3,498 research outputs found
Higher Spins in AdS and Twistorial Holography
In this paper we simplify and extend previous work on three-point functions
in Vasiliev's higher spin gauge theory in AdS4. We work in a gauge in which the
space-time dependence of Vasiliev's master fields is gauged away completely,
leaving only the internal twistor-like variables. The correlation functions of
boundary operators can be easily computed in this gauge. We find complete
agreement of the tree level three point functions of higher spin currents in
Vasiliev's theory with the conjectured dual free O(N) vector theory.Comment: 23 pages. v3: minor errors fixed, added comments and reference
Control over phase separation and nucleation using a laser-tweezing potential
Control over the nucleation of new phases is highly desirable but elusive. Even though there is a long history of crystallization engineering by varying physicochemical parameters, controlling which polymorph crystallizes or whether a molecule crystallizes or forms an amorphous precipitate is still a poorly understood practice. Although there are now numerous examples of control using laser-induced nucleation, the absence of physical understanding is preventing progress. Here we show that the proximity of a liquid–liquid critical point or the corresponding binodal line can be used by a laser-tweezing potential to induce concentration gradients. A simple theoretical model shows that the stored electromagnetic energy of the laser beam produces a free-energy potential that forces phase separation or triggers the nucleation of a new phase. Experiments in a liquid mixture using a low-power laser diode confirm the effect. Phase separation and nucleation using a laser-tweezing potential explains the physics behind non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation and suggests new ways of manipulating matter
Simvastatin inhibits TLR8 signaling in primary human monocytes and spontaneous TNF production from rheumatoid synovial membrane cultures
Simvastatin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects that are independent of its serum cholesterol lowering action, but the mechanisms by which these anti-inflammatory effects are mediated have not been elucidated. To explore the mechanism involved, the effect of simvastatin on Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling in primary human monocytes was investigated. A short pre-treatment with simvastatin dose-dependently inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) in response to TLR8 (but not TLRs 2, 4, or 5) activation. Statins are known inhibitors of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, but intriguingly TLR8 inhibition could not be reversed by addition of mevalonate or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate; downstream products of cholesterol biosynthesis. TLR8 signalling was examined in HEK 293 cells stably expressing TLR8, where simvastatin inhibited IKKα/β phosphorylation and subsequent NF-κB activation without affecting the pathway to AP-1. Since simvastatin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects in RA patients and TLR8 signalling contributes to TNF production in human RA synovial tissue in culture, simvastatin was tested in these cultures. Simvastatin significantly inhibited the spontaneous release of TNF in this model which was not reversed by mevalonate. Together, these results demonstrate a hitherto unrecognized mechanism of simvastatin inhibition of TLR8 signalling that may in part explain its beneficial anti-inflammatory effects
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Texture Transfer for Single Image Super-resolution
While implicit generative models such as GANs have shown impressive results
in high quality image reconstruction and manipulation using a combination of
various losses, we consider a simpler approach leading to surprisingly strong
results. We show that texture loss alone allows the generation of perceptually
high quality images. We provide a better understanding of texture constraining
mechanism and develop a novel semantically guided texture constraining method
for further improvement. Using a recently developed perceptual metric employing
"deep features" and termed LPIPS, the method obtains state-of-the-art results.
Moreover, we show that a texture representation of those deep features better
capture the perceptual quality of an image than the original deep features.
Using texture information, off-the-shelf deep classification networks (without
training) perform as well as the best performing (tuned and calibrated) LPIPS
metrics. The code is publicly available.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figure
Global organization of metabolic fluxes in the bacterium, Escherichia coli
Cellular metabolism, the integrated interconversion of thousands of metabolic
substrates through enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reactions, is the most
investigated complex intercellular web of molecular interactions. While the
topological organization of individual reactions into metabolic networks is
increasingly well understood, the principles governing their global functional
utilization under different growth conditions pose many open questions. We
implement a flux balance analysis of the E. coli MG1655 metabolism, finding
that the network utilization is highly uneven: while most metabolic reactions
have small fluxes, the metabolism's activity is dominated by several reactions
with very high fluxes. E. coli responds to changes in growth conditions by
reorganizing the rates of selected fluxes predominantly within this high flux
backbone. The identified behavior likely represents a universal feature of
metabolic activity in all cells, with potential implications to metabolic
engineering.Comment: 15 pages 4 figure
The Spectrum of Goldstini and Modulini
When supersymmetry is broken in multiple sectors via independent dynamics,
the theory furnishes a corresponding multiplicity of "goldstini" degrees of
freedom which may play a substantial role in collider phenomenology and
cosmology. In this paper, we explore the tree-level mass spectrum of goldstini
arising from a general admixture of F-term, D-term, and almost no-scale
supersymmetry breaking, employing non-linear superfields and a novel gauge
fixing for supergravity discussed in a companion paper. In theories of F-term
and D-term breaking, goldstini acquire a mass which is precisely twice the
gravitino mass, while the inclusion of no-scale breaking renders one of these
modes, the modulino, massless. We argue that the vanishing modulino mass can be
explained in terms of an accidental and spontaneously broken "global"
supersymmetry.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures; v2: typo corrected, references updated; v3:
version to appear in JHE
Elevated CO<sub>2</sub> does not increase eucalypt forest productivity on a low-phosphorus soil
Rising atmospheric CO2 stimulates photosynthesis and productivity of forests, offsetting CO2 emissions. Elevated CO2 experiments in temperate planted forests yielded ~23% increases in productivity over the initial years. Whether similar CO2 stimulation occurs in mature evergreen broadleaved forests on low-phosphorus (P) soils is unknown, largely due to lack of experimental evidence. This knowledge gap creates major uncertainties in future climate projections as a large part of the tropics is P-limited. Here,we increased atmospheric CO2 concentration in a mature broadleaved evergreen eucalypt forest for three years, in the first large-scale experiment on a P-limited site. We show that tree growth and other aboveground productivity components did not significantly increase in response to elevated CO2 in three years, despite a sustained 19% increase in leaf photosynthesis. Moreover, tree growth in ambient CO2 was strongly P-limited and increased by ~35% with added phosphorus. The findings suggest that P availability may potentially constrain CO2-enhanced productivity in P-limited forests; hence, future atmospheric CO2 trajectories may be higher than predicted by some models. As a result, coupled climate-carbon models should incorporate both nitrogen and phosphorus limitations to vegetation productivity in estimating future carbon sinks
Hospital admission and risk assessment associated to exposure of fungal bioaerosols at a municipal landfill using statistical models
The object of this research to determine the statistical relationship
and degree of association between variables: hospital admission days and
diagnostic (disease) potentially associated to fungal bioaerosols exposure.
Admissions included acute respiratory infections, atopic dermatitis, pharyngitis
and otitis. Statistical analysis was done using Statgraphics Centurion XVI
software. In addition, was estimated the occupational exposure to fungal aerosols in stages of a landfill using BIOGAVAL method and represented by Golden
Surfer XVI program. Biological risk assessment with sentinel microorganism A.
fumigatus and Penicillium sp, indicated that occupational exposure to fungal
aerosols is Biological action level. Preventive measures should be taken to
reduce the risk of acquiring acute respiratory infections, dermatitis or other skin
infections
Aspects of Non-minimal Gauge Mediation
A large class of non-minimal gauge mediation models, such as (semi-)direct
gauge mediation, predict a hierarchy between the masses of the supersymmetric
standard model gauginos and those of scalar particles. We perform a
comprehensive study of these non-minimal gauge mediation models, including mass
calculations in semi-direct gauge mediation, to illustrate these features, and
discuss the phenomenology of the models. We point out that the cosmological
gravitino problem places stringent constraints on mass splittings, when the
Bino is the NLSP. However, the GUT relation of the gaugino masses is broken
unlike the case of minimal gauge mediation, and an NLSP other than the Bino
(especially the gluino NLSP) becomes possible, relaxing the cosmological
constraints. We also discuss the collider signals of the models.Comment: 56 pages, 8 figures; v2:minor corrections, references added; v3:minor
correction
Aquaporin-4 and brain edema.
Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a water-channel protein expressed strongly in the brain, predominantly in astrocyte foot processes at the borders between the brain parenchyma and major fluid compartments, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. This distribution suggests that AQP4 controls water fluxes into and out of the brain parenchyma. Experiments using AQP4-null mice provide strong evidence for AQP4 involvement in cerebral water balance. AQP4-null mice are protected from cellular (cytotoxic) brain edema produced by water intoxication, brain ischemia, or meningitis. However, AQP4 deletion aggravates vasogenic (fluid leak) brain edema produced by tumor, cortical freeze, intraparenchymal fluid infusion, or brain abscess. In cytotoxic edema, AQP4 deletion slows the rate of water entry into brain, whereas in vasogenic edema, AQP4 deletion reduces the rate of water outflow from brain parenchyma. AQP4 deletion also worsens obstructive hydrocephalus. Recently, AQP4 was also found to play a major role in processes unrelated to brain edema, including astrocyte migration and neuronal excitability. These findings suggest that modulation of AQP4 expression or function may be beneficial in several cerebral disorders, including hyponatremic brain edema, hydrocephalus, stroke, tumor, infection, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury
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