111 research outputs found
Remarks on probability theory and TMJ diagnosis
On the basis of the classic concepts of events and probability theory, this article analyzes some recently introduced diagnostic probability concepts as they pertain to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases and disorders.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74644/1/j.1365-2842.1992.tb01486.x.pd
Inflation with General Initial Conditions for Scalar Perturbations
We explore the possibility of a single field quasi-de Sitter inflationary
model with general initial state for primordial fluctuations. In this paper,
first we compute the power spectrum and the bispectrum of scalar perturbations
with coherent state as the initial state. We find that a large class of
coherent states are indistinguishable from the Bunch-Davies vacuum state and
hence consistent with the current observations. In case of a more general
initial state built over Bunch-Davies vacuum state, we show that the
constraints on the initial state from observed power spectrum and local
bispectrum are relatively weak and for quasi-de Sitter inflation a large number
of initial states are consistent with the current observations. However,
renormalizability of the energy-momentum tensor of the fluctuations constraints
the initial state further.Comment: Updated to match published version, 20 page
Observed photodetachment in parallel electric and magnetic fields
We investigate photodetachment from negative ions in a homogeneous 1.0-T
magnetic field and a parallel electric field of approximately 10 V/cm. A
theoretical model for detachment in combined fields is presented. Calculations
show that a field of 10 V/cm or more should considerably diminish the Landau
structure in the detachment cross section. The ions are produced and stored in
a Penning ion trap and illuminated by a single-mode dye laser. We present
preliminary results for detachment from S- showing qualitative agreement with
the model. Future directions of the work are also discussed.Comment: Nine pages, five figures, minor revisions showing final publicatio
Vangl-dependent planar cell polarity signalling is not required for neural crest migration in mammals
The role of planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling in neural crest (NC) development is unclear. The PCP dependence of NC cell migration has been reported in Xenopus and zebrafish, but NC migration has not been studied in mammalian PCP mutants. Vangl2Lp/Lp mouse embryos lack PCP signalling and undergo almost complete failure of neural tube closure. Here we show, however, that NC specification, migration and derivative formation occur normally in Vangl2Lp/Lp embryos. The gene family member Vangl1 was not expressed in NC nor ectopically expressed in Vangl2Lp/Lp embryos, and doubly homozygous Vangl1/Vangl2 mutants exhibited normal NC migration. Acute downregulation of Vangl2 in the NC lineage did not prevent NC migration. In vitro, Vangl2Lp/Lp neural tube explants generated emigrating NC cells, as in wild type. Hence, PCP signalling is not essential for NC migration in mammals, in contrast to its essential role in neural tube closure. PCP mutations are thus unlikely to mediate NC-related birth defects in humans
Gene-environment interactions in the causation of neural tube defects : folate deficiency increases susceptibility conferred by loss of Pax3 function
Risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) is determined by genetic and environmental factors, among which folate status appears to play a key role. However, the precise nature of the link between low folate status and NTDs is poorly understood, and it remains unclear how folic acid prevents NTDs. We investigated the effect of folate level on risk of NTDs in splotch (Sp(2)(H)) mice, which carry a mutation in Pax3. Dietary folate restriction results in reduced maternal blood folate, elevated plasma homocysteine and reduced embryonic folate content. Folate deficiency does not cause NTDs in wild-type mice, but causes a significant increase in cranial NTDs among Sp(2)(H) embryos, demonstrating a gene-environment interaction. Control treatments, in which intermediate levels of folate are supplied, suggest that NTD risk is related to embryonic folate concentration, not maternal blood folate concentration. Notably, the effect of folate deficiency appears more deleterious in female embryos than males, since defects are not prevented by exogenous folic acid. Folate-deficient embryos exhibit developmental delay and growth retardation. However, folate content normalized to protein content is appropriate for developmental stage, suggesting that folate availability places a tight limit on growth and development. Folate-deficient embryos also exhibit a reduced ratio of s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to s-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). This could indicate inhibition of the methylation cycle, but we did not detect any diminution in global DNA methylation, in contrast to embryos in which the methylation cycle was specifically inhibited. Hence, folate deficiency increases the risk of NTDs in genetically predisposed splotch embryos, probably via embryonic growth retardation
Aspects of hairy black holes in spontaneously-broken Einstein-Yang-Mills systems: Stability analysis and Entropy considerations
We analyze (3+1)-dimensional black-hole space-times in spontaneously broken
Yang-Mills gauge theories that have been recently presented as candidates for
an evasion of the scalar-no-hair theorem. Although we show that in principle
the conditions for the no-hair theorem do not apply to this case, however we
prove that the `spirit' of the theorem is not violated, in the sense that there
exist instabilities, in both the sphaleron and gravitational sectors. The
instability analysis of the sphaleron sector, which was expected to be unstable
for topological reasons, is performed by means of a variational method. As
shown, there exist modes in this sector that are unstable against linear
perturbations. Instabilities exist also in the gravitational sector. A method
for counting the gravitational unstable modes, which utilizes a
catastrophe-theoretic approach is presented. The r\^ole of the catastrophe
functional is played by the mass functional of the black hole. The Higgs vacuum
expectation value (v.e.v.) is used as a control parameter, having a critical
value beyond which instabilities are turned on. The (stable) Schwarzschild
solution is then understood from this point of view. The catastrophe-theory
appproach facilitates enormously a universal stability study of non-Abelian
black holes, which goes beyond linearized perturbations. Some elementary
entropy considerations are also presented...Comment: Latex file, 50 pages, 2 figures (included as PS files at the end:
plot1.ps, plot2.ps
Fermionic vacuum densities in higher-dimensional de Sitter spacetime
Fermionic condensate and the vacuum expectation values of the energy-momentum
tensor are investigated for twisted and untwisted massive spinor fields in
higher-dimensional de Sitter spacetime with toroidally compactified spatial
dimensions. The expectation values are presented in the form of the sum of
corresponding quantities in the uncompactified de Sitter spacetime and the
parts induced by non-trivial topology. The latter are finite and the
renormalization is needed for the first parts only. Closed formulae are derived
for the renormalized fermionic vacuum densities in uncompactified
odd-dimensional de Sitter spacetimes. It is shown that, unlike to the case of
4-dimensional spacetime, for large values of the mass, these densities are
suppressed exponentially. Asymptotic behavior of the topological parts in the
expectation values is investigated in the early and late stages of the
cosmological expansion. When the comoving lengths of compactified dimensions
are much smaller than the de Sitter curvature radius, to the leading order the
topological parts coincide with the corresponding quantities for a massless
fermionic field and are conformally related to the corresponding flat spacetime
results. In this limit the topological parts dominate the uncompactified de
Sitter part and the back-reaction effects should be taken into account. In the
opposite limit, for a massive field the asymptotic behavior of the topological
parts is damping oscillatory.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, cosmological applications are adde
Vacuum fluctuations and topological Casimir effect in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmologies with compact dimensions
We investigate the Wightman function, the vacuum expectation values of the
field squared and the energy-momentum tensor for a massless scalar field with
general curvature coupling parameter in spatially flat
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes with an arbitrary number of toroidally
compactified dimensions. The topological parts in the expectation values are
explicitly extracted and in this way the renormalization is reduced to that for
the model with trivial topology. In the limit when the comoving lengths of the
compact dimensions are very short compared to the Hubble length, the
topological parts coincide with those for a conformal coupling and they are
related to the corresponding quantities in the flat spacetime by standard
conformal transformation. In the opposite limit of large comoving lengths of
the compact dimensions, in dependence of the curvature coupling parameter, two
regimes are realized with monotonic or oscillatory behavior of the vacuum
expectation values. In the monotonic regime and for nonconformally and
nonminimally coupled fields the vacuum stresses are isotropic and the equation
of state for the topological parts in the energy density and pressures is of
barotropic type. In the oscillatory regime, the amplitude of the oscillations
for the topological part in the expectation value of the field squared can be
either decreasing or increasing with time, whereas for the energy-momentum
tensor the oscillations are damping.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure
Unconventional Cosmology
I review two cosmological paradigms which are alternative to the current
inflationary scenario. The first alternative is the "matter bounce", a
non-singular bouncing cosmology with a matter-dominated phase of contraction.
The second is an "emergent" scenario, which can be implemented in the context
of "string gas cosmology". I will compare these scenarios with the inflationary
one and demonstrate that all three lead to an approximately scale-invariant
spectrum of cosmological perturbations.Comment: 45 pages, 10 figures; invited lectures at the 6th Aegean Summer
School "Quantum Gravity and Quantum Cosmology", Chora, Naxos, Greece, Sept.
12 - 17 2012, to be publ. in the proceedings; these lecture notes form an
updated version of arXiv:1003.1745 and arXiv:1103.227
Narrative inquiry into (re)imagining alternative schools: a case study of Kevin Gonzales.
Although there are many alternative schools that strive for the successful education for their students, negative images of alternative schools persist. While some alternative schools are viewed as âidealistic havens,â many are viewed as âdumping grounds,â or âjuvenile detention centers.â Employing narrative inquiry, this article interrogates how a student, Kevin Gonzales, experiences his alternative education and raises questions about the role of alternative schools. Kevin Gonzalesâs story is presented in a literary form of biographical journal to provide a âmetaphoric loftâ that helps us imagine other students like Kevin. This, in turn, provokes us to examine our current educational practice, and to (re)imagine ways in which alternative education can provide the best possible educational experiences for disenfranchised students who are increasingly underserved by the public education system
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