4,903 research outputs found
Discrete Symmetries of Off-Shell Electromagnetism
We discuss the discrete symmetries of the Stueckelberg-Schrodinger
relativistic quantum theory and its associated 5D local gauge theory, a
dynamical description of particle/antiparticle interactions, with monotonically
increasing Poincare-invariant parameter. In this framework, worldlines are
traced out through the parameterized evolution of spacetime events, advancing
or retreating with respect to the laboratory clock, with negative energy
trajectories appearing as antiparticles when the observer describes the
evolution using the laboratory clock. The associated gauge theory describes
local interactions between events (correlated by the invariant parameter)
mediated by five off-shell gauge fields. These gauge fields are shown to
transform tensorially under under space and time reflections, unlike the
standard Maxwell fields, and the interacting quantum theory therefore remains
manifestly Lorentz covariant. Charge conjugation symmetry in the quantum theory
is achieved by simultaneous reflection of the sense of evolution and the fifth
scalar field. Applying this procedure to the classical gauge theory leads to a
purely classical manifestation of charge conjugation, placing the CPT
symmetries on the same footing in the classical and quantum domains. In the
resulting picture, interactions do not distinguish between particle and
antiparticle trajectories -- charge conjugation merely describes the
interpretation of observed negative energy trajectories according to the
laboratory clock.Comment: 26 page
Duality in Off-Shell Electromagnetism
In this paper, we examine the Dirac monopole in the framework of Off-Shell
Electromagnetism, the five dimensional U(1) gauge theory associated with
Stueckelberg-Schrodinger relativistic quantum theory. After reviewing the Dirac
model in four dimensions, we show that the structure of the five dimensional
theory prevents a natural generalization of the Dirac monopole, since the
theory is not symmetric under duality transformations. It is shown that the
duality symmetry can be restored by generalizing the electromagnetic field
strength to an element of a Clifford algebra. Nevertheless, the generalized
framework does not permit us to recover the phenomenological (or conventional)
absence of magnetic monopoles.Comment: 18 page
Computer-assisted ex vivo, normothermic small bowel perfusion
Background: In the present study, a technique for computer-assisted, normothermic, oxygenated, ex vivo, recirculating small bowel perfusion was established as a tool to investigate organ pretreatment protocols and ischemia/reperfusion phenomena. A prerequisite for the desired setup was an organ chamber for ex vivo perfusion and the use of syngeneic whole blood as perfusate. Methods: The entire small bowel was harvested from Lewis rats and perfused in an organ chamber ex vivo for at least 2 h. The temperature was kept at 37 degrees C in a water bath. Three experimental groups were explored, characterized by different perfusion solutions. The basic perfusate consisted of syngeneic whole blood diluted with either NaCl, Krebs' solution or Krebs' solution and norepinephrine to a hematocrit of 30%. In addition, in each group l-glutamine was administered intraluminally. The desired perfusion pressure was 100 mm Hg which was kept constant with a computer-assisted data acquisition software, which measured an-line pressure, oxygenation, flow, temperature and pH and adjusted the pressure by changing the flow via a peristaltic pump. The viability of the preparation was tested by measuring oxygen consumption and maltose absorption, which requires intact enzymes of the mucosal brush border to break down maltose into glucose. Results: Organ perfusion in group 1 (dilution with NaCl) revealed problems such as hypersecretion into the bowel lumen, low vascular resistance and no maltose uptake. In contrast a viable organ could be demonstrated using Krebs' solution as dilution solution. The addition of norepinephrine led to an improved perfusion over the entire perfusion period. Maltose absorption was comparable to tests conducted with native small bower. Oxygen consumption was stable during the 2-hour perfusion period. Conclusions: The ex vivo perfusion system established enables small bowel perfusion for at least 2 h. The viability of the graft could be demonstrated. The perfusion time achieved is sufficient to study leukocyte/lymphocyte interaction with the endothelium of the graft vessels. In addition, a viable small bowel, after 2 h of ex vivo perfusion, facilitates testing of pretreatment protocols for the reduction of the immunogenicity of small bowel allografts. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel
Spatial facilitation by a high-performance dragonfly target-detecting neuron
Many animals visualize and track small moving targets at long distances—be they prey, approaching predators or conspecifics. Insects are an excellent model system for investigating the neural mechanisms that have evolved for this challenging task. Specialized small target motion detector (STMD) neurons in the optic lobes of the insect brain respond strongly even when the target size is below the resolution limit of the eye. Many STMDs also respond robustly to small targets against complex stationary or moving backgrounds. We hypothesized that this requires a complex mechanism to avoid breakthrough responses by background features, and yet to adequately amplify the weak signal of tiny targets. We compared responses of dragonfly STMD neurons to small targets that begin moving within the receptive field with responses to targets that approach the same location along longer trajectories. We find that responses along longer trajectories are strongly facilitated by a mechanism that builds up slowly over several hundred milliseconds. This allows the neurons to give sustained responses to continuous target motion, thus providing a possible explanation for their extraordinary sensitivity
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