505 research outputs found
Geometry and dynamics of higher-spin frame fields
We give a systematic account of unconstrained free bosonic higher-spin fields
on D-dimensional Minkowski and (Anti-)de Sitter spaces in the frame formalism.
The generalized spin connections are determined by solving a chain of
torsion-like constraints. Via a generalization of the vielbein postulate these
allow to determine higher-spin Christoffel symbols, whose relation to the de
Wit--Freedman connections is discussed. We prove that the generalized Einstein
equations, despite being of higher-derivative order, give rise to the AdS
Fronsdal equations in the compensator formulation. To this end we derive
Damour-Deser identities for arbitrary spin on AdS. Finally we discuss the
possibility of a geometrical and local action principle, which is manifestly
invariant under unconstrained higher-spin symmetries.Comment: 30 pages, uses youngtab.sty, v2: minor changes, references adde
Geometric Second Order Field Equations for General Tensor Gauge Fields
Higher spin tensor gauge fields have natural gauge-invariant field equations
written in terms of generalised curvatures, but these are typically of higher
than second order in derivatives. We construct geometric second order field
equations and actions for general higher spin boson fields, and first order
ones for fermions, which are non-local but which become local on gauge-fixing,
or on introducing auxiliary fields. This generalises the results of Francia and
Sagnotti to all representations of the Lorentz group.Comment: 34 pages, LaTeX. Reference adde
On Dual Formulation for Higher Spin Gauge Fields in
We obtain dual actions for spin massless fields in by
solving different algebraic constraints in the same first-order theory. Flat
space dual higher spin actions obtained by Boulanger, Cnockaert and Henneaux
\cite{BH} by solving differential constraints are shown to result from our
formulation in a sort of quasi-classical approximation for the flat limit. The
case of is considered in detail.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, no figure
Consistent deformations of [p,p]-type gauge field theories
Using BRST-cohomological techniques, we analyze the consistent deformations
of theories describing free tensor gauge fields whose symmetries are
represented by Young tableaux made of two columns of equal length p, p>1. Under
the assumptions of locality and Poincare invariance, we find that there is no
consistent deformation of these theories that non-trivially modifies the gauge
algebra and/or the gauge transformations. Adding the requirement that the
deformation contains no more than two derivatives, the only possible
deformation is a cosmological-constant-like term.Comment: 17 pages, details of a proof added, accepted for publication in JHE
Genetic diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia: the importance of functional analysis of potential splice-site mutations
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) results from defective low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) activity, mainly due to LDLR gene defects. Of the many different LDLR mutations found in patients with FH, about 6% of single base substitutions are located near or within introns, and are predicted to result in exon skipping, retention of an intron, or activation of cryptic sites during mRNA splicing. This paper reports on the Portuguese FH Study, which found 10 such mutations, 6 of them novel. For the mutations that have not been described before or those whose effect on function have not been analysed, their effect on splicing was investigated, using reverse transcriptase PCR analysis of LDLR mRNA from freshly isolated blood mononuclear cells. Two of these variants (c.313+6 T-->C, c.2389G-->T (p.V776L)) caused exon skipping, and one caused retention of an intron (c.1359-5C-->G), whereas two others (c.2140+5 G-->A and c.1061-8T-->C) had no apparent effect. Any effect of c.1185G-->C (p.V374V) on splicing could not be determined because it was on an allele with a promoter mutation (-42C-->G) that was probably not transcribed. Variants in four patients lost to follow-up could not be tested experimentally, but they almost certainly affect splicing because they disrupt the invariant AG or GT in acceptor (c.818-2A-->G) or donor (c.1060+1G-->A, c.1845+1delG and c.2547+1G-->A) spice sites. These findings emphasise that care must be taken before reporting the presence or absence of a splice-site mutation in the LDLR gene for diagnostic purposes. The study also shows that relatively simple, quick and inexpensive RNA assays can evaluate putative splicing mutations that are not always predictable by available software, thereby reducing genetic misdiagnosis of patients with FH
c-Fos expression induced by electroacupuncture at the Zusanli point in rats submitted to repeated immobilization
In laboratory animals, acupuncture needs to be performed on either anesthetized or, if unanesthetized, restrained subjects. Both procedures up-regulate c-Fos expression in several areas of the central nervous system, representing therefore a major pitfall for the assessment of c-Fos expression induced by electroacupuncture. Thus, in order to reduce the effect of acute restraint we used a protocol of repeated restraint for the assessment of the brain areas activated by electroacupuncture in adult male Wistar rats weighing 180-230 g. Repeated immobilization protocols (6 days, 1 h/day and 13 days, 2 h/day) were used to reduce the effect of acute immobilization stress on the c-Fos expression induced by electroacupuncture at the Zusanli point (EA36S). Animals submitted to immobilization alone or to electroacupuncture (100 Hz, 2-4 V, faradic wave) in a non-point region were compared to animals submitted to electroacupuncture at EA36S (4 animals/subgroup). c-Fos expression was measured in 41 brain areas by simple counting of cells and the results are reported as number of c-Fos-immunoreactive cells/10,000 µm². The protocols of repeated immobilization significantly reduced the immobilization-induced c-Fos expression in most of the brain areas analyzed (P < 0.05). Animals of the EA36S groups had significantly higher levels of c-Fos expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, posterior hypothalamus and central medial nucleus of the thalamus. Furthermore, the repeated immobilization protocols intensified the differences between the effects of 36S and non-point stimulation in the dorsal raphe nucleus (P < 0.05). These data suggest that high levels of stress can interact with and mask the evaluation of specific effects of acupuncture in unanesthetized animals.Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro Departamento de Ciências FisiológicasUniversidade de São Paulo Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Departamento de Fisiologia e BiofísicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de PsicobiologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de FisiologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de PsicobiologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de FisiologiaSciEL
Lagrangian Formulation for Free Mixed-Symmetry Bosonic Gauge Fields in (A)dS(d)
Covariant Lagrangian formulation for free bosonic massless fields of
arbitrary mixed-symmetry type in (A)dS(d) space-time is presented. The analysis
is based on the frame-like formulation of higher-spin field dynamics [1] with
higher-spin fields described as p-forms taking values in appropriate modules of
the (A)dS(d). The problem of finding free field action is reduced to the
analysis of an appropriate differential complex, with the derivation Q
associated with the variation of the action. The constructed action exhibits
additional gauge symmetries in the flat limit in agreement with the general
structure of gauge symmetries for mixed-symmetry fields in Minkowski and
(A)dS(d) spaces.Comment: 17 pages, v2: clarifications added, misprints corrected; v3: minor
changes, typos correcte
Transverse Invariant Higher Spin Fields
It is shown that a symmetric massless bosonic higher-spin field can be
described by a traceless tensor field with reduced (transverse) gauge
invariance. The Hamiltonian analysis of the transverse gauge invariant
higher-spin models is used to control a number of degrees of freedom.Comment: 12 pages, no figures. The general proof and the example of a spin-3
adde
Aspects of U-duality in BLG models with Lorentzian metric 3-algebras
In our previous paper, it was shown that BLG model based on a Lorentzian
metric 3-algebra gives Dp-brane action whose worldvolume is compactified on
torus T^d (d=p-2). Here the 3-algebra was a generalized one with d+1 pairs of
Lorentzian metric generators and expressed in terms of a loop algebra with
central extensions. In this paper, we derive the precise relation between the
coupling constant of the super Yang-Mills, the moduli of T^d and some R-R flux
with VEV's of ghost fields associated with Lorentzian metric generators. In
particular, for d=1, we derive the Yang-Mills action with theta term and show
that SL(2,Z) Montonen-Olive duality is realized as the rotation of two VEV's.
Furthermore, some moduli parameters such as NS-NS 2-form flux are identified as
the deformation parameters of the 3-algebras. By combining them, we recover
most of the moduli parameters which are required by U-duality symmetry.Comment: 27 pages, v2: minor correction
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