Higher Spin Black Holes from CFT

Higher spin gravity in three dimensions has explicit black holes solutions, carrying higher spin charge. We compute the free energy of a charged black hole from the holographic dual, a 2d CFT with extended conformal symmetry, and find exact agreement with the bulk thermodynamics. In the CFT, higher spin corrections to the free energy can be calculated at high temperature from correlation functions of W-algebra currents.Comment: 24 pages; v2 reference adde

Amorphous oxygen-containing hydrogenated carbon films formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Films were deposited from glow discharge plasmas of acetylene-oxygen-argon mixtures in a deposition system fed with radio frequency power. The principal variable was the proportion of oxygen in the gas feed, X(ox). The chemical structure and elemental composition of the films were investigated by transmission infrared spectrophotometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Optical properties-refractive index, absorption coefficient, and optical gap-were determined from transmission ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy data. The latter also allowed the determination of film thicknesses and hence deposition rates. It was found that the oxygen content of the films and, within limits, the refractive index are controllable by the selection of X(ox). (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.14111812

Quantizing higher-spin gravity in free-field variables

We study the formulation of massless higher-spin gravity on AdS$_3$ in a gauge in which the fundamental variables satisfy free field Poisson brackets. This gauge choice leaves a small portion of the gauge freedom unfixed, which should be further quotiented out. We show that doing so leads to a bulk version of the Coulomb gas formalism for $W_N$ CFT's: the generators of the residual gauge symmetries are the classical limits of screening charges, while the gauge-invariant observables are classical $W_N$ charges. Quantization in these variables can be carried out using standard techniques and makes manifest a remnant of the triality symmetry of $W_\infty[\lambda]$. This symmetry can be used to argue that the theory should be supplemented with additional matter content which is precisely that of the Prokushkin-Vasiliev theory. As a further application, we use our formulation to quantize a class of conical surplus solutions and confirm the conjecture that these are dual to specific degenerate $W_N$ primaries, to all orders in the large central charge expansion.Comment: 31 pages + appendices. V2: typos corrected, reference adde

Efficacy of theophylline in people with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of oral theophylline compared with placebo in people with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods: Systematic review of randomized-controlled trials comparing oral Theophylline; with placebo for a minimum of 7 days in people with stable COPD.Results: Twenty randomized-controlled trials were included in this review. the Meta-analysis; following outcomes showed significant improvement with theophylline compared with placebo: FEV, and FVC both improved with theophylline (weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.10 L; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.04-0.16 and WMD 0.21 L; 95% CI 0.10-0.32, respectively). VO2 max also improved with theophylline (WMD 195.27mL/ min; 95% Cl 112.71-277.83), as did PaO2 and PaCO2 (WMD 3.18mmHg;,95% Cl 1.23-5.13 and WMD -2.36mmHg; 95% Cl -3.52 to -1.21, respectively). Patients preferred theophylline over placebo (relative risk 2.27; 95% Cl 1.26-4.11). Theophylline increased the risk of nausea compared with placebo (RR 7.67; 95% Cl 1.47-39.94).Conclusion: This review has shown that theophylline still has a role in the management of stable COPD, and is preferred by patients over placebo. However, the benefits of theophylline in stable COPD have to be weighed against the risk of adverse effects. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Natl Collaborating Ctr Womens & Childrens Hlth, London, EnglandUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Resp, São Paulo, BrazilEmergency Med Div, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ Alagoas, Vasc Dis Div, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Div Resp, Pulm Rehabil Ctr, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Toronto, W Pk Healthcare Ctr, Toronto, ON, CanadaUniv Laval, Hop Laval, Ctr Pneumol, Inst Cardiol & Pneumol, Laval, PQ, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Resp, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Div Resp, Pulm Rehabil Ctr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Asymptotic W-symmetries in three-dimensional higher-spin gauge theories

We discuss how to systematically compute the asymptotic symmetry algebras of generic three-dimensional bosonic higher-spin gauge theories in backgrounds that are asymptotically AdS. We apply these techniques to a one-parameter family of higher-spin gauge theories that can be considered as large N limits of SL(N) x SL(N) Chern-Simons theories, and we provide a closed formula for the structure constants of the resulting infinite-dimensional non-linear W-algebras. Along the way we provide a closed formula for the structure constants of all classical W_N algebras. In both examples the higher-spin generators of the W-algebras are Virasoro primaries. We eventually discuss how to relate our basis to a non-primary quadratic basis that was previously discussed in literature.Comment: 61 page

The nuclear receptors of Biomphalaria glabrata and Lottia gigantea: Implications for developing new model organisms

© 2015 Kaur et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedNuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription regulators involved in an array of diverse physiological functions including key roles in endocrine and metabolic function. The aim of this study was to identify nuclear receptors in the fully sequenced genome of the gastropod snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni and compare these to known vertebrate NRs, with a view to assessing the snail's potential as a invertebrate model organism for endocrine function, both as a prospective new test organism and to elucidate the fundamental genetic and mechanistic causes of disease. For comparative purposes, the genome of a second gastropod, the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea was also investigated for nuclear receptors. Thirty-nine and thirty-three putative NRs were identified from the B. glabrata and L. gigantea genomes respectively, based on the presence of a conserved DNA-binding domain and/or ligand-binding domain. Nuclear receptor transcript expression was confirmed and sequences were subjected to a comparative phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated that these molluscs have representatives of all the major NR subfamilies (1-6). Many of the identified NRs are conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates, however differences exist, most notably, the absence of receptors of Group 3C, which includes some of the vertebrate endocrine hormone targets. The mollusc genomes also contain NR homologues that are present in insects and nematodes but not in vertebrates, such as Group 1J (HR48/DAF12/HR96). The identification of many shared receptors between humans and molluscs indicates the potential for molluscs as model organisms; however the absence of several steroid hormone receptors indicates snail endocrine systems are fundamentally different.The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, Grant Ref:G0900802 to CSJ, LRN, SJ & EJR [www.nc3rs.org.uk]

Electron quantum metamaterials in van der Waals heterostructures

In recent decades, scientists have developed the means to engineer synthetic periodic arrays with feature sizes below the wavelength of light. When such features are appropriately structured, electromagnetic radiation can be manipulated in unusual ways, resulting in optical metamaterials whose function is directly controlled through nanoscale structure. Nature, too, has adopted such techniques -- for example in the unique coloring of butterfly wings -- to manipulate photons as they propagate through nanoscale periodic assemblies. In this Perspective, we highlight the intriguing potential of designer sub-electron wavelength (as well as wavelength-scale) structuring of electronic matter, which affords a new range of synthetic quantum metamaterials with unconventional responses. Driven by experimental developments in stacking atomically layered heterostructures -- e.g., mechanical pick-up/transfer assembly -- atomic scale registrations and structures can be readily tuned over distances smaller than characteristic electronic length-scales (such as electron wavelength, screening length, and electron mean free path). Yet electronic metamaterials promise far richer categories of behavior than those found in conventional optical metamaterial technologies. This is because unlike photons that scarcely interact with each other, electrons in subwavelength structured metamaterials are charged, and strongly interact. As a result, an enormous variety of emergent phenomena can be expected, and radically new classes of interacting quantum metamaterials designed

Review for the generalist: evaluation of anterior knee pain

Anterior knee pain is common in children and adolescents. Evaluation and management is challenging and requires a thorough history and physical exam, and understanding of the pediatric skeleton. This article will review common causes of chronic anterior knee pain in the pediatric population with a focus on patellofemoral pain