5,094 research outputs found
Note on exponential families of distributions
We show that an arbitrary probability distribution can be represented in
exponential form. In physical contexts, this implies that the equilibrium
distribution of any classical or quantum dynamical system is expressible in
grand canonical form.Comment: 5 page
Controlled cortical impact traumatic brain injury in 3xTg-AD mice causes acute intra-axonal amyloid-β accumulation and independently accelerates the development of tau abnormalities
Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by progressive neuronal loss, extracellular plaques containing the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Aβ is thought to act upstream of tau, affecting its phosphorylation and therefore aggregation state. One of the major risk factors for AD is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Acute intra-axonal Aβ and diffuse extracellular plaques occur in ∼30% of human subjects after severe TBI. Intra-axonal accumulations of tau but not tangle-like pathologies have also been found in these patients. Whether and how these acute accumulations contribute to subsequent AD development is not known, and the interaction between Aβ and tau in the setting of TBI has not been investigated. Here, we report that controlled cortical impact TBI in 3xTg-AD mice resulted in intra-axonal Aβ accumulations and increased phospho-tau immunoreactivity at 24 h and up to 7 d after TBI. Given these findings, we investigated the relationship between Aβ and tau pathologies after trauma in this model by systemic treatment of Compound E to inhibit γ-secretase activity, a proteolytic process required for Aβ production. Compound E treatment successfully blocked posttraumatic Aβ accumulation in these injured mice at both time points. However, tau pathology was not affected. Our data support a causal role for TBI in acceleration of AD-related pathologies and suggest that TBI may independently affect Aβ and tau abnormalities. Future studies will be required to assess the behavioral and long-term neurodegenerative consequences of these pathologies
Random Hamiltonian in thermal equilibrium
A framework for the investigation of disordered quantum systems in thermal
equilibrium is proposed. The approach is based on a dynamical model--which
consists of a combination of a double-bracket gradient flow and a uniform
Brownian fluctuation--that `equilibrates' the Hamiltonian into a canonical
distribution. The resulting equilibrium state is used to calculate quenched and
annealed averages of quantum observables.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. To appear in DICE 2008 conference proceeding
Metric approach to quantum constraints
A new framework for deriving equations of motion for constrained quantum
systems is introduced, and a procedure for its implementation is outlined. In
special cases the framework reduces to a quantum analogue of the Dirac theory
of constrains in classical mechanics. Explicit examples involving spin-1/2
particles are worked out in detail: in one example our approach coincides with
a quantum version of the Dirac formalism, while the other example illustrates
how a situation that cannot be treated by Dirac's approach can nevertheless be
dealt with in the present scheme.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur
Intruder States and their Local Effect on Spectral Statistics
The effect on spectral statistics and on the revival probability of intruder
states in a random background is analysed numerically and with perturbative
methods. For random coupling the intruder does not affect the GOE spectral
statistics of the background significantly, while a constant coupling causes
very strong correlations at short range with a fourth power dependence of the
spectral two-point function at the origin.The revival probability is
significantly depressed for constant coupling as compared to random coupling.Comment: 18 pages, 10 Postscript figure
modCHIMERA: A novel murine closed-head model of moderate traumatic brain injury
AbstractTraumatic brain injury is a major source of global disability and mortality. Preclinical TBI models are a crucial component of therapeutic investigation. We report a tunable, monitored model of murine non-surgical, diffuse closed-head injury—modCHIMERA—characterized by impact as well as linear and rotational acceleration. modCHIMERA is based on the Closed-Head Impact Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration (CHIMERA) platform. We tested this model at 2 energy levels: 1.7 and 2.1 Joules—substantially higher than previously reported for this system. Kinematic analysis demonstrated linear acceleration exceeding injury thresholds in humans, although outcome metrics tracked impact energy more closely than kinematic parameters. Acute severity metrics were consistent with a complicated-mild or moderate TBI, a clinical population characterized by high morbidity but potentially reversible pathology. Axonal injury was multifocal and bilateral, neuronal death was detected in the hippocampus, and microglial neuroinflammation was prominent. Acute functional analysis revealed prolonged post-injury unconsciousness, and decreased spontaneous behavior and stimulated neurological scores. Neurobehavioral deficits were demonstrated in spatial learning/memory and socialization at 1-month. The overall injury profile of modCHIMERA corresponds with the range responsible for a substantial portion of TBI-related disability in humans. modCHIMERA should provide a reliable platform for efficient analysis of TBI pathophysiology and testing of treatment modalities.</jats:p
Testing statistical bounds on entanglement using quantum chaos
Previous results indicate that while chaos can lead to substantial entropy
production, thereby maximizing dynamical entanglement, this still falls short
of maximality. Random Matrix Theory (RMT) modeling of composite quantum
systems, investigated recently, entails an universal distribution of the
eigenvalues of the reduced density matrices. We demonstrate that these
distributions are realized in quantized chaotic systems by using a model of two
coupled and kicked tops. We derive an explicit statistical universal bound on
entanglement, that is also valid for the case of unequal dimensionality of the
Hilbert spaces involved, and show that this describes well the bounds observed
using composite quantized chaotic systems such as coupled tops.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in PRL. New title. Revised abstract and
some changes in the body of the pape
Berry-Robnik level statistics in a smooth billiard system
Berry-Robnik level spacing distribution is demonstrated clearly in a generic
quantized plane billiard for the first time. However, this ultimate
semi-classical distribution is found to be valid only for extremely small
semi-classical parameter (effective Planck's constant) where the assumption of
statistical independence of regular and irregular levels is achieved. For
sufficiently larger semiclassical parameter we find (fractional power-law)
level repulsion with phenomenological Brody distribution providing an adequate
global fit.Comment: 10 pages in LaTeX with 4 eps figures include
Separable approximation to two-body matrix elements
Two-body matrix elements of arbitrary local interactions are written as the
sum of separable terms in a way that is well suited for the exchange and
pairing channels present in mean-field calculations. The expansion relies on
the transformation to center of mass and relative coordinate (in the spirit of
Talmi's method) and therefore it is only useful (finite number of expansion
terms) for harmonic oscillator single particle states. The converge of the
expansion with the number of terms retained is studied for a Gaussian two body
interaction. The limit of a contact (delta) force is also considered. Ways to
handle the general case are also discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures (for high resolution versions of some of the
figures contact the author
Constrained quantum dynamics
We give an overview of the two different methods that have been introduced in
order to describe the dynamics of constrained quantum systems; the symplectic
formulation and the metric formulation. The symplectic method extends the work
of Dirac on constrained classical systems to quantum systems, whereas the
metric approach is purely a quantum mechanical method having no immediate
classical counterpart. Two examples are provided that illustrate the nonlinear
motion induced by the constraint.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Based on the talk presented at the DICE2008
conference in Castiglioncello, September 200
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