918 research outputs found
A New Exponential Gravity
We propose a new exponential f(R) gravity model with f(R)=(R-\lambda
c)e^{\lambda(c/R)^n} and n>3, \lambda\geq 1, c>0 to explain late-time
acceleration of the universe. At the high curvature region, the model behaves
like the \LambdaCDM model. In the asymptotic future, it reaches a stable
de-Sitter spacetime. It is a cosmologically viable model and can evade the
local gravity constraints easily. This model share many features with other
f(R) dark energy models like Hu-Sawicki model and Exponential gravity model. In
it the dark energy equation of state is of an oscillating form and can cross
phantom divide line \omega_{de}=-1. In particular, in the parameter range 3<
n\leq 4, \lambda \sim 1, the model is most distinguishable from other models.
For instance, when n=4, \lambda=1, the dark energy equation of state will cross
-1 in the earlier future and has a stronger oscillating form than the other
models, the dark energy density in asymptotical future is smaller than the one
in the high curvature region. This new model can evade the local gravity tests
easily when n>3 and \lambda>1.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
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A new method for modeling and solving the protein fold recognition problem
Computational recognition of native-like folds from a protein fold database is considered to be a promising alternative approach to the ab initio fold prediction. We present a new and effective method for protein fold recognition through optimally aligning (threading) an amino acid sequence and a protein fold (template). A protein fold, in our database, is represented as a series of core secondary structures, and the alignment quality is determined by three factors. They are (1) the fitness between each amino acid and the environment of its assigned (aligned) template position; (2) pairwise interaction preferences between amino acids that are spatially close; and (3) alignment gap penalties. Our threading algorithm constructs an optimum alignment between an amino acid sequence of size n and a protein fold template of size m in 0((m + n{sup 1+0.5C}-M log(n))n{sup C+1}) time and 0(nm + n{sup C+2}) space, where M is the number of core secondary structures in the fold, and C is a (small) nonnegative integer, determined by a mathematical property of the pairwise interactions in the fold. C is less than or equal to 3 for about 90% of the 296 unique folds in our database, when pairwise interactions are restricted to amino acids 3, when threading requires too much memory and time to be practical on a typical workstation
Homeostasis Meets Motivation in the Battle to Control Food Intake.
Signals of energy homeostasis interact closely with neural circuits of motivation to control food intake. An emerging hypothesis is that the transition to maladaptive feeding behavior seen in eating disorders or obesity may arise from dysregulation of these interactions. Focusing on key brain regions involved in the control of food intake (ventral tegmental area, striatum, hypothalamus, and thalamus), we describe how activity of specific cell types embedded within these regions can influence distinct components of motivated feeding behavior. We review how signals of energy homeostasis interact with these regions to influence motivated behavioral output and present evidence that experience-dependent neural adaptations in key feeding circuits may represent cellular correlates of impaired food intake control. Future research into mechanisms that restore the balance of control between signals of homeostasis and motivated feeding behavior may inspire new treatment options for eating disorders and obesity
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Uncertainty in the reactive transport model response to analkaline perturbation in a clay formation
The mineral alteration in the concrete barrier and in the clay formation around long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in the French deep geological disposal concept is evaluated using numerical modeling. There are concerns that the mineralogical composition of the surrounded clay will not be stable under the high alkaline pore fluid conditions caused by concrete (pH {approx} 12). Conversely, the infiltration of CO{sub 2}-rich groundwater from the clay formation into initially unsaturated concrete, at the high temperature (T {approx} 70 C) produced from the decay of radionuclides, could cause carbonation, thereby potentially affecting critical performance functions of this barrier. This could also lead to significant changes in porosity, which would affect aqueous diffusive transport of long-lived radionuclides. All these processes are therefore intimately coupled and advanced reactive transport models are required for long-term performance assessment. The uncertainty in predictions of these models is one major question that must be answered. A mass-transfer model response to an alkaline perturbation in clay with standard model values is first simulated using the two-phase non-isothermal reactive transport code TOUGHREACT. The selection of input parameters is thereafter designed to sample uncertainties in a wide range of physico-chemical processes without making a priori assumptions about the relative importance of different feedbacks. This 'base-case' simulation is perturbed by setting a parameter to a minimum, intermediate or maximum value or by switching on/off a process. This sensitivity analysis is conducted using grid computing facilities of BRGM (http://iggi.imag.fr). Our evaluation of the preliminary results suggests that the resaturation and the heating of the near-field will be of long enough duration to cause a limited carbonation through all the width of the concrete barrier. Another prediction is the possibility of self-sealing at the concrete/clay interface. Further research is however required to discuss the effect of such evolution on the desirable performance function of both barriers
Covariant anomaly and Hawking radiation from the modified black hole in the rainbow gravity theory
Recently, Banerjee and Kulkarni (R. Banerjee, S. Kulkarni, arXiv:0707.2449
[hep-th]) suggested that it is conceptually clean and economical to use only
the covariant anomaly to derive Hawking radiation from a black hole. Based upon
this simplified formalism, we apply the covariant anomaly cancellation method
to investigate Hawking radiation from a modified Schwarzschild black hole in
the theory of rainbow gravity. Hawking temperature of the gravity's rainbow
black hole is derived from the energy-momentum flux by requiring it to cancel
the covariant gravitational anomaly at the horizon. We stress that this
temperature is exactly the same as that calculated by the method of cancelling
the consistent anomaly.Comment: 5 page
Black Hole Entropy: From Shannon to Bekenstein
In this note we have applied directly the Shannon formula for information
theory entropy to derive the Black Hole (Bekenstein-Hawking) entropy. Our
analysis is semi-classical in nature since we use the (recently proposed [8])
quantum mechanical near horizon mode functions to compute the tunneling
probability that goes in to the Shannon formula, following the general idea of
[5]. Our framework conforms to the information theoretic origin of Black Hole
entropy, as originally proposed by Bekenstein.Comment: 9 pages Latex, Comments are welcome; Thoroughly revised version,
reference and acknowledgements sections enlarged, numerical error in final
result corrected, no major changes, to appear in IJT
Lifetime prevalence and associated factors of itch with skin conditions:atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and dry skin in individuals aged > 50 years
Background: Itch, common in dermatological conditions, is often accompanied by psychological distress and reduced quality of life. However, research on the prevalence and associated factors of itch with skin conditions in general populations is limited. Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence of itch with skin conditions and to identify its associated factors in individuals aged > 50 years. Methods: Participants from the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort, were interviewed to assess whether they had ever had an itchy skin condition, defining lifetime itch with skin conditions. Over 20 demographic, lifestyle, dermatological and nondermatological factors were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis explored associations between these factors and itch with skin conditions, reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: In total, 5246 eligible participants were included (age range 51-100 years, median age 67; 56.0% women). The results revealed a -lifetime prevalence of 33.7% for itch with skin conditions. Factors significantly associated with itch were female sex (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43), body mass index (1.02, 1.01-1.03), self-reported atopic dermatitis (4.29, 3.74-4.92), presence of atopic dermatitis (1.97, 1.60-2.43), self - reported psoriasis (2.31, 1.77-3.01), presence of psoriasis (2.11, 1.55-2.87), self-reported dry skin (1.95, 1.73-2.20), self-reported asthma (1.40, 1.08-1.83), renal impairment (1.45, 1.17-1.79), and clinically relevant depressive (1.85, 1.52-2.25) and anxiety symptoms (1.36, 1.11-1.66). Conclusions: This study reveals a substantial one-third lifetime prevalence of itch with skin conditions in individuals aged > 50 years. Significant associations with diverse lifestyle, demographic, dermatological and, intriguingly, nondermatological factors, including renal impairment, imply additional contributors to induction or persistence of itch in individuals with skin conditions.</p
Anomaly analysis of Hawking radiation from Kaluza-Klein black hole with squashed horizon
Considering gravitational and gauge anomalies at the horizon, a new method
that to derive Hawking radiations from black holes has been developed by
Wilczek et al. In this paper, we apply this method to non-rotating and rotating
Kaluza-Klein black holes with squashed horizon, respectively. For the rotating
case, we found that, after the dimensional reduction, an effective U(1) gauge
field is generated by an angular isometry. The results show that the gauge
current and energy-momentum tensor fluxes are exactly equivalent to Hawking
radiation from the event horizon.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, the improved version, accepted by Eur. Phys. J.
Threshold Electrodisintegration of ^3He
Cross sections were measured for the near-threshold electrodisintegration of
^3He at momentum transfer values of q=2.4, 4.4, and 4.7 fm^{-1}. From these and
prior measurements the transverse and longitudinal response functions R_T and
R_L were deduced. Comparisons are made against previously published and new
non-relativistic A=3 calculations using the best available NN potentials. In
general, for q<2 fm^{-1} these calculations accurately predict the threshold
electrodisintegration of ^3He. Agreement at increasing q demands consideration
of two-body terms, but discrepancies still appear at the highest momentum
transfers probed, perhaps due to the neglect of relativistic dynamics, or to
the underestimation of high-momentum wave-function components.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, REVTEX4, submitted to Physical Review
Possible origins of macroscopic left-right asymmetry in organisms
I consider the microscopic mechanisms by which a particular left-right (L/R)
asymmetry is generated at the organism level from the microscopic handedness of
cytoskeletal molecules. In light of a fundamental symmetry principle, the
typical pattern-formation mechanisms of diffusion plus regulation cannot
implement the "right-hand rule"; at the microscopic level, the cell's
cytoskeleton of chiral filaments seems always to be involved, usually in
collective states driven by polymerization forces or molecular motors. It seems
particularly easy for handedness to emerge in a shear or rotation in the
background of an effectively two-dimensional system, such as the cell membrane
or a layer of cells, as this requires no pre-existing axis apart from the layer
normal. I detail a scenario involving actin/myosin layers in snails and in C.
elegans, and also one about the microtubule layer in plant cells. I also survey
the other examples that I am aware of, such as the emergence of handedness such
as the emergence of handedness in neurons, in eukaryote cell motility, and in
non-flagellated bacteria.Comment: 42 pages, 6 figures, resubmitted to J. Stat. Phys. special issue.
Major rewrite, rearranged sections/subsections, new Fig 3 + 6, new physics in
Sec 2.4 and 3.4.1, added Sec 5 and subsections of Sec
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