Worldsheet Form Factors in AdS/CFT

We formulate a set of consistency conditions appropriate to worldsheet form factors in the massive, integrable but non-relativistic, light-cone gauge fixed AdS(5) x S**5 string theory. We then perturbatively verify that these conditions hold, at tree level in the near-plane-wave limit and to one loop in the near-flat (Maldacena-Swanson) limit, for a number of specific cases. We further study the form factors in the weakly coupled dual description, verifying that the relevant conditions naturally hold for the one-loop Heisenberg spin-chain. Finally, we note that the near-plane-wave expressions for the form factors, when further expanded in small momentum or, equivalently, large charge density, reproduce the thermodynamic limit of the spin-chain results at leading order.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, v3: typos fixed, improved discussion of bound states and bound state axio

Staphylococcus aureus Colonization: Modulation of Host Immune Response and Impact on Human Vaccine Design

In apparent contrast to its invasive potential Staphylococcus aureus colonizes the anterior nares of 20–80% of the human population. The relationship between host and microbe appears particularly individualized and colonization status seems somehow predetermined. After decolonization, persistent carriers often become re-colonized with their prior S. aureus strain, whereas non-carriers resist experimental colonization. Efforts to identify factors facilitating colonization have thus far largely focused on the microorganism rather than on the human host. The host responds to S. aureus nasal colonization via local expression of anti-microbial peptides, lipids, and cytokines. Interplay with the co-existing microbiota also influences colonization and immune regulation. Transient or persistent S. aureus colonization induces specific systemic immune responses. Humoral responses are the most studied of these and little is known of cellular responses induced by colonization. Intriguingly, colonized patients who develop bacteremia may have a lower S. aureus-attributable mortality than their non-colonized counterparts. This could imply a staphylococcal-specific immune “priming” or immunomodulation occurring as a consequence of colonization and impacting on the outcome of infection. This has yet to be fully explored. An effective vaccine remains elusive. Anti-S. aureus vaccine strategies may need to drive both humoral and cellular immune responses to confer efficient protection. Understanding the influence of colonization on adaptive response is essential to intelligent vaccine design, and may determine the efficacy of vaccine-mediated immunity. Clinical trials should consider colonization status and the resulting impact of this on individual patient responses. We urgently need an increased appreciation of colonization and its modulation of host immunity

Cortisol concentrations in human skeletal muscle tissue after phonophoresis with 10% hydrocortisone gel

CONTEXT: The delivery of hydrocortisone through phonophoresis is a widely prescribed technique for the treatment of various musculoskeletal inflammatory conditions. However, limited scientific evidence exists to support the efficacy of phonophoresis in delivering hydrocortisone to skeletal muscle tissue in humans. OBJECTIVE: To determine hydrocortisone (cortisol) concentrations in human skeletal muscle tissue after a phonophoresis treatment using 10% hydrocortisone gel. DESIGN: Randomized design in which 12 subjects were randomly assigned to either an ultrasound (sham) treatment or a 10% hydrocortisone phonophoresis treatment. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Twelve healthy subjects (8 women, 4 men: age = 22.3 +/- 2.64 years, height = 168.28 +/- 8.19 cm, mass = 69.58 +/- 9.05 kg) with no history of musculoskeletal disease, preexisting inflammatory conditions, or recent orthopaedic injuries. INTERVENTION(S): Ultrasound at 1.0 MHz, 1.0 W/cm (2), at a continuous setting for 7 minutes was applied to a standardized area of the vastus lateralis muscle in both groups. The contralateral limb served as the control (no treatment) for both the sham and the phonophoresis groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were taken from both legs immediately after treatment, and cortisol concentrations were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: We observed no significant difference in muscle cortisol concentration between the contralateral control limb and the treatment limb in either the sham or the phonophoresis group ( P \u3e .05). No significant difference was noted when the treatment limbs in the sham and phonophoresis groups were compared ( P \u3e .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that a 10% hydrocortisone-based phonophoresis treatment did not increase cortisol concentrations in human skeletal muscle tissue

An Empirical Investigation Into the Role of Values in Occupational Therapy Decision-making

The importance of values in occupational therapy is generally agreed, however there is no consensus about their nature or their influence on practice. It is widely assumed that occupational therapists hold and act on a body of shared values, yet there is a lack of evidence to support this. The research tested the hypothesis that occupational therapists’ responses to ethically challenging situations would reveal common values specific to the occupational therapy profession. 156 occupational therapists were asked to decide what should be done in 5 common-place yet ethically complex situations, presented as scenarios for debate. The results show that while most occupational therapists share very general values, they frequently disagree about what to do in practice situations, often justifying their choices with different and sometimes conflicting specific values. In some cases, the same respondents espouse contradictory values in similar situations. The extensive literature about decision-making - together with the study’s results – confirm that when occupational therapists make decisions, they draw on multiple factors, consciously and unconsciously. These factors vary between individuals. Value judgements are one part only of a complex process which includes personal experience, intuition, social influences, culture, psychological influences and relationships with both colleagues and clients

World-sheet scattering in AdS_5 x S^5 at two loops

We study the AdS_5 x S^5 sigma-model truncated to the near-flat-space limit to two-loops in perturbation theory. In addition to extending previously known one-loop results to the full SU(2|2)^2 S-matrix we calculate the two-loop correction to the dispersion relation and then compute the complete two-loop S-matrix. The result of the perturbative calculation can be compared with the appropriate limit of the conjectured S-matrix for the full theory and complete agreement is found.Comment: 26pages, 3 figure

Worldsheet Scattering in AdS_5 x S^5

We calculate the S-matrix in the gauge-fixed sigma-model on AdS_5 x S^5 to the leading order in perturbation theory, and analyze how supersymmetry is realized on the scattering states. A mild nonlocality of the supercharges implies that their action on multi-particle states does not follow the Leibniz rule, which is replaced by a nontrivial coproduct. The plane wave symmetry algebra is thus naturally enhanced to a Hopf algebra. The scattering matrix elements obey the classical Yang-Baxter equation modified by the existence of the coproduct. This structure mirrors that of the large 't Hooft coupling expansion of the S-matrix for the spin chain in the dual super-Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 51 pages, v2: references added, v3: sign in (2.12), (6.19) and (6.21) corrected; v4: discussion of classical YBE is considerably modifie

Review of AdS/CFT Integrability: An Overview

This is the introductory chapter of a review collection on integrability in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. In the collection we present an overview of the achievements and the status of this subject as of the year 2010.Comment: 31 pages, v2: reference added, references to other chapters updated, v3: footnote 1 on location of references added, v4: minor changes, references added, accepted for publication in Lett. Math. Phys, v5: minor corrections, links to chapters updated, attached IntAdS.pdf with all chapters in one file, see http://arxiv.org/src/1012.3982/anc/IntAdS.pdf or http://www.phys.ethz.ch/~nbeisert/IntAdS.pd

Review of AdS/CFT Integrability, Chapter IV.3: N=6 Chern-Simons and Strings on AdS4xCP3

We review the duality and integrability of N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory in three dimensions and IIA superstring theory on the background AdS4xCP3. We introduce both of these models and describe how their degrees of freedom are mapped to excitations of a long-range integrable spin-chain. Finally, we discuss the properties of the Bethe equations, the S-matrix and the algebraic curve that are special to this correspondence and differ from the case of N=4 SYM theory and strings on AdS5xS5.Comment: 22 pages, see also overview article arXiv:1012.3982, v2: references to other chapters updated, v3: references added, v4: brief discussion of giant magnons added, further minor changes, published version, v5: union of v3 and v4 because changes made in v3 were accidentally lost in v

Animated Edge Textures in Node-Link Diagrams: a Design Space and Initial Evaluation

International audienceNetwork edge data attributes are usually encoded using color, opacity, stroke thickness and stroke pattern, or some combination thereof. In addition to these static variables, it is also possible to animate dynamic particles flowing along the edges. This opens a larger design space of animated edge textures, featuring additional visual encodings that have potential not only in terms of visual mapping capacity but also playfulness and aesthetics. Such animated edge textures have been used in several commercial and design-oriented visualizations, but to our knowledge almost always in a relatively ad hoc manner. We introduce a design space and Web-based framework for generating animated edge textures, and report on an initial evaluation of particle properties – particle speed, pattern and frequency – in terms of visual perception