pome fruit and the corresponding drift deposition on surface water and fate dynamics were simulated. Risk to aquatic organisms was quantified using a toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic model for individual survival at different levels of spatial aggregation, ranging from the catchment scale to individual stream segments. Although the derivation of landscape-scale risk assessment end points from model outputs is straightforward, a dialogue within the community, building on concrete examples as provided by this case study, is urgently needed in order to decide on the appropriate end points and on the definition of representative landscape scenarios for use in risk assessment.

Die Verbindung von postulierter metaphysischer Leere und einem radikal geleugneten und doch wieder herbeizitieren Gott, in deren Kontext der Gedanke erschreckender körperlicher Verstümmlung eine Rolle spielt, kennzeichnet in bewusst outrierter Weise einzelne Texte aus dem literarischen Werk, darunter der wenig bekannten Lyrik des Philosophen und Schriftstellers Georges Bataille, der wie kaum ein anderer Autor des 20. Jahrhunderts quasi unausgesetzt in immer neuen Anläufen eine Daseinserfahrung umkreist, die an Radikalität und Abgründigkeit ihresgleichen sucht. Bataille imaginiert die willentliche Selbstzerstörung des Ichs auf der Suche nach einem Absoluten, die sich speziell in rauschhaft-transgredierenden Erfahrungen von Leid, Versehrung, Obszönität und Ekel vollzieht. In einer Aufzeichnung aus der 1939-1943 entstandenen Sammlung "Le Coupable" (1944), welche zur gleichen Schaffensperiode wie die meisten seiner lyrischen Texte gehört, spricht Bataille in einer prägnanten Begriffsfügung von seiner Konzeption eines "anthropomorphisme déchiré". So wie es gelte, in jeglichem Sein "le lieu sacrificiel, la blessure" (OC V, S. 261) zu suchen, wird das in "Le Coupable" meditierende Ich (nur) in der Erfahrung des versehrten lebendigen Opfers eines Göttlichen habhaft: "Un être n'est touché qu'au point où il succombe, une femme sous la robe, un dieu à la gorge de l'animal du sacrifice" (OC V, S. 261). In der geistigen Auseinandersetzung mit einer christlichen Theologie, die "jusque dans la nuit du Golgotha" (OC V, S. 262) an der Vorstellung einer vollendeten Welt festhält, erkennt Bataille: "Il faut tuer Dieu pour apercevoir le monde dans l'infirmité de l'inachèvement" (OC V, S. 262). Die imaginierte Tötung Gottes lässt dann an die Stelle eines abwesenden Gottes einen versehrten Gott treten.

Many natural and man-made systems are prone to critical transitions -- abrupt and potentially devastating changes in dynamics. Deep learning classifiers can provide an early warning signal (EWS) for critical transitions by learning generic features of bifurcations (dynamical instabilities) from large simulated training data sets. So far, classifiers have only been trained to predict continuous-time bifurcations, ignoring rich dynamics unique to discrete-time bifurcations. Here, we train a deep learning classifier to provide an EWS for the five local discrete-time bifurcations of codimension-1. We test the classifier on simulation data from discrete-time models used in physiology, economics and ecology, as well as experimental data of spontaneously beating chick-heart aggregates that undergo a period-doubling bifurcation. The classifier outperforms commonly used EWS under a wide range of noise intensities and rates of approach to the bifurcation. It also predicts the correct bifurcation in most cases, with particularly high accuracy for the period-doubling, Neimark-Sacker and fold bifurcations. Deep learning as a tool for bifurcation prediction is still in its nascence and has the potential to transform the way we monitor systems for critical transitions.

The Action-sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE) is a well-known demonstration of the role of motor activity in the comprehension of language. Participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences by producing movements toward the body or away from the body. The ACE is the finding that movements are faster when the direction of the movement (e.g., toward) matches the direction of the action in the to-be-judged sentence (e.g., Art gave you the pen describes action toward you). We report on a pre-registered, multi-lab replication of one version of the ACE. The results show that none of the 18 labs involved in the study observed a reliable ACE, and that the meta-analytic estimate of the size of the ACE was essentially zero.

The Action-sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE) is a well-known demonstration of the role of motor activity in the comprehension of language. Participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences by producing movements toward the body or away from the body. The ACE is the finding that movements are faster when the direction of the movement (e.g., toward) matches the direction of the action in the to-be-judged sentence (e.g., Art gave you the pen describes action toward you). We report on a pre-registered, multi-lab replication of one version of the ACE. The results show that none of the 18 labs involved in the study observed a reliable ACE, and that the meta-analytic estimate of the size of the ACE was essentially zero.

The Action-sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE) is a well-known demonstration of the role of motor activity in the comprehension of language. Participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences by producing movements toward the body or away from the body. The ACE is the finding that movements are faster when the direction of the movement (e.g., toward) matches the direction of the action in the to-be-judged sentence (e.g., Art gave you the pen describes action toward you). We report on a pre-registered, multi-lab replication of one version of the ACE. The results show that none of the 18 labs involved in the study observed a reliable ACE, and that the meta-analytic estimate of the size of the ACE was essentially zero.

The Action-sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE) is a well-known demonstration of the role of motor activity in the comprehension of language. Participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences by producing movements toward the body or away from the body. The ACE is the finding that movements are faster when the direction of the movement (e.g., toward) matches the direction of the action in the to-be-judged sentence (e.g., Art gave you the pen describes action toward you). We report on a pre-registered, multi-lab replication of one version of the ACE. The results show that none of the 18 labs involved in the study observed a reliable ACE, and that the meta-analytic estimate of the size of the ACE was essentially zero.

Cluster of differentiation 109 (CD109) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein expressed on primitive hematopoietic stem cells, activated platelets, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and keratinocytes. In recent years, CD109 was also associated with different tumor entities and identified as a possible future diagnostic marker linked to reduced patient survival. Also, different cell signaling pathways were proposed as targets for CD109 interference including the TGF beta, JAK-STAT3, YAP/TAZ, and EGFR/AKT/mTOR pathways. Here, we identify the metalloproteinase meprin beta to cleave CD109 at the cell surface and thereby induce the release of cleavage fragments of different size. Major cleavage was identified within the bait region of CD109 residing in the middle of the protein. To identify the structural localization of the bait region, homology modeling and single-particle analysis were applied, resulting in a molecular model of membrane-associated CD109, which allows for the localization of the newly identified cleavage sites for meprin beta and the previously published cleavage sites for the metalloproteinase bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1). Full-length CD109 localized on extracellular vesicles (EVs) was also identified as a release mechanism, and we can show that proteolytic cleavage of CD109 at the cell surface reduces the amount of CD109 sorted to EVs. In summary, we identified meprin beta as the first membrane-bound protease to cleave CD109 within the bait region, provide a first structural model for CD109, and show that cell surface proteolysis correlates negatively with CD109 released on EVs.

Cluster of differentiation 109 (CD109) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein expressed on primitive hematopoietic stem cells, activated platelets, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and keratinocytes. In recent years, CD109 was also associated with different tumor entities and identified as a possible future diagnostic marker linked to reduced patient survival. Also, different cell signaling pathways were proposed as targets for CD109 interference including the TGF beta, JAK-STAT3, YAP/TAZ, and EGFR/AKT/mTOR pathways. Here, we identify the metalloproteinase meprin beta to cleave CD109 at the cell surface and thereby induce the release of cleavage fragments of different size. Major cleavage was identified within the bait region of CD109 residing in the middle of the protein. To identify the structural localization of the bait region, homology modeling and single-particle analysis were applied, resulting in a molecular model of membrane-associated CD109, which allows for the localization of the newly identified cleavage sites for meprin beta and the previously published cleavage sites for the metalloproteinase bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1). Full-length CD109 localized on extracellular vesicles (EVs) was also identified as a release mechanism, and we can show that proteolytic cleavage of CD109 at the cell surface reduces the amount of CD109 sorted to EVs. In summary, we identified meprin beta as the first membrane-bound protease to cleave CD109 within the bait region, provide a first structural model for CD109, and show that cell surface proteolysis correlates negatively with CD109 released on EVs.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

An eccentric comic about the central mystery of quantum mechanics Totally Random is a comic for the serious reader who wants to really understand the central mystery of quantum mechanics--entanglement: what it is, what it means, and what you can do with it. Measure two entangled particles separately, and the outcomes are totally random. But compare the outcomes, and the particles seem as if they are instantaneously influencing each other at a distance?even if they are light-years apart. This, in a nutshell, is entanglement, and if it seems weird, then this book is for you. Totally Random is a graphic experiential narrative that unpacks the deep and insidious significance of the curious correlation between entangled particles to deliver a gut-feel glimpse of a world that is not what it seems. See for yourself how entanglement has led some of the greatest thinkers of our time to talk about crazy-sounding stuff like faster-than-light signaling, many worlds, and cats that are both dead and alive. Find out why it remains one of science's most paradigm-shaking discoveries. Join Niels Bohr's therapy session with the likes of Einstein, Schrödinger, and other luminaries and let go of your commonsense notion of how the world works. Use your new understanding of entanglement to do the seemingly impossible, like beat the odds in the quantum casino, or quantum encrypt a message to evade the Sphinx's all-seeing eye. But look out, or you might just get teleported back to the beginning of the book! A fresh and subversive look at our quantum world with some seriously funny stuff, Totally Random delivers a real understanding of entanglement that will completely change the way you think about the nature of physical reality.

We study confining strings in ${\cal{N}}=1$ supersymmetric $SU(N_c)$ Yang-Mills theory in the semiclassical regime on $\mathbb{R}^{1,2} \times \mathbb{S}^1$. Static quarks are expected to be confined by double strings composed of two domain walls - which are lines in $\mathbb{R}^2$ - rather than by a single flux tube. Each domain wall carries part of the quarks' chromoelectric flux. We numerically study this mechanism and find that double-string confinement holds for strings of all $N$-alities, except for those between fundamental quarks. We show that, for $N_c \ge 5$, the two domain walls confining unit $N$-ality quarks attract and form non-BPS bound states, collapsing to a single flux line. We determine the $N$-ality dependence of the string tensions for $2 \le N_c \le 10$. Compared to known scaling laws, we find a weaker, almost flat $N$-ality dependence, which is qualitatively explained by the properties of BPS domain walls. We also quantitatively study the behavior of confining strings upon increasing the $\mathbb{S}^1$ size by including the effect of virtual "$W$-bosons" and show that the qualitative features of double-string confinement persist., Comment: 53 pages, 23 figures. Version to appear in JHEP. Added references, updated the title, and added a section explaining the differences from confinement in the Polyakov model

Background: Liberal PCR testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is key to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Combined multi-sample testing in pools instead of single tests might enhance laboratory capacity and reduce costs, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The purpose of our study was to assess the value of a simple questionnaire to guide and further improve pooling strategies for SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing. Methods: Pharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing were obtained from healthcare and police staff, hospital inpatients, and nursing home residents in the southwestern part of Germany. We designed a simple questionnaire, which included questions pertaining to a suggestive clinical symptomatology, recent travel history, and contact with confirmed cases to stratify an individual's pre-test probability of having contracted COVID-19. The questionnaire was adapted repeatedly in face of the unfolding pandemic in response to the evolving epidemiology and observed clinical symptomatology. Based on the response patterns, samples were either tested individually or in multi-sample pools. We compared the pool positivity rate and the number of total PCR tests required to obtain individual results between this questionnaire-based pooling strategy and randomly assembled pools. Findings: Between March 11 and July 5, 2020, we processed 25,978 samples using random pooling (n = 6,012; 23.1%) or questionnaire-based pooling (n = 19,966; 76.9%). The overall prevalence of SARSCoV-2 was 0.9% (n = 238). Pool positivity (14.6% vs. 1.2%) and individual SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (3.4% vs. 0.1%) were higher in the random pooling group than in the questionnaire group. The average number of PCR tests needed to obtain the individual result for one participant was 0.27 tests in the random pooling group, as compared to 0.09 in the questionnaire-based pooling group, leading to a laboratory capacity increase of 73% and 9

We study confining strings in ${\cal{N}}=1$ supersymmetric $SU(N_c)$ Yang-Mills theory in the semiclassical regime on $\mathbb{R}^{1,2} \times \mathbb{S}^1$. Static quarks are expected to be confined by double strings composed of two domain walls - which are lines in $\mathbb{R}^2$ - rather than by a single flux tube. Each domain wall carries part of the quarks' chromoelectric flux. We numerically study this mechanism and find that double-string confinement holds for strings of all $N$-alities, except for those between fundamental quarks. We show that, for $N_c \ge 5$, the two domain walls confining unit $N$-ality quarks attract and form non-BPS bound states, collapsing to a single flux line. We determine the $N$-ality dependence of the string tensions for $2 \le N_c \le 10$. Compared to known scaling laws, we find a weaker, almost flat $N$-ality dependence, which is qualitatively explained by the properties of BPS domain walls. We also quantitatively study the behavior of confining strings upon increasing the $\mathbb{S}^1$ size by including the effect of virtual "$W$-bosons" and show that the qualitative features of double-string confinement persist., Comment: 53 pages, 23 figures. Version to appear in JHEP. Added references, updated the title, and added a section explaining the differences from confinement in the Polyakov model

Background: Liberal PCR testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is key to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Combined multi-sample testing in pools instead of single tests might enhance laboratory capacity and reduce costs, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The purpose of our study was to assess the value of a simple questionnaire to guide and further improve pooling strategies for SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing. Methods: Pharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing were obtained from healthcare and police staff, hospital inpatients, and nursing home residents in the southwestern part of Germany. We designed a simple questionnaire, which included questions pertaining to a suggestive clinical symptomatology, recent travel history, and contact with confirmed cases to stratify an individual's pre-test probability of having contracted COVID-19. The questionnaire was adapted repeatedly in face of the unfolding pandemic in response to the evolving epidemiology and observed clinical symptomatology. Based on the response patterns, samples were either tested individually or in multi-sample pools. We compared the pool positivity rate and the number of total PCR tests required to obtain individual results between this questionnaire-based pooling strategy and randomly assembled pools. Findings: Between March 11 and July 5, 2020, we processed 25,978 samples using random pooling (n = 6,012; 23.1%) or questionnaire-based pooling (n = 19,966; 76.9%). The overall prevalence of SARSCoV-2 was 0.9% (n = 238). Pool positivity (14.6% vs. 1.2%) and individual SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (3.4% vs. 0.1%) were higher in the random pooling group than in the questionnaire group. The average number of PCR tests needed to obtain the individual result for one participant was 0.27 tests in the random pooling group, as compared to 0.09 in the questionnaire-based pooling group, leading to a laboratory capacity increase of 73% and 9

We study confining strings in ${\cal{N}}=1$ supersymmetric $SU(N_c)$ Yang-Mills theory in the semiclassical regime on $\mathbb{R}^{1,2} \times \mathbb{S}^1$. Static quarks are expected to be confined by double strings composed of two domain walls - which are lines in $\mathbb{R}^2$ - rather than by a single flux tube. Each domain wall carries part of the quarks' chromoelectric flux. We numerically study this mechanism and find that double-string confinement holds for strings of all $N$-alities, except for those between fundamental quarks. We show that, for $N_c \ge 5$, the two domain walls confining unit $N$-ality quarks attract and form non-BPS bound states, collapsing to a single flux line. We determine the $N$-ality dependence of the string tensions for $2 \le N_c \le 10$. Compared to known scaling laws, we find a weaker, almost flat $N$-ality dependence, which is qualitatively explained by the properties of BPS domain walls. We also quantitatively study the behavior of confining strings upon increasing the $\mathbb{S}^1$ size by including the effect of virtual "$W$-bosons" and show that the qualitative features of double-string confinement persist., Comment: 53 pages, 23 figures. Version to appear in JHEP. Added references, updated the title, and added a section explaining the differences from confinement in the Polyakov model

Mobile navigation apps are among the most used mobile applications and are often used as a baseline to evaluate new mobile navigation technologies in field studies. As field studies often introduce external factors that are hard to control for, we investigate how pedestrian navigation methods can be evaluated in virtual reality (VR). We present a study comparing navigation methods in real life (RL) and VR to evaluate if VR environments are a viable alternative to RL environments when it comes to testing these. In a series of studies, participants navigated a real and a virtual environment using a paper map and a navigation app on a smartphone. We measured the differences in navigation performance, task load and spatial knowledge acquisition between RL and VR. From these we formulate guidelines for the improvement of pedestrian navigation systems in VR like improved legibility for small screen devices. We furthermore discuss appropriate low-cost and low-space VR-locomotion techniques and discuss more controllable locomotion techniques.

There is significant observational evidence that a large fraction of galactic centers, including those in the Milky Way and M31, host a supermassive black hole (SMBH) embedded in a triaxial nuclear star cluster. In this work, we study the secular orbital evolution of binaries in these environments, and characterize the regions and morphological properties of nuclear star clusters that lead to gravitational wave mergers and/or tidal captures. We show that even a modest level of triaxiality in the density distribution of a cluster (an ellipsoid with axis ratios of 0.7 and 0.95) dramatically enhances the merger rates in the central parsecs of the Galaxy by a factor of up to ~10-30 relative to a spherical density distribution. Moreover, we show that the merger fraction of binaries with semi-major axes in the range 10-100 AU remains above 10% for the entire central parsec of the cluster, reaching values close to unity at a distance of ~0.2-0.4 pc from the SMBH. We understand this large merger efficiency in terms of two distinct mechanisms: i) eccentricity oscillations driven by the dominant axisymmetric part of the cluster potential that are enhanced by the slow modulation of a binary's angular momentum from the triaxial contribution, similar to the well-known octupole-level dynamics in three-body systems; ii) chaotic diffusion of eccentricities arising when the nodal precession timescale of a binary's orbit about the SMBH becomes comparable to its characteristic secular timescale. Overall, our results indicate that galactic centers are significantly more collisional than previously thought, with mergers taking place up to the effective radii of their nuclear star clusters., Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, submitted to the AAS Journals

Gaia DR2 has provided an unprecedented wealth of information about the kinematics of stars in the Solar neighbourhood, and has highlighted the degree of features in the Galactic disc. We confront the data with a range of bar and spiral models in both action-angle space, and the $R_{\mathrm{G}}-v_{\phi}$ plane. We find that the phase mixing induced by transient spiral structure creates ridges and arches in the local kinematics which are consistent with the Gaia data. We are able to produce a qualitatively good match to the data when combined with a bar with a variety of pattern speeds, and show that it is non trivial to decouple the effects of the bar and the spiral structure., Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Dataset: CTD_fv, CTD data from the Gulf of Maine in 1998 from three cruises on the R/V Susan and Caitlyn - SC9801, SC9802, and SC9803 - in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank as part of the U.S. GLOBEC program. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2419, National Science Foundation (NSF) unknown GB NSF, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) unknown GB NOAA

Dataset: CTD_fv, CTD data from the Gulf of Maine in 1998 from three cruises on the R/V Susan and Caitlyn - SC9801, SC9802, and SC9803 - in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank as part of the U.S. GLOBEC program. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2419, National Science Foundation (NSF) unknown GB NSF, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) unknown GB NOAA

Dataset: CTD_fv, CTD data from the Gulf of Maine in 1998 from three cruises on the R/V Susan and Caitlyn - SC9801, SC9802, and SC9803 - in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank as part of the U.S. GLOBEC program. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2419, National Science Foundation (NSF) unknown GB NSF, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) unknown GB NOAA

Despite the social normalisation and moral de-problematisation of separation and divorce, they are usually anything but normal or unproblematic events for those affected. The events have to be ordered, the separation needs to be legitimised and one's own identity requires rehabilitation; this can result in striking narrative dynamics in qualitative interviews dealing with separation. Previous research has revealed the connection between the form, content, and function of separation talk as well as social differentiation: role, gender, and socio-structural factors. To the functional analyses of the narratives, of 46 interviews (23 ex-couples) in our study "Couples after separation", we add, as a further and superordinate differentiation, the category of social milieu. We exemplify our argument that separation talk varies depending on this dimension by exploring the contrasting individualised and traditional milieus. They differ in a fundamental way in their relationship models and corresponding separation legitimations, and in their plausibility strategies and in their conception of what constitutes a desirable identity. Beyond the concrete subject of separation and separation talk, we also touch on two important aspects of qualitative research: the differentiation of milieus and the relationship between performance and representation in interviews., Trotz der gesellschaftlichen Normalisierung und moralischen Entproblematisierung von Trennung und Scheidung stellen diese für die Betroffenen für gewöhnlich alles andere als normale, unproblematische Ereignisse dar. Das Geschehen muss geordnet, die Trennung legitimiert und die eigene Identität rehabilitiert werden, was zu auffälligen Erzähldynamiken in Interviews der qualitativen Trennungsforschung führen kann. Neben der Analyse des Zusammenhangs von Form, Inhalt und Funktion von Trennungserzählungen konnte die bisherige Forschung auch einige soziale Differenzierungen aufzeigen: nach Rolle, Geschlecht und sozialstrukturellen Faktoren. Auf Basis einer narrativen, funktionalen Analyse von 46 Interviews (23 Ex-Paare) aus unserer Studie "Paare nach der Trennung" fügen wir als weitere, übergeordnete Differenzierung die Milieuunterscheidung hinzu, die in der Forschung zu Trennungsnarrativen bislang unbeachtet war und die die bisherigen Differenzierungen integriert. Unser Argument, dass Trennungsnarrative milieuspezifisch gestaltet sind, exemplifizieren wir anhand zweier kontrastiver Milieus: dem individualisierten und dem traditionalen Milieu. Diese unterscheiden sich in fundamentaler Weise in ihren Beziehungsleitbildern und entsprechenden Trennungslegitimationen, in ihren Plausibilisierungsstrategien und in ihrer Vorstellung dessen, was als erstrebenswerte Identität gilt. Über den konkreten Gegenstand von Trennungen und Trennungserzählungen hinaus weisen wir in diesem Beitrag auf zwei für die qualitative Forschung wichtige Aspekte hin: die Milieudifferenzierung und das Verhältnis von Performanz und Repräsentanz in Interviews.

Gaia DR2 has provided an unprecedented wealth of information about the kinematics of stars in the Solar neighbourhood, and has highlighted the degree of features in the Galactic disc. We confront the data with a range of bar and spiral models in both action-angle space, and the $R_{\mathrm{G}}-v_{\phi}$ plane. We find that the phase mixing induced by transient spiral structure creates ridges and arches in the local kinematics which are consistent with the Gaia data. We are able to produce a qualitatively good match to the data when combined with a bar with a variety of pattern speeds, and show that it is non trivial to decouple the effects of the bar and the spiral structure., Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, submitted to MNRAS

There is significant observational evidence that a large fraction of galactic centers, including those in the Milky Way and M31, host a supermassive black hole (SMBH) embedded in a triaxial nuclear star cluster. In this work, we study the secular orbital evolution of binaries in these environments, and characterize the regions and morphological properties of nuclear star clusters that lead to gravitational wave mergers and/or tidal captures. We show that even a modest level of triaxiality in the density distribution of a cluster (an ellipsoid with axis ratios of 0.7 and 0.95) dramatically enhances the merger rates in the central parsecs of the Galaxy by a factor of up to ~10-30 relative to a spherical density distribution. Moreover, we show that the merger fraction of binaries with semi-major axes in the range 10-100 AU remains above 10% for the entire central parsec of the cluster, reaching values close to unity at a distance of ~0.2-0.4 pc from the SMBH. We understand this large merger efficiency in terms of two distinct mechanisms: i) eccentricity oscillations driven by the dominant axisymmetric part of the cluster potential that are enhanced by the slow modulation of a binary's angular momentum from the triaxial contribution, similar to the well-known octupole-level dynamics in three-body systems; ii) chaotic diffusion of eccentricities arising when the nodal precession timescale of a binary's orbit about the SMBH becomes comparable to its characteristic secular timescale. Overall, our results indicate that galactic centers are significantly more collisional than previously thought, with mergers taking place up to the effective radii of their nuclear star clusters., Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, submitted to the AAS Journals

Neben einer philosophisch-literarischen Rezeption, die auf die wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse über die Beschaffenheit des Universums etwa mit dem Begriff des Erhabenen, dem Gefühl des Staunens oder mit dem Verweis auf die Inkommensurabilität von kosmischen Dimensionen und menschlichem Fassungsvermögen reagiert, entspringen einer bestimmten literarischen Imagination Bilder der Haltlosigkeit, des Taumels und des Daseinszweifels. Es lässt sich eine Traditionslinie von literarischen Texten konstruieren, die, weitgehend unabhängig voneinander, darstellen, wie die ungezählten Sternenhaufen und Galaxien eine Art somatischer Affizierung bewirken, das heißt ein Empfinden von Übelkeit, bis hin zum Ekel, auslösen, wobei das Subjekt zudem aus seiner festen Betrachterposition auf der Erde förmlich herausgerissen wird und in eine vom Himmelsraum ausgehende angstbesetzte Sogbewegung zu geraten scheint. Pointiert gesagt tritt auf der literarischen Bildebene an die Stelle des Himmelsgewölbes der sternendurchsetzte Abgrund.

Dass Emotionen den Subjekten eine wichtige Orientierungshilfe in jeglichen Situationen des Alltags bieten, gilt innerhalb der soziologischen Emotionsforschung mittlerweile als Allgemeingut. Was allerdings, wenn uns unsere Gefühle im Stich lassen, da sie nicht klar eingeordnet oder expliziert werden können? Was also, wenn widersprüchliche Emotionen Zweifel nähren, uns an Entscheidungen hadern lassen oder gar Entscheidungen verunmöglichen? Die hieraus resultierenden Unsicherheiten und sich daran anschließenden Handlungsprobleme sind Gegenstand des Buches. Neben Strategien des Umgangs mit emotionalen Ambivalenzerfahrungen stehen auch die individuellen Lösungswege im Mittelpunk der Analyse.

The life sciences are currently being transformed by an unprecedented wave of developments in molecular analysis, which include important advances in instrumental analysis as well as biocomputing. In light of the central role played by metabolism in nutrition, metabolomics is rapidly being established as a key analytical tool in human nutritional studies. Consequently, an increasing number of nutritionists integrate metabolomics into their study designs. Within this dynamic landscape, the potential of nutritional metabolomics (nutrimetabolomics) to be translated into a science, which can impact on health policies, still needs to be realized. A key element to reach this goal is the ability of the research community to join, to collectively make the best use of the potential offered by nutritional metabolomics. This article, therefore, provides a methodological description of nutritional metabolomics that reflects on the state-of-the-art techniques used in the laboratories of the Food Biomarker Alliance (funded by the European Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life” (JPI HDHL)) as well as points of reflections to harmonize this field. It is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to present a pragmatic guidance on metabolomic methodologies, providing readers with useful “tips and tricks” along the analytical workflow.

The information systems (IS) field contains a rich body of knowledge on approaches, methods, and frameworks that supports researchers in conducting design science research (DSR). It also contains some consensus about the key elements of DSR projects-such as problem identification, design, implementation, evaluation, and abstraction of design knowledge. Still, we lack any commonly accepted tools that address the needs of DSR scholars who seek to structure, manage, and present their projects. Indeed, DSR endeavors, which are often complex and multi-faceted in nature and involve various stakeholders (e.g., researchers, developers, practitioners, and others), require the support that such tools provide. Thus, to investigate the tools that DSR scholars actually need to effectively and efficiently perform their work, we conducted an open workshop with DSR scholars at the 2017 DESRIST conference in Karlsruhe, Germany, to debate 1) the general requirement categories of DSR tool support and 2) the more specific requirements. This paper reports on the results from this workshop. Specifically, we identify nine categories of requirements that fall into the three broad phases (pre-design, design, and post design) and that contribute to a software ecosystem for supporting DSR endeavors.

The information systems (IS) field contains a rich body of knowledge on approaches, methods, and frameworks that supports researchers in conducting design science research (DSR). It also contains some consensus about the key elements of DSR projects-such as problem identification, design, implementation, evaluation, and abstraction of design knowledge. Still, we lack any commonly accepted tools that address the needs of DSR scholars who seek to structure, manage, and present their projects. Indeed, DSR endeavors, which are often complex and multi-faceted in nature and involve various stakeholders (e.g., researchers, developers, practitioners, and others), require the support that such tools provide. Thus, to investigate the tools that DSR scholars actually need to effectively and efficiently perform their work, we conducted an open workshop with DSR scholars at the 2017 DESRIST conference in Karlsruhe, Germany, to debate 1) the general requirement categories of DSR tool support and 2) the more specific requirements. This paper reports on the results from this workshop. Specifically, we identify nine categories of requirements that fall into the three broad phases (pre-design, design, and post design) and that contribute to a software ecosystem for supporting DSR endeavors.