Noncommutative Effects in the Black Hole Evaporation in Two Dimensions

We discuss some possible implications of a two-dimensional toy model for black hole evaporation in noncommutative field theory. While the noncommutativity we consider does not affect gravity, it can play an important role in the dynamics of massless and Hermitian scalar fields in the event horizon of a Schwarzschild black hole. We find that noncommutativity will affect the flux of outgoing particles and the nature of its UV/IR divergences. Moreover, we show that the noncommutative interaction does not affect Leahy's and Unruh's interpretation of thermal ingoing and outgoing fluxes in the black hole evaporation process. Thus, the noncommutative interaction still destroys the thermal nature of fluxes. In the process, some nonlocal implications of the noncommutativity are discussed.Comment: 33+1 pages, 3 eps figures, typos corrected, references added, figure 3 corrected, modifications in sections 4 and 6, version published in Phys. Rev.

On Higher Derivatives as Constraints in Field Theory: a Geometric Perspective

We formalize geometrically the idea that the (de Donder) Hamiltonian formulation of a higher derivative Lagrangian field theory can be constructed understanding the latter as a first derivative theory subjected to constraints.Comment: 7 page

Bone and Phosphate in Relation to Health, Survival and Genetic Factors

In this thesis, we found that a) low bone mineral density was related to increased mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and b) increased serum phosphate, even at normal levels, was related to fracture risk, low BMD at the lumbar spine and coronary artery calcification. For the latter association, we found evidence of causality, due to the implementation of Mendelian Randomization technique. All our results were more consistent or even unique in men. The genetic analyses on phosphate levels identified 264 loci in the human genome and highlighted the importance of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (6p21.3) also on phosphate levels, as the top hit mapped to the flanking region of the MHC. Interestingly, the same finding has been described in White British and East Asian Japanese populations. Our next step will be the replication in BioBank Japan followed by trans-ethnic meta-analysis and Bayesian fine-mapping

Beyond happiness: Building a science of discrete positive emotions.

While trait positive emotionality and state positive-valence affect have long been the subject of intense study, the importance of differentiating among several "discrete" positive emotions has only recently begun to receive serious attention. In this article, we synthesize existing literature on positive emotion differentiation, proposing that the positive emotions are best described as branches of a "family tree" emerging from a common ancestor mediating adaptive management of fitness-critical resources (e.g., food). Examples are presented of research indicating the importance of differentiating several positive emotion constructs. We then offer a new theoretical framework, built upon a foundation of phylogenetic, neuroscience, and behavioral evidence, that accounts for core features as well as mechanisms for differentiation. We propose several directions for future research suggested by this framework and develop implications for the application of positive emotion research to translational issues in clinical psychology and the science of behavior change. (PsycINFO Database Recor