21,816 research outputs found
Instanton Corrected Non-Supersymmetric Attractors
We discuss non-supersymmetric attractors with an instanton correction in Type
IIA string theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau three-fold at large volume. For
a stable non-supersymmetric black hole, the attractor point must minimize the
effective black hole potential. We study the supersymmetric as well as
non-supersymmetric attractors for the D0-D4 system with instanton corrections.
We show that in simple models, like the STU model, the flat directions of the
mass matrix can be lifted by a suitable choice of the instanton parameters.Comment: Minor modifications, Corrected typos, 38 pages, 1 figur
Partition functions and elliptic genera from supergravity
We develop the spacetime aspects of the computation of partition functions
for string/M-theory on AdS(3) xM. Subleading corrections to the semi-classical
result are included systematically, laying the groundwork for comparison with
CFT partition functions via the AdS(3)/CFT(2) correspondence. This leads to a
better understanding of the "Farey tail" expansion of Dijkgraaf et. al. from
the point of view of bulk physics. Besides clarifying various issues, we also
extend the analysis to the N=2 setting with higher derivative effects included.Comment: 34 page
The world-sheet corrections to dyons in the Heterotic theory
All the linear alpha-prime corrections, however excluding the gravitational
Chern-Simons correction, are studied in the toroidally compactified critical
Heterotic string theory. These corrections are computed to the entropy for a
BPS static spherical four dimensional dyonic black hole which represents a
wrapped fundamental string carrying arbitrary winding and momentum charges
along one cycle in the presence of KK-monopole and H-monopole charges
associated to another cycle. It is verified that after the inclusion of the
gravitational Chern-Simons corrections [hep-th/0608182], all the linear
alpha-prime corrections to the entropy for the supersymmetric dyon can be
reproduced by the inclusion of only the Gauss-Bonnet Lagrangian to the
supergravity approximation of the induced Lagrangian.Comment: JHEP style, 17 Pages; v2: a typo corrected ; v3: The coupling of the
gravitational Chern-Simons terms to the three form field strength taken into
account. The conclusion correcte
The Digitized Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (DPOSS) II: Photometric Calibration
We present the photometric calibration technique for the Digitized Second
Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (DPOSS), used to create seamless catalogs of
calibrated objects over large sky areas. After applying a correction for
telescope vignetting, the extensive plate overlap regions are used to transform
sets of plates onto a common instrumental photometric system. Photometric
transformations to the Gunn gri system for each plate, for stars and galaxies,
are derived using these contiguous stitched areas and an extensive CCD imaging
library obtained for this purpose. We discuss the resulting photometric
accuracy, survey depth, and possible systematic errors.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures. Accepted to AJ. Some figures shrunk or missing
to limit file size; the full paper is available at
http://www.sdss.jhu.edu/~rrg/science/papers/photometrypaper.ps.g
Differential mesenteric fat deposition in bovines fed on silage or concentrate is independent of glycerol membrane permeability
© The Animal Consortium 2011In the meat industry, the manipulation of fat deposition in cattle is of pivotal importance to improve production efficiency, carcass composition and ultimately meat quality. There is an increasing interest in the identification of key factors and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of specific fat depots. This study aimed at elucidating the influence of breed and diet on adipose tissue membrane permeability and fluidity and their interplay on fat deposition in bovines. Two Portuguese autochthonous breeds, Alentejana and Barrosã, recognized as late- and early-maturing breeds, respectively, were chosen to examine the effects of breed and diet on fat deposition and on adipose membrane composition and permeability. Twenty-four male bovines from these breeds were fed on silage-based or concentrate-based diets for 11 months. Animals were slaughtered to determine their live slaughter and hot carcass weights, as well as weights of subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots. Mesenteric fat depots were excised and used to isolate adipocyte membrane vesicles where cholesterol content, fatty acid profile as well as permeability and fluidity were determined. Total accumulation of neither subcutaneous nor visceral fat was influenced by breed. In contrast, mesenteric and omental fat depots weights were higher in concentrate-fed bulls relative to silage-fed animals. Membrane fluidity and permeability to water and glycerol in mesenteric adipose tissue were found to be independent of breed and diet. Moreover, the deposition of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids, which may influence membrane properties, were unchanged among experimental groups. Adipose membrane lipids from the mesenteric fat depot of ruminants were rich in saturated fatty acids, and unaffected by polyunsaturated fatty acids dietary levels. Our results provide evidence against the involvement of cellular membrane permeability to glycerol on fat accumulation in mesenteric fat tissue of concentrate-fed bovines, which is consistent with the unchanged membrane lipid profile found among experimental groups.This study was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through grant PTDC/CVT/2006/66114 and individual fellowships to Ana P. Martins (SFRH/BD/2009/65046), Ana S. H. Costa (SFRH/BD/2009/61068) and Susana V. Martins (SFRH/BPD/2009/63019). Paula A. Lopes is a researcher from the program ‘‘Ciência 2008’’ from FC
Effect of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific T cell responses in patients who have resolved HBV infection
Coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common occurrence in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive patients and an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality. The CD8+ T cell response is critical for long-term control of HBV in patients resolving acute infection. Here, we examine the effect of HIV on HBV-specific CD8+ T cell responses in patients who have resolved HBV infection. A cross-sectional study showed a reduction in HBV-specific CD8+ T cell responses in HIV-positive, HBV-immune patients, compared with those in HIV-negative, HBV-immune patients. A longitudinal study of a subgroup of patients examined whether this attrition could be reversed by effective antiretroviral therapy. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) resulted in reconstitution of some HBV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses, in association with restoration of CD4+ T cell counts. These data provide a mechanism to account for the observed impairment of control of HBV infection in the setting of HIV infection and support the ability of HAART to reconstitute functionally active T cell responses
The 20 February 2010 Madeira flash-floods: synoptic analysis and extreme rainfall assessment
This study aims to characterise the rainfall exceptionality and the meteorological context of the 20 February 2010 flash-floods in Madeira (Portugal). Daily and hourly precipitation records from the available rain-gauge station networks are evaluated in order to reconstitute the temporal evolution of the rainstorm, as its geographic incidence, contributing to understand the flash-flood dynamics and the type and spatial distribution of the associated impacts. The exceptionality of the rainstorm is further confirmed by the return period associated with the daily precipitation registered at the two long-term record stations, with 146.9 mm observed in the city of Funchal and 333.8 mm on the mountain top, corresponding to an estimated return period of approximately 290 yr and 90 yr, respectively. Furthermore, the synoptic associated situation responsible for the flash-floods is analysed using different sources of information, e.g., weather charts, reanalysis data, Meteosat images and radiosounding data, with the focus on two main issues: (1) the dynamical conditions that promoted such anomalous humidity availability over the Madeira region on 20 February 2010 and (2) the uplift mechanism that induced deep convection activity
Nambu monopoles interacting with lattice defects in two-dimensional artificial square spin ice
The interactions between an excitation (similar to a pair of Nambu monopoles)
and a lattice defect are studied in an artificial two-dimensional square spin
ice. This is done by considering a square array of islands containing only one
island different from all others. This difference is incorporated in the
magnetic moment (spin) of the "imperfect" island and several cases are studied,
including the special situation in which this distinct spin is zero (vacancy).
We have shown that the two extreme points of a malformed island behave like two
opposite magnetic charges. Then, the effective interaction between a pair of
Nambu monopoles with the deformed island is a problem involving four magnetic
charges (two pairs of opposite poles) and a string. We also sketch the
configuration of the field lines of these four charges to confirm this picture.
The influence of the string on this interaction decays rapidly with the string
distance from the defect.Comment: 7 pages, 13 figure
From Fundamental Strings to Small Black Holes
We give evidence in favour of a string/black hole transition in the case of
BPS fundamental string states of the Heterotic string. Our analysis goes beyond
the counting of degrees of freedom and considers the evolution of dynamical
quantities in the process. As the coupling increases, the string states
decrease their size up to the string scale when a small black hole is formed.
We compute the absorption cross section for several fields in both the black
hole and the perturbative string phases. At zero frequency, these cross
sections can be seen as order parameters for the transition. In particular, for
the scalars fixed at the horizon the cross section evolves to zero when the
black hole is formed.Comment: 36 pages, 4 figures, argument about minimally coupled scalar
absorption cross section clarifie
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