Inverted Oscillator

The inverted harmonic oscillator problem is investigated quantum mechanically. The exact wave function for the confined inverted oscillator is obtained and it is shown that the associated energy eigenvalues are discrete and it is given as a linear function of the quantum number $n$.Comment: 4 page

Quantum Time and Spatial Localization: An Analysis of the Hegerfeldt Paradox

Two related problems in relativistic quantum mechanics, the apparent superluminal propagation of initially localized particles and dependence of spatial localization on the motion of the observer, are analyzed in the context of Dirac's theory of constraints. A parametrization invariant formulation is obtained by introducing time and energy operators for the relativistic particle and then treating the Klein-Gordon equation as a constraint. The standard, physical Hilbert space is recovered, via integration over proper time, from an augmented Hilbert space wherein time and energy are dynamical variables. It is shown that the Newton-Wigner position operator, being in this description a constant of motion, acts on states in the augmented space. States with strictly positive energy are non-local in time; consequently, position measurements receive contributions from states representing the particle's position at many times. Apparent superluminal propagation is explained by noting that, as the particle is potentially in the past (or future) of the assumed initial place and time of localization, it has time to propagate to distant regions without exceeding the speed of light. An inequality is proven showing the Hegerfeldt paradox to be completely accounted for by the hypotheses of subluminal propagation from a set of initial space-time points determined by the quantum time distribution arising from the positivity of the system's energy. Spatial localization can nevertheless occur through quantum interference between states representing the particle at different times. The non-locality of the same system to a moving observer is due to Lorentz rotation of spatial axes out of the interference minimum.Comment: This paper is identical to the version appearing in J. Math. Phys. 41; 6093 (Sept. 2000). The published version will be found at http://ojps.aip.org/jmp/. The paper (40 page PDF file) has been completely revised since the last posting to this archiv

On the Dynamics of Bianchi IX cosmological models

A cosmological description of the universe is proposed in the context of Hamiltonian formulation of a Bianchi IX cosmology minimally coupled to a massless scalar field. The classical and quantum results are studied with special attention to the case of closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Dengue virus targets RBM10 deregulating host cell splicing and innate immune response

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] experiments previously performed by our laboratories showed enrichment in intronic sequences and alterations in alternative splicing in dengue-infected human cells. The transcript of the SAT1 gene, of well-known antiviral action, displayed higher inclusion of exon 4 in infected cells, leading to an mRNA isoform that is degraded by non-sense mediated decay. SAT1 is a spermidine/spermine acetyl-transferase enzyme that decreases the reservoir of cellular polyamines, limiting viral replication. Delving into the molecular mechanism underlying SAT1 pre-mRNA splicing changes upon viral infection, we observed lower protein levels of RBM10, a splicing factor responsible for SAT1 exon 4 skipping. We found that the dengue polymerase NS5 interacts with RBM10 and its sole expression triggers RBM10 proteasome-mediated degradation. RBM10 over-expression in infected cells prevents SAT1 splicing changes and limits viral replication, while its knock-down enhances the splicing switch and also benefits viral replication, revealing an anti-viral role for RBM10. Consistently, RBM10 depletion attenuates expression of interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In particular, we found that RBM10 interacts with viral RNA and RIG-I, and even promotes the ubiquitination of the latter, a crucial step for its activation. We propose RBM10 fulfills diverse pro-inflammatory, anti-viral tasks, besides its well-documented role in splicing regulation of apoptotic genes.Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica de Argentina (ANPCyT) [2014-2888, 2015-1731, 2017-0111 to A.S. and 2015-2555, 2017-1717 to A.V.G.]; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (UBACyT) [20020170100045BA to A.S.]; NIH (NIAID) [R01.AI095175 to A.V.G.]; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET) [PIP 11220170100171CO to C.C.G]; B.P. has been a postdoctoral fellow from CONICET from 2017 to 2019 and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Cell Biology in the University of Bern, Switzerland; L.B. and M.E.G.S. are recipients of doctoral fellowships from CONICET; M.F.T. is a doctoral fellowship recipient from ANPCyT; N.G. has been an undergraduate fellowship recipient from the University of Buenos Aires (2018–2020); P.M. has been a doctoral fellow from CONICET (2015–2019) and is currently a postdoctoral fellow supported by H2020-Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges [734825-LysoMod]; R.V.D. has been a visiting post-doctoral fellow at the Srebrow lab from IMM (Lisbon, Portugal) supported by the same program. A.S., A.V.G., C.C.G., N.G.I. and L.G.G. are career investigators from CONICET.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spin half fermions with mass dimension one: theory, phenomenology, and dark matter

We provide the first details on the unexpected theoretical discovery of a spin-one-half matter field with mass dimension one. It is based upon a complete set of dual-helicity eigenspinors of the charge conjugation operator. Due to its unusual properties with respect to charge conjugation and parity, it belongs to a non-standard Wigner class. Consequently, the theory exhibits non-locality with (CPT)^2 = - I. We briefly discuss its relevance to the cosmological `horizon problem'. Because the introduced fermionic field is endowed with mass dimension one, it can carry a quartic self-interaction. Its dominant interaction with known forms of matter is via Higgs, and with gravity. This aspect leads us to contemplate the new fermion as a prime dark matter candidate. Taking this suggestion seriously we study a supernova-like explosion of a galactic-mass dark matter cloud to set limits on the mass of the new particle and present a calculation on relic abundance to constrain the relevant cross-section. The analysis favours light mass (roughly 20 MeV) and relevant cross-section of about 2 pb. Similarities and differences with the WIMP and mirror matter proposals for dark matter are enumerated. In a critique of the theory we bare a hint on non-commutative aspects of spacetime, and energy-momentum space.Comment: 78 pages [Changes: referee-suggested improvements, additional important references, and better readability