A cellular topological field theory

We present a construction of cellular BF theory (in both abelian and non-abelian variants) on cobordisms equipped with cellular decompositions. Partition functions of this theory are invariant under subdivisions, satisfy a version of the quantum master equation, and satisfy Atiyah-Segal-type gluing formula with respect to composition of cobordisms

AKSZ-BV Formalism and Courant Algebroid-induced Topological Field Theories

We give a detailed exposition of the Alexandrov-Kontsevich-Schwarz- Zaboronsky superfield formalism using the language of graded manifolds. As a main illustarting example, to every Courant algebroid structure we associate canonically a three-dimensional topological sigma-model. Using the AKSZ formalism, we construct the Batalin-Vilkovisky master action for the model.Comment: 13 pages, based on lectures at Rencontres mathematiques de Glanon 200

Coisotropic submanifolds in Poisson geometry and branes in the Poisson sigma model

General boundary conditions ("branes") for the Poisson sigma model are studied. They turn out to be labeled by coisotropic submanifolds of the given Poisson manifold. The role played by these boundary conditions both at the classical and at the perturbative quantum level is discussed. It turns out to be related at the classical level to the category of Poisson manifolds with dual pairs as morphisms and at the perturbative quantum level to the category of associative algebras (deforming algebras of functions on Poisson manifolds) with bimodules as morphisms. Possibly singular Poisson manifolds arising from reduction enter naturally into the picture and, in particular, the construction yields (under certain assumptions) their deformation quantization.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures; minor corrections, references updated; final versio

Exchange rate pass-through to import prices in South Africa: Is there asymmetry?

There is growing emphasis on the role played by the private sector in alleviating poverty in Africa. At the same time, greater focus is being placed on cash transfers as a poverty alleviation tool. This paper provides an economic rationale for private sector involvement in the provision of cash transfers. Previous research has focused on how the financial sector can provide payment solutions. In addition to payment mechanisms, the paper examines other avenues through which the private sector can contribute to cash transfer programmes .business taxes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Reducing corruption in tax administration and an enabling investment climate are essential if business taxes are to be a sustainable financing source for cash transfers. Governments can incorporate CSR into national policies and strategies which identify cash transfers as a poverty alleviation instrument. Cell phone banking, mobile branches, Point of sale (POS) technology and low cost banking are increasing access to financial services by the poor. These financial innovations can be used to make cash transfer payments.Exchange rate pass-through, Asymmetric pass-through, VECM, South Africa

Classical BV theories on manifolds with boundary

In this paper we extend the classical BV framework to gauge theories on spacetime manifolds with boundary. In particular, we connect the BV construction in the bulk with the BFV construction on the boundary and we develop its extension to strata of higher codimension in the case of manifolds with corners. We present several examples including electrodynamics, Yang-Mills theory and topological field theories coming from the AKSZ construction, in particular, the Chern-Simons theory, the $BF$ theory, and the Poisson sigma model. This paper is the first step towards developing the perturbative quantization of such theories on manifolds with boundary in a way consistent with gluing.Comment: The second version has many typos corrected, references added. Some typos are probably still there, in particular, signs in examples. In the third version more typoes are corrected and the exposition is slightly change

Bimodal AGNs in Bimodal Galaxies

By their star content, the galaxies split out into a red and a blue population; their color index peaked around u-r=2.5 or u-r=1, respectively, quantifies the ratio of the blue stars newly formed from cold galactic gas, to the redder ones left over by past generations. On the other hand, upon accreting substantial gas amounts the central massive black holes energize active galactic nuclei (AGNs); here we investigate whether these show a similar, and possibly related, bimodal partition as for current accretion activity relative to the past. To this aim we use an updated semianalytic model; based on Monte Carlo simulations, this follows with a large statistics the galaxy assemblage, the star generations and the black hole accretions in the cosmological framework over the redshift span from z=10 to z=0. We test our simulations for yielding in close detail the observed split of galaxies into a red, early and a blue, late population. We find that the black hole accretion activities likewise give rise to two source populations: early, bright quasars and later, dimmer AGNs. We predict for their Eddington parameter $\lambda_E$ -- the ratio of the current to the past black hole accretions -- a bimodal distribution; the two branches sit now under $\lambda_E \approx 0.01$ (mainly contributed by low-luminosity AGNs) and around $\lambda_E \approx 0.3-1$. These not only mark out the two populations of AGNs, but also will turn out to correlate strongly with the red or blue color of their host galaxies.Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

One-dimensional Chern-Simons theory

We study a one-dimensional toy version of the Chern-Simons theory. We construct its simplicial version which comprises features of a low-energy effective gauge theory and of a topological quantum field theory in the sense of Atiyah.Comment: 37 page

Prenatal exposure to environmental insults and enhanced risk of developing Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder : focus on biological pathways and epigenetic mechanisms

When considering neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), Schizophrenia (SZ) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are considered to be among the most severe in term of prevalence, morbidity and impact on the society. Similar features and overlapping symptoms have been observed at multiple levels, suggesting common pathophysiological bases. Indeed, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and epidemiological data report shared vulnerability genes and environmental triggers across the two disorders. In this review, we will discuss the possible biological mechanisms, including glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmissions, inflammatory signals and oxidative stress related systems, which are targeted by adverse environmental exposures and that have been associated with the development of SZ and ASD. We will also discuss the emerging role of the gut microbiome as possible interplay between environment, immune system and brain development. Finally, we will describe the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the maintenance of long-lasting effects of adverse environments early in life. This will allow us to better understand the pathophysiology of these NDDs, and also to identify novel targets for future treatment strategies

QP-Structures of Degree 3 and 4D Topological Field Theory

A A BV algebra and a QP-structure of degree 3 is formulated. A QP-structure of degree 3 gives rise to Lie algebroids up to homotopy and its algebraic and geometric structure is analyzed. A new algebroid is constructed, which derives a new topological field theory in 4 dimensions by the AKSZ construction.Comment: 17 pages, Some errors and typos have been correcte