1,530 research outputs found
Femtosecond few- to single-electron point-projection microscopy for nanoscale dynamic imaging
Femtosecond electron microscopy produces real-space images of matter in a series ofultrafast snapshots. Pulses of electrons self-disperse under space-charge broadening,so without compression, the ideal operation mode is a single electron per pulse. Here,we demonstrate femtosecond single-electron point projection microscopy (fs-ePPM)in a laser-pump fs-e-probe configuration. The electrons have an energy of only150 eV and take tens of picoseconds to propagate to the object under study.Nonetheless, we achieve a temporal resolution with a standard deviation of 114 fs(equivalent to a full-width at half-maximum of 269 +/- 40 fs) combined with a spatialresolution of 100 nm, applied to a localized region of charge at the apex of a nanoscalemetal tip induced by 30 fs 800 nm laser pulses at 50 kHz. These observations demonstratereal-space imaging of reversible processes, such as tracking charge distributions,is feasible whilst maintaining femtosecond resolution. Our findings could find applicationas a characterization method, which, depending on geometry, could resolve tensof femtoseconds and tens of nanometres. Dynamically imaging electric and magneticfields and charge distributions on sub-micron length scales opens new avenues ofultrafast dynamics. Furthermore, through the use of active compression, such pulsesare an ideal seed for few-femtosecond to attosecond imaging applications which willaccess sub-optical cycle processes in nanoplasmonics
Holographic GB gravity in arbitrary dimensions
We study the properties of the holographic CFT dual to Gauss-Bonnet gravity
in general dimensions. We establish the AdS/CFT dictionary and in
particular relate the couplings of the gravitational theory to the universal
couplings arising in correlators of the stress tensor of the dual CFT. This
allows us to examine constraints on the gravitational couplings by demanding
consistency of the CFT. In particular, one can demand positive energy fluxes in
scattering processes or the causal propagation of fluctuations. We also examine
the holographic hydrodynamics, commenting on the shear viscosity as well as the
relaxation time. The latter allows us to consider causality constraints arising
from the second-order truncated theory of hydrodynamics.Comment: 48 pages, 9 figures. v2: New discussion on free fields in subsection
3.3 and new appendix B on conformal tensor fields. Added comments on the
relation between the central charge appearing in the two-point function and
the "central charge" characterizing the entropy density in the discussion.
References adde
The Entropy for General Extremal Black Holes
We use the Kerr/CFT correspondence to calculate the entropy for all known
extremal stationary and axisymmetric black holes. This is done with the help of
two ansatzs that are general enough to cover all such known solutions.
Considering only the contribution from the Einstein-Hilbert action to the
central charge(s), we find that the entropy obtained by using Cardy's formula
exactly matches with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.Comment: Minor corrections, section 5 refined, references added
Early-Time Energy Loss in a Strongly-Coupled SYM Plasma
We carry out an analytic study of the early-time motion of a quark in a
strongly-coupled maximally-supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma, using the AdS/CFT
correspondence. Our approach extracts the first thermal effects as a small
perturbation of the known quark dynamics in vacuum, using a double expansion
that is valid for early times and for (moderately) ultrarelativistic quark
velocities. The quark is found to lose energy at a rate that differs
significantly from the previously derived stationary/late-time result: it
scales like T^4 instead of T^2, and is associated with a friction coefficient
that is not independent of the quark momentum. Under conditions representative
of the quark-gluon plasma as obtained at RHIC, the early energy loss rate is a
few times smaller than its late-time counterpart. Our analysis additionally
leads to thermally-corrected expressions for the intrinsic energy and momentum
of the quark, in which the previously discovered limiting velocity of the quark
is found to appear naturally.Comment: 39 pages, no figures. v2: Minor corrections and clarifications.
References added. Version to be published in JHE
Tailored or Routine Addition of an Antireflux Fundoplication in Laparoscopic Large Hiatal Hernia Repair: A Comparative Cohort Study
Contains fulltext :
98394.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: There is controversy about the tailored or routine addition of an antireflux fundoplication in large hiatal hernia (type II-IV) repair. We investigated the strategy of selective addition of a fundoplication in patients with a large hiatal hernia and concomitant gastroesophageal reflux disease. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2008, 60 patients with a large hiatal hernia were evaluated preoperatively and 12 months after surgery by reflux-related symptoms, upper endoscopy, and esophageal 24-h pH monitoring. In patients with preoperatively documented gastroesophageal reflux disease, an antireflux fundoplication was added during hiatal hernia repair. RESULTS: An antireflux procedure was added in 35 patients and 25 patients underwent hiatal hernia repair only. Preoperative symptoms were improved or resolved in 31 patients (88.6%) in the group who had fundoplication and in 20 patients (87.0%) in the group who did not have fundoplication. In patients with fundoplication, esophagitis was present in 6 patients (22.2%) after surgery and abnormal esophageal acid exposure persisted in 11 (39.3%). Seven patients (38.9%) with hernia repair only developed abnormal esophageal acid exposure, and esophagitis was postoperatively generated in five (27.8%). In neither group did patients have new onset of daily heartburn or dysphagia. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a large hiatal hernia associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, addition of a fundoplication during hernia repair yields acceptable reduction of symptoms and does not generate symptomatic side effects. Objective control of reflux, however, is only moderate. Omission of an antireflux procedure in the absence of gastroesophageal reflux disease induced esophagitis in 28% and abnormal esophageal acid exposure in 39% of patients. Therefore, routine addition of an antireflux fundoplication should be recommended
Nonlinear Hydrodynamics from Flow of Retarded Green's Function
We study the radial flow of retarded Green's function of energy-momentum
tensor and -current of dual gauge theory in presence of generic higher
derivative terms in bulk Lagrangian. These are first order non-linear Riccati
equations. We solve these flow equations analytically and obtain second order
transport coefficients of boundary plasma. This way of computing transport
coefficients has an advantage over usual Kubo approach. The non-linear equation
turns out to be a linear first order equation when we study the Green's
function perturbatively in momentum. We consider several examples including
term and generic four derivative terms in bulk. We also study the flow
equations for -charged black holes and obtain exact expressions for second
order transport coefficients for dual plasma in presence of arbitrary chemical
potentials. Finally we obtain higher derivative corrections to second order
transport coefficients of boundary theory dual to five dimensional gauge
supergravity.Comment: Version 2, reference added, typos correcte
The antisaccade task as an index of sustained goal activation in working memory: modulation by nicotine
The antisaccade task provides a laboratory analogue of situations in which execution of the correct behavioural response requires the suppression of a more prepotent or habitual response. Errors (failures to inhibit a reflexive prosaccade towards a sudden onset target) are significantly increased in patients with damage to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and patients with schizophrenia. Recent models of antisaccade performance suggest that errors are more likely to occur when the intention to initiate an antisaccade is insufficiently activated within working memory. Nicotine has been shown to enhance specific working memory processes in healthy adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We explored the effect of nicotine on antisaccade performance in a large sample (N = 44) of young adult smokers. Minimally abstinent participants attended two test sessions and were asked to smoke one of their own cigarettes between baseline and retest during one session only. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Nicotine reduced antisaccade errors and correct antisaccade latencies if delivered before optimum performance levels are achieved, suggesting that nicotine supports the activation of intentions in working memory during task performance. The implications of this research for current theoretical accounts of antisaccade performance, and for interpreting the increased rate of antisaccade errors found in some psychiatric patient groups are discussed
Holographic Charged Fluid with Anomalous Current at Finite Cutoff Surface in Einstein-Maxwell Gravity
The holographic charged fluid with anomalous current in Einstein-Maxwell
gravity has been generalized from the infinite boundary to the finite cutoff
surface by using the gravity/fluid correspondence. After perturbing the boosted
Reissner-Nordstrom (RN)-AdS black brane solution of the Einstein-Maxwell
gravity with the Chern-Simons term, we obtain the first order perturbative
gravitational and Maxwell solutions, and calculate the stress tensor and
charged current of the dual fluid at finite cutoff surfaces which contains
undetermined parameters after demanding regularity condition at the future
horizon. We adopt the Dirichlet boundary condition and impose the Landau frame
to fix these parameters, finally obtain the dependence of transport
coefficients in the dual stress tensor and charged current on the arbitrary
radical cutoff . We find that the dual fluid is not conformal, but it has
vanishing bulk viscosity, and the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio is
universally . Other transport coefficients of the dual current turns
out to be cutoff-dependent. In particular, the chiral vortical conductivity
expressed in terms of thermodynamic quantities takes the same form as that of
the dual fluid at the asymptotic AdS boundary, and the chiral magnetic
conductivity receives a cutoff-dependent correction which vanishes at the
infinite boundary.Comment: 19 pages, v2: references added, v3: typos corrected, v5: typos
corrected, version accepted for publication in JHE
Aerobic fitness is a potential crucial factor in protecting paralympic athletes with locomotor impairments from atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk
PurposeTo test the hypothesis that aerobic fitness is inversely related to the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) in athletes with locomotor impairments deriving from health conditions, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), lower limb amputation, cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, and other health conditions different from the previous ones.MethodsA total of 68 male athletes who competed in either summer or winter Paralympic games were divided in two health conditions groups (35 with SCI, mean age 37.28.0 years, and 33 with different health conditions, mean age 37.89.9 years) and in four sport type groups (skill, power, intermittent-mixed metabolism-and endurance). They were evaluated through anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, laboratory blood tests, and graded cardiopulmonary maximal arm cranking exercise test, with oxygen uptake peak (VO2peak) measurement. Cardiovascular risk profile was assessed in each athlete.ResultsThe prevalence of ACVD-risk factors in the overall population was 20.6% for hypertension; 47% and 55.9% for high values of total and LDL cholesterol, respectively; 22.1% for reduce glucose tolerance; and 8.8% for obesity. No difference was found between athletes with and without SCI, while the prevalence of obesity was significantly higher in those practicing skill sports (22.7%, p=0.035), which was the sport type group with Paralympic athletes with the lowest VO2peak (22.5 +/- 5.70 ml kg(-1) min(-1)). VO2peak was lower in athletes with SCI than those with different health conditions (28.6 +/- 10.0 vs 33.6 +/- 8.9 ml kg(-1) min(-1)p=0.03), and in those with 3-4 risk factors (19.09 +/- 5.34 ml kg(-1) min(-1)) than those with 2 risk factors (27.1 +/- 5.50 ml kg(-1) min(-1)), 1 risk factor (31.6 +/- 8.55 ml kg(-1) min(-1)), or none (36.4 +/- 8.76 ml kg(-1) min(-1)) (p<0.001).ConclusionsThe present study suggests that having higher VO2peak seems to offer greater protection against ACVD in individuals with a locomotor impairment. Prescribing physical exercise at an intensity similar to that of endurance and intermittent sports should become a fundamental tool to promote health among people with a locomotor impairment.Open access funding provided by Universita degli Studi dell'Aquila within the CRUI-CARE Agreement
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