1,276 research outputs found
Seabed characterization: developing fit for purpose methodologies
We briefly describe three methods of seabed characterization which are ‘fit for purpose’, in
that each approach is well suited to distinct objectives e.g. characterizing glacial
geomorphology and shallow glacial geology vs. rapid prediction of seabed sediment
distribution via geostatistics. The methods vary from manual ‘expert’ interpretation to
increasingly automated and mathematically based models, each with their own attributes
and limitations. We would note however that increasing automation and mathematical
sophistication does not necessarily equate to improve map outputs, or reduce the time
required to produce them. Judgements must be made to select methodologies which are
most appropriate to the variables mapped, and according to the extent and presentation
scale of final maps
Fermion Masses and Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking from a Single U(1)
We present a supersymmetric model of flavor. A single U(1) gauge group is
responsible for both generating the flavor spectrum and communicating
supersymmetry breaking to the visible sector. The problem of Flavor Changing
Neutral Currents is overcome, in part using an `Effective Supersymmetry'
spectrum among the squarks, with the first two generations very heavy. All
masses are generated dynamically and the theory is completely renormalizable.
The model contains a simple Froggatt-Nielsen sector and communicates
supersymmetry breaking via gauge mediation without requiring a separate
messenger sector. By forcing the theory to be consistent with SU(5) Grand
Unification, the model predicts a large tan beta and a massless up quark. While
respecting the experimental bounds on CP violation in the K-system, the model
leads to a large enhancement of CP violation in B-(B bar) mixing as well as in
B decay amplitudes.Comment: LaTeX, 25 pages, 8 figure
A pulsating white dwarf in an eclipsing binary
White dwarfs are the burnt-out cores of Sun-like stars and are the fate of 97 per cent of the stars in our Galaxy. The internal structure and composition of white dwarfs are hidden by their high gravities, which causes all elements apart from the lightest ones to settle out of their atmospheres. The most direct method of probing the inner structure of stars and white dwarfs in detail is via asteroseismology. Here we present a pulsating white dwarf in an eclipsing binary system, enabling us to place extremely precise constraints on the mass and radius of the white dwarf from the lightcurve, independent of the pulsations. This 0.325-solar-mass white dwarf—one member of the SDSS J115219.99+024814.4 system—will serve as a powerful benchmark with which to constrain empirically the core composition of low-mass stellar remnants and to investigate the effects of close binary evolution on the internal structure of white dwarfs
Incipient Separation in Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interactions as Induced by Sharp Fin
The incipient separation induced by the shock wave turbulent boundary layer
interaction at the sharp fin is the subject of present study. Existing theories
for the prediction of incipient separation, such as those put forward by McCabe
(1966) and Dou and Deng (1992), can have thus far only predicting the direction
of surface streamline and tend to over-predict the incipient separation
condition based on the Stanbrook's criterion. In this paper, the incipient
separation is firstly predicted with Dou and Deng (1992)'s theory and then
compared with Lu and Settles (1990)' experimental data. The physical mechanism
of the incipient separation as induced by the shock wave/turbulent boundary
layer interactions at sharp fin is explained via the surface flow pattern
analysis. Furthermore, the reason for the observed discrepancy between the
predicted and experimental incipient separation conditions is clarified. It is
found that when the wall limiting streamlines behind the shock wave becomes\
aligning with one ray from the virtual origin as the strength of shock wave
increases, the incipient separation line is formed at which the wall limiting
streamline becomes perpendicular to the local pressure gradient. The formation
of this incipient separation line is the beginning of the separation process.
The effects of Reynolds number and the Mach number on incipient separation are
also discussed. Finally, a correlation for the correction of the incipient
separation angle as predicted by the theory is also given.Comment: 34 pages; 9 figure
Dilatonic Interpretation of the Quintessence?
We discuss the possibility that "quintessential effects", recently displayed
by large scale observations, may be consistently described in the context of
the low-energy string effective action, and we suggest a possible approach to
the problem of the cosmic coincidence based on the link between the strength of
the dilaton couplings and the cosmological state of our Universe.Comment: 6 pages, Revtex, four figures included using epsfig. To appear in
Phys. Rev.
On the Resolution of Singularities of Multiple Mellin-Barnes Integrals
One of the two existing strategies of resolving singularities of multifold
Mellin-Barnes integrals in the dimensional regularization parameter, or a
parameter of the analytic regularization, is formulated in a modified form. The
corresponding algorithm is implemented as a Mathematica code MBresolve.mComment: LaTeX, 10 page
Quintessence arising from exponential potentials
We demonstrate how exponential potentials that could arise in the early
Universe as a result of Kaluza-Klein type compactifications of string theory,
can lead to cosmological solutions which correspond to the currently observed
accelerating Universe. The idea is simple, relying solely on the known scaling
properties associated with exponential potentials. In particular we show that
the existence of stable attractor solutions implies that the results hold for a
wide range of coupling constants and initial conditions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, published versio
Obesity-induced changes in T-cell metabolism are associated with impaired memory T-cell response to influenza and are not reversed with weight loss
Background: Obesity is an independent risk factor for increased influenza mortality and is associated with impaired memory T-cell response, resulting in increased risk of infection. In this study, we investigated if weight loss would restore memory T-cell response to influenza. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either low-fat or high-fat diet to induce obesity. Once obesity was established, all mice received primary infection with influenza X-31. Following a recovery period, we switched half of the obese group to a low-fat diet to induce weight loss. Fifteen weeks after diet switch, all mice were given a secondary infection with influenza PR8, and memory T-cell function and T-cell metabolism were measured. Results: Following secondary influenza infection, memory T-cell subsets in the lungs of obese mice were decreased compared to lean mice. At the same time, T cells from obese mice were found to have altered cellular metabolism, largely characterized by an increase in oxygen consumption. Neither impaired memory T-cell response nor altered T-cell metabolism was reversed with weight loss. Conclusion: Obesity-associated changes in T-cell metabolism are associated with impaired T-cell response to influenza, and are not reversed with weight loss
Microbiota and host determinants of behavioural phenotype in maternally separated mice
Early-life stress is a determinant of vulnerability to a variety of disorders that include dysfunction of the brain and gut. Here we exploit a model of early-life stress, maternal separation (MS) in mice, to investigate the role of the intestinal microbiota in the development of impaired gut function and altered behaviour later in life. Using germ-free and specific pathogen-free mice, we demonstrate that MS alters the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and colonic cholinergic neural regulation in a microbiota-independent fashion. However, microbiota is required for the induction of anxiety-like behaviour and behavioural despair. Colonization of adult germ-free MS and control mice with the same microbiota produces distinct microbial profiles, which are associated with altered behaviour in MS, but not in control mice. These results indicate that MS-induced changes in host physiology lead to intestinal dysbiosis, which is a critical determinant of the abnormal behaviour that characterizes this model of early-life stress
- …