874 research outputs found
Quantum driven Bounce of the future Universe
It is demonstrated that due to back-reaction of quantum effects, expansion of
the universe stops at its maximum and takes a turnaround. Later on, it
contracts to a very small size in finite future time. This phenomenon is
followed by a " bounce" with re-birth of an exponentially expanding
non-singular universe
A model for spin-polarized transport in perovskite manganite bi-crystal grain boundaries
We have studied the temperature dependence of low-field magnetoresistance and
current-voltage characteristics of a low-angle bi-crystal grain boundary
junction in perovskite manganite La_{2/3}Sr_{1/3}MnO_3 thin film. By gradually
trimming the junction we have been able to reveal the non-linear behavior of
the latter. With the use of the relation M_{GB} \propto M_{bulk}\sqrt{MR^*} we
have extracted the grain boundary magnetization. Further, we demonstrate that
the built-in potential barrier of the grain boundary can be modelled by
V_{bi}\propto M_{bulk}^2 - M_{GB}^2. Thus our model connects the
magnetoresistance with the potential barrier at the grain boundary region. The
results indicate that the band-bending at the grain boundary interface has a
magnetic origin.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Multipartite Entanglement and Quantum State Exchange
We investigate multipartite entanglement in relation to the theoretical
process of quantum state exchange. In particular, we consider such entanglement
for a certain pure state involving two groups of N trapped atoms. The state,
which can be produced via quantum state exchange, is analogous to the
steady-state intracavity state of the subthreshold optical nondegenerate
parametric amplifier. We show that, first, it possesses some 2N-way
entanglement. Second, we place a lower bound on the amount of such entanglement
in the state using a novel measure called the entanglement of minimum bipartite
entropy.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Accretion and ejection in black-hole X-ray transients
Aims: We summarize the current observational picture of the outbursts of
black-hole X-ray transients (BHTs), based on the evolution traced in a
hardness-luminosity diagram (HLD), and we offer a physical interpretation.
Methods: The basic ingredient in our interpretation is the Poynting-Robertson
Cosmic Battery (PRCB, Contopoulos & Kazanas 1998), which provides locally the
poloidal magnetic field needed for the ejection of the jet. In addition, we
make two assumptions, easily justifiable. The first is that the mass-accretion
rate to the black hole in a BHT outburst has a generic bell-shaped form. This
is guaranteed by the observational fact that all BHTs start their outburst and
end it at the quiescent state. The second assumption is that at low accretion
rates the accretion flow is geometrically thick, ADAF-like, while at high
accretion rates it is geometrically thin.
Results: Both, at the beginning and the end of an outburst, the PRCB
establishes a strong poloidal magnetic field in the ADAF-like part of the
accretion flow, and this explains naturally why a jet is always present in the
right part of the HLD. In the left part of the HLD, the accretion flow is in
the form of a thin disk, and such a disk cannot sustain a strong poloidal
magnetic filed. Thus, no jet is expected in this part of the HLD. The
counterclockwise traversal of the HLD is explained as follows: the poloidal
magnetic field in the ADAF forces the flow to remain ADAF and the source to
move upwards in the HLD rather than to turn left. Thus, the history of the
system determines the counterclockwise traversal of the HLD. As a result, no
BHT is expected to ever traverse the entire HLD curve in the clockwise
direction.
Conclusions: We offer a physical interpretation of accretion and ejection in
BHTs with only one parameter, the mass transfer rate.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Advances in aquatic insect systematics and biodiversity in the Neotropics: introduction
The Neotropical Region or Neotropics, contains vast expanses of rain forest and river systems representing some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, but much of its resident biota remains undescribed and undocumented, and some of it is at risk of extirpation and extinction. Anthropogenic disturbances, especially deforestation, urbanization, and climate change, threaten the integrity of the Neotropics and its biodiversity. In the Neotropics, freshwater habitats are particularly susceptible to environmental stressors and freshwater species throughout the Neotropics have experienced marked declines greater than those of other groups when compared to marine and terrestrial systems. Advances in taxonomic descriptions, preparation of keys, and faunal assessments will aid future studies as well as conservation efforts
Increased survival with enzalutamide in prostate cancer after chemotherapy
Contains fulltext :
108324.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Enzalutamide (formerly called MDV3100) targets multiple steps in the androgen-receptor-signaling pathway, the major driver of prostate-cancer growth. We aimed to evaluate whether enzalutamide prolongs survival in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer after chemotherapy. METHODS: In our phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we stratified 1199 men with castration-resistant prostate cancer after chemotherapy according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance-status score and pain intensity. We randomly assigned them, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive oral enzalutamide at a dose of 160 mg per day (800 patients) or placebo (399 patients). The primary end point was overall survival. RESULTS: The study was stopped after a planned interim analysis at the time of 520 deaths. The median overall survival was 18.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.3 to not yet reached) in the enzalutamide group versus 13.6 months (95% CI, 11.3 to 15.8) in the placebo group (hazard ratio for death in the enzalutamide group, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.75; P<0.001). The superiority of enzalutamide over placebo was shown with respect to all secondary end points: the proportion of patients with a reduction in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level by 50% or more (54% vs. 2%, P<0.001), the soft-tissue response rate (29% vs. 4%, P<0.001), the quality-of-life response rate (43% vs. 18%, P<0.001), the time to PSA progression (8.3 vs. 3.0 months; hazard ratio, 0.25; P<0.001), radiographic progression-free survival (8.3 vs. 2.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.40; P<0.001), and the time to the first skeletal-related event (16.7 vs. 13.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.69; P<0.001). Rates of fatigue, diarrhea, and hot flashes were higher in the enzalutamide group. Seizures were reported in five patients (0.6%) receiving enzalutamide. CONCLUSIONS: Enzalutamide significantly prolonged the survival of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after chemotherapy. (Funded by Medivation and Astellas Pharma Global Development; AFFIRM ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00974311.)
QED3 theory of underdoped high temperature superconductors
Low-energy theory of d-wave quasiparticles coupled to fluctuating vortex
loops that describes the loss of phase coherence in a two dimensional d-wave
superconductor at T=0 is derived. The theory has the form of 2+1 dimensional
quantum electrodynamics (QED3), and is proposed as an effective description of
the T=0 superconductor-insulator transition in underdoped cuprates. The
coupling constant ("charge") in this theory is proportional to the dual order
parameter of the XY model, which is assumed to be describing the quantum
fluctuations of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. The principal
result is that the destruction of phase coherence in d-wave superconductors
typically, and immediately, leads to antiferromagnetism. The transition can be
understood in terms of the spontaneous breaking of an approximate "chiral"
SU(2) symmetry, which may be discerned at low enough energies in the standard
d-wave superconductor. The mechanism of the symmetry breaking is analogous to
the dynamical mass generation in the QED3, with the "mass" here being
proportional to staggered magnetization. Other insulating phases that break
chiral symmetry include the translationally invariant "d+ip" and "d+is"
insulators, and various one dimensional charge-density and spin-density waves.
The theory offers an explanation for the rounded d-wave-like dispersion seen in
ARPES experiments on Ca2CuO2Cl2 (F. Ronning et. al., Science 282, 2067 (1998)).Comment: Revtex, 20 pages, 5 figures; this is a much extended follow-up to the
Phys. Rev. Lett. vol.88, 047006 (2002) (cond-mat/0110188); improved
presentation, many additional explanations, comments, and references added,
sec. IV rewritten. Final version, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Altered macrophage polarization induces experimental pulmonary hypertension and is observed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Objective:
To determine whether global reduction of CD68 (cluster of differentiation) macrophages impacts the development of experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and whether this reduction affects the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophages within the lung. Additionally, to determine whether there is evidence of an altered macrophage polarization in patients with PAH.
Approach and Results:
Macrophage reduction was induced in mice via doxycycline-induced CD68-driven cytotoxic diphtheria toxin A chain expression (macrophage low [MacLow] mice). Chimeric mice were generated using bone marrow transplant. Mice were phenotyped for PAH by echocardiography and closed chest cardiac catheterization. Murine macrophage phenotyping was performed on lungs, bone marrow–derived macrophages, and alveolar macrophages using immunohistochemical and flow cytometry. Monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated from PAH patients and healthy volunteers and polarization capacity assessed morphologically and by flow cytometry. After 6 weeks of macrophage depletion, male but not female MacLow mice developed PAH. Chimeric mice demonstrated a requirement for both MacLow bone marrow and MacLow recipient mice to cause PAH. Immunohistochemical analysis of lung sections demonstrated imbalance in M1/M2 ratio in male MacLow mice only, suggesting that this imbalance may drive the PAH phenotype. M1/M2 imbalance was also seen in male MacLow bone marrow–derived macrophages and PAH patient monocyte-derived macrophages following stimulation with doxycycline and IL (interleukin)-4, respectively. Furthermore, MacLow-derived alveolar macrophages showed characteristic differences in terms of their polarization and expression of diphtheria toxin A chain following stimulation with doxycycline.
Conclusions:
These data further highlight a sex imbalance in PAH and further implicate immune cells into this paradigm. Targeting imbalance of macrophage population may offer a future therapeutic option
Measurement of the Proton Spin Structure Function g1p with a Pure Hydrogen Target
A measurement of the proton spin structure function g1p(x,Q^2) in
deep-inelastic scattering is presented. The data were taken with the 27.6 GeV
longitudinally polarised positron beam at HERA incident on a longitudinally
polarised pure hydrogen gas target internal to the storage ring. The kinematic
range is 0.021<x<0.85 and 0.8 GeV^2<Q^2<20 GeV^2. The integral
Int_{0.021}^{0.85} g1p(x)dx evaluated at Q0^2 of 2.5 GeV^2 is
0.122+/-0.003(stat.)+/-0.010(syst.).Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, RevTeX late
Determination of the Deep Inelastic Contribution to the Generalised Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn Integral for the Proton and Neutron
The virtual photon absorption cross section differences [sigma_1/2-sigma_3/2]
for the proton and neutron have been determined from measurements of polarised
cross section asymmetries in deep inelastic scattering of 27.5 GeV
longitudinally polarised positrons from polarised 1H and 3He internal gas
targets. The data were collected in the region above the nucleon resonances in
the kinematic range nu < 23.5 GeV and 0.8 GeV**2 < Q**2 < 12 GeV**2. For the
proton the contribution to the generalised Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn integral was
found to be substantial and must be included for an accurate determination of
the full integral. Furthermore the data are consistent with a QCD
next-to-leading order fit based on previous deep inelastic scattering data.
Therefore higher twist effects do not appear significant.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, revte
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