1,317 research outputs found
Transient hygro- and hydro-expansion of freely and restrained dried paper: the fiber-network coupling
The transient dimensional changes during \textit{hygro}-expansion and
\textit{hydro}-expansion of freely and restrained dried, softwood and hardwood
sheets and fibers is monitored, to unravel the governing micro-mechanisms
occurring during gradual water saturation. The response of individual fibers is
measured using a full-field global digital height correlation method, which has
been extended to monitor the transient \textit{hydro}-expansion of fibers from
dry to fully saturated. The \textit{hygro}- and \textit{hydro}-expansion is
larger for freely versus restrained dried and softwood versus hardwood
handsheets. The transient sheet-scale \textit{hydro}-expansion reveals a sudden
strain and moisture content step. It is postulated that the driving mechanism
is the moisture-induced softening of the so-called "dislocated regions" in the
fiber's cellulose micro-fibrils, unlocking further fiber swelling. The strain
step is negligible for restrained dried handsheets, which is attributed to the
"dislocated cellulose regions" being locked in their stretched configuration
during restrained drying, which is supported by the single fiber
\textit{hydro}-expansion measurements. Finally, an inter-fiber bond model is
exploited and adapted to predict the sheet-scale \textit{hygro}-expansion from
the fiber level characteristics. The model correctly predicts the qualitative
differences between freely versus restrained dried and softwood versus hardwood
handsheets, yet, its simplified geometry does not allow for more quantitative
predictions of the sheet-scale \textit{hydro}-expansion.Comment: 37 pages; 12 figures; 5 table
Non-supersymmetric Black Holes and Topological Strings
We study non-supersymmetric, extremal 4 dimensional black holes which arise
upon compactification of type II superstrings on Calabi-Yau threefolds. We
propose a generalization of the OSV conjecture for higher derivative
corrections to the non-supersymmetric black hole entropy, in terms of the one
parameter refinement of topological string introduced by Nekrasov. We also
study the attractor mechanism for non-supersymmetric black holes and show how
the inverse problem of fixing charges in terms of the attractor value of CY
moduli can be explicitly solved.Comment: 47 pages, harvmac. v2: footnote(4) expanded, references adde
Twistor Strings with Flavour
We explore the tree-level description of a class of N=2 UV-finite SYM
theories with fundamental flavour within a topological B-model twistor string
framework. In particular, we identify the twistor dual of the Sp(N) gauge
theory with one antisymmetric and four fundamental hypermultiplets, as well as
that of the SU(N) theory with 2N hypermultiplets. This is achieved by suitably
orientifolding/orbifolding the original N=4 setup of Witten and adding a
certain number of new topological 'flavour'-branes at the orientifold/orbifold
fixed planes to provide the fundamental matter. We further comment on the
appearance of these objects in the B-model on CP(3|4). An interesting aspect of
our construction is that, unlike the IIB description of these theories in terms
of D3 and D7-branes, on the twistor side part of the global flavour symmetry is
realised geometrically. We provide evidence for this correspondence by
calculating and matching amplitudes on both sides.Comment: 38+12 pages; uses axodraw.sty. v2: References added, minor
clarification
Is It Rational to Assume that Infants Imitate Rationally? A Theoretical Analysis and Critique
It has been suggested that preverbal infants evaluate the efficiency of others' actions (by applying a principle of rational action) and that they imitate others' actions rationally. The present contribution presents a conceptual analysis of the claim that preverbal infants imitate rationally. It shows that this ability rests on at least three assumptions: that infants are able to perceive others' action capabilities, that infants reason about and conceptually represent their own bodies, and that infants are able to think counterfactually. It is argued that none of these three abilities is in place during infancy. Furthermore, it is shown that the idea of a principle of rational action suffers from two fallacies. As a consequence, is it suggested that it is not rational to assume that infants imitate rationally. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base
A replication study confirms the association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a large European cohort
<p><b>Objectives</b> The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms on systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility and phenotypic features.</p>
<p><b>Methods</b> A total of 8 European populations of Caucasian ancestry were included, comprising 3014 patients with SSc and 3125 healthy controls. Four genetic variants of TNFSF4 gene promoter (rs1234314, rs844644, rs844648 and rs12039904) were selected as genetic markers.</p>
<p><b>Results</b> A pooled analysis revealed the association of rs1234314 and rs12039904 polymorphisms with SSc (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29, respectively). Significant association of the four tested variants with patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) was revealed (rs1234314 OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; rs844644 OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.99; rs844648 OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 and rs12039904 OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33). Association of rs1234314, rs844648 and rs12039904 minor alleles with patients positive for anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) remained significant (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.37; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38, respectively). Haplotype analysis confirmed a protective haplotype associated with SSc, lcSSc and ACA positive subgroups (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97, respectively) and revealed a new risk haplotype associated with the same groups of patients (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35; OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42, respectively).</p>
<p><b>Conclusions</b> The data confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms in SSc genetic susceptibility, especially in subsets of patients positive for lcSSc and ACA.</p>
Direct Integration of the Topological String
We present a new method to solve the holomorphic anomaly equations governing
the free energies of type B topological strings. The method is based on direct
integration with respect to the non-holomorphic dependence of the amplitudes,
and relies on the interplay between non-holomorphicity and modularity
properties of the topological string amplitudes. We develop a formalism valid
for any Calabi-Yau manifold and we study in detail two examples, providing
closed expressions for the amplitudes at low genus, as well as a discussion of
the boundary conditions that fix the holomorphic ambiguity. The first example
is the non-compact Calabi-Yau underlying Seiberg-Witten theory and its
gravitational corrections. The second example is the Enriques Calabi-Yau, which
we solve in full generality up to genus six. We discuss various aspects of this
model: we obtain a new method to generate holomorphic automorphic forms on the
Enriques moduli space, we write down a new product formula for the fiber
amplitudes at all genus, and we analyze in detail the field theory limit. This
allows us to uncover the modularity properties of SU(2), N=2 super Yang-Mills
theory with four massless hypermultiplets.Comment: 75 pages, 3 figure
Topological A-Type Models with Flux
We study deformations of the A-model in the presence of fluxes, by which we
mean rank-three tensors with antisymmetrized upper/lower indices, using the
AKSZ construction. Generically these are topological membrane models, and we
show that the fluxes are related to deformations of the Courant bracket which
generalize the twist by a closed 3-from , in the sense that satisfying the
AKSZ master equation implies the integrability conditions for an almost
generalized complex structure with respect to the deformed Courant bracket. In
addition, the master equation imposes conditions on the fluxes that generalize
. The membrane model can be defined on a large class of - and -structure manifolds, including geometries inspired by
supersymmetric -models with additional supersymmetries due to almost
complex (but not necessarily complex) structures in the target space.
Furthermore, we show that the model can be defined on three particular
half-flat manifolds related to the Iwasawa manifold.
When only -flux is turned on it is possible to obtain a topological string
model, which we do for the case of a Calabi-Yau with a closed 3-form turned on.
The simplest deformation from the A-model is due to the
component of a non-trivial -field. The model is generically no longer
evaluated on holomorphic maps and defines new topological invariants.
Deformations due to -flux can be more radical, completely preventing
auxiliary fields from being integrated out.Comment: 30 pages. v2: Improved Version. References added. v3: Minor changes,
published in JHE
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