Constraining holographic inflation with WMAP

In a class of recently proposed models, the early universe is strongly coupled and described holographically by a three-dimensional, weakly coupled, super-renormalizable quantum field theory. This scenario leads to a power spectrum of scalar perturbations that differs from the usual empirical LCDM form and the predictions of generic models of single field, slow roll inflation. This spectrum is characterized by two parameters: an amplitude, and a parameter g related to the coupling constant of the dual theory. We estimate these parameters, using WMAP and other astrophysical data. We compute Bayesian evidence for both the holographic model and standard LCDM and find that their difference is not significant, although LCDM provides a somewhat better fit to the data. However, it appears that Planck will permit a definitive test of this holographic scenario.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figs, published versio

Myxoma virus protein M029 is a dual function immunomodulator that inhibits PKR and also conscripts RHA/DHX9 to promote expanded host tropism and viral replication.

Myxoma virus (MYXV)-encoded protein M029 is a member of the poxvirus E3 family of dsRNA-binding proteins that antagonize the cellular interferon signaling pathways. In order to investigate additional functions of M029, we have constructed a series of targeted M029-minus (vMyx-M029KO and vMyx-M029ID) and V5-tagged M029 MYXV. We found that M029 plays a pivotal role in determining the cellular tropism of MYXV in all mammalian cells tested. The M029-minus viruses were able to replicate only in engineered cell lines that stably express a complementing protein, such as vaccinia E3, but underwent abortive or abated infection in all other tested mammalian cell lines. The M029-minus viruses were dramatically attenuated in susceptible host European rabbits and caused no observable signs of myxomatosis. Using V5-tagged M029 virus, we observed that M029 expressed as an early viral protein is localized in both the nuclear and cytosolic compartments in virus-infected cells, and is also incorporated into virions. Using proteomic approaches, we have identified Protein Kinase R (PKR) and RNA helicase A (RHA)/DHX9 as two cellular binding partners of M029 protein. In virus-infected cells, M029 interacts with PKR in a dsRNA-dependent manner, while binding with DHX9 was not dependent on dsRNA. Significantly, PKR knockdown in human cells rescued the replication defect of the M029-knockout viruses. Unexpectedly, this rescue of M029-minus virus replication by PKR depletion could then be reversed by RHA/DHX9 knockdown in human monocytic THP1 cells. This indicates that M029 not only inhibits generic PKR anti-viral pathways, but also binds and conscripts RHA/DHX9 as a pro-viral effector to promote virus replication in THP1 cells. Thus, M029 is a critical host range and virulence factor for MYXV that is required for replication in all mammalian cells by antagonizing PKR-mediated anti-viral functions, and also conscripts pro-viral RHA/DHX9 to promote viral replication specifically in myeloid cells

Holographic predictions for cosmological 3-point functions

We present the holographic predictions for cosmological 3-point correlators, involving both scalar and tensor modes, for a universe which started in a non-geometric holographic phase. Holographic formulae relate the cosmological 3-point functions to stress tensor correlation functions of a holographically dual three-dimensional non-gravitational QFT. We compute these correlators at 1-loop order for a theory containing massless scalars, fermions and gauge fields, and present an extensive analysis of the constraints due to Ward identities showing that they uniquely determine the correlators up to a few constants. We define shapes for all cosmological bispectra and compare the holographic shapes to the slow-roll ones, finding that some are distinguishable while others, perhaps surprisingly, are not.Comment: 51pp; 4 fig

The Right to Stay

People often fight for their homes. Once established, homes are vital centers of life, and their threatened loss generates predictable resistance. This Article shows how the human desire not to be moved is protected by the law. Such protection can be found in both U.S. domestic and international law, although the two systems of law vary widely in their approach. Since World War II, international scholars and lawmakers have been deeply concerned with promoting the legal rights of people to leave and return to their own countries. This Article emphasizes a different, but equally important right: the right of people, if they wish, to stay exactly where they are. This Article examines how states protect individuals who wish to preserve an established home. First, the author summarizes the approach of U.S. law. In particular, he examines how property law and constitutional provisions provide a continued right to possess property. Second, the author examines international legal protections, focusing on the rules of war, the rights of indigenous peoples and aliens, and relevant norms from international human rights instruments. Finally, the Article compares the advantages and disadvantages of the international and U.S. approaches

Conformal symmetry of brane world effective actions

A simple derivation of the low-energy effective action for brane worlds is given, highlighting the role of conformal invariance. We show how to improve the effective action for a positive- and negative-tension brane pair using the AdS/CFT correspondence.Comment: 5 pages, published versio

Compassion Fatigue in Nebraska Medicine ICU Nurses

Abstract Objective: As caregivers in high-pressure and demanding environments, critical care/intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are at risk for compassion fatigue. The purpose of this study is to explore compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction levels within ICU specialty nursing at Nebraska Medicine during COVID. Aims: Four aims were considered throughout the course of the study: 1. How do overall compassion fatigue (CF) and satisfaction (CS) at Nebraska Medicine’s ICU’s compare with national norms? 2. How do (CF) and (CS) levels (mild, moderate, severe) differ between the Intensive Care Units?3. Do years of experience correlate with compassion fatigue levels (mild, moderate, severe)? 4. Does working with COVID-19 patients have any connection to compassion fatigue scores? Design: The study design is a cross-sectional survey that investigates the level of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in ICU registered nurses at Nebraska Medicine. The study researches the differences and/or connections in levels of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction between three factors: intensive care nursing unit, years of experience, and working with COVID patients. Methods: 64 RN participants took a brief survey and were assessed using the ProQOL measure used to determine mild, moderate, and severe compassion fatigue defined by subunits of burnout (BO) and secondary trauma stress (STS) and compassion satisfaction in professionals at their workplace. Results: 1) The t-scores for (CF) and (CS) levels had no statistical significance according to the t-scores of compassion fatigue for Nebraska Medicine ICU nurses compared to the national norms. 2) There is no difference between the CF and CS levels (mild, moderate, severe) between the Intensive Care Units at Nebraska Medicine. The majority of the results were mild (CF) and (CS) levels. Years of experience was studied and collected as a categorical variable; however, a chi-square could not be done due to little variation in the data. 4) Pearson’s r demonstrated no correlation between (CF) and (CS) levels for ICU RN’s working with COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: There were no statistically significant findings between (CF) and (CS) and the variables studied. Implications for this study have the potential to significantly impact standards of patient care and the overall mental health of ICU nurses which can cause financial concerns for the hospital system if high levels of compassion fatigue are present

The Catalytic Enantioselective, Protecting Group-Free Total Synthesis of (+)-Dichroanone

Herein we report the first enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-dichroanone, confirming the absolute configuration of the natural product. This protecting group-free route features the first application of our enantioselective Tsuji allylation in the context of a natural product total synthesis. Additionally, this 11-step preparation of the molecule from commercial material features a novel Kumada-aromatization strategy and a rapid sequence for the conversion of a phenol to a hydroxy-p-benzoquinone

Bias correction factors for near-Earth asteroids

Knowledge of the population size and physical characteristics (albedo, size, and rotation rate) of near-Earth asteroids (NEA's) is biased by observational selection effects which are functions of the population's intrinsic properties and the size of the telescope, detector sensitivity, and search strategy used. The NEA population is modeled in terms of orbital and physical elements: a, e, i, omega, Omega, M, albedo, and diameter, and an asteroid search program is simulated using actual telescope pointings of right ascension, declination, date, and time. The position of each object in the model population is calculated at the date and time of each telescope pointing. The program tests to see if that object is within the field of view (FOV = 8.75 degrees) of the telescope and above the limiting magnitude (V = +1.65) of the film. The effect of the starting population on the outcome of the simulation's discoveries is compared to the actual discoveries in order to define a most probable starting population