1,138 research outputs found
The Kerr-Newman-Godel Black Hole
By applying a set of Hassan-Sen transformations and string dualities to the
Kerr-Godel solution of minimal D=5 supergravity we derive a four parameter
family of five dimensional solutions in type II string theory. They describe
rotating, charged black holes in a rotating background. For zero background
rotation, the solution is D=5 Kerr-Newman; for zero charge it is Kerr-Godel. In
a particular extremal limit the solution describes an asymptotically Godel BMPV
black hole.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, no figures; v2: one reference added, very minor
changes; to appear in CQ
Cosmological tachyon from cubic string field theory
The classical dynamics of the tachyon scalar field of cubic string field
theory is considered on a cosmological background. Starting from a nonlocal
action with arbitrary tachyon potential, which encodes the bosonic and several
supersymmetric cases, we study the equations of motion in the Hamilton-Jacobi
formalism and with a generalized Friedmann equation, appliable in braneworld or
modified gravity models. The cases of cubic (bosonic) and quartic
(supersymmetric) tachyon potential in general relativity are automatically
included. We comment the validity of the slow-roll approximation, the stability
of the cosmological perturbations, and the relation between this tachyon and
the Dirac-Born-Infeld one.Comment: 20 pages JHEP style, 1 figure; v4: misprints corrected, matches the
published versio
Selective digestive and oropharyngeal decontamination in medical and surgical ICU patients:individual patient data meta-analysis
Objectives: Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) and selective oropharyngeal decontamination (SOD) improved intensive care unit (ICU), hospital and 28-day survival in ICUs with low levels of antibiotic resistance. Yet it is unclear whether the effect differs between medical and surgical ICU patients.& para;& para;Methods: In an individual patient data meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed and included all randomized controlled studies published since 2000. We performed a two-stage meta-analysis with separate logistic regression models per study and per outcome (hospital survival and ICU survival) and subsequent pooling of main and interaction effects.& para;& para;Results: Six studies, all performed in countries with low levels of antibiotic resistance, yielded 16 528 hospital admissions and 17 884 ICU admissions for complete case analysis. Compared to standard care or placebo, the pooled adjusted odds ratios for hospital mortality was 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.93) for SDD and 0.84 (95% CI 0.73-0.97) for SOD. Compared to SOD, the adjusted odds ratio for hospital mortality was 0.90 (95% CI 0.82-0.97) for SDD. The effects on hospital mortality were not modified by type of ICU admission (p values for interaction terms were 0.66 for SDD and control, 0.87 for SOD and control and 0.47 for SDD and SOD). Similar results were found for ICU mortality.& para;& para;Conclusions: In ICUs with low levels of antibiotic resistance, the effectiveness of SDD and SOD was not modified by type of ICU admission. SDD and SOD improved hospital and ICU survival compared to standard care in both patient populations, with SDD being more effective than SOD. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Stable de Sitter vacua in N=2, D=5 supergravity
We find 5D gauged supergravity theories exhibiting stable de Sitter vacua.
These are the first examples of stable de Sitter vacua in higher-dimensional
(D>4) supergravity. Non-compact gaugings with tensor multiplets and R-symmetry
gauging seem to be the essential ingredients in these models. They are however
not sufficient to guarantee stable de Sitter vacua, as we show by investigating
several other models. The qualitative behaviour of the potential also seems to
depend crucially on the geometry of the scalar manifold.Comment: 26 pages, v2:typos corrected, published versio
Selection and transfer of an IncI1-tet(A) plasmid of Escherichia coli in an ex vivo model of the porcine caecum at doxycycline concentrations caused by cross-contaminated feed
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of subtherapeutic intestinal doxycycline (DOX) concentrations (4 and 1mgl(-1)), caused by cross-contamination of feed, on the enrichment of a DOX-resistant commensal Escherichia coli and its resistance plasmid in an exvivo model of the porcine caecum.
Methods and Results: A DOX-resistant, tet(A)-carrying, porcine commensal E.coli strain (EC 682) was cultivated for 6days in the porcine caecum model under different conditions (0, 1 and 4mgl(-1) DOX). EC 682, other coliforms and anaerobic bacteria were enumerated daily. A selection of isolated DOX-resistant coliforms (n=454) was characterized by rep-PCR clustering, PCR assays (Inc1 and tet(A)) and micro broth dilution susceptibility tests (Sensititre). Both 1 and 4mgl(-1) DOX-enriched medium had a significantly higher selective effect on EC 682 and other resistant coliforms than medium without DOX. Transconjugants of EC 682 were isolated more frequently in the presence of 1 and 4mgl(-1) DOX compared to medium without DOX.
Conclusions: Subtherapeutic intestinal DOX concentrations have the potential to select for DOX-resistant E.coli, and promote the selection of transconjugants in a porcine caecum model.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Cross-contamination of feed with antimicrobials such as DOX likely promotes the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is important to develop or fine-tune guidelines for the safe use of antimicrobials in animal feed and its storage
Fundamental Strings in Open String Theory at the Tachyonic Vacuum
We show that the world-volume theory on a D-p-brane at the tachyonic vacuum
has solitonic string solutions whose dynamics is governed by the Nambu-Goto
action of a string moving in (25+1) dimensional space-time. This provides
strong evidence for the conjecture that at this vacuum the full (25+1)
dimensional Poincare invariance is restored. We also use this result to argue
that the open string field theory at the tachyonic vacuum must contain closed
string excitations.Comment: LaTeX file, 16 pages, references and clarification adde
Tits-Satake projections of homogeneous special geometries
We organize the homogeneous special geometries, describing as well the
couplings of D=6, 5, 4 and 3 supergravities with 8 supercharges, in a small
number of universality classes. This relates manifolds on which similar types
of dynamical solutions can exist. The mathematical ingredient is the
Tits-Satake projection of real simple Lie algebras, which we extend to all
solvable Lie algebras occurring in these homogeneous special geometries. Apart
from some exotic cases all the other, 'very special', homogeneous manifolds can
be grouped in seven universality classes. The organization of these classes,
which capture the essential features of their basic dynamics, commutes with the
r- and c-map. Different members are distinguished by different choices of the
paint group, a notion discovered in the context of cosmic billiard dynamics of
non maximally supersymmetric supergravities. We comment on the usefulness of
this organization in universality classes both in relation with cosmic billiard
dynamics and with configurations of branes and orbifolds defining special
geometry backgrounds.Comment: 65 pages, LaTeX; v2: added reference; v3: small corrections, section
3.3 modifie
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