973 research outputs found
QCD Instantons and High-Energy Diffractive Scattering
We pursue the intriguing possibility that larger-size instantons build up
diffractive scattering, with the marked instanton-size scale
approximately 0.5 fm being reflected in the conspicuous ``geometrization'' of
soft QCD. As an explicit step in this direction, the known instanton-induced
cross sections in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) are transformed into the
familiar colour dipole picture, which represents an intuitive framework for
investigating the transition from hard to soft physics in DIS at small x_{Bj}.
The simplest instanton (I) process without final-state gluons is studied first.
With the help of lattice results, the q bar{q}-dipole size r is carefully
increased towards hadronic dimensions. Unlike perturbative QCD, one now
observes a competition between two crucial length scales: the dipole size r and
the size rho of the background instanton that is sharply localized around
approximately 0.5 fm. For r exceeding , the dipole cross section indeed
saturates towards a geometrical limit, proportional to the area pi ^2,
subtended by the instanton. In case of final-state gluons, lattice data are
crucially used to support the emerging picture and to assert the range of
validity of the underlying I bar{I}-valley approach. As function of an
appropriate energy variable, the resulting dipole cross section turns out to be
sharply peaked at the sphaleron mass in the soft regime. The general
geometrical features remain like in the case without gluons.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, typos corrected, comments added; version as
submitted to and appearing in Phys. Lett.
Formation of Millisecond Pulsars from Accretion Induced Collapse and Constraints on Pulsar Gamma Ray Burst Models
We study accretion induced collapse of magnetized white dwarfs as an origin
of millisecond pulsars. We apply magnetized accretion disk models to the
pre-collapse accreting magnetic white dwarfs and calculate the white dwarf spin
evolution. If the pulsar magnetic field results solely from the flux-frozen
fossil white dwarf field, a typical millisecond pulsar is born with a field
strength . The uncertainty in the field strength is
mainly due to the uncertain physical parameters of the magnetized accretion
disk models. A simple correlation between the pulsar spin and the
magnetic field , , is
derived for a typical accretion rate \sim 5\times 10^{-8}M_{\sun}/yr. This
correlation remains valid for a wide pre-collapse physical conditions unless
the white dwarf spin and the binary orbit are synchronized prior to accretion
induced collapse. We critically examine the possibility of spin-orbit
synchronization in close binary systems. Using idealized homogeneous ellipsoid
models, we compute the electromagnetic and gravitational wave emission from the
millisecond pulsars and find that electromagnetic dipole emission remains
nearly constant while millisecond pulsars may spin up rather than spin down as
a result of gravitational wave emission. We also derive the physical conditions
under which electromagnetic emission from millisecond pulsars formed by
accretion induced collapse can be a source of cosmological gamma-ray bursts. We
find that relativistic beaming of gamma-ray emission and precession of
gamma-ray emitting jets are required unless the dipole magnetic field strengths
are G; such strong dipole fields are in excess of those allowed from
the accretion induced collapse formation process except in spin-orbit
synchronization.Comment: 36 pages, AASLATEX, 4 ps figures, Ap
Can the Universe Create Itself?
The question of first-cause has troubled philosophers and cosmologists alike.
Now that it is apparent that our universe began in a Big Bang explosion, the
question of what happened before the Big Bang arises. Inflation seems like a
very promising answer, but as Borde and Vilenkin have shown, the inflationary
state preceding the Big Bang must have had a beginning also. Ultimately, the
difficult question seems to be how to make something out of nothing. This paper
explores the idea that this is the wrong question --- that that is not how the
Universe got here. Instead, we explore the idea of whether there is anything in
the laws of physics that would prevent the Universe from creating itself.
Because spacetimes can be curved and multiply connected, general relativity
allows for the possibility of closed timelike curves (CTCs). Thus, tracing
backwards in time through the original inflationary state we may eventually
encounter a region of CTCs giving no first-cause. This region of CTCs, may well
be over by now (being bounded toward the future by a Cauchy horizon). We
illustrate that such models --- with CTCs --- are not necessarily inconsistent
by demonstrating self-consistent vacuums for Misner space and a multiply
connected de Sitter space in which the renormalized energy-momentum tensor does
not diverge as one approaches the Cauchy horizon and solves Einstein's
equations. We show such a Universe can be classically stable and
self-consistent if and only if the potentials are retarded, giving a natural
explanation of the arrow of time. Some specific scenarios (out of many possible
ones) for this type of model are described. For example: an inflationary
universe gives rise to baby universes, one of which turns out to be itself.
Interestingly, the laws of physics may allow the Universe to be its own mother.Comment: 48 pages, 8 figure
Culture, government, and spatiality: re-assessing the 'Foucault effect' in cultural-policy studies
This article critically discusses the reconceptualization of culture and governmentality in recent Australian ‘cultural–policy studies’. It argues that the further development of this conceptualization requires a more careful consideration of the complex relations between culture, power and the different spatialities of social practices. The assumptions of this literature regarding social-democratic public institutions and the nation-state are critically addressed in the light of contemporary processes of globalization. It is argued that the use made of Foucault in this paradigm privileges a model of disciplinary power which is dependent on a particular spatialization of social subjects and technologies of the self. As a result, an uncritical application of this model to all cultural practices supports a far too coherent image of practices of ‘government’ in producing sought-after subject-effects. It is suggested that the different articulations of spatio-temporal presence and absence in cultural technologies require a less totalizing understanding of the forms of power exercised through governmental practices
GWAS meta-analysis reveals novel loci and genetic correlates for general cognitive function : a report from the COGENT consortium
CORRIGENDUM Molecular Psychiatry (2017) 22, 1651–1652 http://www.nature.com/articles/mp2017197.pdfThe complex nature of human cognition has resulted in cognitive genomics lagging behind many other fields in terms of gene discovery using genome-wide association study (GWAS) methods. In an attempt to overcome these barriers, the current study utilized GWAS meta-analysis to examine the association of common genetic variation (similar to 8M single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with minor allele frequency >= 1%) to general cognitive function in a sample of 35 298 healthy individuals of European ancestry across 24 cohorts in the Cognitive Genomics Consortium (COGENT). In addition, we utilized individual SNP lookups and polygenic score analyses to identify genetic overlap with other relevant neurobehavioral phenotypes. Our primary GWAS meta-analysis identified two novel SNP loci (top SNPs: rs76114856 in the CENPO gene on chromosome 2 and rs6669072 near LOC105378853 on chromosome 1) associated with cognitive performance at the genome-wide significance level (PPeer reviewe
Stability and Hydrolyzation of Metal Organic Frameworks with Paddle-Wheel SBUs upon Hydration
Instability of most prototypical metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in the
presence of moisture is always a limita- tion for industrial scale development.
In this work, we examine the dissociation mechanism of microporous paddle wheel
frameworks M(bdc)(ted)0.5 [M=Cu, Zn, Ni, Co; bdc= 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate;
ted= triethylenediamine] in controlled humidity environments. Combined in-situ
IR spectroscopy, Raman, and Powder x-ray diffraction measurements show that the
stability and modification of isostructual M(bdc)(ted)0.5 compounds upon
exposure to water vapor critically depend on the central metal ion. A
hydrolysis reaction of water molecules with Cu-O-C is observed in the case of
Cu(bdc)(ted)0.5. Displacement reactions of ted linkers by water molecules are
identified with Zn(bdc)(ted)0.5 and Co(bdc)(ted)0.5. In contrast,.
Ni(bdc)(ted)0.5 is less suscept- ible to reaction with water vapors than the
other three compounds. In addition, the condensation of water vapors into the
framework is necessary to initiate the dissociation reaction. These findings,
supported by supported by first principles theoretical van der Waals density
functional (vdW-DF) calculations of overall reaction enthalpies, provide the
necessary information for de- termining operation conditions of this class of
MOFs with paddle wheel secondary building units and guidance for developing
more robust units
Perinatal asphyxia: current status and approaches towards neuroprotective strategies, with focus on sentinel proteins
Delivery is a stressful and risky event menacing the newborn. The mother-dependent respiration has to be replaced by autonomous pulmonary breathing immediately after delivery. If delayed, it may lead to deficient oxygen supply compromising survival and development of the central nervous system. Lack of oxygen availability gives rise to depletion of NAD+ tissue stores, decrease of ATP formation, weakening of the electron transport pump and anaerobic metabolism and acidosis, leading necessarily to death if oxygenation is not promptly re-established. Re-oxygenation triggers a cascade of compensatory biochemical events to restore function, which may be accompanied by improper homeostasis and oxidative stress. Consequences may be incomplete recovery, or excess reactions that worsen the biological outcome by disturbed metabolism and/or imbalance produced by over-expression of alternative metabolic pathways. Perinatal asphyxia has been associated with severe neurological and psychiatric sequelae with delayed clinical onset. No specific treatments have yet been established. In the clinical setting, after resuscitation of an infant with birth asphyxia, the emphasis is on supportive therapy. Several interventions have been proposed to attenuate secondary neuronal injuries elicited by asphyxia, including hypothermia. Although promising, the clinical efficacy of hypothermia has not been fully demonstrated. It is evident that new approaches are warranted. The purpose of this review is to discuss the concept of sentinel proteins as targets for neuroprotection. Several sentinel proteins have been described to protect the integrity of the genome (e.g. PARP-1; XRCC1; DNA ligase IIIα; DNA polymerase β, ERCC2, DNA-dependent protein kinases). They act by eliciting metabolic cascades leading to (i) activation of cell survival and neurotrophic pathways; (ii) early and delayed programmed cell death, and (iii) promotion of cell proliferation, differentiation, neuritogenesis and synaptogenesis. It is proposed that sentinel proteins can be used as markers for characterising long-term effects of perinatal asphyxia, and as targets for novel therapeutic development and innovative strategies for neonatal care
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