1,224 research outputs found
Retarded coordinates based at a world line, and the motion of a small black hole in an external universe
In the first part of this article I present a system of retarded coordinates
based at an arbitrary world line of an arbitrary curved spacetime. The
retarded-time coordinate labels forward light cones that are centered on the
world line, the radial coordinate is an affine parameter on the null generators
of these light cones, and the angular coordinates are constant on each of these
generators. The spacetime metric in the retarded coordinates is displayed as an
expansion in powers of the radial coordinate and expressed in terms of the
world line's acceleration vector and the spacetime's Riemann tensor evaluated
at the world line. The formalism is illustrated in two examples, the first
involving a comoving world line of a spatially-flat cosmology, the other
featuring an observer in circular motion in the Schwarzschild spacetime. The
main application of the formalism is presented in the second part of the
article, in which I consider the motion of a small black hole in an empty
external universe. I use the retarded coordinates to construct the metric of
the small black hole perturbed by the tidal field of the external universe, and
the metric of the external universe perturbed by the presence of the black
hole. Matching these metrics produces the MiSaTaQuWa equations of motion for
the small black hole.Comment: 20 pages, revtex4, 2 figure
Luminosity- and morphology-dependent clustering of galaxies
How does the clustering of galaxies depend on their inner properties like
morphological type and luminosity? We address this question in the mathematical
framework of marked point processes and clarify the notion of luminosity and
morphological segregation. A number of test quantities such as conditional
mark-weighted two-point correlation functions are introduced. These descriptors
allow for a scale-dependent analysis of luminosity and morphology segregation.
Moreover, they break the degeneracy between an inhomogeneous fractal point set
and actual present luminosity segregation. Using the Southern Sky Redshift
Survey~2 (da Costa et al. 1998, SSRS2) we find both luminosity and
morphological segregation at a high level of significance, confirming claims by
previous works using these data (Benoist et al. 1996, Willmer et al. 1998).
Specifically, the average luminosity and the fluctuations in the luminosity of
pairs of galaxies are enhanced out to separations of 15Mpc/h. On scales smaller
than 3Mpc/h the luminosities on galaxy pairs show a tight correlation. A
comparison with the random-field model indicates that galaxy luminosities
depend on the spatial distribution and galaxy-galaxy interactions. Early-type
galaxies are also more strongly correlated, indicating morphological
segregation. The galaxies in the PSCz catalog (Saunders et al. 2000) do not
show significant luminosity segregation. This again illustrates that mainly
early-type galaxies contribute to luminosity segregation. However, based on
several independent investigations we show that the observed luminosity
segregation can not be explained by the morphology-density relation alone.Comment: aastex, emulateapj5, 20 pages, 13 figures, several clarifying
comments added, ApJ accepte
Definition of infection after fracture fixation: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials to evaluate current practice
Introduction: One of the most challenging musculoskeletal complications in modern trauma surgery is infection after fracture fixation (IAFF). Although infections are clinically obvious in many cases, a clear definition of the term IAFF is crucial, not only for the evaluation of published research data but also for the establishment of uniform treatment concepts. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the definitions used in the scientific literature to describe infectious complications after internal fixation of fractures. The hypothesis of this study was that the majority of fracture-related literature do not define IAFF. Material and methods: A comprehensive search was performed in Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Medline (OvidSP), PubMed publisher and Web-of-Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on fracture fixation. Data were collected on the definition of infectious complications after fracture fixation used in each study. Study selection was accomplished through two phases. During the first phase, titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance, and the full texts of relevant articles were obtained. During the second phase, full-text articles were reviewed. All definitions were literally extracted and collected in a database. Then, a classification was designed to rate the quality of the description of IAFF. Results: A total of 100 RCT’s were identified in the search. Of 100 studies, only two (2%) cited a validated definition to describe IAFF. In 28 (28%) RCTs, the authors used a self-designed definition. In the other 70 RCTs, (70%) there was no description of a definition in the Methods section, although all of the articles described infections as an outcome parameter in the Results section. Conclusion: This systematic review shows that IAFF is not defined in a large majority of the fracture-related literature. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted with the objective to explore this important issue. The lack of a consensus definition remains a problem in current orthopedic trauma research and treatment and this void should be addressed in the near future
Double Inflation in Supergravity and the Large Scale Structure
The cosmological implication of a double inflation model with hybrid + new
inflations in supergravity is studied. The hybrid inflation drives an inflaton
for new inflation close to the origin through supergravity effects and new
inflation naturally occurs. If the total e-fold number of new inflation is
smaller than , both inflations produce cosmologically relevant density
fluctuations. Both cluster abundances and galaxy distributions provide strong
constraints on the parameters in the double inflation model assuming
standard cold dark matter scenario. The future satellite
experiments to measure the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave
background will make a precise determination of the model parameters possible.Comment: 19 pages (RevTeX file
Natural Double Inflation in Supergravity
We propose a natural double inflation model in supergravity. In this model,
chaotic inflation first takes place by virtue of the Nambu-Goldstone-like shift
symmetry, which guarantees the absence of the exponential factor in the
potential for the inflaton field. During chaotic inflation, an initial value of
the second inflation (new inflation) is set. In this model, the initial value
of new inflation can be adequately far from the local maximum of the potential
for new inflation due to the small linear term of the inflaton in the K\"ahler
potential. Therefore, the primordial fluctuations within the present horizon
scale may be attributed to both inflations; that is, the first chaotic
inflation produces the primordial fluctuations on the large cosmological scales
while the second new inflation on the smaller scales. The successive decay of
the inflaton for new inflation leads to a reheating temperature low enough to
avoid the overproduction of gravitinos in a wide range of the gravitino mass.Comment: 13 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Dimensions of professional competences for interventions towards sustainability
This paper investigates sustainability competences through the eyes of professional practitioners in the field of sustainability and presents empirical data that have been created using an action research approach. The design of the study consists of two workshops, in which professional practitioners in interaction with each other and the facilitators are invited to explore and reflect on the specific knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours necessary to conduct change processes successfully towards sustainability in a variety of business and professional contexts. The research focuses on the competences associated with these change processes to devise, propose and conduct appropriate interventions that address sustainability issues. Labelled ‘intervention competence’, this ability comprises an interlocking set of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that include: appreciating the importance of (trying to) reaching decisions or interventions; being able to learn from lived experience of practice and to connect such learning to one’s own scientific knowledge; being able to engage in political-strategic thinking, deliberations and actions, related to different perspectives; the ability for showing goal-oriented, adequate action; adopting and communicating ethical practices during the intervention process; being able to cope with the degree of complexity, and finally being able to translate stakeholder diversity into collectively produced interventions (actions) towards sustainability. Moreover, this competence has to be practised in contexts of competing values, non-technical interests and power relations. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and practice
Atypical development of the executive attention network in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Impairment in the executive control of attention has been found in youth with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). However, how this impairment is modified by other factors, particularly age, is unknown. Forty-six typically developing and 53 children with 22q11.2DS were tested with the attention networks task (ANT) in this cross-sectional study. We used logarithmic transform and linear modeling to assess age effects on the executive index of the ANT. Mixed modeling accounted for between subject variability, age, handedness, catecholamine-O-transferase (COMT; codon 158) genotype, and gender on performance for all experimental conditions (cue × flanker) and their two-level interactions. Children with 22q11.2DS showed a relative, age-dependent executive index impairment but not orienting or alerting network index impairments. In factorial analysis, age was a major predictor of overall performance. There was a significant effect of the 22q11.2DS on overall performance. Of note, children with 22q11.2DS are specifically vulnerable to incongruent flanker interference, especially at younger ages. We did not find an overall effect of COMT genotype or handedness. Children with 22q11.2DS demonstrated age-related impairment in the executive control of attention. Future investigation will likely reveal that there are different developmental trajectories of executive attentional function likely related to the development of schizophrenia in 22q11.2DS
Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics
How and why small municipalities promote sustainability through planning efforts is poorly understood. We analyzed ordinances in 451 Maine municipalities and tested theories of policy adoption using regression analysis.We found that smaller communities do adopt programs that contribute to sustainability relevant to their scale and context. In line with the political market theory, we found that municipalities with strong environmental interests, higher growth, and more formal governments were more likely to adopt these policies. Consideration of context and capacity in planning for sustainability will help planners better identify and benefit from collaboration, training, and outreach opportunities
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