5,416 research outputs found
On the predictions and limitations of the BeckerDoring model for reaction kinetics in micellar surfactant solutions
We investigate the breakdown of a system of micellar aggregates in a surfactant solution following an order-one dilution. We derive a mathematical model based on the Becker–Döring system of equations, using realistic expressions for the reaction constants fit to Molecular Dynamics simulations. We exploit the largeness of typical aggregation numbers to derive a continuum model, substituting a large system of ordinary differential equations for a partial differential equation in two independent variables: time and aggregate size. Numerical solutions demonstrate that re-equilibration occurs in two distinct stages over well-separated time-scales, in agreement with experiment and with previous theories. We conclude by exposing a limitation in the Becker–Döring theory for re-equilibration and discuss potential resolutions
An asymptotic theory for the re-equilibration of a micellar surfactant solution
Micellar surfactant solutions are characterized by a distribution of aggregates comprised predominantly of pre-micellar aggregates (monomers, dimers, trimers, etc.) and a region of proper micelles close to the peak aggregation number, connected by an intermediate region containing a very low concentration of aggregates. Such a distribution gives rise to a distinct two-timescale re-equilibration following a system dilution, known as the 1 and 2 processes, whose dynamics may be described by the Becker–Döring equations. We use a continuum version of these equations to develop a reduced asymptotic description that elucidates the behavior during each of these processes
The structure of causal sets
More often than not, recently popular structuralist interpretations of
physical theories leave the central concept of a structure insufficiently
precisified. The incipient causal sets approach to quantum gravity offers a
paradigmatic case of a physical theory predestined to be interpreted in
structuralist terms. It is shown how employing structuralism lends itself to a
natural interpretation of the physical meaning of causal sets theory.
Conversely, the conceptually exceptionally clear case of causal sets is used as
a foil to illustrate how a mathematically informed rigorous conceptualization
of structure serves to identify structures in physical theories. Furthermore, a
number of technical issues infesting structuralist interpretations of physical
theories such as difficulties with grounding the identity of the places of
highly symmetrical physical structures in their relational profile and what may
resolve these difficulties can be vividly illustrated with causal sets.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
D-branes in PP-Waves and Massive Theories on Worldsheet with Boundary
We investigate the supersymmetric D-brane configurations in the pp-wave
backgrounds proposed by Maldacena and Maoz. We study the surviving
supersymmetry in a D-brane configuration from the worldvolume point of view.
When we restrict ourselves to the background with N=(2,2) supersymmetry and no
holomorphic Killing vector term, there are two types of supersymmetric
D-branes: A-type and B-type. An A-type brane is wrapped on a special Lagrangian
submanifold, and the imaginary part of the superpotential should be constant on
its worldvolume. On the other hand, a B-type brane is wrapped on a complex
submanifold, and the superpotential should be constant on its worldvolume. The
results are almost consistent with the worldsheet theory in the lightcone
gauge. The inclusion of gauge fields is also discussed and found BPS D-branes
with the gauge field excitations. Furthermore, we consider the backgrounds with
holomorphic Killing vector terms and N=(1,1) supersymmetric backgrounds.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX, no figure. v2: typos corrected, comments added,
references added. v3: typos corrected, comments added, references added.
v4:typos correcte
Disrupted Maturation of the Microbiota and Metabolome among Extremely Preterm Infants with Postnatal Growth Failure
Growth failure during infancy is a major global problem that has adverse effects on long-term health and neurodevelopment. Preterm infants are disproportionately affected by growth failure and its effects. Herein we found that extremely preterm infants with postnatal growth failure have disrupted maturation of the intestinal microbiota, characterized by persistently low diversity, dominance of pathogenic bacteria within the Enterobacteriaceae family, and a paucity of strictly anaerobic taxa including Veillonella relative to infants with appropriate postnatal growth. Metabolomic profiling of infants with growth failure demonstrated elevated serum acylcarnitines, fatty acids, and other byproducts of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. Machine learning algorithms for normal maturation of the microbiota and metabolome among infants with appropriate growth revealed a pattern of delayed maturation of the microbiota and metabolome among infants with growth failure. Collectively, we identified novel microbial and metabolic features of growth failure in preterm infants and potentially modifiable targets for intervention
Tumor site immune markers associated with risk for subsequent basal cell carcinomas.
BackgroundBasal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors are the most common skin cancer and are highly immunogenic.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to assess how immune-cell related gene expression in an initial BCC tumor biopsy was related to the appearance of subsequent BCC tumors.Materials and methodsLevels of mRNA for CD3ε (a T-cell receptor marker), CD25 (the alpha chain of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor expressed on activated T-cells and B-cells), CD68 (a marker for monocytes/macrophages), the cell surface glycoprotein intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were measured in BCC tumor biopsies from 138 patients using real-time PCR.ResultsThe median follow-up was 26.6 months, and 61% of subjects were free of new BCCs two years post-initial biopsy. Patients with low CD3ε CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA levels had significantly shorter times before new tumors were detected (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, p = 0.003, and p = 0.08, respectively). Furthermore, older age diminished the association of mRNA levels with the appearance of subsequent tumors.ConclusionsOur results show that levels of CD3ε, CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA in BCC biopsies may predict risk for new BCC tumors
On Horizons and Plane Waves
We investigate the possibility of having an event horizon within several
classes of metrics that asymptote to the maximally supersymmetric IIB plane
wave. We show that the presence of a null Killing vector (not necessarily
covariantly constant) implies an effective separation of the Einstein equations
into a standard and a wave component. This feature may be used to generate new
supergravity solutions asymptotic to the maximally supersymmetric IIB plane
wave, starting from standard seed solutions such as branes or intersecting
branes in flat space. We find that in many cases it is possible to preserve the
extremal horizon of the seed solution. On the other hand, non-extremal
deformations of the plane wave solution result in naked singularities. More
generally, we prove a no-go theorem against the existence of horizons for
backgrounds with a null Killing vector and which contain at most null matter
fields. Further attempts at turning on a nonzero Hawking temperature by
introducing additional matter have proven unsuccessful. This suggests that one
must remove the null Killing vector in order to obtain a horizon. We provide a
perturbative argument indicating that this is in fact possible.Comment: 46 pp, 1 figur
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