4,662 research outputs found
Superconformal indices of three-dimensional theories related by mirror symmetry
Recently, Kim and Imamura and Yokoyama derived an exact formula for
superconformal indices in three-dimensional field theories. Using their
results, we prove analytically the equality of superconformal indices in some
U(1)-gauge group theories related by the mirror symmetry. The proofs are based
on the well known identities of the theory of -special functions. We also
suggest the general index formula taking into account the global
symmetry present for abelian theories.Comment: 17 pages; minor change
Fluorescent ampicillin analogues as multifunctional disguising agents against opsonization
Cancer nanomedicines are opening new paradigms in cancer management and recent research points to how they can vastly improve imaging and therapy through multimodality and multifunctionality. However, challenges to achieving optimal efficacy are manifold starting from processing materials and evaluating their intended effectiveness on biological tissue, to developing new strategies aimed at improving transport of these materials through the biological milieu to the target tissue. Here, we report a fluorescent derivative of a beta-lactam antibiotic, ampicillin (termed iAmp) and its multifunctional physicobiochemical characteristics and potential as a biocompatible shielding agent and an effective dispersant. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were chosen to demonstrate the efficacy of iAmp. CNTs are known for their versatility and have been used extensively for cancer theranostics as photothermal and photoacoustic agents, but have limited solubility in water and biocompatibility. Traditional dispersants are associated with imaging artifacts and are not fully biocompatible. The chemical structure of iAmp is consistent with a deamination product of ampicillin. Although the four-membered lactam ring is intact, it does not retain the antibiotic properties. The iAmp is an effective dispersant and simultaneously serves as a fluorescent label for single-walled CNTs (SWNTs) with minimal photobleaching. The iAmp also enables bioconjugation of SWNTs to bio-ligands such as antibodies through functional carboxyl groups. Viability tests show that iAmp-coated SWNTs have minimal toxicity. Bio-stability tests under physiological conditions reveal that iAmp coating not only remains stable in a biologically relevant environment with high protein and salt concentrations, but also renders SWNTs transparent against nonspecific protein adsorption, also known as protein corona. Mammalian tissue culture studies with macrophages and opsonins validate that iAmp coating affords immunological resistance to SWNTs. Furthermore, iAmp coating offers protection to SWNTs against their nonspecific adsorption across disparate cell types, which has precluded a targeted strategy, and enables selective molecular targeting. The iAmp can therefore be used as an efficient dispersant, a photostable fluorescent agent, and a biocompatible disguising agent, alleviating CNTs' drawbacks and rendering them suitable for nanotheranostic and drug delivery applications.1111Ysciescopu
Index computation for 3d Chern-Simons matter theory: test of Seiberg-like duality
We work out the superconformal index for N=2 supersymmetric Chern-Simons
matter theories exhibiting Seiberg-like dualities proposed by Giveon and
Kutasov. We consider gauge theories of QCD type and find the
perfect agreements for proposed dual pairs.Comment: References adde
Revealing the profound influence of diapause on gene expression: Insights from the annual transcriptome of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus
Annual rhythms are observed in living organisms with numerous ecological implications. In the zooplanktonic copepod Calanus finmarchicus, such rhythms are crucial
regarding its phenology, body lipid accumulation, and global carbon storage. Climate change drives annual biological rhythms out of phase with the prevailing environmental conditions with yet unknown but potentially catastrophic consequences. However, the molecular dynamics underlying phenology are still poorly described. In a rhythmic analysis of C. finmarchicus annual gene expression, results reveal that more than 90% of the transcriptome shows significant annual rhythms, with abrupt and dramatic upheaval between the active and diapause life cycle states. This work explores the implication of the circadian clock in the annual timing, which may control epigenetic mechanisms to profoundly modulate gene expression in response to calendar time. Results also suggest an increased light sensitivity during diapause that would ensure the photoperiodic entrainment of the endogenous annual clock
Generalized N = 2 Super Landau Models
We generalize previous results for the superplane Landau model to exhibit an
explicit worldline N = 2 supersymmetry for an arbitrary magnetic field on any
two-dimensional manifold. Starting from an off-shell N = 2 superfield
formalism, we discuss the quantization procedure in the general case
characterized by two independent potentials on the manifold and show that the
relevant Hamiltonians are factorizable. In the restricted case when both the
Gauss curvature and the magnetic field are constant over the manifold and, as a
consequence, the underlying potentials are related, the Hamiltonians admit
infinite series of factorization chains implying the integrability of the
associated systems. We explicitly determine the spectrum and eigenvectors for
the particular model with CP^1 as the bosonic manifold.Comment: 26 page
An E7 Surprise
We explore some curious implications of Seiberg duality for an SU(2)
four-dimensional gauge theory with eight chiral doublets. We argue that two
copies of the theory can be deformed by an exactly marginal quartic
superpotential so that they acquire an enhanced E7 flavor symmetry. We argue
that a single copy of the theory can be used to define an E7-invariant
superconformal boundary condition for a theory of 28 five-dimensional free
hypermultiplets. Finally, we derive similar statements for three-dimensional
gauge theories such as an SU(2) gauge theory with six chiral doublets or Nf=4
SQED.Comment: 27 page
Current Issues in Carcinogenesis
The review presents current data on the major pathogenetic mechanisms underlying uncontrolled growth and dissemination of tumor and its resistance to conventional treatment. Cell genetic instability associated with accumulation of mutations in genes controlling cell growth and differentiation is a key factor in tumor proliferation. Due understanding and detailed analysis of carcinogenesis processes provide the basis for creation of new anticancer drugs which in turn enables optimization and individualization of cancer treatment
Mesons from global Anti-de Sitter space
In the context of gauge/gravity duality, we study both probe D7-- and probe
D5--branes in global Anti-de Sitter space. The dual field theory is N=4 theory
on R x S^3 with added flavour. The branes undergo a geometrical phase
transition in this geometry as function of the bare quark mass m_q in units of
1/R with R the S^3 radius. The meson spectra are obtained from fluctuations of
the brane probes. First, we study them numerically for finite quark mass
through the phase transition. Moreover, at zero quark mass we calculate the
meson spectra analytically both in supergravity and in free field theory on R x
S^3 and find that the results match: For the chiral primaries, the lowest level
is given by the zero point energy or by the scaling dimension of the operator
corresponding to the fluctuations, respectively. The higher levels are
equidistant. Similar results apply to the descendents. Our results confirm the
physical interpretation that the mesons cannot pair-produce any further when
their zero-point energy exceeds their binding energy.Comment: 43 pages, 8 figures, references edited, few typos corrected, updated
to match the published versio
Holography at an Extremal De Sitter Horizon
Rotating maximal black holes in four-dimensional de Sitter space, for which
the outer event horizon coincides with the cosmological horizon, have an
infinite near-horizon region described by the rotating Nariai metric. We show
that the asymptotic symmetry group at the spacelike future boundary of the
near-horizon region contains a Virasoro algebra with a real, positive central
charge. This is evidence that quantum gravity in a rotating Nariai background
is dual to a two-dimensional Euclidean conformal field theory. These results
are related to the Kerr/CFT correspondence for extremal black holes, but have
two key differences: one of the black hole event horizons has been traded for
the cosmological horizon, and the near-horizon geometry is a fiber over dS_2
rather than AdS_2.Comment: 15 page
- …