283 research outputs found
Additional Light Waves in Hydrodynamics and Holography
We study the phenomenon of additional light waves (ALWs), observed in crystal
optics: two or more electromagnetic waves with the same polarization, but
different refractive index, propagate simultaneously in a isotropic medium. We
show that ALWs are common in relativistic hydrodynamics, and in particular in
strongly coupled systems that admit a dual gravitational description, where the
ALWs are dual to quasi normal modes in the AdS gravity. We study both the
transverse and the longitudinal light wave propagation. In the longitudinal
channel we find a transition between regimes with different number of excitonic
resonances which resembles the transition to standard optics observed in
crystals.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure
SQCD: A Geometric Apercu
We take new algebraic and geometric perspectives on the old subject of SQCD.
We count chiral gauge invariant operators using generating functions, or
Hilbert series, derived from the plethystic programme and the Molien-Weyl
formula. Using the character expansion technique, we also see how the global
symmetries are encoded in the generating functions. Equipped with these methods
and techniques of algorithmic algebraic geometry, we obtain the character
expansions for theories with arbitrary numbers of colours and flavours.
Moreover, computational algebraic geometry allows us to systematically study
the classical vacuum moduli space of SQCD and investigate such structures as
its irreducible components, degree and syzygies. We find the vacuum manifolds
of SQCD to be affine Calabi-Yau cones over weighted projective varieties.Comment: 49 pages, 1 figur
N=1 Chern-Simons theories, orientifolds and Spin(7) cones
We construct three dimensional N=1 Chern-Simons theories living on M2 branes
probing Spin(7) cones. We consider Spin(7) manifolds obtained as quotients of
Calabi-Yau four-folds by an anti-holomorphic involution, following a
construction by Joyce. The corresponding Chern-Simons theories can be obtained
from N=2 theories by an orientifolding procedure. These theories are
holographically dual to M theory solutions AdS_4 \times H, where the weak G_2
manifold H is the base of the Spin(7) cone.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, reference added
Integrability on the Master Space
It has been recently shown that every SCFT living on D3 branes at a toric
Calabi-Yau singularity surprisingly also describes a complete integrable
system. In this paper we use the Master Space as a bridge between the
integrable system and the underlying field theory and we reinterpret the
Poisson manifold of the integrable system in term of the geometry of the field
theory moduli space.Comment: 47 pages, 20 figures, using jheppub.st
Master Space, Hilbert Series and Seiberg Duality
We analyze the action of Toric (Seiberg) duality on the combined mesonic and
baryonic moduli space of quiver gauge theories obtained from D3 branes at
Calabi-Yau singularities. We analyze in particular the structure of the master
space, the complete moduli space for one brane, for different toric phases of a
given singularity. We show that the Hilbert Series for the largest component of
the master space of different phases is the same, when refined with all the non
anomalous charges. This reflects the fact that the quiver gauge theories
associated with different phases are related by Seiberg duality when the number
of branes is greater than one.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, 7 tables; minor correction
Lung volume reduction reoperations
BACKGROUND:
Optimal management of emphysematous patients who have lost the benefits achieved after lung volume reduction surgery is a clinical dilemma. We have hypothesized that in stringently selected instances, lung volume reduction reoperations might be considered as a salvage surgical treatment. We sought to analyze the results of a series of patients undergoing lung volume reduction reoperations after successful bilateral lung volume reduction surgery.
METHODS:
Between January 2000 and April 2006, 17 patients (mean age, 66 +/- 3 years) with radiologic evidence of distinct regional lung hyperinflation underwent lung volume reduction reoperations. Surgical procedures entailed completion lobectomy in 7 patients, nonanatomic resection of lung target areas were performed in 5 patients under general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation, and awake lung plication was performed in 5 patients under sole epidural anesthesia. Follow-up at 6 and 12 months was complete in all survivors.
RESULTS:
Mean operative time was 100 +/- 12 minutes. Two patients (11.7%) died perioperatively of adult respiratory distress syndrome. Hospital stay was 9 +/- 2 days. Significant improvements occurred for up to 12 months in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1); p < 0.001), forced vital capacity (p < 0.002), residual volume (p < 0.001), 6-minute walk test (p < 0.001), and modified Medical Research Council dyspnea index (p < 0.001). At 6-months, improvements in FEV(1) were greater than 200 mL in 11 patients and correlated with the postoperative reduction in residual volume (r = -0.62, p = 0.01); baseline residual volume was inversely correlated with the degree of improvement in the dyspnea index (r = -0.54, p = 0.03).
CONCLUSIONS:
Lung volume reduction reoperations can offer significant clinical improvement to stringently selected patients who have lost the clinical benefit achieved after lung volume reduction surgery
Relative Emergence of Weeds and Corn and Soybean
The success of integrated weed management relies on matching control strategies to the specific weed problem in a field. This requires information not only on what weed species and how many of these weeds are present in a field, but also knowledge of the distribution of the weeds throughout the field and the stage of development of these weeds. Weed control recommendations typically provide information on appropriate tillage methods and herbicide selection. The information concerning weed infestations used to base these recommendations typically is not of sufficient detail to optimize the efficiency of these strategies. Information on weed populations can be improved by increasing the time spent scouting fields. However, time restraints during the busy spring season restrict this opportunity. This problem could be alleviated with an improved understanding of the environmental influences on weed emergence and growth, therefore allowing us to predict when best to invest time in scouting. Armed with greater knowledge of weed development and populations, a person could determine the optimum time for tillage and crop planting to reduce weed populations, maximizing the effectiveness of mechanical weed control operations, and for timing of burndown and postemergence herbicide applications. Although there has been considerable research and modeling of weed emergence in recent years, little effort has been directed toward development of emergence information for persons involved in weed management. This paper provides information on how weed emergence timing influences weed management systems. Included are preliminary rankings of relative emergence for important weed species in the Midwest. The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is supporting efforts to develop more precise emergence indices that will be of greater benefit in aiding the development of more efficient weed management systems
Phases of M2-brane Theories
We investigate different toric phases of 2+1 dimensional quiver gauge
theories arising from M2-branes probing toric Calabi-Yau 4 folds. A brane
tiling for each toric phase is presented. We apply the 'forward algorithm' to
obtain the toric data of the mesonic moduli space of vacua and exhibit the
equivalence between the vacua of different toric phases of a given singularity.
The structures of the Master space, the mesonic moduli space, and the baryonic
moduli space are examined in detail. We compute the Hilbert series and use them
to verify the toric dualities between different phases. The Hilbert series,
R-charges, and generators of the mesonic moduli space are matched between toric
phases.Comment: 60 pages, 28 figures, 6 tables. v2: minor correction
Growth and Fecundity of Several Weed Species in Corn and Soybean
Do weeds that emerge later in the season justify additional control costs\u27? If crop yield is not reduced or few or no seeds arc added to the soil seed hank, then no control may he needed. Eight weed species were sown in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean I Glycine max (L.) Mcrr.l (i) before crop emergence, (ii) at crop emergence, (iii) at V-1, and (iv) at V-2 stages of crop growth in 2002 and 2003. Weed seed was sown close to the crop row and thinned to 1.3 plants m 2• Weed growth and fecundity were influenced by species, time of planting, and year. Only barnyarclgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli L.), rcclroot pigwced (Amaranthus retniflexus L.), and vclvetlcaf (Abutilon theophrasti L.) survived to produce seed. Plants from the pre-emergence seeding had the largest canopy and produced the most seeds. Harnyardgrass had maximum canopy cover in early .July in corn and late .Inly in soybean hut only produced seed in corn. Rcclroot pigweecl and vclvctleaf had maximum canopy cover in late August or midSeptember, and some plants from most seeding elates survived and produced seed in both corn and soybean. However, plants that grew from seed sown at V-1 and V-2 crnp grnwth stages did not reduce yield or biomass of adjacent crop plants, had low fecundity, and may not warrant treatment. Control may be necessary, however, to prevent yield losses if weeds arc present at high densities or to prevent establishment of uncommon species
Scattering Amplitudes and Toric Geometry
In this paper we provide a first attempt towards a toric geometric
interpretation of scattering amplitudes. In recent investigations it has indeed
been proposed that the all-loop integrand of planar N=4 SYM can be represented
in terms of well defined finite objects called on-shell diagrams drawn on
disks. Furthermore it has been shown that the physical information of on-shell
diagrams is encoded in the geometry of auxiliary algebraic varieties called the
totally non negative Grassmannians. In this new formulation the infinite
dimensional symmetry of the theory is manifest and many results, that are quite
tricky to obtain in terms of the standard Lagrangian formulation of the theory,
are instead manifest. In this paper, elaborating on previous results, we
provide another picture of the scattering amplitudes in terms of toric
geometry. In particular we describe in detail the toric varieties associated to
an on-shell diagram, how the singularities of the amplitudes are encoded in
some subspaces of the toric variety, and how this picture maps onto the
Grassmannian description. Eventually we discuss the action of cluster
transformations on the toric varieties. The hope is to provide an alternative
description of the scattering amplitudes that could contribute in the
developing of this very interesting field of research.Comment: 58 pages, 25 figures, typos corrected, a reference added, to be
published in JHE
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