Anatomy of Zero-norm States in String Theory

We calculate and identify the counterparts of zero-norm states in the old covariant first quantised (OCFQ) spectrum of open bosonic string in two other quantization schemes of string theory, namely the light-cone DDF zero-norm states and the off-shell BRST zero-norm states (with ghost) in the Witten string field theory (WSFT). In particular, special attention is paid to the inter-particle zero-norm states in all quantization schemes. For the case of the off-shell BRST zero-norm states, we impose the no ghost conditions and recover exactly two types of on-shell zero-norm states in the OCFQ string spectrum for the first few low-lying mass levels. We then show that off-shell gauge transformations of WSFT are identical to the on-shell stringy gauge symmetries generated by two types of zero-norm states in the generalized massive sigma-model approach of string theory. The high energy limit of these stringy gauge symmetries was recently used to calculate the proportionality constants, conjectured by Gross, among high energy scattering amplitudes of different string states. Based on these zero-norm state calculations, we have thus related gauge symmetry of WSFT to the high-energy stringy symmetry of Gross.Comment: 30 page

O(f) Bi-Approximation for Capacitated Covering with Hard Capacities

We consider capacitated vertex cover with hard capacity constraints (VC-HC) on hypergraphs. In this problem we are given a hypergraph G = (V, E) with a maximum edge size f. Each edge is associated with a demand and each vertex is associated with a weight (cost), a capacity, and an available multiplicity. The objective is to find a minimum-weight vertex multiset such that the demands of the edges can be covered by the capacities of the vertices and the multiplicity of each vertex does not exceed its available multiplicity. In this paper we present an O(f) bi-approximation for VC-HC that gives a trade-off on the number of augmented multiplicity and the cost of the resulting cover. In particular, we show that, by augmenting the available multiplicity by a factor of k geq 2, a cover with a cost ratio of (1+ frac{1}{k - 1})(f - 1) to the optimal cover for the original instance can be obtained. This improves over a previous result, which has a cost ratio of f^2 via augmenting the available multiplicity by a factor of f

High-energy zero-norm states and symmetries of string theory

High-energy limit of zero-norm states (HZNS) in the old covariant first quantized (OCFQ) spectrum of the 26D open bosonic string, together with the assumption of a smooth behavior of string theory in this limit, are used to derive infinitely many linear relations among the leading high-energy, fixed angle behavior of four point functions of different string states. As a result, ratios among all high-energy scattering amplitudes of four arbitrary string states can be calculated algebraically and the leading order amplitudes can be expressed in terms of that of four tachyons as conjectured by Gross in 1988. A dual calculation can also be performed and equivalent results are obtained by taking the high-energy limit of Virasoro constraints. Finally, as a consistent sample calculation, we compute all high-energy scattering amplitudes of three tachyons and one massive state at the leading order by saddle-point approximation to justify our results.Comment: 10 pages, no figure, modifications of text and reference

Immunosuppressive effect and global dysregulation of blood transcriptome in response to psychosocial stress in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus).

Psychosocial stressors - life events that challenge social support and relationships - represent powerful risk factors for human disease; included amongst these events are relocation, isolation and displacement. To evaluate the impact of a controlled psychosocial stressor on physiology and underlying molecular pathways, we longitudinally studied the influence of a 28-day period of quarantine on biomarkers of immune signalling, microbial translocation, glycaemic health and blood transcriptome in the wild-born vervet monkey. This event caused a coordinated, mostly transient, reduction of circulating levels of nine immune signalling molecules. These were paralleled by a massive dysregulation of blood transcriptome, including genes implicated in chronic pathologies and immune functions. Immune and inflammatory functions were enriched among the genes downregulated in response to stress. An upregulation of genes involved in blood coagulation, platelet activation was characteristic of the rapid response to stress induction. Stress also decreased neutrophils and increased CD4 + T cell proportions in blood. This model of psychosocial stress, characterised by an immune dysregulation at the transcriptomic, molecular and cellular levels, creates opportunities to uncover the underlying mechanisms of stress-related diseases with an immune component, including cardiovascular diseases and susceptibility to infections

Tight Approximation for Partial Vertex Cover with Hard Capacities

We consider the partial vertex cover problem with hard capacity constraints (Partial VC-HC) on hypergraphs. In this problem we are given a hypergraph G=(V,E) with a maximum edge size f and a covering requirement R. Each edge is associated with a demand, and each vertex is associated with a capacity and an (integral) available multiplicity. The objective is to compute a minimum vertex multiset such that at least R units of demand from the edges are covered by the capacities of the vertices in the multiset and the multiplicity of each vertex does not exceed its available multiplicity. In this paper we present an f-approximation for this problem, improving over a previous result of (2f+2)(1+epsilon) by Cheung et al to the tight extent possible. Our new ingredient of this work is a generalized analysis on the extreme points of the natural LP, developed from previous works, and a strengthened LP lower-bound obtained for the optimal solutions

Treatment of Model Error in Calibration by Robust and Fuzzy Procedures

Animal sensory systems are optimally adapted to those features typically encountered in natural surrounds, thus allowing neurons with limited bandwidth to encode challengingly large input ranges. Natural scenes are not random, and peripheral visual systems in vertebrates and insects have evolved to respond efficiently to their typical spatial statistics. The mammalian visual cortex is also tuned to natural spatial statistics, but less is known about coding in higher order neurons in insects. To redress this we here record intracellularly from a higher order visual neuron in the hoverfly. We show that the cSIFE neuron, which is inhibited by stationary images, is maximally inhibited when the slope constant of the amplitude spectrum is close to the mean in natural scenes. The behavioural optomotor response is also strongest to images with naturalistic image statistics. Our results thus reveal a close coupling between the inherent statistics of natural scenes and higher order visual processing in insects.Supplementary information available for this article at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/151006/ncomms9522/suppinfo/ncomms9522_S1.html</p

An ANGPTL4-ceramide-protein kinase Cζ axis mediates chronic glucocorticoid exposure-induced hepatic steatosis and hypertriglyceridemia in mice.

Chronic or excess glucocorticoid exposure causes lipid disorders such as hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis. Angptl4 (angiopoietin-like 4), a primary target gene of the glucocorticoid receptor in hepatocytes and adipocytes, is required for hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis induced by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Angptl4 has also been shown to be required for dexamethasone-induced hepatic ceramide production. Here, we further examined the role of ceramide-mediated signaling in hepatic dyslipidemia caused by chronic glucocorticoid exposure. Using a stable isotope-labeling technique, we found that dexamethasone treatment induced the rate of hepatic de novo lipogenesis and triglyceride synthesis. These dexamethasone responses were compromised in Angptl4-null mice (Angptl4-/-). Treating mice with myriocin, an inhibitor of the rate-controlling enzyme of de novo ceramide synthesis, serine palmitoyltransferase long-chain base subunit 1 (SPTLC1)/SPTLC2, decreased dexamethasone-induced plasma and liver triglyceride levels in WT but not Angptl4-/- mice. We noted similar results in mice infected with adeno-associated virus-expressing small hairpin RNAs targeting Sptlc2. Protein phosphatase 2 phosphatase activator (PP2A) and protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ) are two known downstream effectors of ceramides. We found here that mice treated with an inhibitor of PKCζ, 2-acetyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (ACPD), had lower levels of dexamethasone-induced triglyceride accumulation in plasma and liver. However, small hairpin RNA-mediated targeting of the catalytic PP2A subunit (Ppp2ca) had no effect on dexamethasone responses on plasma and liver triglyceride levels. Overall, our results indicate that chronic dexamethasone treatment induces an ANGPTL4-ceramide-PKCζ axis that activates hepatic de novo lipogenesis and triglyceride synthesis, resulting in lipid disorders

Experimental Study on Minimum Depth of Interior Joints for Special Moment Frames with High-Strength Reinforcement and Concrete

ACI 318-19 permits the use of Grade 690 bars for primary reinforcement of special structural walls, but not for special moment frames because of insufficient experimental evidence of frame joints. Where Grade 690 bars are used for longitudinal reinforcement, the bond and anchorage at beam-column joints become crucial in the design of special moment frames. Due to paucity of experimental evidence, ACI 318 set a minimum joint depth that is proportional to bar diameter and grade without accounting for effects of high-strength concrete and other parameters. In practice, higher-grade reinforcement may be used together with high-strength concrete, particularly for columns with limited architectural dimensions and high axial load at the lower levels of high-rise buildings. Therefore, the authors designed and conducted an experimental program of four interior beam-column joints reinforced with Grade 420 or 690 bars to investigate the beneficial effect of concrete strength on the bond of beam longitudinal bars passing through an interior joint. Cyclic test results show that the minimum joint depth could be reduced with the use of high-strength concrete for Grade 690 bars