The generic task toolset: High level languages for the construction of planning and problem solving systems

The current generation of languages for the construction of knowledge-based systems as being at too low a level of abstraction is criticized, and the need for higher level languages for building problem solving systems is advanced. A notion of generic information processing tasks in knowledge-based problem solving is introduced. A toolset which can be used to build expert systems in a way that enhances intelligibility and productivity in knowledge acquistion and system construction is described. The power of these ideas is illustrated by paying special attention to a high level language called DSPL. A description is given of how it was used in the construction of a system called MPA, which assists with planning in the domain of offensive counter air missions

Coupled superconductors and beyond

This paper describes the events leading to the discovery of coupled superconductors, the author's move in the 1970s to a perspective where mind plays a role comparable to matter, and the remarkable hostility sometimes encountered by those who venture into unconventional areas.Comment: Invited paper for special issue of Low Temperature Physics/Fizika Nizkikh Temperatur devoted to "Quantum Coherent Effects in Superconductors and New Materials". 6pp. v5: open-access published versio

Localization of Gauge Fields and Monopole Tunnelling

We study the dynamical localization of a massless gauge field on a lower-dimensional surface (2-brane). In flat space, the necessary and sufficient condition for this phenomenon is the existence of confinement in the bulk. The resulting configuration is equivalent to a dual Josephson junction. This duality leads to an interesting puzzle, as it implies that a localized massless theory, even in the Abelian case, must become confining at exponentially large distances. Through the use of topological arguments we clarify the physics behind this large-distance confinement and identify the instantons of the brane world-volume theory that are responsible for its appearance. We show that they correspond to the (condensed) bulk magnetic charges (monopoles), that occasionally tunnel through the brane and induce weak confinement of the brane theory. We consider the possible generalization of this effect to higher dimensions and discuss phenomenological bounds on the confinement of electric charges at exponentially large distances within our Universe.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, improvements in the presentation, version to appear in Physical Review

8-Cl-Adenosine enhances 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-induced growth inhibition without affecting 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-stimulated differentiation of primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes

BACKGROUND: Epidermal keratinocytes continuously proliferate and differentiate to form the mechanical and water permeability barrier that makes terrestrial life possible. In certain skin diseases, these processes become dysregulated, resulting in abnormal barrier formation. In particular, skin diseases such as psoriasis, actinic keratosis and basal and squamous cell carcinomas are characterized by hyperproliferation and aberrant or absent differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes. We previously demonstrated that 8-Cl-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado) can induce keratinocyte growth arrest without inducing differentiation. RESULTS: To determine if this agent might be useful in treating hyperproliferative skin disorders, we investigated whether 8-Cl-Ado could enhance the ability of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3 )[1,25(OH)(2)D(3)], a known keratinocyte differentiating agent and a clinical treatment for psoriasis, to inhibit keratinocyte growth. We found that low concentrations of 8-Cl-Ado and 1,25(OH)(2)D(3 )appeared to act additively to reduce proliferation of primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes. However, another agent (transforming growth factor-beta) that triggers growth arrest without inducing differentiation also coincidentally inhibits differentiation elicited by other agents; inhibition of differentiation is suboptimal for treating skin disorders, as differentiation is often already reduced. Thus, we determined whether 8-Cl-Ado also decreased keratinocyte differentiation induced by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), as measured using the early and late differentiation markers, keratin 1 protein levels and transglutaminase activity, respectively. 8-Cl-Ado did not affect 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-stimulated keratin 1 protein expression or transglutaminase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that 8-Cl-Ado might be useful in combination with differentiating agents for the treatment of hyperproliferative disorders of the skin

Oscillatory decay of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate

We study the decay of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate with negative effective interaction energy. With a decreasing atom number due to losses, the atom-atom interaction becomes less important and the system undergoes a transition from a bistable Josephson regime to the monostable Rabi regime, displaying oscillations in phase and number. We study the equations of motion and derive an analytical expression for the oscillation amplitude. A quantum trajectory simulation reveals that the classical description fails for low emission rates, as expected from analytical considerations. Observation of the proposed effect will provide evidence for negative effective interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figue

Universal Properties of Chiral Simmetry Breaking

We discuss chiral symmetry breaking critical points from the perspective of PCAC, correlation length scaling and the chiral equation of state. A scaling theory for the ratio $R_\pi$ of the pion to sigma masses is presented. The Goldstone character of the pion and properties of the longitudinal and transverse chiral susceptibilities determine the ratio $R_\pi$ which can be used to locate critical points and measure critical indices such as $\delta$. We show how PCAC and correlation length scaling determine the pion mass' dependence on the chiral condensate and lead to a practical method to measure the anomalous dimension $\eta$. These tools are proving useful in studies of the chiral transition in lattice QED and the quark-gluon plasma transition in lattice QCD.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures. CERN-TH.6630/92 ILL-(TH)-92-1

Universal point contact resistance between thin-film superconductors

A system comprising two superconducting thin films connected by a point contact is considered. The contact resistance is calculated as a function of temperature and film geometry, and is found to vanish rapidly with temperature, according to a universal, nearly activated form, becoming strictly zero only at zero temperature. At the lowest temperatures, the activation barrier is set primarily by the superfluid stiffness in the films, and displays only a weak (i.e., logarithmic) temperature dependence. The Josephson effect is thus destroyed, albeit only weakly, as a consequence of the power-law-correlated superconducting fluctuations present in the films below the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature. The behavior of the resistance is discussed, both in various limiting regimes and as it crosses over between these regimes. Details are presented of a minimal model of the films and the contact, and of the calculation of the resistance. A formulation in terms of quantum phase-slip events is employed, which is natural and effective in the limit of a good contact. However, it is also shown to be effective even when the contact is poor and is, indeed, indispensable, as the system always behaves as if it were in the good-contact limit at low enough temperature. A simple mechanical analogy is introduced to provide some heuristic understanding of the nearly-activated temperature dependence of the resistance. Prospects for experimental tests of the predicted behavior are discussed, and numerical estimates relevant to anticipated experimental settings are provided.Comment: 29 pages (single column format), 7 figure

Probing Pseudogap by Josephson Tunneling

We propose here an experiment aimed to determine whether there are superconducting pairing fluctuations in the pseudogap regime of the high-$T_c$ materials. In the experimental setup, two samples above $T_c$ are brought into contact at a single point and the differential AC conductivity in the presence of a constant applied bias voltage between the samples, $V$, should be measured. We argue the the pairing fluctuations will produce randomly fluctuating Josephson current with zero mean, however the current-current correlator will have a characteristic frequency given by Josephson frequency $\omega_J = 2 e V /\hbar$. We predict that the differential AC conductivity should have a peak at the Josephson frequency with the width determined by the phase fluctuations time.Comment: 4 pages, 2 eps figure