Symmetries of BFKL Equation

We discuss the algebraic structure of the spin chains related to high energy scattering in QCD. We study the sl(2) Yangian symmetry and possible generalizations to nonzero spin and anisotropy parameter.Comment: 16 pages, Late

A rocket ozonesonde for geophysical research and satellite intercomparison

The in-situ rocketsonde for ozone profile measurements developed and flown for geophysical research and satellite comparison is reviewed. The measurement principle involves the chemiluminescence caused by ambient ozone striking a detector and passive pumping as a means of sampling the atmosphere as the sonde descends through the atmosphere on a parachute. The sonde is flown on a meteorological sounding rocket, and flight data are telemetered via the standard meteorological GMD ground receiving system. The payload operation, sensor performance, and calibration procedures simulating flight conditions are described. An error analysis indicated an absolute accuracy of about 12 percent and a precision of about 8 percent. These are combined to give a measurement error of 14 percent

Response of selected microorganisms to experimental planetary environments

The anaerobic utilization of phosphite or phosphine and the significance of this conversion to potential contamination of Jupiter were investigated. A sporeforming organism was isolated from Cape Canaveral soil which anaerobically converts hypophosphite to phosphate. This conversion coincides with an increase in turbidity of the culture and with phosphate accumulation in the medium. Investigations of omnitherms (organisms which grow over a broad temperature range, i.e. 3 -55 C were also conducted. The cellular morphology of 28 of these isolates was investigated, and all were demonstrated to be sporeformers. Biochemical characterizations are also presented. Procedures for replicate plating were evaluated, and those results are also presented. The procedures for different replicate-plating techniques are presented, and these are evaluated on the basis of reproducibility, percentage of viable transfer, and ease of use. Standardized procedures for the enumeration of microbial populations from ocean-dredge samples from Cape Canaveral are also presented

Differences in reactivation of tuberculosis induced from anti-tnf treatments are based on bioavailability in granulomatous tissue

The immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is complex. Experimental evidence has revealed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a major role in host defense against Mtb in both active and latent phases of infection. TNF-neutralizing drugs used to treat inflammatory disorders have been reported to increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), in accordance with animal studies. The present study takes a computational approach toward characterizing the role of TNF in protection against the tubercle bacillus in both active and latent infection. We extend our previous mathematical models to investigate the roles and production of soluble (sTNF) and transmembrane TNF (tmTNF). We analyze effects of anti-TNF therapy in virtual clinical trials (VCTs) by simulating two of the most commonly used therapies, anti-TNF antibody and TNF receptor fusion, predicting mechanisms that explain observed differences in TB reactivation rates. The major findings from this study are that bioavailability of TNF following anti-TNF therapy is the primary factor for causing reactivation of latent infection and that sTNF-even at very low levels-is essential for control of infection. Using a mathematical model, it is possible to distinguish mechanisms of action of the anti-TNF treatments and gain insights into the role of TNF in TB control and pathology. Our study suggests that a TNF-modulating agent could be developed that could balance the requirement for reduction of inflammation with the necessity to maintain resistance to infection and microbial diseases. Alternatively, the dose and timing of anti-TNF therapy could be modified. Anti-TNF therapy will likely lead to numerous incidents of primary TB if used in areas where exposure is likely. © 2007 Marino et al

The BFKL Pomeron in 2+1 Dimensional QCD

We investigate the high-energy scattering in the spontaneously broken Yang - Mills gauge theory in 2+1 space--time dimensions and present the exact solution of the leading $\ln s$ BFKL equation. The solution is constructed in terms of special functions using the earlier results of two of us (L.N.L. and L.S.). The analytic properties of the $t$-channel partial wave as functions of the angular momentum and momentum transfer have been studied. We find in the angular momentum plane: (i) a Regge pole whose trajectory has an intercept larger than 1 and (ii) a fixed cut with the rightmost singularity located at $j=1$. The massive Yang - Mills theory can be considered as a theoretical model for the (non-perturbative) Pomeron. We study the main structure and property of the solution including the Pomeron trajectory at momentum transfer different from zero. The relation to the results of M. Li and C-I. Tan for the massless case is discussed.Comment: 28 pages LATEX, 3 EPS figures include

High T(c) superconductors: Technical and commercial challenge

Some basic questions of the way which leads from the discovery of high-T(c) superconductors to their applications is surveyed. The influence of high-T(c) superconducting technology on the industrial and social development is also briefly analyzed

Effective Action for High-Energy Scattering in Gravity

The multi-Regge effective action is derived directly from the linearized gravity action. After excluding the redundant field components we separate the fields into momentum modes and integrate over modes which correspond neither to the kinematics of scattering nor to the one of exchanged particles. The effective vertices of scattering and of particle production are obtained as sums of the contributions from the triple and quartic interaction terms and the fields in the effective action are defined in terms of the two physical components of the metric fluctuation.Comment: 15 pages, LATE

Direct and Constructivist Instructional Design: A Comparison of Efficiency Using Mental Workload and Task Performance

This paper investigates the efficiency of two instructional design conditions: a traditional design based on the direct instruction approach to learning and its extension with a collaborative activity based upon the community of inquiry approach to learning. This activity was built upon a set of textual trigger questions to elicit cognitive abilities and support knowledge formation. A total of 115 students participated in the experiments and a number of third-level computer science classes where divided in two groups. A control group of learners received the former instructional design while an experimental group also received the latter design. Subsequently, learners of each group individually answered a multiple-choice questionnaire, from which a performance measure was extracted for the evaluation of the acquired factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge. Two measures of mental workload were acquired through self-reporting questionnaires: one unidimensional and one multidimensional. These, in conjunction with the performance measure, contributed to the definition of a measure of efficiency. Evidence showed the positive impact of the added collaborative activity on efficiency

Factorization of R-matrix and Baxter's Q-operator

The general rational solution of the Yang-Baxter equation with the symmetry algebra sl(2) can be represented as the product of the simpler building blocks denoted as R-operators. The R-operators are constructed explicitly and have simple structure. Using the R-operators we construct the two-parametric Baxter's Q-operator for the generic inhomogeneous periodic XXX spin chain. In the case of homogeneous XXX spin chain it is possible to reduce the general Q-operator to the much simpler one-parametric operator.Comment: 17 page