546 research outputs found
Dimensional Reduction of Fermions in Brane Worlds of the Gross-Neveu Model
We study the dimensional reduction of fermions, both in the symmetric and in
the broken phase of the 3-d Gross-Neveu model at large N. In particular, in the
broken phase we construct an exact solution for a stable brane world consisting
of a domain wall and an anti-wall. A left-handed 2-d fermion localized on the
domain wall and a right-handed fermion localized on the anti-wall communicate
with each other through the 3-d bulk. In this way they are bound together to
form a Dirac fermion of mass m. As a consequence of asymptotic freedom of the
2-d Gross-Neveu model, the 2-d correlation length \xi = 1/m increases
exponentially with the brane separation. Hence, from the low-energy point of
view of a 2-d observer, the separation of the branes appears very small and the
world becomes indistinguishable from a 2-d space-time. Our toy model provides a
mechanism for brane stabilization: branes made of fermions may be stable due to
their baryon asymmetry. Ironically, our brane world is stable only if it has an
extreme baryon asymmetry with all states in this ``world'' being completely
filled.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figure
The Covariant Entropy Bound, Brane Cosmology, and the Null Energy Condition
In discussions of Bousso's Covariant Entropy Bound, the Null Energy Condition
is always assumed, as a sufficient {\em but not necessary} condition which
helps to ensure that the entropy on any lightsheet shall necessarily be finite.
The spectacular failure of the Strong Energy Condition in cosmology has,
however, led many astrophysicists and cosmologists to consider models of dark
energy which violate {\em all} of the energy conditions, and indeed the current
data do not completely rule out such models. The NEC also has a questionable
status in brane cosmology: it is probably necessary to violate the NEC in the
bulk in order to obtain a "self-tuning" theory of the cosmological constant. In
order to investigate these proposals, we modify the Karch-Randall model by
introducing NEC-violating matter into in such a way that the brane
cosmological constant relaxes to zero. The entropy on lightsheets remains
finite. However, we still find that the spacetime is fundamentally incompatible
with the Covariant Entropy Bound machinery, in the sense that it fails the
Bousso-Randall consistency condition. We argue that holography probably forbids
all {\em cosmological} violations of the NEC, and that holography is in fact
the fundamental physical principle underlying the cosmological version of the
NEC.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, version 2:corrected and greatly improved
discussion of the Bousso-Randall consistency check, references added;
version3: more references added, JHEP versio
The Listening Network and Cochlear Implant Benefits in Hearing-Impaired Adults
Older adults with mild or no hearing loss make more errors and expend more effort listening to speech. Cochlear implants (CI) restore hearing to deaf patients but with limited fidelity. We hypothesized that patient-reported hearing and health-related quality of life in CI patients may similarly vary according to age. Speech Spatial Qualities (SSQ) of hearing scale and Health Utilities Index Mark III (HUI) questionnaires were administered to 543 unilaterally implanted adults across Europe, South Africa, and South America. Data were acquired before surgery and at 1, 2, and 3 years post-surgery. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models with visit, age group (18–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, and 65+), and side of implant as main factors and adjusted for other covariates. Tinnitus and dizziness prevalence did not vary with age, but older groups had more preoperative hearing. Preoperatively and postoperatively, SSQ scores were significantly higher (¿0.75–0.82) for those aged <45 compared with those 55+. However, gains in SSQ scores were equivalent across age groups, although postoperative SSQ scores were higher in right-ear implanted subjects. All age groups benefited equally in terms of HUI gain (0.18), with no decrease in scores with age. Overall, younger adults appeared to cope better with a degraded hearing before and after CI, leading to better subjective hearing performance.
Semi-empirical catalog of early-type galaxy-halo systems: dark matter density profiles, halo contraction and dark matter annihilation strength
With SDSS galaxy data and halo data from up-to-date N-body simulations we
construct a semi-empirical catalog (SEC) of early-type systems by making a
self-consistent bivariate statistical match of stellar mass (M_star) and
velocity dispersion (sigma) with halo virial mass (M_vir). We then assign
stellar mass profile and velocity dispersion profile parameters to each system
in the SEC using their observed correlations with M_star and sigma.
Simultaneously, we solve for dark matter density profile of each halo using the
spherical Jeans equation. The resulting dark matter density profiles deviate in
general from the dissipationless profile of NFW or Einasto and their mean inner
density slope and concentration vary systematically with M_vir. Statistical
tests of the distribution of profiles at fixed M_vir rule out the null
hypothesis that it follows the distribution predicted by N-body simulations for
M_vir ~< 10^{13.5-14.5} M_solar. These dark matter profiles imply that dark
matter density is, on average, enhanced significantly in the inner region of
halos with M_vir ~< 10^{13.5-14.5} M_solar supporting halo contraction. The
main characteristics of halo contraction are: (1) the mean dark matter density
within the effective radius has increased by a factor varying systematically up
to ~ 3-4 at M_vir = 10^{12} M_solar, and (2) the inner density slope has a mean
of ~ 1.3 with rho(r) ~ r^{-alpha} and a halo-to-halo rms scatter of
rms(alpha) ~ 0.4-0.5 for 10^{12} M_solar ~< M_vir ~< 10^{13-14} M_solar steeper
than the NFW profile (alpha=1). Based on our results we predict that halos of
nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies can, in principle, be promising
targets for gamma-ray emission from dark matter annihilation.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figures, JCAP, revised and accepted versio
Defining a spinal microcircuit that gates myelinated afferent input: implications for tactile allodynia
Chronic pain presents a major unmet clinical problem. The development of more effective treatments is hindered by our limited understanding of the neuronal circuits underlying sensory perception. Here, we show that parvalbumin (PV)-expressing dorsal horn interneurons modulate the passage of sensory information conveyed by low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) directly via presynaptic inhibition and also gate the polysynaptic relay of LTMR input to pain circuits by inhibiting lamina II excitatory interneurons whose axons project into lamina I. We show changes in the functional properties of these PV interneurons following peripheral nerve injury and that silencing these cells unmasks a circuit that allows innocuous touch inputs to activate pain circuits by increasing network activity in laminae I–IV. Such changes are likely to result in the development of tactile allodynia and could be targeted for more effective treatment of mechanical pain
The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) for the Sunrise balloon-borne solar observatory
The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) is a spectropolarimeter built by
four institutions in Spain that flew on board the Sunrise balloon-borne
telesocope in June 2009 for almost six days over the Arctic Circle. As a
polarimeter IMaX uses fast polarization modulation (based on the use of two
liquid crystal retarders), real-time image accumulation, and dual beam
polarimetry to reach polarization sensitivities of 0.1%. As a spectrograph, the
instrument uses a LiNbO3 etalon in double pass and a narrow band pre-filter to
achieve a spectral resolution of 85 mAA. IMaX uses the high Zeeman sensitive
line of Fe I at 5250.2 AA and observes all four Stokes parameters at various
points inside the spectral line. This allows vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams,
and intensity frames to be produced that, after reconstruction, reach spatial
resolutions in the 0.15-0.18 arcsec range over a 50x50 arcsec FOV. Time
cadences vary between ten and 33 seconds, although the shortest one only
includes longitudinal polarimetry. The spectral line is sampled in various ways
depending on the applied observing mode, from just two points inside the line
to 11 of them. All observing modes include one extra wavelength point in the
nearby continuum. Gauss equivalent sensitivities are four Gauss for
longitudinal fields and 80 Gauss for transverse fields per wavelength sample.
The LOS velocities are estimated with statistical errors of the order of 5-40
m/s. The design, calibration and integration phases of the instrument, together
with the implemented data reduction scheme are described in some detail.Comment: 17 figure
Application of non-HDL cholesterol for population-based cardiovascular risk stratification: results from the Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium.
BACKGROUND: The relevance of blood lipid concentrations to long-term incidence of cardiovascular disease and the relevance of lipid-lowering therapy for cardiovascular disease outcomes is unclear. We investigated the cardiovascular disease risk associated with the full spectrum of bloodstream non-HDL cholesterol concentrations. We also created an easy-to-use tool to estimate the long-term probabilities for a cardiovascular disease event associated with non-HDL cholesterol and modelled its risk reduction by lipid-lowering treatment. METHODS: In this risk-evaluation and risk-modelling study, we used Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium data from 19 countries across Europe, Australia, and North America. Individuals without prevalent cardiovascular disease at baseline and with robust available data on cardiovascular disease outcomes were included. The primary composite endpoint of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was defined as the occurrence of the coronary heart disease event or ischaemic stroke. Sex-specific multivariable analyses were computed using non-HDL cholesterol categories according to the European guideline thresholds, adjusted for age, sex, cohort, and classical modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. In a derivation and validation design, we created a tool to estimate the probabilities of a cardiovascular disease event by the age of 75 years, dependent on age, sex, and risk factors, and the associated modelled risk reduction, assuming a 50% reduction of non-HDL cholesterol. FINDINGS: Of the 524 444 individuals in the 44 cohorts in the Consortium database, we identified 398 846 individuals belonging to 38 cohorts (184 055 [48·7%] women; median age 51·0 years [IQR 40·7-59·7]). 199 415 individuals were included in the derivation cohort (91 786 [48·4%] women) and 199 431 (92 269 [49·1%] women) in the validation cohort. During a maximum follow-up of 43·6 years (median 13·5 years, IQR 7·0-20·1), 54 542 cardiovascular endpoints occurred. Incidence curve analyses showed progressively higher 30-year cardiovascular disease event-rates for increasing non-HDL cholesterol categories (from 7·7% for non-HDL cholesterol <2·6 mmol/L to 33·7% for ≥5·7 mmol/L in women and from 12·8% to 43·6% in men; p<0·0001). Multivariable adjusted Cox models with non-HDL cholesterol lower than 2·6 mmol/L as reference showed an increase in the association between non-HDL cholesterol concentration and cardiovascular disease for both sexes (from hazard ratio 1·1, 95% CI 1·0-1·3 for non-HDL cholesterol 2·6 to <3·7 mmol/L to 1·9, 1·6-2·2 for ≥5·7 mmol/L in women and from 1·1, 1·0-1·3 to 2·3, 2·0-2·5 in men). The derived tool allowed the estimation of cardiovascular disease event probabilities specific for non-HDL cholesterol with high comparability between the derivation and validation cohorts as reflected by smooth calibration curves analyses and a root mean square error lower than 1% for the estimated probabilities of cardiovascular disease. A 50% reduction of non-HDL cholesterol concentrations was associated with reduced risk of a cardiovascular disease event by the age of 75 years, and this risk reduction was greater the earlier cholesterol concentrations were reduced. INTERPRETATION: Non-HDL cholesterol concentrations in blood are strongly associated with long-term risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We provide a simple tool for individual long-term risk assessment and the potential benefit of early lipid-lowering intervention. These data could be useful for physician-patient communication about primary prevention strategies. FUNDING: EU Framework Programme, UK Medical Research Council, and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research
Prior dengue virus exposure shapes T Cell immunity to Zika Virus in humans
While progress has been made in characterizing humoral immunity to Zika virus (ZIKV) in humans, little is known regarding the corresponding T cell responses to ZIKV. Here we investigate the kinetics and viral epitopes targeted by T cells responding to ZIKV and address the critical question of whether pre-existing dengue virus (DENV) T cell immunity modulates these responses. We find that memory T cell responses elicited by prior infection with DENV or vaccination with Tetravalent Dengue Attenuated Vaccines (TDLAV) recognize ZIKV-derived peptides. This cross-reactivity is explained by the sequence similarity of the two viruses, as the ZIKV peptides recognized by DENV-elicited memory T cells are identical or highly conserved in DENV and ZIKV. DENV exposure prior to ZIKV infection also influences the timing and magnitude of the T cell response. ZIKV-reactive T cells in the acute phase of infection are detected earlier and in greater magnitude in DENV-immune patients. Conversely, the frequency of ZIKV-reactive T cells continues to rise in the convalescent phase in DENV-naive donors, but declines in DENV pre-exposed donors, compatible with more efficient control of ZIKV replication and/or clearance of ZIKV antigen. The quality of responses is also influenced by previous DENV exposure, and ZIKV-specific CD8 T cells form DENV pre-exposed donors selectively up-regulated granzyme B and PD1, as compared to DENV-naïve donors. Finally, we discovered that ZIKV structural proteins (E, prM and C) are major targets of both the CD4 and CD8 T cell responses, whereas DENV T cell epitopes are found primarily in nonstructural proteins
Multi-Wavelength Observations of a Flux Rope Failed in the Eruption and Associated M-Class Flare from NOAA AR 11045
We present the multi-wavelength observations of a flux rope that was trying
to erupt from NOAA AR 11045 and the associated M-class solar flare on 12
February 2010 using space and ground based observations from TRACE, STEREO,
SOHO/MDI, Hinode/XRT and BBSO. While the flux rope was rising from the active
region, an M1.1/2F class flare was triggered nearby one of its footpoints. We
suggest that the flare triggering was due to the reconnection of a rising flux
rope with the surrounding low-lying magnetic loops. The flux rope reached a
projected height of ~0.15 Rs with a speed of ~90 km/s while the soft X-ray flux
enhanced gradually during its rise. The flux rope was suppressed by an
overlying field and the filled plasma moved towards the negative polarity field
to the west of its activation site. We find the first observational evidence of
the initial suppression of a flux rope due to a remnant filament visible both
at chromospheric and coronal temperatures that evolved couple of days before at
the same location in the active region. SOHO/MDI magnetograms show the
emergence of a bipole ~12 h prior to the flare initiation. The emerged negative
polarity moved towards the flux rope activation site, and flare triggering near
the photospheric polarity inversion line (PIL) took place. The motion of the
negative polarity region towards PIL helped in the build-up of magnetic energy
at the flare and flux rope activation site. This study provides a unique
observational evidence of a rising flux rope that failed to erupt due to a
remnant filament and overlying magnetic field, as well as associated triggering
of an M-class flare.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, Sol. Phy
- …