543 research outputs found
Holographic Thermalization
Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we probe the scale-dependence of
thermalization in strongly coupled field theories following a quench, via
calculations of two-point functions, Wilson loops and entanglement entropy in
d=2,3,4. In the saddlepoint approximation these probes are computed in AdS
space in terms of invariant geometric objects - geodesics, minimal surfaces and
minimal volumes. Our calculations for two-dimensional field theories are
analytical. In our strongly coupled setting, all probes in all dimensions share
certain universal features in their thermalization: (1) a slight delay in the
onset of thermalization, (2) an apparent non-analyticity at the endpoint of
thermalization, (3) top-down thermalization where the UV thermalizes first. For
homogeneous initial conditions the entanglement entropy thermalizes slowest,
and sets a timescale for equilibration that saturates a causality bound over
the range of scales studied. The growth rate of entanglement entropy density is
nearly volume-independent for small volumes, but slows for larger volumes.Comment: 39 pages, 24 figure
Shaping electron wave functions in a carbon nanotube with a parallel magnetic field
A magnetic field, through its vector potential, usually causes measurable
changes in the electron wave function only in the direction transverse to the
field. Here we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that in carbon
nanotube quantum dots, combining cylindrical topology and bipartite hexagonal
lattice, a magnetic field along the nanotube axis impacts also the longitudinal
profile of the electronic states. With the high (up to 17T) magnetic fields in
our experiment the wave functions can be tuned all the way from "half-wave
resonator" shape, with nodes at both ends, to "quarter-wave resonator" shape,
with an antinode at one end. This in turn causes a distinct dependence of the
conductance on the magnetic field. Our results demonstrate a new strategy for
the control of wave functions using magnetic fields in quantum systems with
nontrivial lattice and topology.Comment: 5 figure
Pathway Signature and Cellular Differentiation in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common kidney cancer. The purpose of this study is to define a biological pathway signature and a cellular differentiation program in ccRCC. METHODOLOGY: We performed gene expression profiling of early-stage ccRCC and patient-matched normal renal tissue using Affymetrix HG-U133a and HG-U133b GeneChips combined with a comprehensive bioinformatic analyses, including pathway analysis. The results were validated by real time PCR and IHC on two independent sample sets. Cellular differentiation experiments were performed on ccRCC cell lines and their matched normal renal epithelial cells, in differentiation media, to determine their mesenchymal differentiation potential. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified a unique pathway signature with three major biological alterations-loss of normal renal function, down-regulated metabolism, and immune activation-which revealed an adipogenic gene expression signature linked to the hallmark lipid-laden clear cell morphology of ccRCC. Culturing normal renal and ccRCC cells in differentiation media showed that only ccRCC cells were induced to undergo adipogenic and, surprisingly, osteogenic differentiation. A gene expression signature consistent with epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) was identified for ccRCC. We revealed significant down-regulation of four developmental transcription factors (GATA3, TFCP2L1, TFAP2B, DMRT2) that are important for normal renal development. CONCLUSIONS: ccRCC is characterized by a lack of epithelial differentiation, mesenchymal/adipogenic transdifferentiation, and pluripotent mesenchymal stem cell-like differentiation capacity in vitro. We suggest that down-regulation of developmental transcription factors may mediate the aberrant differentiation in ccRCC. We propose a model in which normal renal epithelial cells undergo dedifferentiation, EMT, and adipogenic transdifferentiation, resulting in ccRCC. Because ccRCC cells grown in adipogenic media regain the characteristic ccRCC phenotype, we have identified a new in vitro ccRCC cell model more resembling ccRCC tumor morphology
On the Riemann Tensor in Double Field Theory
Double field theory provides T-duality covariant generalized tensors that are
natural extensions of the scalar and Ricci curvatures of Riemannian geometry.
We search for a similar extension of the Riemann curvature tensor by developing
a geometry based on the generalized metric and the dilaton. We find a duality
covariant Riemann tensor whose contractions give the Ricci and scalar
curvatures, but that is not fully determined in terms of the physical fields.
This suggests that \alpha' corrections to the effective action require \alpha'
corrections to T-duality transformations and/or generalized diffeomorphisms.
Further evidence to this effect is found by an additional computation that
shows that there is no T-duality invariant four-derivative object built from
the generalized metric and the dilaton that reduces to the square of the
Riemann tensor.Comment: 36 pages, v2: minor changes, ref. added, v3: appendix on frame
formalism added, version to appear in JHE
Ramond-Ramond Cohomology and O(D,D) T-duality
In the name of supersymmetric double field theory, superstring effective
actions can be reformulated into simple forms. They feature a pair of vielbeins
corresponding to the same spacetime metric, and hence enjoy double local
Lorentz symmetries. In a manifestly covariant manner --with regard to O(D,D)
T-duality, diffeomorphism, B-field gauge symmetry and the pair of local Lorentz
symmetries-- we incorporate R-R potentials into double field theory. We take
them as a single object which is in a bi-fundamental spinorial representation
of the double Lorentz groups. We identify cohomological structure relevant to
the field strength. A priori, the R-R sector as well as all the fermions are
O(D,D) singlet. Yet, gauge fixing the two vielbeins equal to each other
modifies the O(D,D) transformation rule to call for a compensating local
Lorentz rotation, such that the R-R potential may turn into an O(D,D) spinor
and T-duality can flip the chirality exchanging type IIA and IIB
supergravities.Comment: 1+37 pages, no figure; Structure reorganized, References added, To
appear in JHEP. cf. Gong Show of Strings 2012
(http://wwwth.mpp.mpg.de/members/strings/strings2012/strings_files/program/Talks/Thursday/Gongshow/Lee.pdf
A Double Sigma Model for Double Field Theory
We define a sigma model with doubled target space and calculate its
background field equations. These coincide with generalised metric equation of
motion of double field theory, thus the double field theory is the effective
field theory for the sigma model.Comment: 26 pages, v1: 37 pages, v2: references added, v3: updated to match
published version - background and detail of calculations substantially
condensed, motivation expanded, refs added, results unchange
The relationship between the perception of distributed leadership in secondary schools and teachers' and teacher leaders' job satisfaction and organizational commitment
This study investigates the relation between distributed leadership, the cohesion of the leadership team, participative decision-making, context variables, and the organizational commitment and job satisfaction of teachers and teacher leaders. A questionnaire was administered to teachers and teacher leaders (n=1770) from 46 large secondary schools. Multiple regression analyses and path analyses revealed that the study variables explained significant variance in organizational commitment. The degree of explained variance for job satisfaction was considerably lower compared to organizational commitment. Most striking was that the cohesion of the leadership team and the amount of leadership support was strongly related to organizational commitment, and indirectly to job satisfaction. Decentralization of leadership functions was weakly related to organizational commitment and job satisfaction
Dynamic response of an Arctic epishelf lake to seasonal and long-term forcing: implications for ice shelf thickness
Changes in the depth of the freshwater–seawater interface in epishelf lakes
have been used to infer long-term changes in the minimum thickness of ice
shelves; however, little is known about the dynamics of epishelf lakes and
what other factors may influence their depth. Continuous observations
collected between 2011 and 2014 in the Milne Fiord epishelf lake, in the
Canadian Arctic, showed that the depth of the halocline varied seasonally by
up to 3.3 m, which was comparable to interannual variability. The seasonal
depth variation was controlled by the magnitude of surface meltwater inflow
and the hydraulics of the inferred outflow pathway, a narrow basal channel in
the Milne Ice Shelf. When seasonal variation and an episodic mixing of the
halocline were accounted for, long-term records of depth indicated there was
no significant change in thickness of ice along the basal channel from 1983
to 2004, followed by a period of steady thinning at 0.50 m a−1 between
2004 and 2011. Rapid thinning at 1.15 m a−1 then occurred from 2011 to
2014, corresponding to a period of warming regional air temperatures.
Continued warming is expected to lead to the breakup of the ice shelf and the
imminent loss of the last known epishelf lake in the Arctic
Dopamine and semantic activation: An investigation of masked direct and indirect priming
To investigate the effects of dopamine on the dynamics of semantic activation, 39 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to ingest either a placebo (n = 24) or a levodopa (it = 16) capsule. Participants then performed a lexical decision task that implemented a masked priming paradigm. Direct and indirect semantic priming was measured across stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 250, 500 and 1200 ms. The results revealed significant direct and indirect semantic priming effects for the placebo group at SOAs of 250 ms and 500 ms, but no significant direct or indirect priming effects at the 1200 ms SOA. In contrast, the levodopa group showed significant direct and indirect semantic priming effects at the 250 ms SOA, while no significant direct or indirect priming effects were evident at the SOAs of 500 ins or 1200 ms. These results suggest that dopamine has a role in modulating both automatic and attentional aspects of semantic activation according to a specific time course. The implications of these results for current theories of dopaminergic modulation of semantic activation are discussed
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