958 research outputs found
Restoration of rotational invariance of bound states on the light front
We study bound states in a model with scalar nucleons interacting via an
exchanged scalar meson using the Hamiltonian formalism on the light front. In
this approach manifest rotational invariance is broken when the Fock space is
truncated. By considering an effective Hamiltonian that takes into account two
meson exchanges, we find that this breaking of rotational invariance is
decreased from that which occurs when only one meson exchange is included. The
best improvement occurs when the states are weakly bound.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, uses feynMF; changed typos, clarified use of
angular momentu
Relativistic bound-state equations in three dimensions
Firstly, a systematic procedure is derived for obtaining three-dimensional
bound-state equations from four-dimensional ones. Unlike ``quasi-potential
approaches'' this procedure does not involve the use of delta-function
constraints on the relative four-momentum. In the absence of negative-energy
states, the kernels of the three-dimensional equations derived by this
technique may be represented as sums of time-ordered perturbation theory
diagrams. Consequently, such equations have two major advantages over
quasi-potential equations: they may easily be written down in any Lorentz
frame, and they include the meson-retardation effects present in the original
four-dimensional equation. Secondly, a simple four-dimensional equation with
the correct one-body limit is obtained by a reorganization of the generalized
ladder Bethe-Salpeter kernel. Thirdly, our approach to deriving
three-dimensional equations is applied to this four-dimensional equation, thus
yielding a retarded interaction for use in the three-dimensional bound-state
equation of Wallace and Mandelzweig. The resulting three-dimensional equation
has the correct one-body limit and may be systematically improved upon. The
quality of the three-dimensional equation, and our general technique for
deriving such equations, is then tested by calculating bound-state properties
in a scalar field theory using six different bound-state equations. It is found
that equations obtained using the method espoused here approximate the wave
functions obtained from their parent four-dimensional equations significantly
better than the corresponding quasi-potential equations do.Comment: 28 pages, RevTeX, 6 figures attached as postscript files. Accepted
for publication in Phys. Rev. C. Minor changes from original version do not
affect argument or conclusion
Host proteostasis modulates influenza evolution
Predicting and constraining RNA virus evolution require understanding the molecular factors that define the mutational landscape accessible to these pathogens. RNA viruses typically have high mutation rates, resulting in frequent production of protein variants with compromised biophysical properties. Their evolution is necessarily constrained by the consequent challenge to protein folding and function. We hypothesized that host proteostasis mechanisms may be significant determinants of the fitness of viral protein variants, serving as a critical force shaping viral evolution. Here, we test that hypothesis by propagating influenza in host cells displaying chemically-controlled, divergent proteostasis environments. We find that both the nature of selection on the influenza genome and the accessibility of specific mutational trajectories are significantly impacted by host proteostasis. These findings provide new insights into features of host-pathogen interactions that shape viral evolution, and into the potential design of host proteostasis-targeted antiviral therapeutics that are refractory to resistance.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Award 1DP2GM119162)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant P30-ES002109
Nonperturbative dynamics of scalar field theories through the Feynman-Schwinger representation
In this paper we present a summary of results obtained for scalar field
theories using the Feynman-Schwinger (FSR) approach. Specifically, scalar QED
and chi^2phi theories are considered. The motivation behind the applications
discussed in this paper is to use the FSR method as a rigorous tool for testing
the quality of commonly used approximations in field theory. Exact calculations
in a quenched theory are presented for one-, two-, and three-body bound states.
Results obtained indicate that some of the commonly used approximations, such
as Bethe-Salpeter ladder summation for bound states and the rainbow summation
for one body problems, produce significantly different results from those
obtained from the FSR approach. We find that more accurate results can be
obtained using other, simpler, approximation schemes.Comment: 25 pags, 19 figures, prepared for the volume celebrating the 70th
birthday of Yuri Simono
The impact of working memory load on task execution and online plan adjustment during multitasking in a virtual environment
Three experiments investigated the impact of working memory load on online plan adjustment during a test of multitasking in young, nonexpert, adult participants. Multitasking was assessed using the Edinburgh Virtual Errands Test (EVET). Participants were asked to memorize either good or poor plans for performing multiple errands and were assessed both on task completion and on the extent to which they modified their plans during EVET performance. EVET was performed twice, with and without a secondary task loading a component of working memory. In Experiment 1, articulatory suppression was used to load the phonological loop. In Experiment 2, oral random generation was used to load executive functions. In Experiment 3, spatial working memory was loaded with an auditory spatial localization task. EVET performance for both good- and poor-planning groups was disrupted by random generation and sound localization, but not by articulatory suppression. Additionally, people given a poor plan were able to overcome this initial disadvantage by modifying their plans online. It was concluded that, in addition to executive functions, multiple errands performance draws heavily on spatial, but not verbal, working memory resources but can be successfully completed on the basis of modifying plans online, despite a secondary task load
Induced polarization of {\Lambda}(1116) in kaon electroproduction
We have measured the induced polarization of the in the
reaction , detecting the scattered and
in the final state along with the proton from the decay .The present study used the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS),
which allowed for a large kinematic acceptance in invariant energy
( GeV) and covered the full range of the kaon production
angle at an average momentum transfer GeV.In this experiment a
5.50 GeV electron beam was incident upon an unpolarized liquid-hydrogen target.
We have mapped out the and kaon production angle dependencies of the
induced polarization and found striking differences from photoproduction data
over most of the kinematic range studied. However, we also found that the
induced polarization is essentially independent in our kinematic domain,
suggesting that somewhere below the covered here there must be a strong
dependence. Along with previously published photo- and electroproduction
cross sections and polarization observables, these data are needed for the
development of models, such as effective field theories, and as input to
coupled-channel analyses that can provide evidence of previously unobserved
-channel resonances.Comment: 13 figure
Predicting the Current and Future Potential Distributions of Lymphatic Filariasis in Africa Using Maximum Entropy Ecological Niche Modelling
Modelling the spatial distributions of human parasite species is crucial to understanding the environmental determinants of infection as well as for guiding the planning of control programmes. Here, we use ecological niche modelling to map the current potential distribution of the macroparasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis (LF), in Africa, and to estimate how future changes in climate and population could affect its spread and burden across the continent. We used 508 community-specific infection presence data collated from the published literature in conjunction with five predictive environmental/climatic and demographic variables, and a maximum entropy niche modelling method to construct the first ecological niche maps describing potential distribution and burden of LF in Africa. We also ran the best-fit model against climate projections made by the HADCM3 and CCCMA models for 2050 under A2a and B2a scenarios to simulate the likely distribution of LF under future climate and population changes. We predict a broad geographic distribution of LF in Africa extending from the west to the east across the middle region of the continent, with high probabilities of occurrence in the Western Africa compared to large areas of medium probability interspersed with smaller areas of high probability in Central and Eastern Africa and in Madagascar. We uncovered complex relationships between predictor ecological niche variables and the probability of LF occurrence. We show for the first time that predicted climate change and population growth will expand both the range and risk of LF infection (and ultimately disease) in an endemic region. We estimate that populations at risk to LF may range from 543 and 804 million currently, and that this could rise to between 1.65 to 1.86 billion in the future depending on the climate scenario used and thresholds applied to signify infection presence
Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays
The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device
in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken
during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the
number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for
all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The
efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments
reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per
layer is approximately 5 ns
Tropical carbon sink accelerated by symbiotic dinitrogen fixation
A major uncertainty in the land carbon cycle is whether symbiotic nitrogen fixation acts to enhance the tropical forest carbon sink. Nitrogen-fixing trees can supply vital quantities of the growth-limiting nutrient nitrogen, but the extent to which the resulting carbon–nitrogen feedback safeguards ecosystem carbon sequestration remains unclear. We combine (i) field observations from 112 plots spanning 300 years of succession in Panamanian tropical forests, and (ii) a new model that resolves nitrogen and light competition at the scale of individual trees. Fixation doubled carbon accumulation in early succession and enhanced total carbon in mature forests by ~10% (~12MgC ha−1) through two mechanisms: (i) a direct fixation effect on tree growth, and (ii) an indirect effect on the successional sequence of non-fixing trees. We estimate that including nitrogen-fixing trees in Neotropical reforestation projects could safeguard the sequestration of 6.7 Gt CO2 over the next 20 years. Our results highlight the connection between functional diversity of plant communities and the critical ecosystem service of carbon sequestration for mitigating climate change
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