16,737 research outputs found
The principle of equivalence and projective structure in space-times
This paper discusses the extent to which one can determine the space-time
metric from a knowledge of a certain subset of the (unparametrised) geodesics
of its Levi-Civita connection, that is, from the experimental evidence of the
equivalence principle. It is shown that, if the space-time concerned is known
to be vacuum, then the Levi-Civita connection is uniquely determined and its
associated metric is uniquely determined up to a choice of units of
measurement, by the specification of these geodesics. It is further
demonstrated that if two space-times share the same unparametrised geodesics
and only one is assumed vacuum then their Levi-Civita connections are again
equal (and so the other metric is also a vacuum metric) and the first result
above is recovered.Comment: 23 pages, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Radio-frequency dressing of multiple Feshbach resonances
We demonstrate and theoretically analyze the dressing of several proximate
Feshbach resonances in Rb-87 using radio-frequency (rf) radiation. We present
accurate measurements and characterizations of the resonances, and the dramatic
changes in scattering properties that can arise through the rf dressing. Our
scattering theory analysis yields quantitative agreement with the experimental
data. We also present a simple interpretation of our results in terms of
rf-coupled bound states interacting with the collision threshold.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 figures, 1 table; revised introduction & references to
reflect published versio
Effect of magnetic field on the phase transition in a dusty plasma
The formation of self-consistent crystalline structure is a well-known
phenomenon in complex plasmas. In most experiments the pressure and rf power
are the main controlling parameters in determining the phase of the system. We
have studied the effect of externally applied magnetic field on the
configuration of plasma crystals, suspended in the sheath of a radio-frequency
discharge using the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) device.
Experiments are performed at a fixed pressure and rf power where a crystalline
structure is formed within a confining ring. The magnetic field is then
increased from 0 to 1.28 T. We report on the breakdown of the crystalline
structure with increasing magnetic field. The magnetic field affects the
dynamics of the plasma particles and first leads to a rotation of the crystal.
At higher magnetic field, there is a radial variation (shear) in the angular
velocity of the moving particles which we believe leads to the melting of the
crystal. This melting is confirmed by evaluating the variation of the pair
correlation function as a function of magnetic field.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Observation of Multiple-Gap Structure in Hidden Order State of URu2Si2 from Optical Conductivity
We have measured the far infrared reflectance of the heavy fermion compound
URuSi through the phase transition at T=17.5 K dubbed 'hidden
order' with light polarized along both the a- and c-axes of the tetragonal
structure. The optical conductivity allows the formation of the hidden order
gap to be investigated in detail. We find that both the conductivity and the
gap structure are anisotropic, and that the c-axis conductivity shows evidence
for a double gap structure, with meV and
meV respectively at 4 K, while the gap seen in the a-axis conductivity has a
value of meV at 4 K. The opening of the gaps does not follow the
behaviour expected from mean field theory in the vicinity of the transition.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Regulation and Function of Activity-Dependent Homer in Synaptic Plasticity
Alterations in synaptic signaling and plasticity occur during the refinement of neural circuits over the course of development and the adult processes of learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity requires the rearrangement of protein complexes in the postsynaptic density (PSD), trafficking of receptors and ion channels and the synthesis of new proteins. Activity-induced short Homer proteins, Homer1a and Ania-3, are recruited to active excitatory synapses, where they act as dominant negative regulators of constitutively expressed, longer Homer isoforms. The expression of Homer1a and Ania-3 initiates critical processes of PSD remodeling, the modulation of glutamate receptor-mediated functions, and the regulation of calcium signaling. Together, available data support the view that Homer1a and Ania-3 are responsible for the selective, transient destabilization of postsynaptic signaling complexes to facilitate plasticity of the excitatory synapse. The interruption of activity-dependent Homer proteins disrupts disease-relevant processes and leads to memory impairments, reflecting their likely contribution to neurological disorders
Rescue of long-term memory after reconsolidation blockade
Memory reconsolidation is considered to be the process whereby stored memories become labile on recall, allowing updating. Blocking the restabilization of a memory during reconsolidation is held to result in a permanent amnesia. The targeted knockdown of either Zif268 or Arc levels in the brain, and inhibition of protein synthesis, after a brief recall results in a non-recoverable retrograde amnesia, known as reconsolidation blockade. These experimental manipulations are seen as key proof for the existence of reconsolidation. However, here we demonstrate that despite disrupting the molecular correlates of reconsolidation in the hippocampus, rodents are still able to recover contextual memories. Our results challenge the view that reconsolidation is a separate memory process and instead suggest that the molecular events activated initially at recall act to constrain premature extinction
Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in chronic hepatitis C virus infection: correlates of positivity and clinical relevance.
We examined correlates of antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity (ANA+) in individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the effect of positivity on clinical outcome of HCV. Pretreatment sera from 645 patients from three centres in Sweden (n = 225), the UK (n = 207) and Italy (n = 213) were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence on Hep-2 cells for ANA pattern and titre by a single laboratory. Liver biopsies were all scored by one pathologist. A total of 258 patients were subsequently treated with interferon monotherapy. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of ANA (1:40) by geographic location: Lund 4.4%, London 8.7%, Padova 10.3% [odds ratio (OR) = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46-0.94; P = 0.023]. Duration of HCV infection, age at infection, current age, route of infection, viral genotype, alcohol consumption, fibrosis stage and inflammatory score were not correlated with ANA+ or ANA pattern. Female gender was correlated with ANA+ and this association persisted in multivariable analyses (OR = 3.0; P = 0.002). Increased plasma cells were observed in the liver biopsies of ANA-positive individuals compared with ANA-negative individuals, while a trend towards decreased lymphoid aggregates was observed [hazard ratio (HR) = 9.0, P = 0.037; HR = 0.291, P = 0.118, respectively]. No correlations were observed between ANA positivity and nonresponse to therapy (OR = 1.4; P = 0.513), although ANA+ was correlated with faster rates of liver fibrosis, this was not statistically significant (OR = 1.8; P = 0.1452). Low titre ANA+ should not be a contraindication for interferon treatment. Our observation of increased plasma cells in ANA+ biopsies might suggest B-cell polyclonal activity with a secondary clinical manifestation of increased serum immunoglobulins
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