Time-delayed feedback in neurosystems

The influence of time delay in systems of two coupled excitable neurons is studied in the framework of the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. Time-delay can occur in the coupling between neurons or in a self-feedback loop. The stochastic synchronization of instantaneously coupled neurons under the influence of white noise can be deliberately controlled by local time-delayed feedback. By appropriate choice of the delay time synchronization can be either enhanced or suppressed. In delay-coupled neurons, antiphase oscillations can be induced for sufficiently large delay and coupling strength. The additional application of time-delayed self-feedback leads to complex scenarios of synchronized in-phase or antiphase oscillations, bursting patterns, or amplitude death.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figure

Biology, Genetics, and Environment: Underlying Factors Influencing Alcohol Metabolism.

Gene variants encoding several of the alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), are among the largest genetic associations with risk for alcohol dependence. Certain genetic variants (i.e., alleles)--particularly the ADH1B*2, ADH1B*3, ADH1C*1, and ALDH2*2 alleles--have been associated with lower rates of alcohol dependence. These alleles may lead to an accumulation of acetaldehyde during alcohol metabolism, which can result in heightened subjective and objective effects. The prevalence of these alleles differs among ethnic groups; ADH1B*2 is found frequently in northeast Asians and occasionally Caucasians, ADH1B*3 is found predominantly in people of African ancestry, ADH1C*1 varies substantially across populations, and ALDH2*2 is found almost exclusively in northeast Asians. Differences in the prevalence of these alleles may account at least in part for ethnic differences in alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, these alleles do not act in isolation to influence the risk of AUD. For example, the gene effects of ALDH2*2 and ADH1B*2 seem to interact. Moreover, other factors have been found to influence the extent to which these alleles affect a person's alcohol involvement, including developmental stage, individual characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, antisocial behavior, and behavioral undercontrol), and environmental factors (e.g., culture, religion, family environment, and childhood adversity)

Hyperon forward spin polarizability gamma0 in baryon chiral perturbation theory

We present the calculation of the hyperon forward spin polarizability gamma0 using manifestly Lorentz covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory including the intermediate contribution of the spin 3/2 states. As at the considered order the extraction of gamma0 is a pure prediction of chiral perturbation theory, the obtained values are a good test for this theory. After including explicitly the decuplet states, our SU(2) results have a very good agreement with the experimental data and we extend our framework to SU(3) to give predictions to the hyperons' gamma0 values. Prominent are the Sigma^- and Xi^- baryons as their photon transition to the decuplet is forbidden in SU(3) symmetry and therefore they are not sensitive to the explicit inclusion of the decuplet in the theory

A large Muon Electric Dipole Moment from Flavor?

We study the prospects and opportunities of a large muon electric dipole moment (EDM) of the order (10^{-24} - 10^{-22}) ecm. We investigate how natural such a value is within the general minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model with CP violation from lepton flavor violation in view of the experimental constraints. In models with hybrid gauge-gravity mediated supersymmetry breaking a large muon EDM is indicative for the structure of flavor breaking at the Planck scale, and points towards a high messenger scale.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures. v3: References and Eq 28 fixed; conclusions unchange

Dirk van Hulle. Modern Manuscripts: The Extended Mind and Creative Undoing from Darwin to Beckett and Beyond. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. xiii + 271 pp.

Review of Dirk van Hulle. Modern Manuscripts: The Extended Mind and Creative Undoing from Darwin to Beckett and Beyond. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. xiii + 271 pp

Sara J. Brenneis. Genre Fusion: A New Approach to History, Fiction, and Memory in Contemporary Spain. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue UP, 2014. viii + 241 pp.

Review of Sara J. Brenneis. Genre Fusion: A New Approach to History, Fiction, and Memory in Contemporary Spain. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue UP, 2014. viii + 241 pp