Writing Matrix and Assessing Literature Review: A Methodological Element of a Scientific Project

A debatable consensus on and appropriate approaches to literature review function as the theoretical background of the paper. It redefines the literature review substance, synthesis, and procedure to literature matrix, and literature review assessment. In addition, some implications are to interpret the discussion. Finally, finding of the present study is applicable to any study fields at it generally provides matrix for which writing literature review can be easily conducted. Suggestions, identical to the potential of further studies and its application by on-going researcher and writer, are holistically provided. Keywords: Synthesis matrix, literature, review, writing, assessmen

Building up spacetime with quantum entanglement

In this essay, we argue that the emergence of classically connected spacetimes is intimately related to the quantum entanglement of degrees of freedom in a non-perturbative description of quantum gravity. Disentangling the degrees of freedom associated with two regions of spacetime results in these regions pulling apart and pinching off from each other in a way that can be quantified by standard measures of entanglement.Comment: Gravity Research Foundation essay, 7 pages, LaTeX, 5 figure

Conformal invariance in two-dimensional turbulence

Simplicity of fundamental physical laws manifests itself in fundamental symmetries. While systems with an infinity of strongly interacting degrees of freedom (in particle physics and critical phenomena) are hard to describe, they often demonstrate symmetries, in particular scale invariance. In two dimensions (2d) locality often promotes scale invariance to a wider class of conformal transformations which allow for nonuniform re-scaling. Conformal invariance allows a thorough classification of universality classes of critical phenomena in 2d. Is there conformal invariance in 2d turbulence, a paradigmatic example of strongly-interacting non-equilibrium system? Here, using numerical experiment, we show that some features of 2d inverse turbulent cascade display conformal invariance. We observe that the statistics of vorticity clusters is remarkably close to that of critical percolation, one of the simplest universality classes of critical phenomena. These results represent a new step in the unification of 2d physics within the framework of conformal symmetry.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Confounders in the assessment of the renal effects associated with low-level urinary cadmium: an analysis in industrial workers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Associations of proteinuria with low-level urinary cadmium (Cd) are currently interpreted as the sign of renal dysfunction induced by Cd. Few studies have considered the possibility that these associations might be non causal and arise from confounding by factors influencing the renal excretion of Cd and proteins.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined 184 healthy male workers (mean age, 39.5 years) from a zinc smelter (n = 132) or a blanket factory (n = 52). We measured the concentrations of Cd in blood (B-Cd) and the urinary excretion of Cd (U-Cd), retinol-binding protein (RBP), protein HC and albumin. Associations between biomarkers of metal exposure and urinary proteins were assessed by simple and multiple regression analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The medians (interquartile range) of B-Cd (μg/l) and U-Cd (μg/g creatinine) were 0.80 (0.45-1.16) and 0.70 (0.40-1.3) in smelter workers and 0.66 (0.47-0.87) and 0.55 (0.40-0.90) in blanket factory workers, respectively. Occupation had no influence on these values, which varied mainly with smoking habits. In univariate analysis, concentrations of RBP and protein HC in urine were significantly correlated with both U-Cd and B-Cd but these associations were substantially weakened by the adjustment for current smoking and the residual influence of diuresis after correction for urinary creatinine. Albumin in urine did not correlate with B-Cd but was consistently associated with U-Cd through a relationship, which was unaffected by smoking or diuresis. Further analyses showed that RBP and albumin in urine mutually distort their associations with U-Cd and that the relationship between RBP and Cd in urine was almost the replicate of that linking RBP to albumin</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Associations between proteinuria and low-level urinary Cd should be interpreted with caution as they appear to be largely driven by diuresis, current smoking and probably also the co-excretion of Cd with plasma proteins.</p

Antibody to P. falciparum in Pregnancy Varies with Intermittent Preventive Treatment Regime and Bed Net Use

Antibodies towards placental-binding P. falciparum are thought to protect against pregnancy malaria; however, environmental factors may affect antibody development.Using plasma from pregnant Malawian women, we measured IgG against placental-binding P. falciparum parasites by flow cytometry, and related results to intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) regime, and bed net use. Bed net use was associated with decreased antibody levels at mid-pregnancy but not at 1 month post partum (1 mpp). At 1 mpp a more intensive IPTp regime was associated with decreased antibody levels in primigravidae, but not multigravidae.Results suggest bed nets and IPTp regime influence acquisition of pregnancy-specific P. falciparum immunity

The classical origin of quantum affine algebra in squashed sigma models

We consider a quantum affine algebra realized in two-dimensional non-linear sigma models with target space three-dimensional squashed sphere. Its affine generators are explicitly constructed and the Poisson brackets are computed. The defining relations of quantum affine algebra in the sense of the Drinfeld first realization are satisfied at classical level. The relation to the Drinfeld second realization is also discussed including higher conserved charges. Finally we comment on a semiclassical limit of quantum affine algebra at quantum level.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure

On the classical equivalence of monodromy matrices in squashed sigma model

We proceed to study the hybrid integrable structure in two-dimensional non-linear sigma models with target space three-dimensional squashed spheres. A quantum affine algebra and a pair of Yangian algebras are realized in the sigma models and, according to them, there are two descriptions to describe the classical dynamics 1) the trigonometric description and 2) the rational description, respectively. For every description, a Lax pair is constructed and the associated monodromy matrix is also constructed. In this paper we show the gauge-equivalence of the monodromy matrices in the trigonometric and rational description under a certain relation between spectral parameters and the rescalings of sl(2) generators.Comment: 32pages, 3figures, references added, introduction and discussion sections revise

Cellular origins of adult human islet in vitro dedifferentiation

Cultured human islets can be dedifferentiated to duct-like structures composed mainly of cytokeratin\u207a and nestin\u207a cells. Given that these structures possess the potential to redifferentiate into islet-like structures, we sought to elucidate their specific cellular origins. Adenoviral vectors were engineered for \u3b2-, \u3b1-, \u3b4- or PP-cell-specific GFP expression. A doublestranded system was designed whereby cultures were infected with two vectors: one expressed GFP behind the cumateinducible promoter sequence, and the other expressed the requisite transactivator behind the human insulin, glucagon, somatostatin or pancreatic polypeptide promoter. This system labels hormone\u207a cells in the islet in a cell-specific manner, allowing these cells to be tracked during the course of transformation from islet to duct-like structure. Post-infection, islets were cultured to induce dedifferentiation. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that \u3b1-, \u3b4- and PP-cells contributed equally to the cytokeratin\u207a population, with minimal b-cell contribution, whereas the converse was true for nestin\u207a cells. Complementary targeted cell ablation studies, using streptozotocin or similar adenoviral expression of the Bax (Bcl2-associated X protein) toxigene, validated these findings and suggested a redundancy between \u3b1-, \u3b4- and PP-cells with respect to cytokeratin\u207a cell derivation. These results call into question the traditional understanding of islet cells as being terminally differentiated and provide support for the concept of adult islet morphogenetic plasticity.NRC publication: Ye