237 research outputs found
The thermodynamic evolution of the cosmological event horizon
By manipulating the integral expression for the proper radius of the
cosmological event horizon (CEH) in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW)
universe, we obtain an analytical expression for the change \dd R_e in
response to a uniform fluctuation \dd\rho in the average cosmic background
density . We stipulate that the fluctuation arises within a vanishing
interval of proper time, during which the CEH is approximately stationary, and
evolves subsequently such that \dd\rho/\rho is constant. The respective
variations 2\pi R_e \dd R_e and \dd E_e in the horizon entropy and
enclosed energy should be therefore related through the cosmological
Clausius relation. In that manner we find that the temperature of the CEH
at an arbitrary time in a flat FRW universe is , which recovers
asymptotically the usual static de Sitter temperature. Furthermore, it is
proven that during radiation-dominance and in late times the CEH conforms to
the fully dynamical First Law T_e \drv S_e = P\drv V_e - \drv E_e, where
is the enclosed volume and is the average cosmic pressure.Comment: 6 page
What Attracts Men Who Batter to Their Partners? An Exploratory Study
Men who batter, because of particular personality traits and sense of entitlement,
may select partners whom they perceive will be dependent on them,
meet their emotional needs, or be “objects” of physical attractiveness. During
treatment intake, 181 offenders responded to the question, “What attracted
you to her (your partner)?” We explored whether men who mentioned their
own needs or her physical traits would engage in more frequent and severe
violence and would have specific forms of personality disorder dimensions or
personality traits. Six categories of attraction, including “her physical traits”
and “his needs,” were derived from the men’s responses. The results showed
that men who focused on their partners’ physical attractiveness were more
likely to be violent after treatment. Men who cited their own needs for their
attraction had higher scores on borderline personality, alcohol abuse, and
psychotic thinking and lower scores on compulsive-conformingPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89970/1/Saunders-Kurko-Barlow-Crane 2011 What Attracts Men Who Batter to Their Partners JIV.pd
Quantum Correlation in One-dimensional Extend Quantum Compass Model
We study the correlations in the one-dimensional extended quantum compass
model in a transverse magnetic field. By exactly solving the Hamiltonian, we
find that the quantum correlation of the ground state of one-dimensional
quantum compass model is vanishing. We show that quantum discord can not only
locate the quantum critical points, but also discern the orders of phase
transitions. Furthermore, entanglement quantified by concurrence is also
compared.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figures, to appear in Eur. Phys. J.
Geometric and thermodynamic properties in Gauss-Bonnet gravity
In this paper, the generalized second law (GSL) of thermodynamics and entropy
is revisited in the context of cosmological models in Gauss-Bonnet gravity with
the boundary of the universe is assumed to be enclosed by the dynamical
apparent horizon. The model is best fitted with the observational data for
distance modulus. The best fitted geometric and thermodynamic parameters such
as equation of state parameter, deceleration parameter and entropy are derived.
To link between thermodynamic and geometric parameters, the "entropy rate of
change multiplied by the temperature" as a model independent thermodynamic
state parameter is also derived. The results show that the model is in good
agreement with the observational analysis.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Astrophysics and Space Sc
Comparative Natural History of Visual Function From Patients With Biallelic Variants in BBS1 and BBS10.
The purpose of this study was to compare the natural history of visual function change in cohorts of patients affected with retinal degeneration due to biallelic variants in Bardet-Biedl syndrome genes: BBS1 and BBS10.
Patients were recruited from nine academic centers from six countries (Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States). Inclusion criteria were: (1) female or male patients with a clinical diagnosis of retinal dystrophy, (2) biallelic disease-causing variants in BBS1 or BBS10, and (3) measures of visual function for at least one visit. Retrospective data collected included genotypes, age, onset of symptoms, and best corrected visual acuity (VA). When possible, data on refractive error, fundus images and autofluorescence (FAF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), Goldmann kinetic perimetry (VF), electroretinography (ERG), and the systemic phenotype were collected.
Sixty-seven individuals had variants in BBS1 (n = 38; 20 female patients and 18 male patients); or BBS10 (n = 29; 14 female patients and 15 male patients). Missense variants were the most common type of variants for patients with BBS1, whereas frameshift variants were most common for BBS10. When ERGs were recordable, rod-cone dystrophy (RCD) was observed in 82% (23/28) of patients with BBS1 and 73% (8/11) of patients with BBS10; cone-rod dystrophy (CORD) was seen in 18% of patients with BBS1 only, and cone dystrophy (COD) was only seen in 3 patients with BBS10 (27%). ERGs were nondetectable earlier in patients with BBS10 than in patients with BBS1. Similarly, VA and VF declined more rapidly in patients with BBS10 compared to patients with BBS1.
Retinal degeneration appears earlier and is more severe in BBS10 cases as compared to those with BBS1 variants. The course of change of visual function appears to relate to genetic subtypes of BBS
Immune or genetic-mediated disruption of CASPR2 causes pain hypersensitivity due to enhanced primary afferent excitability
Human autoantibodies to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) are often associated with neuropathic pain, and CASPR2 mutations have been linked to autism spectrum disorders, in which sensory dysfunction is increasingly recognized. Human CASPR2 autoantibodies, when injected into mice, were peripherally restricted and resulted in mechanical pain-related hypersensitivity in the absence of neural injury. We therefore investigated the mechanism by which CASPR2 modulates nociceptive function. Mice lacking CASPR2 (Cntnap2(-/-)) demonstrated enhanced pain-related hypersensitivity to noxious mechanical stimuli, heat, and algogens. Both primary afferent excitability and subsequent nociceptive transmission within the dorsal horn were increased in Cntnap2(-/-) mice. Either immune or genetic-mediated ablation of CASPR2 enhanced the excitability of DRG neurons in a cell-autonomous fashion through regulation of Kv1 channel expression at the soma membrane. This is the first example of passive transfer of an autoimmune peripheral neuropathic pain disorder and demonstrates that CASPR2 has a key role in regulating cell-intrinsic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron excitability
Entropy and statefinder diagnosis in chameleon cosmology
In this paper, the generalized second law (GSL) of thermodynamics and entropy
is revisited in the context of cosmological models with bouncing behavior such
as chameleon cosmology where the boundary of the universe is assumed to be
enclosed by the dynamical apparent horizon. From a thermodynamic point of view,
to link between thermodynamic and geometric parameters in cosmological models,
we introduce "entropy rate of change multiplied by the temperature" as a model
independent thermodynamic state parameter together with the well known statefinder to differentiate the dark energy models.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. will be published in Astrophys. Space Sc
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