Coupling between M2-branes and Form Fields

In the context of low-energy effective theory of multiple M2-branes, we construct the interaction terms between the world-volume fields of M2-branes and the antisymmetric tensor fields of three- and six-forms. By utilizing the compactification procedure, we show coincidence between the dimensionally reduced coupling and the R-R coupling to D-branes in type II string theory. We also discuss that a cubic term proportional to six-form field reproduces the quartic mass-deformation term in the world-volume theory of multiple M2-branes.Comment: 18 page

Analytical solution of generalized Burton--Cabrera--Frank equations for growth and post--growth equilibration on vicinal surfaces

We investigate growth on vicinal surfaces by molecular beam epitaxy making use of a generalized Burton--Cabrera--Frank model. Our primary aim is to propose and implement a novel analytical program based on a perturbative solution of the non--linear equations describing the coupled adatom and dimer kinetics. These equations are considered as originating from a fully microscopic description that allows the step boundary conditions to be directly formulated in terms of the sticking coefficients at each step. As an example, we study the importance of diffusion barriers for adatoms hopping down descending steps (Schwoebel effect) during growth and post-growth equilibration of the surface.Comment: 16 pages, REVTeX 3.0, IC-DDV-94-00

Operationalising and measuring language dominance

The paper offers a new way to measure language ability in bilinguals, based on measures of lexical richness. The validity of proposed approach is tested in a variety of ways

Surface Kinetics and Generation of Different Terms in a Conservative Growth Equation

A method based on the kinetics of adatoms on a growing surface under epitaxial growth at low temperature in (1+1) dimensions is proposed to obtain a closed form of local growth equation. It can be generalized to any growth problem as long as diffusion of adatoms govern the surface morphology. The method can be easily extended to higher dimensions. The kinetic processes contributing to various terms in the growth equation (GE) are identified from the analysis of in-plane and downward hops. In particular, processes corresponding to the (h -> -h) symmetry breaking term and curvature dependent term are discussed. Consequence of these terms on the stable and unstable transition in (1+1) dimensions is analyzed. In (2+1) dimensions it is shown that an additional (h -> -h) symmetry breaking term is generated due to the in-plane curvature associated with the mound like structures. This term is independent of any diffusion barrier differences between in-plane and out of-plane migration. It is argued that terms generated in the presence of downward hops are the relevant terms in a GE. Growth equation in the closed form is obtained for various growth models introduced to capture most of the processes in experimental Molecular Beam Epitaxial growth. Effect of dissociation is also considered and is seen to have stabilizing effect on the growth. It is shown that for uphill current the GE approach fails to describe the growth since a given GE is not valid over the entire substrate.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Interaction between M2-branes and Bulk Form Fields

We construct the interaction terms between the world-volume fields of multiple M2-branes and the 3- and 6-form fields in the context of ABJM theory with U($N$)$\times$U($N$) gauge symmetry. A consistency check is made in the simplest case of a single M2-brane, i.e, our construction matches the known effective action of M2-brane coupled to antisymmetric 3-form field. We show that when dimensionally reduced, our couplings coincide with the effective action of D2-branes coupled to R-R 3- and 5-form fields in type IIA string theory. We also comment on the relation between a coupling with a specific 6-form field configuration and the supersymmetry preserving mass deformation in ABJM theory.Comment: 30 pages, version to appear in JHE

Bubbling AdS and Vacuum String Field Theory

We show that a family of 1/2--BPS states of $\N=4$ SYM is in correspondence with a family of classical solutions of VSFT with a $B$--field playing the role of the inverse Planck constant. We show this correspondence by relating the Wigner distributions of the $N$ fermion systems representing such states, to low energy space profiles of systems of VSFT D-branes. In this context the Pauli exclusion principle appears as a consequence of the VSFT projector equation. The family of 1/2--BPS states maps through coarse--graining to droplet LLM supergravity solutions. We discuss the possible meaning of the corresponding coarse graining in the VSFT side.Comment: 23 pages, subsection 4.1 added, Appendix suppressed. to be published in NP

Machine Learning in Automated Text Categorization

The automated categorization (or classification) of texts into predefined categories has witnessed a booming interest in the last ten years, due to the increased availability of documents in digital form and the ensuing need to organize them. In the research community the dominant approach to this problem is based on machine learning techniques: a general inductive process automatically builds a classifier by learning, from a set of preclassified documents, the characteristics of the categories. The advantages of this approach over the knowledge engineering approach (consisting in the manual definition of a classifier by domain experts) are a very good effectiveness, considerable savings in terms of expert manpower, and straightforward portability to different domains. This survey discusses the main approaches to text categorization that fall within the machine learning paradigm. We will discuss in detail issues pertaining to three different problems, namely document representation, classifier construction, and classifier evaluation.Comment: Accepted for publication on ACM Computing Survey

Comparison of multiple DNA dyes for real-time PCR: effects of dye concentration and sequence composition on DNA amplification and melting temperature

The importance of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has increased steadily in clinical applications over the last decade. Many applications utilize SYBR Green I dye to follow the accumulation of amplicons in real time. SYBR Green I has, however, a number of limitations that include the inhibition of PCR, preferential binding to GC-rich sequences and effects on melting curve analysis. Although a few alternative dyes without some of these limitations have been recently proposed, no large-scale investigation into the properties of intercalating dyes has been performed. In this study, we investigate 15 different intercalating DNA dyes for their inhibitory effects on PCR, effects on DNA melting temperature and possible preferential binding to GC-rich sequences. Our results demonstrated that in contrast to the results of SYBR Green I, two intercalating dyes SYTO-13 and SYTO-82 do not inhibit PCR, show no preferential binding to GC rich sequences and do not influence melting temperature, Tm, even at high concentrations. In addition, SYTO-82 demonstrated a 50-fold lower detection limit in a dilution series assay. In conclusion, the properties of SYTO-82 and SYTO-13 will simplify the development of multiplex assays and increase the sensitivity of real-time PCR

Optical Properties of III-Mn-V Ferromagnetic Semiconductors

We review the first decade of extensive optical studies of ferromagnetic, III-Mn-V diluted magnetic semiconductors. Mn introduces holes and local moments to the III-V host, which can result in carrier mediated ferromagnetism in these disordered semiconductors. Spectroscopic experiments provide direct access to the strength and nature of the exchange between holes and local moments; the degree of itineracy of the carriers; and the evolution of the states at the Fermi energy with doping. Taken together, diversity of optical methods reveal that Mn is an unconventional dopant, in that the metal to insulator transition is governed by the strength of the hybridization between Mn and its p-nictogen neighbor. The interplay between the optical, electronic and magnetic properties of III-Mn-V magnetic semiconductors is of fundamental interest and may enable future spin-optoelectronic devices.Comment: Topical Revie

Multiethnic meta-analysis identifies ancestry-specific and cross-ancestry loci for pulmonary function

Nearly 100 loci have been identified for pulmonary function, almost exclusively in studies of European ancestry populations. We extend previous research by meta-analyzing genome-wide association studies of 1000 Genomes imputed variants in relation to pulmonary function in a multiethnic population of 90,715 individuals of European (N = 60,552), African (N = 8429), Asian (N = 9959), and Hispanic/Latino (N = 11,775) ethnicities. We identify over 50 additional loci at genome-wide significance in ancestry-specific or multiethnic meta-analyses. Using recent fine-mapping methods incorporating functional annotation, gene expression, and differences in linkage disequilibrium between ethnicities, we further shed light on potential causal variants and genes at known and newly identified loci. Several of the novel genes encode proteins with predicted or established drug targets, including KCNK2 and CDK12. Our study highlights the utility of multiethnic and integrative genomics approaches to extend existing knowledge of the genetics of l