Unification of the four forces in the Spin(11,1) geometric algebra

SO(10), or equivalently its covering group Spin(10), is a well-known promising grand unified group that contains the standard-model group. The spinors of the group Spin($N$) of rotations in $N$ spacetime dimensions are indexed by a bitcode with $[N/2]$ bits. Fermions in Spin(10) are described by five bits $yzrgb$, consisting of two weak bits $y$ and $z$, and three colour bits $r$, $g$, $b$. If a sixth bit $t$ is added, necessary to accommodate a time dimension, then the enlarged Spin(11,1) algebra contains the standard-model and Dirac algebras as commuting subalgebras, unifying the four forces. The minimal symmetry breaking chain that breaks Spin(11,1) to the standard model is unique, proceeding via the Pati-Salam group. The minimal Higgs sector is similarly unique, consisting of the dimension~66 adjoint representation of Spin(11,1); in effect, the scalar Higgs sector matches the vector gauge sector. Although the unified algebra is that of Spin(11,1), the persistence of the electroweak Higgs field after grand symmetry breaking suggests that the gauge group before grand symmetry breaking is Spin(10,1), not the full group Spin(11,1). The running of coupling parameters predicts that the standard model should unify to the Pati-Salam group Spin(4)$_w \times$Spin(6)$_c$ at $10^{12}\,$GeV, and thence to Spin(10,1) at $10^{15}\,$GeV. The grand Higgs field breaks $t$-symmetry, can drive cosmological inflation, and generates a large Majorana mass for the right-handed neutrino by flipping its $t$-bit. The electroweak Higgs field breaks $y$-symmetry, and generates masses for fermions by flipping their $y$-bit.Comment: 52 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Physica Script

Mentoring Formerly Incarcerated Adults: Insights from the Ready4Work Reentry Initiative

This report explores mentoring as a tool for supporting the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals within the context of a larger reentry strategy -- in this case, the Ready4Workmodel. Ready4Work was a three-year national demonstration designed to address the needs of the growing ex-prisoner population and to test the capacity of community- and faith-based organizations to meet those needs. This report describes Ready4Work's mentoring component; it examines the extent to which mentoring was attractive to participants, the types of adults who volunteered to serve as mentors and how receipt of mentoring was related to participants' outcomes, including program retention, job placement, and recidivism. While this research was not designed to assess the precise impact of mentoring on formerly incarcerated adults, it provides a first look at how mentoring, or supportive relationships more broadly, can fit into comprehensive reentry efforts

Two-phonon wobbling in 135Pr

The second-phonon (nω=2) wobbling band has been established in the nucleus 135Pr. Conclusive evidence for its wobbling nature comes from the ΔI=1, E2 character of the transitions between the new band and the previously identified transverse wobbler band (nω=1) in this nucleus. Theoretical calculations in the framework of the quasiparticle triaxial rotor and triaxial projected shell models are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results

Thrombospondin-1 Contributes to Mortality in Murine Sepsis through Effects on Innate Immunity

BACKGROUND:Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is involved in many biological processes, including immune and tissue injury response, but its role in sepsis is unknown. Cell surface expression of TSP-1 on platelets is increased in sepsis and could activate the anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ1) affecting outcome. Because of these observations we sought to determine the importance of TSP-1 in sepsis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We performed studies on TSP-1 null and wild type (WT) C57BL/6J mice to determine the importance of TSP-1 in sepsis. We utilized the cecal ligation puncture (CLP) and intraperitoneal E. coli injection (i.p. E. coli) models of peritoneal sepsis. Additionally, bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were used to determine phagocytic activity. TSP-1-/- animals experienced lower mortality than WT mice after CLP. Tissue and peritoneal lavage TGFβ1 levels were unchanged between animals of each genotype. In addition, there is no difference between the levels of major innate cytokines between the two groups of animals. PLF from WT mice contained a greater bacterial load than TSP-1-/- mice after CLP. The survival advantage for TSP-1-/- animals persisted when i.p. E. coli injections were performed. TSP-1-/- BMMs had increased phagocytic capacity compared to WT. CONCLUSIONS:TSP-1 deficiency was protective in two murine models of peritoneal sepsis, independent of TGFβ1 activation. Our studies suggest TSP-1 expression is associated with decreased phagocytosis and possibly bacterial clearance, leading to increased peritoneal inflammation and mortality in WT mice. These data support the contention that TSP-1 should be more fully explored in the human condition

Latency Associated Peptide Has In Vitro and In Vivo Immune Effects Independent of TGF-β1

Latency Associated Peptide (LAP) binds TGF-β1, forming a latent complex. Currently, LAP is presumed to function only as a sequestering agent for active TGF-β1. Previous work shows that LAP can induce epithelial cell migration, but effects on leukocytes have not been reported. Because of the multiplicity of immunologic processes in which TGF-β1 plays a role, we hypothesized that LAP could function independently to modulate immune responses. In separate experiments we found that LAP promoted chemotaxis of human monocytes and blocked inflammation in vivo in a murine model of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response (DTHR). These effects did not involve TGF-β1 activity. Further studies revealed that disruption of specific LAP-thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) interactions prevented LAP-induced responses. The effect of LAP on DTH inhibition depended on IL-10. These data support a novel role for LAP in regulating monocyte trafficking and immune modulation

Renormalization of ⟨ϕ2⟩\langle\phi^2\rangle at the inner horizon of rotating, accreting black holes

Classically, the inner horizon of a perturbed, rotating black hole undergoes an instability known as mass inflation, wherein the spacetime curvature diverges as a result of hyper-relativistic crossing streams of ingoing and outgoing radiation. The generic outcome of this instability is currently believed to be a strong, spacelike singularity, potentially alongside a weak, null singularity surviving at late times. However, the quantum back-reaction in this regime has yet to be fully calculated for a realistic black hole spacetime. Here we consider a massless quantized scalar field $\phi$ over the inflationary Kasner spacetime, a recently developed model for the inner horizon geometry of a rotating, accreting black hole. With this spacetime, we use numerical adiabatic regularization to calculate $\langle\phi^2\rangle_\text{ren}$, the renormalized coincidence limit of the two-point correlation function, as a pointer to the behavior of the quantum stress-energy tensor. $\langle\phi^2\rangle_\text{ren}$ is generically found to be nonzero near the inner horizon, divergent where the curvature classically diverges, and larger for smaller black hole spins or accretion rates.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure