Remarks on a Proposed Super-Kamiokande Test for Quantum Gravity Induced Decoherence Effects

Lisi, Marrone, and Montanino have recently proposed a test for quantum gravity induced decoherence effects in neutrino oscillations observed at Super-Kamiokande. We comment here that their equations have the same qualitative form as the energy conserving objective state vector reduction equations discussed by a number of authors. However, using the Planckian parameter value proposed to explain state vector reduction leads to a neutrino oscillation effect many orders of magnitude smaller than would be detectable at Super-Kamiokande. Similar estimates hold for the Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber spontaneous localization approach to state vector reduction, and our remarks are relevant as well to proposed $K$ meson and $B$ meson tests of gravity induced decoherence.Comment: 10 pages, plain Tex, no figure

Apoptosis of Dedifferentiated Hepatoma Cells is Independent of NF-jB Activation in Response to LPS

Dedifferentiated hepatoma cells, in contrast to most other cell types including hepatoma cells, undergo apoptosis when treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHx). We recently reported that the dedifferentiated hepatoma cells also exhibit a strong and prolonged NF-jB induction phenotype upon exposure to LPS, suggesting that NF-jB signaling may play a pro-survival role, as reported in several other cell systems. To test the role of NF-jB in preventing LPS-mediated apoptosis, we examined the dedifferentiated cell line M38. Results show that antioxidants strongly inhibited LPS + CHx-mediated cell death in the M38 cells, yet only modestly inhibited NF-jB induction. In addition, inhibition of NF-jB translocation by infection of the M38 cells with an adenoviral vector expressing an IjBa super-repressor did not result in LPS-mediated cell death. These results suggest that unlike TNFa induction, the cell survival pathway activated in response to LPS is independent of NF-jB translocation in the dedifferentiated cells. Addition of inhibitors of JNK, p38 and ERK pathways also failed to elicit LPS-mediated apoptosis similar to that observed when protein synthesis is prevented. Thus, cell survival pathways other than those involving NF-jB inducible gene expression or other well-known pathways appear to be involved in protecting the dedifferentiated hepatoma variant cells from LPS-mediated apoptosis. Importantly, this pro-apoptotic function of LPS appears to be a function of loss of hepatic gene expression, as the parental hepatoma cells resist LPSmediated apoptosis in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors

Coulomb Phase Gluon Scattering at Strong Coupling

We calculate corrections to gluon scattering amplitudes in a Coulomb phase using gauge/string duality. The Coulomb phase considered is a maximal rank breaking of $SU(n_1+n_2)\to SU(n_1)\times SU(n_2) \times U(1)$. This problem therefore has 3 scales involved: 1) the scale of the massive fields $M_W$ arising from the spontaneous breaking of the gauge group; 2) The scale of the scattering, characterized by the Mandelstam variables $s,t,u$; 3) The IR regulator $m_{IR}$. We find corrections in the hard scattering limit $|s|,|t|,|u|\gg m_{IR}^2 \gg M_W^2$, and also find below threshold corrections with $M_W^2 \gg |s|,|t|,|u|$. We find that the corrections in the second case are finite, and so are IR regulator independent.Comment: 17+17 pages, 3 figure

Virtual SUSY Threshold Effects and CDF large ETE_{T} Anomaly

Recent CDF data of the inclusive jet cross section shows threshold-like structured deviation, around transverse momentum $E_T(j)\approx 200 \sim 350$ GeV. If this data is real, not just some statistical fluctuation, is it possible to interpret the anomaly in terms of virtual SUSY effects? The purpose of this note is to address this question. However, we find that virtual SUSY loop interference effects [near the threshold] are too small to explain the CDF data. Our main conclusion seems to be on the right track if we assume that the recent global analysis of improved parton distributions by Lai et al. is correct. PACS number(s): 14.65.Ha, 12.38.Bx, 12.60.Jv, 13.85.-tComment: 10 pages, RevTex, 1 Tex file and 5-page postscript together, To appear in Phys.Lett.

An open quantum system approach to EPR correlations in K0-K0 system

We find the time evolution of the system of two non-interacting unstable particles, distinguishable as well as identical ones, in arbitrary reference frame having only the Kraus operators governing the evolution of its components in the rest frame. We than calculate in the rigorous way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen quantum correlation functions for K0-K0 system in the singlet state taking into account CP-violation and decoherence and show that the results are exactly the same despite the fact we treat kaons as distinguishable or identical particles which means that the statistics of the particles plays no role, at least in considered cases.Comment: 14 pp. no fig

Sterile neutrinos in tau lepton decays

We study possible contributions of heavy sterile neutrinos $\nu_h$ to the decays $\tau^-\to e^{\pm}(\mu^{\pm})\pi^{\mp}\pi^-$. From the experimental upper bounds on their rates we derive new constraints on the $\nu_h-\nu_{\tau}$ mixing in the mass region $140.5{MeV}\leq m_{\nu_h}\leq 1637$ MeV. We discuss cosmological and astrophysical status of $\nu_h$ in this mass region and compare our constraints with those recently derived by the NOMAD collaboration.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Brane cosmology with an anisotropic bulk

In the context of brane cosmology, a scenario where our universe is a 3+1-dimensional surface (the ``brane'') embedded in a five-dimensional spacetime (the ``bulk''), we study geometries for which the brane is anisotropic - more specifically Bianchi I - though still homogeneous. We first obtain explicit vacuum bulk solutions with anisotropic three-dimensional spatial slices. The bulk is assumed to be empty but endowed with a negative cosmological constant. We then embed Z_2-symmetric branes in the anisotropic spacetimes and discuss the constraints on the brane energy-momentum tensor due to the five-dimensional anisotropic geometry. We show that if the bulk is static, an anisotropic brane cannot support a perfect fluid. However, we find that for some of our bulk solutions it is possible to embed a brane with a perfect fluid though its energy density and pressure are completely determined by the bulk geometry.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur

Brans-Dicke brane cosmology

A five dimensional brane cosmology with non-minimally coupled scalar field to gravity has been considered in a Jordan-Brans-Dicke frame. We derive an effective four dimensional field equations on a 3+1 dimensional brane where the fifth dimension has been assumed to have an orbifold symmetry. We have noticed that the evolution equation for the matter component stuck to the brane is non-trivially coupled to the scalar field living on the brane and the bulk. Finally we discuss some cosmological consequences of this set-up.Comment: 8 pages. Major revision. Conclusions where change

Economic development, human development, and the pursuit of happiness, April 1, 2, and 3, 2004

This repository item contains a single issue of the Pardee Conference Series, a publication series that began publishing in 2006 by the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. This was the Center's spring conference, which took place during April 1, 2, and 3, 2004.The conference asks the questions, how can we make sure that the benefits of economic growth flow into health, education, welfare, and other aspects of human development; and what is the relationship between human development and economic development? Speakers and participants discuss the role that culture, legal and political institutions, the UN Developmental Goals, the level of decision-making, and ethics, play in development