Twisted Quantum Fields on Moyal and Wick-Voros Planes are Inequivalent

The Moyal and Wick-Voros planes A^{M,V}_{\theta} are *-isomorphic. On each of these planes the Poincar\'e group acts as a Hopf algebra symmetry if its coproducts are deformed by twist factors. We show that the *-isomorphism T: A^M_{\theta} to A^V_{\theta} does not also map the corresponding twists of the Poincar\'e group algebra. The quantum field theories on these planes with twisted Poincar\'e-Hopf symmetries are thus inequivalent. We explicitly verify this result by showing that a non-trivial dependence on the non-commutative parameter is present for the Wick-Voros plane in a self-energy diagram whereas it is known to be absent on the Moyal plane (in the absence of gauge fields). Our results differ from these of (arXiv:0810.2095 [hep-th]) because of differences in the treatments of quantum field theories.Comment: 12 page

Inequivalence of QFT's on Noncommutative Spacetimes: Moyal versus Wick-Voros

In this paper, we further develop the analysis started in an earlier paper on the inequivalence of certain quantum field theories on noncommutative spacetimes constructed using twisted fields. The issue is of physical importance. Thus it is well known that the commutation relations among spacetime coordinates, which define a noncommutative spacetime, do not constrain the deformation induced on the algebra of functions uniquely. Such deformations are all mathematically equivalent in a very precise sense. Here we show how this freedom at the level of deformations of the algebra of functions can fail on the quantum field theory side. In particular, quantum field theory on the Wick-Voros and Moyal planes are shown to be inequivalent in a few different ways. Thus quantum field theory calculations on these planes will lead to different physics even though the classical theories are equivalent. This result is reminiscent of chiral anomaly in gauge theories and has obvious physical consequences. The construction of quantum field theories on the Wick-Voros plane has new features not encountered for quantum field theories on the Moyal plane. In fact it seems impossible to construct a quantum field theory on the Wick-Voros plane which satisfies all the properties needed of field theories on noncommutative spaces. The Moyal twist seems to have unique features which make it a preferred choice for the construction of a quantum field theory on a noncommutative spacetime.Comment: Revised version accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.D; 18 page

The NIF LinkOut Broker: A Web Resource to Facilitate Federated Data Integration using NCBI Identifiers

This paper describes the NIF LinkOut Broker (NLB) that has been built as part of the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) project. The NLB is designed to coordinate the assembly of links to neuroscience information items (e.g., experimental data, knowledge bases, and software tools) that are (1) accessible via the Web, and (2) related to entries in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI’s) Entrez system. The NLB collects these links from each resource and passes them to the NCBI which incorporates them into its Entrez LinkOut service. In this way, an Entrez user looking at a specific Entrez entry can LinkOut directly to related neuroscience information. The information stored in the NLB can also be utilized in other ways. A second approach, which is operational on a pilot basis, is for the NLB Web server to create dynamically its own Web page of LinkOut links for each NCBI identifier in the NLB database. This approach can allow other resources (in addition to the NCBI Entrez) to LinkOut to related neuroscience information. The paper describes the current NLB system and discusses certain design issues that arose during its implementation

Trehalose/sodium hyaluronate eye drops in post-cataract ocular surface disorders

Purpose Prospective, randomised, open-label, comparative study to evaluate efficacy of trehalose/sodium hyaluronate eye drops for post-operative discomfort and tear film stability in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Methods Patients with healthy ocular surface, subclinical, or mild dry eye were enrolled. Tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer test, dry eye symptoms, corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), and ocular surface disease (OSDI) evaluation were performed pre-operatively and at two and four weeks after surgery. Patients were assigned to receive trehalose/sodium hyaluronate eye drops b.i.d (Group A), or 0.9% unpreserved sodium chloride eye drops b.i.d for 4 weeks (Group B). Results One hundred and thirty-five patients were randomised, 66 patients in Group A (73.2 +/- 4.5 years) and 69 patients in Group B (74.3 +/- 3.8 years), 60.8% females. Fifteen patients (8 Group A) were lost at follow-up. Pre-operatively, no between-group differences were observed, and TBUT increased in Group A between the pre-operative and 2 and 4 week evaluations and was higher in group A than in Group B at 4 weeks. Schirmer test and CFS showed an improvement only in Group A four weeks post-operatively. In Group A an improvement was observed after two and four weeks in foreign body and puncture sensation, whilst a difference in blinking discomfort was observed after four weeks. In Group B we observed an improvement in puncture sensation two and four weeks after surgery. Mean OSDI scores differences between the two groups were significant at four weeks. Conclusions Trehalose/sodium hyaluronate eye drops were effective in reducing signs and symptoms of dry eye and improving tear film stabilit

The Divertor Tokamak Test facility proposal: Physical requirements and reference design

The main goal of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) is to explore alternative power exhaust solutions for DEMO. The principal objective is to mitigate the risk of a difficult extrapolation to fusion reactor of the conventional divertor based on detached conditions under test on ITER. The task includes several issues, as: (i) demonstrating a heat exhaust system capable of withstanding the large load of DEMO in case of inadequate radiated power fraction; (ii) closing the gaps in the exhaust area that cannot be addressed by present devices; (iii) demonstrating how the possible implemented solutions (e.g., advanced divertor configurations or liquid metals) can be integrated in a DEMO device. In view of these goals, the basic physical DTT parameters have been selected according to the following guidelines: (i) edge conditions as close as possible to DEMO in terms of dimensionless parameters; (ii) flexibility to test a wide set of divertor concepts and techniques; (iii) compatibility with bulk plasma performance; (iv) an upper bound of 500 M€ for the investment costs. © 2017 The Author

A variational approach to the optimized phonon technique for electron-phonon problems

An optimized phonon approach for the numerical diagonalization of interacting electron-phonon systems is proposed. The variational method is based on an expansion in coherent states that leads to a dramatic truncation in the phonon space. The reliability of the approach is demonstrated for the extended Holstein model showing that different types of lattice distortions are present at intermediate electron-phonon couplings as observed in strongly correlated systems. The connection with the density matrix renormalization group is discussed.Comment: 4 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.

Temporary Kerato-Prosthesis to Resolve Traumatic Loss of a Healed Corneal Button

The aim of this study is to report a rare case of traumatic complete loss of a donor corneal button successfully resolved by a 24-h implantation of a temporary kerato-prosthesis. A healthy 30-year-old man with a history of prior penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) presented with an open globe following accidental contusive trauma with a ball, while he was playing football. At slit-lamp evaluation, complete dehiscence of the wound at the graft-host junction and complete corneal button loss was evident. The patient was immediately taken to the operating room, but a donor cornea was not available; therefore, a vitreo-retinal temporary kerato-prosthesis was implanted to close the eyeball until a new donor cornea was available. In case of complete dehiscence of the donor-host junction after PKP with corneal button loss, it is possible to use a temporary kerato-prosthesis to stabilize the eye and contain the intraocular structures. We recommend the availability of temporary vitreo-retinal kerato-prosthesis in the operating theatres of Corneal Surgical Units

The INCF Digital Atlasing Program: Report on Digital Atlasing Standards in the Rodent Brain

The goal of the INCF Digital Atlasing Program is to provide the vision and direction necessary to make the rapidly growing collection of multidimensional data of the rodent brain (images, gene expression, etc.) widely accessible and usable to the international research community. This Digital Brain Atlasing Standards Task Force was formed in May 2008 to investigate the state of rodent brain digital atlasing, and formulate standards, guidelines, and policy recommendations.

Our first objective has been the preparation of a detailed document that includes the vision and specific description of an infrastructure, systems and methods capable of serving the scientific goals of the community, as well as practical issues for achieving
the goals. This report builds on the 1st INCF Workshop on Mouse and Rat Brain Digital Atlasing Systems (Boline et al., 2007, _Nature Preceedings_, doi:10.1038/npre.2007.1046.1) and includes a more detailed analysis of both the current state and desired state of digital atlasing along with specific recommendations for achieving these goals

Perspectives on data sharing and the New NIH policy from the European Union

The U.S. National Institutes of Health sponsored a meeting in April 2021 to consider how to increase the scientific culture of data sharing. The editors of this special section on the meeting asked three prominent scientists to provide perspectives from Europe on data sharing and management and about the possibilities for global cooperation

Length functions on currents and applications to dynamics and counting

The aim of this (mostly expository) article is twofold. We first explore a variety of length functions on the space of currents, and we survey recent work regarding applications of length functions to counting problems. Secondly, we use length functions to provide a proof of a folklore theorem which states that pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms of closed hyperbolic surfaces act on the space of projective geodesic currents with uniform north-south dynamics.Comment: 35pp, 2 figures, comments welcome! Second version: minor corrections. To appear as a chapter in the forthcoming book "In the tradition of Thurston" edited by V. Alberge, K. Ohshika and A. Papadopoulo