1,554 research outputs found
Ordering of timescales predicts applicability of quasi-linear theory in unstable flows
We discuss the applicability of quasilinear-type approximations for a
turbulent system with a large range of spatial and temporal scales. We consider
a paradigm fluid system of rotating convection with a vertical and horizontal
temperature gradients. In particular, the interaction of rotating with the
horizontal temperature gradient drives a ``thermal wind'' shear flow whose
strength is controlled by a horizontal temperature gradient. Varying the
parameters systematically alters the ordering of the shearing timescale, the
convective timescale, and the correlation timescale. We demonstrate that
quasilinear-type approximations work well when the shearing timescale or the
correlation timescale is sufficiently short. In all cases, the Generalised
Quasilinear approximation (GQL) systematically outperforms the Quasilinear
approximation (QL). We discuss the consequences for statistical theories of
turbulence interacting with mean gradients. We conclude with comments about the
general applicability of these ideas across a wide variety of non-linear
physical systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Single-dose intraoperative radiotherapy during lumpectomy for breast cancer:an innovative patient-centred treatment
In the randomised TARGIT-A trial, risk-adapted targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT-IORT) during lumpectomy was non-inferior to whole-breast external beam radiotherapy, for local recurrence. In the long-term, no difference was found in any breast cancer outcome, whereas there were fewer deaths from non-breast-cancer causes. TARGIT-IORT should be included in pre-operative consultations with eligible patients
Unfrustrated Qudit Chains and their Ground States
We investigate chains of 'd' dimensional quantum spins (qudits) on a line
with generic nearest neighbor interactions without translational invariance. We
find the conditions under which these systems are not frustrated, i.e. when the
ground states are also the common ground states of all the local terms in the
Hamiltonians. The states of a quantum spin chain are naturally represented in
the Matrix Product States (MPS) framework. Using imaginary time evolution in
the MPS ansatz, we numerically investigate the range of parameters in which we
expect the ground states to be highly entangled and find them hard to
approximate using our MPS method.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Typos correcte
Prolonged Drying Trend Coincident with the Demise of Norse Settlement in Southern Greenland
Declining temperature has been thought to explain the abandonment of Norse settlements, southern Greenland, in the early 15th century, although limited paleoclimate evidence is available from the inner settlement region itself. Here, we reconstruct the temperature and hydroclimate history from lake sediments at a site adjacent to a former Norse farm. We find no substantial temperature changes during the settlement period but rather that the region experienced a persistent drying trend, which peaked in the 16th century. Drier climate would have notably reduced grass production, which was essential for livestock overwintering, and this drying trend is concurrent with a Norse diet shift. We conclude that increasingly dry conditions played a more important role in undermining the viability of the Eastern Settlement than minor temperature changes
Major flaws in conflict prevention policies towards Africa : the conceptual deficits of international actorsâ approaches and how to overcome them
Current thinking on African conflicts suffers from misinterpretations oversimplification, lack of focus, lack of conceptual clarity, state-centrism and lack of vision). The paper analyses a variety of the dominant explanations of major international actors and donors, showing how these frequently do not distinguish with sufficient clarity between the âroot causesâ of a conflict, its aggravating factors and its triggers. Specifically, a correct assessment of conflict prolonging (or sustaining) factors is of vital importance in Africaâs lingering confrontations. Broader approaches (e.g. âstructural stabilityâ) offer a better analytical framework than familiar one-dimensional explanations. Moreover, for explaining and dealing with violent conflicts a shift of attention from the nation-state towards the local and sub-regional level is needed.Aktuelle Analysen afrikanischer Gewaltkonflikte sind hĂ€ufig voller Fehlinterpretationen (Mangel an Differenzierung, Genauigkeit und konzeptioneller Klarheit, Staatszentriertheit, fehlende mittelfristige Zielvorstellungen). Breitere AnsĂ€tze (z. B. das Modell der Strukturellen StabilitĂ€t) könnten die Grundlage fĂŒr bessere Analyseraster und Politiken sein als eindimensionale ErklĂ€rungen. hĂ€ufig differenzieren ErklĂ€rungsansĂ€tze nicht mit ausreichender Klarheit zwischen Ursachen, verschĂ€rfenden und auslösenden Faktoren. Insbesondere die richtige Einordnung konfliktverlĂ€ngernder Faktoren ist in den jahrzehntelangen gewaltsamen Auseinandersetzungen in Afrika von zentraler Bedeutung. Das Diskussionspapier stellt die groĂe Variationsbreite dominanter ErklĂ€rungsmuster der wichtigsten internationalen Geber und Akteure gegenĂŒber und fordert einen Perspektivenwechsel zum Einbezug der lokalen und der subregionalen Ebene fĂŒr die ErklĂ€rung und Bearbeitung gewaltsamer Konflikte
Observational and Dynamical Characterization of Main-Belt Comet P/2010 R2 (La Sagra)
We present observations of comet-like main-belt object P/2010 R2 (La Sagra)
obtained by Pan-STARRS 1 and the Faulkes Telescope-North on Haleakala in
Hawaii, the University of Hawaii 2.2 m, Gemini-North, and Keck I telescopes on
Mauna Kea, the Danish 1.54 m telescope at La Silla, and the Isaac Newton
Telescope on La Palma. An antisolar dust tail is observed from August 2010
through February 2011, while a dust trail aligned with the object's orbit plane
is also observed from December 2010 through August 2011. Assuming typical phase
darkening behavior, P/La Sagra is seen to increase in brightness by >1 mag
between August 2010 and December 2010, suggesting that dust production is
ongoing over this period. These results strongly suggest that the observed
activity is cometary in nature (i.e., driven by the sublimation of volatile
material), and that P/La Sagra is therefore the most recent main-belt comet to
be discovered. We find an approximate absolute magnitude for the nucleus of
H_R=17.9+/-0.2 mag, corresponding to a nucleus radius of ~0.7 km, assuming an
albedo of p=0.05. Using optical spectroscopy, we find no evidence of
sublimation products (i.e., gas emission), finding an upper limit CN production
rate of Q_CN<6x10^23 mol/s, from which we infer an H2O production rate of
Q_H2O<10^26 mol/s. Numerical simulations indicate that P/La Sagra is
dynamically stable for >100 Myr, suggesting that it is likely native to its
current location and that its composition is likely representative of other
objects in the same region of the main belt, though the relatively close
proximity of the 13:6 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and the (3,-2,-1)
three-body mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and Saturn mean that dynamical
instability on larger timescales cannot be ruled out.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A
Albumin-associated free fatty acids induce macropinocytosis in podocytes
Podocytes are specialized epithelial cells in the kidney glomerulus that play important structural and functional roles in maintaining the filtration barrier. Nephrotic syndrome results from a breakdown of the kidney filtration barrier and is associated with proteinuria, hyperlipidemia, and edema. Additionally, podocytes undergo changes in morphology and internalize plasma proteins in response to this disorder. Here, we used fluid-phase tracers in murine models and determined that podocytes actively internalize fluid from the plasma and that the rate of internalization is increased when the filtration barrier is disrupted. In cultured podocytes, the presence of free fatty acids (FFAs) associated with serum albumin stimulated macropinocytosis through a pathway that involves FFA receptors, the GÎČ/GÎł complex, and RAC1. Moreover, mice with elevated levels of plasma FFAs as the result of a high-fat diet were more susceptible to Adriamycin-induced proteinuria than were animals on standard chow. Together, these results support a model in which podocytes sense the disruption of the filtration barrier via FFAs bound to albumin and respond by enhancing fluid-phase uptake. The response to FFAs may function in the development of nephrotic syndrome by amplifying the effects of proteinuria
Apoptosis Is Essential for Neutrophil Functional Shutdown and Determines Tissue Damage in Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis
During acute bacterial infections such as meningitis, neutrophils enter the tissue where they combat the infection before they undergo apoptosis and are taken up by macrophages. Neutrophils show pro-inflammatory activity and may contribute to tissue damage. In pneumococcal meningitis, neuronal damage despite adequate chemotherapy is a frequent clinical finding. This damage may be due to excessive neutrophil activity. We here show that transgenic expression of Bcl-2 in haematopoietic cells blocks the resolution of inflammation following antibiotic therapy in a mouse model of pneumococcal meningitis. The persistence of neutrophil brain infiltrates was accompanied by high levels of IL-1ÎČ and G-CSF as well as reduced levels of anti-inflammatory TGF-ÎČ. Significantly, Bcl-2-transgenic mice developed more severe disease that was dependent on neutrophils, characterized by pronounced vasogenic edema, vasculitis, brain haemorrhages and higher clinical scores. In vitro analysis of neutrophils demonstrated that apoptosis inhibition completely preserves neutrophil effector function and prevents internalization by macrophages. The inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, roscovitine induced apoptosis in neutrophils in vitro and in vivo. In wild type mice treated with antibiotics, roscovitine significantly improved the resolution of the inflammation after pneumococcal infection and accelerated recovery. These results indicate that apoptosis is essential to turn off activated neutrophils and show that inflammatory activity and disease severity in a pyogenic infection can be modulated by targeting the apoptotic pathway in neutrophils
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