Can a circulating light beam produce a time machine?

In a recent paper, Mallett found a solution of the Einstein equations in which closed timelike curves (CTC's) are present in the empty space outside an infinitely long cylinder of light moving in circular paths around an axis. Here we show that, for physically realistic energy densities, the CTC's occur at distances from the axis greater than the radius of the visible universe by an immense factor. We then show that Mallett's solution has a curvature singularity on the axis, even in the case where the intensity of the light vanishes. Thus it is not the solution one would get by starting with Minkowski space and establishing a cylinder of light.Comment: 5 pages, RevTe

Examining the Coach Motivation Questionnaire in Fitness Professionals (CMQ-FP): Factor Structure, Invariance, and Predictive Analysis

Purpose: To date, most research on the assessment of motivation has been exerciser-focused and has not considered how fitness professionals’ motivations impact their behaviors toward exercisers during training sessions. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Coach Motivation Questionnaire in a sample of fitness professionals (CMQ-FP) to ascertain its usefulness for this vocational grouping. Measurement invariance analysis was conducted between female and male fitness professionals, and predictive validity was tested considering need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors as outcomes. Methods: Participants were 799 fitness professionals (female = 412) aged between 20 and 56 years (M = 28.71, SD = 3.24), who completed a multi-section survey assessing their motivation toward work and their interpersonal behaviors when engaging with exercisers. Results: The results of this research supported all three hypotheses. First, the hypothesized 6-factor measurement model showed acceptable fit to the data. Second, the factor structure of the CMQ-FP was invariant across gender (male and female fitness professionals). Third, fitness professionals’ (autonomous or controlled) motivation was a valid predictor of need-supportive or need-thwarting behaviors. Conclusion: This study supported the factor structure of the CMQ-FP, presenting as a valid measure of motivation in fitness professionals. Understanding fitness professionals’ perceptions of their coaching motivation can inform professional development activities to assist fitness professionals to increase understanding of what motivates these professionals and how they might be more need-supportive and less need-thwarting in their pedagogical behaviors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The motivational antecedents of the development of mental toughness: a self-determination theory perspective

Mental toughness is a topic that has received growing attention in psychological literature over the past decade. Although some researchers have attempted to understand how mental toughness is developed, little effort has been made to integrate an understanding of mental toughness development with established psychological theory and research. The aim of our review is to demonstrate the utility of theory and research on motivation for understanding mental toughness and its development. In particular, we propose that self-determination theory provides a sound basis for understanding the motivational antecedents of mental toughness. To achieve our aim, we consider concepts that bridge mental toughness and self-determination theory literature, namely striving, surviving, and thriving. We conclude our review with suggestions for future lines of empirical enquiry that could be pursued to further test our propositions

Inflating Lorentzian Wormholes

It has been speculated that Lorentzian wormholes of the Morris- Thorne type might be allowed by the laws of physics at submicroscopic, e.g. Planck, scales and that a sufficiently advanced civilization might be able to enlarge them to classical size. The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility that inflation might provide a natural mechanism for the enlargement of such wormholes to macroscopic size. A new classical metric is presented for a Lorentzian wormhole which is imbedded in a flat deSitter space. It is shown that the throat and proper length of the wormhole inflate. The resulting properties and stress-energy tensor associated with this metric are discussed.Comment: 24 pg

Radiating black hole solutions in arbitrary dimensions

We prove a theorem that characterizes a large family of non-static solutions to Einstein equations in $N$-dimensional space-time, representing, in general, spherically symmetric Type II fluid. It is shown that the best known Vaidya-based (radiating) black hole solutions to Einstein equations, in both four dimensions (4D) and higher dimensions (HD), are particular cases from this family. The spherically symmetric static black hole solutions for Type I fluid can also be retrieved. A brief discussion on the energy conditions, singularities and horizons is provided.Comment: RevTeX 9 pages, no figure

Refining Ovarian Cancer Test accuracy Scores (ROCkeTS): protocol for a prospective longitudinal test accuracy study to validate new risk scores in women with symptoms of suspected ovarian cancer.

Introduction Ovarian cancer (OC) is associated with non-specific symptoms such as bloating, making accurate diagnosis challenging: only 1 in 3 women with OC presents through primary care referral. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommends sequential testing with CA125 and routine ultrasound in primary care. However, these diagnostic tests have limited sensitivity or specificity. Improving accurate triage in women with vague symptoms is likely to improve mortality by streamlining referral and care pathways. The Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Accuracy Scores (ROCkeTS; HTA 13/13/01) project will derive and validate new tests/risk prediction models that estimate the probability of having OC in women with symptoms. This protocol refers to the prospective study only (phase III). Methods and analysis ROCkeTS comprises four parallel phases. The full ROCkeTS protocol can be found at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/ROCKETS. Phase III is a prospective test accuracy study. The study will recruit 2450 patients from 15 UK sites. Recruited patients complete symptom and anxiety questionnaires, donate a serum sample and undergo ultrasound scored as per International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) criteria. Recruitment is at rapid access clinics, emergency departments and elective clinics. Models to be evaluated include those based on ultrasound derived by the IOTA group and novel models derived from analysis of existing data sets. Estimates of sensitivity, specificity, c-statistic (area under receiver operating curve), positive predictive value and negative predictive value of diagnostic tests are evaluated and a calibration plot for models will be presented. ROCkeTS has received ethical approval from the NHS West Midlands REC (14/WM/1241) and is registered on the controlled trials website (ISRCTN17160843) and the National Institute of Health Research Cancer and Reproductive Health portfolios

Formal vs. informal coach education

The training of coaches is considered central to sustaining and improving the quality of sports coaching and the ongoing process of professionalisation. Sports coaches participate in a range of learning opportunities (informal to formal) that contribute to their development to varying degrees. In this article, we present our collective understanding on the varying types of learning opportunities and their contribution to coach accreditation and development. The authors presented these views (from a sports pedagogy perspective) as part of a workshop entitled "Formal vs. Informal Coach Education" at the 2007 International Council of Coach Education Master Class in Beijing. These reflections seek to stimulate the on-going, and often sterile, debate about formal versus informal coach education/learning in order to progress scholarship in coaching

Magnetotransport in a pseudomorphic GaAs/GaInAs/GaAlAs heterostructure with a Si delta-doping layer

Magnetotransport properties of a pseudomorphic GaAs/Ga0.8In0.2As/Ga0.75Al0.25As heterostructure are investigated in pulsed magnetic fields up to 50 T and at temperatures of T=1.4 K and 4.2 K. The structure studied consists of a Si delta-layer parallel to a Ga0.8In0.2As quantum well (QW). The dark electron density of the structure is n_e=1.67x 10^16 m^-2. By illumination the density can be increased up to a factor of 4; this way the second subband in the Ga0.8In0.2As QW can become populated as well as the Si delta-layer. The presence of electrons in the delta-layer results in drastic changes in the transport data, especially at magnetic fields beyond 30 T. The phenomena observed are interpreted as: 1) magnetic freeze-out of carriers in the delta-layer when a low density of electrons is present in the delta-layer, and 2) quantization of the electron motion in the two dimensional electron gases in both the Ga0.8In0.2As QW and the Si delta-layer in the case of high densities. These conclusions are corroborated by the numerical results of our theoretical model. We obtain a satisfactory agreement between model and experiment.Comment: 23 pages, RevTex, 11 Postscript figures (accepted for Phys. Rev. B

Age-associated mitochondrial DNA mutations cause metabolic remodelling that contributes to accelerated intestinal tumorigenesis.

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) defects caused by somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations increase with age in human colorectal epithelium and are prevalent in colorectal tumours, but whether they actively contribute to tumorigenesis remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that mtDNA mutations causing OXPHOS defects are enriched during the human adenoma/carcinoma sequence, suggesting they may confer a metabolic advantage. To test this we deleted the tumour suppressor Apc in OXPHOS deficient intestinal stem cells in mice. The resulting tumours were larger than in control mice due to accelerated cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis. We show that both normal crypts and tumours undergo metabolic remodelling in response to OXPHOS deficiency by upregulating the de novo serine synthesis pathway (SSP). Moreover, normal human colonic crypts upregulate the SSP in response to OXPHOS deficiency prior to tumorigenesis. Our data show that age-associated OXPHOS deficiency causes metabolic remodelling that can functionally contribute to accelerated intestinal cancer development