174 research outputs found
Maxwell-Chern-Simons Q-balls
We examine the energetics of -balls in Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory in two
space dimensions. Whereas gauged -balls are unallowed in this dimension in
the absence of a Chern-Simons term due to a divergent electromagnetic energy,
the addition of a Chern-Simons term introduces a gauge field mass and renders
finite the otherwise-divergent electromagnetic energy of the -ball. Similar
to the case of gauged -balls, Maxwell-Chern-Simons -balls have a maximal
charge. The properties of these solitons are studied as a function of the
parameters of the model considered, using a numerical technique known as
relaxation. The results are compared to expectations based on qualitative
arguments.Comment: 6 pages. Talk given at Theory CANADA 2, Perimeter Institut
Q-stars in extra dimensions
We study q-stars with global and local U(1) symmetry in extra dimensions in
asymptotically anti de Sitter or flat spacetime. The behavior of the mass,
radius and particle number of the star is quite different in 3 dimensions, but
in 5, 6, 8 and 11 dimensions is similar to the behavior in 4.Comment: 18 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
EYM equations in the presence of q-stars
We study Einstein-Yang-Mills equations in the presence of gravitating
non-topological soliton field configurations, of q-ball type. We produce
numerical solutions, stable with respect to gravitational collapse and to
fission into free particles, and we study the effect of the field strength and
the eigen-frequency to the soliton parameters. We also investigate the
formation of such soliton stars when the spacetime is asymptotically anti de
Sitter.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Oscillons: Resonant Configurations During Bubble Collapse
Oscillons are localized, non-singular, time-dependent, spherically-symmetric
solutions of nonlinear scalar field theories which, although unstable, are
extremely long-lived. We show that they naturally appear during the collapse of
subcritical bubbles in models with symmetric and asymmetric double-well
potentials. By a combination of analytical and numerical work we explain
several of their properties, including the conditions for their existence,
their longevity, and their final demise. We discuss several contexts in which
we expect oscillons to be relevant. In particular, their nucleation during
cosmological phase transitions may have wide-ranging consequences.Comment: 31 pages Revtex, 20 uufiles-encoded figures. Section "Possible
Applications of Oscillons" slightly expande
Solitonic supersymmetry restoration
Q-balls are a possible feature of any model with a conserved, global U(1)
symmetry and no massless, charged scalars. It is shown that for a broad class
of models of metastable supersymmetry breaking they are extremely influential
on the vacuum lifetime and make seemingly viable vacua catastrophically short
lived. A net charge asymmetry is not required as there is often a significant
range of parameter space where statistical fluctuations alone are sufficient.
This effect is examined for two supersymmetry breaking scenarios. It is found
that models of minimal gauge mediation (which necessarily have a messenger
number U(1)) undergo a rapid, supersymmetry restoring phase transition unless
the messenger mass is greater than 10^8 GeV. Similarly the ISS model, in the
context of direct mediation, quickly decays unless the perturbative
superpotential coupling is greater than the Standard Model gauge couplings.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, minor comments added, accepted for publication
in JHE
Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is prevalent in cardiorenal patients but not associated with left ventricular function and myocardial fibrosis as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is common in cardiovascular diseases and associated with hypertension, renal dysfunction and/or heart failure. There is a paucity of data about the prevalence and the role of ARAS in the pathophysiology of combined chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the prevalence in patients with combined CHF/CKD and its association with renal function, cardiac dysfunction and the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The EPOCARES study (ClinTrialsNCT00356733) investigates the role of erythropoietin in anaemic patients with combined CHF/CKD. Eligible subjects underwent combined cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), including late gadolinium enhancement, with magnetic resonance angiography of the renal arteries (MRA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MR study was performed in 37 patients (median age 74 years, eGFR 37.4 ± 15.6 ml/min, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 43.3 ± 11.2%), of which 21 (56.8%) had ARAS (defined as stenosis >50%). Of these 21 subjects, 8 (21.6%) had more severe ARAS >70% and 8 (21.6%) had a bilateral ARAS >50% (or previous bilateral PTA). There were no differences in age, NT-proBNP levels and medication profile between patients with ARAS versus those without. Renal function declined with the severity of ARAS (p = 0.03), although this was not significantly different between patients with ARAS versus those without. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in patients without ARAS (56.3%) against those with ARAS (23.8%) (p = 0.04). The presence and extent of late gadolinium enhancement, depicting myocardial fibrosis, did not differ (p = 0.80), nor did end diastolic volume (p = 0.60), left ventricular mass index (p = 0.11) or LVEF (p = 0.15). Neither was there a difference in the presence of an ischemic pattern of late enhancement in patients with ARAS versus those without.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>ARAS is prevalent in combined CHF/CKD and its severity is associated with a decline in renal function. However, its presence does not correlate with a worse LVEF, a higher left ventricular mass or with the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis. Further research is required for the role of ARAS in the pathophysiology of combined chronic heart and renal failure.</p
Ischemic Preconditioning in the Animal Kidney, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a potent renoprotective strategy which has not yet been translated successfully into clinical practice, in spite of promising results in animal studies. We performed a unique systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies to identify factors modifying IPC efficacy in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), in order to enhance the design of future (clinical) studies. An electronic literature search for animal studies on IPC in renal IRI yielded fifty-eight studies which met our inclusion criteria. We extracted data for serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and histological renal damage, as well as study quality indicators. Meta-analysis showed that IPC reduces serum creatinine (SMD 1.54 [95%CI 1.16, 1.93]), blood urea nitrogen (SMD 1.42 [95% CI 0.97, 1.87]) and histological renal damage (SMD 1.12 [95% CI 0.89, 1.35]) after IRI as compared to controls. Factors influencing IPC efficacy were the window of protection (<24 h = early vs. ≥24 h = late) and animal species (rat vs. mouse). No difference in efficacy between local and remote IPC was observed. In conclusion, our findings show that IPC effectively reduces renal damage after IRI, with higher efficacy in the late window of protection. However, there is a large gap in study data concerning the optimal window of protection, and IPC efficacy may differ per animal species. Moreover, current clinical trials on RIPC may not be optimally designed, and our findings identify a need for further standardization of animal experiments
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