On the existence of finite-energy lumps in classic field theories

We show how the existence of non-trivial finite-energy time-dependent classical lumps is restricted by a generalized virial theorem. For simple model Lagrangians, bounds on energies follow.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; substantial change

An Introduction to Atheism, Agnosticism, & Non-Religious Worldviews

Coleman TJ, Hood RW, Streib H. An introduction to atheism, agnosticism, and nonreligious worldviews. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. 2018;10(3):203-206

Night-time lighting alters the composition of marine epifaunal communities

Marine benthic communities face multiple anthropogenic pressures that compromise the future of some of the most biodiverse and functionally important ecosystems in the world. Yet one of the pressures these ecosystems face, night-time lighting, remains unstudied. Light is an important cue in guiding the settlement of invertebrate larvae, and altering natural regimes of nocturnal illumination could modify patterns of recruitment among sessile epifauna. We present the first evidence of night-time lighting changing the composition of temperate epifaunal marine invertebrate communities. Illuminating settlement surfaces with white light-emitting diode lighting at night, to levels experienced by these communities locally, both inhibited and encouraged the colonization of 39% of the taxa analysed, including three sessile and two mobile species. Our results indicate that ecological light pollution from coastal development, shipping and offshore infrastructure could be changing the composition of marine epifaunal communities.European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework programme (FP7/2007-2013

Effects of Conventional vs. Conservation Tillage Systems on Population Dynamics of Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Dryland Cotton

Studies were conducted during 2000-2001 to determine the effects of a conservation tillage system in dryland cotton on soil surface temperatures, soil moisture, plant canopy structure, light interception, timing of fruit set, and how these factors affect crop yield and boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, populations compared with a conventional moldboard tillage system. Soil moisture at the 10-40 cm depth was 1.6-1.9-fold higher in the conservation tillage treatment than in the conventional tillage treatment throughout the first 90 days of crop growth due to the decreased evaporation from crop residue mulch. The conventional tillage cotton treatment had a greater water stress, causing plants to shed squares and bolls. Cotton plants in the conventional tillage treatment allocated more resources into vegetative growth while the conservation tillage cotton responded by fruiting at a higher rate. At 110 days after planting the conservation tillage cotton had an average height of 42.4 cm per plant versus 63.0 cm in conventional tillage, and the number of leaves per plant was 32.4 versus 51.7, while fruit numbers were 13.0 versus 7.1, respectively. Increased plant height and number of leaves in the conventional tillage provided significantly more light interception and shading of the soil surface. In the conservation tillage cotton, 60.2% of the incoming sunlight reached the soil surface, while the conventional tillage had only 36.2%. Soil temperatures between the rows in conservation tillage cotton were 8-11º C higher than in conventional tillage and significantly influenced boll weevil mortality in infested squares shed from plants. The number of boll weevils per plant was 2.3 to 3.4-fold higher in the conventional tillage compared with the conservation tillage. Trap counts of weevil populations followed a similar trend with 1.6 to 2.8-fold more weevils in the conventional tillage compared to conservation tillage. The mortality of boll weevils in fallen, naturally infested squares, and in cohorts of laboratory-infested squares collected from the middle of the rows was 1.5-1.8-fold higher in the conservation tillage field than in the conventional. Percent punctured squares by boll weevils during the growing season averaged 2.1-fold higher in conventional than in conservation tillage fields

Soft-Collinear Messengers: A New Mode in Soft-Collinear Effective Theory

It is argued that soft-collinear effective theory for processes involving both soft and collinear partons, such as exclusive B-meson decays, should include a new mode in addition to soft and collinear fields. These "soft-collinear messengers" can interact with both soft and collinear particles without taking them far off-shell. They thus can communicate between the soft and collinear sectors of the theory. The relevance of the new mode is demonstrated with an explicit example, and the formalism incorporating the corresponding quark and gluon fields into the effective Lagrangian is developed.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. Extended Section 6, clarifying the relevance of different types of soft-collinear interaction

Clinical audit of subjects with snoring & sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome fitted with mandibular repositioning splint

SummarySnoring and obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) are often treated with mandibular repositioning splints (MRS), but the efficacy and satisfaction of them has not been comprehensively addressed. A survey on the use of and satisfaction with MRS was posted to 177 patients referred by a hospital orthodontic department for custom-fitting of a MRS. Data were analysed using non-parametric techniques. The response rate was 81% (n=144). Responders (30F, 114M) had mean (SD) age of 51 (11) years, apnoea+hypopnoea index (AHI) of 24 (21) per hr and Epworth Score of 10 (5) at diagnosis, and had been supplied with their MRS a median 7 (IQR 5–11) months previously. Fifty of the 144 patients (35%) had been offered continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment but had declined or abandoned this. Self-reported MRS use was 5 (2) h/night, with 74 of the 144 patients (51%) continuing to use MRS at least occasionally at a median 7 months after fitting. Survival analysis showed 12% still using MRS at 12 months. Epworth score fell slightly with MRS therapy [−2.4 (3.5); P=0.005] and 7 daytime and 2 nocturnal symptoms improved in MRS users (all P<0.05). Marital satisfaction did not change with MRS. Problems preventing MRS use in 70 non-users included: non-retention (n=12), sore mouth (n=13) or jaw (n=7), difficulties falling asleep (n=10) or breathing (n=7), excessive salivation (n=4), dental damage (n=4) and other problems (n=3). Continued use of MRS therapy was associated with a higher number of teeth, low marital satisfaction perceived by partners and greater improvement in symptoms reported by patients and partners. Continuance with MRS may be low and linked to tolerance problems

Gravitational Waves in Open de Sitter Space

We compute the spectrum of primordial gravitational wave perturbations in open de Sitter spacetime. The background spacetime is taken to be the continuation of an O(5) symmetric instanton saddle point of the Euclidean no boundary path integral. The two-point tensor fluctuations are computed directly from the Euclidean path integral. The Euclidean correlator is then analytically continued into the Lorentzian region where it describes the quantum mechanical vacuum fluctuations of the graviton field. Unlike the results of earlier work, the correlator is shown to be unique and well behaved in the infrared. We show that the infrared divergence found in previous calculations is due to the contribution of a discrete gauge mode inadvertently included in the spectrum.Comment: 17 pages, compressed and RevTex file, including one postscript figure fil