682 research outputs found
Results for the on going socioeconomic monitoring program in Diani-Chale and Msambweni areas, Kenya [Poster]
Detecting Determinacy in Prolog Programs: 22nd International Conference, ICLP 2006, Seattle, WA, USA, August 17-20, 2006. Proceedings
In program development it is useful to know that a call to a Prolog program will not inadvertently leave a choice-point on the stack. Determinacy inference has been proposed for solving this problem yet the analysis was found to be wanting in that it could not infer determinacy conditions for programs that contained cuts or applied certain tests to select a clause. This paper shows how to remedy these serious deficiencies. It also addresses the problem of identifying those predicates which can be rewritten in a more deterministic fashion. To this end, a radically new form of determinacy inference is introduced, which is founded on ideas in ccp, that is capable of reasoning about the way bindings imposed by a rightmost goal can make a leftmost goal deterministic
Acute inhibition of MEK suppresses congenital melanocytic nevus syndrome in a murine model driven by activated NRAS and Wnt signaling
Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) syndrome is the association of pigmented melanocytic nevi with extra-cutaneous features, classically melanotic cells within the central nervous system, most frequently caused by a mutation of NRAS codon 61. This condition is currently untreatable and carries a significant risk of melanoma within the skin, brain, or leptomeninges. We have previously proposed a key role for Wnt signaling in the formation of melanocytic nevi, suggesting that activated Wnt signaling may be synergistic with activated NRAS in the pathogenesis of CMN syndrome. Some familial pre-disposition suggests a germ-line contribution to CMN syndrome, as does variability of neurological phenotypes in individuals with similar cutaneous phenotypes. Accordingly, we performed exome sequencing of germ-line DNA from patients with CMN to reveal rare or undescribed Wnt-signaling alterations. A murine model harboring activated NRASQ61K and Wnt signaling in melanocytes exhibited striking features of CMN syndrome, in particular neurological involvement. In the first model of treatment for this condition, these congenital, and previously assumed permanent, features were profoundly suppressed by acute post-natal treatment with a MEK inhibitor. These data suggest that activated NRAS and aberrant Wnt signaling conspire to drive CMN syndrome. Post-natal MEK inhibition is a potential candidate therapy for patients with this debilitating condition
Some constraints on the Yukawa parameters in the neutrino modification of the Standard Model (nuMSM) and CP-violation
The equations connecting elements of the Yukawa matrix to elements of the
active neutrino mass matrix in the \nu MSM theory (an extension of the Standard
Model by a singlet of three right-handed neutrinos) was analyzed, and explicit
relations for the ratio of the Yukawa matrix elements through elements of the
active neutrino mass matrix were obtained. This relation can be used for
getting more accurate constraints on the model parameters. Particularly, with
the help of the obtained results we investigated CP-violating phase in the \nu
MSM theory. We demonstrate that even in the case when elements of the active
neutrino mass matrix are real the baryon asymmetry can be generated also.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, many clarifications and references adde
Isotope shift calculations for atoms with one valence electron
This work presents a method for the ab initio calculation of isotope shift in
atoms and ions with one valence electron above closed shells. As a zero
approximation we use relativistic Hartree-Fock and then calculate correlation
corrections. The main motivation for developing the method comes from the need
to analyse whether different isotope abundances in early universe can
contribute to the observed anomalies in quasar absorption spectra. The current
best explanation for these anomalies is the assumption that the fine structure
constant, alpha, was smaller at early epoch. We test the isotope shift method
by comparing the calculated and experimental isotope shift for the alkali and
alkali-like atoms Na, MgII, K, CaII and BaII. The agreement is found to be
good. We then calculate the isotope shift for some astronomically relevant
transitions in SiII and SiIV, MgII, ZnII and GeII.Comment: 11 page
Ab initio study of ferroelectric domain walls in PbTiO3
We have investigated the atomistic structure of the 180-degree and 90-degree
domain boundaries in the ferroelectric perovskite compound PbTiO3 using a
first-principles ultrasoft-pseudopotential approach. For each case we have
computed the position, thickness and creation energy of the domain walls, and
an estimate of the barrier height for their motion has been obtained. We find
both kinds of domain walls to be very narrow with a similar width of the order
of one to two lattice constants. The energy of the 90-dergree domain wall is
calculated to be 35 mJ/m^2, about a factor of four lower than the energy of its
180-degree counterpart, and only a miniscule barrier for its motion is found.
As a surprising feature we detected a small offset of 0.15-0.2 eV in the
electrostatic potential across the 90-degree domain wall.Comment: 12 pages, with 9 postscript figures embedded. Uses REVTEX and epsf
macros. Also available at
http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~dhv/preprints/bm_dw/index.htm
An Extended Technicolor Model
An extended technicolor model is constructed. Quark and lepton masses,
spontaneous CP violation, and precision electroweak measurements are discussed.
Dynamical symmetry breaking is analyzed using the concept of the BIG MAC.Comment: 35 pages, Latex, YCTP-P21-93, BUHEP-93-2
Constraining fundamental constants of physics with quasar absorption line systems
We summarize the attempts by our group and others to derive constraints on
variations of fundamental constants over cosmic time using quasar absorption
lines. Most upper limits reside in the range 0.5-1.5x10-5 at the 3sigma level
over a redshift range of approximately 0.5-2.5 for the fine-structure constant,
alpha, the proton-to-electron mass ratio, mu, and a combination of the proton
gyromagnetic factor and the two previous constants, gp(alpha^2/mu)^nu, for only
one claimed variation of alpha. It is therefore very important to perform new
measurements to improve the sensitivity of the numerous methods to at least
<0.1x10-5 which should be possible in the next few years. Future
instrumentations on ELTs in the optical and/or ALMA, EVLA and SKA pathfinders
in the radio will undoutedly boost this field by allowing to reach much better
signal-to-noise ratios at higher spectral resolution and to perform
measurements on molecules in the ISM of high redshift galaxies.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Flavour Universal Dynamical Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
The top condensate see-saw mechanism of Dobrescu and Hill allows electroweak
symmetry to be broken while deferring the problem of flavour to an electroweak
singlet, massive sector. We provide an extended version of the singlet sector
that naturally accommodates realistic masses for all the standard model
fermions, which play an equal role in breaking electroweak symmetry. The models
result in a relatively light composite Higgs sector with masses typically in
the range of (400-700)~GeV. In more complete models the dynamics will
presumably be driven by a broken gauged family or flavour symmetry group. As an
example of the higher scale dynamics a fully dynamical model of the quark
sector with a GIM mechanism is presented, based on an earlier top condensation
model of King using broken family gauge symmetry interactions (that model was
itself based on a technicolour model of Georgi). The crucial extra ingredient
is a reinterpretation of the condensates that form when several gauge groups
become strong close to the same scale. A related technicolour model of Randall
which naturally includes the leptons too may also be adapted to this scenario.
We discuss the low energy constraints on the massive gauge bosons and scalars
of these models as well as their phenomenology at the TeV scale.Comment: 22 pages, 3 fig
Thermal leptogenesis in a model with mass varying neutrinos
In this paper we consider the possibility of neutrino mass varying during the
evolution of the Universe and study its implications on leptogenesis.
Specifically, we take the minimal seesaw model of neutrino masses and introduce
a coupling between the right-handed neutrinos and the dark energy scalar field,
the Quintessence. In our model, the right-handed neutrino masses change as the
Quintessence scalar evolves. We then examine in detail the parameter space of
this model allowed by the observed baryon number asymmetry. Our results show
that it is possible to lower the reheating temperature in this scenario in
comparison with the case that the neutrino masses are unchanged, which helps
solve the gravitino problem. Furthermore, a degenerate neutrino mass patten
with larger than the upper limit given in the minimal leptogenesis
scenario is permitted.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in PR
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